Hal Lewis Collection

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Posted By: Robert

Hal,

I found your site via the new section on the vintage links and spent at least an hour looking through your collection and just wanted to thank you for sharing those amazing cards. I am absolutley flabbergasted on the quality and quantity that you have amassed.

Here you go Adam

www.lewisbaseballcards.com

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Posted By: Alan

I second that.
VERY IMPRESSIVE !!!!

Alan

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Posted By: Adam J. Moraine

I have seen cards from Hal's collection, which he posts on different threads quite often. I am VERY impressed. Could someone PLEASE post the link, so that I too can check out the cards, as well.

Best regards,

Adam J. Moraine

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Posted By: Brian Engelhard

Wouldn't it be great if some or ALL of the cards came back into circulation. He can forever cherish the memories from the scans. Its a sellers market, the time to sell is now...the bubble is about to burst! Something tells me he won't go for it

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Posted By: Hal Lewis

Thanks guys!

http://www.LewisBaseballCards.com

Now I just need to hope that baseball cards don't go the way of "pet rocks" and "rubiks cubes."



But then again, I am a collector and not an investor... so I will just keep them all anyway and enjoy them!

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Posted By: tbob

Very impressive Hal. It's always nice to see someone who has a "plan" instead of someone like myself who buys hodge-podge what ever appeals to the eye and ends up with parts of sets and seemingly no direction! I guess my one redeeming quality is that I do try and pursue certain complete sets but of course that way you end paying exorbitant amounts for uncommon commons...

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Posted By: Adam J. Moraine

Hal,

A "collector" NOT an investor. Damn you, lucky man. You have cards that I would only dream of owning.(i.e.a T-206 Cobb red back. port. #1 on my want list)I work full time at a convience store, and your'e an attorney.BIG DIFFERENCE.About a couple or few hundred thousand dollars per year difference. Hell, you have 19 Cobbs, not to mention the Ruth's, Gehrig's and Wagner's. Just totally and completely unbelievable. Looks like one hell of an "investment portfolio" to me! Estimated value????

Best regards,

Adam J. Moraine

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Posted By: Josh A.

Hal,
First of all, fantastic site, and some great cards!

What is your most cherished card?

"I'm thinking about getting a plasma T.V., in case I need a transfusion."- Steven Wright

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Posted By: barry arnold

top drawer collection and top drawer contributor to the board.

all the best

Barry Arnold

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Posted By: Hal Lewis

Thanks again to all.

I can honestly say that if it was NOT for this website, I would have nowhere near enough interest or knowledge to have such a collection.

That's why I feel the need to share it.

Most cherished card?

Wow. Tough call.

Probably whatever card I am trying to acquire off of EBay next!

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Posted By: Ted Zanidakisc

Hal,

Very, very impressive collection and just as awesome is
the display site. I am mainly a vintage set collector; but,
I really appreciate the fact that your site also serves as an
instant look-up reference to any given player's Rookie card.

You need a "Q"; so try Jack Quinn's rookie (I believe it is his T206).
He is unique, in that he is also in the 1933 Goudey set, and
is the only active player to be in both sets. He started as
a pitcher for the old Highlanders, and his career spanned 25
years (1909 - 1933).

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Posted By: Paul

Hal, I didn't realize you acquired the Allegheny Brown. I thought that it was in another board member's collection and that he'd never let it go.

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Posted By: Hal Lewis

I bought the Alleghany Brown and the E107 Lajoie Type II from him for a boatload of moola.

He still won't part with his other precious cards.

I think he sits with them in the dark, muttering to himself:

"My Precious...My Precious..."

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Posted By: john/z28jd

I cant help but wonder how much better your collection would be with all those 1886 Giants player cabinets,so many hall of famers....tsk tsk

To me it will never be complete without them no matter how hard you try

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Posted By: Hal Lewis

Have you tried this guilt trip on TIK?

Surely he will just GIVE you the Corcoran cabinet if you beat on him long enough!

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Posted By: john/z28jd

Guilt trip? who me?

Im just looking out for your collection Hal,the Corcoran would just be me helping you out so you dont get stuck with one of those nasty non hall of famers that ruins collections.Im actually shocked and saddened that you said that and it will be hard to forgive you.I dont even know if you bought that set now and offered me the Corcoran that i could forgive you.....but im willing to try for the sake of our friendship

PS-TIK hides those cards whenever i see him at Ft Washington

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Posted By: Bruce Doskind

I think's Hal's collection is great- there are some series cards missing-
I have a number of highly graded Four Base Hits and Just So cards
as well as a cadre of graded team cabinets going back to 1870

Also, my uncut 1912 Boston Garter sheet (unique) has two
Hall of fFmers and one is a rookie card.

I think too many people assume that there no cards known
in certain grades and certain players's rookie cards are not out there.


NOT TRUE

I can remember buying Ramly lots for $15 a card and Old
Judges (near mint) at $5....don't underestimate supply of rare
cards- it is greater than you thinkl.

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Posted By: Hal Lewis

Bruce:

Show us a scan of the uncut Boston Garters!!!!

Please. Very neat sounding!

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Posted By: warshawlaw

sure were a lot of Exhibit cards in there

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Posted By: Richard Masson

Hal- check your email

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Posted By: Andrew Parks

Hal -

Why do you have the T206's listed as Cobb Rookies when E102's were apparently distributed in 1908? Or has this been debated ad nauseum?

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Posted By: Hal Lewis

The E102's are now known to have been from no earlier than mid-1909 due to certain players and the teams they are shown with.

This change was reflected in the 2005 catalog, and was made on the Old Cardboard page itself in SOME places but not in others:

http://www.oldcardboard.com/e/e1/e102/e102.asp?cardsetID=743>

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Posted By: Andrew Parks

Thanks.

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Posted By: Bruce Dorskind

Whilst I do not I have scans of any of the items I own---i.e. Boston Garter Uncut
Sheet, Zimmer Game, countless rare advertising items, cards, programs tickets
and extraordinary sheet music, for those of you who are interested, a number of
my very best itemswere published in a wonderful book call Baseball Archaeology -
photographyby Brett Wills- Chronicle Books in San Francisco (1993)


The uncut sheet of four 1912 Boston Garters which is unique includes
Bescher, Chance, Chase and Clarke -each are shown wearing Garters.

I have extensive research on Boston Garter including an early 1950's article
written by legendary collector Buck Barker.

The sheet is the only known such item

Let me know if you have any questions

Bruce

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Posted By: warshawlaw

that some folks are eager to see ballplayers in their underwear?

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Posted By: Jerry

I VANT YOUR CARDS. YOUR EYES ARE GETTING SLEEPY. SEND ME ALL OF YOUR CARDS CAREFULLY PACKAGED IN BUBBLE WRAP. SEND THEM TO ME TODAY.

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Posted By: Brian H (misunderestimated)

I hope I don't come off as too much of a sychophant (i.e. suck up):

I think anyone who has ever checked it out can plainly tell just how fabulous the Lewis collection is ...

What is not so obvious to those who haven't frequented the Board over the past few years is just how much his rigorous collecting of Rookies -- in terms of both effort and expense -- has been accompanied by adding knowledge to the Hobby.

Hal's quest has led him to question the "traditional" dates ascribed to many early sets (both obscure and otherwise) and determine through that many cards are actually earlier or later than we had often blinded accepted.

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Posted By: Hal Lewis

And yet, despite all his efforts...

the poor sap can't put his hands on a few wimpy little "dime a dozen" cards like a:

1) 1923 Maple Crispette Bottomley
2) 1922 E120 Pie Traynor
3) 1929 Kashin Mel Ott
4) 1921 E121 Waite Hoyt
5) 1924 Diaz Cigarettes Ted Lyons

What collection is complete without these cards??


Surely SOMEBODY out these wants to help a brother out??

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Posted By: DJ

Hal,

When I saw Hal's site, I had to e-mail him with kudos. It's awesome as my wish list climbs and with this market, some of these cards tease me like a centerfold.

So Hal, the million dollar question is now that you have upgraded to a nicer e107 Happy Jack, what will become of the one pictured on the site?

Keep Up The Good Work Hal!

DJ

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Posted By: identify7

Although I can appreciate the instructional value incorporated in Hal's site by having the cards listed alphabetically, my preference is to view the cards chronologically.

Of course, if I had a clue how to include that sorting option, I would offer it to Hal for consideration in a heartbeat. But I have no idea if it is a simple presentation enhancement or one likely to be more trouble than it is worth.

But Id certainly prefer to see this landmark historical assembly portrayed in the order of appearance of these key players.

Any thoughts?

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Posted By: Hal Lewis

Gil:

While this would be beneficial to the 2% of the public who KNOWS anything about vintage baseball...

it would be FRUSTRATING to the other 98% of the people who view my site and send me e-mails. They are mostly kids or just interested baseball fans who are LOOKING for the Babe Ruth cards...

but would have NO IDEA where to start looking for his cards if they were in chronological order.

Same is true for Ty Cobb, Jackie Robinson, Hank Aaron, Lou Gehrig, Shoeless Joe, etc.

Those seem to be the most popular amongst visitors to my site who are just casuals fans and NOT collectors.

I like for even the most basic baseball fan to be able to seek and find what they are looking for.

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Posted By: identify7

I can see that.

Thank you for this additional insight.

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Posted By: John Spencer

Hal, like so many others I was overwhelmed by the quality and breadth of your magnificent collection. I am sure you could write a book about the quests for certain cards. I only have one nagging concern which deals not with you or your collection but SGC and their data base. You state that your E107 of Vic Willis SGC 30 is the highest graded in the world. Well, I have one graded as a 50 by SGC and I have to wonder how many other aberrations there might be out there. In the great cosmos of the collection world, it is not a big deal but still.....

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Posted By: Hal Lewis

No, John, you are completely correct... and your card DOES show up now on the SGC Pop Report.

It's just a matter of me not being able to go through and update my 500 cards every time someone adds a new one to a Pop Report. I would have to log on and check each card individually, and I can't do that.

In a nutshell... it is just easier to WAIT until people like you point out the changes I need to make...

and THEN I go make them!!

My Vic will defer to your Vic as the King of Vics.

(Now you need to e-mail me about how we can swap cards and put a happy ending to this story)