Here is the Allegheny Frank Selee

[Archive]

Posted By: Paul

Now that the G&B Al Spalding has surfaced, I figured it was time to finally reveal the other one-of-a-kind Hall of Famer card: the 1904 Allegheny Frank Selee. I am the very proud owner of this card.

This should explain why I've been so desperately searching for a Bid McPhee. With my Selee card, it was my hope to have the only complete collection of Hall of Fame cards in existence. (I convinced myself I could do without the Cuban Willie Foster card that is known only as part of a complete set uncut sheet). Now that the Spalding has surfaced, it seems very unlikely that I will achieve that goal. Of course, if Mr. Masson is willing to sell, I'm willing to buy.

I know there are several board members who have been wondering about the whereabouts of this card for a long time. I feel I owe the board a bit of an apology for not revealing the card sooner. But I was afraid that some people (not board members) would try to charge me extortionate prices for a McPhee if they knew I had the Selee and was on the verge of a truly complete Hall of Fame set. Now that I'm in the same boat as everyone else, that isn't as much of a concern. Plus, it turns out that McPhee is only available at extortionate prices anyhow.

Without further delay, here is my Selee. Sorry for the low resolution scan, but I can't figure out how to upload large files. Have a Happy Thanksgiving.



Paul

[Archive]

Posted By: Hal Lewis

I only collect HOF "players," so Selee is not on my wantlist because he was only a manager and never a player.

But for someone like you who is trying to complete a FULL HOF set...

it sure looks like you have an "ace-in-the-hole" that nobody else can match!!



Way to go, Paul!

[Archive]

Posted By: Julie

You don't want a card of Rickey because he wasn't a great player? You don't want a Fan Craze Hanlon because he's in as a manager? Was Mack a great player? Geez...

[Archive]

Posted By: Ben

But I was afraid that some people (not board members) would try to charge me extortionate prices for a McPhee if they knew I had the Selee and was on the verge of a truly complete Hall of Fame set.

I don't know if there's anyone in the world with a greater desire for one particular card than Paul does for an N172 McPhee. Would someone PLEASE hook him up with one at a reasonable price so he can close the book on the only truly complete HOF set! That is, if you consider Allegheny's fair grounds. I always thought that since the Selee is a 1/1, we could cut hall of fame rookie collectors like Hal a little slack

Great card, thanks for sharing.

[Archive]

Posted By: Paul

Thanks, Ben. But even with my Selee I won't be able to say I have a truly complete set until I have the Spalding. I was really looking forward to announcing my complete set on this board after I acquire a McPhee, but that will have to wait until I stumble across a second example of the Spalding at a swap meet.

[Archive]

Posted By: Hal Lewis

Paul:

The McPhee in the current Mastro is a bit expensige (I think it's at $5k)...

but the way things are going, you may need to bite the bullet and go for it!

Getting one cheap may never be a possibility.

Go get that McPhee!!

[Archive]

Posted By: Hal Lewis

Julie: Geez, yourself!

I had to draw the line somewhere, and if I did NOT only collect PLAYERS, then I would have to try and find cards for these dozens of people that I have NO DESIRE to collect:

Al Barlick Umpire
Nestor Chylak Umpire
Jocko Conlan Umpire
Tom Connolly Umpire
Billy Evans Umpire
Cal Hubbard Umpire
Bill Klem Umpire
Bill McGowan Umpire
Walter Alston Manager
Sparky Anderson Manager
Leo Durocher Manager
Rube Foster Manager
Bucky Harris Manager
Miller Huggins Manager
Tommy Lasorda Manager
Joe McCarthy Manager
Bill McKechnie Manager
Frank Selee Manager
Casey Stengel Manager
Earl Weaver Manager
Ed Barrow Pioneer/Executive
Morgan Bulkeley Pioneer/Executive
Henry Chadwick Pioneer/Executive
Happy Chandler Pioneer/Executive
Ford Frick Pioneer/Executive
Warren Giles Pioneer/Executive
Will Harridge Pioneer/Executive
William Hulbert Pioneer/Executive
Ban Johnson Pioneer/Executive
Larry MacPhail Pioneer/Executive
Lee MacPhail Pioneer/Executive
Branch Rickey Pioneer/Executive
Bill Veeck Pioneer/Executive
George Weiss Pioneer/Executive
Tom Yawkey Pioneer/Executive

None of these people PLAYED their way into the Hall of Fame ... so I don't collect their cards. Just my choice.

[Archive]

Posted By: Julie

[Archive]

Posted By: warshawlaw

Let's add HOFers from other sports who have baseball cards: Thorpe, Greasy Neale, Ernie Nevers and Dave DeBusschere come to mind. Of course, Thorpe is a killer and finding a Zeenuts Nevers is hell on earth...but the rest can be had relatively cheap.

[Archive]

Posted By: Paul

I need the Thorpe, but have the rest, including a 29 Zeenut Nevers. He is also in the Middy Bread set as a major leaguer.

[Archive]

Posted By: jay behrens

I have a Sports King Thorpe for sale if you are interested. I'm selling becuase I finally got a baseball card of Thorpe

Jay

I saw weird stuff in that place last night. Weird, strange, sick, twisted, eerie, godless, evil stuff. And I want in.

[Archive]

Posted By: Paul

Thanks, but I'm just looking for a baseball card of Thorpe. There are two in the Mastro auction, but they're not cheap. I though a VG of the Sporting News card wouldn't go for so much, but maybe it's the Standard Biscuit back that's carrying a premium.

[Archive]

Posted By: Julie

........

[Archive]

Posted By: warshawlaw

Is like the only cheap Wagner--Fatima team cards. I've picked up the Pittsburg and the NY NL cards recently to fill in as contemporary player cards of those two. Not ideal but not 1000's each either. I did get this really interesting Thorpe recently:

It is a 1979 postcard for the ASCCA Thanksgiving show in NYC.

[Archive]

Posted By: hankron

But you get get a 1910s Police Gazzette Suppliment Thorpe for a reasonable price if you find one.

[Archive]

Posted By: hankron

The suppliment shows him as a track and field athlete

[Archive]

Posted By: Brian H

I am also aspiring to a HOF complete set of sorts.....

see:
http://www.psacard.com/set_registry/display_cards.chtml?rsetid=16949&alltime=yes&rank=1&tied=0&requesttimeout=9999


I was lucky/clever enough to acquire McPhee prior to his induction (I also collect 19th century near HOF players and he obviously qualified along with Stovey, Mullane etc). If McPhee is in the Buchner set (I don't recall and besides I hate that set) that would likely be his most affordable card.

I deal with Spalding (and Geo. Wright) the way that Hal does -- as part of a team "cabinet"/card from his playing days in the 1870's.

As to Hal's list of HOF non-players I have some comments:

1. Umpires are almost all available in one form or another (although McGowan seems impossible and either Callahan or oneof the big Supplements are the only options for Tom Connolly).

2. Managers Mostly these guys can be found on cards as well although Selee is one of a kind. I would also note that Rube Foster's Hall of Fame status is largely akin to Spaldings. Foster was a standout Pitcher, a manager and (probably most significantly) the father of Negro League baseball. McGraw (who is not in Hal's list is in the HOF as Manager. He was a superb 3d Baseman for the Orioles but really never played that much due to injuries. I think AL Lopez and Miller Huggins are also HOFers primarily (if not entirely) because of their managerial excellence.

3. Executives the founder/executives (except Spalding and H. Wright) are generally unavailable on non-comemorative cards. Landis is only on a gigantic Supplement (until the Callahan issue after his demise), Chandler is only on the Callahan issue during which time he was the active commisioner and not yet a HOFer (he's the only non-HOFer in the set). The later executive types are all on cards issued in the 50's (Topps) and early 60's (Fleer).

Finally some of the Negro League greats are on Latin American (Cuban/Puerto Rican) cards otherwise the only option is one of kind postcard/photocards.


Anyways, I just thought I'd share that ..... and ask Paul what he wants for the Selee card I have been looking for all these years....

[Archive]

Posted By: Jimmy Leiderman

Selee with some nice company...

[Archive]

Posted By: Paul

Wow! Selee's rookie (team) card. That's a mighty impressive cabinet.

I had no idea that PSA had a registry for Hall of Fame sets. I would consider participating, but I'd hate to spend the fees grading over 200 cards, including recent guys like Puckett.

Brian, I'd kill for your McPhee and your Kalamazoo Bat Harry Wright. As far as parting with my Selee goes, I was actually considering it when I first saw the Spalding. I figured if my set is going to be missing one card, it might as well be missing two. Plus, I might be able to get some extraordinary cards for it. But, at least for now, I don't think it's going anywhere. It still makes a very nice part of a nearly complete set.

[Archive]

Posted By: Hal Lewis

JIMMY!!

Awesome cabinet of the 1891 Boston Beaneaters!!!

They are still playing 115 years later ... as my favorit team ... the Atlanta Braves!!!

Too bad Joe Kelley wasn't called up to that 1891 Boston team until half way through the season, or there would be ANOTHER HOF on the cabinet with Selee, Nichols, Kelly and Clarkson!!

Nice card.

[Archive]

Posted By: Kenny Cole

Paul,

Like Brian, and for all the same reasons, I had been looking for the Allegheny Selee for quite some time. I'm glad to finally know where it is and to know that it has a good home. If you ever decide that you want to part with it, I would also be interested in talking to you.

Kenny Cole

[Archive]

Posted By: Paul

A good quality scan of my Selee now appears in the "Baseball Card Hall of Fame - Next Round" thread.