What is your favorite one-of-a-kind item, a never sell item?

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Posted By: tbob

Mine is easy. Several years ago I bought a "folk-art" baseball circa 1912-15. A collector had pasted T205s and T207s all around the baseball and then added a cut signature of Christy Mathewson (verified) and then added a coat of clear shellac over the whole thing. Right above Matty's signature is a really nice T205 Matty. It is absolutely beautiful (I know, it sounds weird). I bought it in a Robert Edwards auction and as I recall there were 3 others, a Collins, Speaker and someone else. Does anyone here have one of the other balls? Just curious.

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Posted By: warshawlaw

But my last to go items are those relating to my cousin Ray Miller (1927 York Caramel card, 1928 Exhibit card, 1951 Ringside card, autographs, photographs, etc.).

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Posted By: Julie

which may be as many as four-of-a-kind.

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Posted By: Jon Canfield

First of all, I think this is a great topic so I wanted to respond... With that being said, I'm going to be unconventional and hopefully not offend anyone on the board, but my favorite 1 of a kind item is not sports related. My grandfather gave me his original landing map from the invasion of Normandy. It's a long story of how he was able to keep his, but the remainder were collected after the battle and destroyed. Soon after it was given to me, I did some research on it. From what I understand, there are less than 5 originals in existence from the Normandy landing. It has even greater personal value since it belonged to my grandfather. Ok - besides that, my favorite sports related 1 of a kind item is my baseball pillowcase super premium or my authenticated 1860's Abner Doubleday letter written in response to an autograph request.

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Posted By: scott brockelman

mine would be my TTT box. while perhaps not 1 of a kind, it is the only one ever verified to still exist by tobacco pack collectors.

it is on my site

scott

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Posted By: Jeff O

I have an one-of-a-kind hand-painted "poster" advertising for Guyle Fielder Night in Seattle in 1964. Fielder is considered one of if not the greatest minor league hockey player in history, and he played most of his career in Seattle. It came from the collection of a family that used to own a local watering hole near the arena in Seattle, frequented by the players after the games. Fielder saw it during a visit to my home a few years back and all but begged me to part with it, but I said no dice (well, I said it a lot nicer than that...). It's almost like a piece of folk art.

Jeff

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Posted By: Richard Dwyer

Mine would be my Old Mill box with 1911 Overprinting. (Factory 25, 2nd Dist. VA) I have never seen any others that have that year for the overprinting. Hopefully one of a kind. Am I wrong? Portrait and Southern League were done only in 1911.

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Posted By: Julie Vognar

THRILLING!

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Posted By: Andy Baran

I have 2 One-of-a-Kind items that I hope to never sell. Both of these are the only known examples in existance at this time:

- 1893 Just So Tobacco Jesse Burkett
- 1904 Alleghany Mordecai Brown

I also have E107's of Wagner & Mathewson, which though they are not quite One-of-a-Kind, they are extremely rare, and I hope to hold on to them for a long, long time.

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Posted By: Julie Vognar

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Posted By: Patrick McMenemy

My favorite one-of-a-kind item is a Paul Thompson photo autographed by Ira Thomas. The photo shows Ira and Connie Mack in their dugout. I have seen a similar photo taken from a slightly different angle taken by Charles Conlon at the 1911 World Series.

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Posted By: honus3415

Would much rather have many different items once....than one item forever.

I've just NEVER found anything in which the thrill of "The CHASE" wasn't more satisfying than the "IMPRISONMENT" I would finally subject my prey to.

Sure it's nice knowing I can pull out MINE and look at it whenever I want.....but can I ever really appreciate it enough to keep it out of circulation?????

Kinda wish there was a library of vintage cards and memorabilia, if I could just check out an item for a couple weeks........I'd probably be just as happy and so could alot of other.

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Posted By: Kevin Cummings

I've got two I'll never part with:

(1) I have a "kiddie" baseball glove autographed by Gene Woodling. Gene used to live next door to my uncle in Fair Lawn, New Jersey. All of the males in my family were diehard Yankee fans, so it was ingrained in me to be a Yankee fan, too, from when I was a tot. I got the glove for my fifth birthday and was thrilled to have gotten it directly from a Yankee player, but was crushed when I found out that he had just been traded to the Baltimore Orioles!

(2) One of my housemates at college was Sam Bronfman, whose family owned, among other things, the Montreal Expos. I went to a Mets/Expos game in 1972 with Sam and a few friends and got the royal treatment beforehand during which manager Gene Mauch took off his hat, autographed it and handed it to me!

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Posted By: Greg Ecklund

1. The first signed copy of Don Larsen's book "The Perfect Yankee". This one will always bring back memories of the trip my father and I took to the Hall of Fame induction ceremonies in 1996. We made the rounds of the stores, gathering the Hall of Famer autographs that we still needed from Reggie Jackson (jerk), Whitey Ford, Brooks Robinson, and Willie Stargell (great guys, all). Then we happened upon a store that had Don Larsen, Hank Bauer, and Bobby Shantz signing in the lower level - we bought our tickets and went down to find a room that was, other than the players, comletely empty. It turned out Larsen had just released his book that day or a few days before, and we bought a copy that turned out to be the first one he ever signed, so he wrote "1st signed copy" above his signiture. We got the book signed by Bauer and Shantz as well and we ended up spending a good half hour talking baseball with them as everyone else was chasing the Hall of Famer signitures. The time spent with my father was priceless, as were the looks on the players faces when they realized that a teenager knew so much about their careers.

2. Signed photos of the core of the great A's team in the early 30's. I have one of Mack and Foxx together on the dugout steps that is signed by both, one of Grove holding his MVP trophy and standing on the dugout steps with Cochrane (signed by Grove only), and a Butterfinger premium signed by Cochrane. I have everything ready to frame together if I can just find that elusive Al Simmons signed photo!

3. An Al Simmmons game used bat

4. My T3 Cobb - definitely the last card to go if I had to sell my card collection.

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Posted By: Jimmy Leiderman

1982 Venezuelan Winter League All Star game signed ball
My company (I was 8 then, now I run it) was a big sponsor of a well known local team and I was able to enjoy the game in the dugout and meet every venezuelan major leaguer playing by that time and old timer Chico Carrasquel who was the manager.
Players who signed: Carrasquel, Tony Armas, Dave Concepcion, Vic Davalillo, Luis Aponte, Leo Hernandez, Luis Salazar, Les Straker, Luis Sanchez, Luis Leal, Manny Sarmiento and Manny Trillo among others.
I'll never forget that day!

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Posted By: hankron

I have leaning against a wall a 19th century bat handmade, signed, dated and noted by a man serving a life sentence, presumably for murder. It's a ring bat, in that he carved a series of rings in the barrell. It has the prison's tag and original suede carrying bag.

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Posted By: J Levine

I have a lot of one-of-a-kind Phillie stuff but my favorite is a baseball that started my obsession. Short version is that I was a ten year old pain in the butt kid near the visitors dugout at Dodger stadium with a ball and pen. Yelled for a good ten minutes to Bob Boone (love catchers) for his autograph. Must have been loud because a player grabbed the ball, signed it, walked it over to Boone, Schmidt, and McGraw in the dugout and brought it back to me saying something like, "Here kid, hope this shuts you up for a while." The fourth signature was from Steve Carlton. Thank god Rose was not in the dugout at the time

Second is a personalized letter written to and from Ethan Allen concerning his baseball game made in the '40s. Still have not found a complete game yet but hope springs eternal. I think it was a forerunner of the games like APBA.

-Joshua

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Posted By: jay behrens

I don't have anything one-of-a-kind in my baseball collection, but I would never sell off mychildhood 1971 and 1972 sets. Not would I sell the first foul ball I caught that was hit Butch Wynegar and then got him to sign it after the game. Actually, all the signed balls can be said to be one of a kins cine they are all personalized to me, even my DiMaggio ball.

The one true, one-of-a-kind item I have that I will never sell is a custom made action figure of the charater I used to play in the Star Wars role playing game. His name was Bubba Bo Bob Fett, the redneck cousin of Boba Fett.



The guy that created this is a really good artist and is very well known in the car art world.

Jay

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Posted By: Tom Boblitt

most of my won't sell items relate to Louisville baseball and I thought I might never sell my Joseph Hall cabinet but after last Saturday, that is now off (know you'll like it Tom......). One thing I will NEVER sell is a 15" Louisville Stoneware statue of Pete Browning with a fantastic H&B base and wooden bat made into his hands. Although there must be others, I have never seen another. It was made in 1984 to celebrate the anniversary of his first H&B bat.

I also probably wouldn't part with my Cy Young cameo pepsin pin.

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Posted By: Hal Lewis

I will never sell my 5 Peck & Snyder cards (Brooklyn, Cincy, New York and others)...

my "Just So" Cy Young card ...

or my "Four Base Hits" King Kelly card.

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Posted By: runscott

That would surprise Leon Probably my 1910-era semi-complete baseball uniform.

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Posted By: petecld

They say to never say never but I don't see myself selling my E107 Cy Young anytime soon or my E90-3 set.

I've got a few tobacco/candy cards that my Grandfather gave me and those will be buried with me unless I have someone to pass them on to.



For Tom Boblitt:
If you ever decide to sell your Cy Young cameo pepsin pin for the love of god man PLEEEEASE have my email address handy.

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Posted By: Julie Vognar

to a stanger and give your beneficiary the dough. A NTHING'S better than taking something out of the world just because you have to leave!

2) I wish more of you would post pics of your favorite things; most don't bother to sign in (both of mine have had enough exposure already).

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Posted By: Lyle

My pride and joy is my 1915 T214 Victory Ty Cobb graded a 30 by SGC .I love the glossy front and the blue text .
Lyle

"Cobb's the meanest,toughest-who ever walked onto a field ...because he couldn't stand to lose . All he wanted was to beat you on Saturday and twice on Sunday ." - Babe Ruth

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Posted By: scott brockelman

i have added several other unique or semi-unique ramly items on my web site rather than list all here. includes the only known ramly premium, which happens to be the 1910 pittsburg priates with honus wagner on a tobacco item! and also coupons, boxes and an advertising notebook. all can be viewed at http://sb1.50megs.com

scott

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Posted By: tbob

Crappy scanner and glare and the scan was taken through a ball cube holder but you can get an idea.

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Posted By: Julie Vognar

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Posted By: Bill Kasel

Items I would never sell, and hope my son wont when they are passed down to him.

1) Rogers Hornsby signed bat that my Grandpa used when he played semi-pro ball in the teens & 20's in Vermillion MN. It's shellacked, taped, and has a nail in the end but it is perfect.

2) US Flag that Alan Sheppard took on the first manned US space flight. My other Grandpa was given this for his service to the American Legion (WWI vet) just before he died in the 60's. My mom passed it on to me knowing my love for the space program.

Bill

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Posted By: Mike (18colt)

1) My 1963 Topps Pete Rose rookie card I personally had Rose sign at a card show in the 1980s (he even asked me if it were real, since reprints were around, and he wouldn't sign those). Being a Rose fan, despite his personal non-playing issues, makes this special to me. Plus, all of those investor-types kept telling me about how the card was devalued because there was writing on it. I don't care. Who else has one?

2) My 1956 Topps Whitey Ford card. Found it at my dad's parents' house, in the attic. It's beat up, but it's from his childhood, and it got me started on "older" cards (I've evolved to T and E cards today).

That's it. Even though I love collecting T-206, T-3, E-96, and even now, T-205 (just started), I would sell those for the right price. Not the same emotional attachment yet.

Thanks for the good thread.

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Posted By: hankron

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Posted By: leon

Since I just started collecting a scant 7-8 years ago I don't really have anything that I would say "never" to. I can think of a few things that if I sold them it might make me want to be less addicted...which could be good, I guess. I guess there is a price for anything I have....but don't really want to sell so that price wouldn't be a good "buyers" price. The term "all of the money" comes to mind ALSO, I just spoke to Brett Hardeman (Oldcardboard.com) and he and his dad are on the road to the National from Austin. They looped around Dallas and called and told me I was their 1st Charter subscriber to their newly launched magazine. I will be signing copies, once out, for a small fee....or "t" ......See a lot of ya'll in a few days.....

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Posted By: FatBoy

A really neat item HankRon. I agree...if I had it, I'd never part with it (even for ALL the money Leon:))

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Posted By: jay behrens

Mike, I ahve to agree you about your signed Rose rookie. I used to have a Ryan rookie that was signed by both Ryan and Koosman. People would see that and say "neat, but it's worthless now". I'd tell them I got the sigs in 1982 when you could buy the card for $10. Not really a big demand card and back then Ryan and Koosman, at that point in their careers, were outstanding pitchers with an outside chance at the HOF. The other piece people see and say you ruined the value of is my DiMaggio ball. It is personalized to me. How many people can make that claim? I got the signature for myself, not to resell.

I got the sig because I was lucky enough to go to dinner with him once. I was told there was only one rule, no questions about Marilyn. Which was fine by me. I wanted to talk baseball.

Jay

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Posted By: Julie Vognar

No, not even for "all the money". Shaped and polished with such care. Hope he was a long "lifer," and made many such wonderful things.

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Posted By: JimB

Never say never is a good rule, but there are a couple of itesm I don't think I would sell.

My E93 set is precious to me.
I probably would not sell my T206 Cobb/Cobb back - not one of a kind, but close.

Jim

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Posted By: Andrew

Certainly not in terms of value, but I just like this one.


“A smooth sea never made a skilled mariner.” - English Proverb

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Posted By: tbob

Is he trying to Yazercise her?

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Posted By: Adam J. Moraine

"YAZERCISE", LOL......... I THINK WE GET THE IDEA

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Posted By: Julie

It's a keeper. And the picture is still there!