Collins-McCarthy question

[drumback]

How do you tell if a Collins-McCarthy card is the real thing? This is not a set that I collect, but just picked up a couple, and I have no idea. Looks like a set that could be easily reproduced. What should I be looking for?

[nolemmings]

The Collins-McCarthy set has been reproduced-- I own a set of it somewhere and will try and track it down. The originals will have a more golden tone--not white. The originals also will have a nice gloss to them, the reprints look, well, like reprints. I would think it would be hard to make, enhance or change the gloss if you were looking to create fakes.

Gotta run, but will post scans if I can find my reprints--seems I may have posted one before when this or a similar question was asked--you may want to use the search function. Hope yours are real and good luck--it's a really cool set.

[drumback]

Thanks, Todd. I tried searching but didn't really find the info I needed. Thanks for the info. It appears I bought the real thing.

[nolemmings]

Anyway, here is a scan of the two for contrast-- I would add that the reprints are sometimes a little less clear or muddy in the photo, but some of the cards in the real deal can be that way too. Of course, the gloss is pretty much impossible to tell from a scan.



Ignore the scale--the two cards are essentially the same specs--and there can be a variance even in the originals.

Glad yours are real.

[drumback]

Here they are. What do you think?

[nolemmings]

The tone is is right and the photos sufficiently clear that I would call them real, although they are likely trimmed or hand-cut--at least the Wood.

Collins-McCarthy's, or in your case E135s, can have some strange cuts to them; also, when placed on a scanner if they do not lay flat edges can appear wavier or distorted more than they really are. That might explain the Bagby, but that top border on Wood looks to me like it's been cut-- perhaps bottom too. Nice cards

EDITED TO ADD: FYI, Wood is one of two cards (with Jimmy Lavender) that helped us change the date of issue from 1916 to 1917 on these, as Smoky Joe didn't join the Tribe until 1917. It's easy to remember this little tidbit-- think of a a romantic evening, where your woman wants a bath of lavender after which you give her wood (OK a little TMI).

[drumback]

Yeah, I wondered about the trimming issue myself. Still thought they were worth picking up. Does the blank back have any effect on the value?

[nolemmings]

Hopefully those who chase these will chime in-- I gave up on them several years ago. Until recently, I would have said the blank-backs are the scarcest of the E135-like cards, a little moreso than Weil Baking, slightly more than Standard Biscuit and much moreso than either Collins-McCarthy or Boston Store. However, a complete set was auctioned off by single card lot in Mile High over the last year or thereabouts, and many of those as well as some more have surfaced in the market. They still are tougher than at least two of the other backs; however, it doesn't seem to translate to any meaningful premium.

The cards in the MH auctions were all over the place price-wise, and since I do not believe there are any scarcities (except for two that have the poses and players switched--Morgan and Judge)-- I always assumed they were cut from the same 200 card sheets, I have no explanation how someone like Chester Thomas can sell for over $1000 in PSA 5.5 while other commons in grade 5 or 6 sold between $178 and $250. (Joe Wood in PSA 4 went for only $196.35)

[Leon]

Originally Posted by drumback

Yeah, I wondered about the trimming issue myself. Still thought they were worth picking up. Does the blank back have any effect on the value?

I agree with Todd, the blank backs are a bit scarcer but don't add any extra value. The ones posted by the OP look hand cut to me too. Here are a few E135 types..