Your 1 Favorite Collectible
 

I have seen some incredible items on this forum but I would love to see that 1 item in your collection that you put above all others for whatever reason. Would love to know the reason if there is one. Whether its expensive or cheap, rare or plentiful, curious as to everyone's choice.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...65223d9903.jpg

Apologies not pre war


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

For obvious reasons.

Without a doubt
 

A unique item featuring Rube Waddell's T206 portrait card that is 114 years old (give or take). The card has had only three owners during that span. Nelson Tisdel stamped and signed the reverse. (#1). The second owner Gordon Soutter obtained the card from the Tisdel family in the 1940s. He followed Nelson's lead and signed the reverse. (#2). I found the card on eBay and spoke with Gordon's wife wanting to know if they owned other Tisdel/Soutter cards. If they did, I was prepared to purchase them. She wouldn't give me a direct answer and merely answered "We only sell on eBay". I had already purchased the card and when it arrived, I decided to add my signature as the third owner. (#3) This scan predates my signature, but I will try to find a more recent scan (probably in the Net54 Archives) and add it to this post. Provenance of this card cannot be disputed. Someday there will be a fourth owner. I hope he has a pen. ;):D





https://www.collectorfocus.com/image...ddell-portrait


Here's my prior thread on this card, but alas the card must have been scanned before I signed it, but I was able to add a weak version below:

https://www.net54baseball.com/showth...ght=Provenance

Attachment 677534

Hey Tomi, how about showing us that 1 item in YOUR collection that you put above all others for whatever reason. Would love to know the reason if there is one. Whether its expensive or cheap, rare or plentiful, curious as to YOUR choice.

You don't see many items with both Cobb and Ruth autos so this one would be my #1. I still hope you will show yours:)
https://i.postimg.cc/kM8Mmkz6/Babe-R...-Cobb-Auto.jpg

Wow, Luke — incredible piece!

I love this little slice of baseball and advertising history — just 157 total pop. Hopefully it eventually gets recognized as the 1947 rookie issue that it is. Bond Bread might be the first — barely — but isn’t the only!

Jaw dropping….

It is this wrong back pair for me and it isn't even close. I love error/variation cards and this wrong back pair is of my 2 all time favorite players. Add in the cards are red and have great photos.:D

Favorite
 

My father sent me this '55 Clemente as a gift in 1986 while I was stationed in Spain while serving in the USAF. I collected Roberto while in High School and knew I needed this one..

That’s awesome

When you were able to find deals for under $10.00 at a mid 1980's Baseball Card Show

My favorite item I own is this 1912 Red Sox World Series Magic Lantern slide. The image is from Game 2 and just highlights one of the run scoring plays from the game. I’ve always wondered if there are more slides from the series out there. The coolest part for me is being able to see the photographers on the rooftops of Fenway in the upper left.

Rivera signed bat I got in person at Tropicana Field circa 2000. Yankee pitchers were walking out from the bullpen I ran down to field level had Pettitte & Mendoza sign balls. Jerk face Clemens walked on by and Rivera came over and all I had left was the broken bat I just purchased from concessions . It is a Tatis Sr broken bat on top of it. Was a great experience!

We took our son to Spring Training in 2005 to see the Dodgers in Vero Beach and also the Mets. Mike Piazza is another jerk, just walking and goes to my son I'm working when my son asked for his autograph and ignored him. On the other hand Tom Glavine is a Gentleman my son had a ball gave it to Tom Glavine and then Tom Glavine gave him a better ball and signed it a Class Act. The Dodgers were better our son met Tommy Lasorda & Eric Gagne & just about everyone

This T206 Mathewson was part of a group of five 1910 era HOF cards I purchased (my first prewar cards) at the first table I stopped at during my first card show. They were all incredible, but of the five this is the one that my eyes always landed on the longest.

Decades later and I am still collecting these prewar papery goods, quite often in similar or lesser condition, thanks to Matty and friends.

Brian

Ahh, the ol' save from the fire question. All the stuff I have is stuff, except these:

My cousin's 1951 Topps Ringside card, signed, with a letter to a fan referencing the Ringside cards and the Topps Vault contract he signed authorizing his card

https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibi...ler%20auto.jpg
https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibi...3%20letter.jpg
https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibi...t%20Miller.jpg

Doesn't get much better than that for me. Just for the heck of it, a few more images:

https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibi...20SGC%2050.jpg
https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibi...Poster%201.jpg
https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibi...0cover.bmp.jpg
https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibi...er%20Cover.JPG
https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibi...s%20Poster.jpg

It isn't the most valuable thing in this thread, but it's the most awesome. Low-key unobtrusive hobby legacy...especially if this thread survives history and the next owner who doesn't know what's up with the numerous marks on the back can trace it back.

Tomi, thanks for responding to my challenge and posting the FANTASTIC #1 item in YOUR collection!

Although I'm a pasionate collector of cards of all the players who were on the Washington Senators 1924 WS Championship Team, especially Sam Rice and Walter Johnson, my favorite collectibles pertain to Pete Runnels, who was my favorite Senator when I was a kid for these 2 reasons: (1) My dad preached contact hitting, which Runnels did and which suited me, as I had little power (one LIttle League homer), and (2) When I was 11 or 12, I got to play 2nd base (a position Runnels often played) during an infield demonstration conducted by Runnels at my Little League stadium, and Runnels praised my play. It broke my heart when Runnels was traded to the Red Sox after his poor 1957 season, which resulted from being told to pull the ball more (Runnels was normally a spray hitter to all fields). Ted Williams is credited with straightening Runnels out, and Runnels hit over .300 for each of his 5 years in Boston, winning the AL batting titles in 1960 and 1962.

I'm going to "cheat" and show both my favorite Runnels card, a 1953-54 Briggs Hot Dogs 2-card panel, and my favorite Runnels memorabilia item, 1 of the 2 bats he received for being in the 1962 All-Star Game at Chicago, in which Runnels (surprisingly) hit a pinch-hit homer.

This is my favorite piece in my collection, an original broadside from a negro league showdown on July 4th, 1941. Checks all the boxes for me, super rare as I’ve never seen another one, absolutely beautiful, features one of my favorite characters in baseball history, and has St. Louis ties. This was the first fully integrated crowd at sportsman’s park, largely due to Satch holding out on appearing until the organizers agreed to allow black attendees to sit wherever they could afford.

Painted by St. Louis black artist Spencer T. Banks

That's some world-class memorabilia right there, just fabulous!

Always loved Pete, a classy ballplayer in every respect. Like you, I was very sorry to see him go.

Here is one of my favorite collectables, I don't think anyone said it had to be baseball. If so, my apologies. How about a 1961 Johnny Cash Fan Club membership card signed by Big John and his best friend at the time, Pat Isom. When Johnny first started his fan club it had very few members, so Pat handled it for him the first year or so. I've never seen an earlier card.

Very first old cardboard I ever purchased…
 

.
… was a George Mullin E95 card with back damage.
Still have it even those most of my collections are now long gone.

Relish those long gone days.

Very first old cardboard I ever purchased…
 

.
… was a George Mullin E95 card with back damage.
Still have it even those most of my collections are now long gone.

Relish those long gone days.

When it comes to my favorite collectibles, memorabilia trumps cards by a lot. Just a much bigger sense of history and presence in the game.

My favorite piece is this jersey worn by Eddie Shore in February 1934 in the first NHL All-Star game. One of the all-time great defensemen, and the lead guy in “old-time hockey” by the Hanson Brothers, Eddie caused this game to be played when he injured Ace Bailey with his stick, causing damage that ended Bailey’s career, and the need for this game to raise funds for Bailey. While Baseball’s first allstar game preceded this by 8 months, the players wore no special uniforms. shore wore this one representing the NHL stars against the ACE jerseys of Toronto’s team (a grail i havent found yet!), so one could consider this the first major sport all-star jersey (though there were the barnstorming baseball tours earlier if any jerseys exist from those with an allstar logo). It led to the introduction of helmets to the game, and the first primitive one was worn by Eddie himself and that is show below from my collection as well.

One of the most significant pieces of hockey history, what makes this jersey notable as well, aside from the great condition and beauty, is the Jewish star worn as a star patch (probably easier to shape and sew on)….it was only 1934. THAT wont happen again in an all-star game.

The jersey was sold by Shore’s estate after he passed away. I was blown away by this item then and now. It started a collection of significant hockey jerseys that are my favorite collectibles (it’s an obsessive category for many, moreso than any other sport).

That is unbelievably cool. Thanks for sharing!

Super Briggs two-card panel, Val. I'm curious what else you can tell us about it? Is that the end of a typical sheet before cutting? Or is it cut from a larger promotional piece?

You could have a large photo of this printed off, then frame and mat with signed index cards of Gardner and Doyle! You really lucked out. For a 113 year old baseball game, the two players mentioned in the caption are also have the cheapest autographs of anyone on the field that day!

My favorite would probably be my Hal Chase game used glove sourced directly from his next door neighbor.

A close 2nd would be my T206 player game used bat collection. I’ve since added 2 in the last couple months which brings me up to 43.

Could be the least valuable card I own but it was the summer of 1961 and I was 7 years old just getting into baseball. Was a huge Red Sox fan but was glued to the HR race between Maris and Mantle. This card from 1962 brings back so many memories !!

It has everything going for it - rarity, great looks, Ruth, and total English on back.

My favorite card
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...ee88ba79_c.jpg
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...51fbf13a_z.jpg

George, back in the early 1950's, Briggs and other meat companies (e.g., Esskay and Hunter) packaged their hot dogs in waxed cardboard boxes, one side of which had a 2-baseball-card panel. Most of the time, kids (and probably adult collectors as well) would cut the panel into 2 individual cards. Individual Briggs, Esskay and Hunter cards are somewhat scarce, whereas 2-card panels are extremely scarce. BTW, Mickey Vernon was my second most favorite Senator when I was a kid, and I'm thrilled to have this Briggs panel with him on it, which I'm fortunate to have gotten signed in person by both players back in the 1990's.

That’s a really cool idea!

I'm amazed we never see individual cards with any of the yellow writing. The cutters must have viewed that like "coloring outside the lines." It's hard enough to find Briggs cards with any red border.

Sent from my motorola edge 5G UW (2021) using Tapatalk

George, speaking of the yellow writing, I may be wrong about this, but I believe the 1953 Briggs panels have NO yellow writing between the 2 cards, whereas the 1954 panels DO have yellow writing between the 2 cards. Here's the link to a group of 9 Briggs panels containing both types that sold in a 2009 REA auction: https://collectrea.com/archives/2009...-mays-9-panels

For a change of pace, how about a Topps-era gem?

As an unrepentant variation hound (insert loud wolf howl here!!!) and besides the ones I own, I have yet to see another autographed version of this 'Mr. Tiger' rarity, so me loves it.


Attachment 677583


It was a big risk sending the valuable cards through the mail (shortly before he died, sadly enough), and I'm terribly glad I did!

That's great. How did you get them to slab the back as the front?

Wheaties Earl Averill
 

Great thread! Very cool items and stories behind them. This is my favorite item (today).

I’ve been drawn to rare and unusual CLE collectables for some time. This just checks all the boxes for me.

1 more

I’m going to piggyback off Val with another Briggs, although just a single. But it does show a bit more of the side of the packaging, which is my favorite element. Plus the yellow writing!

Great thread, but boy is it tough choosing one single item. There are so many that are close runners up. My answer probably changes every day...but today this is it.

Favorite Collection Items
 

Really enjoying this thread especially with the various pieces displayed so far. Hard to pick one, or even 2 items, but since Joe Jackson and the Black Sox are my biggest niche here goes. 1'st an 8 X 10 Type 1 photo of Joe just minutes before his initial confession to Chicago Grand Jury of taking monies from the gamblers. (9/28/20) 2"nd goes hand in hand and is from the next day 9/29/20 . A full page of the Boston Post featuring all 8 members of the Black Sox and putting the historical wheels in motion based on the previous days proceedings.https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...f9daf65d_b.jpgSeptember, 28`th 1920, Jackson Type 1 Photo by Hugh Murphy, on Flickrhttps://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...e4de7169_c.jpgBoston Post Headlines, September 29`th 1920 by Hugh Murphy, on Flickr

I loved looking through this thread! Some really incredible items! As a Matty fan, my favorite item by far is this original 1915 cabinet photo from the Christy Mathewson collection. Matty showing his son Christy Jr. his incomparable pitching style.

Amazing piece, just stunning! And the acrylic display is perfect.

Wonderful photo!

Tomorrow it will probably be something different, but for today it's this postcard. It pictures the University of Wisconsin team on their 1909 tour of Japan. The card was sent by one of the players to his friend back home in
Wisconsin. "Peck" Nash was the team's backup pitcher. He didn't appear in the game pictured on this card, but the team's main pitcher got injured during the following game and Nash pitched the rest of the tour.

Like I'm sure many of you have, I've visited Matty and Christy, Jr.'s graves in PA. Seeing that photo brought back that memory.

I was still in high school, on a trip through PA with my mother. Thinking back on it today, I wonder how on earth I knew where Matty was buried at that young age. The visit wasn't planned whatsoever. We were driving past and I said, "That's where Christy Mathewson is buried!". It's right by Bucknell, so maybe that's how I knew? Not sure. It was the pre-internet era. I obviously could have read about it somewhere.

Love it. As a D.C. and pennant guy, this would be a Holy Grail, but that horse left the barn some time ago. Thanks for posting, I always enjoy seeing one.

Very cool
Always love those mid prints and oddities

Always love this card for the action of this batting pose and the rarity and wanted this for over a decade and honored to be the current holder of it

I've been there. Neat to see. I'm from outside Factoryville, Matty's hometown, so they have Christy Mathewson day every year on the weekend closest to his birthday. Eddie Frierson does an outstanding play "Matty" and comes to town occasionally on that weekend to perform it. Great stuff!

Keeping up the Matty theme. Maybe because it's a newer pick up. But it's an instant favorite.

My Favorite GOAT Cards
 

Issued only on July 21, 1935, as a supplement to the Detroit Free Press during the M120 run of Tigers

https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibi...ebsize/024.jpg

I do recognize the argument for a tie at the top so:

https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibi...0189_Front.jpg

The Babe was the OG. Ruth slugging average career .690. Everyone else...not. Ruth OPS career 1.1636. Everyone else...not. Ruth career WAR 182.6. Everyone else...not.

https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibi...uth%20port.jpg

1958 Cleveland TI:

https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibi...am%20issue.JPG

What do you call a guy who averages over 30 points per game and over 22 rebounds per game for a career? GOAT

https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibi...ain%20auto.jpg

But there is a controversy, so 1984 rookie year team issue:

https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibi...ize/image.jpeg

He won over 200 NASCAR races; the next closest barely cracked 100:

https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibi...ed%20card.jpeg

There is only 1 GOAT in futbol.

https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibi...Signed%20.jpeg

There is a reasonable argument that Sir Lewis Hamilton is the F1 GOAT so his 2007 Mercedes team issue;

https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibi...milton%201.jpg

I’ll do one more since I probably can’t just choose one. Willie Mays game used bat. Acquired directly from the son of an ex-Pirates bat boy at Forbes Field. There are still finds out there!:D

it's one of these but not sure which

My 1962 Shirriff Baseball Coin set:

https://hosting.photobucket.com/85c5...33b0487668.png

https://hosting.photobucket.com/85c5...04c7bcdc9c.png

https://hosting.photobucket.com/85c5...45a3ab69ba.png

https://hosting.photobucket.com/85c5...baa823f23d.png

https://hosting.photobucket.com/85c5...bbd7c7dc53.png

https://hosting.photobucket.com/85c5...26da71738e.png

https://hosting.photobucket.com/85c5...1270e2e3e8.png

They're special to me because I collected them as a kid after seeing this ad in the DC comics hitting newsstands in April 1962:

https://hosting.photobucket.com/85c5...8b7728898c.jpg

https://hosting.photobucket.com/85c5...51639f3806.jpg

https://hosting.photobucket.com/85c5...372e27135a.jpg (Bag not mine.)

I didn't get very far with my collection as a kid because a bag of chips cost a whopping ten cents (a silver dime containing 0.0586 of a troy ounce of silver worth U.S.$2.97 today)! That plus the fact that there was at the same time a competing promotion in Hostess Potato Chips with a wildly colourful Aircraft Wheel free inside each bag. But I've now had the 200 coin set of the Shirriff Baseball Coins since 1990 or so.

If posting a whole set is cheating, then it's this unbroken sheet of 1962 Post Baseball cards with both Ernie Banks and Orlando Cepeda that came inside Canadian Sugar Crisp boxes!

https://hosting.photobucket.com/85c5...0890436e72.png

Here's the cool ad for the above Post cards that ran in the Saturday comic sections of newspapers across Canada in April 1962:

https://hosting.photobucket.com/85c5...3aad48a46e.png

:)

Yes, Richard Lee Petty! If I won a big lottery, I'd go after one of his Plymouth Road Runners or Dodge Chargers from the 1970's:

https://hosting.photobucket.com/85c5...2a97493bf6.jpg

https://hosting.photobucket.com/85c5...af5b97c0d9.jpg

Given my more meager finances, I have to content myself with this model kit:

https://hosting.photobucket.com/85c5...489acf42c9.jpg

;)

[QUOTE=Exhibitman;2550577]Issued only on July 21, 1935, as a supplement to the Detroit Free Press during the M120 run of Tigers

https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibi...ebsize/024.jpg

I do recognize the argument for a tie at the top so:

https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibi...0189_Front.jpg

The Babe was the OG. Ruth slugging average career .690. Everyone else...not. Ruth OPS career 1.1636. Everyone else...not. Ruth career WAR 182.6. Everyone else...not.

https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibi...uth%20port.jpg

1958 Cleveland TI:

https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibi...am%20issue.JPG

What do you call a guy who averages over 30 points per game and over 22 rebounds per game for a career? GOAT

https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibi...ain%20auto.jpg

But there is a controversy, so 1984 rookie year team issue:

https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibi...ize/image.jpeg

He won over 200 NASCAR races; the next closest barely cracked 100:

https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibi...ed%20card.jpeg

There is only 1 GOAT in futbol.

https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibi...Signed%20.jpeg

There is a reasonable argument that Sir Lewis Hamilton is the F1 GOAT so his 2007 Mercedes team issue;


https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibi...milton%201.jpg

It’s difficult for me to pick just one item but I do love this 1919 World Series game one program that’s been scored and the original owner wrote the score of the game on the cover

Greatest OJ Animal: Terrier.

Anyway, Google image search says it's a Terrier....I don't really know.

At any rate, this is my favorite collectible (that I own).

Every thread needs a GOAT. Not mine.


Attachment 677800

Terrific piece of history there, Jim.

Oh man! So cool.

:)

-
This one. The only card my Dad and I ever bought together when i was a kid. Growing up in a working class family there wasn't any money for frivolous things like baseball cards. 1st and only time we ever went to a card shop (I'm sure I probably pestered him to no end to take me) we bought this. I think it was $175-$225 sticker price which was a ton of money back then. Knowing what I know now it was a big sacrifice for him to buy this card at that price.

Anyway, thanks Dad.
-

Thank you, Hank!

Musial Five HR Scorecards
 

As much as I cherish these signed scorecards from Stan Musial's five home run doubleheader, I cherish the memory of him spending a few amazing minutes with me talking about that day as he signed. "I should have had six!" he chuckled as he recounted pinning Willie Mays against the center field fence in the second game. "I never tried to hit homers, but in my last at bat I really wanted another one and swung for the fences, but I popped up to first." Then he flashed that famous smile.

An incredible player, a true gentleman, a class act his entire life. The Man.

Just when you think, man that’s a hell of a piece, the next favorite item gets posted. Outstanding, keep them coming.

nice Mantle Dale.

Cool! Stan Musial is right up there with my very favourite players of all time.

:cool:

Kudos to your dad for not passing out due to sticker shock! That's still a lot of money for a little piece of throwaway cardboard sold to little boys for less than a cent. I was lucky enough to grow up when four cards plus a sheet of wholesome delicious bubble gum cost only five cents and your father probably remembered basically the same.

:)

Incredible piece and story from Stan the Man!

I'll do a Top 3... for now. (Sorry about the large sizes of the pictures. Can anyone tell me how to adjust that? It didn't used to do this).

What an amazing piece of history! Early US college baseball tours of Japan (UWash, UWis) made huge impact on their local game and current Japanese pro teams trace back to a prewar college league. Hope you never lose that card!

My own choice might be this Mantle RC that SGC said NO to. :-)

Easy choice - a pre-production proof sheet cut into panels by subject, from T220 Silver. My favorite set, and can't get much cooler than something unique from ones favorite issue. There are only 3-4 known production copies of the Donovan and Jas. J. Corbett outside of the 8 proof cards of each here. Possibly the only T cards where there are more proofs than production cards!