Lionel Carter Letter about the hobby - 2003
 

Got this from a board member, and thought it had pretty cool insights from Mr. Carter and some good hobby references. Love what he says about the '33 Goudey Ruth cards :) Signed by him at the end, neat piece if you ask me.

Just wanted to share.

Greg

Cool piece

Very nice Greg............cool read from one of the hobbys true collectors

It's unfortunate he was scared into having to sell his beloved sets. I never did trust the storyline that was given. As a friend of mine said in analyzing a fight scene in First Blood, too many right angles.

Didn't Doug Allen say the "gypsies" stole his cards?

Yeah, and somehow he predicted well in advance they all would be returned, and there was other stuff too that just seemed too convenient for me. And of course they happened to end up consigned to Mastro because the "theft" scared Carter so much. Whatever.

Outstanding post, and clear scan. Thank you so much for sharing and congrats on a great pick-up!

I wonder how Doug Allen sleeps at night knowing that his kids will learn what an utter scumbag he is.

Greg, very neat letter, thanks for posting it.

I have many Lionel Carter pedigree's, here's a couple I wish I still had.

http://qualitycards.com/pictures/1243495454.jpg

http://www.qualitycards.com/pictures/1243495452.jpg

Nice letter Greg.

In reading the various posts here I wouldn't be too harsh on the guy as to how and why he sold his collection. Here's my one and only pedigree:

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p...ummellt204.jpg

I had seen the Lionel Carter holders but did not know what they were. After reading this letter, I did a google search and read on on Carter (which led me to reading up on Burdick, etc).

Wow, what a story and what a collection. He wouldn't pony up the $150 for a Wagner and it ended up selling for $125 - even though his wife encouraged him to splurge.

It must have been sad watching his collection be parsed out. He had no heirs, so no one to leave the cash to - he just enjoyed it for the hobby that it was

Does anyone know the final tally of what the collection brought? I couldn't find that in a google search.

Also, Peter, I am trying to read between the lines and don't know if you wish to be cryptic or care to share via pm, but what is the Doug Allen story behind the collection? The articles that I read make Allen out to be a good guy - underwriting his ww2 book, getting the flips to say Lionel Carter collection etc.

Good education on my part.

I am with Kevin...
I know Doug is in hot water, to say the least, but didn't know he did in sketchy things concerning Mr. Carter and his wife. Inquiring minds want to know!

Oh don't mind me, I'm just a cynic who is skeptical when a massive collection is stolen allegedly by gypsies, its return is predicted with confidence well in advance, the entire collection is then miraculously returned intact (that happens often with million dollar thefts, right?), and shortly afterwards the auction house guy who says he is working with the collector to help him safeguard the collection ends up with one of the biggest consignments of all time. It's all in threads on this forum, my opinion is only my own and not trying to convince (or accuse) anyone of anything, maybe it all went down exactly as was stated, read it for yourself. YMMV.

Relax, Peter, Doug won't sue you for libel as long as truth is an absolute defense. :)

Peter S
 

I note that you refer to your self as cynical once again.
If you nuzzle the kind, bark at the greedy, and bite scoundrels, I must
agree with you, with much appreciation.

all the best, ole buddy

barry

Thanks for printing this. Lionel really was good at answering his mail.

He so wanted to have his book published---"CARTER AND THE CAVALRY". By the end of his life it was all ready. However, it never got published. During the time they were auctioning his collection, Doug Allen had said they were going to try to get it published. Did they??

I for one would like to read it, partly to honor Mr. Carter, and because I enjoy World War II history. Having read a bunch of Lionel's hobby writings, I'm certain I'd find it fascinating.

Regardless, thanks again for sharing the letter with the rest of us. I appreciate it. -Brian Powell

my only E95

Here's another Lionel Carter (that I still have) of a local boy from New Oxford, PA, which is next to Gettysburg.

http://www.qualitycards.com/pictures/1239568202.jpg

Not alone I too found it a bit too good to be true, still do.

My BS meter always seems to be pegged at the max in this hobby, I wonder if the FBI has a more professional model as I keep breaking the ones I'm buying to safe guard me.

http://photos.imageevent.com/piojohn...s/epqpfnjm.gif

After I won Lionel's T206 Plank card in the 2007 Mastro Auction, I called him and interviewed him about the card and his collection. I also corresponded with him a bit. You can listen to my interview, and read some of the letters on my website, here:

http://www.signedt206.com/lionel-carter-interview/

Amazing story!! Thanks for posting it.

George Vrechek wrote some pieces about Carter for SCD awhile back and they are archived over at the OBC website in the Library section: http://www.oldbaseball.com/

Well worth a read!

Late to the thread
 

Just catching up on this, and am with both John and Peter in the ranks of cynics about how the whole process went down, though am glad that he did not lose his life's effort all together.

Some folks have reassembled a number of his T207s - my two contributions:

One of my favorite cards for sheer visual effect (in person)

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x...e/3c1cc428.jpg

and a (rare?) brown-ink back

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x...ps17edba66.jpg

--
Mike

Nice to own this one.

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3669/...73e94592_c.jpg