Helmar Brewing Co.
 

I'm sure most of you received the Old Cardboard email advertisement for Helmar Brewing Co. What do you think about these fantasy cards? Some of these look incredible.

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I personally like some of these mock up cards. I worked with the person that makes the Sporting Life Art cards to make a set dedicated to Golfers.

The nice thing with these is you can still collect some beautiful cards that depict players or an era you enjoy collecting but in most cases don’t have to sell a kidney for the cards. The down side…Not sure there is a long term value on these.

Here is another art card person I stumbled across, really like how some of their cards look

http://stores.ebay.com/arslongaartca...p2047675.l2563

I actually really like some of the designs. I like the fact that they don't restrict themselves to just the superstars. I especially like the Negro League offerings. And some of the back advertisements are very creative and extremely colorful.

I haven't bought any yet, but I like the fact that they aren't trying to mass market the cards or trick people into thinking that they are vintage.

i think their cards are beautiful - but I have never bought one.

Helmar etc
 

The cards etc. are very nice and do make it possible to own on a budget. Another artist to check out would be Monty Sheldon. He was doing cards for Helmar when I met him at a Chicago National. I commissioned 4 cards from him and they turned out to be BEAUTIFUL. Sadly my scanner sucks and I can't post. Find him at montysheldon.com

I dig them...and I like them much better than modern shiny crap. But I have not and I likely will not buy any of them.

They're nice looking however I wonder how many people don't realize that they are recently produced. I've never paid attention to the back of the cards. Does the back indicate they are recently produced?

Never purchased one, probably never will, they're just fun to look at. One last comment - I'd rather not see them in the pre-war section of ebay.

Is there even a pre war section on ebay anymore????

Ii especially like the '33 Goudey-style ones, but I wish they weren't so aged - if he ever produced a set of 'new' condition ones, with a finish similar to the real Goudeys, I would probably buy them. But that would not maximize his profit, which I completely understand.

Pete,

There's a filter on ebay that allows you to select the "Era" as part of the search function. I select the "Pre-WWII (Pre-1942)" section to limit the amount of new crap that shows up in the searches.

The artwork is amazing on some of the cards. I won't buy because I don't see them retaining any value.

Bob Lemke makes some pretty cool fantasy cards. There's a member on the Freedom Card Board forum that makes his own Jose Canseco cards.

While I like them, many are clearly nothing more than Broders cards...they are using the images of people whose images are protected. I also think are expensive for what they are, which does not mean they aren't attractive.

Really like the designs but struggle to pay the asking prices for what feel like novelty cards. Were they in the $5 range, I'd probably buy several.

Good point Pete. I sometimes have to double check the search settings when I scroll. The other day I had to wade through a couple hundred slabbed '65 Topps to see the listings that didn't work for me anyway.:D

I've gotta agree with Chris regarding Monty Sheldon, he's an absolute force to be reckoned with. His website REALLY doesn't do his work justice, and as I've nagged him about many times, needs some serious updating (like I'm one to talk).

But he does keep his Facebook page updated:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Very-...20955254596509

Seriously though, he's a phenomenal artist and makes amazing keepsakes. I can't extoll his virtues enough.

Graig

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The Helmar stuff is all very neat stuff. I have a few that I bought early on when he first started doing them. I have 8-10 leathers that are fashioned after the L1 leathers and they are TOP NOTCH work. I'll try to scan and post a couple here. Some are players contemporary to the L1's and some are newer players--Ruth, etc but on an L1 format. The 1933 Goudey-type cards are absolutely fantastic with the Japanese, Negro League and House of David cards along with Mantle, Clemente and others in that same format. The prices they bring on ebay are just enormous. $200-$300 for some stars in the 1933 Goudey format. Robert Edward Auctions sold a few lots in the recent auction:

http://www.robertedwardauctions.com/..._fall/975.html

The lot above, for instance, brought $840 for 41 cards or about $20 per card. Some of those same cards on ebay brought much, much more. So you do have to wonder about holding value. If you're buying them because you love them $20 per card is MUCH more affordable than $200-$300 per card on ebay......

Ebay completed auctions for the R319 Goudey-esque cards are below:
http://www.ebay.com/sch/m.html?_ssn=...w=r319&_sop=16
Ranging from high at $230+ for Fleetwood Walker (cool idea) to lowest price of $9.99 for Vern Stephens. 26 of them sold over $100. 104 of them sold at $20 and below.

As for artwork, as I understand it, he commissions the artwork for the cards, so he's not stealing anything. They are done from vintage photos I'd assume and then the cards are made from that artwork--which he's sold as well. If you look at the completed auctions, sum up sales for a month, and you'll see it's a pretty lucrative business.....at least on the revenue end....not sure about costs........

Great great stuff though........there are also a couple of copycat(ish) type sellers on ebay doing something similar albeit not on the same size or quality as sirraffles........

Bought this a few years ago, and it wasn't expensive. About $5. Also have Martin Dihigo and Pete Hill (no scans). Extra thick card stock, and tobacco card sized. However, the card backs do not mimic any vintage issue, but instead have a scratch-off section for the purpose of redeeming some sort of prizes. (I've never scratched them off, ha)! Pretty cool cards.

One of my Grandaughters likes to use the word "nold"
meaning something that's both new and old at the same time.
I think that's a good way to describe Helmar Cards.
.....
Have a complete series 1 set and a few of the series 2 and 3 cards.
As for their current offerings ....... I really like them and enjoy
participating in the Tuesday night auctions.
I have my favorite lines and only bid on those .
.....
To everyone at Helmar "Great Job"
Ken

I like it! "Nold"...I'm using it :p

Here is one that I picked up recently at a show. Some of the Helmar cards are well designed and make nice display pieces.

Jantz

Jantz...beautiful piece!

Thanks Mike

When I was looking at it, the elderly gentleman (dealer) jokingly said "A youngster like you probably doesn't even know who those players are."

We ended up talking for about 20 minutes about cards and the players from that era.


Jantz