Shellacked Cracker Jack Plaque--show your 'dare to be different' baseball cards
 

Here is a challenge...show your offbeat baseball cards. I will start with my Cracker Jack on a Shellacked Plaque. It just feels substantial, unlike most of what we collect, especially since 3/4" inch thick wood was used. And the shellacker had the foresight to copy the back of the card onto the back of the plaque...no way the back of this card will ever see the light of day again. I've had this for 15 years or so, and it still makes me smile.

Next....

Brian

I love the commentary from players on their cards when they autograph them. Here's a couple, which I think show the personality/humor in them...

Barry "wished he looked like this picture now" - what an amazing statement, which captures the phenomenon of the retired and aging formal ballplayer. He would live another 20 or so years after signing this, so he probably didn't look too much different from when he hung up his spikes 20 or so years earlier...

<img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8538/29461342472_9bc842e85f_o.jpg" width="585" height="720" alt="Barry M101-2"></a>

I always felt that he should've signed his catcher pose card with this comment; but, I suppose he was just answering a question from his letter-writing autograph seeker...

<img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7575/29280951210_12a397bb22_o.jpg" width="938" height="763" alt="SnodgrassBattingCatcherCommentary (1)"></a>

I still smile every time I look at this card.

Raise your glass to Shellacked Cracker Jack Plaques!
 

Some good ones, any more?

I would hate for this thread to die, if nothing else because it has one of my favorite four word rhyming phrases in the history of mankind...Shellacked Cracker Jack Plaque.

Brian

Here's my contribution. This one definitely dares to be different!

The pink flower stitching really makes the Bresnahan 'pop'. ;)

None of "them guys" seams(!) particularly happy about the pink threads!

The approximate 4 to 1 gals to guy ratio should be making the fellas happy, no matter what the color of stitching.

Nice item.

Brian

Love this!

I have been eyeing the b-18 patchwork blankets and pillows for years.

Here's an interesting pair!

The plaque
 

The cj plaque is magnificent. Any idea about when it was created? Is that sharpie?

And another interesting piece!

Definitely not written with a 'dullie'
 

Although I am not a sharpie expert (at least I have never testified as such in the court of law), to me it does look like a sharpie. My thoughts have been that it was done sometime in the 1960's to 1970's time range. And it is cool. Here is another one:

Brian

Regardless of when it was done it looks cool. Some writing on cards gives them a lot more character.

Interesting set of Cracker Jack plates. Not sure what, if anything, this group of players has in common, but this was the full set of these from the original owner. And yes, those are actually cards set on a white background frame and inset into the plate!

The Darling OJ is maybe my favorite card in my entire collection. It is absolutely haunting.

I also particularly enjoy the T206 Elberfeld with the mystery zeppelin (?) overprint/stamp/whatever. I have never been able to determine exactly what it is, but I find it quite cool nonetheless.

Brian: Back in the day they made these wood burning kits. It might be neat to "wood burn" over the sharpie.
My dare to be different isn't a baseball card or pre war hope you don't mind me sharing.
Larry

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w...n/Scan_38.jpeg[/URL]

By the looks of it, whoever that is on the back of the Old Judge (presumably lying in a coffin?), it looks like Elberfeld killed them. Just a guess, based on all of the red on the Elberfeld. Haha. Unless that's Baby Jesus on the back, then I don't know.

Delete. Weird double post. Sorry.

Marc, cool platecards (new word, waiting upon trademark). It would be a nice surprise when finishing off a plate of spaghetti to have Mugsy McGraw eyeing you with suspicion through a layer of marinara sauce.

Brian