No, I’m not selling my collection.
 

I’ve know for a couple weeks now that this lot would be showing up in a Goldin auction soon.

Steve Lucas reached out to me a couple weeks ago saying they had a bunch of Howe’s cards that had come in as part of a larger collection.

That collection was the “find” that showed up just before the National of more than 6,000 T206s. Turns out 950 of them have Howe’s stamp. From what Steve was able to tell me, the family says the gentleman who they belonged to purchased them around 1972, which fits the timeline of what Howe’a daughters friend, who saw Howe’s complete collection several times had told me. Howe sold most between 1969 and 1972.

Steve let me know a few details and I appreciate the heads up. But a collection in this condition, and just the sheer number of cards is way above my pay-grade as a low-level state employee.

I’m keeping the 393 I’ve been able to acquire since taking on rebuilding the collection full time in 2007. Just in a couple weeks, someone will have a bigger chunk of the collection.

Guess I’m glad I bought the URL howemccormickcollection years ago.

Good luck to anyone bidding and thanks to all on this board for your support through the years.

Ed

Hopefully some of these can find their way to you as well.

I'm down for some crowd funding on this one Ed, we have to keep you in the lead. Set up a go fund me and I'll contribute. Plus I would love to have a Howes E-card.

Wow, 950 cards. Are they going to list them one by one, in small groups, or the whole thing in one lot? I know I've chipped in a card or 2, but I won't be able to chip in 950 cards. Hopefully a few or more go your way.

Taylor
 

How can I find out if there's T206 Taylor with Howe's stamp?

Right now, it’s listed as one lot, all 950 cards
 

I had asked if it might be possible to get front and back scans of all before the auction, but that’s really an impracticality just because of the sheer volume.

I have no Dummy Taylors in the 393 I have, but Goldin says to contact them with questions …

https://goldin.co/item/1909-11-t206-...-mccormicf772l

That's great to hear Ed. What a collection Howe had :eek:

I am disappointed in how the listing implies it’s my collection for sale.
 

The reference to a modern collector, using the internet and phone calls and contacts to rebuild this collect.

The collection for sale was more than likely purchased at one time in the early 70s. The family that consigned the cards admitted that is when the gentleman bought them. Long before the internet, or calling and making contacts to acquire them.

I had previously made contact with and purchased cards from a gentleman who bought an almost complete collection of the Cleveland cards from a Wirt Gammon (not sure if the name now), a card dealer in Florida in 1972. Again, that would make sense and follows the timeline that they were purchased around that time in one group.

Interestingly, I know Howe had five Cobb cards (two green backs, one each of the others), but none in this collection, unless Goldin is holding on to any others to get them graded and sold individually.

Ed, I just looked at the lot. Yeah, their description is false, unless someone else collected them in silence, which seems absurd. They should describe the lot as it is.

I'll chip in...

What a great collection...it is a shame that this is being auctioned off as a group lot. Ideally at least the better condition/ bigger stars should be listed individually, and then the lesser condition in a bulk lot. I also have a feeling that the biggest HOF cards with the McCormick stamp will be seen at a later date, graded. Perhaps one of us with sacks full of money could attempt to corral these and distribute some to their rightful new collector owner.

And it is a completely inaccurate lot listing...someone should start a Go fund me for Goldin so that they can establish an accuracy in lot listing seminar for their employees.

Wirt Gammon was a sports writer from Chattanooga and a huge hobby pioneer who I believe specialized in vintage baseball issues. Searching his name on the web and here and he was writing articles about the hobby back in the 1940's through work in the 1970's with Sports Collectors Digest, and it has been documented that at one point he worked a deal for 3 Wagner and 3 Plank T206. I imagine a good chunk of us collectors today have cards that passed through his hands.

brianp(arker)-beme

“ In a heartwarming twist of fate, though, many of McCormick's holdings experienced a reunion, the results of which are seen here. A modern-day T206 enthusiast noticed the McCormick brand surfacing repeatedly as he shopped for new cards, and the distinctive marking fueled a secondary quest. This collector researched McCormick's past, and then reached out through the mail, by phone, and on social media. His persistence and focus (with much helpful assistance from his contacts) eventually brought about the construction of the ex-McCormick group seen here, a revived collection of considerable importance. As impressive as these rows of T206 items are, in their own right, they're also a demonstration of the community and camaraderie that can still be observed in the modern, sophisticated, and flourishing card-collecting industry.”

Reading this as loosely and generously as I possibly can, I can see no possible reading of these words that isn’t heavily implying this is your collection for sale. The part at the end about how this collection of McCormick stamps demonstrates the “community and camaderie” in the “modern, sophisticated” hobby cannot possibly apply to this batch of McCormick cards; only your very public quest. Certainly some of us would be aware of this “community” aiding a second hoarder of this random backstamp if it was real. That more than half the description is about the McCormick stamp, a stamp that is only noteworthy because of your aforementioned public quest and that has no additional value to anyone else, only furthers it. This cannot be true, is not an honest mistake, and is clearly directed at you.

I expect Goldin to be sleazy, lie, and cheat for any dollar he/they can; there’s a long history of it. But this is just so unnecessary of a lie, to little or no financial benefit (what bidder will care really care which batch of McCormicks this is?) that it strikes me as even worse than the normal bullshit and shenanigans from this corrupt ‘industry’. If I was you, I’d be raising one hell of a public fight over this blatant lie.

I think that's kind of the purpose of this thread...

It would, at the least, seem to be a case of false advertising.

Steve

More info trickles in from Goldin
 

After reading the listing, I asked Steve to see what cards had the Sweet Caporal back, as after collecting nothing but Howe’s cards since ‘93 or ‘94 I only knew of Piedmont, Old Mill and Hindu backs. He responded this morning that there are none with a Sweet Cap back (coulda’ told them that).

But they did double check and there are 12 cards with Howe’s green Agent-Saturday Evening Post stamp. So I had found five in almost 20 years, and now more than twice as many show up at once.

My hope now is that whoever ends up with the lot will either send scans or images of them all. I find it interesting that about 20% of my cards have a Hindu back and almost that many with an Old Mill back but mention of only the one Hindu made in the listing.

that's disheartening ed.

Someone send the link to the gofundme.

Another message from Steve at Goldin
 

He sent an image of one of the 12 with the Saturday Evening Post stamp and it is much stronger/bolder than any of the five I’ve found.

And they are going to rewrite the description to make it sound less like I’m selling my collection.

+1 ....
.

Looks like the description has been already been changed, and all mention of the modern day collector of these stamped cards has been appropriately removed.

Brian

They’ve also updated the photos to do all the Hindu backs.
 

Guessing the price will soar now.

Predictions on the final hammer price for the collection?

from brianp-beme

"Wirt Gammon was a sports writer from Chattanooga and a huge hobby pioneer who I believe specialized in vintage baseball issues. Searching his name on the web and here and he was writing articles about the hobby back in the 1940's through work in the 1970's with Sports Collectors Digest, and it has been documented that at one point he worked a deal for 3 Wagner and 3 Plank T206. I imagine a good chunk of us collectors today have cards that passed through his hands."

brianp(arker)-beme[/QUOTE]





Here is Wirt Gammon on the January 31, 1976 issue of SCD. I kept this issue because I had those same but full length curtains in my bedroom as a young card collector in the 1960s.

Good luck with your collection, Ed!

Ha! Just sent you a pm priot to seeing this. Glad your aware what a collection!

Goldin says they will pass a message from me on to the winner of the lot
 

Was able to do this about 15 years ago when Mastro had a near complete set of 520 that had 50 of Howe’s cards in it. They passed along a message and the winner did contact me almost instantly he contacted me. Over the next three years when he listed a card on eBay, he let me know. Was able to pick up a total of 47 of them over the next seven years (several I didn't win outright I was able to track via eBay and pick up from the person who did win.

Now, that won’t happen this time as I’d never be able to get all 950 over any length of time. But there is hope I might be able to contact the winner and pick up a couple.

That's actually an optimum outcome Ed, if you can form a relationship with the winner and pick up anything he's selling over time. What's the current bid at?

Phil, last time I looked…
 

It was at $16,000, but that was about five hours ago.