[BobC]

Hi Leon,

I remember that Helmar backed Cobb and was talking to the owner of it who said I had dibs if the current person he was negotiating with to buy it fell through. Of course you were the person he was talking about. LOL

Still, I don't even think these S74 silks could be faked today. That being said, why get them graded? Only thing I would possibly worry about is if someone tried to take a paper backing off one silk and re-attach it to another silk. You know, like pulling one off an Orval Overall and sticking it on a Cobb or Mathewson. Not sure of the composition of the adhesives they used back then but, I'd guess it was a simple water based glue formula. I've often wondered if someone just took some Elmer's glue and stuck a back on an S74 and sent it off to SGC or Beckett for grading, would they even be able to tell if the card had been re-backed?

Besides the common images the silks have with the T205s and T202s that make them interesting and attractive, another big factor in their appeal, at least in my opinion, is the different material color and ink combinations that can occur. There were three different ink colors used to produde the images on both the white and colored silks. Blue, brown and what I term a reddish-brown rust color. On the white, ad-backed silks it is really clear and easy to see the differences. What gets really interesting is when you cross over to the colored silks and see the myriad of material colors they used and how they match up with the three different ink colors used to imprint the images with. Some of the combinations can be ghastly, like a light lime-green color silk with a rust colored ink image. If you come across one of the dark red colored silks that is printed using the rust colored ink, you almost can't even see the image. Still other color and ink combinations go together very well and I think add to the visual attractiveness of the silk.

I often wondered if it was possible to find an example of each player in each color combination for the white, ad-backed silks. Would be an interesting master-type set. And then what if you tried to do such a master type set for all Old Mills backs and then another for Turkey Red backs. I wouldn't even want to think about trying that with the colored version silks. I've seen so many different material colors and variations, who knows how many distinct, separate material colors there actually were, or if it is even possible to find an example of every player in every color. Back in that day when material was dyed, it was most likely done in lots, and even when a company produced another lot of supposedly the same color material, there would likley be subtle color differences with no two lots ever being exactly the same. There are definitely some colors that were used more than others, such as light blue and pink, as opposed to more obscure colors like a light lime-green or the dark reds. The collecting base for them is so thin that I don't think you really see a premium attached to rarer colors but, maybe someday if this issue ever becomes a little more mainstream with collectors.

What I also like is when you can find actual examples of the silks used for their intended purposes, in pillows, covers and such. If I get a chance to I'll see if I can scan in this one particular silk I have where someone crocheted a very intricate black border around the entire silk. Kind of looks like it could then be used as a doily or coaster. The S74s in your type collection are very interesting, especially the miscut or off-center ones you have. Those are very rare when it comes to the silks and I've never seen others than the ones you have.

Thanks for showing them again.

Bob C