I look forward to this thread every year because you get a chance to see some amazing pickups. Congrats to the other posters.
My favorite pickup from 2018 was certainly the personal scrapbook of Lois Vander Meer (Formerly Lois Stewart) that I was able to acquire in late April.
I never got around to posting this earlier in the year, but I figured I would save my "best of the best" for this thread.
The fact that this scrapbook even found it's way into my hands is a small miracle in of itself. My good friend, author Rob Skead of johnnyvandermeer.com called me to let me know that the personal scrapbook of Lois Stewart, that was Johnny Vander Meer's girlfriend and eventual wife, was about to surface in the hobby for the very 1st time. Several phone calls and e-mails were exchanged before I actually negotiated the outright purchase of the scrapbook in the lobby of a Marriott Courtyard on a business trip to Harrisburg, PA.
Definitely one of my most unique hobby pickups!
The 60-70 page scrapbook chronicles Johnny and Lois's early courtship and Vandy's early beginnings in baseball including his brush with history when he threw back-to-back no-hitters on 6/11/38 (Boston Bee's) and 6/15/38 (1st night game at Brooklyn Dodgers). The scrapbook is in remarkable shape for being over 80 years old and really well done. It was personally gifted to Lois Stewart's best friend after she got married to Vandy and they moved to Tampa, FL.
Some of the highlights contained in the scrapbook are:
The first rose that Vandy ever gave to Lois.
Lois Vander Meer's actual baseball ticket that she used to watch Vandy hurl the historic 2nd no-hitter in Brooklyn at Ebbets Field. It's important to note that this ticket is a different variation of this stub and is not the typical light bulb die cut version that you occasionally see. To own this particular ticket stub, given it's absolute 100% provenance is especially cool.
Lois Stewart's 1939 Eastern League pass from when Vandy was sent back down to restore this pitching mechanics the year after his historic 1938 season.
Vandy's personal copy of his first Reds Spring Training Roster (1937) and issue of News of the Reds when Vandy, Ernie Lombardi and Warren Giles were honored by the Reds in 1939
Two tickets to the 1939 World Series in NYC (Reds vs. Yankees)
A few photos of the two of them that were taken the day after his 2nd no-hitter and after their wedding.
Anyway, enjoy & I want to wish everyone a healthy and prosperous 2019!