Toughest 1940's & 1950's Baseball Autographs: I get asked this question a lot, So figured I'd put it out there for anyone that's interested.
Obviously, a subject for debate here but what I did is put together the collector "want lists" I have accumulated over the years and found the names that intersected the most.
Probably not the most "expensive" autographs from the 1940's & 1950's but certainly the toughest to find.
The names noted with a (*) ARE expensive in some cases VERY expensive and would easily eclipse many Hall of Fame autographs in terms of what they would cost IF you could find one. Have listed by debut year
1941) WIMPY QUINN (Died-1954)
1943) CONNIE CREEDEN (*) (Died-1969)
1944) JOHN FICK (*)( Died-1958) , CLANCY SMYRES (*)(Died-2007 absolutely refused any and all autograph requests)
1945) WOODY CROWSON (*) (Died-1947 age 28 while playing in minor leagues when the team bus was struck by a produce truck)
1946) JOHN CARDEN (*) (Died-1949 accidentally electrocuted himself)
1949) JULIO E. GONZALES (*) (Died-1991 In Cuba after playing only a small portion of the 1949 season for the Senators after which he never returned to the USA)
1951) EDDIE GAEDEL (*) (The 60 pound 3 feet 7 inches tall Gaedel drew a 4 pitch walk as part of a promotional stunt by team owner Bill Veeck. Gaedel was mugged on his way home from a bowling alley in 1961 and died as a result of his injuries)
1955) WEBBO CLARKE (*)(Died-1970 in Panama after a brief stint in the major leagues) , WENC "VINCE" GONZALES (*) (Died-1981 in Mexico)
1956) CHARLIE PEETE (Died-1956 along with the rest of his family in a commercial airline crash
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Always BUYING Vintage Autographs
jim@stinsonsports.com