I had a pretty big mailday yesterday with the arrival of the 1917 Weil Baking Grover Hartley (one of two known to exist?), as I believe this completes my Grover Hartley collection. I always get asked, "Why Hartley," so I'll answer that before it's asked. My
grandpa and
great uncle each played minor league baseball for the Findlay Oilers in 1940 and 1938-39 respectively. The manager of the team both years was Grover Hartley.
Collecting Hartley has been a challenge as he's clearly a lesser known player and was short printed, at least in the T207 set. With that being said, I believe I have acquired every obtainable card for Grover Hartley, barring the discovery of a T207 Red Cross or a 1917 Merchant's Bakery (both of which are speculative and not confirmed to my knowledge).
1911 Helmar Stamp
1912 T207 Broadleaf
1912 T207 Anonymous
1912 T207 Cycle
1913 T200 Fatima
1917 Boston Store x2
1917 Collins McCarthy x2
1917 Blank Back
1917 Standard Baking
1917 Weil Baking
Next steps are designing and building a display case for the cards, a 1930s Grover Hartley bat, and at the center of it all, the last ball my grandpa pitched in the minor leagues.
