Any thoughts on these Cracker Jacks?

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Posted By: runscott

They sure are shiny and dark red. Also, no staining on any of them. But if they came from an elderly man...
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1053280315

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Posted By: Lee Behrens

Hey Scott, I have one just like that for half the price, interested?

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Posted By: runscott

This is one of my favorite sets, but I've only picked up one (SGC graded) because there are so many copies around and many of the legit ones have been trimmed. But someday I'll get a Wagner.

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Posted By: Trevor

Scott
They are reprints. Cracker Jacks don't have the gloss that you see an these. They have a rough texture.

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Posted By: runscott

I was at an antique store yesterday and found a fake CJ for $49, exactly like the ones on e-bay - shiny,dark red, a little too small. He also had a fake t206 that wasn't from the "Monster" set, for only $44!

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Posted By: Julie Vognar

The Baker has HUGE borders, such as no Cracker Jack ever had. How you can make out the "shine" in such a dark picture, I don't know.

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Posted By: fkw707

Easily seen as a reprint! Real Cracker Jack cards have no gloss, and are made of a thin construction paper with a rough texture. On real cards, there is no ink for the light parts of the uniform, only the natural paper color. If the Baker was real, the uniform and border would be exact same color and blend together. Also I believe the seller said they were 1914's, he is wrong. The "176 picture series" (E145-2) is 1915, and the backs of all real 1915 cards are printed upside down. In other words the top of the front is the same edge as the bottom of the back. I have never seen a reprint yet with the back printed the right (upside down) way. Frank

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Posted By: runscott

but maybe Ima seein thangs - we ain't always so smart way down here in thuh south

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Posted By: David

What's eery it that no what angle the card as photograph is taken at, Home Run's always looking directly at(though) you. Just like in that Bela Lugosi movie I saw last night.

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Posted By: runscott

Julie - are you the wire photo expert? I'm looking for vintage wire photos of Baker, Flick, Griffith and Wheat. I blindly bought Hubbell and Terry (very cheap). Any suggestions on where I should look to gain a little knowledge before parting with my dough? Thanks

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Posted By: Julie Vognar

My mother's from Selma, Alabama. WHERE she led unaccredited Selma High School to the state championship in girls' basketball in --er 1918?

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Posted By: David

The 'Collector's Guide to Early Baseball Photographs' is coming out with a second edition in about two monthes and it will have a section on wire photos (already written).

You might wish to check with Greg Manning Auctions, as they always have a great variety of origina wire photos, it seems most from the Baseball Magainze Archives.

As there is ignorance/confusion about wire photos, there are some great deals to be had on original photos of Hall of Famers, other than Ruth, Gehrig and the like. I bought on eBay a beautiful, original and high grade 1930s photo of Herb Pennock for $15.

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Posted By: runscott

David - forgot you dealt with wire photos. That was a real nice Walter Johnson photo you had on ebay recently. One that got me thinking recently was a real nice Frank Baker with an inset of his batting grip - if memory serves me right, the seller said it was used in a '70s publication. It was very nice but I figured it was "later generation" and probably not worth the $85+ it went for. I'm looking forward to the book - please keep us informed. Thanks again.

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Posted By: Bruce Moreland

A couple of years ago, someone auctioned a '53 Bowman set on eBay. It didn't come with any scans, but I becamse suspicious because it was missing a few cards, and the cards that it was missing were in sequence. That doesn't seem particularly typical.

The seller claimed to be consigning the cards for the original collector, and told me they were being kept in a safe deposit box.

Eventually I got some scans from him and they had the same sort of huge borders that this card has. Actually, they were more like the left border, all the way around. Dramatically ugly.

I wonder if they were put out by the same company?

It is possible that this seller doesn't know what he's doing. He doesn't seem to be much of a card guy.

bruce