Tango Eggs Hughie Jennings

[Archive]

Posted By: Jeff Lichtman

Here's a bizarre anamoly: 1916 Tango Eggs issue has 16 cards. How is it that of the 33 cards graded PSA 8 in the entire set, 18 of them are Jennings? Some of the cards only have total populations of 1. How can such a widespread difference exist?

[Archive]

Posted By: Richard Masson

Brian?

[Archive]

Posted By: Bruce Babcock

While the total universe of Tango Eggs is about 500+ cards, if memory serves, Jennings was one of the most numerous in that group. So is Bescher. Of the large "find" of about 500 cards made around 1990 most were in superb uncirculated shape and graded well as a result. So while Tango Eggs are really scarce compared to many tobacco/caramel issues from the same time period, when you do find one it is likely to be graded and in really nice shape.

Our friend Brian is reputed to have more than a few Tango eggs.

Actually, there are 20 known players. The Tango Egg listing begins on page 379 of the SCD 2007 catalog and concludes on page 380. Of the 20 players known, ten of them have totals of less than ten examples each and several have only 1-3 examples.

[Archive]

Posted By: BcDaniels

of the close to 800 total cards found in the Tango "find"
129 of them were Jennings and 149 were Beschers. With those figures approx.35% of the find consisted of these two cards. In addition,the Jennings were towards the center of the box protected by the other cards.



BcD

[Archive]

Posted By: Jeff Lichtman

Brian, is it possible those two players' cards were produced in larger numbers than the rest? And why?

[Archive]

Posted By: fkw

Brian is the expert on the Tango cards, But I think these cards were never really issued. I think they were printed up and then just sat for the 75+ years before the hoard was discovered.

But I have seen (owned) one Tango card that had honest wear consistant with the cards of that era. About 10 years ago, I owned a Tango Chase with multiple creases dirt and rounded corners, about F/G at best. But have never seen another.

Does anyone have a Tango in low grade with wear??

[Archive]

Posted By: Bruce Babcock

My total was off by about 300 cards. Oh, well.

Jeff, I don't know if we will ever have an explanation as to why there are so many Jennings and Beschers, and so few of the others. And if all the players were printed in equal numbers, where are the rest of the cards? Finding a Tango that was not a part of the big find? I think I've seen one, maybe two.

[Archive]

Posted By: BcDaniels

http://www.psacard.com/articles/article_view.chtml?artid=3470&universeid=314&type=1>



BcD

Jeff, it is a fact that these two players were at least "found" in larger quanity as my breakdown above is close to exact. I actually forgot and would have to go look at receipts ect or ask Brett D to chime in with specifics I gave him some years back.

[Archive]

Posted By: Jeff Lichtman

Brian, that's a big help. What a bizarre set of circumstances for an entire set.

[Archive]

Posted By: Griffins

<<Does anyone have a Tango in low grade with wear??>>

I had a PSA 2 a few years back, I think it was Hal Chase. But it was due to mishandling rather than wear.
I find it curious that given the pristine condition of many of the ones I've had (about 40 or so) or seen there hasn't been a single one graded 9 from either grading service. Centering is always the culprit.

[Archive]

Posted By: fkw

The one thing that pissed me off right after the hoard was discovered!

Back in the early 90's there was a full page ad placed by Al Rosen (Mr. Mint) in the SCD for these cards at crazy cheap prices, with a phone number. I called within seconds of seeing the ad, and was told all the cards were sold.

I think it was Brian that told me the ad was a fake and was placed by Rosen to see what type of demand the Tango Egg cards would bring. If I remember right Mr. Rosen didnt even own them at the time but was thinking of buying them and wanted to know how they might sell.

Was this the story Brian???

PS I also owned a sharp cornered Tango Chace with surface chipping all over the back, but it was part of the find, just bad cardboard.

[Archive]

Posted By: barrysloate

Wasn't Cobb the rarest, with one or two known?

[Archive]

Posted By: BcDaniels

you know everything!

Frank, I will wend you a scan of the ad to post here for a laugh.Its on my wall right in front of me but I tried already and it came out blurred...

BcD

[Archive]

Posted By: Jeff Mohler

I wasn't collecting in 1990 when the find was made. Does anyone want to give better detail than the PSA Article linked in one of the preceding posts about how the find was made, who had the cards, etc.

Jeff

[Archive]

Posted By: Jeff Lichtman

Brian, you have to post that scan here, I've got to see it.

[Archive]

Posted By: BcDaniels

scattered cards came from people hunting down the family,(Doug Allen) and scooping us the confetti after I put the bulk of the eggs in my basket!
A few others popped up. I purchased a horizontal with two known from Tony Yordan at Ft.Washington in 93 for $250 ( along with a t-206 Cobb with Drum back that came from David Festberg) and sold the Tango Egg for $3500 in 99. Doug and Alan Silvers sold a Cobb,I have the only other one known to exist.
The family in new orleans had a box from the warehouse. They were never distributed but the loose ones found here and there over the years were vg/ex only.I have both the Drum and Tango Cobb still!




BcD

[Archive]

Posted By: Jeff Lichtman

Brian, do you have a scan of the Cobb Tango Egg?

[Archive]

Posted By: BcDaniels

had too many people over the years tell me I did not have one.
When my family auctions it hopefully no one will be around any longer to dispute it. Out of principle,I am comfortable with those folks thinking whatever they wish! it is the same pose as the E-102, E-101 and E-106 Cobb

I was told I didn't have 3 E-102 Wagner fieding poses when the rarity of that card came up a few years back as well. I have a PSA 6 and two other board members purchased the other two from me but I didn't post those scans either.

BcD

[Archive]

Posted By: Jeff Lichtman

Brian, I see I'm going to have to send someone with an Italian surname to see you and persuade you.

[Archive]

Posted By: barrysloate

Anybody remember the fiasco when Mr. Mint ran a full page ad in SCD selling most of the Tango hoard? I've gotten into enough trouble lately so maybe somebody else can recount the details. It's enough to make your blood boil (sorry, you didn't hear it from me).

[Archive]

Posted By: BcDaniels

Frank Ward outlined this above!



BcD

[Archive]

Posted By: barrysloate

Sorry Brian- I didn't read Frank's post but the story I heard was different and a lot more sinister. Maybe what I heard wasn't even true, but it had to do with a consignor getting ripped off. Does that ring a bell?

[Archive]

Posted By: BcDaniels

let's talk about your auction!




i'll send you an e-mail

BcD

[Archive]

Posted By: barrysloate

Sounds good, but I am turning off the computer for the night shortly.

[Archive]

Posted By: Mike

I have no idea why, but I have always liked the Buck Weaver tango. I have always been tempted to buy one, and they are pretty easy to find, I just have never picked one up. it seems like I see them quite often. They must be one of the more common Tango's. I really should get one......

[Archive]

Posted By: jay behrens

Frank, sounds like a typical Mr Mint stunt. He ran an ad around 1987 or 88 buying Wheaties panels for a crazy amount. I offered him my complete collection of Wheaties on entire boxes. He told me he wasn't interested because he had already bought all the wheaties that he needed. ETF? No way he as many complete boxes as I did. That's when I figured out the scam. He bought cards on the cheap. Ran an ad with an insane buy price, then used those buy prices to justify his sale prices. I never once was able to sell a card to him because he always happened to have bought as many cards as he wanted at that point. hmmmmmmm

Jay

I love pinatas. You get to beat the crap of something and get rewarded with candy.

[Archive]

Posted By: barrysloate

Any time he ever ran a retail ad, which wasn't often, the ad was completely sold out before the magazine hit the stands. I never spoke to anybody who was ever able to buy a single item from them.

[Archive]

Posted By: Jeff Lichtman

He seems to have taken a much lower profile these days - so what is he doing to make money?

[Archive]

Posted By: fkw

I'll take one of each please

June 12, 1992 SCD Ad

[Archive]

Posted By: Tom Boblitt

buy on the cheap, add 10-20% and sell to Verkman, Esposito or others. Guess in volume, he could do well. He touted buying $100-$150K at most of the big shows, so 10-20% markup would net 10-30K or so per show. Probably not many dealers make that kind of PROFIT. Plus dealing in cash....you know. I'm assuming when he did auctions, he cherry-picked the 'MINT' stuff and auctioned it, sold the mid grade stuff off as above.

[Archive]

Posted By: martindl

Jeff,
re how he's making money now, for one, he's selling off his Howdy Doody collection
http://antiquetrader.com/Default.aspx?tabid=1743&view=topic&forumid=116&postid=16892

[Archive]

Posted By: BcDaniels

both what I know about him that none of you do and what happened to him at two shows once.

Thanks for posting that Frank.It sits on a wall in front of my desk.I took it down after Barry mentioned it to send him the memories as well......
I did make a "mint" on these!

BcD

[Archive]

Posted By: Bruce Babcock

http://www.psacard.com/set_registry/display_cards.chtml?rsetid=6092&alltime=yes&rank=2&tied=0&requesttimeout=9999

is a link to the ten Tangos of my set registry set at PSA - my only registry participation.

The cards are much easier to see at this link:

http://homepage.mac.com/thurber51/PhotoAlbum25.html

Unless Brian has all 20 I doubt if anyone will ever complete this set. I've been stuck at ten cards for nine years.

[Archive]

Posted By: BcDaniels

guess through who?

I have four you do not have listed.

Allan Callows set is for sale in the next REA auction

let's split it?



BcD

[Archive]

Posted By: Bruce Babcock

No thanks, Brian. I have officially thrown in the towel on this set and moved on. Like Britney and K-Fed, or, as he will now be known, FedEx.

[Archive]

Posted By: Griffins

I"m stuck at 9 cards as well, and right behind Bruce on the registry. I've only seen 1 I didn't have in the last 4 years, and was outbid. Beschers and Jennings are all over the place, relatively, but Bresnahans and Zimmermans are a whole other story.
Overall they seem to have dried up a lot in comparison to '01-'02.
How many are actually in the set? I've heard as few as 18, and as many as 21.