Help needed- does this card exist?

[Archive]

Posted By: Anthony N.

I've been working on a set for about 5 years now, and there is a card I have never come across. I'm hoping someone here will be able to tell me if it doesn't exist, or might have a scan to prove it does.
The set is the W711-2 Harry Hartman Reds Team Issue. From all indications it was issued late in 1940, and after initially noting it as a 1941 set it seems to be accepted it was issued a bit earlier.
In the Krause guide and in some Becket editions there is a card entitled "Debt of Gratitude to Wm Koehl Company". This card also appears in the set on the PSA registry. SGC does not have a registry for this set.
Neither PSA nor SGC has ever graded a copy of this card, according to their pop reports as of this morning. I've spoken to about a dozen collectors knowledgable with this set and none of them have ever seen it- and several expressed strong doubts it exists.
The set was printed on at least 2 press runs. 2 of the cards appear with and without "World Champions" noted. Below is an uncut sheet, and as you can see there is no empty space on the sheet, and none of the cards depicted are any less scarce than any other, with the exception of the World Champion variations.
If anyone has a scan of the card in question I would greatly appreciate seeing it, either posted here or to my email address. Any information contrary to its existence would be equally appreciated.
Many thanks in advance.

[DaveFanning]

Hi--

I collect these too and it sure seems like this card is a figment of someone's imagination. Have you had any response indicating that it does exist? I am aware of two variants of the Tell the World cards (one not in the register), but am not aware of the existence of the Dent of Gratitude card.

df

[sam majors]

Is this the set that was sold at Crosley Field? You could also send away for a complete boxed set. If so,then I don't think the card exists. In the mid 1980's I set up at a show in Atlanta. An old man came in with a shoebox filled with cards from the 30's and 40's. He had mostly non-sports cards; G-men, Sky birds, Superman and the Lone Ranger. The only sports cards were about 100 wide pens and 3 complete boxes of the Harry Hartman Reds cards. He had about 40 or 50 single cards and one extra box.
He asked me if I knew anything about the cards. I told him his non-sports cards were collectible but I knew nothing about the Reds cards. I told him what I thought the non-sports were worth and we worked out a deal. He asked me if I'd give him an extra $10 for the Reds cards. I did.
The next spring I went to the old Willow Grove show and took them to Tommy Reid's table. He told me what he knew about them and mentioned there was a rumor about another card but he didn't believe there was one. Tommy was one of the old timers who didn't mind sharing what he knew and he knew a Hell of a lot about cards. I gave him a boxed set and sold most of the others. I believe I have a boxed set around here somewhere. I'll look but I'm pretty sure out of all these cards I did not have a Debt of Gratitude card. Just my opinion

[DaveFanning]

Dear Sam:

I just realized that you replied to this. Thanks. (I assumed I'd get an email if someone replied.) It seems that this card has a reputation for being a white whale. I wonder how I could get PSA to take it off its registry?

Best,

Dave Fanning