Closing Tonight: Love of the Game Auctions

[Al C.risafulli]

Hi All:

Just a reminder that the Love of the Game Winter Auction closes tonight.

The extended bidding period begins at 9PM Eastern, with the 15 minute rule pertaining to the entire auction. The auction has more than 1200 lots, so I expect that this one will be open late.

There are still some lots that seem to be flying under the radar, so I thought I'd draw your attention to them here.

There's a beautiful T207 Ward Miller with Cycle back, one of the rarities of the set, that's a PSA 7 - one of the highest graded examples known (there's only one 8).

There's an absolutely beautiful T204 Ramly Jimmy McAleer, graded PSA NM-MT 8. One of the finest Ramlys I've ever seen.

There are two rare N172 Old Judge Minis - Ed Greer and Jack O'Brien - that are just super cool cards.

There's a really neat 1886 Lorillard Detroit Wolverines team card that features four Hall of Famers: Sam Thompson, Ned Hanlon, Deacon White, and Dan Brothers.

There's a super rare 1915 Schmelzer's Ty Cobb pinback, the highest-graded example known (PSA 7), one of just a handful known to exist.

There are also a couple of really nice team-signed baseballs: the 1928 Athletics (w/Cobb, Grove, and Cochrane), 1934 Cubs (w/Hartnett, Klein, Herman and Cuyler), the finest 1954 Giants ball I've ever seen, and a nice, affordable single-signed Babe Ruth.

There's also a great selection of game-used Hall of Famer bats, and of course the fantastic 1930 Lou Criger Appreciation Poster signed by 49 deadball era figures (including 12 Hall of Famers).

I know this week has been a tough week for the hobby. But it's still the greatest hobby in the world. Please bid with confidence and enthusiasm; we love and value the hobby and its purity as much as all of you!

Warm Regards, and good luck!
-Al

[edjs]

I have my bids in and will be hoping to win a few lots. Some nice stuff in there, Al!

[DerekMichael]

Eyyyyy, Mr. C !!!

Lots of awesome stuff Al. I am going to have a slumber party with my Dad tonight and we will enjoy it to the fullest, together.

Best of luck to all! Thank you Al.

Derek

[Al C.risafulli]

I am going to have a slumber party with my Dad tonight and we will enjoy it to the fullest, together.

BEST. THING. EVER.

Have a blast, and please give your dad my best.

-Al

[Exhibitman]

Given the tenor of recent news, here is one of the good guys AH's. Bid hard, bid early and bid often. Just not on anything I am bidding on.

[Wildfireschulte]

Initial bids must be placed by 9PM Eastern. So if a lot has just one bidder at 9 PM, does the lot automatically close to further bidding?

[Stonepony]

Originally Posted by Wildfireschulte

Initial bids must be placed by 9PM Eastern. So if a lot has just one bidder at 9 PM, does the lot automatically close to further bidding?

Yes, that lone bidder would win that lot

[Shoebox]

Originally Posted by Wildfireschulte

Initial bids must be placed by 9PM Eastern. So if a lot has just one bidder at 9 PM, does the lot automatically close to further bidding?

Technically the lot won't close until the auction ends, but since no one else would be able to bid on the lot once extended bidding begins that lone bidder can head to bed knowing he has won.

[Wildfireschulte]

Cool - I'm flying solo on a couple of lots, hoping it sticks.

[pawpawdiv9]

Glad for these threads. I swear i thought i read thru the catalog (hardly cant keep up with all the ones i do get)..so i thought i saw this AH stuff.
Then after taking a 2nd look thru the website..I realized i had not seen this AH and that I did not receive a catalog.
Glad i did not miss this one!!!! There was something i found this afternoon, that i been looking for months.

[MVSNYC]

Good luck tonight, Al!

Some nice T206 HOF rare backs.

[Joshchisox08]

Just registered! Guess I won't be able to bid on the auctions.....................

[glynparson]

saved someone a few dollars, or possibly cost me getting, the Henry Mathewson. Great auction Al.

[Bored5000]

Originally Posted by glynparson

saved someone a few dollars, or possibly cost me getting, the Henry Mathewson. Great auction Al.

I was watching the end of the auction. The Henry Mathewson postcard and the Rabe Ruth Pathe Freres were two items that stood out as taking big jumps right near the end of the auction. The Mathewson postcard went from $800 (before the BP) to $1,300 near the end of the auction and the Ruth Pathe Freres went from $3,500 (before the BP) to $5,500 late.

[TUM301]

Had to go to work about 9:00 EST and both of those outstanding 107`s were around the 1000.00 range. Must have been quite a bit of back and forth to end at 3K and 2500.00. Always my fav set and try to follow any auctions that contain them. Continued great job Al and it`s early but will you be setting up again at the Wilmington Shriner`s Show this April ?

[toledo_mudhen]

AL - Pretty Excited!

I have finally won one of your auctions on a great card! When will invoices go out?

[Al C.risafulli]

Hi Everybody!

It was a LONG night last night, with lots of phone calls and emails, and pretty aggressive bidding right up until the end. Thanks to everyone who participated, and to everyone who followed along. Ultimately it was our largest auction yet (Lou Gehrig bat excluded), with significantly more bids than we've had in any previous auction.

We've also got far more winning bidders than we've ever had before, which means there's lots to do before invoices go out. I would expect invoices to go out via email sometime Monday evening.

In terms of the Shriner's Show, I'd like to do it, as I had a great time in Boston last time around. I'll have to check the schedule and see how it matches up with our Spring auction.

Thanks once again to everyone!

-Al

[Bored5000]

Originally Posted by toledo_mudhen

I have finally won one of your auctions on a great card!

I was also a first-time LotG winner. I picked up the 1980 Ryne Sandberg Reading Phillies pre-rookie card.

I am not really a modern baseball collector, but I have wanted a lower-grade copy of that card for a while because the Reading Phillies are the closest team to my house and the local team I grew up with. I like the fact that a Reading Phillies card is one of the more notable notable modern minor league cards.

[Sean1125]

So much for falling asleep and losing out on the one lot I actually wanted.

No one to be angry with but myself

[glynparson]

You mean the fight in' phils. Lol. They will always be the reading Phillies to is Berks countians. Even my 9 year old still calls them the reading Phillies.

[spec]

As a 3-time loser on the Mastro Auctions shill list, I was naturally a bit apprehensive to hit the hay at 1 a.m. and leave max bids on the 3 lots I was most interested in. However, I know Al's reputation for honesty and was rewarded to discover that my 3 original bids held up. Bravo, Al!
B.ob Ric.hard.son

[Cmount76]

I went to bed at 2:00am as the leader on two lots. I woke up at 7:00am, having become the underbidder on one (N284 Esterbrook) and the winner of the other. You win some and lose some. Great auction. Looking forward to the next one (and some sleep tonight)!!

[Bored5000]

Originally Posted by glynparson

You mean the fight in' phils. Lol. They will always be the reading Phillies to is Berks countians. Even my 9 year old still calls them the reading Phillies.

Yea, the name change is horrible. If the club was that resolute in creating their own identity for marketing purposes, I could at least accept it more if they would have went with a name paying homage to the local area like what Lehigh Valley did with the IronPigs as a nod to the steel-making history of the area.

[x2drich2000]

I've found the easiest thing to do with these late night auctions is just to go to bed early and wake up early in the morning and start bidding again.

[Mikehealer]

Originally Posted by pawpawdiv9

Glad for these threads. I swear i thought i read thru the catalog (hardly cant keep up with all the ones i do get)..so i thought i saw this AH stuff.
Then after taking a 2nd look thru the website..I realized i had not seen this AH and that I did not receive a catalog.
Glad i did not miss this one!!!! There was something i found this afternoon, that i been looking for months.

I've never received a catalog and I've been registered since his first auction.
I thought LOTG was an internet only auction.

[pawpawdiv9]

Originally Posted by Mikehealer

I've never received a catalog and I've been registered since his first auction.
I thought LOTG was an internet only auction.

Sorry, i got confused with the many others i use and that were ongoing at the same times of the week. Not to confuse anyone here. But LOTG did have a catalog in 2014 and had someone like Nap Lajoie on the cover (i still have it)

[Sean]

They had a catalog this year as well. I got one.

[Mikehealer]

I should have been more clear. I certainly didn't mean anything derogatory against Al/LOTG, just that I wasn't aware of the catalogues.

[baseballart]

I won a lot for my opening bid and another three bids under my Max. What is happening to this hobby? 😂😂. Thanks Al for another great auction

[Snapolit1]

I won one of the marquis items, high ticket item, and my winning bid don't move for days and not one dime that night.
Certainly no attempt was made by anyone to run the bid up on me. Not that it would have worked, but really nice to see the integrity.
First time LOTG bidder and I will be back for future auctions.
Others will be off my list. Don't need 7 or 8 auction houses, but a few will work.
If the game is rigged I will go elsewhere.