1930's Debut Year Baseball Autographs, MOST RARE

[JimStinson]

I get asked this quite a bit, Who are the ALL TIME toughest baseball players autographs ? Based on the want lists I've gotten over the years, I covered the 1940's and 50's toughies in a previous thread on this board. Now for the 1930's. ALL would likely sell for more than most Hall of Fame players from the same era even though almost all of them were barely in the major leagues long enough for a "cup of coffee" The numbers next to the name are based on my research and conversations with long time collectors with regards to ANY examples of the players mentioned existing in private collections. Have listed by debut year

1930
Charles Small (Died-1953)(a couple)
Ray Treadaway (Died-1935)(none)

1931
Orlin Collier (Died-1944)(none)
Walt Murphy (Died-1976)(none)

1932
Charlie Biggs (Died-1954)(none)
Regis Leheny (Died-1976)(none)
Dick Terwilliger (Died-1969)(none)

1934
Orville Armbrust (Died-1967)(none)
Junie Barnes (Died-1963) (Maybe one)
Chick Wiedemeyer (Died-1979)(Maybe one)

1938
Tom Lanning (Died-1967) (A few)

1939
Harry O'Neill (Killed in action Iwo Jima 1945)(A few)

[Mr. Zipper]

Originally Posted by JimStinson

I get asked this quite a bit, Who are the ALL TIME toughest baseball players autographs ? Based on the want lists I've gotten over the years, I covered the 1940's and 50's toughies in a previous thread on this board. Now for the 1930's. ALL would likely sell for more than most Hall of Fame players from the same era even though almost all of them were barely in the major leagues long enough for a "cup of coffee" The numbers next to the name are based on my research and conversations with long time collectors with regards to ANY examples of the players mentioned existing in private collections. Have listed by debut year

1930
Charles Small (Died-1953)(a couple)
Ray Treadaway (Died-1935)(none)

1931
Orlin Collier (Died-1944)(none)
Walt Murphy (Died-1976)(none)

1932
Charlie Biggs (Died-1954)(none)
Regis Leheny (Died-1976)(none)
Dick Terwilliger (Died-1969)(none)

1934
Orville Armbrust (Died-1967)(none)
Junie Barnes (Died-1963) (Maybe one)
Chick Wiedemeyer (Died-1979)(Maybe one)

1938
Tom Lanning (Died-1967) (A few)

1939
Harry O'Neill (Killed in action Iwo Jima 1945)(A few)

Very interesting. It is stunning that players who survived into the 60s and 70s and lived in the United States could have no known exemplars. They must have really hated signing!

[JimStinson]

I think its more due to the fact that they had short careers and then just VANISHED. In some cases it was not even documented that they were deceased until recently.

[travrosty]

Some times it is because that they were never asked for their autograph because they played in only a few games. It is amazing how family members won't have any autographs because it all gets thrown away. Family members frequently say that they never thought to save any autographs, because it their dad, who asks their dad for an autograph?

minnesota boxers art lasky and charley retzlaff have similar stories. family members don't have their autographs because they just simply didnt think of it to save any because they had no idea autographs would be worth money in the future.

[HexsHeroes]

.

Jack Smalling has (had) a smallish pencil-signed example on a lined team sheet.

Kevin Keating sold one within the past twelve months (November 2011 ?) that had a bold ink single signature on one side of an album page.

An eBay bidder has a 1935 Montreal team signed (not single signed) baseball (on the sweet spot), after contacting the seller, who in turn offered to sell the signed ball to bidder for $500, which bidder accepted (and auction ended early, at which time there were only two bidders). I was the other bidder, and not offered ball since first bidder accepted seller's offer.

A fourth Collier example, a bold ink signature on an album page cut, is in the hands of yet another collector.

[steve B]

Originally Posted by travrosty

Some times it is because that they were never asked for their autograph because they played in only a few games. It is amazing how family members won't have any autographs because it all gets thrown away. Family members frequently say that they never thought to save any autographs, because it their dad, who asks their dad for an autograph?

minnesota boxers art lasky and charley retzlaff have similar stories. family members don't have their autographs because they just simply didnt think of it to save any because they had no idea autographs would be worth money in the future.

Dad wasn't a ball player or anything.
Oddly, one thing we bought for him was a 53 national jamboree neckerchief that he had signed at the time. It came up a long time later on ebay, and probably came from the estate of one of the other kids in the troop.

[jimtb]

There are four 1930’s Tigers autographs that I am patiently looking for:
Johnny Watson 1930
John Grabowski 1931
George Quellich 1931
Orlin Collier 1931

[Orioles1954]

Originally Posted by Mr. Zipper

Very interesting. It is stunning that players who survived into the 60s and 70s and lived in the United States could have no known exemplars. They must have really hated signing!

Mr. Collier:

http://oct09.hugginsandscott.com/cgi...l?itemid=14282

[HexsHeroes]

Originally Posted by Orioles1954

Mr. Collier:

http://oct09.hugginsandscott.com/cgi...l?itemid=14282

. . . the example that Kevin Keating (Quality Autographs & Memorabilia of Virginia) had available for sale last year for $2950. On the other side of the Collier single-signed side were the Murray Red Howell + 7 teammates signatures. The Collier is a beautifully bold signature.

[HexsHeroes]

.

. . . I'd vote that the Gedeon may be the "scarcer" of the two. Over the past 15 years, I recall seeing Bob Neighbors examples offered more times than Elmer Gedeon. But "more times" still means less than 5 or 6 occurrences. Other than the Gedeon example that Kevin Keating has, and the one by our own OC member Orioles1954, I think I have only viewed one other example offered for sale (a Mike Gutierrez auction, maybe?). Either way, both are tough autographs.

[mschwade]

Anxiously waiting for the 1920's list. Thanks for posting these Jim!

[JimStinson]

Thanks Vince I was not aware that some Colliers autographs had surfaced. Matt I might skip the 1920's list because it starts to get REALLY long.
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[mschwade]

Originally Posted by JimStinson

Thanks Vince I was not aware that some Colliers autographs had surfaced. Matt I might skip the 1920's list because it starts to get REALLY long.
___________________
Vintage autographs for sale daily
stinsonsports.com

How about 1920's with no known examples? Maybe still too long? Either way, thank you!

[ss]

Please don't skip it Jim, this is great stuff!

[prewarsports]

The 1920's list would be VERY large, probably at least 100 names with none or maybe 1 example known. and another 50-100 names with a couple known. Autograph collecting started to get big among Baseball players in the early 1930's so you have a chance at getting some of the toughies. Most of the guys in the 1920's would have to be tracked down after their careers ended because there just were not people asking them for their autographs while they played which makes the collecting of that era 100X more difficult than the 1930's.

Rhys