Wire Photo Question

[varsitycollectibles]

Sorry if this is not the right section for this thread.

I am interested in picking up some wire photos of players that I collect. I've never purchased one before and I am curious if any members have some tips or things to consider before buying.

Thanks in advance.

[Forever Young]

Originally Posted by varsitycollectibles

Sorry if this is not the right section for this thread.

I am interested in picking up some wire photos of players that I collect. I've never purchased one before and I am curious if any members have some tips or things to consider before buying.

Thanks in advance.

There are several books out there. I would suggest you purchase "A Portrait of Baseball Photography". This will help a lot. Fake stamps and incorrect authenticaion is really a problem right now. Like anything else in this hobby, the best defense is knowing what you are buying. Educate yourself and ask knowledgeable collectors if you are unsure about a particular item. I have seen flat out fake stamped photos(forgeries) that were enclosed in overly large blue slabs sell for 3k on ebay and in fact worth about $100 at best.

"I am interested in picking up some wire photos of players that I collect."

Does this mean you want just photos that are produced from a wire machine? I am guessing not. Learn the photo process, terminology and what makes a photo a wire vs an original off the negative(shortly after photo was taken vs. 20 years later) vs off a dupe neg ect. The differences as far as monetary value can be staggering so it is very important you learn the differences.

If you have any questions, feel free to pm me. I would be happy to help.

[varsitycollectibles]

Originally Posted by Forever Young

There are several books out there. I would suggest you purchase "A Portrait of Baseball Photography". This will help a lot. Fake stamps and incorrect authenticaion is really a problem right now. Like anything else in this hobby, the best defense is knowing what you are buying. Educate yourself and ask knowledgeable collectors if you are unsure about a particular item. I have seen flat out fake stamped photos(forgeries) that were enclosed in overly large blue slabs sell for 3k on ebay and in fact worth about $100 at best.

"I am interested in picking up some wire photos of players that I collect."

Does this mean you want just photos that are produced from a wire machine? I am guessing not. Learn the photo process, terminology and what makes a photo a wire vs an original off the negative(shortly after photo was taken vs. 20 years later) vs off a dupe neg ect. The differences as far as monetary value can be staggering so it is very important you learn the differences.

If you have any questions, feel free to pm me. I would be happy to help.

Thanks for the response! I mainly collect HOFers from the 50s and 60s and the thought came to me to try and pair a vintage photo with players that I have autographed baseballs of, thinking that would be cooler than the standard 8x10.

The ones that have caught my eye have been tied to specific games and have AP stamps.

Here is an example: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bob-Gibson-p...item3376cfabaf

[Forever Young]

Originally Posted by varsitycollectibles

Thanks for the response! I mainly collect HOFers from the 50s and 60s and the thought came to me to try and pair a vintage photo with players that I have autographed baseballs of, thinking that would be cooler than the standard 8x10.

The ones that have caught my eye have been tied to specific games and have AP stamps.

Here is an example: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bob-Gibson-p...item3376cfabaf

Very cool. Yep, this would be a wire photo or a type 3. If this is what catches your eye, you can usually buy these at very reasonable prices. Because they are not off the original negative, clarity will be compromised a bit. This one looks really nice for your application though. Good luck!

[drc]

If you're just looking for something for your autographs, the simplest tip is to get something with an official stamp/name on it-- like AP, UPI, ACME or International News. Then you know it's an official news photo. Most news photos have the maker's name on it somewhere. Beyond that, you can decide if it's a nice looking image.

You can probably get good deals on originals of many 1950s-60s players.

[repsher]

I collect original photos of hall of famers, they are different than "wire" photos like the one you listed. If you want an original photo of Bob Gibson I would go with something like this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/CT-PHOTO-asp...item51a1aac3a1

It is original and would be classified as Type 1. It also is more than likely a one of a kind photo since it was taken by a staff photographer. I actually would probably purchase the photo myself but I already have quite a few Bob Gibson originals.
The same seller does have quite a few "wire" photos of Gibson for $10. If that is still what you are looking for.

The best place to learn about photos is a forum like this and books on the subject. I've made mistakes purchasing in the past but you'll learn from them.