Vintage Racing?

[RCMcKenzie]

Here's a T227 Mulford. I have a lot from the Auto Drivers series and will try and post some scans later in the week. I guess the Soccer/Golf/Cricket section might be a good place to add auto and horse racing cards...

[Beansballcardblog]

Didn't even know about these cards. I'm still new in the vintage area. Thanks for that info!

Originally Posted by RCMcKenzie

Here's a T227 Mulford. I have a lot from the Auto Drivers series and will try and post some scans later in the week. I guess the Soccer/Golf/Cricket section might be a good place to add auto and horse racing cards...

[Jobu]

This is not mine, but I have always thought that this was about as cool of a crossover vintage baseball/vintage racing item as you can get (and maybe the only one!):

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-1920s-C...MAAOSwGYVW~JC8

I collect central Washington racing photos, memorabilia, and programs (moslty from the CWJRA 1946-1967). Here's an image of the "Ole Death Car" driven by Robert Zylstra 1936 Central Washington Fairgrounds (Yakima, WA).

[brian1961]

While I do not collect the trading cards produced of Indianapolis 500 cars and drivers, nor the English tobacco card inserts of racing greats (Tazio Nuvolari and John Cobb come to mind), I sure respect you guys for doing so. Racers and the bigger stars, the cars, have always had a huge pull on the sporting world.

Before I got interested in baseball cards, I became enraptured with the beauty of collecting Dinky Toys, 1/43rd scale model cars of the real thing, in the late 1950s. They began as O scale train accessories, but the public and especially children loved them so much just for themselves. A whole new collecting niche spawned. In time, frustrated collectors yearned for, demanded, and got, 1/43rd scale metal and resin model cars of the actual Indy cars, racing sports cars, Grand Prix racers, and Stock Cars that fluttered their heart, and moved them with the same passion as any baseball card ever could!

Here's hoping you chaps get many more responses from other interested collectors, as well as those who don't care for them, but happen to have some that belonged to their father or grandfather that they'd be willing to part with for the right price.

Regards, Brian Powell

[RTK]

I've been a race fan most of my life, primarily Indy (CART & Champcar) and F1. ...saw my first race in 1963 when I was very young at the Miwaukee Mile. Since the split in '95 I haven't followed Indy much but still maintain an extensive collection of Indy and F1 diecast. The old Carousel diecast roadsters were great. I also have a number of signed photos from the 50's through 90's, race programs and vintage Indy 500 ticket stubs. Some of my finished basement that isn't baseball, is racing. I don't have any racing cards though. Open wheel racing has a great history, much like baseball, unfortunately the sport seems to be on the down slope.

[Bored5000]

Here is a thread that discusses the 1972 STP NASCAR set and the great rarity that is "Lorenzen with car" from that set. I have seen the comparison made several times that the 1972 STP set is the T206 of racing cards in terms of impact.

http://www.network54.com/Forum/52660...+wish+for+%3B)

Another article that discusses the STP set and the extreme rarity that is "Lorenzen with car." PSA has currently graded one example of that card. The link even includes a picture to prove that the card actually exists. I know that Lorenzen with car is the holy grail from that set, but in at least three years of scouring eBay, I have never seen a Richard Petty card or a Bobby Allison card or a Dick Brooks card or a Charlie Glotzbach card from that set for sale, either.

https://sportscardinfo.wordpress.com...week-1972-stp/

Thread in which one of the top racing card collectors is offering to pay just for a scan of the "Lorenzen with car" card.

https://forums.collectors.com/messag...&enterthread=y

[Beansballcardblog]

That is pretty cool! Since there isn't a lot of vintage racing out there, I've started taking an interest in post cards.

Originally Posted by Jobu

This is not mine, but I have always thought that this was about as cool of a crossover vintage baseball/vintage racing item as you can get (and maybe the only one!):

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-1920s-C...MAAOSwGYVW~JC8

[Bored5000]

Originally Posted by wvu_class_of_2001

That is pretty cool! Since there isn't a lot of vintage racing out there, I've started taking an interest in post cards.

If you keep an eye out on eBay, you can pick up some old postcards of some huge names in NASCAR for next to nothing. I don't have the listings saved in my eBay watch list anymore, but a few months ago, there were postcard listings from the 1960s of Fireball Roberts, Joe Weatherly, Ned Jarrett, Lee and Richard Petty, etc. that sold for under $50 each at auction. Old postcards from the 1960s of NASCAR stars do show up from time to time on eBay.

There was also a 1980 Dale Earnhardt postcard of him with the Rod Osterlund car that sold for just over $100 a couple months ago on eBay. That pre-dates his SportsStar Photo-Graphics and UNO cards by several years, but sells for much less than his SSPG card or even a high-grade MAXX card of Earnhardt.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/DALE-EARNHAR...IAAOSwKtlWpXJ-

[Bored5000]

I don't know if anyone is actually reading this thread anymore, but one of the cards near the top of my want list arrived today -- a 1972 Richard Petty card from the STP set. Like I wrote earlier, it took several years of searching for me to find a Petty card from the '72 STP set. The seller was amazing, perhaps the best seller I have ever dealt with on eBay. The seller was an older lady and she sent me a two-page letter discussing her collection and detailing that she acquired the card as a handout from an STP rep while at the 1972 Daytona 500 (which corresponds with everything I have ever read about how the set was distributed).

She wrote that it took her 25 years to complete the set (11 cards) because she could not find the near-mythical Lorenzen with car card. Over the years, she traded/bought/sold various cards from the STP set. The Lorenzen with car card she finally located at a racing memorabilia show has a thumbtack hole, but it was the only one she has ever seen. She wanted to put together a second full set but is stuck at 10 cards due to never being able to find a second Lorenzen with car card.

As I mentioned earlier, the '72 STP Petty card is always ranked somewhere in the top five among the most desirable of all NASCAR cards or racing cards in general.

Scans of the Petty card that just arrived in my mailbox on Friday:

[RCMcKenzie]

Eddie, nice acquisition and thanks for the info on that set. When I was a kid, I watched a lot of NASCAR and was a huge David Pearson fan. I'll be a bidder on the auto drivers set in REA, if i can't win the Just So Zimmer.
Again, I think there are are a few auto racing collectors on here and maybe we can take over a sub-category like the soccer one. RMY photos auctions always has some cool racing stuff up for bid....Rob

[Beansballcardblog]

Thanks for sharing that backstory on the card as well. It reminds me a bit of an "American Pickers" type thing where there is a great story attached to an item. I believe that's a big part of my appeal to the vintage - the actual history. I had almost left the hobby (modern cards aren't fun for me anymore), but instead have just moved onto collecting vintage, however slow it may be.

Originally Posted by Bored5000

I don't know if anyone is actually reading this thread anymore, but one of the cards near the top of my want list arrived today -- a 1972 Richard Petty card from the STP set. Like I wrote earlier, it took several years of searching for me to find a Petty card from the '72 STP set. The seller was amazing, perhaps the best seller I have ever dealt with on eBay. The seller was an older lady and she sent me a two-page letter discussing her collection and detailing that she acquired the card as a handout from an STP rep while at the 1972 Daytona 500 (which corresponds with everything I have ever read about how the set was distributed).

She wrote that it took her 25 years to complete the set (11 cards) because she could not find the near-mythical Lorenzen with car card. Over the years, she traded/bought/sold various cards from the STP set. The Lorenzen with car card she finally located at a racing memorabilia show has a thumbtack hole, but it was the only one she has ever seen. She wanted to put together a second full set but is stuck at 10 cards due to never being able to find a second Lorenzen with car card.

As I mentioned earlier, the '72 STP Petty card is always ranked somewhere in the top five among the most desirable of all NASCAR cards or racing cards in general.

Scans of the Petty card that just arrived in my mailbox on Friday:

[Beansballcardblog]

One of these is a part of the REA auction...well, it's barely started and already out of my stratosphere.

1912 T227 "Series of Champions" Car, Horse, and Motorboat Racing PSA-Graded Collection (4)

Originally Posted by RCMcKenzie

Here's a T227 Mulford. I have a lot from the Auto Drivers series and will try and post some scans later in the week. I guess the Soccer/Golf/Cricket section might be a good place to add auto and horse racing cards...

[Bored5000]

Originally Posted by wvu_class_of_2001

One of these is a part of the REA auction...well, it's barely started and already out of my stratosphere.

1912 T227 "Series of Champions" Car, Horse, and Motorboat Racing PSA-Graded Collection (4)

Kin, if you keep an eye out, the Mulford card from the T227 set does pop up at a more reasonable price from time to time. All four of the cards in that REA lot are either the"highest graded" for that particular card or tied for "highest graded" honors for that particular card. A couple registry collectors are most likely what is driving up the price of that lot.

[Beansballcardblog]

I missed out on one a couple of months ago that was in my sweet spot. Got the eBay email but when I saw it and clicked, it had sold. Alas.

-kin

Originally Posted by Bored5000

Kin, if you keep an eye out, the Mulford card from the T227 set does pop up at a more reasonable price from time to time. All four of the cards in that REA lot are either the"highest graded" for that particular card or tied for "highest graded" honors for that particular card. A couple registry collectors are most likely what is driving up the price of that lot.

[Bored5000]

I won the lot of Marhoefer Meats Indy cards at Sterling Auctions earlier this morning. The lot is actually a mix of 1962 and '63 cards (the distinguishing feature is the shape and location of the driver portrait on each card). The cards all show stains/discolorations from being included in packs of hot dogs. All the cards present poor to fair, but the big pick-up in the lot is a 1962 A.J. Foyt Marhoefer card. Foyt's card is one of the nicer cards in the lot.

I have wanted a Foyt Marhoefer card for a while now. There has been a beat up, hot dog stained Foyt Marhoefer card on eBay for a while now at the museum price of $795. Even with the hot dog stains, I am happy to pick up a Foyt Marhoefer card for a little over $100; they just don't come available very often.

There are nicer, unstained Marhoefer cards in the hobby that were presumably given out as hand outs and not placed in product packages. But like I said, any Foyt Marhoefer card has been on my want list for a while now. Marhoefer cards in general rarely appear at auction, and the same cards sit on eBay forever at sky-high BINs. The Foyt card on eBay is priced about 10 times what it would sell for at auction in that condition.

http://www.sterlingsportsauctions.co...-LOT39749.aspx

[brian1961]

Congratulations, Eddie, on the Marhoefer Meat cards pick-up. Even I have heard of these tough-to-get racing cards. There's a guy in Columbia City, Indiana that deals in a lot of the post-war regional / food cards. Off-hand, I cannot recall his name, but he knows very well of how much racing collectors cherish these cards---by the impressive prices I seem to remember him charging!

No different than the baseball card collectors obsessed with the "free prizes" in, or on, hot dog packages.

Have a great weekend, my friend. Again, congrats on the pick-up, especially the A. J. Foyt. One of my favorite models I own is the IXO 1/43 diecast of the 1967 Ford Mark IV that AJ shared with Dan Gurney to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Great race, great-looking car, great driver pairing--and the only time they were paired together.

---Brian Powell

[Bored5000]

Originally Posted by brian1961

Congratulations, Eddie, on the Marhoefer Meat cards pick-up. Even I have heard of these tough-to-get racing cards. There's a guy in Columbia City, Indiana that deals in a lot of the post-war regional / food cards. Off-hand, I cannot recall his name, but he knows very well of how much racing collectors cherish these cards---by the impressive prices I seem to remember him charging!

No different than the baseball card collectors obsessed with the "free prizes" in, or on, hot dog packages.

Have a great weekend, my friend. Again, congrats on the pick-up, especially the A. J. Foyt. One of my favorite models I own is the IXO 1/43 diecast of the 1967 Ford Mark IV that AJ shared with Dan Gurney to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Great race, great-looking car, great driver pairing--and the only time they were paired together.

---Brian Powell

Thanks, Brian. I have about 25-30 cards on my want list and within my budget. The two racing cards currently at the top of my want list are a 1986 SportsStar Photo-Graphic Dale Earnhardt and a T36 Barney Oldfield. You wouldn't think a card from 1986 would be that tough, but the Earnhardt card from that set is short-printed; they just don't come available very often. Aside from a cheesy card in the 1983 Uno set and some early postcards, the Sports-Star Photo-Graphics card is the Earnhardt card to have, IMO.