Smolin Auction

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Posted By: Jay Miller 

Did anyone get the new Smolin Auction catalog? Mine just arrived today and for those of us who like Old Judge there is plenty.

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Posted By: Julie Vognar

...

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Posted By: leon

Perfect.....I have no money and there are no types I need.....

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Posted By: Jay Miller

Hi Julie! Jerry's number is 413-253-9630.

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Posted By: TBob

Great memorabilia but unless you are in to pre-1900 cards, not much in the way of vintage cards.

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Posted By: Albie O'Hanian

Being from Canada I usually have to wait a while longer to get mine. What day does the auction close?

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Posted By: Kevin Cummings

....Thursday, December 5 @ 8:00 P.M. EST

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Posted By: Julie Vognar

maybe the Mayo Ewing (why is it so hard to get a nice Mayo without back damage these days?)...I HATE that Old Judge of Nash and Radbourne! Looks SO phoney! Why don't they come up with some nice Radbournes? There're several different nice ones. The OJ Rusie is great--if it weren't half missing.Hmmm...nice n162 Anson (wonder if name stamp on back is heavy and concealing or light?)...dreadful color in the Brouthers beneath it...the OJ Connor looks like a good bet: fine picture, and crease should hold the price down (think I and 300 other people...) I must have seen 10 Scrapps Getzeins in the last year! (Where are the O'Neills and Caruthers?)Tintype of early Jewish ballplayer seems to have been photographed through a butterfly's wing...Why are there so many cards of Comiskey?

Well it's About Time!

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Posted By: warshawlaw

nice stuff. I lust in my heart after the boxing card lots. If I settle a good case before the deadline, look out. . .

And now for the criticism, sniping and whining:

I REALLY don't like the "but for" form of grading used in this catalogue (you know, "vg/ex but for the pinholes, writing, urine stains and dried blood"). I think a card should be assigned its technical grade and then have its salutary features explained, not assigned an "if only" grade then qualified with all the flaws. Here are some examples of what I mean:

Lot #27: "but for some chipping . . . would grade a solid vg+/ex"? Ok, but since it has the chipping, it doesn't grade vg+/ex, does it. So what does it grade? Heck, following the writer's formula, you could say that the card grades near mint but for rounded corners, chipping and surface wear.

How does a Roger Connor OJ with a strong crease across the card and back paste residue grade a "solid vg+/ex" (lot #39)? Isn't the card actually good to very good?

What is a "slightly thinned back" (lot #43); is that sales-speak for a peeled card? Are these alfalfa fields we are dealing with? My hairline?

Since when is a vg+/ex card one with a surface-cracking corner crease (lot #41)? Looks about g-vg to me, not accounting for the paper loss and glue residue on the back. I also don't like this "note" to back damage stuff; listing this one as vg+/ex with "note" to back is like listing a card with a big old crease as near mint with note to crease. I would list this card as technically grading fair to good.

Does it bother you a little (I know it bugs me) that some lots are described as having stains, fades, or damage that could be "easily" restored, repaired or fixed (e.g., lot 3, lot 121, lot 132)? Nevermind the prejudice one may have against restoring items, how do the auctioneers know it could easily be fixed? Seems a bit presumptuous to me to say so. What if I buy the item and find out that it can't be fixed, then what--will they buy it back?

Maybe I am hypercritical today (got an e-card in the mail yesterday that was a lot worse than described so I'm a little sensitive to overgrading right now), but I don't think so. Maybe what this shows is that there is a reason for grading cards with SGC, PSA, GAI, etc., if only to get around auctioneer hype. After all, if the card is an SGC 40, there ain't much that the auctioneer can do to avoid saying so.

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Posted By: Lee Behrens

Is there a website for this auction?

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Posted By: Jaime Leiderman

http://www.abouttimeauctions.com

Don´t know if auction will have online bidding this time...

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Posted By: runscott

It's a really cool web-site, but the auction isn't online - you need to email, fax or call-in.

http://www.abouttimeauctions.com

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Posted By: runscott

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Posted By: Jay Miller

Adam---I believe your point is relevant to many card series but alot less relevant to blank-back 19th century issues(really the only thing I collect). For alot of Old Judge collectors, and I fall into this group, there is primarily one factor that we look for in a card---photo clarity. I could care less what the back looks like and a little corner wear is no big deal. So for me the grade is irrelevant and many times misleading. I have seen pinkish cards with faded photos graded SGC80 and the best Mack I have ever seen, with large borders, sharp corners and most importantly a perfect photo is graded SGC60 because of a tiny back scrape. I think what Jerry is doing is trying to describe the card to two audiences, those like me and those who care about where the card would grade.I appreciate his view as to appearance versus grade. For me he needent talk about the back at all, for others he might need to.
I do agree that someone saying that the 1952 Topps was EX+ except for the bullet hole through it is a little over the edge. I also think that the PSA qualifiers are basically the same thing.

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Posted By: Albie O'Hanian

I just got my catalogue today-pretty fast for Canada. Jay-Excellent points. Thanks. I was all set to say I found it difficult to determine a grade with all of the qualifying statements but now I understand why he did that.

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Posted By: Jay Miller

By the way, for the younger members on the board, who the heck is Joan Jett?

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Posted By: Marc S.

with Joan Jett and the Blackhearts.

This question isn't really for the "younger folk" of the board. After all -- I just turned 4 years old when she released her first album. She's been in the music biz for over two decades. She's old now

http://www.joanjett.com/

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Posted By: runscott

I saw her a few years ago at Chastain Park in Atlanta and she was still looking and singing great and looking Gothic (hides the wrinkles).

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Posted By: runscott

But since I'm still busy with my "garage sale" I guess that's best.

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Posted By: petecld

(Just teasing)

Nice mood. I hope there aren't any kids with candy in your house. Poor thing won't have a chance to get the wrapper off. Or will you wait for them to do the work and then swipe it? Smoooth. . .



OK, serious now:

As for descriptions I don't have a huge problem with the "but for" approach as long as the wear is above and beyond what you would expect to find.

Ex: I described my Jack Johnson card as "Vg. . .but for. . . 2 pin holes." Since pin holes are exceptions to the norm I feel it's fine.

I will agree that a description of "Nm. . .but for. . . corner wear" is a joke.

Heck, quit complaining, I didn't even get a catalog. :~(

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Posted By: jay behrens

Don't put another dime in the jukebox
I don't wanna hear that song no more...

Who sang that song?

Jay

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Posted By: runscott

Lucky me - nothing I "need"!

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Posted By: Elliot

Just got mine today. So everybody knows which lot(s) to stay away from, unless you want your posts edited.....let's just say I might be repatriating some items. (j/k)

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Posted By: Julie Vognar

Besides classical (and pre-classical) and blues, I like the Greatful Dead, especially Robert Hunter.
Born, born, born upon this world the restles heart keeps flying
Trying to become the heart of home;
love, love, love it picks you up and spins you 'round,
Sets you right back down where you belong.

It's one thing to try, another to fly
You get there quicker just a step at a time
One thing to bark, quite another to bite,
Show ain't over till you pack up at night.

Take care of your people
Keep some of them fed
Keep the ones in trouble down under the bed
You gotta reap in October what you planted in May
If the harvest ain't good,
find some other good way.

We had a good harvest this year! Cherry tomatoes, corn, and...some other stuff...

The BLASTED HOUSE IS FINALLY SOLD!

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Posted By: MW

Julie --

I think I know the reason you enjoy those particular verses. Did you ever think that perhaps they're really talking about baseball cards?

Take care of your people [cards]

Keep some of them fed [in top grade]

Keep the ones in trouble down under the bed [keep those that might fade out of the light]

You gotta reap in October what you planted in May [cards bought on eBay or in auctions in May sell for greater sums in October...hopefully]

If the harvest ain't good, [lack of quality vintage material]

find some other good way. [you'll have to start attending shows]

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Posted By: Brian C Daniels

always overgrade by a grade or more on alomst everything ,everytime!

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Posted By: Julie Vognar

...what about keeping cards in the dark? And photos? Always thought you were supposed to. At the Asian Art Museum, Asian color or ink on paper or silk can only be up (in rather dim light) for a few months; then they have to go back into storage for a couple of years. Humidity also very important. Laquored stuff has to be almost wet, and fabric as dry as possible...

Now I'm not saying a baseball card is a Chinese masterpiece, but I know they also fade, tone, and change... as for photographs, look at your grandmother's photograph album, and see what's left!

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Posted By: Jay Miller

Julie---Old Judge are light sensative and their exposure to direct sunlight should be limited.

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Posted By: Julie Vognar

...

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Posted By: leon

I am light sensitive and I try to keep my wife in the dark.....

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Posted By: David

Like all prints and photographs, trading cards are light sensitive. However, as most trading cards are stored in boxes, drawers or (in Leon's case) safety deposit boxes, it's not a big issue for most card collectors. More often than not, the card, photo or print that has kept its original colors for 100 years, was never displayed, but stored in an album, book or stacks.