Near miss...Cards that you've personally taken out of existence...

[e107collector]

Originally Posted by terjung

Your story reminds me of the story that one of the Baltimore News Babe Ruth prookie cards was lost. (I can't personally verify that, but have read it in more than one place.) I'm just glad that I haven't misplaced a $300k card. (not that I own one)

I remember reading this story in a recent auction catalog description. I could be wrong, but I beleive it was lost in a flood.

Tony

[brob28]

"I remember reading this story in a recent auction catalog description. I could be wrong, but I beleive it was lost in a flood."

I wonder how many cards disappear in natural disasters, tornados, hurricanes etc. No way to know for sure.

[canjond]

Originally Posted by e107collector

I remember reading this story in a recent auction catalog description. I could be wrong, but I beleive it was lost in a flood.

Tony

Tony - good call. I found the story. Again, from Rob Lifson:

"in communicating with collectors over the past several years about the exact number of cards known, we have found that one card which at one time existed apparently no longer exists. The owner, a collector with whom we had lost touch with when he moved years ago, finally called us out of the blue. When we asked him if he still had his 1914 Baltimore News Ruth rookie, we got a much unexpected response: no, because he lost it. He had kept it in his office at work, and to this day he does not know if it was stolen or thrown out. It has been missing for many years, and every once in a while to this day he still finds himself looking for it. He even asked us to keep an eye out for it if we should happen to see it."

So, looks like it might have been thrown out (unless stolen). Wow, seems to be a curse with RARE Ruths!

[e107collector]

That's the story.

Tony

[rhettyeakley]

Not destroyed, but a pretty nice 1933 Goudey Clyde Manion and 1934 Goudey John Stone were creased by my mother in the mid-1980's. She got so mad at my brother Rhys for spending all of his money on baseball cards that she grabbed the cards, squeezed hard, and then threatened to throw them out of the drivers seat of the car (while we were moving). We pleaded with her to forgive the trespass and eventually she relented but forever those two cards were destroyed by my mother grabbing them.

[Jaybird]

I had a really clean T206 southern Leaguer (can't remember which one but I think it had a yellow background) on my desk at work. I had a to do list and after I had finished all of the tasks on the list, I would very satisfyingly crumple up the paper and toss it in the trash.

Somehow, that card was in between two sheets of paper that I grabbed up. By the time I realized it, and unmangled it, it had turned from a 6 into a 2. I was so sick looking at it that I put it on ebay that day. Couldn't bear the site of it.

Now, I never crumple paper but just slip it gently into the wastebasket.

[CubsFanCurt]

My dad and uncles had a major loss in 1968. They had multiple complete sets of baseball cards in mint condition dating back to '56. Sewage backed up in the basement during a flood and ruined everything. Along with the cards an autographed ball was ruined that was given to them by their grandfather, signed by Tinker, Evers ansd Chance

In the early 60's they had a broken bat they used to play ball with and they busted it up and threw it out. It was Mickey Mantle's bat from spring training

Years ago I showed my dad a price guide. After looking at it he hung his head and said "kid if that flood never happened we wouldn't have to work"

[abothebear]

The other day I was sorting through a mixed box of modern stuff and I purposely threw away a few poor grade 80's commons that were in the bunch. I agonized over it, even though they were a trifecta of worthlessness. It just seemed wrong.