Something you would never part with

[Runscott]

I know there are a lot of pure collectors here who rarely sell anything, but out of those of use who grow tired of things after saying they are the greatest things ever, is there anything?

For me it's a 1958 Mel Ott Detroit Tigers scorebook, which has a game played against the Yankees scored by Ott on my birthday. There are a few other items, but in all truthfulness, I do tend to get tired of things.

If I could re-make an old decision, today I would be saying the same thing about a 1909 Pirates litho that used to hang on the wall in Honus Wagner's office in Forbes Field.

[Leon]

Good question, Scott. The only thing of real value I didn't sell in my first collection sale was the Horner Composite hanging on my wall. But I am not even necessarily married to it. It is awesome and I love it...but it could be replaced by a new piece, though I am in no hurry.
Maybe the baseball card hobby periodicals/ephemera collection is something I will keep as it is so intriguing and so unique. And I don't guess all that valuable, relatively speaking.

[packs]

Can't see myself ever selling this bad boy. When I was 10 Mattingly retired and I was heartbroken. My mom took me to the only card store anywhere near me and bought me a Mattingly rookie from the case.

After he got hired I went to the Marlins park during spring training to try my luck at getting Donnie to sign it. I've had the card for almost 20 years already. The autograph only makes it more important to me:




When it comes to something I've bought for my collection, I can't see myself parting with this George Steinbrenner note. I love the Yankees and definitely overpaid for this. But I'm glad it's mine and only mine:

[Snapolit1]

1923 Gehrig minor league Yankees - Hartford contract. You'd have to pry it out of my dead hands.

[Bugsy]

I couldn't imagine parting with this one...when the 1927 Yankees played in St. Paul.

[JoeDfan]

My James McGovern letter to a Mr. Wilson in Augusta; begging him for a chance to play on the team despite their "old sores".

It is from 1889, so it is old, it is one of a kind, it is baseball, and it is Maine.

And, although Mr. Wilson apparently did NOT forget "old sores"; Mr. McGovern really did get the chance to play ball in 1891. So it ended well.

Plus, he had really good handwriting.

[Jgrace]

Originally Posted by Bugsy

I couldn't imagine parting with this one...when the 1927 Yankees played in St. Paul.

This is great, I live in the area and didn’t know this ballpark existed! Knew about Nicollet but looks like this one also had quite a history. Everyone who was anyone from the early 1900s played there.

Like Nicollet, you’d never know it was there now.

[Topnotchsy]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

1923 Gehrig minor league Yankees - Hartford contract. You'd have to pry it out of my dead hands.

That's an incredible piece!

I don't know that I maintain quite as strong a grip on mine, but similar theme. Minor League contracts for Roy Campanella. His initial contract to play in Danville and then his next contract a few weeks later to play in Nashua.

One of a few players to sign a Minor League contract before Jackie broke the color-barrier in the Minor Leagues (I believe he was the 4th African American signed).

[Jcfowler6]

One of these. Probably the Dreyfus signed contract would be #1.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Bicem]

Beautiful cabs!

[ramram]

If there's something I would take to my grave with me, I probably haven't bought it yet.

I suppose if there is anything, it would be this Topps basketball card for a couple of reasons; 1) because it's not worth anything and 2) because my family members are in the background (this image was also used on the Kings 1975 Playoff program).

Rob M

KC Kings Topps.jpg

[Mark]

I have quite a few things that I'd never sell. this one leaps to mind. I got a pre-game foul ball off the bat of Jerry May, and I spent the rest of the game getting Pirates autos. I remember it like it was yesterday

[sicollector1954]

GREAT THREAD! The last item in my collection is not necessarily the most valuable except to have it defy many odds as to it happening.

Found this 1944-48 Lou Gehrig pro model bat in a barrel of bats at a flea market....took it in 1998 to a White Sox/Orioles game....talked my way past 3 security people because it is not usually allowed to bring a "bat" into the game.....made a huge sign asking Cal Ripken to sign "my bat".....and out of $16, 000 people attending the game that evening....this is the only item he signed...a lasting memory for sure. Several years later I saw him in person again and he remembered that bat!

[Mark]

These are great. The bats, the autos, everything. thanks!

[mr2686]

Probably my 50th anniversary HOF book. Been collecting sigs in it for over 30 years. Several from players that have passed, including this large perfect Mantle.

[murphusa]

I have sold everything I had twice. I do not miss one thing I had.

The second time I sold, I purchased a house at the Beach. Way more useful than a piece of cardboard or wood

[TUM301]

Can certainly see why you guys would forever want to hold on to such special items, awesome. For me, this short autographed note from Walter Johnson saying the one and only Joe Jackson was the best hitter he ever saw will most likely never leave. Really like the cross between one of the all-time great pitchers and my favorite collecting interest, Shoeless Joe.
980AAED2-6A3D-4ABF-A23B-162D0D441ABD by Hugh Murphy, on Flickr

[Calunitas1]

babe ruth.jpg

[SyrNy1960]

2009 Alex Rodriguez HR #575 and #576 Game Used Bat that he personally gave to me.

[JoeDfan]

Originally Posted by 3arod13

2009 Alex Rodriguez HR #575 and #576 Game Used Bat that he personally gave to me.

Oh, that is very cool.
How did you get him to do that? Is he your buddy or something?

[SyrNy1960]

Originally Posted by JoeDfan

Oh, that is very cool.
How did you get him to do that? Is he your buddy or something?

Thanks! I bought a 1996 Alex Rodriguez Game Used Rawlings signed HR #15 Bat. Watched video of that game and found that he used a Louisville Slugger Bat, not a Rawlings Bat. Contacted his public relations people and Arod game me this bat as a replacement. Went nuts when I received it.

[MVSNYC]

Wow, great customer service at ARod Corp.

Nice bat.

[todeen]

I own a 1996 Billings Mustangs (Short Season A, Pioneer League, Cincinnati Reds affiliate) team signed baseball. It's pretty much worthless. But as a kid, I loved going to their baseball games. They played ball in this horrible, old wood stadium. The Marlboro Man was beyond the outfield fence. The concessions, gift shop, and sno-cone/cotton candy stand were underneath the bleachers. Whenever a major play happened it became deafening loud with people stomping their feet. There was a parking lot that led to the entrance of the stadium, and cars parked there "at their own risk." Every foul ball was accompanied by the announcer playing the sound of breaking glass, but the irony was that it was actually possible to lose your windshield or window even though it was running joke of the ballpark. It was an atmosphere that can't be replaced with concrete and rebar. The stadium was torn down and replaced nearly a decade ago, and so looking at the ball is just a nice memory of great summer nights in a league that MLB is now considering to be non-essential.

[pologrounds]

Untouchable

[LOUCARDFAN]

I don’t think I could ever part with my 1915 JF Hillerich & Son advertisement featuring Joe Jackson, Ty Cobb, Frank Baker, Napoleon Lajoie , Tris Speaker and Honus Wagner.

[CooperstownExpert]

Great stuff everyone! So neat to see all the meaningful pieces.

Some of my collection is on CooperstownExpert.com. Other pieces set me back for more but four pieces come to mind that would be hard to part with. If I could only keep one, it would be the Buckner contract. I also have five completely signed Topps, Donruss, Fleer baseball card sets from 1985-87. Those were super labor intensive and mean a lot. The names with links direct to the player pages on the site.

Here's a short description on each.

Bill Buckner's first professional contract. The first game I ever attended Buckner hit a homer, the Dodger Stadium faithful went wild, and I was forever hooked.

The second piece is a letter from Honus Wagner written to Ford Frick thanking the NL president for the lifetime pass given to Wagner. I just like Wagner's handwriting so much and love lifetime passes. You can see many different examples of lifetime passes by clicking here.

The third image is Pee Wee Wanninger's 1925 player contract with the Yankees. On May 5th of that season Wanninger started at shortstop in place of Everett Scott to end Scott's MLB record of 1,307 consecutive games played. Four weeks later Miller Huggins called on a young Lou Gehrig to pinch hit for Wanninger to start Gehrig's streak. I'm a sucker for the history of it all.

The final piece is a little rarer. Autographs of Bill Dahlen can be tough to come by. Though there are probably others in private collections that are better, this is the neatest example I've seen.


On the website, every member of the Hall of Fame has his/her (thank you Effa Manley) page, with about 300 non-Hall of Famers too.

[ruth-gehrig]

Even unpriced items are for sale.