What Card is your White Whale?

[mrreality68]

Hi Everyone

I just got to thinking (Saw Clint's Great card of his white whale in August Pickups in Memorabilia section)

What is your white whale. Not your necessarily your dream card but the card that you need to complete your set? or the card you have been chasing for years trying to find/catch?

It is not necessary a price thing but more the rarity or the hunting for it

What would your Collection Catch Truly be. Or if you caught it what was it and what are you trying to catch now? How long did it take for you to finally catch it if you caught it?

[pawpawdiv9]

I caught my 'whale' many yrs ago.(2013) It was the 52 Mick.
Nowadays- pretty much anything that catches my eye in pre-war.
Cobb, Ruth probably tops the list or try to finish my set of Big Heads.

[Jim65]

I got my white whale a little while back. At the time, there was 1 known, now there are 2 known.

[ClementeFanOh]

Great topic Jeff! I will narrow to 2, following your parameter that it not merely be an outrageously valuable card: Choice 1- an Ed Cicotte Cracker Jack, either year. Choice 2- any N172 Brooklyn mini. Thus far, the score is Whales 2, me 0 Trent King

[Carter08]

This is a recent wish list add and not a truly rare card so it’s probably wrong for me to call it a whale comped to what others have been chasing, but 41 play ball Joe d feels like a white whale at this moment.

[pete zouras]

the ship sailed on acquiring it years ago and I've long made my peace with never owning it and moved on to other more attainable cards.

[Leon]

Here is one ... I can't remember the last time I saw one in auction.
My white whales all cost too much now!

Originally Posted by ClementeFanOh

Great topic Jeff! I will narrow to 2, following your parameter that it not merely be an outrageously valuable card: Choice 1- an Ed Cicotte Cracker Jack, either year. Choice 2- any N172 Brooklyn mini. Thus far, the score is Whales 2, me 0 Trent King

[smallstocks]

!955 Topps Clemente RC PSA 8. Had many chances to buy it for years but now it is way beyond my budget.

[bbcard1]

Although my collection is almost entirely baseball, generally leaning toward vintage or prewar, I am an avid collector of Marshall University alums cards, which tend toward football. There is a phone card that was given out before a game that features former Herd Qbs Eric Kresser (later played for the Bengals) and NCAA D1AA player of the year winner Michael Payton. I saw one on Bay years ago but it got away. There is also a Jacksonville Jags team issue card of Chris Parker (in the guides as 1997 #26) which I have never seen. I have done a lot of messaging and searching in the area, including the team, but never seen the team issue set or any singles. I will probably get both for less than $10 if I ever find them.

I also need a Drum T206 Davidson to finish my back run. One never came on the market since I have been looking. I don't know if I could convince myself of the value of the opportunity costs if I find one.

[jcmtiger]

Originally Posted by Leon

Here is one ... I can't remember the last time I saw one in auction.
My white whales all cost too much now!

Great card Leon. Thanks

[3-2-count]

As Leon states my white whale is through the roof now

1917 Standard Biscuit -or- Collins McCarthy Babe Ruth

[Jstottlemire1]

Originally Posted by 3-2-count

As Leon states my white whale is through the roof now

1917 Standard Biscuit -or- Collins McCarthy Babe Ruth

Same as mine. One day it will happen! Great choice.

[benge610]

A little off the beaten path but sometimes that's where you will find me.
Thanks to a fellow board member, the T209-2 Gunderson poked it's head out, eye-balled me, struck when the iron was hot. (I love mixing metaphors). I already had his T210-7 Red Border, he only had 2 cards.

Ya see, Oliver Gunderson was born and lived in Cumberland, WI (both of my parents' stomping grounds). Thinking enough of his pitching talents, he schleps to Goldsboro to pitch in the Eastern Carolina League in 1910. After appearing in 19 games, going 9-9; he returns to cheeseland; baseball career over.

Besides the regional/historical interest that I have in Mr. Gunderson; I am still tracking a family tree connection as well; I have "Halvorson", "Hoveland", "Huset" running through my tree; and at some point, a Gunderson married a Hoveland up der.
Ooooooh, happy hunting Ben!

Thanks Mike.





Ben

"I love baseball history backstory; especially when it involves cards."

[timn1]

This past month, in a larger lot, this guy showed up - Hal Carlson, who died midway through the 1930 season and was presumably pulled from the set.

After almost 20 years of collecting the set, I had begun to doubt his existence. No records in VCP, no population at SGC, no scans to be found - but there he is!!



Now on the next white whale...

[brass_rat]

Originally Posted by timn1

This past month, in a larger lot, this guy showed up - Hal Carlson, who died midway through the 1930 season and was presumably pulled from the set.

After almost 20 years of collecting the set, I had begun to doubt his existence. No records in VCP, no population at SGC, no scans to be found - but there he is!!



Now on the next white whale...

Congrats, Tim! Can you share how you came across this card? Your post ended with a cliffhanger...

(I guess you said a larger lot, but how long did you have to wait to get it after seeing it, etc)

[timn1]

had a large lot of Blue Ribbons - their writeup didn't feature the rarity of Carlson. The lucky thing is that I was traveling at the time and only noticed the auction on the final day, at which point I jumped in with both feet - one more day and I would have lost out.

Originally Posted by brass_rat

Congrats, Tim! Can you share how you came across this card? Your post ended with a cliffhanger...

(I guess you said a larger lot, but how long did you have to wait to get it after seeing it, etc)

[brass_rat]

Originally Posted by timn1

had a large lot of Blue Ribbons - their writeup didn't feature the rarity of Carlson. The lucky thing is that I was traveling at the time and only noticed the auction on the final day, at which point I jumped in with both feet - one more day and I would have lost out.

That's always a great feeling when things work out! Happy for you!

Steve

[benge610]

Originally Posted by timn1

This past month, in a larger lot, this guy showed up - Hal Carlson, who died midway through the 1930 season and was presumably pulled from the set.

After almost 20 years of collecting the set, I had begun to doubt his existence. No records in VCP, no population at SGC, no scans to be found - but there he is!!



Now on the next white whale...

That's awesome Tim.
Such a cool find (lot) in more ways than one.
Such gratitude from this end as well.
I love this stuff.

Ben

"I love baseball history backstory; especially when it involves cards."

[fkm_bky]

White whale #1 - T206 Herzog Boston w Uzit back. 1 exists.

White whale #2 - T206 Green Cobb. Plenty available but my pockets aren’t that deep yet. Building towards it though.

Bill

[Casey2296]

Current white whales include:
Red Cross back
HM Taylor Cobb
Rare E-card backs
Bender white cap T216 mild & sweet, extra mild, Mino, and Mello.

The bigger issue is outfitting my Whaling Ship with plenty of harpoons when these unicorns appear.

[CobbSpikedMe]

I never really though about what my white whale would be. But by using your parameters I would have a few for my Jersey City Skeeters collection that I will likely never own.

1. T214 Victory - Wiltse
2. T215 Pirate - Purtell

A possibility one day might be the T213-3 Donavan

One that I'm sure I will find some day is the E254 Colgans Chips Abstien

Then the non Jersey City card that I would really like to own someday is the E-Unc Blue Caption Honus Wagner. There are two known examples. A board member owns one of them. I am just fascinated by this card.



.

[MuncieNolePAZ]

I love to one day own one of these. Any one of them would do.
Walter Johnson
T214 Victory
T215 Red Cross either version
T215 Pirate
Rose Postcard
Texas Tommy either version
T206 Portrait Old Mill

Realistically a T206 WaJo Portrait Brown Hindu

Chad

[BioCRN]

Got mine a few years ago. Spent over a decade looking a 1930 Baguer Chocolate 'Cliff Heathcote' (Cuban candy issue) raw or graded in decent condition.

It's the only non-oversied card of his wearing a Cubs uniform. There are cards from his Cubs era, but they're image edited STL uniform cards where they removed the STL imagery from the uniform.

It's a rare card, but it's not valuable. I spent a decade+ looking a card I paid $40 for. Last I checked there were 3 PSA graded (2x PSA 2, 1x Authentic) and 1 SGC graded (SGC 5.5). The only 2 raw I've ever seen were in terrible shape and I passed on them.

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

[chadeast]

Originally Posted by Aquarian Sports Cards

Well played, sir.

[chadeast]

I'm not sure if I feel comfortable calling a card this common a white whale, but the '33 Goudey Ruth #53 is starting to feel that way. When building the set in early 2021, I found myself being picky about all of the yellow background cards in the set (so many look "dirty"), and this one was no exception. I was the bridesmaid on a few auctions, always having that feeling that it shouldn't be as expensive as it was. I own a copy of every card in the set except for this one, and it's been like that for over a year now. Waiting for prices to come down didn't work out. I fear that this one may have gotten away from me forever price-wise, and I can't bring myself to buy an ugly one at the prices even those demand.

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Originally Posted by chadeast

Well played, sir.

You just made my day.

[Lucas00]

1949 Schumacher Service Station Red Schoendienst. No images Exist unfortunately.

[refz]

I’ll intertwine 2 topics here. My white whale would have to be re-obtaining my 1st prewar purchase which was a t206 red portrait Cobb sweet cap 350 back. It’s a certain card because it has a surface scuff on the front mid-bottom left of it, my guess it would be in a 1 holder if graded. I know it sounds funny but it’s the one true card I regret getting rid over the years. I sold it in a lot of 150+ t206s right before I got married to try and pony up some extra coin. The last time I caught a glimpse of it, it was being advertised in 707 sports cards. This is going back over 12-13 years now.

Danny