Toughest signed cards possible

[polakoff]

I just sold a 1970 Cal Koonce card in rough shape made out "To Pam" for $30 at auction on ebay. I was hoping to get the 99 cent starting bid. Had no idea his signatures were worth that kind of dough. Looked on ebay and I guess he has almost no signed cards. Any idea why?

[egri]

For my 1953 Topps project the toughies are:

Howie Fox d.1955
Vern Bickford d.1960
Bobo Newsom d.1962
Fred Hutchinson d.1964
Cliff Fannin d.1966
Ellis Kinder d.1968
Vern Stephens d.1968
Don Hoak d.1969
Hank Thompson d.1969

Then there are quite a few guys who died in the 1970s and 1980s, including one (Luke Easter)who was murdered, and another (Herman Wehmeier) who died days before he was supposed to testify in an embezzlement trial. The the poster who was asking if Fox had signed his 1954 Topps, one of the other members here told he he saw a signed '54 Topps Fox sell for over $1500 a few years ago.

[pclpads]

Originally Posted by polakoff

I just sold a 1970 Cal Koonce card in rough shape made out "To Pam" for $30 at auction on ebay. I was hoping to get the 99 cent starting bid. Had no idea his signatures were worth that kind of dough. Looked on ebay and I guess he has almost no signed cards. Any idea why?

He passed in 1993, so that may attribute to the scarcity.

[egri]

Red Sox infielder Harry Agganis died a few weeks after his 1955 Topps card was released. I've heard of signed examples of it, but I've never seen one myself.

EDIT: This article from SCD estimates that there are fewer than 100 signed cards in existence.