Hunt/Casterline Pro Football Hall of Fame Card Collection

[Exhibitman]

Any plans to travel it to SoCal? I probably won't get to Ohio.

Does it have the 1926 Spalding Benny Friedman. I've not seen one in person.

[robertcasterline]

I would love to see it go to Southern California.
No schedule has been set quite yet.
Don't have the 1926 Benny. Its a great card and same here, I haven't seen one in
person.

[Stevew]

Robert, if I might inquire of a few things if you don't mind:

Did you collect cards growing up and come back to the hobby when you decided to assemble the collection with Mr. Hunt?

Any childhood favorites in the collection that you were particularly excited to acquire?

Any favorite cards in the set you'd like to share and what about them you enjoy the most?

It's always enlightening to hear about some of the personal touches in relation to the tremendous collection assembled. Thank you.

[robertcasterline]

Steve

Wow!!

Great questions.
SMR is doing a 5 page article next month. I don't want to sound redundant, but I will answer the best I can.

I absolutely collected baseball and football. I would go to flea markets and talk to the older guys that collected for years.
I didn't buy packs in the 80s thank goodness and would save every penny to buy one good card like Ernie Banks rookie or a Frank Gifford rookie card.
Most would not have graded high, But I loved them and wanted to learn everything about their career.

Favorite
Ted Williams and Sandy Kofax 1957 cards.
Loved them more then anything.

My Terry Bradshaw rookie card
Paid 200.00
Probably would grade a PSA 3, But I saved for it and also loved it.

My collection now
Hmmm..

When I got my 1948 Bednarik PSA 8, I was the final card needed to have all cards in HOF set a PSA 8 and higher. It was bitter sweet because the journey was pretty much over, But the accomplishment was amazing.
Favorite cards
1935 Chicle..Cool as it gets.


I met Jimmy Johnson at the past HOF induction and got to talk to him about his career and Rookie card.
I said to him
It looked like you were holding a baby..
He couldn't stop laughing.

They are the best moments in everything that Dan Hunt and I have been able to do.

Cant tell you how much I appreciate these questions.
Thank you

[jefferyepayne]

Originally Posted by robertcasterline

Don't have the 1926 Benny. Its a great card and same here, I haven't seen one in
person.

That Friedman card is tough, tough, tough! Only card from his playing days that I'm aware of.

This is the area of "rookie" cards that I struggle with. Having a 1955 football card be considered someone's rookie card who last played in 1934 is a joke. I understand why the powers that be might have done this but it's still pretty ridiculous in my book.

jeff

[robertcasterline]

Jeff

I agree that it is a true rookie card.
Do we know if the cards were distributed nationally or regionally?

I own a few, Not Friedman's.
They are probably one of the only cards that I think would be easily forged.
Black and white with thin paper.
Not trying to ignite an argument, But boy are the tiny cheap,thin pieces of paper.

[revmoran]

I love the Spalding set because it has a few players you just can't find in any other set - most notably for me, Ed Weir, a great All American from Nebraska who was on the NFL Champions Frankford Yellow Jackets in 1926 with my father. I once owned the Grange from the set but sold it to a devoted collector - in part to buy a guitar and in part because I gave up getting the Friedman which would have completed the football set for me. I think it would be easy to spot counterfeits if you used a loupe and examined the half-tone pattern in the photo reproduction - it's an old style that would be hard to duplicate without a period printing press, in my opinion.



I have to content myself with just a scan of Friedman - another teammate of my dad on the Giants.



I would love to see this collection at the Hall of Fame, but if not I hope to catch it in its travels. It would be nice if in the upcoming 100th Anniversary of the NFL the cards could spark some additional interest in the history of the pro game - especially the teams before WW II.

[finalscore]

Robert, what an amazing undertaking and collection. I can't think of a better venue than the Hall of Fame for display.

In regards to the 1926 Spalding Football and the Friedman card - I acquired my 26 Friedman back in the late 80's. The card was really in rough shape and had a hole-punch in one corner (I think the cards could be redeemed for prizes as I have seen a number of hole-punched Spalding's over the years). I always thought I would be able to upgrade the card but never had the opportunity. Definitely one tough card!

[revmoran]

I'm going to start a thread on the 26 Spalding set - I still have questions and don't want to derail the focus on the Hunt/Casterline Pro Football Hall of Fame Card Collection -

[jefferyepayne]

Originally Posted by revmoran

I think it would be easy to spot counterfeits if you used a loupe and examined the half-tone pattern in the photo reproduction - it's an old style that would be hard to duplicate without a period printing press, in my opinion.

Yeah, I agree with Mike on this one. The printing technique is such that it would be very easy to identify counterfeits with a loupe ... a vintage collectors best friend ;-)

Also, the paper fiber might be difficult to duplicate and finding paper that doesn't have any whitener might be a problem as well.

jeff

[jefferyepayne]

Originally Posted by robertcasterline

Jeff
I agree that it is a true rookie card.
Do we know if the cards were distributed nationally or regionally?

Hi Robert. Good question.

From the correspondence I've seen between Sports Company of America and some of the athletes they were courting to be part of this set, the plan was for national distribution. They talk about 'spreading sports information across the country'. I don't know if anyone knows for sure how successful they were at accomplishing this goal.

jeff

[clamendo]

We'll I always thought Ed Kabala got the best of me on when I traded him a 1934 Nagurski Diamond Matchbook (only known) for this Friedman (later graded by me).

I agree with Jeff. If a PSA-9 (which three exist and probably a few more) goes for $6910. What is a 1926 Spalding PSA-7 (29 years earlier) worth? Which card would you guys want in your collection if both were available.

I guess the there is more demand for the 1955 AA Friedman and it is "collectible" and can be sent in to PSA, etc for grading. Where my card is not collectible, sometimes you can outsmart the collector.

What about a 1967 Royal Castle Dolphin Bob Griese, or for a matter of fact a 1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle?

[revmoran]

Was this yours, Carl? Again, I have to be content with the scan, although I did get the Hewitt full book on eBay a while back and it's the only one I've seen.