Exhibit cards

[Topnotchsy]

I'm new to vintage but I definitely see the attraction. They are the first vintage cards I've pursued because the images are really nice and the prices (compared to some of then big sets) are still pretty reasonable. But I've definitely seen in comparing current sales to older prices that the numbers have jumped on many of them.

[bnorth]

I have bought a few lately and paid about the same as I have in the past. I have noticed some have listing them for crazy high prices recently but rarely see those sell.

[Touch'EmAll]

Exhibits in pre-war major HOF'ers in mid grade PSA 5/SGC 60 are quite scarce. ebay has sold like two since New Years. So little tough to get a fix on price appreciation. Honestly, I just don't know about others. However, very glad to hear they are on the up. Maybe people are finally realizing how nice they look, how reasonable they are compared to other cards, and how tough they are. Side note - that 1947 Paige Exhibit is a sleeper.

[BeanTown]

My hunch is that there are two longtime collectors who are battling for the top spot on the registry. They are always looking to improve their cards. Then we throw in another longtime collector who is back in the exhibit market who has deep pockets (Oil money I hear). Then you have us postcard guys who are always looking to snag some nice Exhibits along with the HOF and RC collectors.

LOTG is a respected AH that people promote and look for a reason to bid

Then the consignor of the Exhibits (member here) had a great collection which took well over a decade or two to form. So, this is literally a once in a decade auction for many hard to find Exhibits which won't be seeing the light of day for a long time I imagine.

It was a perfect storm!

[Exhibitman]

I loved LoTG's Exhibit sale but I also hated it. I have been into Exhibits for 30 years. There has been a run-up in prices over the last few years, especially on the giants--Ruth, Gehrig, Cobb--and to a lesser extent other first-rate HOFers. The Gehrig RC and the Ruth 23-24 should be worth tens of thousands. Ruth especially has been drawing strong prices for a few years now. This result on a 31-32 Ruth from Al's older auctions left me stunned:



I love the price increases on what I own but lament the increases on the rest!

Condition isn't something you can readily tie to a run up in price. The TPGs are brutal on prewar Exhibits. So much so that to find a prewar card with a high slab # is somewhere between challenging and impossible. Collectors of these sets get the best they can and leave it at that, especially if the downgrade is a back issue on a blank-backed card.

There is also a growing appreciation among collectors for the rarity of some variations. For example, the no-background PC backs that LoTG sold are very scarce SPs, really tough. It can take years to find them in any condition. The Ruth and Gehrig versions you expect to go into four figures but the prices on Waner, Faber, Sisler, Speaker, etc., and even Todt and Wilson were very strong. Those are the set guys trying to finish up. For those who don't know what I'm talking about:

Regular version:



No background 'silhouette' version:



But you see that with every set with the SPs: if you chase the Salutations set you will pay far more for Hugh Mulcahy or Johnny Rizzo than the common version of Ted Williams in comparable condition.

The 1922 Eastern Exhibits are another example. The plain PC back versions that LoTG was selling are not Exhibit cards. They are mislabeled by the TPGs. They are postcards. Different stock than Exhibits with a different thickness, which is critical because you cannot vend cards of the wrong size and weight from an Exhibit machine. They foul the mechanism. So, the anonymous PC backs are really very scarce postcards. Collectors who've been into these sets for years know that they are much tougher than the typical EE. The bidding on them was very strong because the secret is out of the bag on them.

Moving to the late 1920s sets, again, the Ruth and Gehrig are in a league of their own, followed by Cobb, then the remainder.

The postwar versions of SPs include the imprinted backs and the PC backs, both of which have dedicated collector bases. Those prices were very strong because of rarity. Someone really locked horns over the PC back Mantle; I was amazed watching that card go over $2K.

[glchen]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

This result on a 31-32 Ruth from Al's older auctions left me stunned:

Ouch, I won that card. Frankly, I had not seen that card in 3-4 years, so I just wanted to grab it even though it was probably 2-3x what a similar card last went for in a Legendary auction.

A lot of the exhibit cards have very appealing images. The 1926-29 Gehrig batting card, even though the image is used on other Gehrig cards, something about it just "pops" on the Exhibit. It can look really nice in higher grade with a nice background (see that red Gehrig from LOTG).

And many of the Exhibit cards have lot pops. When prices were "low," people (like me) figured they could just get them later. However, as they are going up, you figure you'd better get one before you miss the boat (like the 25 Gehrig which I've completely missed out on).

[Snapolit1]

I had a few bids on the 31-32 Ruth myself, but have always been sort of on the fence with that one, only because it is a Hollywood card and not a sports card. Same reason I don't buy photos of Gehrig in Hollywood or signing a document in the Department of Corrections office.