Describe the condition please...

[Mark]

Originally Posted by irv

There is no doubt in my mind this is done intentionally to get your attention away from the actual card and to focus your attention on the player.

Just reading some of these player descriptions/bio's, like this George Shuba one makes most people think, what a great person and/or player he was. I have to get one of his cards.

Not taking away anything George has done as it was admirable, especially to those, like me, who are Jackie Robinson fans, but the A/H's know this and want your attention on the player and not the card.

I read this, which I didn't know, but because I already own one, I said to myself, I am real happy to already have this card.

George Thomas “Shotgun” Shuba (December 13, 1924-) is often remembered for his show of solidarity with Jackie Robinson when the Hall of Fame second baseman of the Montreal Royals hit a home run against the Jersey City Giants. A photo was taken, capturing the moment when Robinson crossed the plate to the welcoming handshake of teammate Shuba. It was referred to as “the first interracial handshake” in professional baseball history. After ten years in the Brooklyn Dodgers system, George made his Major League debut in 1948 playing 63 games and batting .267 with 32 RBI. Shuba spent seven seasons in left and as a pinch hitter with the Dodgers (1948-1950, 1952-1955) and helped the Bums win three National League pennants (1952, 1953, 1955). In 1953, George hit a pinch-hit home run during the Fall Classic against Allie Reynolds and the New York Yankees. H was also a member of the 1955 World Series champion Dodgers – the first MLB title in franchise history. George ”Shotgun” Shuba finished his career with a .259 batting average, 211 hits, 106 runs and 125 RBI in 355 games. Some of Shuba’s exploits as a Major Leaguer can be found in Roger Kahn’s 1972 The Boys of Summer chronicling the Brooklyn Dodgers of the 1950s. He also highlighted his career in the 2007 autobiography My Memories as a Brooklyn Dodger.

Like others, I regard the biographical stuff as smokescreen. Would anyone look at a Shotgun Shuba card unless he already knew who Shuba was? In this case, I don't blame the seller for mentioning Jackie Robinson---but beyond that, the stats etc. won't impress anyone who doesn't already know. In some cases, the bio is designed to bore the buyer so that he stops reading before the seller mentions, somewhere in the body, that the card is trimmed or has paper loss etc.