Who Are The Pioneers Of The Baseball Autograph Hobby?

[dgo71]

Originally Posted by tazdmb

Here is an article about King Kelly signing baseballs in the 1890s

http://blog.robertedwardauctions.com/?p=725

10 cents for King Kelly....

[slidekellyslide]

Great info fellas. Thank you.

[Griffins]

In the early 70's, when The Trader Speaks was the monthly journal, and SCD was just starting Max Schrager was the big autograph dealer. He had a monthly article and was at every Anaheim Convention. The ones named above were obviously before him, but he was probably the first big dealer when the hobby was starting to really explode.

[Scott Garner]

I would also throw Dr. CG Steen into this category.
Somewhere on net54 there is a terrific entire thread on Dr. Steen, who was a dentist that, during the 1930's and early 1940's, would write to players asking for them to sign a Baseball Magazine supplement featuring the player.
Here is my Vandy response letter and signed supplement, that I own thanks to others on net54.

I can't imagine a conversation about collecting autographs without mentioning Jeff Morey, that I believe is still alive. Definitely an autograph pioneer and he is the author of a publication called The Autograph Review on collecting autographs. He amassed one of the largest collections in the hobby before selling it a number of years ago.

BTW, Jim Stinson would be a great one to answer this question, if we could get him to weigh in.

[vintagechris]

Conrad Anderson. Undoubtedly spent hours and hours sending autograph requests starting in as early as the 50's and maybe sooner. Sent large quantities of items to players over and over and over and over and over.

If you run across earlier items that are signed to Conrad or Connie, they most likely originated from him. He had to be one of the first big time dealers and you can find his ads in old SCD's. If anyone is interested, I can try to dig up an old SCD ad and post it so people can see his prices and the type of players he had.

[theshleps]

I used to buy from Max in the mid 1960s. He along with me and a handful of others would go to the hotels in NYC to get the visiting teams. I bought alot of rare HOFers from him. Ruth was $35. Unfortunately in 1968 I gave the hobby up for many years and sold my collection to Max. Everything I got from him plus all the players that would sign through the mail back then plus the wives of the deceased players that would send cancelled checks etc. I would love to see what I had back then as I forget what I had. Know I had guys like Jimmy Collins, lot os Jackie Robinson on Topps cards etc etc. He did take advantage of me when buying back my collection but I was still a teenager and wanted the $ for other things. He was the only adult who showed at the hotels looking for autographs. Often times there were only 3 or 4 of us and we waited in the lobby. The Dodgers were the most crowded when we would get 8 to 10 fans.

[mr2686]

I'd add Dr. John Davis Jr. to the mix. I have a great Dutch Ruether from his collection. Here's a short link to a story about him.
http://washburnlaw.edu/library/colle...boutdavis.html

[drcy]

M. Watt Espy. The foremost and most widely-cited authority on the history of capital punishment, and who collected all genres of autographs, including sports. I've had autographs from his collection by movie stars, political leaders, dictators, authors and many athletes. Personalized autographs from his collection are extra neat because they are addressed to a prominent historian.

His wikipedia bio

[TakingStock]

I love reading about all of these great autograph collectors! I really enjoyed the Ralph Winnie and Bill Zekus threads from a few years back so this is especially enjoyable. Does anyone have articles on any of the individuals mentioned so far? I'm looking forward to listening to the interview with Jeff Morey!

[T206Collector]

I am happy to report that Jeff Morey is still alive and well. You can listen to an audio recording of an interview I did with him 10 years ago on my website at:

http://www.signedt206.com/jw-morey-interview/

The focus was his experiences getting deadball era baseball cards signed by players. Among other things in this 30-minute interview, Morey described his visit with old time New York Giant pitcher Hooks Wiltse in 1954 and his encounter six years later with Ty Cobb in Cooperstown, New York. I share a few images of items Morey had Cobb sign over breakfast in Cooperstown on June 27, 1960.

Many of my signed T205 and T206 cards come from Morey's old collection, which he sold on Mastro back in 2001.

There are a few Steen related threads on Net54, but the primary one that followed the sale of his collection a few years ago is here:

http://www.net54baseball.com/showthr...ighlight=steen

[whitey19thcentury]

I would like to add Roy Pitts and James MacAlister. I bought thousands and thousands of items from the MacAlister collection when it was auctioned off over a period by Hunt Auctions. In retrospect, I wish I would've kept some of the stuff. It is amazing how the market for non-HOF signatures took a downturn since those auctions (especially letters). Then again, it seems that I sold the tougher items to the same 5 or 6 people weekly.
I kept a spreadsheet on the prices I got on all of the tougher older player sigs I sold from his collection. Unbelievable when I go back every now and then and look. I am not complaining, items from Mr. MacAlister's inventory helped me purchase my first house.
Also, you can thank the MacAlister collection for the glut of 3x5s and Rowe photo postcards that still pop up often.
As for Mr. Pitts, items originating from his collection still pop up.
Also, there was an old school collector from my area (Pittsburgh). I can't believe that I am unable to think of his name now. Anyways, items from his collection still make the rounds. Also, Jim Armstrong.

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

I was amazed it took so long for Pitts and MacAllister to be mentioned! Others:

Henry West
George Pabst, Jr.
Walter Danaby and daughter Peggy
Robert Luga
Bob DuVall
Jack Smalling
Loren McDonald

[Scott Garner]

Originally Posted by whitey19thcentury

I would like to add Roy Pitts and James MacAlister. I bought thousands and thousands of items from the MacAlister collection when it was auctioned off over a period by Hunt Auctions. In retrospect, I wish I would've kept some of the stuff. It is amazing how the market for non-HOF signatures took a downturn since those auctions (especially letters). Then again, it seems that I sold the tougher items to the same 5 or 6 people weekly.
I kept a spreadsheet on the prices I got on all of the tougher older player sigs I sold from his collection. Unbelievable when I go back every now and then and look. I am not complaining, items from Mr. MacAlister's inventory helped me purchase my first house.
Also, you can thank the MacAlister collection for the glut of 3x5s and Rowe photo postcards that still pop up often.
As for Mr. Pitts, items originating from his collection still pop up.
Also, there was an old school collector from my area (Pittsburgh). I can't believe that I am unable to think of his name now. Anyways, items from his collection still make the rounds. Also, Jim Armstrong.

+1