Brooks Robinson and the Baltimore Orioles

[BaltOrioles]

Originally Posted by TCope64

First off, you all have amazing collections and I've really enjoyed looking back through this thread. I'm of that age where Brooks Robinson was my idol growing up and he's done nothing to tarnish that image in the 48 years since I first saw him play.

But speaking of being that age, I'm at the point where it's time to let go of the past and see if there are new homes for my collection. Here's where I'm looking for help on how to make that happen. eBay is out for several reasons (fees are high both for selling and getting paid, income taxes, and what seems to be a declining collector base). Do I look for another auction house and just be done with it? Use this site and ones like to to offer individual items? In my opinion the time invested photographing, packaging, and shipping is not worth the squeeze in the end.

My collection has meant the world to me over the years, but I'm not kidding myself that what I have is super rare and will generate headlines when it hits the market.

My primary focus has been autographs. I started with a goal of collecting at least one signature from every player, coach and manager starting with the 1954 team. And, save for a few from recent years that effort is complete. In many instances I have a signed card, team issued postcard (not all in Orioles uniforms) or a 3x5 for each person. I got into collecting the Crown set, and have over 400 different signed cards. There's an assortment of team-signed balls, including one from 1954, single-signed balls, minor league affiliate team-signed baseball, signed programs, etc.

There's a complete run of signed Brooks regular-issue cards from 1957-1978. Probably 20 different Brooks store model gloves in varying conditions.

Then there's the complete runs of programs and yearbooks as well as 30 or 40 years of media guides.

Here's an example of one of my oddball programs. It's from January 1954 and contains signatures from Fritz Maisel, Eddie Robinson, Arthur Ehlers, Jack Dunn, Mike Blyzka and Bobby Young.


Again, my stuff is pretty pedestrian when compared to what I'm seeing here, but there's a ton of experience on this board, so I'm hoping to get some good ideas. Offlist replies are welcome at timcopeland64@gmail.com.

Tim,

Sorry to hear you're liquidating your Orioles collection. I'm not especially into autographs, but do collect some of the items you mentioned. If you've been following the thread, I'm into team issued postcards and photos, programs and O's minor league affiliates stuff.

My collection of those items is fairly large, but looking especially for the B&W team issued postcards from the 1954-56 range, unusual Orioles programs and minor league programs. A few newer items I need are a 1993 B&W postcard of Paul Carey, 2008-09 color postcards of Hayden Penn, 2015 postcard of Scott Coolbaugh and an Aberdeen Ironbirds program from 8/12/2016.

There are some great guys that contribute to this thread, that I'm sure would enjoy many of your items.

Scott Coolbaugh postcard I need.

Coolbaugh.jpg

[roarfrom34]

For those of you who had the opportunity to visit Camden Yards this season, you most likely noticed in the main concourse area that they set up special displays with memorabilia covering the 30 years that the Orioles had played there.

At the top of each display was their official 30th Anniversary logo & I was fortunate to get one of the logo signs that hadn't been used:

[ksfarmboy]

Nice sign Bill!

[BaltOrioles]

First - Bill very nice looking sign.

Second - I've been meaning to post this the last couple weeks, but never got around to it. I feel every Oriole deserves some time in this great thread.

Former Orioles 1st Base coach John Stearns passed away two weeks ago. Stearns had a nice 10 year playing career, mostly with the Mets, before getting into managing and coaching. Stearns coached 1st base for the Orioles during the 1996 & 1997 playoff seasons under manager Davey Johnson.

Here's John Stearn's team issued postcard and 8x10 photo.

1996 Postcards 07 - Copy.JPG Stearns, John 1 - Copy.jpg


Looks like our O's are going to fall a little short this year, but I can't be disappointed. No one saw the Orioles improving as much as they did. Can't wait for spring training.

[Chstrite]

Good Sunday to everyone. I thought to show some cards the next few weeks from my collection. I will pick a type of card or something odd and share my thoughts or facts on the item. Here, is the 1969 Nabisco Team Flakes featuring Brooks. There are 3 different full panels featuring 8 players each. The 8 player panels feature numerous hall of famers including Aaron, Clemente, Rose, Gibson, Mays, and a few others). There are 21 different 2 player hand cut panels. There are 24 different hand cut player cards. I have the complete set of 24 player hand cut cards, 3 full 8 player panels and 13 of the 21 two player panels. Finding the 2 player panels have been difficult. You can see them all on my PSA Master 1969 Nabisco Team Flakes set (I am #2 on the Master...I named it Charlie if interested in seeing all the variations and cards). My set averages a PSA 8 or NM-MT. Some are higher and some lower. Always looking to improve my set. The cards have either a thin border or thicker border. The thicker border is harder to find and more expensive. The photographs do not show the team emblem and were also used for the Sports Illustrated Poster and 1968 SI Promo Cards. My enthusiasm for this set is a bit higher than the value of the cards or interest in the hobby. Player collectors are interested in the cards for their player sets but the value of the cards is not what i believe they should be. Clemente, Mays and Rose at a high grade can cost $500-$1,000 while a higher graded common card will fetch a few hundred or less. The two player panel cards and full panels can go for a lot more. When looking for these cards, you want to ensure they have a clean cut outside of the lines and a clean surface and back. The cards share the same border, which adds to the low number of high graded cards since the card cut outside of the dotted line meant its neighbor was not. Also adding to the rarity of these cards is the cereal was not loaded with sugar so kids were not a big fan unlike the Post Cereal counterparts (so I am told). In case anyone is wondering, I did cut a very damaged panel to salvage a Brooks once but the others I found from other collectors. Enjoy.

[uyu906]

I love the 1969 Nabisco set! I completed it a few years back. But, I have not added any full panels yet. I think the Brooks and Frank in the set look awesome!

[JollyElm]

Don't want to pre-boast (especially since the vast majority of my submitted cards got hammered number-wise), but this Brooksie is coming back (after like a 17 year wait) from the 'Swinging Sixties' group sub as a PSA 9!!


1961brooksrobinson10pregrade.jpg

[BaltOrioles]

Originally Posted by Chstrite

Here, is the 1969 Nabisco Team Flakes featuring Brooks. There are 3 different full panels featuring 8 players each. The 8 player panels feature numerous hall of famers including Aaron, Clemente, Rose, Gibson, Mays, and a few others). There are 21 different 2 player hand cut panels. There are 24 different hand cut player cards.

Always looking to improve my set. The cards have either a thin border or thicker border. The thicker border is harder to find and more expensive.

Charlie,

Very nice looking Nabisco cards. I collected them as a kid. My dad would eat the Team Flakes. I wish I would have been smarter at 11 years old and not cut all the panels into individual cards.

I have the Frank Robinson thin border and wide border cards, but have never seen a Brooks Robinson card with the wide borders. Do you have a wide border Brooks Robinson or know that one exists?

Frank Robinson (thin border & wide border variations)

1969 Nabisco Team Flakes.jpg

[Chstrite]

I have not seen a wide border for Brooks. At one time I had 3 complete sets but not too many wide borders. I have a few in my set now but only a few. Your Frank cards are nice. I really like the panels. I was having a lot of luck with the 2 player panels but then hit a dry spell. I found the 3 panels about a year ago and about fainted. Thanks for sharing.

[BaltOrioles]

Originally Posted by BaltOrioles

Scott Coolbaugh postcard I need.

Attachment 535762

A huge shout out and thank you to Bill Haelig for making my day. He surprised me with a Scott Coolbaugh postcard I needed. I love filling in an empty slot in my Orioles team issued postcard albums.

Current count (2764 out of 2897) Only 133 to go.....

2015 Postcards 03.JPG


Thanks Bill

[roarfrom34]

Alan...Was happy to add something to your amazing collection!

Was looking for something last evening and ran across this 1991 Crown Gasoline pump sign (forgotten I had it):

[Chstrite]

Greetings, Brooks collectors. I am a day late on my weekly Brooks post featuring his card related items. Busy weekend. This week I thought to share some newpaper "cards." I will not go into a lot of detail because others have commented on these in years past. I will share some details on the 1960 - 1963 Baltimore News-Post scrapbook cards and the 1970 Dayton Daily News Bubble-Gumless cards. First, the Baltimore News-Post provided collectors the opportunity to handcut Oriole players/coaches from their newspaper for 4 years. Brooks Robinson was represented each year. Finding these cards is very difficult. I always wondered when the cards were featured in the paper, how were they displayed, how many were provided per paper, and has anyone ever found a paper with a player in the paper not cutout. Most of my information is from a blog by Bob Lemke and discussions with Alan Strout. The cards were black and white with a photo, facsimile autograph, and biographical details and some information on their career or lifetime statistics (some of these details depended on the year published). The 1960 50 card set is probably my favorite. I only have 10 / 50 cards (sadly, Brooks is not one that I own but still looking). The 1961 set includes 45 players/coaces to include Brooks, which a picture is provided. I completed this set about 6 months ago. The 1962 Set includes 47 players/coaches also featuring Brooks. A picture of Brooks is provided. I am short two players in this set (Cosgrove and Hall). The 1963 set also features Brooks; a total of 43 players/coaches. I am short 13 cards in this set. I am fortunate to have a few extras of 1961 and 1962 cards. The extra's are mostly glued to a scrapbook affixed by a youngman back in the 1960s. I did my best to remove them from the scrapbook without any damage but most are affixed with another player/coach (back to back). PSA graded a 1961 Brooks but then later said they would not grade anymore, which was very upsetting. The 1961 Brooks was part of the Brooks PSA master set but later removed. Next is the 1970 Brooks Dayton Daily News Bubble-Gumless Cards (162 different players were in this set including Brooks). These cards shared biographical details about a player, his photo along with his 1969 and career statistics. These cards are very hard to find...at least Brooks is. Two Brooks cards are graded by PSA and this card is part of the Brooks master set. A picture of mine is provided. If anyone has any extra Baltimore News Post Cards and interested in selling or trading, let me know. Happy Collecting!

[roarfrom34]

I had a good TTM experience with Ron Hansen who signed a 1960 wire photo as well as four cards...I've noted that Jackie Brandt is starting to sign TTM as well, so I'll get this photo out to him next:

[ripfan008]

Good morning,

I recently picked up a 1969 Orioles vs. White Sox program from a 01-Sep-1969 game played in County Stadium (Milwaukee). After Milwaukee lost the Braves, they talked the White Sox (who had terrible attendance in Chicago compared to the Cubs) into playing 9 games in County Stadium in 1968 (1 against each of the other 9 American league teams) and 11 games in 1969 (1 against the now 11 other clubs in the AL).

The O's won the game in Milwaukee 8-0, with Boog hitting an HR. The program I picked up is completely scored. The inside of the program is mainly about the White Sox but there is a photo of Frank Robinson. Since it's 1969, there is also a Seattle Pilots logo on the front.

1969 Brewers program_front.jpg

1969 Brewers program_Frank Robinson.jpg

1969 Brewers program_scored.jpg

[BaltOrioles]

Originally Posted by ripfan008

Good morning,

I recently picked up a 1969 Orioles vs. White Sox program from a 01-Sep-1969 game played in County Stadium (Milwaukee). After Milwaukee lost the Braves, they talked the White Sox (who had terrible attendance in Chicago compared to the Cubs) to play 9 games in County Stadium in 1968 (1 against each of the other 9 American league teams) and 11 games in 1969 (1 against the now 11 other clubs in the AL).

Mike,

Nice program. I love programs that can be pinpointed to a certain date.

FYI - Here's the 1968 program from the Orioles / White Sox game in Milwaukee on May 29th. The Orioles won 3-2. In fact, the White Sox went 1-8 in their games played in Milwaukee in 1968, getting shut out in four of those games.


1968 Chicago White Sox (Milwaukee).JPG