November autograph pick ups

[Scott Garner]

Originally Posted by CooperstownExpert

Let's see what everyone picked up this month.

My latest acquisition has me pumped and a little worried at the same time. Found two Harry Stovey autographs and had to have them both. Stovey debuted in 1880, was the first MLB player to hit 100 homers and held the career mark for 8 years. Have yet to see a neater piece on him. Finding Stovey's signature has me pumped.

What has me worried is the excitement of getting a guy most casual or even great baseball fans don't care about or have never heard of. Sometimes I wonder how I got here. Do you ever feel that maybe you're in too deep?

Anyway, I added a page for Stovey on my website CooperstownExpert.com. You can see his page by clicking here. The website has a page for every Hall of Famer and 394 player pages of guys not in the Hall. It's a labor of love that also has me both pumped and worried...

Very cool, Jim! Congrats!

[CooperstownExpert]

Originally Posted by Scott Garner

Very cool, Jim! Congrats!

Thanks, Scott!

[theshleps]

I understand what you are saying. I try to get at least one of every HOFer that is priced say under $4000. But if someone comes up I need that if I stopped 100 folks on the street and no one has a clue who they are I'm alittle less likely to bid vs a player that has some degree of name recognition.

[CooperstownExpert]

Originally Posted by theshleps

I understand what you are saying. I try to get at least one of every HOFer that is priced say under $4000. But if someone comes up I need that if I stopped 100 folks on the street and no one has a clue who they are I'm alittle less likely to bid vs a player that has some degree of name recognition.

It's not as much fun when you get to that point where the HoFers missing from the collection are $4K+. I'm lucky to cross one off of the list every couple years or so.

Luckily, I still find it fun getting a really neat piece on a more common guy or picking up a guy like Stovey.

[CooperstownExpert]

Pete Gray's autograph is common. I've thought on and off about putting a page of Gray on my website but didn't want a basic 8x10 or other "manufactured" memorabilia.

Decided to pick up this inexpensive piece on Gray, original artwork drawn by John Raitt. Here is Pete Gray's page on my site.

[Topnotchsy]

Negro League autographs tend to fall into three general categories (it's not a perfect set of options, but it does captures the vast majority of players).

• Players who were largely forgotten, who may have had nice careers but were generally not stars and today are essentially unknown.
• Players who enjoyed a long life and signed quite a bit, many signed a ton at reunion circuits. Some of the biggest names including Buck Leonard, Cool Papa Bell, Leon Day and Wild Bill Wright are incredibly affordable considering their stardom. More valuable but still fairly common are Satchel Paige, Williard Brown and some others
• Players of significance who are nearly impossible to find.

My pickup falls into the last category. Alexander Radcliff was less famous than his brother "Double Duty" Radcliffe, but was likely the better player. He is tied for the Negro League record (with Buck Leonard) being selected for 13 Negro League All-Star games. (Josh Gibson is 3rd with 12). He passed in 1983, before collecting autographs was common.

[roarfrom34]

Originally Posted by CooperstownExpert

Decided to pick up this inexpensive piece on Gray, original artwork drawn by John Raitt. Here is Pete Gray's page on my site.

Nice pick-up Jim! I had the honor of meeting Mr. Gray outside of his PA home 27 years ago this month (he signed this biography as well as a couple other items for me):

[CooperstownExpert]

Originally Posted by roarfrom34

Nice pick-up Jim! I had the honor of meeting Mr. Gray outside of his PA home 27 years ago this month (he signed this biography as well as a couple other items for me):

Very neat that you got to meet Pete Gray. That's wonderful