BOB LEMKE - Opinion...card classification...

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Posted By: David

It is a nice and scarce Mathewson item. I'd seen the Pinkerton cards around for years, but had never seen a Mathewson before. In fact, I don't think I've seen a Cobb or a Joe Jackson. I often wondered if the printers were stealing the images and thought they could best get away with it with the common players-- which is why the Cobbs and Jacksons seem to be especially tough. They must've figured Old Matty was a softy who wouldn't put up a big fuss, as he was busy writing all those musicals and books and perfecting those checker moves.

The cards generally were way undervalued in years past(in my opinion). This was no doubt due in part because they were not listed in SCD or Beckett. The average collector will stay away from, or at least pay much less for, trading cards that are not 'officialized' by being listed in a guide. Also, I bet a lot of people didn't know if they should be categorized as trading cards or other-- which significantly effects value. Many people don't consider postcards or scorecards to be 'real' trading cards. Now that they have Bob Lemke's official seal of approval (I hear that for each new listed issue there is an official hooded ceremony in a cow pasture local to Iola. This explains why there are fewer new listings in Winter, Packer Sundays and and during the bovine's natural mating season.), I bet their values and respect will go up.