1940 Play Ball "Color Proofs" finally graded!

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Posted By: Chris Counts

I have an update on the plight of my colorized Play Balls ... About three weeks ago I sent two of the cards — a Buddy Hassett and a Whitey Moore — to GAI for authentication. Since then I have been in regular contact with Danny and Mike at GAI. Last weekend, the two cards travelled to the Philly show with GAI. Mike told me he showed the cards to a number of collectors, and the feedback was very encouraging. He even told me Alan Rosen — Mr. Mint — gave them his thumbs-up. He added that not only has SCG graded a couple, but so has PSA. But Mike said he didn't want to rush into grading them, and he wanted to take a little time and get as much feedback as possible, which seems very reasonable to me. I let him know I would be providing updates on the Vintage Baseball Card Forum, and I would be seeking more feedback as well.

Over the past two months, I have looked at these cards so many times I'm going cross-eyed. No matter how much I magnify the cards, I can't see any evidence that the color has been added after the printing process. And even it if were, I can't believe it is possible to achieve the detail these cards exhibit at the scale of a 1940 Play Ball card. It appears to me the color was added to a larger image, perhaps a standard 8x10 inch black and white photo. And even at high magnification, I can't find one drop of misplaced ink on any of the seven cards. I would think if someone hand-colored them after they were printed, the artwork wouldn't be so precise. Perhaps most remarkable is the simple fact Play Ball switched to color the following year.

As you can imagine, I am very curious what everybody on this board thinks. I'll post more of the cards later. Any feedback is greatly appreciated ...