Minor League photos and postcards from 1914-1917 Cedar Rapids Rabbits

[KNH]

I should have mentioned that the names appear to have all been signed by the same person.

[slidekellyslide]

I think David is about right...I'd say in the $300-$400 range, unless you can find a Cedar Rapids or perhaps Iowa minor league collector who may pay a bit more. I know I'd kill to find something like that for Lincoln and would easily pay David's high estimate or more.

Nice find.

edited to add: Any photos of Bill Wambsganss? Could be the first professional photos of him.

[drc]

I looked at the whole, but also the individual items. If you sold each small photo/postcard for $10 each, as an example, and the cabinet for $60, that would be $300 right there. The cabinet of an identified minor league team has to be worth more than $60, and there's a premium in that they belonged to one of the players.

The cabinet has got that damage, but, still, I wouldn't be surprised for it to sell for over $200 on its own. Identified minor League team cabinets are uncommon.

My original estimate was was just my calculated guess. I don't profess to be a pricing Svengali.

[slidekellyslide]

Originally Posted by drc

I looked at the whole, but also the individual items. If you sold each small photo/postcard for $10 each, as an example, and the cabinet for $60, that would be $300 right there. The cabinet of an identified minor league team has to be worth more than $60, and there's a premium in that they belonged to one of the players.

The cabinet has got that damage, but, still, I wouldn't be surprised for it to sell for over $200 on its own. Identified minor League team cabinets are uncommon.

My original estimate was was just my calculated guess. I don't profess to be a pricing Svengali.

I wasn't criticizing you David. Minor league photos from the midwest are a bit of a specialty to me and I buy minor league cabinets like that....I usually pay in the $100 range. There just isn't much interest beyond local collectors unless there is someone who made an impact in the majors on the cabinet. Only the Pacific Coast League has a large enough collector base to see high dollars for minor league stuff like that in my experience.

Edited to add: I must have glossed over the part about there being postcards in the lot too...that takes things to a whole different level. Your high end estimate is probably correct. Minor league postcards from that era are highly sought after....moreso than regular snapshots and even cabinet photos.

[drc]

I know you weren't criticizing me, you were just giving your price estimate. I was just after the fact offering a bit more detail to my estimation. Besides, my estimates and auction final price guesses have been off before, so I'm the first to know my appraisals aren't beyond critiquing.

[KNH]

Dan,
Bill Wambsganss is not one of them. The following info is on the photos and postcards. They don't give the first names on the photos. I included the ones I knew in the info below using the Cedar Rapids roster from 1917. Some of the positions are written out and some are abbreviated.The ones that are signed are:

photo of Cedar Rapids baseball park 1917.
photo of Simmons catching Mellinger at McGrais? park. (It says "This is Simmons catching one of my wide ones. Keefront? batting".)
Photo taken somewhere in PA. It mentions someone striking out 14 men.
photo of Reese.
photo of Bruner,Reese,Mellinger and Sheam.(Cedar Rapids roster lists as Shean.)
photo of Mellinger pitching in 14 inning game. (It says "This is me pitching in the 14 inning game".)
photo of Severeid 1st base.
photo of Harmon 2nd base.
photo of Bruner and Sheam.
photo of Sheam 3rd base.
photo of Bert Carlton pitcher.
photo of Bruner pitcher.
photo of Sutton shortstop.
photo of Ray French shortstop.
photo of Mellinger pitcher.
photo of William "Bill" Collins manager.

The 4 postcards have all the info I show below. They are in great shape. If they were baseball cards they would be ex-ex/mt.
Elmer Boose 1913 Brookville
Andy Hastings 1913 Brookville
Buck Carpenter 1913 Brookville
John Fulton 1913 Brookville







A couple have 4 digit numbers stamped on the back. 2685,4012,4130

[slidekellyslide]

The postcards appear to be town team -Brookville, PA - looks like both Fulton and Mellinger must have started playing in Brookville and were picked up by Cedar Rapids in 1914.

A very nice lot...where'd you run across them?