Harry Hooper's Rookie Card

[Archive]

Posted By: nbrazil

Is there a general consensus on what should be considered as Harry Hooper's rookie card? thanks in advance

[Archive]

Posted By: Bobby Binder

Here is what we have for him....

1909E254Colgan's Chips Stars of the Diamond
1910E91-CAmerican Caramel
1910M116Sporting Life
1910P2Sweet Caporal Pin
1912T207 Brown Backgrounds

[Archive]

Posted By: Phil Garry

I would go with the Colgan's Chips E254

[Archive]

Posted By: nbrazil

i was hoping someone would say the m116. i think the colgan's are ugly (sorry).

[Archive]

Posted By: Jason L

I would go with the M116
the Colgan's Chips aren't cards, and the M116's are a far more attractive alternative

Collect what you like!

[Archive]

Posted By: Rhett Yeakley

To each his own I guess. I love the fact the Colgan's have actual player images, and the bulk of those are amazing quality (as they are usually from Horner photographs). Also, count me among the minority that doesn't care all that much for the M116 cards, the players are made to look like they just died and got dome up by the make-up artist. Then again, I am a sucker for the black and white cards of the 1920's for the same reasons listed above. In my opinion there are some early Caramel sets (not all by any means) where the players pictured hardly resemble who they are supposed to be.
-Rhett

[Archive]

Posted By: Todd Schultz

I couldn't agree more Rhett, although I probably don't share quite your enthusiasm for the 20's caramel issues. I was just perusing one of the auction catalogues this morning thinking that those M116s look almost unnatural and ghoulish,and really liked looking at a few e254s I just received. I also share your view about some of the other color caramels, which is why I sold my Dockman Tinker/Weaver/insert your generic right-handed batter here. Different strokes, and let the good times roll.

[Archive]

Posted By: Jerry Rucker

Don't get me wrong, SGC is my favorite Grading Company but I'm baffled why this card is graded so low (No creases) and it came back slabbed crooked,like you see it. I noticed none of Skydash's were slabbed crooked. Wonder if big auction co's get special treatment

</p>

[Archive]

Posted By: Todd Schultz

It's a nice card Jerry, but you likely missed a wrinkle--I think I see what could be one starting at about his chin and moving up and to the left, over the "R" in Hooper at about 60 degrees to about the nine o'clock position on the card if were centered in the holder. Don't know why they didn't holder it better, but you should see some of the PSA versions--floating like they're on a tether outside the space station.

I'm reluctant to have my Colgan's graded. They're so dang easy to nick around the rim, and I'm not thrilled with the grading consistency. Here's one I can't complain about too much, although they did nick it around the 12:30 spot near the top--the NL Hooper:

[Archive]

Posted By: Rhett Yeakley

Todd, I too am reluctant to get mine graded. I sent in a grouping of them to SGC and the grading was all over the place in my opinion. No missed wrinkles or anything but cards that all appeared to be similar ranging in condition from SGC 60 to 92. Honestly though it doesn't bother me. I like having nearly all of them in the same box, and being able to look through them without having to lift a 50 lb. box (which is about what an E254 set would weigh if graded by SGC. Also, if you ever want to find a new home for the Hooper (Nat'l L.) he would fit in well out here.

-Rhett
Here is a gallery of the majority of my E254's, the set is still a work in progress (don't have a few of my really low grade fillers here 'cause they just didn't look right)

http://www.starsofthediamond.com/colgansgallery.html

[Archive]

Posted By: John S

I am glad to hear that some collectors still don't consider Colgan's to be actual cards. They have become increasingly expensive and as more is discovered about the players (i.e. McCarthy), variations, and rarities. Regarding the Hooper his Boston Nat. L. Colgan's is likely his rookie; my current example makes Harry look like a vampire.

[Archive]

Posted By: nbrazil

thanks for all the responses. Were the colgan's truly released in 1909? I've read from various sources that the chips were released sometime between 1909 and 1911. thanks

[Archive]

Posted By: Todd Schultz

they were released during all of those years, ala T206.

[Archive]

Posted By: Rhett Yeakley

Just like T206 these were produced between 1909-11. In some cases a player has as many as 3 different teams listed (Beaumont, Lindman, Pickering, Waddell) and they can definitively be placed in a particular year by the team, others have only one or two teams. In the case of Harry Hooper it is my opinion that the Boston National was produced earlier (as a mistake they listed him for the National League team, they then corrected the error and changed it to Amer. L.) Here is a picture of his Tin Top which has the A.L. designation (Tin Tops were produced years later and since it hadn't changed from the A.L. version of the E254) thus it makes sense that the N.L. was produced earlier and then corrected. This could theoretically date the N.L. as 1909 or 1910 and the A.L. as possibly from 1910 or 1911 (this of course is assuming thay only produced one set a year, which might be a stretch, because they likely updated as they went, as there are many levels of scarcity in this set.)
-Rhett

Here is the E270 TinTop: