Boston Garter (H813)

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Posted By: Ben

I take it that this is an extremely rare set...especially the 1912's. Maybe because the idea of packing cards with sock-holder-uppers never took off . Also, the 1912's are very unique looking, measuring 4" x 8-1/4", and depicting a player getting dressed, in their underwear, with a snazzy pair of garters in full view.

Anyways, if anybody has any experience with the 1912 BG's, please let them be known- I'm sure I'm not the only curious one here. Some scan posting would be pretty cool too! Over and out.

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Posted By: Hankron

My guess (guess) is that they were used both by stores as window displays, and obtained by the normal citizen who bought a large amount of garters. As the back of the cards have a checklist and promo for the cards, they were likely intended to be collected in some fashion, and not just as signs. The Boston Garters and cards were typically distributed by roaming salesman to the local stores, and the salesmen originally carried the cards in uncut panels of four. I have never seen a four card panel, but have seen a two card panel.

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Posted By: Hankron

Also, they are very rare and very expensive.

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Posted By: Hankron

One problem that I have in assesing the distribution of the cards is that I don't know how many sock garters were in a typical box and, perhaps more important, how many sock garters a person needed in a given year (my socks stay up on their own). When I go to a store to buy a belt, I only need one and not a box of twenty. So, I don't know if it was normal or abnormal to buy an entire box of garters at a time. If it was normal to buy one garter at a time, the cards may have been distributed simularly to those 1948 Bowman Premiums ('Last to buy a pack, gets the premium').

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Posted By: Julie

.....

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Posted By: runscott

If I ever want to own that elusive Nap Rucker BG, I will almost certainly have to make my own

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Posted By: George

I have a Boston Garter Box and it is about 4x4 and 1" Thick. It says Velvet Grip, Holds your sock smooth as your skin. On the side of the box it says No. 625 and 25 cents, so I am assuming there was one garter in the box as mine is empty. Hope this helps. George

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Posted By: Ben

After snooping around online a little (ok, alot) I found a few scans of the 1912 Boston Garters c/o vintagecardsonline.com. Cool huh?

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Posted By: Hankron

Though cropped by the image, the Chance and Rucker are attached to each other (panel). The particular cards shown above came from a family who's relative was a traveling salesman. Though the family member I coversed with was not certain, he assumed that one of the products his old relative hawked was Boston Garter. If I recall correctly, the salesman worked in Texas.

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Posted By: mrc32

I am speechless. Those are suberb!

I know I could never afford those, but if one of the HOF players came up for auction on Mastro, what type of price might the fetch??

Thanks for sharing, I'd never heard of them

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Posted By: Hankron

As an example, I saw a Very Good LaPorte (obviously a common player) sell for a something under $2,000. The sky's probably limit if, say, a high Christy Mathewson ever come up for auction. The set is checklisted on the back of each card, but not all of the players in the set have been found or even exist (the Mathewson, for example) .... There were Boston Garters issues from subsequent years, and each year has a totally different design. This above pictured issue is the rarest, but the other years are tough too.

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Posted By: Hankron

Also, they are not T206-size, but large,

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Posted By: runscott

Everyone but Nap Rucker at least got a bit of a privacy wall.

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Posted By: Hankron

Scott, this may have been Nap's choosing, as he is the only player facing the crowd.

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Posted By: runscott

Nap enjoys just "hanging out"