Jim Thorpe Collection..... Thoughts?
 

I recently purchased this collection of Carlisle Indian School/Jim Thorpe ephemera from an estate sale near Carlisle, PA. I have been doing research to try and find some of the items and have not had any luck. I am looking to sell this collection but am looking for thoughts as to sell the collection together or to break the items up? I understand there are many Jim Thorpe/Indian School collectors out there but a few of these items are hard to find a current market value. Any and all help here would be appreciated.
Thanks

Brian J

I don't know what those are worth, but they are really cool

Is that the entire collection? I would keep it all together. IMO, in this case, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Keeping it all together would give each piece better context and value.

I would say you have ~$1000 collection there. The top postcard is in very poor shape and usually sells for around $400 in VG or better...your as is is probably ~$100. The next two postcards were both sold in a Huggins and Scott auction recently also as a pair. I was the underbidder at I think around $500. It is hard to say what the rest of the photos would go for. My guess is it would be close to $400.

Edited to add: Stamp collectors in the 1960s-70s really did a number on a lot of postcards just to get that extremely common one cent stamp off the back. Whoever soaked the stamp off the Thorpe track photo at least did it with care, but it's hard for me to believe a common one cent stamp was ever worth more than a Jim Thorpe postcard.

Here is the link to the H&S auction. They sold a little higher than I remember. The backs on theirs had scrapbook and glue on them and they still sold for $700. Yours are in better shape even though they have a pinhole. I'd say your set is worth at least that same $700. I also didn't realize that the Thorpe wedding shot above was a RPPC. I'd say that's worth more just because it's a postcard and not a regular photo. I'll amend my assessment of the collection and say it's closer to $1500.

http://nov15.hugginsandscott.com/cgi....pl?lotno=1462

Brian, you probably should sell these to Dan since he was the under bidder on the H&S auction and he likes yours better with the pin hole on it and writing on the back, compared to the scrap book remains. that auction wasn't too long ago, and I don't think I've seen any since.

I second that..

Wonderful lot.

While The First All Americans is much more compressive, The Eephus Podcast did a nice piece on Thorpe.

http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/eeph...horpe-42166134

Great Stuff! I have always wanted a Jim Thorpe card: Bought a fake Sporting News card in 2014 - and now realize I'll probably never get a real one.

His 1955 All-American football card is the only non-Baseball card I would ever consider buying...it's a beauty.

Thanks for sharing...always interested in seeing Native-American sports memorabilia.


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