Christie's Buried Treasure thread

[T206Jim]

"Home Run" is an apt moniker for this gem from lot 53.

HR-Baker.jpg

[TCMA]

Originally Posted by T206Jim

"Home Run" is an apt moniker for this gem from lot 53.

Very nice! Is there a news service stamp on the back?

[Dewey]

Dang. Great treasures!

[T206Jim]

Yes it is a double weight Underwood.

[TCMA]

Originally Posted by T206Jim

Yes it is a double weight Underwood.

Wow, nice. I’m sure that lot had more great stuff as well. An Underwood from one of my Giants lots:









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[whitey19thcentury]

5x7 Thorne Yankees team photo. This came out of the Coveleski photo album. I assume that this is the 1928 season since that was Coveleski's lone season with them.

[Jobu]

Nice addition! This looks like one of their spring training photos - I have Pete Appleton's copy (aka Jablonowski) from 1933:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/132359...7677532628734/

Originally Posted by whitey19thcentury

5x7 Thorne Yankees team photo. This came out of the Coveleski photo album. I assume that this is the 1928 season since that was Coveleski's lone season with them.

[slidekellyslide]

I guess I need to start paying attention to Christie’s now. I remember the good old days of Hunt auction lots where you didn’t know exactly what you were getting in a lot until it showed up on your doorstep.

[whitey19thcentury]

Originally Posted by slidekellyslide

I guess I need to start paying attention to Christie’s now. I remember the good old days of Hunt auction lots where you didn’t know exactly what you were getting in a lot until it showed up on your doorstep.

There are still some other auction houses where you can luck out still in terms of bidding on bulk lots and being surprised when it comes to your doorstep.


Lelands used to be like that back in the day, too. I remember purchasing fantastic autograph lots back in the 00s in Lelands. One vintage Yankees lot I purchased had two signatures each of former owners Devery and Farrell, and those weren't listed or shown.
Another autograph lot I purchased about 15 or so years ago had the very tough Andy Varga on a vintage RPPC. Again, not even mentioned in the auction listing.

[BeanTown]

I don't think any AH will beat Hunt from the old days. They did partial descriptions and one picture for the entire lot. They almost always over achieved for their buyers as there were always additional items in the box. Tele Trade was another auction which will never be duplicated. Loved bidding by phone to a computor voice.

Now to Christies. Here is what a 950.00 shipping charge gets you! A big box with lots of protection. Im sure Christies uses shipping and insurance as major profit centers for their company. Plus the 25 percent BP is pretty healthy too.

It just amazes me that that half their descriptions, was warning people that they are not responsible for what type photo it is and no garuntee for being authentic. Lot descriptions were more disclaimers than actual product descriptions.

Then they show one or a couple photos to show lots with up to 75 items. Yes, if you are in New York its a big advantage to show up to their location actually look at the items ahead of time But how many people actually did that? I was told over the phone they would get back to me, and that never happened. Plus I was told the lot I inquired about was in another warehouse.

I think ALL winners should have their photos looked at, as rumorville has it there were many type 2s and later photos. Interesting Christies nor the consignor wanted to Have photos graded by a TPG.

Maybe two threads should be posted with one being success stories and burried treasure and the other thread being No treasure and a couple lumps of coal.

[whitey19thcentury]

OMG! Tele Trade! I remember bidding on their auctions via pay phone on my floor in the dorm building I lived in at Robert Morris! Fun memories!

[tazdmb]

Originally Posted by slidekellyslide

I guess I need to start paying attention to Christie’s now. I remember the good old days of Hunt auction lots where you didn’t know exactly what you were getting in a lot until it showed up on your doorstep.

I believe this was the last of Christies baseball auctions

[T206Jim]

JC, I'd estimate out of the 150 photos in my lots approximately 10% where not Type 1s. Sometimes however the other types are much cooler! Check out this Lajoie. First is the base image. The second is the image with the floating head (a clearer image) attached (note the glue marks on the first image). The third shows both and the fourth is a published example of FrankenLajoie. This was photoshop circa 1910. A fascinating look at the editing craft.

Lajoie a.jpg Lajoie b.jpg

Lajoie c.jpg Lajoie d.jpg

[Forever Young]

Originally Posted by T206Jim

JC, I'd estimate out of the 150 photos in my lots approximately 10% where not Type 1s. Sometimes however the other types are much cooler! Check out this Lajoie. First is the base image. The second is the image with the floating head (a clearer image) attached (note the glue marks on the first image). The third shows both and the fourth is a published example of FrankenLajoie. This was photoshop circa 1910. A fascinating look at the editing craft.

Attachment 312999 Attachment 313000

Attachment 313001 Attachment 313002

Very very cool

[h2oya311]

Originally Posted by T206Jim

JC, I'd estimate out of the 150 photos in my lots approximately 10% where not Type 1s. Sometimes however the other types are much cooler! Check out this Lajoie. First is the base image. The second is the image with the floating head (a clearer image) attached (note the glue marks on the first image). The third shows both and the fourth is a published example of FrankenLajoie. This was photoshop circa 1910. A fascinating look at the editing craft.

Attachment 312999 Attachment 313000

Attachment 313001 Attachment 313002

Jim - I like that there was a photo-bomber behind Lajoie in those images...well, his legs at least...

[Topnotchsy]

Originally Posted by tazdmb

I believe this was the last of Christies baseball auctions

They indicated it was the last of the collection they had been consigned (the 3 auctions were all from a single consignor). I imagine if a similar situation came up they would do it again, but I would wonder why anyone would consign sports items to Christie's given the way these listings were handled.

[Snapolit1]

Clearly on the photographs they parsed out the Ruth Gehrig and Cobbs etc for the first two auctions and this was let’s sell what’s left. Quickly and in groups. Assume the consignor was fine that approach or he would have taken it elsewhere.

[T206Jim]

Baker.jpg

I just discovered that Baker swung a 52 ounce bat, most modern bats are 32 ounces. This photo has always struck me as such an evocative image of the Deadball Era and that size differential might explain why the photo is so striking to the modern eye.

[Snapolit1]

Originally Posted by T206Jim

Attachment 316301

I just discovered that Baker swung a 52 ounce bat, most modern bats are 32 ounces. This photo has always struck me as such an evocative image of the Deadball Era and that size differential might explain why the photo is so striking to the modern eye.

52 ounces!!!! He looks like he weights 170 pounds! Wow.

[TCMA]

Here's a great shot of Chief Meyers from one of my Giants lots. Back in 2006 this photo sold for over $1k more than I paid for the entire lot:

Sold for $3851.05
https://lelands.com/bids/bidplace?itemid=30724

[T206Jim]

Kid Nichols Type 1 Conlon photo from 1904, Charles Conlon's rookie year as a baseball photographer, neatly tucked away within the lot. I can't find Type 1 unmounted photos from Nichols playing days anywhere, are they as rare as they appear to be? The page shown is the lead image from the book The Big Show Charles M. Conlon's Golden Age Baseball Photoraphs.

1-Nichols-front-.jpg

Nichols-The-Big-Show-page.jpg

Nichols-PSA-letter.jpg

[WillowGrove]

A beauty Jim. Congrats!

[photomoto]

Nice photo. Original Nichols photos are rare, although there were four other nice ones in the Christies auction. Also, there are a few nice earlier ones from Chickering or other photographs that have been sold. Dennis