Help Identifying this Martin Dihigo Card
 

This card is very interesting, but I can't identify the set. It has the format of a Caramelo Deportivo card, but it is in color. He is wearing the Almanderes uniform from Cuban winter ball days, but it also "could" be an Aguila de Veracruz (Mexico) hat (even though it doesn't look like the standard hat) The paper is old school hand woven paper. I'm not sure if this is a Cuban card or a Mexican card. My guess is that it is from the 30's-50's. If anybody can identify this set, I would appreciate it.

Martin Dihgio
 

I’m going to bump this to see if there is somebody that can help me out. This is a really cool card and I just can’t seem to find anything about it. The paper is really crazy. Like a woven waffle pattern on the back.

Can you post a picture of the back. People may recognize it faster than the front of the card.

I am thinking fantasy piece, however if someone on the site knows or has the contacts to give you an answer it's Al Jurgela.

His user name is aljurgela and it looks like he was on just a few days ago.

Picture of the Back
 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/zqt9ctditz...%20PM.png?dl=0

Here is a picture of the back

Could it be cut out from a book or program?

Dihigo
 

Seems like being cutout from a program is possible. Hard matching up the age of Dihigo in the picture with the paper and print quality. It is very poor quality color printing. Obviously woven linen paper and hand cut. The style of the card resembles Caramelo Deportivo, but it’s definitely not. It’s also an image that I cannot find ANYWHERE else on the internet.

I would actually guess real and from a Mexican issue from the 1950’s. First it would be odd to make a Dihigo fantasy piece. While he was truly an all time great he is a player appreciated only by a niche group of collectors. It would make a lot more sense to try to fool people with a Paige or Gibson. Second if you were going to do a fantasy piece I doubt you would do an unattractive, tiny card with a blank back. Third, we really have very poor cataloging and understanding of the Mexican issues of the 1950-1960. Finally I do not think it is likely a cut out because of the blank back. Every program, magazine, score card from that era is double sided and doesn’t really waste any space with blank areas

Really interesting piece! Following this.

Learning a lot.
 

I’m learning a lot from everybody here and I appreciate the direction. Here are a few things.

It could be from the 50’s even though the time period of the actual picture does not line up too well. I don’t think Dihigo looked this good in his 40’s unless he aged very gracefully. It has the look of a late 40’s issue card (similar to 49 bowman) when it comes in to print quality.

Is there anybody that has a list of Mexican league players/teams that Dihigo could have a matching card with? Also, does anybody assume 56 is the card number or Dihigo’s uniform number?

I don’t think the photo is contemporary with the issue of the card but that is not uncommon with Mexican issues. There are a number of known cards that featured past greats.

Is there a guide
 

Is there a almanac or a guide of Mexican baseball sets from the 40's and 50's?

Nope

The interwoven paper stock is odd. I’ve never seen paper like that on ANY card issue so I’m at a loss....

I think the 56 is the card number, not a uniform number.

I know he specializes in Cuban cards but maybe Rolando can help?

Panel card
 

I’m not sure if all Cuban panels were produced in Cuba or if some were produced in Mexico. This is looking more likely to be a panel card. Based on other cards quality, paper stock etc, it’s likely late 40’s-Mid-50’s. More help would be great. One would think if 56 is the card number, there has to be at least one of the other 55 (at least) somewhere in existence.

Stalled
 

Have I hit a stall or can somebody provide more info

Hate to burst your bubble but the card is a fantasy piece.
I own several of them and purchased them several years ago from an eBay seller in Mexico. That particular seller, who I believe has two seller accounts on eBay is known to sell fake cards and also fake record albums as well
The one funny thing that gets me is every time they try selling baseball cards they always happen to find a Dihigo, just their luck, they say these cards are so rare but they continue to always find a Dihigo card, imagine that!

I know a few other collectors on this board know who I’m talking about and have been burned by them in the past. We’ve reported them to eBay on several occasions but they continue to sell their crap.
Seller IDs:
Barbacoa2015
Pokejurecords

Steve

Crap, I just won a barbacoa215 auction with two DiHigo cards in it. One was a 1963 Penafiel, which I know from genuine examples I have, so I guess when the cards get here I will have an exemplar to check against, then either a fight or a happy day.

I always assumed the cards were fake, but how in the world do you fake an album.

I just bought a lot of 21 1960’s baseball programs from them. I think I will just be impressed if those are fake too- that would be a lot work

Jason, I probably should have been more specific, they are fake album covers and not the actual record. :)

The programs are real, they’re not that talented to make replicas of those so you’ll be fine.

The cards on the other hand are low grade quality, usually with blurry or grainy pics of the players. I have real Mexican cards from the 40s even though they were printed on thin paper the image quality is much sharper than the fakes they claim are from the 50s-60s.

I'm way more of a record collector than a card collector these days. Believe it or not, there are several Chinese record pressing plants that churn out fake vinyl.

That’s messed up!

I thought I'd post some pics of fake and real Mexican cards to help anyone from future mistakes.
The first pic of cards are fake, the top ones are like the Dihigo we are talking about in this thread and the bottom are fakes that were sold by the same seller on eBay claiming them to be 1950's issued cards.
Unfortunately for the person that made these used a photo of Minnie Minoso from the '80's.
Attachment 451005

The following pics are real cards from 1945, I have been lucky and fortunate enough to find the album along with many cards to the set though this set is one of the rarest foreign issues around, with maybe 3-4 copies known for each card or less.
Attachment 451006

And here is an album I had up till last year when I traded it away minus the Bill Wright, some of you have seen some of the cards like the Dihigo and Dandy but most have never seen the album. Here they are still pasted in the album like when I bought them, and yes these are real Mexican cards, they are called Arte Y Deportes and they are from 1951 and not 1947-48 like some of us thought.
Attachment 451007
Attachment 451008

Arte y Deportes also had some boxers. Here is one:

https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibi...e%20Zurita.jpg

Yes, I had the entire album which included boxers, soccer players and wrestlers.

That Minoso is very interesting. It leads me to think that the cards might not be fake in the sense that they were meant to deceive. Remember that Minoso went back and played in the Mexican league into the early 1970’s when he was some where between 50 and 200 years old. Isn’t it possible that this “set” was put out in the 1970’s as very cheap novelties and they decided to include some old timers. I just have a hard time believing that someone fakes a Rosell card. I have been collecting in this area for a decade and I just learned who he was. Clearly not from the 1950’s and clearly not licensed in any way, but I am just note sure fake is the right word

Sorry Jason but the cards were meant to deceive and they even showed me a photocopy pic of what they said was the front of the album of the colored cards (Minoso) that read "1950".
These cards are absolutely fake and the sellers knew what they were and are doing, they are not commemorative cards from the 70's.
They had to make cards of other players right? They couldn't just make Dihigo cards, people would be suspicious on why they only find and sell Dihigo's.
If there was a way of looking back at all of their past sales of cards, you'll find the majority contain a Dihigo, I find that kinda odd, don't you?

As far as Basilio Rosell, he was a star player in Cuba and is in the Mexican Hall of Fame (Cuban HOF too, 1939) so people do know him and have known about him for a long time.
Here is a postcard I have of him from the 20's in Cuba:
Attachment 451093

Well that 1950 album pretty much settles the debate

I love the real album. There was one on eBay a couple years ago and I really wish I had gone after it. Though it does have some of the strangest art I have seen on a card. The Dandridge is almost like some weird pop art

Which cards are you talking about, the 1945 set like the Theolic Smith, Bragana and Marvin Williams I posted earlier?
If so I believe there is only two known cards of the Dandridge, I do not have one but know where the two are.
Just super tough cards to find, like a said only a few known of each card so if you find any buy them, you’ll probably never have another opportunity.

Jason you may be talking about the ‘51 album as the color of Dandy was a bit off, kinda Michael Jackson style. :)
Sweet cards either way, sorry to see it go but it brought me in something else just as wonderful. Luckily I was able to keep the Bill Wright out of the deal.

Got a list of the boxers by chance? My checklist is

207 Tony Mar
210 Luis Castillo
211 Chucho Ruiz
212 Julia Cesar Jiminez
213 Carlos Malarca
214 Bernardo Flores
216 Ernesto Aguilar
218 Juan Zurita
220 Paulino Montes
221 Kid Azteca
223 Nicolas Moran
228 Guillermo Valero

I'd love to fill in the blanks.

Unfortunately I did not keep a list of the boxers but I can check with the collector who now has the album to see if he can shoot me the list.

Steve

I'd appreciate that.

Thanks for he help
 

It seems like there is somebody with extensive knowledge on this. I’m not sure that a 70’s “fake” Dihigo isnt at least interesting. The Cuban/Mexican vintage card world is a pretty cool niche that I wish I could really understand. I hope this thread keeps going as a way to learn about some of these great players and cards.