The Helmar stuff is all very neat stuff. I have a few that I bought early on when he first started doing them. I have 8-10 leathers that are fashioned after the L1 leathers and they are TOP NOTCH work. I'll try to scan and post a couple here. Some are players contemporary to the L1's and some are newer players--Ruth, etc but on an L1 format. The 1933 Goudey-type cards are absolutely fantastic with the Japanese, Negro League and House of David cards along with Mantle, Clemente and others in that same format. The prices they bring on ebay are just enormous. $200-$300 for some stars in the 1933 Goudey format. Robert Edward Auctions sold a few lots in the recent auction:
http://www.robertedwardauctions.com/..._fall/975.html
The lot above, for instance, brought $840 for 41 cards or about $20 per card. Some of those same cards on ebay brought much, much more. So you do have to wonder about holding value. If you're buying them because you love them $20 per card is MUCH more affordable than $200-$300 per card on ebay......
Ebay completed auctions for the R319 Goudey-esque cards are below:
http://www.ebay.com/sch/m.html?_ssn=...w=r319&_sop=16
Ranging from high at $230+ for Fleetwood Walker (cool idea) to lowest price of $9.99 for Vern Stephens. 26 of them sold over $100. 104 of them sold at $20 and below.
As for artwork, as I understand it, he commissions the artwork for the cards, so he's not stealing anything. They are done from vintage photos I'd assume and then the cards are made from that artwork--which he's sold as well. If you look at the completed auctions, sum up sales for a month, and you'll see it's a pretty lucrative business.....at least on the revenue end....not sure about costs........
Great great stuff though........there are also a couple of copycat(ish) type sellers on ebay doing something similar albeit not on the same size or quality as sirraffles........