I am the guy you've been praising throughout this thread, lol. My name is "Ritz" and there are a very small few of you that know me from doing business together (although I won't name you, since I'd hate to demonize you from our peers here, lol). Others know me from my eBay handle - AmericanCollectible - as I've made many purchases from sellers there over the years.
Many of you know me, even though you don't. I've been a pricing contributor to Beckett since day 1 in 1984, and have been featured numerous times in periodicals for my collections. I am, of course, primarily a collector - but I do enjoy flipping a piece or 2, when I purchase entire collections. This is my hobby, not my life. My life is, well, complicated (in a wonderful way, of course). I have over 1.2 million cards - and no, 1.1 million are NOT 1970's-1990's chum lol). Among my most prized sports collectibles are a 5-card proof strip of the 1909 T206 Honus Wagner (with Cy Young and Mordecai Brown on the strip as well) a 16 card-run of 1887 Allen & Ginter proofs, including the Charles Comiskey, and a certain 1951 New York Yankees yearbook (the only year DiMaggio and Mantle were teammates and listed together in one yearbook)...
This is the fabled yearbook some folks have heard rumors about at the conventions every so often. Currently autographed by over 200
Qualified Yankees, witnessed by me - in person (including the obvious: Joe DiMaggio - on 3 seperate occasions, Mickey Mantle - twice, Billy Martin, and many more Hall of Famers and important hard-to-obtain Yanks) as well as over 100 additional PSA, JSA, and Beckett autograph cuts that I've deemed important enough to include in the book...and this is where the Paul Krichell signature has found a new home.
As a traditionalist, myself, I fully understand the ire some folks here have expressed regarding the signature extraction. While I bear no ill will to those that have vented, I will address the more colorful comments - after all, why not? Lol. I can also offer that I very, very rarely purchase a full document for the sole purpose of obtaining the signature. Paul Krichell, is indeed a rare one - but not terribly expensive. In fact, if clicked on my eBay listing, you can readily see the original listing link from last month - in which I purchased the document for a whopping $105 (yes, sarcasm intended). If anyone was indeed that taken with it, you were free to outbid me. Now, on to the important part - I have seen a few Krichells come up for sale in the last 20 years - and all of them - ALL OF THEM - had far more historical signifiance than this. In fact, the document had 5 unique bidders on the original item. 5 - so yeah, not alot of interest there in a mid-interim age and dirt-damaged office memo regarding a never-was semi-pro minor leaguer. Think about that vs what abominations Topps, Upper Deck and the other pros have done with ACUALLY IMPORTANT ITEMS that have actual interest.
Anyhoo, here's some fun...
As explained above, of course I cared. That's why I made the cut.
There's a whole subculture out there regarding people who REALLY don't care about what they destroy. I'm gonna make the leap and say that stuff might leave you in a fugue state, lol.
Many leftovers. Big marketplace. Ya might wanna think outside your own box. $100 letter - that's all it be, my friend. No historical signifiance - or you'd a'bought it intact, right?
Now imagine how bizarre chopping up all those Ruth, Gehrig and Cobbs bats as Topps is fond of doing, and sticking the leftover wood chips on baseball cards. Hmmmmm...
I do my best, my friend. As I've done to quite a few items I've purchased from you. And hey, gimme some credit, I do use a very nice set of steel graphite laser scissors.
Indeed. I think you should have bought it yourself last month, and promptly donated it to Cooperstown. They're in the market for exactly this kind of document.
You should have seen the french toast with the picture of the Virgin Mary on it - might have been a religious experience for ya!
I use Scotch double-sided (non-acidic) 1/2" temporary, if you must know.
If I am to be prosecuted, be it in the name of the love baseball - but more specifically, a museum-worthy Yankee Yearbook (and yes, most recently Grey Flannel has upped their estimate on what the minimum bid might be - and no, it's not for sale).
Indeed. And I do have the PSA LOA that it came with. I missed that in my listing, which I'll update.
Actually, I really didn't. Jim, right below you here, will probably tell you that his pages are quite often on eBay with signatures wfrom autograph books from the 20's through the 70's. Collectors simply buy the pages, take the signatures they want, and then flip what's left. Very, very common. Right Jim...
OK, Jim - the Grabowski story is just...well, I'm not here to pass judgement, lol.
Its a double edged sword. I've seen gorgeous displays with nothing buts cuts, and maybe a centerpiece picture. But, for practical reasons, the displays can't accommodate full items - and some autographs are either impossible, or virtually impossible to find in cut form. I don't personally like the big displays (my Yearbook is simply Yearbook size), but I can see both sides of the argument.
Again, forgot to list the LOA as included. I'll make the adjustment in the listing.
Congratulations, you found the link I listed in the current listing. Good detective work, or... well anyway....
First post, I know, I know. I did actually register here last March, when I found the site. I troll from time to time - but I'd love to be more active in the community. Just so you folks don't thing I'm blowing smoke up...I'll take some pics of some fun stuff including the Yearbook - and post em in this thread tomorrow. I'll even take one of the Krichell's new home.
And a'let the sparks fly....