33/34 goudey Lajoie question

[Rob D.]

For decades it has been accepted in our hobby that the only way collectors could obtain this card in 1934 was to write directly to the company and request it. And though there is documentation that this method certainly could lead to acquisition of a Lajoie, given how many copies of this supposedly "rare" card there are, I wonder whether some were distributed another way. Again, this is just me thinking out loud, so to speak.

I don't think it would be a stretch to think that the company mailed a limited number of copies to retailers, with instructions to distribute them as they saw fit. There just seems to be way too many Goudey Lajoies to support the belief that the mail-in request was the only way to get one.

Peter, more to your question, I think we see more high-grade copies because many were obtained via the mail -- and like you say, if a person was going to take the trouble to write the company to get one, then he or she likely would have taken good care of it.

My non-high-grade copy:

[benchod]

Looks great, Rob
Maybe You can flip it to someone who recently came into money and is looking for rare cards cha ching

[g_vezina_c55]

Originally Posted by benchod

Looks great, Rob
Maybe You can flip it to someone who recently came into money and is looking for rare cards cha ching

LOL


Verry nice Lajoie card Rob

The Lajoie card was also a special card to me.
The rarity is due to the fact that only serious collector wrote to goudey for have a card number 106..

[ullmandds]

nice Nap Rob!!!!!!

[Sean]

Peter, I think the number of high grades is directly related to the fact that only serious collectors would go through the trouble of writing to the company for a Lajoie. Other cards would inevitably wind up in the hands of casual collectors (ie. kids). But the Lajoies went to people who made an effort to get them, and consequently took care of them.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Just my opinion, but to me it's a post-careeer, tribute card (17 years after he retired!) and not that desirable despite its relative scarcity.