Feller rookie card

[chlankf]

I don't have an opinion on Feller's RC. I'm just glad this post was made so I can post my 38 Auto Feller.

[jp1216]

Ditto:

https://net54baseball.com/attachment...1&d=1612407780

[RayBShotz]

I agree that the 48B is not his rookie either...but for sake of posting the image, I own a signed one.
RayB

[Orioles1954]

Wonder if there is a reason Feller didn't have any Play Ball cards.

[JLange]

Here's another early Bob Feller item.

1937 Cleveland Press Indians Album Cutout #18 Bob Feller

The bottom text says, "This is the eighteenth in a series presenting autographed pictures of the Indians. Save them for your scrapbook."

If you look closely, you can see the dotted line around the border showing that this newspaper item was meant to be cutout.

Since I operate under a very expansive definition of what constitutes a "card," I get to count this cutout as the earliest Bob Feller card in my collection.

[JLange]

Here's a better pic so you can read the text.

[Tyruscobb]

Originally Posted by chlankf

I don't have an opinion on Feller's RC. I'm just glad this post was made so I can post my 38 Auto Feller.

I'm in the camp that considers this Bob Feller's rookie card - at least the mainstream one.

For some reason, your card (#288), which has the writing and cartoon drawings, sells for a premium when compared to its #264 counterpart. I've never understood why.

I guess people automatically assume that it is the rarer card, because it has the higher number. Or, maybe people value the writing and cartoon drawings and place a premium on it.

Believe it or not, card number 264 is actually the rarer one - at least according to population reports. It's been graded far fewer times than the 288 card.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Not really a card.

[chlankf]

Originally Posted by Tyruscobb

I'm in the camp that considers this Bob Feller's rookie card - at least the mainstream one.

For some reason, your card (#288), which has the writing and cartoon drawings, sells for a premium when compared to its #264 counterpart. I've never understood why.

I guess people automatically assume that it is the rarer card, because it has the higher number. Or, maybe people value the writing and cartoon drawings and place a premium on it.

Believe it or not, card number 264 is actually the rarer one - at least according to population reports. It's been graded far fewer times than the 288 card.

I believe it is selling for a premium is due to the captions on #288. It's the reason I prefer it over #264. That and the story Feller told while signing.

He said that if he had ever thrown a baseball at his dad's fence, like stated in the card. That "his father would have whooped him good" and would "never have had the chance to play pro ball".

I'll never forget the experience. He was so hard of hearing but would still tell stories.

[Exhibitman]

1938 Dixie Premium



Note that this is the extremely rare Feller that hasn't been autographed.

[russkcpa]

What a great American hero. I'm sure everyone knows the story about Bob enlisting. I am 66 and never saw him pitch but he will always be one of my hero's. I too proudly possess one of his signed rookie cards.

[FrankWakefield]

Adam, thank you for the smile.

Years ago I developed a lasting friendship with a fellow who'd been collecting vintage cards since the 50's. As a Kentucky teenager he went with his Dad and Uncle, I think, on a trip to Yankee Stadium in 1953. He had saved money to spend on the trip. Outside the stadium they go up to a vending stand, and he sees Topps baseball cards, so he buys two packs. Upon opening them, he sees that there are 1952 Topps cards, depicting players he'd not seen back home. He thought he had a set of 1952's, but these were all higher numbers than he'd seen before. The entire box was of high number packs. He spent most of his money getting those cards, my recollection is he said he got 2 Mantle's out of that box. I learned quite a bit from this man.

One thing he told me was that when he went to shows in the 1960's and 1970's, that Bob Feller would often just show up. He'd sign for kids and grownups. He said that when he'd set up as a dealer, that he learned to do like the other dealers did when Feller showed up, and that was to hide all Bob Feller items. He said Feller would sign everything. And the standing joke was that whatever it was, it was rarer to find it unsigned than for it to have Feller's autograph.

Years later, a lawyer friend of mine had been travelling in New York state, and when he returned he told me that he'd picked up something he found in a baseball card shop to give me when he was in Cooperstown. He came into my office and I could see as he walked in that it was a signed yellow HOF postcard. At a distance, I asked, "Is that signed by Bob Feller?" He seemed a bit suprised, how could I read that from so far away....

[shagrotn77]

Definitely his '37 OPC issue for me. Love that card.

[pclpads]

No diff which was BF's RC. It is a safe bet - no matter the issue - that he signed them all. The true rare BF item is one he didn't sign.