The Moe Berg Differential

[BobC]

Benny Bengough and Andy Pafko - number 1 cards in two of the most popular sets ever.

Also maybe Ray Chapman - only player ever killed from playing baseball.

Bill Wambsganss - only player to ever have an unassisted triple play in a world series.

John (Jack) Graney - supposedly first ballplayer to become a baseball broadcaster/announcer.

Earle "Greasy" Neale and George Halas - both famous, but not for baseball.

Moonlight Graham - for obvious movie related reasons.

Dave DeBusschere and Danny Ainge - basketball stars.

Jack Kemp - politician. (Strictly football though.)

Johnny Berardino, Chuck Connors, Joe Garagiola and Bob Ueker - later on TV or announcer fame?

I'm sure I'm missing others. There are some other TV actors from football I'm forgetting, like Fred Dwyer.

[HercDriver]

The Titus T206 comes to mind...

Cheers,
Geno

[RCMcKenzie]

1986 Fleer Mickey Hatcher. About 2 weeks ago on eBay someone sold a PSA 10, asking over $1100 and 'best offer' was excepted. People are asking $150 for 9's and 8.5's. You can find raw for $5, but most sellers start raw prices at $30-$50.

[thatkidfromjerrymaguire]

Originally Posted by RCMcKenzie

1986 Fleer Mickey Hatcher. About 2 weeks ago on eBay someone sold a PSA 10, asking over $1100 and 'best offer' was excepted. People are asking $150 for 9's and 8.5's. You can find raw for $5, but most sellers start raw prices at $30-$50.

Haha, I forgot about that card. I didn't realize it actually sold for a premium.

But that modern Fleer card made me remember the "obvious" 1989 Fleer Billy Ripken. Even the readily available, corrected "black box" version can still fetch a couple bucks, as opposed to the nickel you might get for other commons in that set.

[molenick]

I think Don Mossi cards go for more than most commons, although I do not collect any sets he is in, so I could be wrong.

Johnny Vander Meer and Don Larsen also come to mind as possibilities.

[thatkidfromjerrymaguire]

Originally Posted by BobC

Benny Bengough and Andy Pafko - number 1 cards in two of the most popular sets ever.

Also maybe Ray Chapman - only player ever killed from playing baseball.

Bill Wambsganss - only player to ever have an unassisted triple play in a world series.

John (Jack) Graney - supposedly first ballplayer to become a baseball broadcaster/announcer.

Earle "Greasy" Neale and George Halas - both famous, but not for baseball.

Moonlight Graham - for obvious movie related reasons.

Dave DeBusschere and Danny Ainge - basketball stars.

Jack Kemp - politician. (Strictly football though.)

Johnny Berardino, Chuck Connors, Joe Garagiola and Bob Euker - later on TV or announcer fame?

I'm sure I'm missing others. There are some other TV actors from football I'm forgetting, like Fred Dwyer.

Excellent point about card #1 in a set having an increased value. Probably mostly due to the "Rubber Band Effect" making it difficult to find those cards in higher grades rather than just notoriety of being number one.

You have a good list of others...have you actually noticed a disproportianate value increase in this list of players (Chapman, Wambsganss, Graney, etc.)?

[chadeast]

Moe Berg's '33 Goudey was the most expensive non-HOF card that I picked up last year while working on the set, and was actually more expensive than probably 3/4 of the HOF cards. In addition to his exploits for the OSS/CIA (great book by the way, I read it last year), Berg also gets a bump for his Jewish heritage. Kind of like '33 Goudey #52 Andy Cohen, which is tough to find in good condition and also commands a significant premium, I'm told due to being a target for collectors of Jewish players.

[molenick]

Now that I think of it, what about Jim Thorpe? His card prices are not because of his -0.2 career WAR.

On a morbid note Harry Agganis and Ken Hubbs.

Art Whitney (but only "with dog").

[BobC]

Originally Posted by thatkidfromjerrymaguire

Excellent point about card #1 in a set having an increased value. Probably mostly due to the "Rubber Band Effect" making it difficult to find those cards in higher grades rather than just notoriety of being number one.

You have a good list of others...have you actually noticed a disproportianate value increase in this list of players (Chapman, Wambsganss, Graney, etc.)?

The Bengough and Pafko cards are well known for their increased values due to being the #1 cards in those sets. There's even a 2010 movie,"Cop Out", starring Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan, where the whole movie revolves around a '52 Pafko card Willis owns in it.

Not necessarily a really huge value jump for Chapman, Wambsganss, and Graney, but they do have the unique circumstances associated with each of them that has some collectors a little more interested in their cards. And oddly enough, all three of them played together for the Indians in 1920, which is the same year Chapman was killed, and Wambsganss performed his feat in the World Series. After a 14 year MLB career, all with Cleveland, Graney went on to become the Indians play-by-play radio announcer from 1932 to 1953.

[Exhibitman]

Zeenuts:

--Jimmy Claxton: first African American on a US baseball card issue

--Prince Henry Oana: Native Hawaiian player

--Fatty Arbuckle: part owner of the Vernon PCL team

--The Jewish guys: Sammy Bohne, Solly Mishkin, Andy Cohen

--Football HOF guys: Jim Thorpe, Ernie Nevers

--I think there is also a card that is popular with LDS members because he was one of the first Mormons on a card. Can't remember who it is but I know his stuff sells at a premium.

Native American players like Moses Yellowhorse (Exhibit card)

All of the common guys from The Glory Of Their Times are collected for more than their playing skills. I bought a signed Wiliie Kamm Zeenut only because of the book.

Cruddy siblings of great players: Tommy Aaron, Dom/Vince DiMaggio.

The non-HOF Boys of Summer: Newcombe, Gilliam, Furillo, etc.

Guys who got injured: Herb Score, Pete Reiser, Tony Conigliaro

1965 Topps Masanori Murakami: first Japanese player in MLB. The authors of The Great American Baseball Card Flipping, Trading and Bubble Gum Book stated that Murakami was "with the possible exception of Yogi Berra, the only major league ballplayer who did not speak English." Speaking of that book, there are a bunch of bum players who were ridiculed in there and that, for me, spark a bit of name recognition interest when I see the cards from the book, like Coot Veal or Cot Deal or Sibbi Sisti.

[thatkidfromjerrymaguire]

Wow, you guys are really bringing it today!

Lots of players and cards mentioned in this thread already that I never would have thought of on my own!

[Fred]

Originally Posted by BobC

Benny Bengough and Andy Pafko - number 1 cards in two of the most popular sets ever.

Also maybe Ray Chapman - only player ever killed from playing baseball.

Bill Wambsganss - only player to ever have an unassisted triple play in a world series.

John (Jack) Graney - supposedly first ballplayer to become a baseball broadcaster/announcer.

Earle "Greasy" Neale and George Halas - both famous, but not for baseball.

Moonlight Graham - for obvious movie related reasons.

Dave DeBusschere and Danny Ainge - basketball stars.

Jack Kemp - politician. (Strictly football though.)

Johnny Berardino, Chuck Connors, Joe Garagiola and Bob Ueker - later on TV or announcer fame?

I'm sure I'm missing others. There are some other TV actors from football I'm forgetting, like Fred Dwyer.

There are many more when you think about it. I usually get San Diego baseball fans to guess the wrong answer for the following question:

What player born in the San Diego county led his league in homeruns 6 times? Most baseball fans from San Diego will answer Ted Williams because he's from San Diego. The answer is Gavvy Cravath. He's from San Diego county (Escondido). Williams led his league in HRs four times.

I think Cravath T206 cards have a small premium over common players. If not, then go get one before they do.

Edited to add - he missed a triple crown by being second in the league in batting average in 1913 - he led the league in HRs and RBIs that year.

I could go on...

[GasHouseGang]

There were cards featured in "The Great American Baseball Card Flipping, Trading and Bubble Gum Book" that came out in 1973. This book showed some original Topps cards and pointed out funny things about various cards which really made you want to pick up some of the featured cards that you never would have thought about. The 1952 Topps Gus Zernial is one particular card I remember that they really had fun with. The baseballs glued to the bat, Gus giving the okay sign, and his pink shirt. Just fun stuff.

[wdmullins]

1969 Topps FB Brian Piccolo.

[Mike D.]

Anyone mention the Keith Comstock minor league card yet?