Card that has appreciated the most in value in last 20 years?

[E93]

Barry,
You were much more articulate about the changed hobby perception of the BN Ruth than I was. Suffice it to say that PR and a persuasive auction catalog write-up changed everything. Where did all the people who say auction catalog write-ups don't affect results go?
JimB

[Fred]

Ah, those "legendary" Mastro card write-ups! Some of the write-ups were entertaining but fairly lengthy. How many paragraphs does it take to describe a card in VG condition with a small crease. Those write-ups would go on forever about the card and indicate that the small crease only affected the numerical grade of the card but didn't detract from the overall aesthetic appeal of the card.

Lots of hype in the auction catalog write-ups (not just Mastro Auctions). But the name of the game is to market the card to receive top dollar for the consignors (who probably appreciated the hype).

[barrysloate]

Thanks Jim, and I do agree with you that well written and informative auction descriptions are a big plus. But my complaint was with the poorly written and inaccurate ones, of which there are many.

And I still maintain that even among the best written catalogs, a little blue pencil would go a long way. I do believe if the descriptions are too long you will lose part of your audience. Some people like them, others don't have the attention span to wade through all the drivel.

Give me a well written paragraph or two with all the relevant information, crystal clear scans that can be enlarged, and I'm a happy man.

[drdduet]

Let's not forget all those 50's and 60's high grade commons that could have been picked up for a couple of bucks that were entombed as 8's, 9's, or 10's and sold for a mint...

[Baseball Rarities]

Barry and Jim,

I never remember the Baltimore News cards ever being considered just schedules. Maybe "Schedule Cards" would be an accurrrate description, but I think that it is wrong to dismiss it as just a schedule.I think that it is a baseball card that happens to have a schedule on the back of it.

To me all you have to do is look at the cards - they look like typical baseball cards of the era. Their main focus was the player that was pictured on the front of the card. Their dimensions are the size of a normal baseball card and were printed on typical baseball card stock. The cards were obviously made to be collected as they pictured a plethora of players from Baltimore's two professional teams - the Orioles and the Terrapins.

Even the backs of the cards (one version) state "This Card Given To ______."

I think that they are baseball cards which happen to have a schedule (an advertisement for the team) on the reverse of them as opposed to an advertisement for cigarettes, candy or whatever else.

[ullmandds]

I'm fine with calling them cards...more so than many other issues out there considered cards these days! Some pinkertons have scorecards on the back, too...and they ARE cards!

[E93]

I am not arguing that they are not cards, just that REA almost single-handedly changed hobby perception of the card with his write-up of the first in the string of examples they handled about four years ago. Ten years ago it was not a card most people would put in the upper-tier of premier cards in the hobby. Today it would be on most people's list. Had REA not written it up and promoted it the way they did, that would not be the case IMHO. I am not making a value judgement here; just stating the facts as I see them. The card may well deserve its current status. My point is that its current status owes much to PR and auction catalog write-ups. The T206 Wagner owes much to PR as well.
JimB

[barrysloate]

Hi Kevin- I trust your recollection but was the Baltimore News Ruth considered his rookie card back in the early days of the hobby? I think there was a time when it sold for less than the M101-4/5, so at the very least it was perceived in some way differently than it is today.

The first of the four or five examples that REA sold belonged to a west coast collector. I was speaking to a mutual friend who said that when the consignor purchased it in the 1980's he had no idea what it was, and that he paid a minimal price for it (I think a few hundred dollars). It was not presented to him as a Babe Ruth rookie card. So that anecdote got me thinking that there was a different perception back then.

Can you recall any specific transaction from the 1980's, and if so how the card was presented?

[Baseball Rarities]

Hi Barry,

I have always been aware of the card since my involvement in the hobby (late 1970's), but the first example that I remember being sold was the one in the Copeland sale in 1991. The card was described as being in Excellent condition, but I think that it had a small amount of writing on the back. It sold for $18,700 at the time.

For comparison, in the same auction a complete 200 card set of M101-4 Sporting News cards in Near Mint sold for $9,900. A complete set of M101-5s Near Mint to Mint or better sold for $13,200. A 1916 D329 Weil Baking of Ruth in Near Mint sold for $3,850.

Here are some other results for cards that I consider some of the hobby's "elite" cards from the same era: a T206 Plank described as being in NM/MT for $26,400, an E107 Delhanty in EX/MT for $1,650, a E224 Texas Tommy of Joe Jackson in EX for $4,400, E270 Colgan's Tin Top Jackson in EX for $4,400, a T206 Cobb (bat off) with Uzit back in NM/MT for $6,050.

And lastly, since we were discussing 19th century cards in another thread, an N172 Anson in uniform in "almost NM" condition sold for $28,600 and a group of 8 N167 Old Judge cards including 5 HOFers in EX to NM sold for $26,400.

So at least as a reference point dating back 18 years ago, I think that it can certainly be said that the Baltimore News of Ruth was definitely considered to be part of the "upper-tier of premier cards in the hobby" (as Jim described it).

[Leon]

Originally Posted by E93

Barry,
You were much more articulate about the changed hobby perception of the BN Ruth than I was. Suffice it to say that PR and a persuasive auction catalog write-up changed everything. Where did all the people who say auction catalog write-ups don't affect results go?
JimB

Jim- Do you really think that a Baltimore News Ruth will get more money, in a public auction, because of the write up? You really can't think that, can you?

[E93]

Originally Posted by Leon

Jim- Do you really think that a Baltimore News Ruth will get more money, in a public auction, because of the write up? You really can't think that, can you?

I think it already did. The deed is done. All future sales of the BN Ruth will benefit tremendously from an incredible auction write-up from one of the most knowledgeable and respected people in the hobby. At this point the card does not need the write-up so much. But it did five years ago.
JimB