Vintage collection finds

[tbob]

For those who haven't seen it, this is the overprinted factory back T213-3 Cobb.

[Hot Springs Bathers]

Bob- What year was the big Southern Find. I started visiting John's shop above Vivian's Books in I believe 1976. What a wonderful place.

I purchased my first T206s from him and on one trip back down the mountain I kept asking myself over and over if I messed up paying $4.00 for an Old Judge Bushong?

Another trip I bought a 1958 Topps Football set for $5.00 and remember John telling me football cards would never be worth anything because people had no sentimental attachment to pro football. Probably still true here in the South.

[tbob]

Hi Mike. I used to love climbing those stairs and going to John's place in the 80's and early 90's. He sold his entire personal collection to Larry Fritsch for a ton of money but still had his store inventory. I believe he sold some of it off to Dick DeLong who opened up a shop for a while in Fort Smith, now closed. John eventually moved his place to Phoenix Avenue in Ft. Smith but his heart wasn't in it and his best stuff was long gone. He eventually sold out for good and now collect jazz records.
I think the find was around 1984, not sure exactly when. Time slips by so fast! I was contacted by John and Dick and we had one other partner whose son is now a 54 member and has a nice collection of pre-war of his own. Everyone's T213s are long gone except for the one partner (whose name I do not mention because I don't have permission and for security sake) who I believe may still have her original 1/4 share of cards, don't know. Her share would consist of T213-2s, Kottons and other cards if she didn't sell them. Even her son is not 100% positive if they are satshed in the attic or sold.

[Tabe]

Thanks for the stories, guys. I love reading about great finds.

Anybody got more details on the 1952 Topps find? I know Alan Rosen was involved but I've heard wildly varying descriptions of the quantities involved and exactly how they were stored, whether they were unopened, etc.

Tabe

[FUBAR]

Originally Posted by Tabe

Thanks for the stories, guys. I love reading about great finds.

Anybody got more details on the 1952 Topps find? I know Alan Rosen was involved but I've heard wildly varying descriptions of the quantities involved and exactly how they were stored, whether they were unopened, etc.

Tabe

The story i read is they were opened and sorted and it contained 71 Mantle cards..... 40 with good centering and 31 off center. All in pristine condition! and it involved two buyers because the first guy couldn't afford to buy all the cards, but they were bought for a song and a dance , graded and resold for huge profits.

[Matthew H]

Originally Posted by FUBAR

The story i read is they were opened and sorted and it contained 71 Mantle cards..... 40 with good centering and 31 off center. All in pristine condition! and it involved two buyers because the first guy couldn't afford to buy all the cards, but they were bought for a song and a dance , graded and resold for huge profits.

That find was not in packs. He did find a huge sum of unopened material from the 50's but I think that stuff was sold unopened.

Here he speaks openly of highway robbery:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjckQ...eature=related

[tbob]

I've never seen such unanimity in the comments under a You Tube Video, ever. Everyone who commented hates him and thinks he is a sleaze.

[FUBAR]

Originally Posted by Matthew H

That find was not in packs. He did find a huge sum of unopened material from the 50's but I think that stuff was sold unopened.

Here he speaks openly of highway robbery:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjckQ...eature=related

I meant they were opened by the owner before they were bought, not the buyer opening them.. two ways to interpret my wording.. .my bad

[tbob]

About 10 years ago I was contacted by a guy who sells on ebay and lives in the area about a guy who wandered in to his business (the guy used to have a restaurant with tons of 60's cards displayed on the walls) and said he had some cards for sale, pre-war. I walked down there and he had a handful of T205s. I bought 2 Mattys, one VG+ the other EXMT and a NRMT Dooin. The guy who called me bought a common and a HOFer also. The seller was from Louisiana and he supposedly had a whole set of T205s plus some Victorys and Kottons and was going to be back. We started wondering about the cards the more we talked to him because we had the sneaky feeling the cards were actually his brother's He was supposed to get back with us but never did. I STILL feel that one of these days someone from Louisiana is going to turn loose of a large collection of Victorys in to the hobby but it hasn't happened yet....

[gabrinus]

Bob, most of the T213s went back to Delong but there are about 25 left along with a few General Baking, Kottons, etc. If Mr. Delong had not sold his collection before ebay he would be one of the top collectors in US-------I bought a T216 Wagner and E98 Cobb from him as a kid for roughly $20 apiece, a D303 Lajoie for $15. He had a T207 Lowdermilk in the store. Great guy.....those were the days.