Proof of card existence?

[spec]

I can confirm the existence of the Foto-Fun of Billy Sullivan Jr. As is frequently the case with this kid-developed set, the caption is discernible only with a magnifying glass, but it reads: "Bill Sullivan, C St.L. Am"
Also in the attached scan is a photocopy of a Chickering cabinet photo I have of Billy Sr., who had the audacity to write on the back a letter to the collector who requested it, thus costing me the highest rating on the PSA or SCG registries. What was he thinking?

Originally Posted by pbspelly

Hello. It's great to find this forum, and so many people who know so much about old cards.

I collect cards and memorabilia of my grandfather and great grandfather, the Billy Sullivans (jr and sr respectively). I have a pretty large collection now, most of which was acquired on ebay or from card shows or dealers. I can post a link to photos of my collection on Webshots, if anyone's interested. Some of them, like an old Plow Boy and a George Hull postcard, are pretty special.

Some of the cards I'm still searching for, though, are cards for which I've never even seen one with my great grandfather on one. So I'm starting to wonder if they really exist, or if, perhaps, it was actually a different Sullivan or if his listing was a mistake.

For example, supposedly, there is a Pinkerton cabinet (T5) with Billy Sullivan Sr. I've had an ebay search running for Pinkerton cabinets for nearly ten years, and while I've seen plenty of other Pinkertons (often for astronomical prices), I've never seen one with my great grandfather. Likewise, supposedly there is also a Sporting Life cabinet (W600) of William Sullivan. But again, I've never seen one, which makes me wonder if maybe it was Dennis Sullivan or something (I've seen other card lists mistakenly list Dennis as Billy).

Similarly, I've never come across a Foto Fun or George Burke Postage Stamp of my grandfather Billy Sullivan Jr., despite his inclusion in card checklists, and despite seeing plenty of other of these over the years.

So what I'm wondering is, has anyone ever seen a Pinkerton cabinet, Sporting Life cabinet, Foto Fun, or George Burke Postage Stamp, of a Billy Sullivan?

Also, if anyone has seen a Rose Postcard Billy Sullivan for sale, let me know. I've seen a picture of one of these cards (so I know they exist), but never seen one for sale.

Thanks

[pbspelly]

Originally Posted by spec

I can confirm the existence of the Foto-Fun of Billy Sullivan Jr. As is frequently the case with this kid-developed set, the caption is discernible only with a magnifying glass, but it reads: "Bill Sullivan, C St.L. Am"
Also in the attached scan is a photocopy of a Chickering cabinet photo I have of Billy Sr., who had the audacity to write on the back a letter to the collector who requested it, thus costing me the highest rating on the PSA or SCG registries. What was he thinking?

Those are fantastic, thank you very much. I didn't even know about the Chickering cabinet. Let me know if you are ever interested in disposing of either of them. It's great to see that I'm not wasting my time looking for the Foto Fun. I'm pretty sure I have the photo that was used in the Foto Fun card.

I would think the writing on the back would actually increase its value. It would for me, anyway. Clearly he did not have the foresight to recognize that card collecting would become a lucrative field of endeavor. Otherwise I would not have had to acquire most of my collection via eBay. He also shouldn't have sold his catcher's chest protector patent to Spalding, but what are you going to do?