Mantle & other players' autographs on 1953 dinner program

[Dave8]

Hi folks,

I'm new to the net54 forum, but have been reading for a while. It's a great resource and I've learned much as I am going through my sports card collection from the 60s and 70s. I came across an item that I had forgotten I had and I'd be curious to see what the autograph experts here thought.

It's a 1953 program from a "Diamond Dinner" held in Tulsa, Oklahoma. A friend of the family gave it to us many decades ago. These dinners were annual events back in the day to honor current and former sports icons, mostly from the state. This program has autographs from these attendees that night:

1 - Mickey Mantle (Yankees)
2 - Allie Reynolds (Yankees)
3 - Dale Mitchell (Indians)
4 - Pepper Martin (Yankees)
5 - Lou Kretlow (White Sox, Browns, Tigers, etc.)
6 - Warren Spahn (Braves)
7 - Robert Morgan (Dodgers, Phillies, etc.)
8 - Billy Vessels (1952 Heisman Trophy Winner from OU; played for Baltimore Colts)

I'm in the process of getting it authenticated and am planning to consign it for auction. What is the rough value of an item like this?

I've attached a picture of the front and inside cover. It's a small booklet of 8-10 pages and also has bios of the sports figures being honored.

Thanks!

David

[RichardSimon]

Dave,
I don't know what you will have to pay for authentication, I am not a TPA fan, but I don't know if any of those autographs have much value except for the vintage Mantle and Pepper Martin.
There might be a guy who was deceased at a young age in that group.
It won't be a real easy sell because aside from the dinner there is nothing to connect those players.
Interesting item but IMHO it won't get you a lot. If you find the right guy maybe a few hundred but finding the right guy on this one might not be easy.
The right guy, who will know the autographs are good, might be here. Try the BST before you spend with the TPA's.

[Dave8]

Thank you .. that helps! I appreciate that input. I've never collected autographs with any serious effort so I don't know much about their value or what collectors look for.

Best,
Dave

[bender07]

Richard nailed it. Cool Mantle for sure but the medium will make it tougher to move. I think $400 is possible to the guy at the end of the rainbow. As Richard noted, it would be worth putting up in our BST first to see if you can save time and likely $$.

[Bestdj777]

I echo what the others said. I think it is an awesome piece given that Mantle is pictured on the front, but a collection of autos, particularly without a popular theme, typically is worth less than one or two of the individual autographs.

My advice is to try it on the BST. And, if you ultimately decide to consign it to an auction, let them handle the authentication process. They typically do it for you there, so no need to spend the money on your end now (not sure if they charge you for it, but I would imagine it is a reduced rate over what you would pay ordinarily even if they did).

[Dave8]

Thank you all for the suggestions. This most helpful!

Dave

[RichardSimon]

IMHO many auction houses would not even take this piece as a one off unless you are a good consignor.

[btcarfagno]

If the autographs were on the front cover it would have helped it out a bit. Having the ability to display the Mickey Mantle-centered program along with the autographs would make it a bit more desirable. Heck, if it was just Mantle by himself on the front I would say it would be closer to $600 given the early version on his autograph.

That said, I would say the piece is likely worth somewhere in the $200-300 range due to the early Mantle. You might end up paying somewhat close to that for authentication. Not worth it. Collectors know that the Mantle is the real thing.

Tom C

[rctaylor]

Dave I live here in Tulsa & either me or one of my friends would be interested in it.
I purchased a baseball signed by Mantle & a few other players from a guy who obtained them at a Tulsa Diamond Dinner banquet in 1954 for $350.
I will send you a pm!
Robert

[rctaylor]

Here is the baseball with the Mantle autograph!

[rctaylor]

More photos of the baseball

[CamaroCPA]

Originally Posted by rctaylor

More photos of the baseball

It's interesting to see Mantle's signature here morphing from the early style to his more recognized version!