Obak Ten Million

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Posted By: Paul

Do any of you know the story behind the Obak Ten Million card? Who was Ten Million?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=31719&item=5107916503&rd=1

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Posted By: AdamBaxter

The card can be a bit difficult to find, but I'm pretty sure that rare is a bit of an overstatement. It's popular strictly due to the odd name. I collect Obaks like a dope fiend and I wouldn't pay that much for a Ten Million Obak card in any condition. Just my opinion.

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Posted By: petecld

There is no logical reason I'm aware of but it kinda looks like Lajoie. Is it just me?

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Posted By: tbob

Having put together the 1911 Obak set, card by card, I can state my opinion that the Ten Million card IS the toughest in the set to find. Weaver's rookie card commands a higher price because of his popularity and is a tough card, but I can find 5 Weavers for every Ten Million. If you are putting the set together, the only way to do it is to buy a Ten Million in any condition and try and upgrade later.

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Posted By: warshawlaw

But I will certainly file that one away for reference. Now I understand the haggard look, overall sweatiness and shifty eyes of so many vintage collectors at shows--they're looking for a fix.

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Posted By: Julie Vognar

knows you're not supposed to LOOK like you're after a fix at a card show, or when you're negotiating a trade, or selling cards so you can buy others. The first time (or almost the first) I sold some cards--about 2 years ago, to get money for a Lipset auction, I told the buyer I just HAD to get some dough together for the auction...and he very politely pointed out that telling a prospective buyer that you HAD to have the dough was not negotiating from a position of strength. He bought them though.

But now that I stop to think about it, the more desperate you seem for money, the higher value your trading or buying partner may place on the cards you are selling or trading--if you didn't really HAVE to sell them, you wouldn't.

On the other hand--O.K./ O.K., I'll shut up!

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Posted By: jay behrens

Just the opposite Julie. If someone says they are desperate for case and need to sell now, they are likely to get a very low offer. The reason for this is that if they are truely in need of the cash now, they do not have the time dicker and try to get the best price possible.

Jay

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Posted By: Scott Cowan

The following text was taken directly from the following link. www.tacomasportsmuseum.com I did not author it nor do I have anything to do with the museum.

Over the years Tacoma has seen its share of personalities in the sport of baseball come through the area such as Orval Overall, Walter Johnson, Joe McGinnity, Juan Marichal, Willie McCovey, Gaylord Perry, Mark McGwire, Jose Canseco, Walt Weiss, Scott Brosius, Jason Giambi, and Ten Million.

Who is Ten Million?

Ten Million was born in Mt. Vernon in 1889, graduated from Broadway HS in 1908, attended the University of Washington, and became a claims adjuster for the City of Seattle. He met his wife, Christine, while working for the Spalding Sporting Goods store in Seattle. He died June 18, 1964.

Baseball was his love along with fishing and although his career ended with a knee injury, he did have a chance to play for Tacoma in 1912-14, Seattle, Victoria, and Spokane in the Northwestern League. He also played professionally for the St. Louis Nationals. Later on he refereed high school baseball, football, and basketball in the Seattle area.

He got his name because his grandmother liked unique and unusual things and, with a last name of Million, she wanted her grandson to stand out. She talked his parents into naming him Ten for that reason. When the daughter of Ten and Christine was born, the grandmother bribed Christine with $50 into naming her Decillian Million for the same reason. Later on, Decillian began to use the name Dixie but in her early years she was known as Decillian Million, daughter of Ten Million."

I hope this is the information that you were looking for.

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Posted By: scott brockelman

i sold 1 to his granddaughter last year on ebay for a very high price and i think they may be driving the price. the card is no rarer, nor more common than any other 1911 obak, unless some where double printed(a rumor on the weaver)!.

scott

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Posted By: Elliot

I don't know about the rest of the story, but I couldn't find anything about him playing for St. Louis National at baseball-reference.com.

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Posted By: jay behrens

He doesn't appear in my player database and he is not found in Total Baseball 8.

Jay

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Posted By: Paul

Thanks Scott. That's exactly what I wanted to know. It really was his name.

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Posted By: warshawlaw

where George talks that couple into naming their kid "Seven" after Mickey Mantle.

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Posted By: Three25hits

"nor more common than any other 1911 obak, unless some where double printed(a rumor on the weaver)!"

I have never heard this before, and would like to more details. Are other Obaks rumored to be double printed or just Weaver? Seems unlikely that he would be the only player that Obak decided to double print in 1910/1911.

Even if he was double printed, I never seem to see his cards -- maybe 2 or 3 on ebay in the last 3 years?

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Posted By: Jeff O

The 1909 Obak set did not have any double prints - at least two uncut sheets are known, and both consist of all 76 cards in the set (four rows of 19 cards). No players are duplicated or missing from either sheet.

There are around half a dozen known sheets of 1910 Obaks, and there are definitely double prints in this set. Each sheet that I have seen (3 of them) has had some players repeated, but not all. It is also interesting to note that for the most part players from the same team are grouped together on the 1910 sheets, and even some teams appear to be somewhat more difficult than others.

I am unaware of any 1911 sheets, so I can't comment on potential double prints. That being said, I don't think the Weaver is particularly hard to find if you have the money to spend. Seems like 3-4 per year show up on eBay now.

Jeff
http://www.seattlehockey.net

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Posted By: leon

edited

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Posted By: scott brockelman

the reason i suspect that the weaver is a double print is the fact that there are 2 unique weaver prints known to me from the 1911 set. i has "weaver, san francisco". the other "weaver,. san francisco" the period is very distinct and not a ink spot, i have confirmed it's consistency by owning several of them. i have owned equal amounts of both 4 or 5 each and still have a couple of each variety.

i can only hear the 0bak collectors now! great another variety to collect!


scott

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Posted By: Scott Cowan

Scott,

With regards to the two Weaver variations that you have owned did you happen to notice if the backs were exactly the same? or if they were different? The reason that I am asking is the 1911 back variation that was noticed a while ago might also be a link to the differences on the Weavers.

I also offer that Weaver was playing for San Francisco and since the Bollman Company was headquartered in San Francisco the Seals would of made a logical choice to print extras of so the locals would keep buying the cigarretes if they were getting cards of players that they had heard of.

Just some thoughts...

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Posted By: three25hits

Thanks Scott and Scott. Interesting stuff. I'd love to see scans if anyone has some available.

Thanks

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Posted By: scott brockelman

scott,

i recall the thread pertaining to the different back, but don't remember the exact difference.

upon examining 2 of each type of weaver front, the backs have only one minute difference. on the comma/period front the back also has a distinct red period under the 2nd 1 in 171 of the factory line.

scott

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Posted By: three25hits

Mine is the "weaver, san francisco" -- I had no idea about this variation