Olbermann Strikes Again! Proves 1898 Obscenity Document is legit.
Published by Robert Lifson on Tagged Uncategorized
Above: 1898 Spalding Guide Page and 1898 “Special Instructions To Players” Document
click twice to enlarge images
When Keith Olbermann is not putting the world of modern politics and popular culture into historical perspective, he sometimes finds the time to put, well, history into historical perspective. Especially baseball history.
Keith Olbermann has provided us with proof that the 1898 Obscene Language Document that appeared as Lot #1182 in REA’s spring auction, is not a hoax, and actually dates from 1898. We always knew this, but we never knew that we would ever somehow be able to prove this fact to the skeptics who suggested that it could not possibly date from 1898.
Keith O has sent us a scan of page 198 from the 1898 Spalding Guide (pictured above) specifically referencing the document, and which even references the same “Committee” mentioned in the more colorful memo. He also notes that the third paragraph refers to the document as “private instructions” that will be “furnished and read” to all players, and states that each player will be required “to sign acknowledgement, to be filed with the President of the League, that this measure is fully understood.” This suggests that these documents, each entitled “Special Instructions To Players,” had to be signed and returned to the League, which would explain why we haven’t seen this document before.
Here is a link to the lot, which sold for an incredible $32,312.50:
http://www.robertedwardauctions.com/auction/2008/1182.html
As noted in previous REA blog posts (links below), one highly respected and very well known linguist, Geoffrey Nunberg of UC-Berkeley, was quoted in an article on Salon.com as saying that he thought the document was a “clumsy hoax - either a modern concoction or a modern alteration of a contemporary document.” It was unanticipated by us that anyone would suggest the document was not real, not serious (somehow a hoax or a joke), or did not date from 1898. But the fact remained that if this document was authentic and dated from 1898, it would literally rewrite the record books for the earliest recorded use or appearance in print of some of the English language’s most colorful words and phrases. We thank Keith Olbermann for taking the time to share his knowledge and research with us, and allowing us to share it with the rest of the world! Keith, if things ever get too hot in the glare of the media, there will always be a place for you at REA. Now if only we could get Bill O’Reilly to provide us with some valuable insight or research…
Previous REA blog links relating the 1898 Obscene language document:
http://s210975194.onlinehome.us/blog/?p=41
http://s210975194.onlinehome.us/blog/?p=49
http://s210975194.onlinehome.us/blog/?p=55
Autographs at REA or any other auction: Is Authenticity Guaranteed?
Published by Robert Lifson on Tagged UncategorizedIn a word, the answer is “No.”
What? What do you mean authenticity of autographs is not guaranteed?
What about autographs with third party authentication? What does Third Party authentication mean? Isn’t that supposed to be an absolute 100% guarantee of authenticity for now and forever? If it’s not, what good is it?
Some collectors don’t like the idea of third party authentication - they just don’t believe in it. We’re not sure what they suggest as an alternative other than being or becoming experts themselves, (assuming time, ability, and desire would permit), but that is the point of view of some people, and they are entitled to it. Others have confidence in some authenticators, but not others. Fortunately, there is room for all points of view.
At REA, we utilize the services of James Spence Authentications (JSA) to review all signed items. We think very highly of their service. This doesn’t mean that all other autograph authentication services are not good. This is what we have chosen to do because we believe that JSA offers the best authentication service in the business. That doesn’t mean that they are perfect, that they have never made a mistake, or that their opinion could not change on a given item. Some other services and individuals may be very good at providing authentication services. We find that almost 100% of the time (not 100%, but almost 100%) that if a signed item is consigned to REA with a letter from certain companies (such as PSA) or certain individuals, that JSA has the same opinion. We also find that when items are consigned with letters from certain other individuals and companies, approximately 100% of the time JSA is not OK with these items. Obviously, this is not a coincidence. Statistically, that would be impossible. When a signed item is consigned that is already accompanied by a letter of authenticity, the item and letter are separated by us before being presented to JSA for review. At REA, JSA has no idea if an item has previously been reviewed by any other service before being presented with the item authentication review. We have even had cases (very rare, but it has happened) when JSA has told us they are not comfortable writing a letter on an item previously authenticated by JSA. This is very rare but knowledge increases over time, and opinions can sometimes change over time.
One thing we cannot do, and no else can do either, is guarantee the authenticity of any signature we did not see signed ourselves. What we can guarantee is this: that for every REA auction we have an authentication process that we make very clear, and that we follow this process. This process can change over the years. What we did in 1997 is a little different than what we did in 2007; authenticators change, some have even passed away, but we define what the process is, and follow through with that process for better or worse. In the current auction, each and every signed item was presented for review to James Spence Authentication. This process occurred over the entire year. Most items are reviewed two times, and in many cases items have been reviewed three times. Many items are rejected. In fact, literally hundreds of items were rejected by JSA and returned to would-be consignors which, if authentic, would have been worth hundreds of thousands of dollars (that is not a misprint). It is possible that there were a few items that were rejected by JSA that were in fact authentic. We like to remind people that if in 1927 Babe Ruth were signing an autograph, and someone bumped into him while he was signing and because of this his signature was severely affected and ruined, the resulting signature would not look like other Ruth signatures, even though it is real, and JSA would not write a letter on that particular signature in 2008. It is also possible that JSA (or any authenticator) could render a positive opinion on a signature and be incorrect. No one claims otherwise. That comes with the territory of signature authentication and collecting. Even if JSA (or any authenticator) were to be correct well over 99% of the time, it would not be perfect. Remember: All vintage signatures have one thing in common. We weren’t there when they were signed. That’s just a fact. All we can do is have a process we think is the best and stay true to it. At REA, we do not deviate from this process.
What if a collector does not have confidence in JSA’s opinion, but has confidence in the opinion of another service or individual? We are always happy to go out of our way to work with any authenticator a buyer wants to review any item. We encourage it. If a buyer does not have confidence in any authentication service or any individual to provide authentication on signed items, then it stands to reason that person definitely should not be buying any signed items. Similarly, if a baseball card collector felt he could not tell if an old baseball card was authentic or not authentic, and believed that no one else could make this distinction either, that person should not be buying old baseball cards.
The bottom line is that neither REA or any other auction house or any dealer or any collector can truly “guarantee” that a given autograph is authentic. It can even be difficult to prove with certainty that an autograph is not authentic. Occasionally a signed item can be determined to be not authentic with 100% certainty simply due to a common sense fact (such as a ball that was made in 1950 is “signed” by a ballplayer that died in 1940). Many factors go into the opinions of authenticators, including comparison with exemplars and experience. Sometimes provenance can reflect positively or negatively. If a rare autograph can be traced directly to an unimpeachable source or originates directly from the family of the signer, that is naturally very positive. The flip side is also true: If a seller of a rare autograph claims to have family provenance but evidence suggests that it is not true, and when further questioned the seller pleads “The Fifth,” that is naturally a “red flag”.
We can’t guarantee what any other authenticator would say about any given signed item, and we also can’t provide a warranty on an opinion, but we can guarantee that when preparing the auction, we presented every signed item to JSA for authentication, and only those items approved by James Spence Authentication are presented in the auction. We don’t play what we call the “mix ‘n match” game with authenticated items. Items that were approved by other authenticators, but not by JSA, were rejected and returned to the consignors. Many of these rejected items have been offered at other auction venues.
So where does that leave the collector? Does third party authentication have any value? We think it does, but every collector has to decide for themselves. With some types of signed items, like most checks, for example, the opinion of a third party often has little extra value to collectors, because by nature they are always authentic. But when dealing with some other types of items, like rare cut signatures with no provenance, the buyer is really putting his confidence totally in the hands of the authenticator (or relying on his own expertise or the expertise of his chosen authenticator).
When we hear anyone say they do not believe in the value of any third party authentication, that collectors should only purchase from dealers who “guarantee their items for life,” we do have to wonder how it comes to be that an item is later deemed to be worthy of a refund because of this, because such a determination, by definition, itself must rely on the opinion of a third party. We don’t know how to “guarantee” the authenticity of signatures we have not seen signed ourselves, and no one else can either. We all live in the same world. There is no authenticator alive (or in the past) that has not made a mistake at some time or another, sometimes even a stupid sloppy mistake, like authenticating a preprinted or autopen signature in error. We have seen collectors point to obvious mistakes by third-party authenticators as evidence that none of their opinions have value. We don’t think that is fair but we respect that everyone is entitled to their opinion. We are writers at REA, and we would hate to be judged solely by an occasional typo or text of a rare description that has errors. So what is Third Party authentication when it is true that no authenticator is going to be correct 100% of the time? At REA, it is this: we have chosen what we believe to be the best authentication firm in the world for the type of signed items we offer at auction; we can guarantee that when these signed items were processed for auction, they were carefully examined and deemed in the opinion of JSA to be authentic; and we can guarantee that JSA provided a letter for each lot. That’s what it means. Nothing more. Nothing less.
It is important for collectors to understand what they are bidding on, what guarantees are provided (at REA and elsewhere) and not be under any false impression. Sometimes we are asked, “What if PSA does not like this item, but JSA does? Can I return it?” and we have to answer “No. But you have two options: if you only want to buy signed items authenticated by PSA, why not buy items that have already been authenticated by PSA? Or, we will be happy to work with you with any arrangements you want to allow you to have PSA, or any authenticator of your choice, review any item in the auction for you. This can be done by reviewing photos online, reviewing items in person, or we can even make special arrangements (with expenses paid by you) to send items out. That way you can know what any authenticator of your choice has to say about any item. But we cannot predict what they are going to say about any given item or make any guarantees. That would be impossible, and if we had to do that, then we just could not sell autographed items.”
Important note: This essay has not been written in response to any autograph authentication issue with any item at REA, but these are thoughts that we think have merit, are worth articulating, and that we have not seen presented in this form elsewhere.
We Hit The Big Time!
Published by Robert Lifson on Tagged Uncategorized
Click to Enlarge
Well, to us, sort of. Important items that we offer at auction are often covered by baseball card and memorabilia periodicals, but The Anson-Ewing Beer Poster (Lot #1 in the current auction) has just received a special and rare honor: it made the cover of the April 2008 edition The Journal of Antiques and Collectibles, one of the most prestigious magazines in the world of antiques. Usually their covers feature world renowned glassware, museum collections, or antique American furniture that is worth a fortune, but really isn’t up our alley. This is the first time they have ever put a baseball piece on the cover! When we sent in our press release materials for consideration, they were particularly impressed with the Anson-Ewing poster and even asked us to send our catalog description to publish as an article (which also appears in the issue). They told us that they normally do not use items that are up for auction as cover pieces. In fact, they have a policy against the practice (because if you do this for one, they explained, then you might be expected to do this for all) but they liked this piece so much they decided to make an exception. We thought it was exciting to see the Anson-Ewing Beer poster recognized as such an important item in the larger world of American antiques, worthy of featuring on the cover of The Journal of Antiques and Collectibles, and thought it would be fun to share an image of the cover here. It is rare for any baseball item to get this kind of respect and attention in the larger antique world. There is no doubt this poster is deserving of the honor, and it is exciting for us to actually see this item receive the attention it deserves, not just as one of the single most beautiful baseball advertising posters ever created, but as one of the most important and noteworthy of all American advertising posters. The following is a link to the full catalog description:http://www.robertedwardauctions.com/auction/2008_preview/1.html
REA Auction Catalogs Will Be Mailed April 9, 2008!
Published by Robert Lifson on Tagged UncategorizedThe spring auction catalogs will mail on April 9, 2008. We will put the auction online a few days later (we may actually be able to do this earlier as we are ahead of schedule) and the final day of bidding will be Saturday May 3, 2008.
A quick reminder from Robert Edward Auctions: If you are a new collector or for any reason have never been on our mailing list, we make our catalogs available free of charge and would be happy to send you a complimentary copy of our spring auction catalog. You don’t have to bid or be a big collector to get a free catalog. It’s our pleasure to send a catalog to anyone interested in collecting, or the history of baseball! Please go to www.RobertEdwardAuctions.com , click on “Free Catalog” on the REA “contact” page and provide your name and address. Catalogs mail on April 9, 2008. (If you have moved please let us know also so we send your 2008 catalog to the correct address).
For those interested in additional information at this early date, below is the REA pre-auction press release for the sale. Actually, because the official press release is so long, we’re going to provide a short version as well as a long version.
Here’s the unofficial short version:
It’s going to be a great auction. We can’t tell you how much we appreciate the support of all the consignors, who provided the incredible material. We worked really hard to do justice to every item. We hope everyone enjoys the auction and the catalog!
Here’s the official long version:
REA’s Historic April Auction:
Baseball Card and Memorabilia Treasures 1845-1975
Collecting World’s Most Anticipated Baseball Auction May Be Best Ever
The T206 Wagner and the 1914 Baltimore News Babe Ruth Rookie Card are the two most valuable baseball cards in the world. Both are included in REA’s highly anticipated spring auction. But the incredible thing is that is just the beginning. “This is an unbelievable auction,” says REA president Robert Lifson. “We always try to tone down expectations and over deliver, but really, there’s just no other way for us to describe the material assembled for this auction. It’s incredible. There are so many highlights; I don’t even know where to begin. The collectors with the really historically significant items to sell, and noncollectors with extremely important new discoveries, they have gone out of their way to wait for our auction to sell. We take this as a great compliment and an honor. All our auctions are special, and that’s our number one goal always, but as this one has come together, we are amazed. We’re an all-consignment auction. We are really at the mercy of what turns up and becomes available from consignors. This fact makes how this sale came together even more incredible. This may be our best auction ever.”
The Robert Edward Auctions catalogs will ship on April 9, 2008. The first copy off the presses will be presented to The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York, for their library, as is the longstanding tradition. The other 10,000 650-page catalogs will be sent to collectors all over the world who have anxiously been waiting all year for the annual sale by Robert Edward Auctions, the collecting world’s most exciting and highly-anticipated auction. Inside the auction catalog will be hundreds of items worthy of Cooperstown, many of which will ultimately find their way into the most prestigious collections in the world, both private and public. The final date of bidding is May 3. Bidding starts April 12 by FAX, phone, or the Internet via the Robert Edward’s site. The total sales for the event are expected to exceed $5-million.
Coming to the block will be over 1600 lots of baseball collectibles covering the entire history of the game. The newly-discovered T206 Honus Wagner is one of the great card collecting finds in the auction. This card was the highlight of the recently discovered “Beckett T206″ Find. All 546 cards have been graded by Beckett Grading Services and the entire collection will be offered in the auction. The Wagner and the entire collection are an amazing find, but the story behind their discovery is also amazing. These cards were saved by the owner’s grandfather and were stored in the attic for decades. The family was in need of money and actually rediscovered the cards in December 2007 when searching the house for things to sell! Throughout all these years, no one in the family had given the cards any thought, especially with reference to value, and they remained all but forgotten. After submitting the cards for authentication and grading, feedback from Beckett Grading Services immediately made the family very aware of the great significance and value of the find. It’s not every day that an authentic T206 Wagner is discovered. The owner, who wishes to remain anonymous, requested Beckett Select Auctions’ assistance in selling the collection at auction. Robert Edward Auctions was chosen by Beckett Select and the consignor to present the T206 Wagner and the entire “Beckett T206″ find in this REA auction. The Wagner is a low-grade example but a T206 Wagner is extremely valuable in any condition. It has a minimum bid of $50,000 and is expected to sell for in excess of $100,000.
The 1914 Baltimore News Babe Ruth Rookie Card, Graded VG 40 by SGC, is also a newly-discovered rarity. Many consider this card to be the single most important and miraculous baseball card in the world. The 1914 Babe Ruth rookie card features Ruth as an unknown minor league rookie straight out of St. Mary’s Industrial School for Boys. Only eleven 1914 Baltimore Ruths are known to date, including the one owned by the Babe Ruth Museum in Baltimore. This newly-discovered card was saved as a keepsake by a non-collecting family in Baltimore. The last 1914 Baltimore News Ruth card offered to the collecting world at auction was graded PSA 2 GD and sold for $200,000 at Robert Edward Auctions in 2007. The reserve is an extremely modest $10,000, but this card is expected to sell for a record price.
Nineteenth-century baseball items of great historical significance have always been a special area of interest for REA. This auction has some of the most remarkable items in this important area to ever come to auction. The most extraordinary of these is the finest known example of the preeminent baseball advertising poster of the nineteenth century: the “Anson-Ewing Beer Poster.” The Anson-Ewing Beer Poster is one of the most legendary icons in both the historic baseball and classic American advertising poster collecting worlds. The glorious multicolor stone lithograph poster was issued in 1889 in promotion of Guinness Brewery’s “Finest Pale Ale” and “Extra Foreign Stout,” both of which were sold under the company’s “E. & J. Burke” label. This 1889 advertising poster represents the first documented paid endorsement of a product of any kind by baseball players. “We have always hoped to someday have the opportunity to present an example of this poster at auction,” commented REA president Robert Lifson, “but had no idea it would take 37 years of waiting.” It was worth the wait. When this was submitted for auction, there was also an added bonus. “There was no question that we had found our catalog cover piece. A cover piece doesn’t get any better than this.” The spectacular example is by far the finest in existence of the “Anson-Ewing Beer Poster,” considered by many to be the single most beautiful baseball advertising poster ever created, and one of the most magnificent and important of all American advertising posters. The reserve is $50,000, and while the estimate is open, it is expected to set a record price for any baseball or American advertising poster.
Additional major nineteenth-century items in the auction include: the recently discovered 1862 New York Knickerbockers Reunion Team Photograph, which pictures an All-Star team of the key members of the team who played from 1845-1850. The Knickerbockers are universally regarded as the most important and first formal organized baseball club with documented rules. For some of these important early baseball pioneers, this is the only photographic image known. This is one of the most important baseball photographs in existence, and one of only three photographs known that can lay claim in any way to being a team photo of the Knickerbockers. The photograph was discovered in the former home of Walter T. Avery, one of the original Knickerbockers who is in the photo, and who played in the very first baseball game on June 19, 1846 at the Elysian Fields in Hoboken. (Reserve $10,000). REA is also offering the finest silver trophy baseball to ever come to auction: In the early days of the game, silver trophy balls were the ultimate prize that a club could win. This is one of the most important nineteenth century baseball items to ever surface, and is also an exciting new discovery. This 1865 Silver Trophy Ball was presented to the legendary Boss Tweed, owner of the very prominent Mutual Base Ball Club, in honor of their victory over the Active Base Ball Club on September 21, 1865. Today, silver trophy balls are virtually nonexistent. Even the Baseball Hall of Fame does not have a silver trophy ball dating from the 1860s. This is an extraordinary relic dating from the earliest days of the national pastime, just months after the Civil War had ended. (estimate $10,000+; reserve $5,000).
This auction has the finest and greatest selection of Babe Ruth memorabilia presented by Robert Edward Auctions since the Barry Halper Collection. (REA oversaw the sale of the legendary Halper Collection in 1999, which realized over $26 Million.) Included is one of the finest Ruth bats in the universe. This 1921 H&B model is the only documented Babe Ruth bat known that can actually be placed directly in Babe Ruth’s hands with certainty by virtue of sidewriting. It is graded a perfect “A10″ by MEARS and also graded a perfect “GU10″ by PSA/DNA (reserve $25,000). Other Ruth highlights include: 1938 Babe Ruth Brooklyn Dodgers Cap (Ex-Halper Collection), est. $10,000+, res. $5,000); an extraordinary Babe Ruth single-signed Baseball (est. $10,000/$20,000, res. $5,000); 1915 Boston Red Sox World Champions Team-Signed Baseball Including Babe Ruth, dating from Ruth’s rookie season (est $10,000+, res. $5,000); numerous Ruth autographed balls, photographs, advertising items etc. This auction includes everything but Ruth’s chewing tobacco spittoon. WAIT. CORRECTION: The auction actually DOES include Babe Ruth’s chewing tobacco spittoon. And it’s AUTOGRAPHED! This incredibly unusual signed Ruth item may have been presented by Ruth as a joke, we’re not sure, but it is definitely Ruth’s spittoon, it is definitely signed, and was a gift from Ruth to his longtime business associate Joe Bihler.
The newly-discovered 1933 R306 Butter Cream Confectionery of Babe Ruth is another extraordinary highlight item in the sale. This is a card that virtually no one has ever even seen. It is so rare that even the image of this card has never appeared in a guide or ever appeared in an auction catalog. One of card collecting’s most interesting and legendary rarities, it is believed that only one other example exists (res. $10,000). The R306 Ruth is expected to sell for many times this modest reserve, though it is so rare it is impossible for REA to provide a meaningful estimate.
The auction includes an extraordinary array of rare nineteenth-century baseball cards including examples issued by Kalamazoo Bats, Yum-Yum Tobacco, as well as many rare nineteenth-century baseball cabinet cards; Cracker Jack baseball cards issued in 1914 and 1915; literally thousands of 1910-era baseball tobacco cards, one the largest selections to ever be offered at auction; 1887 Old Judge baseball cards issued by Goodwin & Co.; complete Topps and Bowman sets from virtually every year including two complete sets of 1952 Topps with the rare high-numbers.
Also included is a remarkable selection of PSA-graded complete sets of the card collecting world’s most classic issues: The highlight of these is one of the finest T206 White Border sets ever assembled, ninth highest-graded T206 set on the PSA registry, a total of 520 cards with a grade point average of 5.11, offered as a single lot, including twenty-eight PSA NM 7, 163 PSA EX-MT 6, 239 PSA EX 5, eighty-two PSA VG-EX 4. (est. $100,000+, res. $50,000). The auction also includes complete PSA-graded sets of both the 1914 and 1915 E145 Cracker Jacks. The 1914 E145 Cracker Jack #144 Series, in particular, is an extremely rare set. This is the only completely PSA-graded set ever assembled and registered let alone presented at auction (est. $20,000/$40,000+, res. $10,000).
Other PSA-graded sets include: 1934 Goudey Gum Complete Near-Complete Set (89 of 96 cards): #7 PSA Registry Set with an average grade of 7.12 (est. $30,000, reserve $15,000); 1954 Topps PSA-Graded Complete Set: #14 PSA Set Registry (includes 117 NM-MT 8s and 133 NM 7s, 7.42 GPA) est. $15,000+, res. $7,500; 1955 Bowman PSA-Graded Complete Set: #7 PSA Set Registry (182 cards in this set have been graded NM-MT 8 and 138 cards are graded NM 7, GPA 7.53), est. $15,000+, res. $7,500; 1955 Topps Complete PSA-Graded Set (fifty-three cards graded NM 7s, 119 EX-MT 6s, and thirty-four EX 5s, for an average grade of 6.04), est. $5,000+; 1956 Topps PSA-Graded Complete PSA NM-MT 8 Set: #15 PSA Set Registry (Set of 340 Plus Checklists), all of the 342 cards in this complete set (#’s 1-340 plus two checklists) have been graded NM-MT 8 by PSA (est. $10,000/$20,000+, res. $5,000); 1957 Topps PSA-Graded Complete Set (407): #16 PSA Set Registry (404 Cards PSA 8 NM-MT, 3 Cards PSA 9 MINT), est. $30,000+, res. $15,000; 1969 Topps Super Complete Set: #4 PSA Set Registry, comprised of forty PSA Gem Mint 10s and twenty-six PSA Mint 9s with an astounding average grade of 9.60, est. $10,000+, res. $5,000; 1971 Topps PSA-Graded Complete Set: #3 PSA Set Registry, includes fifty-nine MINT 9s, 692 NM-MT 8s, and one NM 7, currently registered as the third highest-graded set on the PSA set registry with an astounding average grade of 8.10, (est. $20,000+, res. $10,000); 1972 Topps PSA-Graded Complete Set: #7 PSA Set Registry, includes 367 Mint 9s and 420 NM-MT 8s, eighth highest graded set out of 109 registered sets, with an incredible 8.50 (est. $20,000+, res. $10,000); 1973 Topps PSA-Graded Complete Set: #4 PSA Set Registry includes two Gem Mint 10s, 324 Mint 9s and 334 NM-MT 8s, average PSA grade is an incredible 8.51, (est. $10,000+, res. $5,000).
The presentation of the Peter Maszak Collection is yet another exceptionally strong highlight offering of the auction. The collection is presented in thirty-nine extremely high-quality lots, including an extraordinary 1939 Lou Gehrig Handwritten Letter Discussing His Illness (res. $10,000) and the finest 1927 New York Yankees Team-Signed Ball that REA has ever offered (est. $10,000/$20,000, res. $5,000). The Maszak Collection is remarkable for the level of quality throughout and is presented in a special section in the catalog.
Many highlights have been listed above, but there is much more. The auction includes countless important new discoveries and extraordinary rarities in all areas and from all eras, including: an extraordinary selection pre-1900 baseball cards and memorabilia; display pieces; original art; rare pinbacks; autographs; graded cards; tobacco cards; caramel cards; regionals; 1930s gum cards; bats, uniforms, and other equipment, in addition to cards of note from all eras.
Graded cards are a special strength. Among the many noteworthy individual cards of interest are: T206 Ty Cobb With Ty Cobb Back, one of the rarest and most legendary of all T206 cards (res. $10,000); 1913 Voskamp’s Coffee Honus Wagner SGC VG 40 (Reserve $5,000), 1887 N690 Kalamazoo Bats Tom McLaughlin, Mets, only one known (res. $5,000); 1887 N172 Old Judge John Ward - PSA MINT 9 - The Finest in Existence! (est. 10, 000/$20,000; reserve $5,000); 1933 R319 Goudey #144 Babe Ruth PSA NM-MT 8 (est. $10,000/$15,000, res. $5,000); 1950-1951 Toleteros Joshua Gibson SGC EX 60 (est. 5,000+); a complete high-grade set of all six 1911 M110 Sporting Life Cabinets including Honus Wagner, Ty Cobb, Christy Mathewson, Frank Chance, and Nap Lajoie, each offered individually; 1910 T210 Old Mill Tobacco Casey Stengel Graded VG-EX 4 by PSA (est. $10,000+, res. $5,000+); 1909-1911 E90-1 American Caramel Joe Jackson (est. $10,000+, res. $5,000); 1915 E145 Cracker Jack #30 Ty Cobb PSA NM 7(res. $5,000); 1911 T3 Turkey Red #9 Ty Cobb PSA EX 5 (est. $10,000/$15,000; res. $5,000); 1915 M101-5 Sporting News #151 Babe Ruth Rookie PSA NM 7 (res. $10,000), 1916 M101-5 Sporting News #176 Jim Thorpe Graded NM-MT 8 (OC) by PSA (est. $5,000+, res. $2,500); 1912 T215 Pirate Cigarettes sample card of Doolan (est. $5,000+, res. $2,500); and 1904 Allegheny Card Co. Christy Mathewson Graded EX-MT 6 by PSA (res. $2,500).
The finest complete set of Mayo’s Cut Plug Tobacco cards to ever be assembled will be offered individually. Issued over a two-year period from 1894 to 1895, Mayo’s Cut Plug Tobacco cards are one of the nineteenth-century’s most significant issues. It is by far the finest graded set ever assembled. Of the forty-eight cards in the set, twenty-five of them are the highest-ever graded examples. The average grade for all cards in the set exceeds Excellent. Another highly significant group of rare cards offered are sixty-six different E107 1903 Breisch-Williams cards, the largest selection of these rarities to ever be presented at auction individually.
The auction also presents: an historic new find of three high-grade New York Player Kalamzoo Bats, including Hall of Famer John Ward, one of only two known (res. $25,000); an astounding new find of thirty-six 1909 and 1910 Clement Bros. Bread cards including Addie Joss and several previously unknown cards to the set; a 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle SGC EX/NM 80 (est. $10,000/$15,000, res. $5,000); 1952 Topps Complete Set (est. $10,000/$20,000; res. $5,000); 1912 T202 Hassan Triple Folders Near-Complete Set (est. $10,000/$20,000; res. $5,000); 1933 R319 Goudey Complete Set of 239 (est. $10,000/$20,000; res. $5,000); 1911 T205 Gold Border Complete Set of 208 plus 4 variations 239 (est. $10,000/$20,000; res. $5,000); and 1914 WG4 Polo Grounds Complete Boxed Set of 54 cards (est. $10,000/$20,000; res. $5,000).
An extraordinary selection of important baseball uniforms, one of the finest ever offered, is presented including: 1972 Hank Aaron Atlanta Braves Signed Game-Used Home Jersey, one of the finest Aaron jerseys in existence and graded A9 by MEARS (est. $10,000+); 1953 Stan Musial St. Louis Cardinals Signed Game-Used Road Jersey (est. $10,000/$20,000); 1927 Wilcy Moore New York Yankees Complete Game-Used Road Uniform (Jersey, Pants, and Hat) Ex-Halper (est. $10,000/$20,000); 1974 Tom Seaver New York Mets Game-Used Home Jersey New York Mets home jersey, graded a perfect A10 by MEARS (res. $2,500), and many rare jersey styles from the 1930s through the 1960s.
The auction also presents one of the finest selections of game-used bats to ever come to auction, including three Babe Ruth bats, four incredible Stan Musial bats all from the same collection (three from the 1950s and one a special model for the 1960 All-Star Game), Roberto Clemente, Frank Robinson, Willie McCovey, Al Kaline, Bob Gibson, Yogi Berra, Pie Traynor, Al Simmons, Hack Wilson, Mel Ott, Eddie Mathews, Willie Mays, Richie Ashburn, Rogers Hornsby, Duke Snider, Honus Wagner Pro-Model Coaches Bat (Wagner Family Provenance!), Jimmie Foxx, Goose Goslin, and Sam Crawford. Dozens of additional pro-model bats are featured, including a circa 1887 “Detroit” Baseball Bat (from the estate of 19th century star Deacon White) that is the earliest known factory-stamped major league bat known to exist (res. $2,500).
Autographed memorabilia is another extremely strong area. In fact, this auction includes the most comprehensive selection of Hall of Fame autographs Robert Edward Auctions has ever offered. One historic highlight is one of the most significant Negro League items in existence: Josh Gibson’s 1932 Homestead Grays playing contract, signed by both Gibson and team owner Cum Posey Jr. (res. $5,000, est. open). Gibson broke this very contract and left the Grays to join the Pittsburgh Crawfords early in 1932 when Crawfords owner (and top numbers racketeer) Gus Greenlee raided the Grays roster, signing both Josh Gibson and Oscar Charleston for more money. Other signed items include most members of baseball’s Hall of Fame, including extreme rarities such as William Hulbert and Eddie Plank; a 1927 New York Yankees Near-Complete Signature Collection (23 out of 25 players); 1939 Hall of Fame Induction Signature Display with Ruth, Young, Wagner, and Johnson; checks from Hall of Famers such as Babe Ruth, Christy Mathewson, Walter Johnson, Tony Lazzeri, Honus Wagner, and extreme rarity Joe Kelley; Near-Complete Signed Yellow Hall of Fame Postcard Collection (142/147 Possible, est. $10,000, res. $5,000); the most comprehensive collection of Black-and-White Hall of Fame signed postcards REA has ever offered, including many extreme rarities. Additional signed items include literally hundreds of single-signed Hall of Fame balls, and many incredible items signed by the greatest legends in the history of the game, including Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, Cap Anson, and Cy Young.
Additional significant historic memorabilia of all types is included: 1912 Boston Garter Advertising Display Sign with Eddie Collins and Hal Chase (est. $10,000/$15,000); a very important newly-discovered circa 1914 Chicago Americans Giants Panoramic Photo Including Rube Foster, “Pop” Lloyd, and Pete Hill (est. $5,000, res. $2,500); a new find of thirty-four 1898 Cameo Pepsin Gum baseball pins which was recently discovered in a New Jersey family estate, including Cap Anson, Connie Mack, and seven new checklist additions; and what may be the very finest 1894 Zimmer’s Base Ball Game known to exist, a recent and remarkable new discovery to the collecting world that made it into the auction at the last minute (est. $10,000/$20,000).
Sports other than baseball are also represented by a significant selection of extremely high quality items, including Michael Jordan 1984-1985 Chicago Bulls Game-Used Rookie Home Uniform (graded MEARS A10, reserve $10,000); 1959-1960 Jim Taylor Green Bay Packers Signed Game-Used Jersey (graded MEARS A10, est. $10,000+, res. $5,000); 1973-1974 Oscar Robertson Milwaukee Bucks Game-Used Road Jersey - Final NBA Season (Graded MEARS A10, est. $20,000+, res. $5,000/$10,000); 1962-1965 Jim Brown Cleveland Browns Signed Game-Used Home Jersey (graded MEARS A10, est. $20,000+, res. $10,000); 1964-1966 Willie Wood Green Bay Packers Game-Used Home Jersey (graded MEARS A10, est. $5,000+, res. $2,500); 1945-1947 Ken Keuper Green Bay Packers Game-Used Home Jersey - Earliest Known Example (graded MEARS A9.5, est. $5,000+, res. $2,500); 1946-1947 Philadelphia Warriors BBA Champions Team-Signed Basketball, on display for many years at Framo’s bar in Philadelphia (res. $2,500).
One of the most important non-baseball sport item is a 1960s Muhammad Ali eighteen-page handwritten draft for his autobiography regarding his conversion to Islam, that may be the single most important Ali manuscript in private hands (reserve $10,000). Another tremendous item with significant cross-collecting appeal is the original painting by master illustrator Bernie Fuchs of Arnold Palmer that appeared on the cover of the June 15, 1964 issue of Sports Illustrated (est. $5,000+, res. $2,500).
The auction also includes a selection of very high quality Pop Culture and Americana related items. In addition to thousands of nonsport cards dating from the 1880s to the 1960s, the Americana section is highlighted by Woody Guthrie’s Signed Annotated Copy of Forty Thousand Quotations, with over five-hundred pages of notes by Guthrie detailing his thoughts on all subjects and used as a primary tool in his song writing over a period of many years, and perhaps the most significant Woody Guthrie item that could possibly exist (res. $10,000); a 1964 signed Beatles program (est. $5,000+); and an original Superman cape actually worn by George Reeves in the 1950s television program “The Adventures of Superman” (est. $10,000+).
Copies of the 650-page full-color premium catalog (shipping April 9) are available free. To review the catalog on-line, to learn more about Robert Edward Auctions, or to receive a complimentary copy of the catalog, or to inquire about consignments, visit http://www.robertedwardauctions.com/. Robert Edward Auctions is currently assembling their next sale. For further information contact: Robert Edward Auctions, PO Box 7256, Watchung, NJ or call (908)-226-9900.
For over 30 years Robert Edward Auctions has specialized in all areas of historic baseball collectibles, as well other sport, non-sport, and Americana collectibles including political and campaign memorabilia, autographs and manuscripts, and original illustration art. Robert Edward Auctions has been responsible for many of the most important baseball memorabilia sales including overseeing the sale of the $26-million Barry Halper baseball collection, universally recognized as the best and largest in the world; the legendary “Gretzky-McNail” T206 Honus Wagner card, $1.3-million; the uniform Yankee legend Lou Gehrig was wearing in 1939 when he gave his famous farewell speech, saying “Today, I consider myself to be the luckiest man on the face of the earth”, $306,000; and the 1854 Knickerbocker Trophy baseball, now on permanent exhibit at the Baseball Hall of Fame, Cooperstown, New York, at a then-record $72,000.
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“How can this be? Can an authenticator be that bad?”
Published by Robert Lifson on Tagged Uncategorized“There are autograph authenticators for whom I have seen a thousand items authenticated by them and all of the items had one thing in common - they weren’t real. I’ve been asked “How can this be? Can an authenticator be that bad?” When people ask this I am always reminded of when I took my SATs in high school. Everyone naturally wanted to get every question right and get a perfect score of course, but there was always an old urban myth that if you got every single question wrong, they would automatically give you a perfect score anyway, because no one could get them all wrong without being absolutely brilliant and actually knowing all the correct answers; it was statistically impossible. Well, these authenticators that always get everything wrong, I always tell customers that maybe they’re actually great authenticators because, really, no one could possibly be that bad. Maybe they’re the best darn authenticators in the entire world. We use the authenticators that we have the most confidence in. The most problematic authenticators are in the field of autographs. There are some authenticators that when a potential consignor says they have an item with their letter, we just won’t even allow them to send the item in. We have no interest. We just don’t want to waste our time or pay the postage sending these fake items back.”
- Robert Lifson, April 2007, partial response to MEARS’ Dave Grob’s interview question about what we would like to see change in the industry/hobby.
http://robertedwardauctions.com/about/interviews.html#mears
Open letter to Christopher Morales and STAT Authentic
Published by Robert Lifson on Tagged UncategorizedA gentleman by the name of Shelly Jaffe has recently posted an open letter to STAT and Christopher Morales to the Net54 message board. If you have an interest in the authentication of autographs, Operation Bullpen, or have items authenticated by these entities, we strongly recommend reading this highly significant message board thread. Here is the link:
Horses Playing Baseball?
Published by Robert Lifson on Tagged Uncategorized 
click to enlarge image
We have always liked items that tell us about lost chapters of baseball history. When this 1890s Walter Mains Circus ticket (above) came across our desk, it did stop us in our tracks. We’ve never heard of this attraction, or, really, ever heard of any horses playing baseball anywhere ever. Apparently there just aren’t that many baseball-playing horses around. Even according to the Walter Mains Circus they had the “Only Horses On Earth Trained To Play Base Ball.” In 1913 the Barnum & Bailey Circus had their famous baseball-playing elephants, but these are the first horses we’ve seen try their hand (or hoofs, or whatever) at The National Pastime. Judging from the woodcut illustration on the ticket, they were pretty good, but we’re not sure if horses are truly equipped by nature to master the game (you know, the throwing, hitting, and fielding parts). That’s probably why the sport never really took off with horses. This ticket may be the only surviving souvenir that even tells us they gave it a try.
(Notes: The Class D minor league baseball circuit that played from 1939 through 1956 known as The Pony League did not field ponies and is totally unrelated to horses, as is Harry “The Horse” Danning, all-star catcher for the Giants in the 1930s. “The Horse” was just a nickname. He was not a horse.)
We’re very busy working on the spring auction, but we thought this would be a fun and quick item to share that we don’t think anyone has ever seen before.
The First Baseball Card?
Published by Robert Lifson on Tagged Uncategorized 
click to enlarge images
Really Important Addendum To This Post (added April 3, 2008):
The original text of this post can be found below. There is, however, one problem. The description of the card, though we had a lot of fun writing it, is wrong. Sorry about that. It’s just incorrect. It is not a card of Bernie Hannegan. We got the era right; we got the team right (Unions of Morisannia); and we got the great significance of the card right. But we got the player wrong. It is a card of Dave Birdsall, one of the major stars of the era, the captain of the Unions team in 1867 and 1868, and one of the elite players chosen by Harry Wright to be a member of the 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings, the first professional baseball team. For more information, please visit: http://bid.robertedwardauctions.com/bidplace.aspx?itemid=9768 Thank you!
“The Old Man,” Bernie Hannegan, of the Unions of Morisannia, throws his hat into the ring for consideration.
At Robert Edward Auctions we know that any claims about what is or is not the first baseball card are taken very seriously by collectors. In fact, even defining “what is a card” can be very dangerous waters! Not everyone agrees on the definition of a card, so whenever we look at the earliest cards, we try to qualify the definition. We have recently had the great privilege of evaluating what we think is a particularly remarkable early card. Is this the earliest baseball card? The answer to that question really depends on how one defines a card. It does have some very important and unique qualities that in our opinion at least make the card worthy of consideration for the title. If it’s not the earliest baseball card, it is certainly one of the earliest baseball cards. Rather than have us make the case for this card, we have decided to let the card itself, of Bernie Hennegan, present his case directly to the collecting world.
Here goes:
Hi Guys! Bernie Hannegan here. Well, his card, actually. I know what you’re thinking, I’m used to it. Bernie who? Well, the thing is, I was a very big star back in the 1860s with the Unions of Morisannia. I actually started with the Unions in the late 1850s, and my last year with the club was 1866. This was all before there was professional baseball. That wasn’t until later. Sure, some of the players pocketed a few dollars here and there on the sly, some even from gamblers, but we were not professionals, and this was long before the National Association League in 1871, or even the Cincinnati Red Stockings of 1869. But this was the big time for baseball, as big as it got, when I played. Not too many people are familiar with the Unions of Morisannia today, and very few players from my era are well known today. Everyone knows Jim Creighton, of course, because he was one of the great pitchers of all time and really was the first superstar in the sport. He changed the game. He was the premier pitcher of his day and the best hitter as well. I had the privilege of pitching for the Unions against the great Jim Creighton when he was with the Excelsiors of Brooklyn. In July 1862, I won a particularly exciting match against him 12-4. Creighton died tragically in October 1862, very young (he was only 21 years old), due to injuries sustained at bat during a game against my team, the Unions. I played in this game also but only pitched one inning. Creighton’s legend shined great for many years, and for serious baseball historians his legend will shine greatly forever. More than three years after his death, on November 4, 1865, the highly respected Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper issued a two-page foldout woodcut intended for home display that was a tribute to his memory. Surrounding Creighton’s larger portrait were identified woodcut images of seventeen of the leading players of the day. I’m pictured second from the left at the bottom. I was always very proud to have been chosen to be among these elite baseball players representing the highest level of organized play at this early time in the history of the game.
So, back to my card. One of the interesting things about this card is that I am on it at all. Not that I wasn’t good enough to have a card. I was. In fact, if you go look up newspaper accounts, you’ll see that for years I was the most celebrated star on the club. It’s just that there really weren’t any other cards produced at this time - at least not exactly like this one, featuring a specific current player who is identified on the card. That’s pretty much the format - the defining characteristics - for baseball cards dating from the 1880s all the way up to modern cards. I am not identified on the card by name, by the way, but am identified simply as “The Old Man,” which was a nickname and term of respect I earned for being the oldest veteran on the team. In 1865 not many players were still around that played as far back as I did. This would be like having a card of Babe Ruth that identified him as “The Bambino” or “The Babe.” Even though neither of those titles was his real name, everyone would know they referred to Babe Ruth. Same with me. I was “The Old Man.” I don’t know exactly how this card was issued, but it was clearly mass-produced, and I’m pretty sure it was in 1865. Everything about the style of the card points to this card being from 1865, and my woodcut engraving on the November 4, 1865 Leslie’s Jim Creighton memorial print is a transposed (mirror) image of the CDV pose. Both the woodcut and the CDV are actually artworks, each produced from the very same original photograph (though it is possible that the woodcut was produced utilizing the CDV image). The woodcut was published in November 1865, so the photograph that was used to create it had to exist before that date. Both the woodcut and the CDV image are clearly created from the very same photographic image and pose. The woodcut is pure artwork while the CDV photograph is an artist-enhanced photographic image (enhanced in the photo as made, not on the surface of the CDV) which used the same original photograph (probably a salt print) to create it. Details of my uniform have had accents added and “Unions” has been enhanced on my uniform bib on the CDV to make it clear what team I’m on. This kind of photo enhancing was very common among photographers when mass producing CDVs for collectors in the early and mid-1860s. It’s too bad that there apparently is no set of baseball cards like this - I appear to be the only one - but if there was a set issued in 1865, featuring identified individual players from the great teams of the era such as the Unions of Morisannia, the Excelsiors of Brooklyn, and the Resolutes of Brooklyn, this is what they’d look like.
So what makes me the first baseball card? Well, it depends. What I am, I think, is the first baseball card of a current player that is identified as part of the design of the card. I sure do look like a card, don’t I? Now, some will say, “Hey, what about the famous 1863 Jordan Marsh CDV photograph of Harry Wright, that was part of a set and was also a ticket to games at the St. George’s Cricket Ground in Hoboken, New Jersey?” Good point. Great card and certainly can’t be ignored. But that card does not identify Harry Wright as part of the design of the card. What about the famous Jim Creighton memorial Peck & Snyder trade card? Hey, this is an incredible card. I’ve never seen the back but have been told that in addition to an ad for Peck & Snyder sporting goods, it also has a short biography of Creighton on the reverse. The Creighton card is not dated but identifies him as having already passed away. We already know that Creighton’s memory was much celebrated for many years after his passing. All of the other Peck & Snyder trade cards date from the 1868 to 1872 era. Does this mean that the Creighton card dates from 1868 to 1872 also? No. It could definitely be earlier, and probably is, but whenever it is from, it was issued after his passing. So I think there is a pretty significant distinction to my card. I was alive. I was a current active player. I was identified on the card. If that isn’t a baseball card, what is? I believe that I am the first baseball card with identification as part of the design of the card of a current individual player. I may be biased, but to me that makes me the first baseball card! I don’t expect everyone to agree with me, and I know that even attempting to declare what is the first baseball card can be as controversial as discussing politics or religion, but there is something to what I’m saying.
So the next time there is discussion or a debate about “What is the first baseball card?” I believe I belong in the mix. I think I’ve got a very powerful case. I know I’m not as famous as Jim Creighton, or the legendary Harry Wright, who is often referred to as “The Father of Baseball,” but I think I have made a compelling argument that my card, identifying me as “The Old Man” - the 1865 Bernie Hannegan - is worthy of consideration for the title of “The Earliest Baseball Card.”
-End-
The opinions expressed above are those of Mr. Bernie Hannegan, or more precisely, Mr. Hannegan’s 1865 baseball card, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Robert Edward Auctions LLC.
Editor’s note: OK, all kidding around aside, Hannegan makes some good points. Whether this card dates from 1864, 1865 (as we believe), or even 1866 (the latest we believe it could be dated, based on the style of the card, and the fact that Hannegan’s final season was 1866), the next oldest baseball card(s) with a traditional design, featuring the identified image of an individual player, were issued by Old Judge tobacco and date from 1886.
Valuable Baseball Memorabilia Lesson #1: Keep 1927 Yankees Team-Signed Baseball Away From Dog
Published by Robert Lifson on Tagged Uncategorized
A ball signed by the 1927 New York Yankees ball is a collecting icon.
It is one of the most revered of all signed baseball items, and in top shape could be worth as much as $100,000. That’s why it’s particularly annoying when the family dog uses it for a toy and mangles it.
This 1927 Yankees ball was just consigned to the REA spring auction. The owner’s family has had this ball since 1942, when it was given to them as a gift by Yankees catcher Benny Bengough. Over the years the ball would occasionally be taken out to be admired, and then carefully put back into safe storage. Unfortunately, the last time it was out, the ball was left unattended for a few minutes. We don’t have to tell you what happened. The family dog grabbed it and ran off with it. It got a little mangled. The once perfect ball was eventually retrieved but was severely injured. Lou Gehrig’s signature remained largely unscathed, but many others, including Babe Ruth, were seriously scraped by teeth. Dog teeth marks have a significant impact on value on an item like this. It wasn’t a total loss. It is still a worthy auction item but the ball is now expected to sell for $1,000 to $2,000. It does, however, present a rare opportunity for collectors to buy a 1927 Yankees ball without spending tens of thousands of dollars.
The ball will be offered with a detailed letter from the former owner and will also be accompanied by a picture of the dog.
above: Buddy the beagle (with owner’s grandmother)
Another Follow Up To 1898 Obscene Language Baseball Document!
Published by Robert Lifson on Tagged UncategorizedWe’ve really been surprised at the amount of interest generated online by the 1898 Obscene Language Baseball document. The document was covered by dozens of blogs and was the subject of numerous message boards. Tens of thousands of people have visited the REA site in the past two days to view it. Surprisingly, the response was greatest not from baseball collectors, but from people with interests in many other arenas: sports fans, people interested in popular culture, fans of the HBO Deadwood series, baseball historians, nineteenth-century American history scholars, and, we were fascinated to see, many serious linguists from all over the country, including from very prestigious universities such as Northwestern and Berkeley. We didn’t know there were so many linguists. These guys are all over the place. One of the most unexpected revelations about the document is that it includes the earliest known printed appearance of the expression (well, there’s really no way to avoid this) “Go f*ck yourself”. We’re not kidding. According to historians and linguists, this document now holds the record for the earliest recorded use of this phrase in print. The previous record was 1920. We’ve beaten the old record by 22 years. In the scholarly field of linguistics, that’s like a massacre. This record is a big deal. This document is now sort of like the Magna Carta of that expression. And that’s not all! The document also includes another record: The earliest appearance in print anywhere ever of the word “c*cksucker”. Again, we’re not kidding. Previously, the earliest known printed example of that word was 1902. We’ve beaten that record by four years. That’s two major records in one document!
We’re so proud. We can’t wait to tell our parents.
Here’s a link to an article about the piece at Salon.com that just went up:
http://www.salon.com/sports/col/kaufman/2007/12/06/thursday/
One very well known linguist, Geoffrey Nunberg of UC-Berkeley, was quoted in the article as saying that he thought the document was a “clumsy hoax - either a modern concoction or a modern alteration of a contemporary document.” We hate to get into disagreements with highly respected members of academia, and Geoffrey Nunberg is most certainly highly respected, both as a linguist and professor. (Here’s his website: http://people.ischool.berkeley.edu/~nunberg/. This guy’s like in the Hall of Fame of linguists.) But when it comes to baseball documents, at least in this case, it is our most sincere opinion that he doesn’t know his frickin’ ass from his elbow! We are absolutely certain that this item is not a modern creation or an altered period piece. We’re just kidding about getting on Professor Nunberg’s case about disagreeing with us - we think it’s great that he would even be willing to talk to a reporter about this crazy item and we just think we happen to know he made an error in this case. That’s OK - we’re from a field that for that credits Civil War General Abner Doubleday, who never had anything to do with baseball, as the inventor of the game. We’re used to - and welcome - all dissenting opinions. Now get out the record books!
Late Addition: Here is a link to the response to the Salon.com article by Bill Savage (Senior Lecturer, Department of English, Northwestern University, who teaches baseball literature and history) to the Salon.com story:
http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/more_obscene_baseball_news
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Recent Posts
- Olbermann Strikes Again! Proves 1898 Obscenity Document is legit. posted on Jun.10
- Autographs at REA or any other auction: Is Authenticity Guaranteed? posted on Apr.24
- We Hit The Big Time! posted on Apr.07
- REA Auction Catalogs Will Be Mailed April 9, 2008! posted on Mar.17
- “How can this be? Can an authenticator be that bad?” posted on Feb.23
- Open letter to Christopher Morales and STAT Authentic posted on Feb.23
- Horses Playing Baseball? posted on Feb.03
- The First Baseball Card? posted on Dec.31
- Valuable Baseball Memorabilia Lesson #1: Keep 1927 Yankees Team-Signed Baseball Away From Dog posted on Dec.07
- Another Follow Up To 1898 Obscene Language Baseball Document! posted on Dec.06