BATTER UP!

[2jakes]

Honus Wagner

He didn't smoke cigarettes, which, oddly enough, is perhaps the main reason why his card became so valuable. The Wagner was part of a series of cards—later dubbed "T206," for enigmatic reasons, by an influential collector—that were included in packs of American Tobacco Company cigarettes. Wagner demanded that the American Tobacco Company pull his card from circulation, which is why a mere 60 or so are thought to exist today. Many wrongly think that Wagner opposed smoking; in fact he more likely opposed other people profiting from his likeness, or he considered cigarettes too low-class compared with other tobacco products at the time.
(he chewed tobacco).
Whatever the reason, the decision made Wagner-the-card exceedingly more famous than Wagner-the-player, and it ironically linked his name to cigarettes forever.

David Zax - smithsonian.com

 

[LizzieMaine]

I don't know as I'd say the card was more famous than the player -- Wagner was by any defnintion the greatest shortstop of his era, and was the standard by which middle infielders were judged for much of the 20th Century. He was one of the first six men named to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936, and he was a constant presence on the major league scene as a coach for the Pirates right up until his death in 1955. A statue in his honor was erected in Schenley Park, near Forbes Field, shortly after his death, and was moved to each of the Pirates' subsequent stadiums. It stands today outside PNC Park.

Maybe to "sports collectible investors" the card is more famous than the player -- but to real fans, Wagner remains a towering figure in the game's history.

 

[2jakes]

Maybe to "sports collectible investors" the card is more famous than the player -- but to real fans, Wagner remains a towering figure in the game's history.

It was a point of view found in the vaults of a baseball card forum where
the emphasis was mostly devoted to the cards and not so much the players
and their deeds.
I find the history of baseball cards and history of baseball players fascinating.

To say one is more famous than the other never occurred to me since
I don’t view these topics in the same category at all.
Each have their own merits separate of each other.

 

[Ghostsoldier]

I've got a reproduction of that card; most folks don't realize how small it is, but it had to fit inside the cigarette pack of the day, which wasn't as large as we have today.

Rob

 

[Ghostsoldier]

View attachment 82536


It was a used hand-me-down glove from Sears Roebuck
made in USA and best of all...it was all mine.
View attachment 82537

That's awesome. I have a collection of vintage gloves, plus reproductions of a few famous versions...some bats, too.

Rob

 

[LizzieMaine]

The cards were used a stiffener in the pack to keep the cigarettes from bending. Cigarette packs circa 1910 were usually ten sticks to the pack, in two rows of five, with the card between the foil inner wrapper and the pack itself. Unopened packs found today often yield cards stained by tobacco crumbs.

When an unopened cigarette pack from that era surfaces on the collectors' market, bidders will go into a wild frenzy of excitement hoping to find an uncirculated rare baseball card inside -- but ball players were only one of many different card subjects issued during the period. You are just as likely to find a Flags Of All Nations or Birds Of The World card as you are a ballplayer.

 

[Ghostsoldier]

It's the same thrill you got as a kid, buying that nickel pack of bubblegum cards and not knowing what treasure was lurking inside; it costs considerable more for that vintage cigarette pack today, but I'm sure the anticipation is just as palpable.

Rob

 

[Fading Fast]

The cards were used a stiffener in the pack to keep the cigarettes from bending. Cigarette packs circa 1910 were usually ten sticks to the pack, in two rows of five, with the card between the foil inner wrapper and the pack itself. Unopened packs found today often yield cards stained by tobacco crumbs.

When an unopened cigarette pack from that era surfaces on the collectors' market, bidders will go into a wild frenzy of excitement hoping to find an uncirculated rare baseball card inside -- but ball players were only one of many different card subjects issued during the period. You are just as likely to find a Flags Of All Nations or Birds Of The World card as you are a ballplayer.

Awesome info, as always.

 

[LizzieMaine]

The cynicism and sleaziness of the baseball-card market goes way back. The Goudey Gum Company of Boston was the leading issuer of bubblegum cards in the 1930s, and in 1933 they advertised their "Big League Gum" set as including 240 subjects. But they only issued 239 -- card number 106 wasn't issued, keeping kids frantically buying cards into the fall and winter months to find that one card that nobody had. Parents began writing to the company to complain, and in early 1934 Goudey finally issued card number 106, featuring old-timer Napoleon Lajoie, who hadn't played a major league game since 1916. The card was never issued in packs, and was distributed only to people who wrote in to complain about the missing No. 106. It's considered even scarcer than the Wagner tobacco card, and is definitely the most cynical baseball card ever issued.

He's thinking "Suckkkkkkkkkaaaaaaaaas!"

 

[2jakes]

It's the same thrill you got as a kid, buying that nickel pack of bubblegum cards and not knowing what treasure was lurking inside; it costs considerable more for that vintage cigarette pack today, but I'm sure the anticipation is just as palpable.

Rob

In the early 1990s for a brief period, I enjoyed the thrill of opening a box of Cracker Jacks
and finding these beauties.

A collection of 1993 Cracker Jack 1915 miniature baseball card reprints. Cracker Jack issued a 24-card set of miniature replicas of its 1915 set in honor of its 100th anniversary. One mini-card was inserted into each specially marked package. Also included is a collection of 1991 miniature Topps cards.

 

[Fading Fast]

The cynicism and sleaziness of the baseball-card market goes way back. The Goudey Gum Company of Boston was the leading issuer of bubblegum cards in the 1930s, and in 1933 they advertised their "Big League Gum" set as including 240 subjects. But they only issued 239 -- card number 106 wasn't issued, keeping kids frantically buying cards into the fall and winter months to find that one card that nobody had. Parents began writing to the company to complain, and in early 1934 Goudey finally issued card number 106, featuring old-timer Napoleon Lajoie, who hadn't played a major league game since 1916. The card was never issued in packs, and was distributed only to people who wrote in to complain about the missing No. 106. It's considered even scarcer than the Wagner tobacco card, and is definitely the most cynical baseball card ever issued.

He's thinking "Suckkkkkkkkkaaaaaaaaas!"

Having spent nearly thirty years in Corporate America, I can oversimplify and say there are two types of people - those who would think leaving out card 106 out was the "smartest" business decision in the world (and would suffer no compunction) and those who would say that it is a horrible decision as it is unfair to the customers and not in the long-term interests of the business (as it creates, at minimum, frustration and, if exposed, rightful anger).

Companies have personalities and values like people (and they are driven from the top - good sincere upper management will end up with mainly good sincere people and vice versa as the rewards and incentives throughout the company will reflect upper management's values). Some would never do that nonsense with card 106, some would always do it and some fall in-between.

I've argued my entire career to do the right thing / to be honest when dealing with your customers as I think it is both the only way to live with yourself and - and this is the business rational - the better long-term business decision. At different times and at different companies, I've had incredible support from above and also no support from above (eventually, I've left those latter companies).

EDIT ADD: I've been steaming since I read Lizzie post. What a scumbag thing for a company to do. I hate sneaky garbage (not my first word choice) like that.

 

[Ghostsoldier]

Nice set, 2jakes.

The only cards I ever collected were the "Conlon" series, featuring Charles Conlon's vintage photographs of old time and deadball era players.

I have the whole collection, and although they're not particularly valuable, I cherish them just the same.

Rob

 

[2jakes]

All I know is that there was far more peanuts and better
toys than today.

Just ask Yogi !

 

[Fading Fast]

Nice set, 2jakes.

The only cards I ever collected were the "Conlon" series, featuring Charles Conlon's vintage photographs of old time and deadball era players.

I have the whole collection, and although they're not particularly valuable, I cherish them just the same.

Rob

See my bold of your comments above. That is the best - when you love something for itself - not for its "collector" value / not because others covet it / etc. - but because you derive intrinsic pleasure from it. Good for you - enjoy them.

 

[Harp]

Some shots of old Comisky Park, and it's aftermath...

View attachment 82530

Rob

The late troubadour and Chicago Cubs fan Steve Goodman's ashes are at rest beneath home plate at Wrigley Field.

...and the Sox ain't got nothing resting beneath home at the Cell, or whatever that place is called now. They keep selling the stadium brand over there.

 

[2jakes]

Nice set, 2jakes.

The only cards I ever collected were the "Conlon" series, featuring Charles Conlon's vintage photographs of old time and deadball era players.

I have the whole collection, and although they're not particularly valuable, I cherish them just the same.

Rob

Just a sampling of my albums:

These beauties are treasured just as much as my ’52 Topps!
Unknowingly... I collected the 1st printing with all the errors and for some reason I
made it a point to have only the cards without the MLB logo on the back.
I have a soft spot for the “colorized” versions. as well. They may not be
valuable, but I wouldn’t trade them at all.

 

[Harp]

I umpired baseball for many many years and it was usually in the young kids game's that weird shit would happen to challenge my knowledge of the rules. On the upside when such things happened, it I was unsure, I just needed to make the ruling in as authoriatative manner as I could muster. At that level, with Dads as the coaches, no one else knew the rules either and I could get away with making shit up as I went along.

Last nite in the 9th, the first base ump sent Zobrist back to the plate after he had been struck in the leg while attempting a bunt.
Maddon came out and raised hell, was ejected. Zobrist later walked. The ump stepped over the line.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I enjoyed collecting cards of players with ridiculous names, and would gladly trade current superstars just to get them. This particular card, which I still have, was the crown jewel of my collection.

Poor Clyde wasn't much of a player, and he seems to know it in this photo. But he did go on to become an excellent scout -- among others, he signed Catfish Hunter for the Athletics, and later, while working for the Yankees, he convinced Hunter to sign as a free agent with that club.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Having spent nearly thirty years in Corporate America, I can oversimplify and say there are two types of people - those who would think leaving out card 106 out was the "smartest" business decision in the world (and would suffer no compunction) and those who would say that it is a horrible decision as it is unfair to the customers and not in the long-term interests of the business (as it creates, at minimum, frustration and, if exposed, rightful anger).

The Goudey people had done this sort of thing earlier with other card sets dealing with Indian chiefs and zoo animals, so it was pretty much standard operating procedure for them by 1933. They managed to stay in business until 1962, although they got out of the card business in the late 1940s, and the story is that the company was in such dire straits by the end that they burned all their back stock of trading cards in the factory furnace just to heat the place. So perhaps there was some poetic justice at work...

 

[2jakes]

I enjoyed collecting cards of players with ridiculous names, and would gladly trade current superstars just to get them. This particular card, which I still have, was the crown jewel of my collection.

I'll trade you these two:


and throw in:


for your Kluttz card!