ShareThisDear Babe: I have a baseball dated July 20, 1947. It is signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers including Jackie Robinson, Gil Hodges, Duke Snider, Pee Wee Reese and many more. It has 26 signatures. -- Steve Stillson, Northlake, Ill.
"Assuming (it has) no clubhouse signatures and is in overall excellent to better condition, I'd say $1,500-$3,000. Several have seemed to surface in the last few years,'' said Mike Gutierrez, consignment director for Heritage Auctions (www.ha.com) in Dallas.
"Depending on the condition, it could be worth $2,000-3,000. Again, how white is the baseball, how dark are the signatures and are there any 'clubhouse' signatures present?'' asked David Kohler, president of www.SCPauctions.com in Laguna Niguel, Calif.
Dear Babe: I have an original 1936 "Babe Ruth's Baseball Advice.'' The front cover of the 32-page guide shows the Babe teaching a young player how to bunt. -- John Mallan, Jacksonville Beach, Fla.
These were produced in mass quantities and a sufficient number have survived to satisfy collectors. "It is only worth $25 if it is in near-mint condition,'' said Mike Heffner, president of www.lelands.com auction house in South Dennis, Mass.
Dear Babe: I have several old Reach, Spalding and Bull Durham baseball guides from 1907-1912, which my father saved since he was a child. They include Reach guides from 1907-1911 (1908 missing), a 1911 Bull Durham guide and a 1912 Spalding Baseball Guide. -- William Elizer, Dawsonville, Ga.
"Interesting question -- condition is the key with these old guys,'' said Phil Regli, owner of P&R Publications in Irvine, Calif. and a long-time magazine dealer. "Typically these are heavily read and have lots of wear. Those particular versions will sell from a low of $20 to about $60. I'm not sure if any of these have special covers with Joe Jackson (double the price). A mint copy would be a premium, because that is where advanced collectors would spend $100-plus for great material. However, guides are losing energy because the next generation of collectors is online getting data, so the value has been flat for years and has even gone down. These same books would have been $50-$100 each in 'ex' grades before the invention of eBay and $75-$150 was common.''
While the Spalding guide and Bull Durham guides have drawings of players on the cover, they appear to be generic images. Regli noted that often auction house prices are actually lower than prices realized on eBay.
BABE NOTE: The "something for everyone'' label definitely applies to the 2009 Topps Allen & Ginter release. There are DNA Relics that include strands of hair from Napoleon, Edgar Allen Poe and Geronimo and seven others, autographs and relics from baseball players and champions of other sports. Cards celebrating National Pride feature players and the flag of their nations. There's a National Heroes subset that includes national heroes from around the world, such as George Washington, Simon Bolivar, Winston Churchill and Joan of Arc. On the offbeat side collectors will find Creatures of Legend, Myth, and Terror that feature mythological creatures of the past and present such as Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, Medusa and the Invisible Man and cards that focus on the biggest hoaxes from Charles Ponzi to Enron. Topps says you are guaranteed to find three "hits,'' which include autographs, relics, cut signatures, rip cards and printing plates. Each 8-card pack carries a $4 SRP. For more on the A&G release visit my blog at www.scrippsnews.com/waxpak.
(Send card questions to Babe Waxpak, PO Box 492397, Redding, CA 96049-2397 or e-mail babewaxpak(at)charter.net. If possible, include card number, year and brand or a photocopy. Please do not send cards. For Babe Waxpak's blog, see www.scrippsnews.com/waxpak. Babe Waxpak is a feature of The Record Searchlight in Redding, Calif.)
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.scrippsnews.com)
