Dear Babe: We have a lot of 49rs memorabilia such as signed jerseys (Rice & Montana), signed footballs and framed newspaper articles ("The Catch"). How do we sell this stuff without putting it up piece by piece on e-Bay? -- Dave Becker, Redding, Calif.
You're not going to like my answer. Unless you've got something really valuable that a major auction house would handle, most folks are selling their collectibles online. The biggest site -- by far -- is eBay, but there are others. Many folks simply turn to Craigslist. Even if you don't want to use eBay, you can search completed auctions to get an idea of what your items might be worth. Be advised that newspaper articles have virtually no value unless they are autographed by the players' featured in the story or photo. If they're game-used, Rice and Montana signed jerseys would definitely qualify as items a major auction house would like to feature in an upcoming sale. If they are store-bought jerseys, you're probably looking at an online sale with the success depending on the quality of the authentication.
Dear Babe: I have a Bobby Orr hockey stick that is stamped with Orr B 4, and signed by Bobby Orr on the head of the stick. I believe it was his stick, although it does not show game-used wear and tear. The stick is a Sherwood PMP 5030 SC. -- L.J., Tyngsboro, Mass.
"The Orr stick is not game used, but the sig looks OK. It's worth around $200-plus,'' said Mike Heffner, president of Lelands.com auction house in New York.
Dear Babe: I am 70 years young. In August 1952, Ty Cobb was in Atlanta staying at the Biltmore Hotel. My father knew Cobb. He called and asked if he could bring his daughter (me) down to meet him. We took a baseball with us Cobb autographed it to me in black ink. -- Genie Karr, Powder Springs, Ga.
"The Cobb ball is real, but it has some things going against it. The condition is not great, the ball appears to have some other writing or signatures and it is personalized,'' said Mike Heffner, president of Lelands.com auction house in New York. "This one, with it problems, would sell for around $1,500 to $2,000.''
Mike Gutierrez, consignment director for Heritage Auctions (www.ha.com) in Dallas, agreed in general, putting it in a little higher range -- $2,500-$3,000.
"A mint single-signed Cobb ball that is not personalized would sell for close to $50,000, but those are few and far between,'' Heffner said.
Dear Babe: I have a 1942 Pittsburgh Pirates baseball that belonged to my grandfather. It is signed by 18 players and manager Frank Frisch and coach Honus Wagner. It is still in the original Rawlings box. -- Dave Kraft, Marietta, Ga.
Having Frisch and Wagner saves this Pirates baseball signed by a war-year team that was 80-72, finishing fourth in the National League. The baseball should be worth $600-$700, said Mike Gutierrez, consignment director for Heritage Auctions (www.ha.com) in Dallas.
BABE NOTE: Topps Chrome baseball features two rookie autographs per box along with inserts of the 100 World Baseball Classic stars. The set features 1709 veterans and 50 rookies. Every card has a refractor parallel. Hobby boxes feature 1 of 1 printing plates. For more information visit www.topps,com.
(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)
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