Ask Babe: More questions for the Babe

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Dear Babe: I have a picture of Charlie Dressen. He is with his wife and a couple of friends. It was taken at Sammy's Bowery Follies in New York. It is signed by Dressen dated 1946. I also have a Christmas card signed by him. -- Dolores Dobson, Flowery Branch, Ga.Dressen managed five Major League teams on and off from 1934 (Reds) until 1966 (Detroit). He is best known for managing the Dodgers to N.L. pennants in 1952 and '53 but lost both times to the Yankees in the World Series. He decided to go up against Dodgers owner Walter O'Malley publicly demanding a multi-year contract. O'Malley only wanted his managers to sign one-year deals. O'Malley stood fast and Dressen quit. He was replaced by Walter Alston, who had no trouble with one-year deals, inking 23 of them while leading Brooklyn to its one and only World Series win in 1955 along with three more in Los Angeles during his Hall of Fame career.A signed photo is worth $150 and a "cut" signature $50-$75, said Mike Gutierrez, consignment director for Heritage Auctions (www.ha.com) in Dallas. However, your photo has non-players in it and it sounds as if Dressen isn't in uniform. That will probably drop the value down to $25-$50. The signature on the card would be considered a "cut" signature. Gutierrez valued it at $50-$75, but said it's "a tough sell." Dear Babe: I picked up a Carl Yastrzemski card at a garage sale. It is enclosed in a plastic case (with screws). It is a Topps card No.10 and lists Yaz's career through 1969 (Boston). I also have a 100th Anniversary Babe Ruth Commemorative Baseball (1995) with a Certificate of Authenticity. I have two grandsons, who are playing Little League baseball, and I'd like to pass on these baseball items to them. -- Tony Ginter, Riverside, Calif.It looks to me as if the baseballs are treated more as novelties than collectibles. There was a lot of merchandise marketed when the 100th anniversary of Ruth's birth rolled around in 1995. I think $5-$10 is a good range.The Yaz card is a little better. Beckett and Tuff Stuff both list it at $20. Dear Babe: I have some old cards from the 1950s that I am looking to have graded. Which are the best companies that do that type of work? -- John Fontinha, Waldwick N.J.Right now the big two seem to be Beckett Grading Services (BGS) and PSA with SGC and GAI in the next tier. If you look at most auctions on eBay, you will see cards graded either by PSA or BGS with huge numbers in completed auctions. Those also seem to bring the most money when items sell, which is another way of saying that collectors trust those two sources the most. Unless you take the cards to a major show, which are few and far between these days, most folks ship their cards (insured) to graders. Make sure to check with the grading company on how best to package your cards. Poor packaging can lead to damage in transit to "mint" cards. You can check Web sites to see if the graders will be at a show near you. Dear Babe: I have some Upper Deck Michael Jordan cards with stats from 1985 to 1997. They are numbered 1 to 12 and are 3 1/4 x 4 3/4 in size. They all have a saying on the bottom. One says "A star is born." Another says "3000 points." -- Anna Quinones, North Park, Calif.Thanks to its exclusive deal with His Airness, Upper Deck was able to produce a multitude of sets after Jordan returned in 1995 from his brief retirement. There are actually too many sets for even Beckett's detailed yearly price guide to track. These are from 1998. I did see some of these oversized cards offered in eBay stores at $1.99 and $2.99. That would work out to $24-$36 for the set. Of course these are just being offered. I'd say the set of 12 is probably worth $10-$20 - if you can find a buyer. Most Jordan collectors probably have all of the older cards they want.(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)