ShareThisDear Babe: I have a Wilson tennis racket that my mom used about 70 years ago. It still has the original strings (cat gut?) and wooden brace. The original canvas cover rotted but the rest of the racket is in OK condition. On the handle under a man's picture it says "Ellsworth Vines'' and further down the handle it says "Scholastic.'' I wonder if you could give me the history on this racquet. -- Carrie Brown, Atlanta
Like most vintage items condition is a key factor. After checking with auction house folks and looking at online auction results, it looks like really nice rackets sell in the $40-$60 range. If yours is just "OK'' then the range will be half of that -- at best. As for its history, a Wilson spokesperson said they didn't have anything in the files. However, I did find some info online on Wilson's New Zealand site. It looks like it debuted in 1934. My guess is that "scholastic'' denotes a racquet made for high school players, but that's just my guess.
Vines won the 1931 U.S. Open title and then bettered that by winning Wimbledon and another U.S. Open in 1932. However, his 1933 season wasn't that good and turned pro shortly thereafter. He was elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1962. He died in 1992.
Dear Babe: I have Masters tickets (badges) and paring sheets dating back to the late 1960s. I have at least two badges from every year. -- B. Hammer, Atlanta,
"To my knowledge pairing sheets aren't worth a whole lot, but the significant Masters badges can be worth a few hundred,'' said Chris Nerat, a Sports Collectors Digest columnist.
Nerat suggests checking out completed auctions on eBay, since many are sold that way. I did that and saw a 1985 Bernard Langer badge that sold for $182, while a Woods from 2001 went for $77 with a 1980 Seve Ballesteros selling for $53. A couple of Ben Crenshaw 1995 badges went for $17 and $34. Two 2008 badges (Trevor Immelman) sold for just over $50 each. A couple of Phil Mickelson 2006 badges sold for $27. All those totals include shipping and handling. I also saw a 1986 Nicklaus offered for $200 plus S&H, but that auction was in progress. On the flip side, there was a 2003 Mike Weir badge and a 1995 Ian Woosnam badge that were offered for $29.99 plus $5 S&H each. Both auctions finished with no bids.
Dear Babe: I have an autographed Cleveland Indians baseball that my father threw me over the right field fence to pick up in 1959. After the game I collected autograph from my hero, Rocky Colavito, plus Mel Harder, Mike Garcia, Bud Daley, Ray Narleski, Dick Tomanek and Jim Hegan. The ball is in great condition, only slightly yellowed, and the signatures are clear. -- Joen Bozarth, Euharlee Ga.
While you don't have a team-signed Indians baseball, it was a "good collecting era for this team,'' said Mike Gutierrez, consignment director for Heritage Auctions (www.ha.com) in Dallas. He valued the baseball at $250-$300. For the record, methinks the ball is from 1957. That's when all of these players were in Cleveland. Not all were there in 1959 -- including Daley and Hegan. Their final season in Cleveland was '57.
Dear Babe: We have two 5-x-7 autographed photos of Stan Musial along with a Biggies Steak House menu signed by Musial on the front. All were signed in the early 1950s. Phyllis Allen, Lawrenceville, Ga.
It looks like $75-$100 for each of the signed pictures as well as the autographed menu, according to Mike Gutierrez, consignment director for Heritage Auctions (www.ha.com) in Dallas.
(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)
