This week we have some really great items on our advance preview list and even more new acquisitions are listed on our website. http://www.qualityautographs.comor contact us at 800-241-4809 or qualityautographs@msn.com with questions or to place an order. This week we will look at collecting the individual member signatures on flat items of the 1923 New York Yankees, the franchise’s first world’s championship team and also offer some new autographs.
Highlighted items this week include:
Barry Bonds signed envelope. The perfect mattable signature of the all-time home run king are rarely offered and here is a beauty!–$150
Triple Crown Winners: Ted Williams and Mickey Mantle (both on SS), Carl Yastrzemski (South panel), and Frank Robinson (North panel) all on an OAL (B. Brown ball)-MINT! This is the first we have offered in years and it’s virtually unimprovable!–$1250
Lefty Grove 8×10 B&W photo boldly signed-this is the first Grove we have offered in years, and it’s a beauty!–$995
George Brett KC Royals New Era cap boldly signed on the brim–$95
1923 New York Yankees:
Manager: HOF–Miller Huggins (d.29)
Starting eight: Substitutes:
Wally Pipp 1B (d.65) Fred Hofmann (d.64)
Aaron Ward 2B (d.61) Elmer Smith (d.84)
Joe Dugan 3B (d.82) Harvey Hendrick (d.41)
Everett Scott SS (d.60) Benny Bengough (d.68)
HOF–Babe Ruth OF (d.48) Ernie R. Johnson (d.52) *See Note 1
Whitey Witt OF (d.88) Mike McNally (d.65)
Bob Meusel OF (d.77) HOF–Lou Gehrig (d.41)
Wally Schang C (d.65) Hinkey Haines (d.79)
Mike Gazella (d.78)
Pitchers: Coaches:
Bob Shawkey (d.80) Chas. O’Leary (d.41) *See Note 3
Joe Bush (d.74)
HOF–Herb Pennock (d.48) Other:
HOF–Waite Hoyt (d.84) HOF-General Manager Ed Barrow (d.53)
Sam P. Jones (d.66) *See Note 2 Owner Jacob Ruppert (d.39)
Carl Mays (d.71)
George Pipgras (d.86)
Oscar Roettger (d.86)
Since most team collectors attempt to assemble their items on flat items in order to display the completed team together, we will apply the scarcity index key (SIK) below only to our estimate of the total number of signed flat items we have seen for each person listed above:
SIK-I: Extinct (we have never seen one)-none in this category
SIK-II: Extremely Rare (we have seen 1-10)-none in this category
SIK-III: Very Rare (we have seen 11-25)-O’Leary, Hendrick
SIK-IV: Rare (we have seen 26-100)-Huggins, Pipp, Ward, Scott, Schang, Hofmann, Johnson, McNally, and Jones
SIK-V: Uncommon (we have seen 101-500)-Pennock, Haines, Bush, and Mays
SIK-VI: Readily available (deceased with little or no autograph-show or private signing participation but examples are routinely offered in the market largely or primarily due to volume mail responses; check or other document releases; and/or overall widespread collecting of that person during their lifetime)-Dugan, Ruth, Meusel, Witt, Smith, Bengough, Gehrig, Gazella, Shawkey, Hoyt, Pipgras, Roettger, Barrow, and Ruppert
SIK-VII: Plentiful (deceased but seemingly endless quantities exist from participation in modern shows, private signings, and/or fan-mail responses or a combination
thereof)-N/A
SIK-VIII: living-N/A
Notes:
1. Not to be confused with Ernie T. Johnson, who pitched from 1951-1959 for the Braves and the Orioles
2. Not to be confused with Samuel “Sad Sam” Jones (d.71), who pitched from 1951-1964 for the Indians, Cubs, Cardinals, Giants, and Orioles
3. If our readers know of any other coaches from this team, please let us know
Summary: One reason this team is so widely collected is that it is possible to readily obtain nearly all of its members. Moreover, if one has the patience and means, all of the team is attainable. And only Harvey Hendrick is a significant challenge for a collector who wants to acquire all roster players from this historically significant team.
