I received this catalog in the mail last Thursday. The day that the auction was to end. Not a whole lot of time to promote it. Then I got an email saying that due to printing and shipping issues, the auction closing would be delayed for for a week. So, head on over to Collect.com and bid, bid, bid.
If you are into signed items, then this is the auction for you. License plates, balls, cards. You name it, they're offering it up.
Normally I would pick a theme or items that I'd like to have in my collection. Not this time. There are many nice cards and objects in the catalog but nothing really struck me. So, let's have some fun and see what is available.
Title: 1987 Fleer Baseball Signed Complete Set with Update, including all multi-player cards
Lot #: 486
Description: This complete autographed 1987 Fleer set was obtained mostly in person by a former employee of Major League Baseball Productions, which produced This Week in Baseball. An ambitious project to tackle, 23 years in the making, autographed sets like this do not come along very often. Complete signed sets are almost never seen and are noteworthy for their difficulty in putting together. To attempt to put this set together today would require a significant investment which would be many times the opening bid. All cards have been front-signed in ink by their subjects, with scripting on each card projecting "7-10" quality (averaging "8-9"). The cards themselves are NM-Mint. This lot is loaded with Hall of Famer signatures, star players and difficult to obtain signatures due to a player's reluctance to sign, the player having moved away to a foreign country or the player having passed away since 1987. All cards are signed include completed multiplayer cards.
Opening Price: $900
Current Price: $4,500
My Thoughts: That's a lot of money for a modern set, even if they are all signed. My guess is that it would now be close to impossible to complete this feat. I like it, but don't know how I'd display it. Maybe I'd donate it to the local curiosity museum.
Title: Brooks Robinson Bronzed Trophy Decanter Given to Him by FP Winner Ltd.
Lot #: 557
Description: Nicknamed the "Human Vacuum Cleaner" because of his amazing ability to gobble up everything at the hot corner, Brooks Robinson collected 16 Gold Gloves in his 23 years of MLB service. While his defense was superb, he was also a more than capable player at the plate where he collected 2,800 hits and 268 home runs on his way to Cooperstown. This unique vintage lot features a bronzed trophy decanter presented to him by F.P. Winner Ltd. The trophy sits atop a 7x7 inch base and measures 16 inches tall and includes a nameplate that reads:"Brooks Robinson Born May 18, 1937 Career 1955 to 1977 Hall of Fame August 1983"
Opening Price: $200
Current Price: $250
My Thoughts: I'd have to be a serious Brooks Robinson or Orioles collector to really want this. But wouldn't it be fun to lean over to your buddy and say, "Want some scotch?" and then rip the head off of old Brooks and pour a tumbler? I think it would.
Title: Michael Jackson Signed Black Fedora Hat (JSA Full Letter)
Lot #: 816
Description: Widely considered the greatest performer ever, the late, great Michael Jackson is featured in this auction in what will sure to be a must-have item for any fan of the "King of Pop." Jackson (1958-2009) entertained millions from his time as a member of the Jackson 5 through his solo career that included some top-selling albums as "Thriller", "Dangerous" and "Bad". The lot features a version of Jackson's famous black Fedora hat that is signed by the artist along with the inscription "Love" in White Paint Pen. The medium sized unmarked black Fedora is signed under the brim in bold white pen and the autograph comes with a Full LOA from JSA. The inside band of the fedora is also embroidered "MICHAEL JACKSON" in gold. Another version of this fedora, also signed, sold for $50,000 with Julien's Auctions earlier this year. This is the real deal and not one of the many forgeries that can be found on the market.
Opening Price: $6,000
Current Price: $0
My Thoughts: I only added this one in for --David, over at TribeCards. He's the biggest Michael Jackson fan that I know. Almost bordering on the creepily excessive. Almost. I like some of Michael Jackson's music and I met Michael Boddicker at a NAMM show in LA in the early 1980s. Michael Boddicker was a keyboardist for Michael Jackson. My brush with musical greatness. Bottom line, I wouldn't want the hat. A bit too creepy for me, but --David might.
Images and descriptions from Collect.com. Used without permission.
Prices current as of December 9, 2010.
Someone spent 23 years getting the entire 1987 Fleer set signed and now it's up for auction? That's sad.
ReplyDeleteAgreed, that's quite a project and reminds me of hanging around after Kingdome games waiting for a Jim Presley auto.
ReplyDeleteThe listing mentions grading levels for its cards and autos and I have to wonder if that's critical for a project of that magnitude. How many other signed full sets could there be? :-O