My First Back to Collecting Project & It's a Doozy but sounds Like so much fun! 5/8/2020!
thedutymon11
Posts: 668 ✭✭✭✭
Evening Gentlemen,
As I mentioned a couple months ago, after being out of the Hobby (Non Sports & Sports for me) for the last 6-7 years I have decided to jump back in. Now I've been Collecting basically since my first set, a 1962 Topps Mars Attacks that my Dad would get for me, 5 cards out of the Vending machine for 1 Cent. Each time when we walked up to get his Sunday paper at one of the first of Sacramento 7-11's, In 1962.
Some of my favorite Non Sport Cards Sets over the years were always the 1944 Gum Inc American Beauties (24 Cards), and the 6 Different (1940-1945) Mutoscope Glamour Girl Illustrated sets. I have always been partial to the Glamour Girl style of painted Cards. So I could go out and start buying some Cards, doing some grading, all the usual stuff.......But I want a twist to make it more fun!! So the Twist is this, besides collecting The 7 Sets and getting Graded cards I have to take it a step further, and here, a little Background is necessary.
From the early 1930's to the early 70's there were for the most part 3-4 Top Tier Illustrators for Beauty Queen style Cards, Greeting Cards, Advertising Pamphlet's, Movie Posters, Calendars, Postcards, Magazine Covers, etc, etc. They were Rolf Armstrong, Earl Moran, Gil Elvgren, and Zoe Mozert, the one and only Woman in the Top Tier then. And an Amazing accomplishment for the times!
Zoe Mozert (Real name Alice Moser), was to Illustrate 1000's of items in her career, including Many Many in the Mutoscope Card series's. So my side mission in this is to Concentrate on her stuff first! And by her stuff I mean it to play out like this. She Painted everything from Nudes to Saturday Evening Post like covers. She was very popular with the Hearttrob scene magazines of the 40's-60's.
My Goal is to find Something related or identifiable from Each of her Mutoscope Cards, Must be Original, no copies, no facsimiles, Not the just the Mutoscope Card, but something utilizing the same image. Must be a related period piece using the same picture or such. Zoe Mozert pioneered the Triple Mirror Photo technique, as she would use herself as the Model for Form and Position, and then paint it, changing a few details. Also understand that the Mutoscope and Gum Inc. Images were widely licensed and Copywrited, as the images are used from the 40's through the 70's on numerous items by many companies, and they paid Royalties.
The First Scans are representative of the 2 lots of 50 Each of these cards I purchased. They are Mutoscope Cards from the 1945 Set Artist Pin-Ups, consisting of 64 Base Cards with variations that put the set at 145+ different Cards. Now I expected to get two lots of the same 50 Cards,I just Bought both in case one lot had Cards that some cards would be in better condition, and the Price was Amazing, $4 Each!!! . Lots of 8's, 9's, and I am sure some 10's from this lot! So the Base set is 64 Cards and I expected to need to still get 14 more Cards. Surprise, surprise, the two lots have 62 Different cards from the Set...So I only need two more for the Complete set 1st phase. They were some Low Hanging fruit, from possibly one of the Last ever 500 Count Vending Boxes of these to be cracked. (REA sold one in 2015 for $13,200, in 2013 another went for $7170.00, Both before the Vig!) I bought the last 100 Cards and you can tell because of the amount of PSA 10's in the Pop that a at least one Vending has been opened. I am aware of probably 10-15 Vending Boxes of the 6 Mutoscope sets that have turned up in the last 10-15 years. If you look up any of these sets and see a PSA 10 Pop of over 30-50, Vending has been Found! Vending from these Boxes is absolutely Awesome! And the Seller was not hyping or Lying, these are 100% from Vending. I will be subbing about 70-80 of these once PSA loosens Bulk subs.
Round #1 4/23/2020
Comments
Very cool new project. Good luck when you sub them.
That sure doesn't look like Mickey Mantle to me.
Seriously, i think non-sports cards are cool. I have a good number of those from the 1960's, IE: TV shows, sci-fi movies, history, etc. And whenever i'm in the mood, if i see something i like and the price is right, i'll also pickup off Ebay some of those old cigarette non-sports cards.
Those are so cool. Love the colors and sayings. I have 1--- "maybe I should". Postcard sized and blank back. It graded a PSA 6 so don't know how tough they are on grading. Check these out: do you have any clue what they are. Same size as the Mutoscope.
Those are Exhibit Supply Cards, the top two from a 1929 set I always called the Victorian Risqué Set, the bottom left Made In USA is from a late 30's set I always called the Orange Risqué Cards, and the Bottom right with the Handwritten Exhibit Supply is I believe one of their first sets I always called the Purple set and is from the Mid to Late 20's, possible even earlier, Exhibit Supply Company was Inc. in 1907.
PSA I don't think will grade them as their considered too Explicit......At least that's what I was told once, maybe has changed?
Neil
Neil - Is that a Carol Baskin Rookie Card?
Thanks
Craig
Right Era, the Age fits!!
Afternoon,
Day 4, first Qualifing pieces are rolling in:
First item is 3 each Original Artists Photos taken by herself using the Triple Mirror effect so she could be the subject of these three cards. These Photos were made from the Original Negatives. I contacted the Seller and explained I didn't need the Cards just wanted the 3 Photos. I then asked about the Negatives and he said he was 85 and didn't remember out of his hundreds of thousands of items where they even were, so I asked "So you wont sell me the 3 photos and then just turn around and re-list them?"
I placed the Cards in the Corners of the Photo where I had envisioned them in a Frame placement after they get graded, but after looking at them Raw with the Photos I think they would look better Raw Framed with Photo. Paid $35 each for the Photos.
He assured me he wouldn't and before they even arrived to me in the mail he had them relisted. Douche!!!, Oh well I got a fairer price on the Photos, so I'm not displeased, well maybe a little!
Any Thoughts???
Next Item is a PSA?DNA Authentic of her Signature on "How do you Like My Frame?" Seller wanted $85, got it for $50
Last item today is Not strictly part of the Mutoscope Card Project but is a Picture of the Artist painting.
YeeHah
Neil
Some serious card porn!!!
Pretty cool collection you have going. That for posting.
Thanks for the info Neil. Risque' …. I like it.
Those color cards remind me of the "Vargas Girls" published in the older Playboy magazines.
Finally, an adults only thread on the forum. Show me a little leg honey!!
Hey,
I believe that all of these cards were just before the Vargas Era (70's-2000's), but I am sure he must have had those Cards in his inspirations for his Art.
Love his stuff too!
Yeah
Neil
Morning,
Mail early, today we have Two items, Advertising Ink Blotters for Two cards:
"Mother said I should always avoid a dive."
"He's Safer Than A Wolf"
YeeHah!
Neil
Evening,
Update, with a little off track detour! Now the first item I have in today is directly related to My Mutoscope project. It is a Signed, Numbered copy of one of Zoe Moretz most popular images, which is another self portrait, 1939's "A Dream Girl "
She painted about 10-12 different versions of this Painting, all just slightly different, but all of her! Since an Original Acrylic Painting of her's runs at Auction between $5-20K, this is as close as I'll get. And indeed I went a bought the Frame and did it this afternoon and its become the Centerpiece now of the Project.....I Love It!!! The is 21/60 numbered Along with some Provenance and her Sig...Just Love it!
Next up are totally off Mutoscope subject...But are so Cool: I mentioned I Collect 1950's to 1990's Horror Movie Posters:
Here are a few from the Walls of my Man Cave!
YeeHah!!!
Neil
I love the work of illustrators. I owned an original Earl Moran and sold it a few years back. My art collection went in a different direction but I've owned and still own original Illustrators works.
"I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
Afternoon,
We have a couple additions to the Project 4/30/20:
They Are Cards:
"My Calves Took First Place"
"The Padlock Was My Own Idea"
Al Lawson came through for the project!
Got a few different items on the way as we'll!!!
YeeHah
Neil
Morning,
Well today 5/8/2020 we have several additions to the Project!
First up we have the secondary Example of two cards used after the Mutoscope Cards were done, probably late 40's into late 50's or early 60's.
A Run On Sugar with Blotter English Freight Company
Pursuit Type with Blotter English Freight Co.
Next up I purchased a Complete set of 1941 Mutoscope All-American Girls, 32 Cards, Advertised as NM+. Tad bit of an exageration of course, Imagine that on E-Bay! I did find 7 of them that are taking a trip to PSA though. Here are the 32 Cards.
Then I picked up another lot of 9 Vending 1945 Mutoscope Artists Pinups, 7 of the 9 are making the Trip as well. So those and 88 of their Buddies left for So. Ca.
So my First Subbing Journey begins, the first since 2013! 95 each 1940's Mutoscope Cards under the quarterly Golden Age Special!
YeeHah
Neil