Collecting someone's grandfather's childhood memories?
RSA95525
Posts: 5 ✭
Last year, I bought a couple of cards via ebay in spite of ‘marks’ on the back side of the card. I usually avoid these and prefer ‘original condition’. But something about these cards triggered a curiosity.
I had seen the first card listed for quite a while and passed on it many times. But, because there are so few cards from this set ‘in circulation’, I decided to make an exception because the card was in decent shape overall and the marks were carefully placed and did not detract from my appreciation for the card. The card had two stamps on the blank back: ‘Anthony Victor DeMayo’ and ‘W. St. John DeMayo’. Out of curiosity, I googled the names and one of the first results was a link to 1940 Census data. It showed a family from West Haven, Connecticut, listing Anthony as 15 and his brother (W. St. John, Jr. as 11). This would have made these brothers 9 years old and 5 years old when these cards were issued (give or take a year).
A month later I came across another card with these same stamps. I thought, ‘what are the odds?’ and bought the second card to reunite them.
A week later, I was performing a routine search and, not finding anything new, I clicked “All” rather than the “Trading Cards” category. Still pretty much the same and, for some unknown reason, I decided to search for ‘sold’ cards. I was shocked to come across a third card with these stamps. It had ended just a few days before, but I missed it because the seller listed it in ‘Sports Memorabilia’ rather than ‘Trading Cards’. Sadly, it sold for less than $10. So, now just from pure chance, I know there are at least 3 of these cards out there in the world. Maybe there are more?
These 3 cards are from the 1934 Batter Up series. Maybe they collected other sets as well? Anyway, this gave me a little different perspective about collecting these cards. I'm going to keep an eye out for more. You never know, maybe they laid claim to a full set.
I tried adding photos, but it doesn't seem like they got attached. Foiled by technology again!
If anyone comes across any more, I would be interested in reuniting a few more "old friends".
Comments
This is exciting !
It reminds me of the time i decided to look up the names of the men that had signed a short snorter and see what became of them.
I hope it turns out better for you
What a great story!!! Can't wait to see the scans when you get them loaded. Assuming these two "brothers" are likely deceased, is it possible to locate their children? That would be a very cool addition to the story of these cards.
An update .... I have passed these cards on to another collector who also had two of their other cards. So that is at least 5 cards that these brothers laid claim to with their stamps. I did a little more searching and found that the older brother served in India in WWII and later became a Superior Court judge. Both brothers seem to have spent their whole lives in the New Haven, CT area and were born 5 years apart and died 5 years apart - both aged 88. RIP boys.