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My pickups from the estate sale of a Royals superfan.

As someone that has viewed a lot of collections, it takes some level of greatness to impress me. So when several people told me that I just HAD to see this collection, I agreed to look at it, not really expecting much. I will say, once I laid eyes on it, I was just in awe. I can't do it justice in words, as I'm sure it will sound like exaggeration and hyperbole. Easily 300+ autographed bats and 1000+ autographed balls, mostly of George Brett, Frank White, Mike Sweeney, and Billy Butler, but a nice mix of other HOFers too, and Buck O'Neill items, also. I only won 14 out of about 950 lots that were auctioned. And here is the best of what I got. So MUCH MORE escaped me. ...

Limited to 175, Brett bobblehead with 1985 Game 7 scoreboard, autographed.

Royals mini helmet in display case, autographed.

Some strange choices to include in this giant display, but the oddball pins, buttons, and tickets were what I wanted most. I will likely curate some of this and replace them with a better selection of cards.

Ticket for the game when Brett got his 3000th hit, and stub from last home game were among the items in the display.

2 more 3000th hit tickets, autographed, one sloppily. Also, last home game ticket, autographed. Amos Otis autographed mini helmet.

Perez, Butler, and Moustakas on MLB balls, Sweeney on 2002 All-Star game ball, Greg Holland on 2013 All-Star game ball, and Fergie Jenkins on 2012 All-Star game ball.

Alex Gordon #7, rookie year photo, autographed.

1972 All-Star ballot, autographed by Freddie Patek. Several Brett autographs and cool oddball items.

I'm unconvinced that is a Bo Jackson autograph, but it was on the stand. Pretty sloppy if it is. A sloppy Brett ball. Jermaine Dye auto, ball with former KC A's autographs, including Clete Boyer. Couple of programs signed by Brett.

85 World Series program signed by Brett. 88 All-Star ticket signed by Brett and Mark Gubizca. 3 Whitey Herzog signed tickets, other Brett items signed.

I have no context for this dirty, sweat stained Adidas cap, if perhaps George was wearing it on the golf course at a charity event and signed it and threw it into the crowd, or maybe someone was out jogging and saw Brett in his car at a stoplight.

2012 All-Star game program signed, 1999 media guide and various mags signed, an MVP pin signed. All in all, I got in excess of 30 signed items by Brett. I didn't win any of the signed bats of his, or anyone else, for that matter. It truly was an exceptional collection. I'm not trying to promote or sell anything, as the auction has been completed, but I'm not sure of the rules about posting a link for those that would like to look at all of the items that were in this collection.

Anyway, I just thought I'd share a few pics of the best items that I was able to snag. There was much, MUCH more included in my lots that most wouldn't care to see. I'm certainly excited to now be the owner of just a small portion of this one fan's life long pursuit.

Comments

  • craig44craig44 Posts: 10,393 ✭✭✭✭✭

    those are some really great pickups! Which auction house had these on the block? I would like to see the other items.

    George Brett, Bobby Orr and Terry Bradshaw.

  • detroitfan2detroitfan2 Posts: 3,311 ✭✭✭✭

    Great pickups! What did the U.L. Washington game-used toothpicks go for?

  • softparadesoftparade Posts: 9,269 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited January 11, 2019 7:09AM

    Pine Tar Game!!!! Sweet... I was a 14 year old watching that unfold on tv

    ISO 1978 Topps Baseball in NM-MT High Grade Raw 3, 100, 103, 302, 347, 376, 416, 466, 481, 487, 509, 534, 540, 554, 579, 580, 622, 642, 673, 724__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ISO 1978 O-Pee-Chee in NM-MT High Grade Raw12, 21, 29, 38, 49, 65, 69, 73, 74, 81, 95, 100, 104, 110, 115, 122, 132, 133, 135, 140, 142, 151, 153, 155, 160, 161, 167, 168, 172, 179, 181, 196, 200, 204, 210, 224, 231, 240

  • robert67robert67 Posts: 1,336 ✭✭✭✭
    edited June 5, 2019 11:07AM

    .

  • GreenSneakersGreenSneakers Posts: 908 ✭✭✭✭

    I am not a superfan collector, but those types of collections are always intriguing. Congrats and thanks for sharing

  • countdouglascountdouglas Posts: 2,271 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @craig44 said:
    those are some really great pickups! Which auction house had these on the block? I would like to see the other items.

    I want to stress that my intent is only to share the rest of this collection with everyone, not to cast aspersions on the choice of company to auction the items, or the decisions made by those to execute the estate. A collection of this magnitude would have overwhelmed most anyone.

    They used an auction company out of Harrisonville, MO called West Central Auction Company. You can Google it, and on their home page is a drop-down menu, and click on "results". There will be an auction that ended January 8 titled "Sports Memorabilia Extravaganza". The auction was conducted online, only, and while was deemed as "local pick-up only", I believe in fact that arrangements could have been made to ship the items for an additional fee on top of freight charges.

    As far as I know, no one was allowed to personally inspect the items beforehand. This gentleman, though, was a well known Royals fan and season ticket holder, and it is my understanding that multiple members of the Royals organization and players had personally visited his home throughout the years, including Frank White, Mike Sweeney, and Dayton Moore, looking over the collection, hanging out, watching a game, and having dinner.

    I am unfamiliar with this auction company's advertising methods and use of social media to promote their auctions, but I am sure many in the community were already well aware of the existence of this collection before the auction. I was not.

    I was only told about it roughly a week ago, and like I said, initially I was not very enthusiastic about wasting any time looking over the stuff, as I never dreamed that someone could accumulate all of this. I certainly appreciate those who alerted me to this, and all of my contact with the auction company was professional. I have no complaints on that end at all. This really opened my eyes, though, to plan for my own end game, as I have nowhere near the amount of stuff, but still plenty that almost no one but me and fellow collectors would value and appreciate.

  • countdouglascountdouglas Posts: 2,271 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @detroitfan2 said:
    Great pickups! What did the U.L. Washington game-used toothpicks go for?

    I know you jest, but I have no doubt there probably were a couple of those laying around in a display somewhere. This guy had everything you could think of. Strangely, U. L. does not have his signature toothpick in the autographed photo included in one of my acquired lots.

  • countdouglascountdouglas Posts: 2,271 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I just found these in my lots. I can find info on the Topps Sterling White Suede card and the eTopps Classic. I am unable to find anything about the Sportflics style card of Brett hitting his famous playoff homerun off of Gossage, and an inset action photo of him reaching second base and acknowledging the crowd's roar as his double finally pushed his average to .400 in August of 1980. This card is autographed, as well. I also have 5 more of this same card that were not autographed. I'm assuming they were likely sold at the festivities in Cooperstown in 1999, as they are marked Cooperstown Collection and MLBP 1999. I've included photos from multiple angles to hopefully recreate the "magic motion" action.

  • craig44craig44 Posts: 10,393 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @countdouglas said:

    @craig44 said:
    those are some really great pickups! Which auction house had these on the block? I would like to see the other items.

    I want to stress that my intent is only to share the rest of this collection with everyone, not to cast aspersions on the choice of company to auction the items, or the decisions made by those to execute the estate. A collection of this magnitude would have overwhelmed most anyone.

    They used an auction company out of Harrisonville, MO called West Central Auction Company. You can Google it, and on their home page is a drop-down menu, and click on "results". There will be an auction that ended January 8 titled "Sports Memorabilia Extravaganza". The auction was conducted online, only, and while was deemed as "local pick-up only", I believe in fact that arrangements could have been made to ship the items for an additional fee on top of freight charges.

    As far as I know, no one was allowed to personally inspect the items beforehand. This gentleman, though, was a well known Royals fan and season ticket holder, and it is my understanding that multiple members of the Royals organization and players had personally visited his home throughout the years, including Frank White, Mike Sweeney, and Dayton Moore, looking over the collection, hanging out, watching a game, and having dinner.

    I am unfamiliar with this auction company's advertising methods and use of social media to promote their auctions, but I am sure many in the community were already well aware of the existence of this collection before the auction. I was not.

    I was only told about it roughly a week ago, and like I said, initially I was not very enthusiastic about wasting any time looking over the stuff, as I never dreamed that someone could accumulate all of this. I certainly appreciate those who alerted me to this, and all of my contact with the auction company was professional. I have no complaints on that end at all. This really opened my eyes, though, to plan for my own end game, as I have nowhere near the amount of stuff, but still plenty that almost no one but me and fellow collectors would value and appreciate.

    That was quite a collection. Did the autos come with any certifications? seems like the sellers may have left some money on the table going with a small local auction house. doesn't seem like it was all that well advertised, I sure didnt hear about it until today. too bad for sellers.

    George Brett, Bobby Orr and Terry Bradshaw.

  • GoDodgersFanGoDodgersFan Posts: 1,391 ✭✭✭

    I am a big George Brett fan and talk about some unique items. This is like once in a lifetime pick-up. Congrats.

  • DarinDarin Posts: 6,247 ✭✭✭✭✭

    If you're interested in any Bubba Starling rookie auto cards to add to your Royals collection, just let me know.

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  • KnopflerKnopfler Posts: 783 ✭✭✭

    Man that is awesome. Wish I could have seen the items in person, but since I no longer live in KC that would have been difficult anyway. But thanks for the pics and the instructions on how to see the rest.

  • countdouglascountdouglas Posts: 2,271 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @craig44 said:

    @countdouglas said:

    @craig44 said:
    those are some really great pickups! Which auction house had these on the block? I would like to see the other items.

    I want to stress that my intent is only to share the rest of this collection with everyone, not to cast aspersions on the choice of company to auction the items, or the decisions made by those to execute the estate. A collection of this magnitude would have overwhelmed most anyone.

    They used an auction company out of Harrisonville, MO called West Central Auction Company. You can Google it, and on their home page is a drop-down menu, and click on "results". There will be an auction that ended January 8 titled "Sports Memorabilia Extravaganza". The auction was conducted online, only, and while was deemed as "local pick-up only", I believe in fact that arrangements could have been made to ship the items for an additional fee on top of freight charges.

    As far as I know, no one was allowed to personally inspect the items beforehand. This gentleman, though, was a well known Royals fan and season ticket holder, and it is my understanding that multiple members of the Royals organization and players had personally visited his home throughout the years, including Frank White, Mike Sweeney, and Dayton Moore, looking over the collection, hanging out, watching a game, and having dinner.

    I am unfamiliar with this auction company's advertising methods and use of social media to promote their auctions, but I am sure many in the community were already well aware of the existence of this collection before the auction. I was not.

    I was only told about it roughly a week ago, and like I said, initially I was not very enthusiastic about wasting any time looking over the stuff, as I never dreamed that someone could accumulate all of this. I certainly appreciate those who alerted me to this, and all of my contact with the auction company was professional. I have no complaints on that end at all. This really opened my eyes, though, to plan for my own end game, as I have nowhere near the amount of stuff, but still plenty that almost no one but me and fellow collectors would value and appreciate.

    That was quite a collection. Did the autos come with any certifications? seems like the sellers may have left some money on the table going with a small local auction house. doesn't seem like it was all that well advertised, I sure didnt hear about it until today. too bad for sellers.

    There was no additional certification for the autos, other than a few items with the MLB hologram like the Dye autograph that I got on a game used ball, and a few other random pieces that I acquired or saw in other lots. While I will certainly speak at some point with those who know the full story, I'm not certain of the circumstances behind the need to sell, or the speed at which the sale needed to close. I was under the impression that the gentleman was still living, but in some sort of assisted care, as he is now roughly 85 years old. While just the word of an old man is not good enough for those that treat collectibles as a commodity, there is no doubt amongst his friends and neighbors as to the provenance of these items. Perhaps, he is of sound mind and good health for 85, and well off enough financially, that his intent was to send these items off into the Kansas City community to be enjoyed by others, and not necessarily to get the most money. I can only speculate.

    He had season tickets in the lower bowl for years, I'm told, and had personal relationships with many of the current and retired players and front office staff. Almost all of his items were signed in person, as he would take things to be signed to every game, every charity event, etc., and even have players visit him at home, and players were always willing to sign for him. So I'm told.

    I'm not personally someone that gets geeked up over autographs. I've never had much interest, really. But just the sheer volume, and the type of items that were signed, made me salivate uncontrollably when I saw the collection that was being dispersed of. Much of that stuff, I would have been after, anyway, even without a signature. But having "Gegr Butt" splashed all over it makes it that much cooler, I guess.

    I certainly believe money was left on the table, even if only considering the way things were listed. I'm sure each bat would have sold for more individually than in lots of 4 or 5. Most of the balls, too. Much of the Brett items were displayed in glass cases, hutches, and curios, and you would bid on the whole shelf based on a few photos. I'm finding that my lots included all kinds of things that no one could or would have known were part of the lot, as they were hidden or obscured in the photos.

    I'm not sure, without authentication, if they would have made more by listing individual items on eBay, considering the automatic return policy, etc, and all of the scammer buyers out there. They might have been tied up for months dealing with people switching stuff out and returning something different. As far as letting a major auction house for collectibles get involved, again, I'm not sure how quickly the estate needed to be settled, or even if the intent was to get absolute top dollar. Maybe after weighing everything together, the best course of action chosen was to make the stuff available to the local KC fans at reasonable prices. After hearing anecdotal stories about this gentleman, it would not at all surprise me if that was actually the case.

  • @Darin said:
    If you're interested in any Bubba Starling rookie auto cards to add to your Royals collection, just let me know.

    I might be interested. I'm a Royals fan and a Husker fan. He was supposed to be Nebraska's QB. Hoping he cracks the bigs some time.

  • As a HUGE George Brett collector (I named my son Brett after him), I am saddened that I didn't know about this sale. Would have loved to bid on this stuff. I am amassing a nice collection of Brett stuff to pass down to him. He's 9 and just getting into cards and has fun going through my stuff. I've met George maybe four times and even his first born son. Actually his son and I have chatted frequently on social media. Great stuff!!

  • emeraldATVemeraldATV Posts: 3,966 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Your Quest sounds like your respect for the game is shinning through. Good to hear their in respectful hands.
    "NOW PLAY BALL". and good luck

  • wadevlwadevl Posts: 224 ✭✭✭

    SCORE!

    Lucky
    BIGLEAGUE SportsCards
    "Respect The Hobby"
    www.bigleaguesc.com
    https://www.ebay.com/str/bigleagueseller
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