One of my longest journeys - 1960s Hartland Baseball

Stone193 · May 19, 2008 9:31AM

I've been working on this set for 15 yrs - I'm about as slow with this as I am with my 63F BB set which is only at 67% after over 4 yrs!

I just added two new ones and posted a third on the mailcall thread.

I could've put them there but I wanted to see if anyone collects these or any figures that they're proud of. I'm missing two of the most expensive Hartlands and am looking to upgrade as needed.

Here's the 2 I recently picked up - the scanner makes them look a bit dark.

Willie Mays:

and Eddie Matthews:

All and all, they're in pretty good shape.

I'm missing the Groat and the Colavito and the batboy - I saw a nice batboy still in the package but the guy wanted $700 for it!
I've seen the Groat go for a grand!

Checklist:
Mickey Mantle
Babe Ruth
Hank Aaron
Eddie Mathews
Ted Williams
Stan Musial
Warren Spahn
Yogi Berra w Mask
Willie Mays
Nellie Fox
Ernie Banks
Duke Snider
Don Drysdale
Rocky Colavito
Luis Aparicio
Harmon Killebrew
Dick Groat
Roger Maris
Bat Boy

Does anyone collect these? As we've discussed, I was a big SLU collector before they closed shop. I didn't get into the McFarlanes which I think are some of the best detailed figures ever made!

Thanx for viewing - I know this is about as popular as a disease but I just wanted to add something other than cards.

mike

pandrews · May 19, 2008 9:41AM

those are great!

i like action figures, but i dont have the space to collect them seriously, i like cards because i can fit hundreds in a box

i do have a few starting lineups and a couple McFarlanes, but those Hartlands are in another league.

CDsNuts · May 19, 2008 9:43AM

I always liked the Hartland figures. They used to bring some good money in the 80s, but when SLUs took over they were all the rage. peple would rather have spent $80 on a 91 Griffey SLU than on an Ernie Banks Hartland.

Karb · May 19, 2008 9:49AM

Those are very cool! I like the look of 'em.

VitoCo1972 · May 19, 2008 9:53AM

Stone, a new guy in the VST board says he has a whole set for sale:

From Vintage Sportscard Trading board

fandango · May 19, 2008 10:02AM

Mike, Classic Collection for a Classic Guy!

Awesome! Thats what these boards are all about!!!!

Clemaz · May 19, 2008 10:05AM

Mike,

Great collection I have always liked those statues as well. I am already collecting way too many things so I will have to enjoy your statues on these threads. I assume those are the Hartlands from the 60's and not the ones that came out in the late 80's.

perkdog · May 19, 2008 10:09AM

Very nice Mike, thanks for sharing!

DrJ · May 19, 2008 11:18AM

Don't really collect them, but i do have a Warren Spahn original that sits on the shelf in my office. I will try to snap a picture of it later tonight.

Stone193 · May 19, 2008 11:25AM

<< Stone, a new guy in the VST board says he has a whole set for sale:

From Vintage Sportscard Trading board >>

Mike

Those are the re-issues - the ones I have here were made in the 1960s. Thanx.

mike

Stone193 · May 19, 2008 11:29AM

<< Mike,

Great collection I have always liked those statues as well. I am already collecting way too many things so I will have to enjoy your statues on these threads. I assume those are the Hartlands from the 60's and not the ones that came out in the late 80's. >>

That's correct Don - I just edited the title to reflect that.

I have the 80s and the new set up to when they stopped making the 3rd edition of the set.

Here's one I picked up about a month ago:

Hank Aaron.

Thanx for the kind words and encouragement guys - your input makes this much more fun!
mike

MuckyMutt · May 19, 2008 11:41AM

Geez Mike, you collect the coolest items! I really like old baseball related items. I like my cards, but if I find anything baseball related, I'm all over it. But I'll never come close to the nice crap you have!

(and I mean that in the nicest way)

NickM · May 19, 2008 12:17PM

I have a Babe Ruth, picked up from an American Memorabilia auction, and advertised as ExMt. When they shipped it, they taped the bat to Ruth's back (it was not on his back in the picture). I was told by a vintage toy dealer that it would likely suffer paint loss if I tried to remove the tape.

Nick

Stone193 · May 19, 2008 12:28PM

<< I have a Babe Ruth, picked up from an American Memorabilia auction, and advertised as ExMt. When they shipped it, they taped the bat to Ruth's back (it was not on his back in the picture). I was told by a vintage toy dealer that it would likely suffer paint loss if I tried to remove the tape.

Nick >>

That really stinks Nick!

I hate tape!

mike

crbatt · May 19, 2008 12:40PM

Wow - those are really cool. I've never collected them but I might have to rethink that.

milbroco · May 19, 2008 12:52PM

Those Hartlands are great . I have a nrmt-mt Spahn, a beautiful Williams, and my Mathews and Berra (no mask) are in excellent condition. I may try to add a few if I can get them cheap enough on ebay.
Bob

Morgoth · May 19, 2008 10:36PM

Awesome Mike, too bad there is no Clemente. At most card shows I attended in the early 90's, Hartlands always drew big crowds and money.

Ironmanfan · May 19, 2008 10:52PM

A few years ago I saw an interview with Fred Lynn from his home and in the background you could see (what appeared to be) a complete set of Hartland Statues displayed on a shelf in the background (I always thought that was cool).

ajw · May 20, 2008 2:27AM

I've always loved these. My parents' friends had a bunch when I was a kid, and I was always looking at them (but not touching, of course).

Didn't they bring back the Hartland brand in the 1990s? Anyone know much about those? Are they still collectible?

Mike, I'm sure we'd all love to see some more pictures, if you're willing to fire up the camera...

clydecoolidge · May 20, 2008 2:32AM

I'm from the area around Hartland, WI (about 20 minutes East). My dad had the full set of Hartland baseball statues in NM-MT condition, but sold them right before he died in 2006 along with full sets of baseball cards from the early 50's to late 60's. He had a serious alcohol problem, and while the fact that he sold all of this stuff that I thought I would be inherting from when I collected in the early 80's, makes me a tad upset, I still did end up with a ton of very cool items from 50's and 60's partial sets and singles in pretty good condition, to pennants and 50's and 60's Sporting News and Street & Smith's and a bunch of other memorabilia and autographs.

I do love those Hartland's though.

Stone193 · May 20, 2008 9:13AM

<< I've always loved these. My parents' friends had a bunch when I was a kid, and I was always looking at them (but not touching, of course).

Didn't they bring back the Hartland brand in the 1990s? Anyone know much about those? Are they still collectible?

Mike, I'm sure we'd all love to see some more pictures, if you're willing to fire up the camera... >>

Drew

They went in all kinds of directions post-60s Hartlands:

1. Late 80s - early 90s - 25th Anniversary statues - a remake of the 60s set.

2. 1993-5 made by Stevens Manufacturing company - known as the Missouri Hartlands - most notable - Yaz and Clemente.

3. Those produced in the early 90s - the Dallas Harland statues - most notable - Ty Cobb, Bob Feller.

4. Current Hartland production of a 3rd "anniversary set" seems to be halted - I've picked up about 10 of them and I no long get sent one - so I would guess they aren't gonna finish the run - they're painted very nicely. The Mantles produced a real keepers!

Of the newer productions - due to very small print runs - some of them go for way more than the originals - like the Bob Feller which sold at one time for about 2K!

Of the original - the SPs appear to be the Colavito and the Groat. Go figure?

mike

WinPitcher · May 20, 2008 9:20AM

hartlands rock! nice p/u Mike!

Steve

originalisbest · May 20, 2008 10:19AM

Very cool Mike!

Stone193 · May 20, 2008 12:36PM

Drew

This is the last one for now - I don't want to overstay my welcome.

Babe Ruth:

Thanx for all the kind words.
mike

brianwintersfan · May 20, 2008 1:47PM

Added some brightness so you could see them better.

Ripken · May 20, 2008 1:52PM

The Groat is very tough. I think they only made about 5,000 and I suspect fewer than 1/3 probably survived. Colavito is also hard to find. I used to sit next to the artist for Hartland at a show many years ago. With help, I put the set together in the 80s and have them displayed in a cabinet. No batboy...ironically I had one when I was a kid. Stuck in a toybox for years but traded it around 1978 to a flea market dealer for a huge bunch of football cards. Mom wasn't happy--and I suspect the flea market guy made a nice profit, but I got a ton of nice older football out of the deal.

Stone193 · May 20, 2008 1:55PM

Thanx Steve!

Ya know - you can really see how scratched my old scanner is! It's like 5 yrs old.

mike

Kid4hof03 · May 20, 2008 1:57PM

Mike,
Another awesome collection, thanks for sharing them! I've had a couple of them over the years but could never stick with them long enough to get serious.

Abe

brianwintersfan · May 20, 2008 2:20PM

<< Thanx Steve!

Ya know - you can really see how scratched my old scanner is! It's like 5 yrs old.

mike >>

Glad to help

GDM67 · May 20, 2008 2:50PM

<< 4. Current Hartland production of a 3rd "anniversary set" seems to be halted - I've picked up about 10 of them and I no long get sent one - so I would guess they aren't gonna finish the run - they're painted very nicely. The Mantles produced a real keepers! >>

I think that run includes this Spahn, if I'm not mistaken.

PSASAP · May 20, 2008 3:59PM

This one is for morgoth:

Morgoth · May 21, 2008 2:22AM

Is that a new or old Hartland, whichever I like

Thanks!

PSASAP · May 21, 2008 2:32AM

The Clemente is a new Hartland produced in the early 1990's.

Stone193 · May 21, 2008 2:46AM

<< The Clemente is a new Hartland produced in the early 1990's. >>

And it was produced in both the Dallas and the Missouri Hartland statue productions.

The Missouri Hartland is valued a bit higher.

mike

mj23kg21 · May 21, 2008 3:42AM

I have a few hartlands in my collection. Here are some of them. All of them are originals. I also have some boxes and tags which are pretty tough to find. I am sorry about the bad picture.

TJMAC · May 21, 2008 5:20AM

Nice looking stuff guys. I am really glad Mike created this thread. It has been awhile since I thought about Hartland statues. I used to love to look at them at my local card store as a kid. They were way out of my price range then.

Stone193 · May 21, 2008 8:52AM

Very nice mj - I see you've got the May with tag and box.

Those always go too high for me and I'm affraid of reprints on the tags.

I'm getting ready to look into some display cabinets - I could use a bigger room but that'll never happen.

Thanx for sharing
mike

IMeddie · May 21, 2008 8:58AM

Hartlands are great (and addicting too). I haven't thought about them in a while.
Thanks for reminding me about them. A thing about Hartlands - the figures actually look like the player they are supposed to!

Todd

One of my longest journeys - 1960s Hartland Baseball

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