Dear Babe: My dad kept a lot of booklets about sports skills from the 1920s put out by various manufacturers of shoes and equipment. They include several different copies of "Keds Handbook of Sports." -- Jeff Jones, Shingletown, Calif.
Some of these in top condition might be worth as much as $250. Based on the photocopies you enclosed, Mike Heffner, president of www.Lelands.com auction house in New York, said handbooks such as yours are worth around $25 each because of their condition. "Some are worth a little more, some a little less," Heffner said.
Dear Babe: I have two footballs that we want to use as part of fundraising for the Shannon Mosher Memorial Foundation that we started in memory of our daughter, who died of leukemia in 2000. I have managed to secure the signatures of Gator coaches Steve Spurrier, Ron Zook, Urban Meyer and the new coach, Will Muschamp, on a Florida football. I also have a Georgia football signed by coaches Vince Dooley, Ray Goff, Jim Donnan and Mark Richt. -- Stuart Mosher, Auburn, Ga.
As I suspected, the balls don't have a lot of value in the overall marketplace, but, as noted, should be hot items for Gators and Bulldogs alumni.
Each ball is worth around $300, said Bobby Mintz, vice president of operations for Houston-based www.TristarProductions.com."Yet, a Florida (or Georgia) alum will pay more in the right auction," he added.
Mike Breeden, a Sports Collectors Digest columnist and autograph expert, agreed on all accounts.
Dear Babe: I have a Dodger batting helmet with 15-20 autographs on it. The most prominent would be Tom Lasorda's. It also has those of Eric Karros, Ramon Martinez, Cory Snyder, Mitch Webster and others. -- Jim Edward, Corona, Calif.
Even though you only have four names, Snyder's helps to pin down the year. He was with the Dodgers in 1993 and 1994. The Dodgers were first in 1994, but that season was halted by the strike. With no postseason play, that doesn't really mean much.
David Kohler, president of www.scpauctions.com, said it was probably worth $100-150. "Not a lot of big players on those two teams," Kohler said.
Dear Babe: My wife and I attended a Las Vegas promotion in 2002 that included baseball Hall of Famers and legends. We were given a decorative bat for gathering autographs. My wife struck up a conversation with Duke Snider and a couple of other players, whom we can't remember. All three signed the bat. -- Dennis M., Temecula, Calif.
While she may have talked with Snider, I doubt he's the "Duke" who signed the bat. The big problem is that Snider was never with the Yankees. Instead, it's probably signed by Duke Sims, who was with the Yanks in 1973 and '74, which is the notation added to the signature. I checked with a couple of folks and they can't decipher the other two signatures. If they're players of the same caliber as Sims, it's doubtful the bat has much value. If you can pin down the other signers, we could take another look.
(Send card questions to Babe Waxpak, PO Box 492397, Redding, CA 96049-2397 or e-mail babewaxpak@charter.net. If possible, include card number, year and brand or a photocopy. Please do not send cards. For Babe Waxpak's blog, see www.scrippsnews.com/waxpak. Babe Waxpak is a feature of The Record Searchlight in Redding, Calif.)
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