Dear Babe: My dad did business with a Russian firm in the late 1970s. With the 1980 Moscow Olympics approaching he was given a replica gold medal and a Mishka lapel pin. -- C.B., Redding, Calif.
The clever Soviets had picked up on capitalism by the time the 1980 Olympics rolled around. While the U.S. boycotted the summer games, there is no shortage of items produced by the Russians.
"Those pins are very easy to find, and the production quality is usually not real great. I would estimate its value at about $2," said Sam Evans, www.teampins.com.
Mike Heffner, president of www.Lelands.com, said the value of the replica gold medal would depend on whether it had any real gold in it. More than likely with no gold, it's probably not worth a lot.
Dear Babe: I have an Old Gold Cigarettes photo of Jackie Robinson for about 61 years. -- Richard McGough, Murrieta, Calif.
You'll be happy you held onto to the postcard-sized ad piece. The Standard Catalog of Baseball Cards from the editors of Sports Collectors Digest notes that there are two versions of the photo from 1948. One shows Robinson in the field and the more common one with Robinson in the dugout. The shot of him in the field lists for $240-$800, while the one you have of him in the dugout books at $180-$600. The front carries an endorsement along with a facsimile signature, while the backs have biographical data. Based on the photocopy, it looks like your photo is creased, so it will fall to the bottom of the range.
Dear Babe: I have a 1954 Redman Yogi Berra with a tab that has "Salesman Sample Toldeo" stamped in red ink on the back. -- R.N., Clarkston, Wash.
The longtime hobby experts I checked with had never heard of Red Man samples.
"I've never heard of a salesman's sample of a Red Man. Because of a lack of hobby 'history,' I'd guess it to be worth less than a normal card," said Bob Lemke, editor of The Standard Catalog of Baseball Cards from the editors of Sports Collectors Digest.
"My instinct tells me that these salesmen samples for Red Man Cards do not have extra value," said Rich Klein, a columnist for www.cardinformant.com and the new card reviewer for www.sportscollectorsdaily.com. "I don't think this is the same situation as the Topps or Bowman Salesman samples. I could be wrong; but that is just my instinct on the subject."
"With a hand stamp, could be many different reasons. I have not heard of this being anything 'official' from Red Man (or the printer), which would be the best case scenario," said Mike Mosier of www.columbiacitycollectibles.com.
Of course, the other possibility is that it is a fake, but I don't see why someone would have done that, since it probably detracts from the value.
Dear Babe: I have a set of 1992 McDonald's commemorative collector Dream Team cups. It is a set of 12 cups. -- Ron Green, Colton, Calif.
Beckett's annual basketball card price guide lists a set of 10 1992 Dream Team cups at $25 with Jordan listing for $10. The first 10 cups are numbered. Clyde Drexler and Christian Laettner, two late additions to the team and the set have no numbers.
BABE NOTE: 2011 Topps UFC Title Shot features autographs of every current UFC champ plus at least 10 new "First Issue" autographs from top contenders including welterweight Jake Shields. There are 12 packs of 16 cards in each hobby box, including one signed relic card, an autographed card and two other relic cards. For complete details, visit my blog at www.scrippsnews.com/blogs/waxpak.
(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.)
Comments