Jots from Jeff

Hail to the Chief we have chosen for the nation,
Hail to the Chief!

Yes, that’s the beginning of the song written by James Sanderson for the stage adaptation of Sir Walter Scott’s poem The Lady of the Lake. In 1954 the Department of Defense officially designated the music as the entrance song of the President. The tune will soon be heard again when a new President of the United States is ushered in, whether it is John McCain or Barack Obama.

However, as the 2008 election draws near, collectors of political memorabilia are already in high gear. Political memorabilia are always popular, and items from any of the Presidential candidates are in demand. In fact, even items pertaining to also-rans can become treasures.

For a beginning political memorabilia collector, there is a tremendous amount of material to choose from, and you should select a certain President, campaign, or period to concentrate on.

The most popular form of political memorabilia are pins and buttons.

Which President’s memorabilia are the toughest to obtain, and the most desirable? Serious collectors know the answer is William Henry Harrison.  (read more…)

www.HOFcommunity.com

Image via Wikipedia

Is Elvis still alive? Enough people think that they have sighted Elvis to make others stop to think that The King really still might be alive. After all, Jerry Glanville, the former National Football League head coach of the Atlanta Falcons and the Houston Oilers, leaves tickets for Elvis to games he coaches. In addition, couples will trek to Las Vegas’ The Elvis Wedding Chapel, among others, to get married by none other than – Elvis himself!

Whether you believe that Elvis is still among the living – or died that fateful day of August 16, 1977 – is a personal decision. However, the undeniable fact remains that Elvis’ memories are very much alive among billions of people across the world, and very definitely alive among collectors of Elvis memorabilia. You don’t need to have gone to an Elvis concert, or even have been alive for that matter when he was a performer, to realize the impact of his music. There is a reason why Elvis was selected by the Atlantic Magazine as one of the top hundred most influential Americans of the 20th century. As we know, Elvis was instrumental in bridging the generation gap, although that was not the feeling in the beginning. The “Elvis the Pelvis” nickname, usually used derogatorily, and the banning of his appearing on the small screen from the waist down, did eventually give way to the general acceptance of Elvis as a musical innovator, a respected movie actor, and a very generous and giving person. (more…)

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

For a sport that was once considered elitist, Woods has changed the face of golf. But there is not a golfer – including the ones on the PGA tour – who doesn’t recognize that Woods’ achievements have helped the entire sport, memorabilia with equal gusto.

Just take a look at some very recent Tiger Woods memorabilia auction results. A single baseball signed by Woods was auctioned for $5975 in a Heritage Auction last month. That is incredible. Of course, collectors know that celebrities, including athletes, sign baseballs. Rock performers, including Clapton, Dylan, the Stones, and the Beatles have signed baseballs. Abbott and Costello, Frank Sinatra, Humphrey Bogart, Bob Hope, George Burns, and every US President since William Howard Taft signed baseballs. But for a baseball autographed by a golf star auctioned for nearly $6000 is remarkable. In that same Heritage auction, a golf flag signed by Woods and Jack Nicklaus from the 2006 Presidents Cup Team went for $1554. Sure, I would rather have a signed baseball than a flag, but $1554 for the flag is pretty incredible as well, as flags typically are not highly collectible. (more…)

Image by hartcurt via Flickr

The election of Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken Jr. into the baseball Hall of Fame comes as a surprise to no one. The percentage of votes that each received came within a whisker of Tom Seaver’s all-time record. Their five year wait to be inducted will finally be culminated in late July in Cooperstown.

The annual rite of induction also begs the inevitable question about the values of their memorabilia in addition to the impact on their lives. Suffice it to say that the busy schedules of Gwynn and Ripken have just become even busier.

Certainly the minimal free time that they once had will shrink. In Gwynn’s case, he is the coach of the San Diego State University baseball team, his alma mater. Likewise with Ripken, who goes around the country promoting youth baseball. There are no indications that either of them will stop doing exactly what they love doing. (more…)

Image via Wikipedia

Every six months or so an auction will feature a T206 Honus Wagner card. Most collectors, and even non-collectors for that matter, are familiar with the “Holy Grail” of sports cards, the T206 Honus Wagner card with a tiny portrait with the allure of Mona Lisa to collectors. That one card which has a width of only 1 7/16 inches and a height of 2 5/8 inches has been the hope and dream of many collectors, the pinnacle of a baseball fan’s collecting journey, and to some, the means to luxury. But through the years the Wagner card has been the subject of a great deal of controversy.

Retracing history, Honus Wagner was an all-star shortstop for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He is regarded by many as being the premier player in the Major Leagues prior to the 1920s. Indeed, his crowning achievement came in 1936 when the Baseball Writers Association of America selected him, Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson and Babe Ruth for the Baseball Hall of Fame’s inaugural induction. From 1909 to 1911 the American Tobacco Company issued the T206 (the T was for tobacco) set of cards on two major brands of cigarette boxes, Piedmont and Sweet Caporal. It is estimated that only 35-50 authentic Wagner cards exist today. There are two prevailing reasons for the scarcity of the card. The first theory is that Wagner requested that the production of his card be stopped because he did not want children to be influenced into buying tobacco products to get his card. The other theory is the tobacco company did not pay him for the use of his image, and Wagner requested that they stop production. When production was stopped it was estimated that a maximum of 200 cards had already been produced. (more…)

Image via Wikipedia

As Major League Baseball eclipses the All-Star break, the symbolic halfway point in its marathon campaign, the Hall of Fame ceremonies on July 27th are not far away. This year the “Cooperstown Invitational” will only induct one player, Rich “Goose” Gossage. Unless you are part of the Gossage family, not much excitement will be stirred up on the shores of Lake Ostego. In his illustrious 22-year major league career Gossage wore nine different uniforms, and he was with one team, the Yankees, twice.

A year ago two superstars – Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken, Jr. – were inducted into the Hall of Fame and baseball immortality. Since 1936, when Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, Babe Ruth, and Honus Wagner were first elected, only 228 players have been enshrined, with Gossage slotting number 229. But let’s face it: The luster of the Hall is tarnished because an all-star cast of characters probably will never have a place and a plaque. We have Messrs. Bonds, Clemens, McGwire, Palmeiro, Sosa, and, of course, the all-time hit leader, Pete Rose.  (more…)