Even with the economy as tough as it is, vintage and rare Baseball memorabilia can still garner big prices. Check out this great vintage real photo postcard featuring a heralded Negro League team from 1909 called the Chicago Leland Giants. It is notable because it features Hall of Famers Rube Foster (top right) and Pete Hill (top left). Anything with Pete Hill is extremely rare. It sold for an astounding
$22,137.50 (over $21k above estimate).
As a special note, Rube Foster was seen by NY Giant manager John McGraw at around 1901, and (as legend has it) was so good McGraw wanted to have him play for his team. Of course, those times would not allow it, so he instead had Foster coach a young pitcher named Christy Mathewson on how to throw his fadeaway pitch (screwball).
Some Baseball historians have discredited this story. I, nevertheless, would like to think it is true. After all, John McGraw was an unusual character. He was fiery and temperamental, a brawler and a cheater, Baseball's best talent scout and a racist. Yet, upon his death, in his personal belongings, was not only a piece of a noose used in a lynching that he kept for good luck but a list of Negro League players he had seen who he wished could have played for him.
Below is from the auction description.
In 1901 Frank Leland combined the “Chicago Unions” with the Chicago Union Giants (1901-1904) and in 1905 they were re-named the Leland Giants. Rube Foster joined the Giants in 1907, leading them to a 110-10 record including 48 straight wins. In 1909 the Giants entered the tough integrated city league. In Foster’s first 11 stars he won 11 games with 4 shut-outs. By 1910 the Giants were the talk of the Midwest but Foster and Leland parted ways with Foster retaining legal rights to the Lelands Giants name. Foster chose to re-name the team “American Giants” for the 1911 season while Lelands’ new team was named the Chicago Giants. Rube Foster is shown on the back row at far right. Rare. Nice clear image.
Rube Foster is probably one of the finest pitchers most fans have never heard of. Unfortunately, we can't use his playing record as a way of comparing him to the best at the time. We do have, though, some first hand accounts from some of the best. Frank Chance said he was, "the most finished product I'd ever seen in the pitcher's box. Honus Wagner said Foster was, "one of the greatest pitchers of all time...smartest pitcher I've ever seen..."
Here is a very scarce "1 of 1" card from the 2007 Topps Triple Threads product featuring Matt Kemp. This is one of the rarest of the different parallel cards available. Unfortunately, the auto is slightly smeared which probably explains why I was able to purchase it on eBay a couple of years ago for what I remember being a good price. 
eBay, once again, uncovers a unique and different vintage memorabilia item I have never seen before. Here is a 1962 "Official Junior Major Leaguer" cap featuring Sandy Koufax. Junior Major Leaguer was a popular player endorsed clothing manufacturer. I've seen t-shirts before, but never a Baseball cap. It is in remarkable condition and would look great on any collectors memorabilia cabinet.
Here is a 2007 Topps Co-Signers dual autograph card of Matt Kemp and Chris Iannetta. It is not numbered and not particularly scarce as auto inserts go. It's also too bad that Iannetta has been playing poorly. It had the possibility of including two great young future stars.
If you were a fan of the Dodgers in the 80's then you probably remember these sets. Beginning in 1980 the team got together with the police department, the LAPD, to produce special sets featuring the team. The ran for two decades, and remains one of the more popular police/ safety sets ever created. Cards could be gotten directly from officers throughout the southland.
Over the next several weeks and months I will scan each one of the sets I have and post them here. Go ahead a click on any of the pics to enlarge.
I really love this card, and unfortunately this scan does not do it justice. Here is a 2007 Upper Deck Black Lustrous combination game-used uniform piece and autograph card of Andre Ethier. It is numbered 7 out of 50. The coolest thing about this card is the clear plastic windows at center. The autograph on the bottom and the player portrait at top looks like it just floats. In fact, the portrait has the appearance of a B&W film negative.
