1905 - 1954 World Series Programs
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GUEST:
I brought some, uh, World Series baseball programs that my great-uncle had collected over the years, and he gave them to me. I was a big baseball fan. In fact, when I was growing up, I loved baseball. I knew batting averages, pitchers' E.R.As. I, I loved it.
APPRAISER:
Oh, that's great.
GUEST:
And I used to watch baseball.
APPRAISER:
That's great. Well, what we have here is a collection of World Series programs, as you know, from 1905 to 1954. The late 1920s to mid-1950s World Series programs at auction could go for about $800 as, as a collection.
GUEST:
Wow.
APPRAISER:
Okay?
GUEST:
Oh, as a collection, okay.
APPRAISER:
But what you have here, this 1905 World Series program, they gave these out at the Polo Grounds, which, of course, no longer exists. 1903 was the first World Series. 1904 was canceled. That makes this second World Series program.
GUEST:
Wow, I didn't even realize that.
APPRAISER:
Okay? Not only that, but when you open this... See, this is scored, and it's scored in, in pencil very lightly and neatly. The 1905 World Series were between the, the New York Giants and the Philadelphia Athletics. And the scoring tells us here that Christy Mathewson challenged Chief Bender, both Hall of Fame pitchers.
GUEST:
Wow.
APPRAISER:
This, that makes this the game five World Series program, okay? Incredibly scarce.
GUEST:
Wow.
APPRAISER:
Incredibly scarce. It was Philadelphia's last chance, their last hurrah. They put their best guy on the mound. Mathewson got the better of 'em. Four games to one, New York went home champs. Condition is, is decent-- it's very nice, it's acceptable for, for being, you know, over 100 years old. At auction, one recently just went for $12,000.
GUEST:
Wow! $12,000?
APPRAISER:
Yes. It's a great item.
GUEST:
And I have another one at home. (both laugh)
APPRAISER:
It's a great item, it really is.
GUEST:
Terrific, that's wonderful.
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