Ask Babe Waxpak: June 6, 2007

Dear Babe:

I have an original of The Sporting News Vol.1, No.1 dated “St. Louis, MO., March 17, 1886.”

Joe Westmoreland, Durham, N.C.

“I doubt very seriously if your reader has a real copy of our first issue,” said Steve Gietschier, senior managing editor for research at the Sporting news (TSN). “I have worked for the Sporting News for 20 years, and I have never seen an original of Volume 1, No. 1, except for one we own. The original is extremely fragile. It was printed on very, very thin paper to begin with, and it has, like all newsprint, deteriorated greatly over time.”

“TSN first issues have been reprinted over the years, probably beginning in 1936 to celebrate the 50th anniversary,” Gietschier said.

There’s an easy way to tell the original from the reprints — original editions had eight pages, and the reproductions have just six. An original if one ever shows up would probably sell in a major auction for $10,000 or more.

Dear Babe:

I have a baseball signed by Roger Maris. It was signed at a football game in the old Kansas City Municipal Stadium in the late 1950s or early 1960s.

Bill Waddington, Independence, Mo.

Maris spent much of the 1958 season and all of 1959 with the Athletics before moving on to the Yankees. You’ve got an early vintage signature. If he signed an official American League ball, it’s worth $4,000-$5,000, said Mike Gutierrez, consignment director for www.HeritageAuctions.com in Dallas. If it’s some other type of ball, the value drops to $2000-$2,750.

Dear Babe:

I have three rookie cards of Shaquille O’Neal. They are 1994 Skybox cards Nos. 67, 68 and 70 in mint condition. I know the value will be more after he retires. They are in mint condition.

Keith Morey Jr., San Pedro

Actually, you have three of O’Neal’s 1994 Skybox USA cards. They are not rookie cards, although one card for each player commemorates his rookie year. In Shaq’s case it’s No. 68. All players have six-card subsets. O’Neal’s cards are Nos. 67-72. Beckett’s annual basketball card price guide lists them at $1 each. There are gold parallels that are worth $2-$4 each. Shaq’s cards are the only ones in the 89-card set worth more than a quarter. As for value increasing upon his retirement that’s doubtful with this type of card. In fact, today most stars’ cards reach their high points long before a player retires.

Dear Babe:

I have a football signed to me by Joe Willie Namath, another football signed by Bill Walsh and Joe Paterno and a bottle of wine in a wooden box from the Marlins inaugural 1993 season.

Dave Bush, Douglasville, Ga.

Brian Marren, vice president of acquisitions for www.MastroAuctions.com auctions in Chicago, said the wine was worth around $100-200. The Namath ball is hurt by the personalization, but is it is still a $200-$250 item. The ball signed by Walsh and Paterno is worth $100 or so. Paterno isn’t a factor and the Walsh signature looked weak to me. A bolder Walsh sig would up the value.

If you have a question for Babe Waxpak, include your full name and hometown, the card number, year and manufacturer or send a photocopy. Please do not send cards. The address is: Babe Waxpak, Box 1148, Anderson CA 96007 or e-mail waxpak@andersonvalleypost.com.