Merry Christmas From Jake!

Happy Hijacking, err, I mean Merry Christmas!  Yes, it's Jake again and I have hijacked John's blog.  The big guy's celebrating Christmas today, so I decided to do today's blog post.

The great thing about Christmas is that there's a ton of collectibles that you could have.  Think about it, you could do sweaters, ornaments, and Santa is an area that's all its own.

I love the ornaments that John has in his Etsy shop, especially the ornament that was designed by Thomas Blackshear for Hallmark.  You can see the ornament here.

So stay warm and bundle up!  And for me, I have some pajamas that I am going to throw on.

Ben Cantwell And The 1933 Goudey’s Baseball Card Set

When we think of baseball cards today, we think of the packs with bubble gum.  But the packs didn’t always come with the gum.

In 1933, the Goudeys Gum Company released a 240 card set released called the Goudeys baseball card.    This card set is the first one of its kind to be issued with bubble gum in the pack of cards.  Before this set came out, the cards were released in tobacco packs.

The cards also double as advertising for Big League Chewing Gum, which can be seen on both the front and back of the card.  They are also very distinguishable because each card features a drawing of each player. 

The first card that I bought that was from this set features Ben Cantwell.  Ben was a pitcher for several teams starting in 1927.  By the time 1933 rolled around, he was a relief pitcher for the Boston Braves.  This year was a pretty good year for Ben; he came close to winning the MVP award for the year. 

 

The great thing about this card is that it falls into several collectible categories: advertising, baseball lovers, and gum nuts could find room in their collection for it.

I have this card listed in my Etsy store, and you can see it here.

Vintage Sheet Music For Every Type of Collector

It’s kind of scary how big the sheet music collectibles area is.  There are different styles of music like rock, country, and jazz.  When you start to look at each area, there are even sub-categories like rock-a-billy, hard rock, smooth jazz, and even classic jazz.  The list just goes on and on.

Click here to see a piece of WWI sheet music.

WWI is a popular area to collectors.  It’s not just the patriotic song, but the cover as well that people collect.  This type of sheet music was produced to help keep the spirits of the country up when we were involved in WWI.  The covers that feature at least one soldier tend to be the most popular.

Sheet music with great covers are also highly coveted.  Covers can feature celebrities like Joan Crawford, images from famous movies like THE SHEIK, or even famous artists like Norman Rockwell.

Click here to see a piece of sheet music featuring Joan Crawford.

Over the years, I have come across a ton of sheet music.  As with other areas of collecting, the condition is king.  The area that gets a lot of wear and tear are the edges and the spine of the music.  Fading to the cover is also another concern.  Over time, the sheet music could be left in the direct sunlight, and some of the art on the cover has faded away.  Things like writing on or in the sheet music, yellowing or missing pages, or brittle pages can also affect the value of the sheet music.  Price stickers from the retailer could also decrease the value of the music.

Click here to see a piece of sheet music featuring a Norman Rockwell Print.

There are as many ways to display your collection as there are items to collect.  They could be proudly displayed on a vintage piano, put on a coffee table, or even framed.  The list just goes on and on.

 

Click here to see WHAT KIND OF AMERICAN ARE YOU?

 

But do you know what the great thing about sheet music is?  Not only can you find pieces to fit any budget and fit into a fairly small space, you can also play it and get tons of enjoyment out of it.

 

Click here to see THE SHEIK sheet music.

You can see some additional examples of some vintage sheet music in my Etsy shop here.

 

A Truly Special Find

You don’t get any better than this in the collectible world:  thanks to shows like American Pickers, porcelain signs are quickly becoming one of the most sought-after antiques.

This one-sided Mobilgas gas pump sign, which I recently listed on TIAS, is a perfect way to get in on the craze.

Most of the porcelain signs I run into are so big, they literally need an 18-wheeler to transport, and a barn to hang on.  But at 12 ½ by 12 inches—that’s inches, not feet—this Mobilgas sign is the perfect way to begin collecting signs.  It would make a great addition to a garage, or over a bar, a little boy’s room, or in a man cave.

A pump featuring a similar Mobilgas sign recently sold at a Barrett-Jackson auction for $5700.

If you’re in the market for a Christmas present for the man or car enthusiast in your life, or know someone who is restoring an old gas pump, this sign is for you.  Head over to ETSY and get a good look.