Barry Halper Collection of Baseball Memorabilia

Rating:
Summary: Incredible Pictoral History of the Artifacts of the Game
Review: Only one word describes the catalog set.....INCREDIBLE. As a life-long baseball fan, collector, dealer, etc, this set of catalogs, pictures in beautiful crystal clear color, many of the artifacts of America's National Pasttime. Many people were upset at Halper for breaking this collection up. Contratry to that opinion, I believe breaking the collection up allowed SO many people to share in the history of the game. Five million dollars worth of collectibles were purchased by MLB for the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Twenty two million dollars worth were auction in the Sotheby's auction and an unknown amount on amazon.sothebys.com. These catalogs contain relics from every facet of the game......baseball cards dating back to the 1880's.....team and individual photos dating back even farther.....uniforms, bats, balls, gloves from nearly every hall of famer......personal trophies like triple crown, Cy Young, MVP and so much more. Nowhere will you find such a book that illustrates why Baseball is woven through the fabric of America than this catalog. The lot descriptions are carefully crafted to be both a history lesson and a thought (and pocketbook) provoking snapshot of baseball. Never again will there be such a collection amassed. No one has the access to players and probably the funds to acquire such a collection....you get a glimpse at everything important about baseball. Everything good about baseball.....you forget about the strike of 1994, you forget about the high paid cry babies of today and remember the guys that played the game for one reason.....the love of the game. There was team loyalty, work ethics, and so much more that baseball and America as a whole is sometimes seriously lacking today. Spend the bucks.....you won't regret it......

Rating:
Summary: Incredible Pictoral History of the Artifacts of the Game
Review: Only one word describes the catalog set.....INCREDIBLE. As a life-long baseball fan, collector, dealer, etc, this set of catalogs, pictures in beautiful crystal clear color, many of the artifacts of America's National Pasttime. Many people were upset at Halper for breaking this collection up. Contratry to that opinion, I believe breaking the collection up allowed SO many people to share in the history of the game. Five million dollars worth of collectibles were purchased by MLB for the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Twenty two million dollars worth were auction in the Sotheby's auction and an unknown amount on amazon.sothebys.com. These catalogs contain relics from every facet of the game......baseball cards dating back to the 1880's.....team and individual photos dating back even farther.....uniforms, bats, balls, gloves from nearly every hall of famer......personal trophies like triple crown, Cy Young, MVP and so much more. Nowhere will you find such a book that illustrates why Baseball is woven through the fabric of America than this catalog. The lot descriptions are carefully crafted to be both a history lesson and a thought (and pocketbook) provoking snapshot of baseball. Never again will there be such a collection amassed. No one has the access to players and probably the funds to acquire such a collection....you get a glimpse at everything important about baseball. Everything good about baseball.....you forget about the strike of 1994, you forget about the high paid cry babies of today and remember the guys that played the game for one reason.....the love of the game. There was team loyalty, work ethics, and so much more that baseball and America as a whole is sometimes seriously lacking today. Spend the bucks.....you won't regret it......

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful pictures and attention to detail
Review: This is an incredible reference, especially for uniforms. The pictures and detail are amazing, and you can generally tell what people thought was real, and what people did not from looking at the prices. The attention to detail in the descriptions is really helpful in identifying stuff today. I wish there were more photos, and sometimes I wish there was an acknowledgement of some of the controversey surrounding some of the items. I really am in awe of the folks who put together this beautiful book, and the incredible pictures. I think this is a great starting point for anyone collecting seriously.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful pictures and attention to detail
Review: This is an incredible reference, especially for uniforms. The pictures and detail are amazing, and you can generally tell what people thought was real, and what people did not from looking at the prices. The attention to detail in the descriptions is really helpful in identifying stuff today. I wish there were more photos, and sometimes I wish there was an acknowledgement of some of the controversey surrounding some of the items. I really am in awe of the folks who put together this beautiful book, and the incredible pictures. I think this is a great starting point for anyone collecting seriously.

Rating:
Summary: The Collection Of Dreams
Review: This is the Hall of Fame of baseball memorabilia, without equal. Halper had put together a collection of almost every baseball-related item that could be collected, and these catalogues display most of that collection, including lots of items that you never would have thought even existed. The pictures of the items are terrific, and are worth the price just by themselves. But in addition, this post-auction printing also includes the final bid prices for items in the auction, so it seves as an excellent "price guide" for rare and unusual material - memorabilia you certainly won't find in Beckett's guides or other more generic price references. And, for those of us that think of some of the final bid amounts in terms of hefty mortgages rather than hobby expenses (e.g., $305,000 for a Lou Gehrig jersey!) the book is great fodder for dreams, however unattainable they may be...

Rating:
Summary: The Collection Of Dreams
Review: Well, I may never make the trip to Cooperstown but this book may substitute for that trip for the time being. What a wonderful collection of baseball memorabilia! There are things that are here that I never knew existed. A lot of the things such as advertising or toys show the true impact that baseball has had on American culture. Mr Halper is a true lover of baseball and this catalog was also put together carefully with a lot of love and very meticulously. This makes a great reference book (I use it to help verify authenticity of autographs) and fascinating reading. There's even a picture of what may be the first baseball ever made.