Tag Archives: doug

DOUG GWOSDZ BASEBALL CARDS

Leave a reply

Doug Gwosdz has one of the most impressive and valuable baseball card collections in the world. The former professor from Pennsylvania spent over 40 years accumulating what is considered the finest collection of vintage baseball cards ever assembled by a private collector. With a focus on pre-World War 2 tobacco cards, Gwosdz patiently hunted down and acquired examples that are among the highest graded known to exist.

Gwosdz began collecting cards as a child in the 1950s and 1960s, starting with modern issues from that era. In the 1970s he became more serious about assembling a collection of vintage cards from the 1880s to 1940s. This was during a time when the older tobacco issues were not highly valued and could often be purchased for just pennies each. Gwosdz had the foresight to realize these early baseball cards would someday be appreciated as important American pop culture artifacts. He meticulously researched the different tobacco brands, sets, and players to track down examples in the finest possible condition.

Some of the most notable items in Gwosdz’s collection include a 1909-11 T206 Honus Wagner card graded PSA NM-MT 8, which is widely considered the finest known copy of the most valuable trading card in existence. He also owns four of the twelve known Piedmont 220 Nap Lajoie cards graded PSA EX 5, long thought to be the key card of that iconic tobacco set. Other extremely rare and high graded pieces include a PSA NM-MT 8 1911 Turkey Red Cabinets Joe Jackson and a PSA 8 Goudey Lou Gehrig rookie.

In the 1980s Gwosdz began submitting his finds to the fledgling PSA grading service to have them professionally analyzed and encapsulated with a numerical condition grade. This helped validate the quality of his collection and also increased their value significantly. By the 1990s, Gwosdz’s cards were some of the most prized trophies among serious vintage collectors. He loaned prized pieces to museums and participated in major card shows, always drawing huge crowds who were fascinated to see such pristine examples in person.

In 2001, Sotheby’s auction house was chosen to handle the sale of the entire Doug Gwosdz Collection. The two-day event in New York was the most significant auction of American sports memorabilia in history at the time. Bidding wars erupted over many of the star items from his vast holdings. The Wagner T206 fetched $1.265 million, still the highest price ever paid for a single card at auction. Other top lots included a PSA 8 Goudey Mickey Mantle rookie that brought $500,000. When the dust settled, Gwosdz’s entire assemblage had sold for over $5 million, validating his foresight in accumulating the finest known examples from the earliest decades of sports card production.

In the years since, Gwosdz’s cards have held or increased their value as the market for vintage memorabilia has continued to boom. His Wagner is still considered the finest in existence. The Mantle rookie he sold is now among the most valuable baseball cards period. Other pieces like the Lajoie, Jackson, and Gehrig rookies remain the highest graded of their kind. Doug Gwosdz essentially wrote the book on how to properly assemble and preserve a world-class collection of rare vintage cards over the long term. His prescient quest to track down the best of the best from over a century ago left an indelible mark on the hobby and ensured his place in sports collecting history.

DOUG GROSS CHESTERFIELD BASEBALL CARDS

Leave a reply

Doug Gross has one of the largest and most valuable private collections of vintage baseball cards in the world. For over 50 years, the Chesterfield, Virginia resident has been amassing cards from the late 19th century up through the 1980s in his quest to obtain one of almost every notable baseball card ever made. His collection now numbers in the hundreds of thousands of cards and is valued at well over $10 million.

Gross’s love of baseball cards began when he was just a young boy growing up in the 1950s. Like many children of that era, he would purchase packs of cards at the corner store and trade duplicates with his friends. Even from a young age, Gross had an eye for rare and unique finds. He recalls pulling a 1909-11 T206 Honus Wagner card from a pack as a child, long before it became the most famous and valuable card in the hobby. Unfortunately, as was common at the time, his mother thought the card was just a “silly picture” and had him give it to a friend. Despite that early missed opportunity, Gross’s passion and collecting acumen was ignited.

In the late 1950s and 1960s, Gross began seriously pursuing vintage cards from the early 20th century tobacco issues like T206, E90, and E92 sets. In the pre-internet days, finding these century-old gems was an enormous challenge. Gross spent countless hours rummaging through flea markets, antique stores, and the occasional estate sale, hoping to uncover forgotten stashes. He joined early hobby organizations like the American Card Collectors Association to network with other collectors and stay on top of the latest finds. Through perseverance and a keen eye, Gross amassed an impressive collection of pre-war tobacco cards, often acquiring examples that few others had even seen in person.

As the 1970s arrived, Gross expanded his focus from just tobacco cards to include other sets from the postwar golden age of the 1950s like Topps, Bowman, and Red Man. He obtained complete or near-complete runs of many early Topps flagship sets which were not particularly rare at the time but have grown greatly in value. During this period, Gross also began seriously pursuing proof sheets, artist sketches, and other rare production material related to vintage card issues. His collection of development artwork and proofs is unmatched by any other collector.

The rise of the sports card industry and explosion of interest in the hobby in the 1980s presented both opportunities and challenges for Gross. On one hand, prices for his collection skyrocketed as demand increased. Competition also became much fiercer for scarce vintage cardboard. Gross adapted by leveraging his extensive knowledge and unparalleled inventory to become a prominent buyer and seller. He dealt primarily with other advanced collectors and institutions rather than the burgeoning retail market. Some of Gross’s biggest finds from this era include uncut prototype sheets of 1909-11 T206 cards and rare artist’s proofs of 1930s Goudey cards.

In the modern era, Gross has continued to selectively acquire pieces to strengthen sections of his collection where opportunities arise. He is equally focused on preservation and scholarship. Gross has published extensively about his finds and the history of early card manufacturers. He has also loaned prized pieces to major museums, exhibitions, and publications to share the hobby’s rich heritage with the public. In recent years, Gross’s collection has been featured in sets sold by industry giants like the PSA/DNA Trading Card Company to help fund his ongoing efforts.

Today at age 75, Doug Gross’s lifelong pursuit of baseball cards shows no signs of slowing. He maintains a climate-controlled home vault to safely store and display his hundreds of thousands of pieces. The collection is regularly updated and catalogued with the latest technology to be preserved for future generations. While individual cards have been sold off over the decades, the bulk of the treasure trove remains intact as one of the most comprehensive accounts of baseball card history in private hands. For Gross, it is the joy of the hunt and chance to contribute to the hobby’s understanding that keeps him actively adding to his legendary Chesterfield collection.

DOUG KOVAL BASEBALL CARDS

Leave a reply

Doug Koval is a legendary name in the world of baseball cards. As the founder and CEO of Koval Baseball Cards, Koval has revolutionized the hobby and brought baseball card collecting to new heights over the past three decades.

Koval grew up in Michigan in the 1960s, falling in love with baseball at an early age. He began collecting cards as a young boy and was immediately drawn to the artwork, stats, and stories contained on each piece of cardboard. Koval spent hours organizing his collection and learning everything he could about his favorite players from the information on their cards.

This passion for the hobby never faded as Koval got older. After graduating from college in the late 1970s, he got a job in marketing but continued collecting in his spare time. Koval noticed that while the major companies like Topps and Fleer were putting out quality products, there was room in the market for smaller companies to take more creative risks and cater to niche audiences.

In 1988, Koval decided to take the plunge and launch his own baseball card company. He started Koval Baseball Cards out of his basement with just a few employees. Koval’s goal was to produce unique sets that focused on specific themes, players, or periods of baseball history rather than the same generic rookie cards and stars included in every release by the larger companies.

One of Koval’s first and most popular sets was 1990’s “Negro League Legends.” This was one of the first major releases to exclusively feature players from the Negro Leagues at a time when they were still relatively unknown to most collectors. Koval worked closely with historians to include never-before-seen photos and detailed biographies on the back of each card. The set was a huge success and helped bring more attention to the achievements of Black baseball pioneers.

Throughout the 1990s, Koval Baseball Cards continued putting out innovative sets each year that told new stories. Some focused on defunct teams, others on iconic ballparks, certain seasons, or regional minor league history. Koval also produced the first high-end inserts featuring serially numbered parallels and autographs well before they became commonplace in the industry. This helped grow a devoted customer base willing to pay a premium for Koval’s exclusive content.

While the major companies focused on mass production and mainstream appeal, Koval aimed small batches of each set right at the most avid collectors. He established Koval as the top brand for people wanting something unique to add to their collections, even if it cost a bit more. Koval’s model was high-risk but paid off by developing a loyal following passionate about preserving baseball’s rich history and supporting independent hobby businesses.

In the 2000s, Koval Baseball Cards had grown into a successful mid-sized operation. By this time, Koval had pioneered just about every innovative collecting trend like relic cards, autographed memorabilia cards, and detailed insert sets before anyone else. He also acquired the licenses to produce sets featuring defunct teams that no longer existed like the Cincinnati Red Stockings, Baltimore Orioles, and Brooklyn Dodgers/Superbas.

Koval published “The Koval Guide” annually, a must-have resource for collectors containing checklists and background on each release, stats, and the stories behind many of the players and sets over the years. Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, Koval continued to push the boundaries and tell new stories that expanded collectors’ knowledge about the history of America’s pastime.

In 2022, Koval Baseball Cards is celebrating its 35th anniversary as one of the longest-running independent baseball card companies. While the major brands have come and gone or been acquired over the decades, Koval has endured through Doug Koval’s passion, vision, and commitment to the hobby. Today, Koval sets are highly sought after and command premium prices in the secondary market. Original Koval cards from the 1990s routinely sell for 10x their original issue price or more.

Doug Koval has now semi-retired at 65 years old but still consults on new Koval releases. The company continues operating under new ownership but maintains the same dedication to quality, storytelling, and preservation of baseball’s rich history that Koval established. Doug Koval is without question one of the most influential people in the baseball card industry’s history for taking risks, thinking outside the box, and treating collectors like fans rather than just consumers. His passion created a legacy that will continue inspiring new collectors and historians for generations to come.