Galasso Greets the Greats

If you read any accompanying text to the auction ads of Richard Galasso, you know he’s not a fly-by-night memorabilia dealer hoping to make a quick buck. He’s thorough, serious and to the point in what he’s offering and he stands behind his expertise.
So when the well-known hobby figure conducts an auction, collectors tend to take notice. Galasso’s latest auction is live now and will end July 27. For more information on any of the items mentioned, call (201) 358-1670.

The lineup
As a forensic document examiner, Galasso is known for his autographed items, and this sale has plenty of beauties.
Leading the way is an Alexander Cartwright – the founder of baseball – signed document. The document is a land lease signed in 1883. The item has a minimum bid of $2,000.

A pair of Cobb items are sure to get attention. A 1914 Cobb Baseball Magazine premium is signed by the Hall of Famer and dated to 1936. The premium, itself highly collectible, is 10-by-15 inches. A second Cobb item is a handwritten letter believed to be written around 1915.

Another rare signed document in the sale is an Eddie Collins signed uniform agreement contract dated to 1946.
There are some great George Burke photographs in the lineup, including examples featuring Mickey Cochrane, Earle Combs and Jimmy Foxx. Other highlighted photos include a 16-by-20 image of Joe DiMaggio, a 2-by-3-foot poster of DiMaggio, signed Ford Frick 8-by-10 and an original 12-by-20-inch original drawing of DiMaggio by Bruce Stark.

Autographs
The Galasso auction features numerous signed baseballs, including team-signed examples of the 1953 Yankees (with Mantle, Stengel, Ford, Berra), 1960 Pirates (with Clemente), 1962 Yankees (with Mantle, Berra and Ford) and 1969 Mets (entire team except Hodges). The sale also includes Yankees Old Timers Day signed baseball from 1947 (with Cobb, Walsh, Schalk, Ruffing and half of the starting lineup of the 1927 Yankees) and the 1970s (with DiMaggio, Lindstrom, Mize, Slaughter and Reese).

A pair of autograph albums are being grouped together in the sale. One book alone contains 280 signatures compiled between 1930-42. The book belonged to Anna Daube, whose father owned a steakhouse seven blocks from Yankee Stadium and a similar distance from the Polo Grounds. Among the signatures are 28 Hall of Famers, include Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Herb Pennock, Combs, Mel Ott, Hank Greenberg and many more. The album also has nearly every Yankee from the era and many players who passed away prior to World War II.

The second album features 56 autographs from 1953-60, with nine Hall of Famers included: Dickey, Combs, Stengel, Ruffing, Mantle, Maas, Hartnett, Mathews and even comedian Jackie Gleason.

All signatures are in blue or black fountain pen and nearly all are in Near Mint condition. Minimum bid starts at $7,000.

Memorabilia
As custom, the Galasso auction will also include a great selection of unique memorabilia, including a 1921 architectural drawing of Yankee Stadium’s upper deck by the Osborn Engineering Co. of Cleveland.

A pair of fans that date to 1910-11 are in the lineup. The first, circa 1910, pictures 34 players including Cobb, Wagner, Lajoie, Mathewson and Speaker. The other fan is from 1911 and features 16 players/managers (Lajoie, Wallace, Chance, Chase and more).

Advertisements include a 1932 Louisville Slugger ad picturing Ruth and Gehrig and a 1934 Remington ad featuring Ruth.
Collectors should also look for World Series press pins from 1927-1961 and World Series ticket stubs for the 1951 Yankees, 1956 Dodgers and 1964 Cardinals.

For more information on this auction, call (201) 358-1670 or write to Richard Galasso at 700-76 Broadway #209, Westwood, NJ 07675.