Barry Halper article in NY Post

[metsbats]

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/treasure_trove_is_baseball_history_MQHFNfIYJ2lj2tR kXhIfzH

Interesting read.

[aeneas01]

the article strikes me as somewhat ironic given the plethora of allegations and lawsuits involving one of the authors:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/43238101/Fraser-vs-Nash-Lawsuit-Including-Exhibits

http://www.scribd.com/doc/32809762/REA-Nash-Suit

http://articles.nydailynews.com/2009-07-30/sports/17928563_1_memorabilia-hobby-robert-edward-auctions

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/iteam/2011/06/peter-nash-claims-hes-getting-help-from-sports-memorabilia-exec

http://articles.nydailynews.com/2011-03-15/sports/29147111_1_peter-j-nash-rea-president-rob-lifson-collectors-and-industry-executives

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/iteam/2010/11/memorabilia-dealer-peter-nash.html

http://sportsillustrated.asia/vault/article/web/COM1163764/1/index.htm

[Swoboda4]

Well,if Barry never played for Jimmy Fox then right there is an obvious fib.

Three things about Barry I observed. (1)He's the reason I started collecting after seeing an article in a magazine showing some photos from his collection.
(2)The cabin fever video of his collection has a segment where Billy Martin visits Barry's home. In an awkward moment,Barry shows Billy a jersey Billy wore. The build up almost had you feeling Barry was going to give Billy the jersey but Barry just showed it to Billy only and Barry then put the jersey back. The look on Billy's face when Barry continued the house tour was probably the look someone saw prior to Billy punching someone.
(3) My own problem with Barry is following his advice at the end of the Cabin Fever Video where he gives collecting tips. In reference to collecting autographed baseballs,he says when a ball has an autograph you want to preserve you hit it with an acrylic spray. Big mistake. Some balls are OK, others,due to the nature of the leather end up blotchy.

(P.S. Barry has also contributed significantly to charitable causes which is never mentioned throught this article. This alone doesn't disprove actions though.)

[icollectDCsports]

Publicity about Halper's collection inspired a lot of us to collect and probably also inspired a lot of people's memorabilia display rooms. It's a shame to hear that at least some of his collection was not what it seemed.

[mdube16]

As luck would have it, I have the University of Miami yearbooks from 1956-1958. While there are no pictures of Halper, the 1957 yearbook clearly shows that Foxx was there in 1957. It shows several pictures of Foxx and the text says that the team was working out in the spring trying to improve on its 1956 record. The 1958 book says that new coach Whitey Campbell took over for Foxx in 1958.

Anyway...looks like the author has at least this fact wrong.

[sox83cubs84]

The part in the Post about the media enjoying Halper's creative stories was true within the hobby, as well, A 1980s/90s hobby paper, Baseeball Hobby News, found the husband/wife publisher/editor team worshipping the ground Halper walked on. If Halper picked his nose, BHN would do a 3-page exclusive on it. I wonder how the Barnings feel now regarding their seeming worship of this guy?

Dave Miedema

[Danny899]

So the much heralded purchase of Mantle's glove by Billy Crystal was a fake? Or was it genuine but only the year of use incorrect?

[ironmanfan]

So the much heralded purchase of Mantle's glove by Billy Crystal was a fake? Or was it genuine but only the year of use incorrect?

I believe it was advertised as circa 1961 (a magic year) and later found not to have been manufactured until 1967 or so (end of his career)....

It's use by Mantle isn't debated, just the time period......