Purchased during the Fleer Liquidation Auction - Saturday, September 10, 2005.
(Please note that I do not own this check. I make no claim to its copyright and publish it for information purposes only.)
Why don't you include the 1988 O'Connell & Sons issue?
Okay, please keep in mind that I have nothing but good things to say about T.S. O'Connell the person. He's a longtime hobbyist, a great columnist for The Sport Collector's Digest Weekly, and a pretty darn good artist. *And recently (Summer 2006) promoted to Editor when F+W Publications purchased Krause Publications.
But that aside, let's look at one of the main benchmarks for an "official" card issue. Ask Beckett, SCD, or any longtime collector, they'll tell you: A trading card should be properly licensed by one of two licensing authorities, preferably both. 1) MLB and/or 2) The MLBPA.
It's that simple. A card must have one or both logos to indicate a properly licensed (paid for) issue. Ever look at the O'Connell issue? Check it out yourself. Keep in mind that these cards are blank backed. So, what's missing? Right. Do you think MLB, or Frank through the MLBPA, received any royalties from this issue? How many unlicensed cards are put into a shredder because they failed to negotiate a proper license? Even if all the funds collected went to charity - there should be an ethical boundry that professionals acknowledge and adhere to - such as not promoting an unlicensed card issue.
1999
MLBPA Endorsement Check to Frank Thomas from Fleer/Skybox International
Purchased during the Fleer Liquidation Auction - Saturday, September 10, 2005.
(Please note that I do not own this check. I make no claim to
its copyright and publish it for information purposes only.)