Indiana's RV hall of fame a trip down memory lane

Nearby, Margaret Campbell marveled over the back porch included in a blue 1931 Chevrolet house car that Paramount Studios had built to help lure Mae West out of vaudeville and into movies. “I'd be in trouble with that,” Campbell said. “I'd be out here waving to all the drivers.”

For thousands of recreational vehicle devotees who visit each year, the RV/MV Hall of Fame in Elkhart, Ind., is the equivalent of a pilgrimage to Elvis Presley's Graceland. The 55,000-square-foot shrine to the RV industry showcases America's love affair with camping and the free-wheeling lifestyle that has spawned dozens of clubs professing their loyalty to all things Winnebago.

“They need to see where their roots come from,” said Campbell, a Cheboygan, Mich., resident who has made her home in a 40-foot-long motor home since she and her husband, Bill, retired six years ago. “They need to see it. They need to touch it. They need to smell it—even the mold,” she said. “I'm just blown away.”

Yet like the industry that drove its creation, this temple to travel hasn't had an easy road of late. Elkhart went from being the RV capital of the world to being the unemployed RV worker capital of the world when the recession forced manufacturers like Fleetwood Enterprises, Monaco Coach and Pilgrim to file for bankruptcy. At the same time, donations needed to support the museum and pay for $3 million in loans to cover an expansion plummeted, and the museum's fate seemed as uncertain as that of the industry itself.

But the RV Hall of Fame has something many other struggling small museums don't: a loyal following and an industry that's on the rebound and wants to see its heritage preserved.

“It is our heritage. It's our history,” president Darryl Searer, 69, said when asked why the hall matters. “To me, it would have been a disaster for the hall to go under.”

The hall has smoothed out its financial road through a restructuring plan that includes an agreement with the family of Robert “Boots” Ingram, a 2003 hall inductee who died in 2010, that gives the hall until 2033 to pay off a $3 million loan. Ingram's family also has offered to match donations up to a total of $100,000.

The plan, along with revenue from the $8 admission price, donations and fundraising efforts, should cover the facility's $561,200 budget this year, Searer said.

“We will be able to meet our obligations. We control our own destiny,” he said.

That destiny began forming in 1972, when eight RV and manufactured home trade magazine publishers decided to create the RV/MH Heritage Foundation to honor industry leaders. They voted in the inaugural hall of fame class that year, but there was no physical space recognizing the inductees. The foundation chairman kept the list in a filing cabinet.

In 1985, the foundation moved into a spare office at a bank, and within five years it had received about half a dozen vintage RVs and a small library of books and magazines. Organizers decided to move into a building in downtown Elkhart to showcase the items and advertised in trade magazines that they were looking for RV donations.

“We would show up for work in the morning and there would be a 1930 unit sitting outside the door that was just dropped off in the middle of the night,” said Al Hesselbart, the RV hall's historian. “It really made us scramble to learn how to create a museum.”

As the collection grew, organizers decided another move was in order. In 2007, they opened the current building, a two-story, glass-enclosed monolith off the Indiana Toll Road that houses the current display, as well as an adjacent conference center that is rented out for wedding receptions, trade shows and other gatherings. Attendance, which had never exceeded 1,000 at the downtown site, grew to a peak of 17,344 in 2008 but fell to 13,148 last year.

Hesselbart says most of the people who visit the hall are either RV owners or those with ties to the industry. It's the vehicles, not the displays about industry leaders like Wally Byam, John K. Hanson and Mahlon Miller, that draw the crowds.

“If we were just a hall of fame and just had photos and little bios of these people, it would probably cut our attendance to 10 percent of what we get here,” Hesselbart said.

Mary Rowton, who has been RVing for 35 years, drove nearly 400 miles from East Carondelet, Ill., near St. Louis, with her husband and two friends recently to view the 52 items in the hall's collection and visit nearby RV manufacturers. She closely examined each RV, looking at everything from the steps to the size of the bathrooms.

She was fascinated by the collection, which includes a 1935 Covered Wagon 17-foot travel trailer that was covered on the outside with fake leather, a 42-foot-long trailer weighing 9,000 pounds and a 1916 “Telescope Apartment,” which is basically a box containing a mattress wide enough for two that mounts on the back of a Model T Roadster. The trailer, which sold for $100, includes two slide-out boxes that swing out to the side, featuring a place to set up kitchen on one side and a storage area on the other.

“You could see how camping has advanced. It's quite a way they've come,” Rowton said.

Hesselbart said it's hard to put a price on many of the items because they've never been sold. Several are one-of-a-kinds, including the only 10-foot long Airstream ever made, built in 1958. He believes the house car owned by West and a 1928 Pierce Arrow Fleet house car, one of only three made by the automaker, could each sell for $500,000 at auction. Other trailers would go for $100,000 or more.

“We've got several pretty rare units,” he said. “In the real world they're priceless, because they are irreplaceable.”

Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

AP-WF-05-13-12 2253GMT

Family physician tuned in to early 20th century radios

But the artifacts he seeks aren't buried in the dirt. They're at flea markets and antique shops, posted on eBay, or available by networking through people who share his passion.

Radios made by Atwater Kent, Crosley, Grebe, Kennedy, RCA and Zenith are Hansman's quarry.

“Every week or two I see something I've never seen before,” he explained.

That's saying something, because the basement of his Arnold home functions as a mini-museum. He's a family physician, but as far as his hobby goes, he's a radio-logist.

Hansman has about 200 vintage radios, not to mention old-time advertisements, a few Victrolas, and a workshop filled with boxes and boxes of all kinds of vacuum tubes and other replacement parts. Vacuum tubes gave way to transistors after they were developed in the 1950s.

The old radios aren't necessarily worth a lot of money; they're more valuable in terms of reminiscences and a window to the evolution of technology. “It's not just about the equipment, it's the whole history,” Hansman said.

His particular interests are radios from the 1920s, which encompass the first models widely sold to the general public. He has a 1921 Kennedy that more than anything resembles lab equipment. Beginning in the late ’20s, manufacturers started to make much more ornate models. Hansman has plenty of those, too. “That's when they started to become more like furniture,” he said.

Among his collection is a 1937 radio that doubles as a bar, and another with rotary tuning reminiscent of old telephones. But the president of the 700-member Mid-Atlantic Antique Radio Club is quick to point out he knows people with larger collections.

Not all of Hansman's radios work, but he's repaired quite a few. When he turned on the Kennedy last weekend, it took a few seconds to warm up before the Baltimore Orioles game came over the speaker. There was a bit of static, but it lent itself to the old-time feel.

Brian Belanger, curator of the National Capital Radio & Television Museum in Bowie, said there's also a beauty in the glow of the tubes or dials that light up. The museum was founded by club members and opened in 1999.

“There's more of a living presence than the modern radios that just sit there,” said Belanger, who also helps edit MAARC's monthly newsletter, “Radio Age.”

Club member Steve McAllister of Bowie remembered a similar feeling when he plugged in the first old radio he bought at a neighbor's yard sale. “It was cool when it lit up, almost like an indication of being alive,” he said.

His particular interest is hi-fi gear from the late ’30s to about 1960. This includes not only radios, but also amplifiers and speakers. The mechanical engineer brought a couple models to Hansman's home and discussed how elegantly the components were laid out.

McAllister enjoys fixing old radios, as well listening to them. “I enjoy the sound,” he said. “It has a different sound. (It's) not as clinical, it tends to be warmer.”

The old radios, he added, are exceptional in the mid-range, but not as good as modern equipment with bass or treble.

Compared to the crystal “foxhole” radio built by club member Carl Smith of Annapolis, they're iPods. Smith still has his very first radio, a 1954 model his parents bought for him—and it's still in mint condition. The stout black radio, called a Zenith Trans-Oceanic, has a lengthy antenna and holds an equally long string of memories.

“It was fabulous, said Smith, a retired maintenance worker. “It was the cream of the crop. I'd never heard short wave or anything like that. I did a lot of listening at nighttime.”

Hansman traces his interest in radios back to his parents. His father taught electronics, and his mother was interested in antiques.

But he didn't get his first old model until college, when he visited a Western Maryland farm and found three radios in the attic. The farm's owner gave him one, and Hansman and his father fixed it up.

His career and the military put a hold on further activity until 1989, when he went to an auction and made a couple purchases. He also found out about the club.

MAARC was founded in 1984 and the majority of its members are from Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania and Delaware--although 48 states and five countries are also represented. Most are ages 40 to 60, and men outnumber women about 20 to 1.

“I like the whole idea (of old radios),” Hansman said. “With the old parts, it's easier to understand what's going on. You can see the wires, see the components.”

He taught himself radio repair, and like McAllister, said there's a certain satisfaction in getting an old model running.

When Hansman acquires a radio, he examines all the component first. People should never just plug them in because that approach can do damage, he said.

Electric radios were offered as early as 1926, but didn't become common in cities until 1928 to 1930, Hansman said. Prior to that, radios ran on batteries, and before that, crystals. Early radios were AM, although many also offered short wave. FM was developed in 1926, but the first FM sets didn't come out until 1939, Hansman said, and became popular much later.

“For me, when I look at my radios, I get a feeling of how America was and how America could be when they produced their own products,” he said. “It reflects a time we like to remember.”

But the sentiment goes even deeper.

“Sometimes,” he said, “they feel like old friends.”

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Information from: The Capital of Annapolis, Md., http://capitalgazette.com

Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

AP-WF-05-09-12 1322GMT

Movie memorabilia nearly 'Gone With the Wind'

On this day, Weaver is busy removing, with surgeonlike precision, 30-year-old tape from a 72-year-old king-size Gone With the Wind press book jacket. The press book marked the first anniversary of the Oscar-winning movie.

The item, covered with photos and other details from the 1939 "GWTW" premiere in Atlanta, survived a Feb. 10 fire at a Stockbridge, Ga., storage unit where it had been housed along with several hundred other pieces of Gone With the Wind memorabilia. Water from firefighters' hoses also caused the backside of the jacket to bleed through, giving the item a slightly pink hue.

Though the fire destroyed the stored belongings of some metro Atlanta families, the Gone With the Wind collection miraculously escaped the worst of it, suffering mostly water damage.

“We're hoping she can get the water damage and all the stain and mold off,” said Newnan resident Herb Bridges, owner of the collection. The artifacts from the storage unit are estimated to be worth about $200,000 and account for about a third of the entire collection amassed during several decades by Bridges, who is considered the foremost “GWTW” collector.

This is what Weaver, a 53-year-old trained art historian, lives for. Weaver spent 30 years in England and learned restoration before returning to Atlanta to open a studio a decade ago. While Atlanta has a rather impressive number of restorers, Weaver is one of the few people who restore artwork made of paper.

“I'm really enjoying working on it. I really consider it an honor and true privilege,” said Weaver, who has restored original artwork of Currier & Ives and famed watercolor painter John James Audubon.

Weaver's skills have been called upon to restore everything from Victorian organ pipes to a 2-inch-square etching to a 14-foot map. She has done work at 10 Downing Street, the home of Britain's prime minister. Weaver's family, the Okarmas , are well-known in Atlanta's art circles. Her father, Eugene, founded the renowned Okarma-Jones Gallery in Midtown.

She is, if you will, the artwork whisperer.

Weaver has her work cut out for her on this “GWTW” project, according to Jeannie Barrett Stanca, a fine art appraiser who also is a licensed Georgia insurance agent.

“Leonora is a gem when it comes to restoration. I've seen her work. It's phenomenal,” said Barrett Stanca, owner of J Barrett Studio in Lawrenceville.

However, Barrett Stanca said the value of any damaged “GWTW” artifacts—even with restoration work—is likely to be irrevocably affected.

As soon as Weaver heard about the fire and the uncertain future of the “GWTW” collection, her mind kicked into high gear. She was eager to get to work.

“I knew speed was important,” she said. “When things are soaking wet, you have to act immediately. You have to do first aid and get them to a dry and safe place away from the mold.”

Weaver praised the quick response of the staff at the Clayton County Convention & Visitors Bureau, which runs the Road to Tara Museum in Jonesboro, Ga., keeper of many “GWTW” artifacts. They stripped wet mat boards and backing from the posters, pictures and other memorabilia stored at the unit.

Most of the items are pieces that have been lent to museums and other facilities worldwide. They include posters of an all-female Japanese musical of the famed Margaret Mitchell novel-turned-movie, and numerous posters in different languages showing the famous pose of Rhett and Scarlett clutched in an embrace.

Weaver is part detective, part surgeon, part scientist and even part chef when it calls for whipping up a batch of homemade mending solution to repair tears.

This is not the line of work for those with little patience.

“We never rush anything,” Weaver said in a crisp British accent. The artwork tells me “when it's jolly good and ready.”

She has a soft, steady stream of baroque music playing throughout the room to calm the heart and steady the hand. After all, “your heartbeat races.”

The work can get so intense that Weaver limits it to the period from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. Weaver prefers to work on a few “GWTW” pieces at a time. The oversize book jacket will take about two months.

Items that Weaver works on are photographed and measured and receive condition reports because each piece “has different problems,” Weaver said.

The oversize book jacket, for instance, has three main problems: water, staining and a severely damaged spine from years of bending.

Using a small hot iron to lift the tape from the paper jacket, Weaver inches her way along with the help of a scalpel to lift tiny flecks of the tape. Once the tape is removed, the piece then will go into a solution bath to remove acid. It then dries a week before repair work on the torn parts begins, using Japanese tissue paper, which is thin yet remarkably strong.

Once that's done, the piece is flattened and returned to a presentable shape, at which point Weaver consults with the client on the long-term prospects for the artwork. Framing? Storage? Traveling exhibition? Museum?

At some point, Weaver will start on the biggest challenge of the “GWTW” restoration: two pieces of artwork stuck together. One will likely be lost to save the other. Weaver has no idea what's underneath.

But Bridges will probably make the call on the fate of the piece. Until then, Bridges has chosen to leave Weaver to her work.

“In her studio, I sort of let her alone,” Bridges said. “There's no rush. We don't have a big exhibit schedule. Therefore, she can take her time and get it done right and proper.”

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Information from: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, http://www.ajc.com

Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

AP-WF-05-06-12 0410GMT

Lady Gaga teacup fetches $75,300 in benefit auction

With more than 1,300 bids, the weeklong auction closed Sunday with a top offer of 6,011,000 yen, said Yahoo! Japan, which managed the charity event.

Payment was required before the winning bid could be confirmed, it said.

The cup was used by Lady Gaga at a press conference in Tokyo three months after the massive tsunami of March last year inundated a large stretch of coastline.

Lady Gaga told reporters at the time that she would auction the cup, marked with her lipstick and bearing the Japanese message "We pray for Japan" along with the star's autograph.

All the money raised will be used to help young Japanese artists who want to study in the United States.

The teacup was one of a number of items being sold to raise money for those affected by Japan's worst postwar calamity, and was the second most expensive lot.

The top-priced item was a Kawai crystal piano used by Yoshiki of rock band Japan X, which went for 11,001,000 yen, Yahoo! Japan said.

The disaster killed some 19,000 people on Japan's northeast coast and sparked the world's worst nuclear accident since the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, leading to a plunge in visitors to the country.

Lady Gaga visited Japan twice after the disaster and called on tourists from around the world to follow suit.

The songstress is due back in Japan this week as part of an Asian tour.

'86 World Series 'Buckner ball' rolls to $418,250

Heritage Auctions said the ball was sold to a buyer who wished to remain anonymous. The sale price includes the buyer's premium.

Buckner hit .289 with 2,715 hits in 22 years and had more than 100 RBIs in two of his three full seasons with the Red Sox. But he is remembered by most for his error at Shea Stadium that night when Mookie Wilson's grounder rolled through his legs, allowing the New York Mets to cap a two-out rally in Game 6 with a victory in the 10th inning.

The Mets went on to win the series and Boston's championship drought that dated to 1918 last another 18 years, until 2004.

“It really embodies the emotion of sports,” said Chris Ivy, director of sports auctions at Heritage. “That ball symbolizes both the thrill of victory for the Mets and the agony of defeat for the Red Sox fans. It really brings out a lot of emotion.”

The ball was the centerpiece of an auction featuring the baseball memorabilia collection of Los Angeles songwriter Seth Swirsky that drew more than $1.2 million.

“It was a great battle between two great cities—two great baseball cities. I think that it goes above and beyond baseball to it's an American culture piece,” said Swirsky, who co-wrote the hit Tell It To My Heart by Taylor Dayne, and has multiple hits with Celine Dion, Olivia Newton-John and Al Green.

After the ball rolled through Buckner's legs, it was picked up by right field umpire Ed Montague, who put a tiny “x” near a seam to mark it. Montague then gave the ball to Mets executive Arthur Richman. Wilson signed it to Richman, writing: “To Arthur, the ball won it for us, Mookie Wilson, 10/25/86.” As the ball made its way around the clubhouse, someone kissed it, leaving a tobacco stain.

Charlie Sheen bought the ball for more than $93,000 in 1992. Swirsky purchased it for nearly $64,000 in 2000.

Swirsky offered the ball up on eBay last October for $1 million but got no takers. He said though that the eBay offering—done on a whim after he realized he could close the bidding on Oct. 25, 2011, the 25th anniversary of Game 6—made him realize he would be OK with selling his entire collection.

Other offerings from Swirsky included Reggie Jackson's third home run ball from Game 6 of the 1977 World Series, which earned him the title “Mr. October.'' That sold for $65,725.

Babe Ruth's 136th career home run baseball from 1921 sold for $25,095. A 1923 letter signed by Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis denying reinstatement of "Shoeless Joe" Jackson brought in $53,775.

Also, a 1965 baseball signed by the Beatles from the Shea Stadium concert sold for $65,725.

Buckner was traded to the Red Sox by the Chicago Cubs in May 1984 and released in July 1987. He rejoined them in 1990 then retired after 22 games.

Swirsky, who while growing up on Long Island developed a love for the Mets and New York Yankees, said that he remembers watching the 1986 Game 6 with his father. He said that the person who bought the Buckner ball is in for a “great ride.”

“Once somebody points out that they have the ball, people will surround them at every party, telling them their experiences of where they were,” Swirsky said.

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Online:

Heritage Auctions: http://www.ha.com

Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

AP-WF-05-04-12 2116GMT

'Little Prince' discovery offers new insight

The two fragile handwritten sheets, brimming with original musings and even a new character, were discovered two months ago in France in private hands.

They were either omitted or modified in the published version, but the previously unknown texts may shed valuable new light on the book's real meaning.

The author, who wrote from New York during World War II, was known to be a pacifist. But Saint-Exupery expert Olivier Devers says the new material indicates it actually was "a book against war.''

The draft pages go to auction on May 16.

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Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Lady Gaga teacup hits $50,000 and rising in Japan benefit auction

The china cup and saucer set was used by the star at a press conference in Tokyo three months after the massive tsunami of March last year swamped a large stretch of coastline.

Lady Gaga told reporters at the time that she would auction the cup, marked with her lipstick and bearing the Japanese message "We pray for Japan" along with the star's autograph.

All the money raised will be used to help young Japanese artists who want to study in the United States.

The cup was put on "Yahoo! Japan Auctions" at midday Monday, with the starting price of one yen. The auction is set to finish at 1400 GMT Sunday.

By Tuesday morning, more than 500 bids had been placed, with the top offer at more than 4.1 million yen. The auction can be followed at http://page3.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/c323847712

The quake-tsunami catastrophe killed some 19,000 people on Japan's northeast coast and sparked the world's worst nuclear accident since the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, leading to a plunge in visitors to the country.

The entertainer visited Japan twice after the disaster and called on tourists from around the world to follow suit.

She is due back in Japan next week as part of an Asian tour.

On the Net:

Lady Gaga teacup: http://page3.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/c323847712

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US Postal Service releases two new Civil War stamps

WASHINGTON (AP) - The U.S. Postal Service is releasing two new stamps paying tribute to the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, specifically the Battle of New Orleans and the Battle of Antietam.

The ``Civil War: 1862'' stamps were released Tuesday. The stamps mark the first significant achievement of the U.S. Navy in the war during the Battle of New Orleans and the bloodiest day of the conflict at Antietam.

The New Orleans stamp is a reproduction of an 1862 color lithograph titled "The Splendid Naval Triumph on the Mississippi, April 24th, 1862.'' The Antietam stamp is a reproduction of an 1887 painting by Thure de Thulstrup.

Postal Service Vice President Dean Granholm says the stamps help Americans pause and remember a period of history that had a lasting effect on the nation.

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Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

US Mint to unveil quarter commemorating NM's Chaco park

NAGEEZI, N.M. (AP) - The U.S. Mint is holding a special ceremony Thursday to launch a new quarter commemorating the Chaco Culture National Historical Park in northwestern New Mexico.

Nearly 200 school children from the region are set to join officials from the mint and the National Park Service to mark the special quarter's release during National Park Week.

The event will take place at Chaco Culture National Historical Park's new Visitor Center at 10:30 a.m., local time.

Afterward, the public can purchase $10 rolls of the new quarters at face value.

On Wednesday evening, the mint will host a forum on its coin programs and initiatives at the Gateway Park Museum and Visitor Center in Farmington.

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Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Rare Honus Wagner baseball card sells for $1.2M

ST. LOUIS – A New Jersey man paid $1.2 million for a rare 1909 Honus Wagner baseball card in an online auction that brought interest from many potential buyers who had never owned a card before, the sale organizer said.

A rare 1909 Honus Wagner baseball card, one of the most sought after sports collectibles in the world, in a protective case in Sunset Hills, Mo., photographed on March 26, 2012.

The buyer hasn't decided whether to come forward publicly, and the seller, a Houston businessman, wants to remain anonymous, said Bill Goodwin, the suburban St. Louis collectibles dealer who ran the auction that ended Friday. The buyer's bid was the highest of 14 made since the auction began last month.

"We're thrilled with the outcome," Goodwin said. "There's been so much media attention surrounding this card, and the final price proved this card was worth watching."

Wagner was a member of the first class of Hall of Fame inductees. The shortstop, nicknamed "The Flying Dutchman," spent most of his 21-year career (1897 to 1917) with the Pittsburgh Pirates, winning eight batting titles and hitting a career .327.

The 2½- by 1½-inch card was released in cigarette packs sold by the American Tobacco Co. from 1909 to 1911. What makes the card special, in addition to Wagner's fame, is the fact that it was pulled from circulation after about 200 were issued.

The consensus among many was that Wagner didn't want to encourage smoking, especially to children. Goodwin said it may have simply been a matter of Wagner wanting to be compensated for his likeness, since he was photographed with chewing tobacco in his mouth and did advertisements for tobacco companies.

Historians believe only about 60 of the Wagner cards still exist, though many are in poor condition. Based on a rating system by Sportscard Guarantee Corp., the quality of the card Goodwin auctioned was better than all but five of the Wagner cards in existence.

Arizona Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick paid a record $2.8 million for the highest-graded Wagner card in existence in 2011.

Bidding for the Wagner card auctioned by Goodwin opened at $300,000. The final sale price was $300,000 more than the previous high for a Wagner card of similar quality, Goodwin said.

The auction suggested that people beyond sports memorabilia collectors are becoming interested in baseball cards, said Bill Shelton, who worked with Goodwin. The winning bidder for the Wagner card "came in completely off the radar," Shelton said.

He said a lot of those who expressed interest in the card had never owned a baseball card.

"A lot of people were talking about investment and return on investment," Shelton said. "I think people are starting to see these high-end cards in the same terms as art and antiques."

Goodwin auctioned off other cards that also brought in prices exceeding expectations, he said. A card for Hall of Fame pitcher Eddie Plank, also pulled from circulation, sold for $330,825. Plank won 326 games, mostly with the Philadelphia A's, in a 17-year career that ended in 1917.

A card that misspelled the last name of early 20th century Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Sherry Magee (misspelled as "Magie") fetched $80,000 — $30,000 more than Goodwin predicted when the auction began.

Among other cards that sold, four featuring the likeness of Ty Cobb brought in a combined $10,000.

Goodwin has already begun planning his next auction, which includes a complete set of 200 baseball cards distributed through the Famous-Barr department store chain in 1916. The cards, including a Babe Ruth rookie card showing the baseball legend as a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, and one featuring Jim Thorpe during his brief time as a ballplayer, will be sold individually.

Goodwin believes the Ruth card could bring up to $75,000. That auction begins in June.

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Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.