An auction on Father's Day in Chippewa Falls caught my eye. The bill in the paper said simply "1929 Cubs Program". I inquired a little more about it and found out they had pictures available online. So I checked them out--it was slightly more than just a Cubs program. It was a 1929 Cubs World Series program. Judging by the picture, it appeared as though you could shave with the pages. Absolutely gem mint. But wait, there's more! As part of the lot, also included was a ticket stub to game 2 of the World Series in Wrigley!
I contemplated what my absentee bid would be, as I just didn't really have the time to go to the auction in person. After changing my mind three times, I finally settled on $150. I found out that there were two other absentee bids, and of those mine was the highest. This I figured was a very good sign. I was hopeful that this being a local auction with a less-than-stellar write up in the auction bill that I had an excellent chance of winning the item if I beat out other absentee bids. Well, I was wrong. It ended up going to a bidder at the auction for $195. But wait, there's more: upon opening the program that morning, the auctioneer noticed a black and white photograph. It was a team photograph of the Cubs. Signed.
Wow.
Since I'm not that big of a Cubs fan, my thought was to buy this and then consign it to a major auction house where it would get proper attention of the collectibles world. Even without the picture, I figured it would draw at minimum $1500. I would then use the proceeds to purchase a Henry Aaron 1952 Eau Claire ball I've had my eyes on for a while. But I'm hopeful that was bad karma and the item got in the hands of a true Cubs collector who will cherish it.
