Dear Babe: I have a set of 20 envelopes with stamps of baseball stars. Each one has a 2000 postmark that is tied to the player’s name or nickname. The envelopes (with postmarks) include: Roberto Clemente, Robert LA; Mickey Cochrane, Cochrane WI; Ty Cobb, Cobb GA; Eddie Collins, Collin IA; Dizzy Dean, Deanville TX; Jimmie Foxx, Fox OK; Lou Gehrig, Iron MN; Josh Gibson, Gibson PA; Lefty Grove, Left Hand WV; Rogers Hornsby, Hornsby TN; Walter Johnson, Walterville OR; Christy Mathewson, Christopher IL; Satchel Paige, Paige TX; Jackie Robinson, Robinson PA; Babe Ruth, Ruth NV; George Sisler, George IA; Tris Speaker, Centerfield UT; Pie Traynor, Pie Town, MN; Honus Wagner, Wagner SD; and Cy Young, Young AZ.

– L.W., Redding

Someone went to a lot of trouble to create these, but it appears they are more of a novelty rather than a stamp or sports collectible.

John Dunn, Publisher of Stamp News Magazines (http://www.stampnewsnow.com ) noted that these are not First Day Covers. “The stamps were issued on July 6, 2000. Collecting covers cancelled on the First Day of Issue is popular, but even then the FDCs do not have much value unless they are among a few hand painted covers that have a following.” Linda L. Stevens, marketing manager for the Mystic Stamp Co.(http://www.mysticstamp.com), said her company sold a set of 20 FDCs for $52.95, which works out to just $2.65 an envelope.

“The cover you attached isn’t a First Day Cover, which is what we create and sell. … Not being FDCs, I don’t think they would be worth as much, although you never know what an avid fan might pay.”

Da Babe can only guess at value, which would probably be to someone who collects a particular player. In that case, someone might pay anywhere up to $10 for a particular envelope. However, not all the players pictured on the stamps are that popular with collectors. Plus you’d have to be offering a specific envelope when a collector came looking.

As one stamp person said: “As a dealer, I would not want to have these in my purchases for re-sale, as they would sit and sit until one of the very few who might be interested in it think about buying it.”

The postal service recently issued another set of baseball stamps. This one includes just four players – Ted Williams, Larry Doby, Willie Stargell and Joe DiMaggio.

Dear Babe: Back in the late 1970s a girlfriend and I had season tickets to the Angels. Before every home game we would stop and buy several packs of baseball cards. By 1981, we gave up the season tickets, and I was the proud owner of the baseball cards. Every time, I moved they came along, but now I need to down size. Could you recommend a software program that I can use to catalog, my cards.

– Sue Straw,
Riverside, Calif.

“We have a free version of Organize online at www.Beckett.com,” said Dan Hitt, the senior manager for Beckett’s collectibles data group. “It can also be greatly enhanced using the Online Price Guide to add values to the card you add to your collection.”

I think this software puts names with the numbers. I am sure you have to pay for the enhanced version (i.e. access to the online price guides). If this is a database driven program then you can enter the numbers and years randomly and have the program sort everything out. Nonetheless, you still would want to sort the cards manually.

Otherwise you could just use Excel to log in your cards after you sort them.

Babe Waxpak is written by Bill Wagner. If you have a question for Babe Waxpak, include your full name and hometown, the card number, year and manufacturer or send a photocopy. Please do not send cards. The address is: Babe Waxpak, Box 492397, Redding CA 96049-2397 or email babewaxpak@charter.net.