This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/16/2015
If you try researching the Weaver's Wafers set online, you're likely to find that the only known examples are those of Roger Wright and Tom Neill. Then you'll see some message boards that talk about the two known specimens. There's even a six year old blog that discusses the set, which was limited to two known specimens and debated as to whether it was produced in 1953 or 1954, with the writer leaning toward 1953. Oh, and there's some photos out there ... of the two known specimens. Well that's all changed as we've come across another Wright and Neill card, along with 16 previously unknown to the hobby. This new information has helped settle the dispute and place the year of origin at 1954. Each card is numbered and measures 3 1/2" by 4 1/2" on medium to thick paper stock. In addition to Wright and Neill, the set is led by the only card ever produced of longtime sportscasting legend Bill King, a likely Hall of Famer in the near future, who has autographed and inscribed the card. King's card is listed as number 20 and is probably the final card in the series, making this offering just two examples short of completion. Future major-leaguers Linden, McQuillen and Weitelman are present, as well as Anderson, Brown, Bush, Carlson, Grant, Jones, Laguna, Lightbody, Oquendo, B. Smith and Stewart. There's also a card of Burt Greenstein, who does not appear on the baseball-reference.com roster of the 1954 Chiefs, though there is a Burton Stone listed. It is believed that Greenstein changed his name to Stone sometime during or after the season, perhaps to mask his religious affiliation. Stories in Lincoln, Nebraska newspapers from 1954 mention Greenstein in the game recap but there is no mention of anyone named Stone, and a Nebraska baseball history website lists Burton Greenstein as having batted .273 that year, the same average credited to Stone by baseball-reference.com, but also no mention of a player named Stone on the roster. Each card has staple holes as they were likely affixed to the outside of the bag for distribution, with several showing stains caused by the product or creases and/or slight bits of missing paper on the perimeter. On the reverse of each is a black-inked "Air Mail" stamp; your guess is as good as ours there. The Jones card still has the staples in it and the cards of Carlson and Neill have been trimmed down. None of that matters though as this grouping stands as a new find in the baseball card community, one that will be talked about for quite some time!