1953 Montreal Royals, 1943/45 Brewers Exhibits and PCL Partial Sets (89)

This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 11/6/2025

Presented is an outstanding array of rare and difficult minor-league card issues headlined by partial sets of the 1943 Brewers, 1953 Montreal Royals and a trio of sets from the Pacific Coast League. Each of the five groups are peppered with names who would eventually reach the Big Show, including several Hall of Famers and a wide range of West Coast favorites at a time when the Pacific Coast League was so highly regarded it was dubbed the “Third Major League.” The array also features the iconic artwork of former major leaguer Al DeMaree, whose pen-and-ink drawings were familiar to a generation of serious baseball fans. Walt Alston and Tommy Lasorda headline, along with the likes of Chick Hafey, Del Ennis, Norm Larker, Walt Moryn, Ed Roebuck and a host of others; the four groups are in a solid, higher-grade overall condition, with some anomalies and keys noted in the listing that follows. The Breakdown: 1) Exhibit-style Grand Studio Milwaukee Brewers cards that were produced during the War years of 1943-45 and headlined by “Jolly Cholly” Grimm, the manager of the Chicago Cubs farm team at the time. The 3 ½-by-5 ½-inch cards feature striking black-and-white portrait photography along with an attractive facsimile autograph and the attribution to Grand Studios in the lower right hand corner; cards are unnumbered and blank backed. The group includes just a bit of duplication that is noted: 1943 (14) – mostly Fair, with a couple Good and one below – Bowman (2), Clarke, Erickson, Grimm (Excellent), Helf, Martin, Nelson, Norman, Pruett, Smith, Todd and York (2); and 2) 1945 (9) – mostly Ex-Mt, with a couple Very Good – Biggs, Burgo, Cullop, Denning (2), Flick, Kobesky, McGillen and Rullo; 2) 1953 Montreal Royals Canadian Exhibits (27) – Sepiatone Exhibits, 3 ¼-by-5 ¼ inches, with blank backs in a striking, uniform and consistent presentation, mostly Ex-Mt to Near-Mint, with the emphasis to the upper end of the spectrum – Alston (3), Coleman, Ennis, Fabro, Fiala (3), Larker (blue sepiatone), Lasorda (2 – one has glue residue on back, Lee (2), Manchio, (3), Mils (2), Moryn, Roebuck, Ronning (2 – one is blue), Rose, Samson and Simmons (2 – one blue); 3) 1947 Signal Gasoline Pacific Coast League cards (6), 3 ½-by-5 ½ inches, featuring the pen-and-ink artwork of Al Demaree and advertising on the back of Signal Gasoline or are radio stations – Davis – Fair, Hafey – Very Good, Lodigliani – Excellent-Plus, Pippen – VG, Smith – VG (mk) and Van Robays – VG-Ex; 4) 1947 Seattle Rainiers Centennial Flour (18), 3 7/8-by-5 1/8 inches, Ex-Mt to Near-Mint, with the emphasis to the upper end of the spectrum, including Carpenter, Dubiel, Ford, Hemsley, Hill, Jakucki, Kaney, Novikoff, O’Neil, Pearson, Posedel, Pulford, Ripple, Rucker, Stagg, Taylor (2) and York; and 5) 1953 San Francisco Seals Team Issue partial set (14/25), 4-by-5 inches, Excellent to Ex-Mt, including Clough, Coggin, Heath, Hughes, Kalin, Lien, Lyons, McCawley, Moran, Muncrief, Shander, Singleton, Stringer and Vico (five of the 14 have stamping on the reverse).