April 3, 2025: Spring Auction
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 4/3/2025
Presented is a truly insane accumulation of the original pen-and-ink artwork of the fabled hobby artist R.G. Laughlin, a massive array of his creations for some of the more eclectic offerings in his fabled career, from Baseball Firsts, Errors and Slang to Wildest Plays and even some football art. The lot represents the final element of a four-lot treasure in this auction featuring the original art that was used for the popular pen-and-ink sets from the 1960s to the 1980s that were either self-published or part of his lengthy collaboration with mainstream card maker Fleer, which was on the outside looking in while awaiting 1981’s MLB licensing. Some of these original drawings have no card design or graphic elements but rather are simply his elegant pen-and-in artwork, unadorned. Along with the nearly 200 original drawings, there is a 20-by-21-inch full-color sheet from the 330-400-500 Clubs, plus a similar-size pasteup board with many of the originals. Here’s a breakdown of the original artwork from some of the other smaller sets, often comprising a complete or near-complete roster: 1) Baseball Firsts (39); 2) Errors (37/39); 3) Baseball Slang (40) – complete with the title card; 4) Wildest Plays (42) – counts 11 originals that are very attractively matted on a half-dozen boards alongside their actual cards; and 5) Miscellaneous (23) – including a dozen football drawings. Whew! That’s a bunch, but such a treasure of unparalleled proportions. Put the whole pile together and you have an unimpeachable archive of a legendary hobby artist paying homage to a National Pastime that he loved and nurtured as few before or since.
1970s R.G. Laughlin Baseball Firsts, Errors, Slang and Wildest Plays Original Artwork Massive Group (181)
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