1979 Metallic Creations Pewter Figures and Cards in Original Boxes (17)

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This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 4/3/2025

Here’s one of the more intriguing collectibles you'll encounter this week, a seemingly as-issued pristine assortment of 17 pewter figures of baseball greats (mostly) and accompanying “cards,” all shrouded in mystery about origin, colorful characters involved in the beginnings, checklists and even details about distribution and the like. That all sounds like fun, but even without the intrigue, the collectible would stand well on its own, including the full-color 3 ½-by-5-inch “cards” which feature attractive artwork of the player, facsimile autograph and statistics on the reverse. The figures – roughly 3 ½ to 4 inches, depending on the pose – are either pewter or something that bears a good resemblance to it and features either Hall of Famers (15) or a couple of guys who looked like they might get there someday: Davey Lopes and Ron Guidry. The only other player who was still active at the time of issue was Rod Carew; some of that mystery that we alluded to posits checklists with the likes of Pete Rose, Nolan Ryan and others, but the checklisting from an advertisement at the time lists these 17 players. The inclusion of those two standout ballplayers but non-immortals simply adds to the charm of the unusual offering. As noted, the statues come in their original boxes, with everything seeming virtually as-issued and without the typical wear-and-tear that you might expect with approaching its fifth decade. Here’s the lineup: Henry Aaron, Rod Carew, Ty Cobb, Lou Gehrig, Ron Guidry, Rogers Hornsby, Walter Johnson, Ralph Kiner, Sandy Koufax, Christy Mathewson, Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Davey Lopes, Babe Ruth, Tris Speaker and Honus Wagner. As we said, a pretty impressive crew.