Sports Memorabilia

Jackie Robinson Archive, ca. 1938

Appraisal: Jackie Robinson Archive, ca. 1938

Owner Interview: Jackie Robinson Archive, ca. 1938

Appraisal: Jackie Robinson Archive, ca. 1938

Transcript

GUEST: When my dad was in high school in Los Angeles, he was friends with Jackie Robinson. And I have a group of letters and an image of Jackie playing UCLA football. It's kind of personal, but it's really great historically, too.

APPRAISER: Absolutely. We've got letters from the late 1930s. Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in 1947. We're talking about letters that predates that significantly. He was for all intents and purposes a kid-- he was a teenager.

GUEST: Right.

APPRAISER: Who eventually went on to spark one of the most significant events in sports history. I personally have not encountered a Jackie Robinson handwritten letter collection or item from this young. Tell us about the content.

GUEST: Well, the content in these letters are personal, more like a friend writing to a friend instead of, like, a pen pal, which I found really interesting. He talks about how the UCLA curriculum is more difficult than his junior college, his JC stuff, and he was having trouble adjusting.

APPRAISER: Right, he talks about how he chose UCLA over Oregon. He talks about seeking your dad out while he was in L.A., because he really wanted to see him, his buddy. He invites your father to his wedding. He says, "Hey, I'm glad you found a church-- I'm looking for one, too." These are personal to Jackie Robinson. Nothing to do with baseball, nothing to do with sports. This comes from a time where his scholastic achievement was more important to him than, than the things we know he's famous for.

GUEST: Right.

APPRAISER: And to me, that's why this is significant. Here we see a 1938 letter, and the back he signs, "Jackie Robinson." A 19-year-old Jackie Robinson signature. I've never seen one that young.

GUEST: Wow.

APPRAISER: It's truly amazing. Have you had this appraised?

GUEST: I haven't had it appraised. It's actually... I knew about it a little bit before my dad passed away, but then I inherited his scrapbook. And this is actually a graduation card I didn't even know I had, because it was separate in the album from all the Jackie stuff.

APPRAISER: Sure.

GUEST: And I was just looking, and I was like, "Holy smokes, here's another one."

APPRAISER: Well, what I can tell you is this-- at auction, we can see this fetching anywhere between $15,000 and $20,000.

GUEST (laughing): Whoa! Really?

APPRAISER: And we're talking about the collection. I think it would... don't separate these items.

GUEST: Oh, no, no, no, right? Holy... that's... that's pretty cool. I mean, my dad would be really proud right now, because, you know, he considered him a pretty tight friend. There you go, Dad. (chuckles)

Appraisal: Jackie Robinson Archive, ca. 1938

Owner Interview: Jackie Robinson Archive, ca. 1938

Appraiser

Jasmani Francis

Premier Auctions LLC
Tempe, AZ,

APPRAISED VALUE (2015)

$15,000 - $20,000 Auction

Event

Tucson, AZ (2015)

Theme

Nostalgic Collectibles

Form

2D Art, Photograph, Books & Documents, Letter

Appraiser Speciality

Sports Memorabilia

Material

Paper and Cardboard, Paper

Period

20th Century

Update: April 4, 2016

A selection of transcribed Jackie Robinson letters discovered at the 2015 Tucson ANTIQUES ROADSHOW event are included below. Letter: Be playing most of our games in the coliseum next year and I hope you will be able to see them. I have been wondering whether you received my picture or not as I sent it in my last letter and I wanted to know if it arrived O.K. I hope you will be rooting for U.C.L.A. next year and if there is any way I can help you get to see the games I will be more than glad to do so. I hope the rest of your family are in good health, and I am hoping you will come back to your natural health. I’ll close hoping to hear from you soon. Sincerely, Jackie Robinson Signed Photo: Dear Bob, I am sending you this in return for the swell picture you sent me. I hope by your picture I can recognize if I see you. I’m sending it [?] Sincerely, Jackie Robinson Letter: Pasadena, California Dec. 6, 1938 121 Pepper St Dear Bob, I received your letter and was very glad to hear from you. Thanks very much for the photo. I am sending you one of everybody [?] this year. Maybe you like it. I don't take very good pictures. Yours was swell. I am glad to know you are a church member. I joined this summer and I have found that it helps [?] always. Remember that. I will look for you to come to see me. I'm always glad to see my friends. My mother [over] says you have a [?] face. I am getting ready to study my lessons now. Hope you will write me again. I wish you a Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year. Yours Truly, Jackie Robinson Graduation Card: Hello Bob, I have been looking all over L.A. in an attempt to find you and when I got your graduation notice I was really glad to hear from you. I am pretty busy getting prepared for my wedding if you can make it I would (over)...