Barry Halper

'''Barry Halper''' (December 3, 1939 – December 18, 2005) was an extensive collector of baseball memorabilia who had been a limited partner owning about 1% of the New York Yankees in Major League Baseball.<ref name=USATodayobit>{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/2005-12-19-halper-obit_x.htm|title=Baseball collector Barry Halper dies|access-date=November 17, 2007|work=USA Today|agency=Associated Press | date=December 19, 2005}}</ref> During the auction of Halper's collection, Sotheby's called it the "World Series of Sports Auctions."<ref name="psa">{{Cite web|url=http://www.psacard.com/articles/article1511.chtml |title=Sotheby's Wins World Series Of Sports Auctions: Barry Halper Collection Totals $21,812,577 |access-date=November 17, 2007 |publisher=Collectors Universe, Inc. |year=1999 |author=Collectors Universe, Inc. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080208075945/http://www.psacard.com/articles/article1511.chtml |archive-date=February 8, 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Background== Halper was born in 1939 and grew up in Newark, New Jersey, living near Ruppert Stadium, home of the Newark Bears, then the Triple-A minor league farm team of the New York Yankees.<ref>Shouler, Ken. [http://www.cigaraficionado.com/webfeatures/show/id/Diamond-Dreams-Baseball-Memorabilia_7491 "Diamond Dreams: Baseball Memorabilia"], ''Cigar Aficionado'', September / October 1987. Accessed February 24, 2011. "Born Dec. 3, 1939, Barry Halper grew up near Rupert{{sic}} Stadium, a semipro baseball park in Newark, New Jersey."</ref> He attended the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. He then worked in his family's paper supply business until the company closed in 1992.<ref name="obit2">{{Cite web|url=http://www.njjewishnews.com/njjn.com/010506/mwsports.html|title=Sports memorabilia maven Barry Halper is remembered for what he gave|access-date=October 24, 2008|publisher=New Jersey Jewish News|year=2005|author=Ron Kaplan|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090221052327/http://www.njjewishnews.com/njjn.com/010506/mwsports.html|archive-date=February 21, 2009|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

Halper was close friends with many baseball legends including Joe DiMaggio,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Goldstein |first=Richard |date=2005-12-20 |title=Barry Halper, Baseball Memorabilia Collector, Dies at 66 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/20/sports/baseball/barry-halper-baseball-memorabilia-collector-dies-at-66.html |access-date=2025-03-15 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Mickey Mantle, Pete Rose, Don Mattingly and Tommy Lasorda, among other professional athletes and coaches, who regularly visited Halper's home to admire the world's most impressive baseball collection. Barry Halper's wife, Sharon cooked special meals for those who came to visit "The Cooperstown of New Jersey" in their Livingston, New Jersey home.

Barry Halper had two other passions: sharing his baseball stories and relationships with the local community at annual round table discussions at Temple B'Nai Abraham in Livingston and The Burn Center at Saint Barnabas Medical Center, also in the city. A member of the hospital's board of directors, he helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars. When an organization asked to showcase some of his memorabilia at an event, he agree while making one request of the group: to make a donation to the burn center. "He always put that Burn Center at Saint Barnabas above everything else," said Marty Appel the Yankees' former public relations director. "He never had a family member at the unit, he just had a great affection for his hometown hospital where he eventually died at."<ref name="obit3">{{Cite news |last=Gelman |first=Eli |last2=Mueller |first2=Mark |date=2005-12-20 |title=Barry Halper, baseball's super saver, dies |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-star-ledger-barry-halper-baseballs/168006038/ |access-date=2025-03-15 |work=The Star-Ledger |page=[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/168006038/ 1], [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/168006122/ 59] |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>

A resident of the New Vernon section of Harding Township, New Jersey at the time of his death, Halper had been a longtime resident of Livingston.<ref>Goldstein, Richard. [https://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/20/sports/baseball/20halper.html "Barry Halper, Baseball Memorabilia Collector, Dies at 66"], ''The New York Times'', December 20, 2005. Accessed February 24, 2011. "He once owned at least 80,000 baseball items, most having been displayed at his former home in Livingston, where a visitor pressing the front doorbell heard a rendition of 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame.'"</ref> George Steinbrenner called Halper "a great baseball fan" who was a "dear friend, a valued partner for many years and a decent, genuine person".<ref name="USATodayobit" /> Barry Halper died at Saint Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, at the age of 66, in 2005 due to complications from diabetes.<ref name="obit2" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=2005-12-19 |title=Barry Halper, noted memorabilia collector, dies at 66 |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=2265127 |access-date=2025-03-15 |website=ESPN.com |language=en |agency=Associated Press}}</ref>

==Collection== Halper's baseball memorabilia collection was thought of as the finest, being both extensive and unusual. Many items, such as the uncut strip of T206 cards with a Honus Wagner, were one of a kind. Halper's collection was housed in his basement, which had been outfitted like a small museum, including a hidden switch to a swing open panel, behind which were most of his game-worn jerseys of famous players. The collection of game used jerseys included the only known examples of such players as Pud Galvin, Christy Mathewson, Cap Anson, King Kelly, Dan Brouthers, and the famed trio of Tinker / Evers / Chance. The infamous Joe Jackson was represented with jerseys from his minor league team as well as his Cleveland Indians jersey. The collection of dead ball era player jerseys was unrivaled.

Some of the notable items in Halper's collection included:<ref name="psa" />

* Ty Cobb's {{by|1928}} autographed Philadelphia Athletics jersey (sold for over $300,000) * Lou Gehrig's last baseball glove (sold for nearly $400,000) * Cap Anson's Chicago White Sox jersey * A glove from Mickey Mantle (purchased by Billy Crystal for over $230,000) * Mickey Mantle's {{by|1956}} New York Yankees World Series ring. * The {{by|1920}} signed sale agreement which marked Babe Ruth's sale by the Boston Red Sox, to the Yankees * A {{by|1903}} ticket to the first World Series * Lou Gehrig's {{by|1930}}'s Yankees hat * Cobb's dentures * King Kelly's New York Giants jersey * Christy Mathewson's first minor league jersey (Taunton)

After the Sotheby's auction, Halper remarked: {{Cquote|It makes me feel so proud that my collection will be carried on by everyone who participated in the past week's sale. I am also glad that the Hall of Fame has part of my collection where it will reside in perpetuity.<ref name="psa" />}}

Sotheby's released a three-volume book, ''The Barry Halper Collection of Baseball Memorabilia'', including over 1,500 color photographs of the collection, giving history for many of the items, details about Halper's collection through the years, and a history of baseball.<ref name="book">{{cite book | last = Sotheby's | first = Sotheby's | title = The Barry Halper Collection of Baseball Memorabilia | publisher = Sotheby's | location = New York | year = 1999 |pages=930 pages| isbn = 978-0-9622588-7-9 }}</ref><ref name="book2">{{cite book | last = Golenbock | first = Peter | title = Barry Halper Collection of Baseball Memorabilia | publisher = Harry N. Abrams | pages=928 pages|location = New York | year = 2000 | isbn = 978-0-8109-6704-5 }}</ref> In 1998, Halper sold the collection, with MLB purchasing many items, donating them to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. The rest was auctioned off by Sotheby's for a record $21.8 million.<ref name="USATodayobit" /><ref name="psa" />

=== Controversy and allegations of false provenance === In October 2010, Hall of Fame spokesman Brad Horn told the ''New York Post'' that a Halper-donated jersey, supposedly worn by Shoeless Joe Jackson, was a fake. Horn said that the logo utilized acrylic coloring first created in 1941. The jersey was removed from display in 2008.<ref name="post">{{Cite news |author=Sanderson |first=Bill |date=2010-10-04 |title=Sox your knockoff |url=http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/sox_your_knockoff_3cS7HzxnCk0tZrKbJX1dXN |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101114023806/http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/sox_your_knockoff_3cS7HzxnCk0tZrKbJX1dXN |archive-date=14 November 2010 |work=New York Post}}</ref> Halper gave conflicting statements regarding the provenance of the Jackson jersey. In a 1985 interview, Halper told ''The Sporting News'' that it was a “recent acquisition” from Jackson’s family. In 1998, Halper claimed he’d purchased it in the 1950s from Jackson’s widow.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Mueller|first1=Rich|title=Report Claims Joe Jackson Hall of Fame Jersey Isn't Real|url=http://www.sportscollectorsdaily.com/report-claims-joe-jackson-hall-of-fame-jersey-isnt-real/|access-date=18 December 2016|date=27 August 2010}}</ref> There have been issues of authenticity with other auctioned items, including items purported to belong to Cy Young,<ref name="cyyoung">{{Cite web |year=2010 |title=The Top 10 Fakes and Frauds in the Barry Halper Baseball Collection |url=http://haulsofshame.com/blog/?p=1862 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101115130938/http://haulsofshame.com/blog/?p=1862 |archive-date=15 November 2010 |access-date=November 10, 2010 |publisher=Hauls of Shame weblog}}</ref> Joe Dimaggio,<ref name="joltin">{{cite news |author=O'Keefe |first=Michael |date=2005-05-08 |title=DiMaggio mitt at center of latest memorabilia firestorm |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/2005/05/08/controversy-fits-like-glove-dimaggio-mitt-at-center-of-latest-memorabilia-firestorm/ |access-date=2025-03-15 |work=Daily News (New York)}}</ref> Mickey Mantle,<ref name="mick">{{Cite news |author=O'Keefe |first=Michael |date=2003-12-07 |title=Buyer Beware: Crystal's glove affair a lesson for Mantle Auction |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/2003/12/07/buyer-beware-crystals-glove-affair-a-lesson-for-mantle-auction/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101103225621/http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/sports/2003/12/07/2003-12-07_buyer_beware_crystal_s_glove.html |archive-date=November 3, 2010 |access-date=2025-03-15 |work=New York Daily News}}</ref> Ty Cobb,<ref name="cobbdiary">{{Cite web|url=http://autographmagazine.com/2010/09/ernie-harwell-autographs/|title=Ernie Harwell Autographs|access-date=March 4, 2011|publisher=Autograph Magazine|year=2010|author=Ron Keurajian|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110119205056/http://autographmagazine.com/2010/09/ernie-harwell-autographs/|archive-date=2011-01-19|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="cobbdiary2">{{Cite news|url=http://www.sportscollectorsdaily.com/cobb-diary-in-halper-collection-was-a-fake/|title=Cobb Diary in Halper Collection Was a Fake|access-date=March 4, 2011|newspaper=Sports Collectors Daily|year=2009 |last1=Mueller |first1=Rich }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/history/2011/08/the-knife-in-ty-cobbs-back/|title=The Knife in Ty Cobb's Back|access-date=November 18, 2012|publisher=Smithsonian}}</ref> and others.

Subsequent reports alleged that certain items in Halper's collection, at some prior unknown time, had been stolen from the Baseball Hall of Fame, the New York Public Library, or other institutions.<ref name="herald">{{Cite web |author=Wedge |first=Dave |date=2009-07-10 |title=Stolen Boston memorabilia traced back to dead Yankees owner |url=https://www.bostonherald.com/2009/07/10/stolen-boston-memorabilia-traced-back-to-dead-yankees-owner/ |access-date=2025-03-15 |website=Boston Herald}}</ref><ref name="louisville">{{Cite web|url=http://www.canoe.com/BaseballArchive/aug22_lou.html|title=Louisville Slugger: stolen contracts sold to collector |access-date=March 4, 2011|publisher=Associated Press|year=2000}}{{dead link|date=April 2026|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref name="scd">{{Cite news|url=http://www.sportscollectorsdaily.com/stolen-items-part-of-99-halper-auction/|title=Stolen Items Part of '99 Halper Auction|access-date=March 4, 2011|newspaper=Sports Collectors Daily|year=2009 |last1=Mueller |first1=Rich }}</ref><ref name="halperHot100">{{Cite web|url=http://haulsofshame.com/blog/?p=1465|title=The Halper HOT 100: The Top 100 Stolen Baseball Memorabilia Items Once Owned By Collector Barry Halper|access-date=March 4, 2011|publisher=Hauls of Shame weblog|year=2011|author=Peter J. Nash}}</ref> There have been allegations that items in his collection were stolen from the widows or family members of deceased baseball stars.<ref name="rings">{{Cite web |author=Daulerio |first=A.J. |date=2011-03-04 |title=The Messy History Of Charlie Sheen's "Winning" Ring |url=https://deadspin.com/the-messy-history-of-charlie-sheens-winning-ring-5775565/ |access-date=2025-03-15 |website=Deadspin}}</ref>

The accusations have been made primarily by Peter Nash, a rapper-turned-memorabilia collector, culminating in an article which Nash wrote for the ''New York Post'' in July 2011.<ref name="NY Post" /> Murray Chass, the long-time baseball writer for ''The New York Times'' and personal acquaintance of Halper, opined that Nash's article in the ''New York Post'' was "journalistically indefensible" and "defamed the late Barry Halper." Nash's credibility and motivations against Halper have been questioned, given that he has been involved in a long-running litigation with the memorabilia auction house which was instrumental in preparing, organizing, and cataloging Halper's memorabilia auction at Sotheby's in 1999. In the litigation, Nash admitted in court papers to committing fraud against the auction house, and he invoked the Fifth Amendment in response to questions about his own memorabilia transactions to avoid incriminating himself. The court found in favor of the auction house owner, and Nash signed a court order in which he admitted to having committed fraud.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Wild Tale of Peter Nash |date=9 December 2009 |url=https://www.si.com/more-sports/2009/12/09/nash}}</ref> The ''New York Post'' published some of Nash's accusations, but they have since removed Nash's original article from its website.<ref name="NY Post">{{Cite news|url=http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/treasure_trove_is_baseball_history_MQHFNfIYJ2lj2tRkXhIfzH#ixzz1T5uzoVhw |title=Local Treasure Trove Is Baseball History |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110813014312/http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/treasure_trove_is_baseball_history_MQHFNfIYJ2lj2tRkXhIfzH |archive-date=August 13, 2011 }}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist|2}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Halper, Barry}} Category:1939 births Category:2005 deaths Category:American collectors Category:20th-century American Jews Category:Baseball memorabilia Category:Deaths from diabetes in New Jersey Category:New York Yankees owners Category:People from Harding Township, New Jersey Category:People from Livingston, New Jersey Category:Businesspeople from Newark, New Jersey Category:20th-century American businesspeople Category:21st-century American Jews