While there are baseball players in the 1948 Topps Magic set, most collectors consider the 1952 set as their first 'standard' issue. The company was new to the baseball card world and quickly competed with Bowman for top billing in the industry. Topps quickly won that battle, ultimately buying Bowman. As they navigated the new landscape of post-war bubble gum cards, the New … [Read more...]
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Baseball Card Bargains from the 1930s Gum Card Era
The 1930s gum cards represent good bargains for collectors. Some cards, like Babe Ruth's 1933 Goudey issues, aren't exactly affordable for many. But the decade holds plenty of other opportunities for solid buys. Here are some bargains that can be found from the early days of the gum card. Hank Greenberg 1936 Goudey Greenberg's cards, in general, are good bargains, in my … [Read more...]
Cards of Troubled Pre-War Star Hal Chase Remain Popular With Collectors
When the topic of betting on baseball is discussed, the most common subjects mentioned are Pete Rose and the 1919 Chicago White Sox team. Their cases are well documented by collectors and, in the case of the White Sox, it has even driven the card values of most of the involved players far beyond what they would be otherwise. The prices for cards of players such as Buck … [Read more...]
Player Collecting Has Its Rewards and Its Pitfalls
Among all of the different ways to collect baseball cards are what are referred to as player collections. Player collections are exactly as they sound -- card collections of specific players. Like anything else, player collections can vary greatly. Some collectors focus on only one player while others chase cards of several. Additionally, some collectors pursue cards of a … [Read more...]
1930s Goudey Issues Included More Than Standard Cards
When most collectors think about Goudey, their minds are typically drawn to the massive 1933 Goudey set, the smaller follow-up issue released in 1934, or any of their somewhat less popular 1935, 1936, 1938, and 1941 sets. Perhaps the multi-sport 1933 Goudey Sport Kings release comes to mind. Some may also be inclined to think of the World Wide Gum issues out of Canada which … [Read more...]
Multi-Sport W551 Strip Card Set Highlighted by Baseball Legends
Many strip card sets are avoided by collectors. Some don't like the often crude representations of the players, the fragile card stock and lack of quality examples in the market. However, one of the more popular issues can't be ignored due to its diverse checklist and collection of baseball greats. Here's a closer look at the 1920s W551 strip card set. W551 Strip … [Read more...]
Babe Ruth (and his cards) at the Movies
Babe Ruth is mostly known for his ability to hit baseballs a really long distance. But his popularity as one of the top athletes of all time led to all kinds of marketing opportunities during his playing days and after them. Among them, appearances in a variety of films during his career. Those films, by the way, weren't always the greatest. Sometimes Ruth was the star while … [Read more...]
1989-90 Hoops Basketball Set Brought Much Needed Competition
By 1989, basketball cards had been in the marketplace for some time. Some existed in the pre-war era through sets like the 1933 Goudey Sport Kings release. Their production really got underway with the creation of the 1948 Bowman issue and, subsequently, Topps sets, starting in the 1950s. Topps would produce sets for many years into the early 1980s and become the clear 'go to' … [Read more...]
Starting a Pre-War Baseball Card Collection for $300
The prices of pre-war cards continue to rise. In particular, Hall of Famers and stars are getting expensive enough that some collectors have been priced out of the market for some sets. Despite that, the hobby continues to see collectors eagerly getting into the market for these decades old issues. That is evident for mainstream sets like T206, which continue to … [Read more...]
Pre-War Card Games Were Popular Player Endorsements
Athletes continue to do endorse all sorts of products, just as they have for the past 100 years. These products have covered nearly everything under the sun, including professional services, food/beverages, apparel, vehicles, tobacco, and nearly everything you can imagine. As games of amusement started to emerge in the late 1800s, baseball-themed card games became yet another … [Read more...]
