Recently on Twitter, PSA posed an interesting question: What would be on your Mount Rushmore of baseball cards? After giving it a bit of thought, I've at least got my own list. As a bit of a disclaimer here, my Mount Rushmore is more about the most popular and prestigious cards, not necessarily the most expensive. These, to me, are the biggest cards in the hobby. While … [Read more...]
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Sportszilla Breaks’ Clay Parks Among Aurora, Ill. Shooting Victims
Last week, an employee dismissed from his job at the Henry Pratt Company in Aurora, Ill. opened fire against several of his co-workers, tragically killing five people. Among the victims was the company's Human Resources Manager, Clay Parks. The shooter was ultimately killed by police. Sports card collectors may be familiar with Parks, who operated the popular group breaks … [Read more...]
The Wayback Collector: Card Collecting ‘Fad’ Outlasted Expectations
While it is difficult today to imagine a world without card collecting, it is worth noting that not all believed the hobby would be around for the long haul. An early newspaper article demonstrates that belief. In the early 1900s, tobacco card collecting was getting to become quite popular. An article appearing in the September 15, 1910 Pottsville Republican newspaper made … [Read more...]
The Wayback Collector: Skepticism Should Usually Follow Big Finds
This week, a man was reported to have possibly found a rare Babe Ruth E121 Shotwell baseball card. If real, the card would be quite a find. The story has been appearing on newscasts in Fresno and elsewhere. Part of the reason for that is because Dale Ball of Visalia, Calif. says he purchased the card at Action Sports Cards and Coin in Sparks, NV for the staggering … [Read more...]
1941 Goudey Set Marked End of an Era
Goudey Gum Company sailed across the pre-World War II landscape with a busy run that included standard issue baseball cards, premiums and some non-sport sets. The 1941 Goudey Baseball set would mark the end of a relatively brief but impactful run. The Boston-based firm got off to a huge start with its ultra-popular 1933 set that featured four Babe Ruth cards. The ’34 … [Read more...]
A Look Inside the Surprisingly Rare T332 Helmar Stamps Set
In the early 1900s, tobacco companies were stuffing packages of cigarettes with trading cards. Cards are the items that are most collected today but some companies used other types of premiums instead of them. In 1911, for instance, Helmar Cigarettes distributed packs of their product with small stamps featuring baseball players. T332 Helmar Stamps Overview The 1911 Helmar … [Read more...]
Cards of Roger Connor, Baseball’s First Home Run King, are Scarce
Ask collectors about the first prolific home run hitter and Babe Ruth will often be the answer. But before the Babe, there was Roger Connor. Now, Connor didn't slug home runs with the proficiency that Ruth would later do. Not even close. After all, the most Connor managed to hit in a season was 17, a number topped by even average players today. But when Connor last played … [Read more...]
The Wayback Collector: More Than a Century Later, Tobacco Cards Remain Popular
When collectors think about the earliest baseball cards, tobacco cards are often the first ones cited. While some trade cards technically existed before tobacco issues, many of them did not feature real, professional players. That is part of the reason why collectors have gravitated more towards tobacco sets as a sort of 'go to' in terms of pre-war issues. Tobacco cards are, … [Read more...]
Mysterious Indiana-Sport-Avion Set Includes Babe Ruth and American Football
International pre-war sets aren't always easy to get a handle on. And that's the case with a mysterious issue from France that is believed to have been printed in the 1930s. Indiana-Sport-Avion Set Basics This black and white set includes real images of its subjects. In that way, it was sort of a precursor to American gum card issues that came shortly after it, including the … [Read more...]
Like Brother Dizzy, Daffy Dean Cards Are Limited
Dizzy Dean was one of baseball's greatest pitchers in the 1930s. But injuries shortened his career and, as a result, he isn't found on a large number of cards. His less popular brother Daffy Dean (real name Paul) also didn't have the longest of careers, either, and that has also limited his card issues. Daffy Dean pitched in nine seasons in the majors but that number is … [Read more...]
