Robert Edward Auctions' Fall offering doesn't end until December 3, but a rare Babe Ruth card is already one of auction's big winners. No, not the 1914 Baltimore News card of the slugger that has been highly publicized beyond the sports collecting realm. A rare 1921 Frederick Foto card of Ruth is making waves, too. Early bidding on the card has already at $110,000 as of … [Read more...] about Rare 1921 Babe Ruth Frederick Foto Card at REA Among Bambino’s Rarest
Anthracite Baking Advertisement Solves a Mystery for Pre-War Kashin Baseball Photos
While I do not generally collect them, I've been fascinated over the years with the 1929 Kashin baseball photos for a number of reasons. And the recent discovery of an old newspaper advertisement helped to answer a long-time mystery about the origins of some of the photos. What are the 1929 Kashin Photos? Often categorized as baseball cards, the 1929 Kashins are actually … [Read more...] about Anthracite Baking Advertisement Solves a Mystery for Pre-War Kashin Baseball Photos
The Early Cards of Smoky Joe Wood
Walter Johnson declared that no pitcher threw harder. Ty Cobb called him one of the best pitchers he ever faced. Despite that recognition, some collectors today have never even heard of pitcher Smoky Joe Wood. At the height of his career, it is easy to see why Wood drew the praise of baseball legends. His legendary 1912 season (34-5 with ten shutouts and a 1.91 ERA) remains … [Read more...] about The Early Cards of Smoky Joe Wood
Membership Card Featuring Star Jack Barry is a Rare Pre-War Bargain
Former Philadelphia Athletics and Boston Red Sox infielder Jack Barry is the subject on a unique pre-war collectible. Here's a bit more on this interesting issue from 1919 and 1920. Who Was Jack Barry? Jack Barry's name will be familiar to many pre-war collectors. He is found in a variety of early tobacco and candy baseball card sets. Barry was also considered to be one … [Read more...] about Membership Card Featuring Star Jack Barry is a Rare Pre-War Bargain
Hidden Stars in the 1941 Goudey Baseball Set
The 1941 Goudey baseball card set brought to an end a near decade-long issuance of baseball cards for popular manufacturer Goudey. And while the set is often derided for a number of reasons including poor production and a lack of statistics/biographies, the cards are still heavily sought today for their rarity. Of Goudey's standard baseball card releases, the 1941 cards are the … [Read more...] about Hidden Stars in the 1941 Goudey Baseball Set
Rookie Cards of Baseball’s (Other) Greatest Iron Men
In June 1925, Lou Gehrig began his famous Iron Man streak, which would ultimately end in 1939 after a miraculous 2,130 consecutive games played. It would take more than 55 years for Cal Ripken to surpass the mark, playing in his 2,131st consecutive game in September of 1995. Ripken would extend the streak over several more seasons, ending at an improbable 2,632 games. Almost … [Read more...] about Rookie Cards of Baseball’s (Other) Greatest Iron Men
1910 T220 Prizefighters a Boxing Set Collector’s Dream
More and more pre-war collectors are turning their attention to boxing cards. That's especially evident by the rising prices for some of the iconic early fighters. Cards of Jack Johnson, John Sullivan, and Jack Dempsey have risen dramatically in the last few years. While there is no dearth of pre-war boxing sets, the 1910 T220 Prizefighters release is one that is heavily … [Read more...] about 1910 T220 Prizefighters a Boxing Set Collector’s Dream
Topps Introduced Groundbreaking ‘Traded’ Cards in the 1970s
In the 1980s, Topps' landmark traded sets produced some of the hobby's most iconic cards of the era. Nearly every release in the decade had an important card. In 1982, it was Cal Ripken's 'follow-up' card (after his rookie appeared in the regular Topps set). 1983 and 1984 produced rookie cards of Mets stars Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden. The likes of Barry Bonds, Jose … [Read more...] about Topps Introduced Groundbreaking ‘Traded’ Cards in the 1970s
The Wayback Collector: The Surprise Card Featured in the 1909 T204 Ramly Set
Known in the American Card Catalog as T204, the 1909 Ramly set is one of the gems from the pre-war era that is available to collectors. Certainly, it doesn't have the popularity or widespread appeal that the T205 and T206 sets have. However, it is appreciated by those who appreciate something that's a little bit different. Black and white images of players are displayed inside … [Read more...] about The Wayback Collector: The Surprise Card Featured in the 1909 T204 Ramly Set
Comparing Knute Rockne’s Two Most Popular Cards
You won't find legendary Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne on many vintage trading cards. Cards of coaches were not common in the pre-war era when Rockne was active. But even beyond that, football cards from that time period in general were not all that common. The sport was still relatively new (particularly in the case of professional football) and distributors of card … [Read more...] about Comparing Knute Rockne’s Two Most Popular Cards