The 1940 Play Ball set was the largest baseball card offering from Gum, Inc. With a total of 240 cards, it's not only the largest Play Ball set, but one of the larger gum card sets in general. Not many baseball card sets were printed in the 1940s but this was one of them. And while this set includes plenty of contemporary stars, it is also known for a large collection of … [Read more...]
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Nearly 40 Years Later, Some Bird/Magic Rookie Cards Are Bargain-Priced
Magic Johnson, Larry Bird. Bird, Magic. The two players broke into the NBA in the 1980s and helped kick off what would be an unforgettable decade with their teams winning numerous titles. With all due respect to Michael Jordan who would lead the way in the 1990s, the 80s clearly belonged to Bird and Magic. The pair are forever linked not only because of their rivalry as … [Read more...]
Main Line’s Pittsburgh Area Spring Spectacular XLI Show Returns to Monroeville
One of the hobby's longest running shows is set to return next month. The event, dubbed The Pittsburgh Area Spring Spectacular XLI, is now anchored in a new location but as usual, it will be full of sports card dealers and autograph sessions. This year, the three-day show will take place from Friday, May 17 through Sunday, May 19. After a long tenure in a different … [Read more...]
Broadleaf/Cycle Shortprints are the Keys to the T207 Set
Issued in 1912, the T207 release is a different kind of tobacco baseball card set. We've written about the set here before and, personally, it's a favorite of mine. From the dark and mysterious aesthetics and somewhat odd player checklist, it's significantly different than most other tobacco sets from the same time period. The set is difficult to complete for any number of … [Read more...]
Short 1920 W520 Strip Card Set Full of Surprises
The 1920 W520 strip card set has a total of only 20 cards. Despite that, it's one of the more, shall we say, odd strip issues out there. Here's a closer look at this somewhat interesting set. W520 Strip Card Basics As stated, a total of only 20 cards are found in the W520 strip card set. That's certainly a bit on the short end but not really all that odd for strip card sets. … [Read more...]
5 Black Sox Baseball Card Bargains
Baseball cards featuring players from the 1919 Chicago White Sox team are not generally inexpensive. Collectors heavily pursue cards featuring the eight banned 'Black Sox' players and that demand has driven up prices over the years. Now, with the 100th anniversary of the famous team, their cards have never been more popular. But while many of these cards are a bit on the … [Read more...]
Goudey Had Plenty of Competition in the Pre-War Era
Plain and simple, Goudey ruled the pre-war gum card era when it came to baseball cards. Issuing numerous sets beginning in 1933, the company dominated the time period. Goudey began with an extremely popular, 240-card set in 1933 and continued producing other baseball cards through 1941. They weren't the producers of the first of the gum cards but they quickly became the most … [Read more...]
6 Great Baseball Card Sets From World War I Era
World War I is generally cited as lasting from 1914 through 1918. While the United States didn't become heavily involved until the last two years of the conflict, the war's impact was felt here, too. Unlike World War II, when virtually no mainstream sets were produced, there were some key baseball card sets issued during the time frame of "The Great War." Here's a look … [Read more...]
1989 Was A Revolutionary Year In Baseball Cards
Looking back, 1988 was a relatively dull year for baseball cards. Among the junkiest of the junk wax era, not much has significant value from that time period. Sure, there are some notable things from 1988, such as the traded/update sets. But in general, there's a lot of low-value stuff from 1988. 1989 has a lot of low-dollar stuff, too. But (and with all due respect to the … [Read more...]
The Wayback Collector: Two New Baseball Wrappers Checklisted In A Rare Set
It's baseball cards that most collectors are interested in. But a rare set of pre-war baseball wrappers is getting some interest in the news with the discovery of two that were previously unchecklisted. About the R301 Overland Wrappers The R301 Overland Wrappers aren't what most wrappers collectors would expect. Distributed by Chicago's Overland Candy Corporation, these … [Read more...]
