Rare baseball cards continue to be discovered and sometimes, those cards are old and valuable. Such is the case from a new find of 19th Century cards that includes a Hall of Famer from the 1888 Yum Yum Tobacco set. About the Find and the Keefe Yum Yum Card Dave Hobson of BaseballCardBuyer.com recently found a small collection of raw 19th Century cards, including both … [Read more...]
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SGC Launches Initiative to Digitally Reconstruct Frank Nagy T204 Ramly Sheet
The T204 Ramly set is one of the most prized pre-war issues. Highlighted by ornate gold borders and an early Walter Johnson card, it is a heavily-desired set. Late hobby pioneer Frank Nagy previously acquired a spectacular uncut sheet of this release distributed by Ramly Turkish Cigarettes. To date, it may be the only known one in existence. The cards were then cut and … [Read more...]
The Wayback Collector: Rare Fans Cigarettes Package Rediscovered
The 1922 Fans Cigarettes set (T231) is one of the rarest tobacco card issues around. The set is so rare that only a few cards are known. That's particularly noteworthy as at least 85 are believed to be included in the set. To date, a grand total of three Fans Cigarettes cards have been discovered. Categorized as T231 in the American Card Catalog, it is somewhat surprising … [Read more...]
Five 1930s Diamond Matchbooks Bargains
The 1930s Diamond Matchbooks are an excellent way to find pre-war collectibles at a low price. If you're unfamiliar with them, these unique items feature players printed onto matchbook covers. Matchbooks complete with the original matches still inside will be more expensive. However, the majority are found without the matches and those are the real bargains. Classified as U1-U4 … [Read more...]
The Wayback Collector: Fresh Finds Fuel Thoughts on 1933 Goudey Set
The Wayback Collector is a weekly look at important news in the hobby as it relates to pre-war and vintage collectibles. This week’s topic takes a brief look at the 1933 Goudey set's popularity in the wake of two significant finds. At some point, the baseball collecting world decided that the Big 3 in terms of collectible sets were T206, 1952 Topps, and 1933 Goudey. As far … [Read more...]
30 Years Later, 1988 Still a Giant Baseball Card Disappointment
1987 was a big year for baseball cards. Rookie sensation Mark McGwire was all the rage as he hit 49 home runs that year and was extremely popular. But other cards made big splashes, too. Collectors had the first Barry Bonds cards in packs. There was also Bo Jackson. And Will Clark. And Jose Canseco. All of these players were included in 1986 traded/update sets but, aside from … [Read more...]
Lefty “Groves” and Jack Dunn: 1921 White’s Tip Top Orioles Remain a Rarity
Bakery cards are generally among the more difficult types of pre-war cards to find. Often, these were regional issues limited to a small area. As such, they sometimes focused on only specific teams. One of these is the 1921 White's Tip Top Baltimore Orioles set. 1921 White's Tip Top Baltimore Orioles Cards The Tip Top name will be known by many pre-war collectors for … [Read more...]
The Wayback Collector: Autographed Pre-War Cards Are Truly Rare Commodities
The Wayback Collector is a weekly look at important news in the hobby as it relates to pre-war and vintage collectibles. This week’s topic takes a brief look at the autograph market and a rare Exhibit card. These days, autographed items have carved out a considerable niche in the card collecting hobby. But their presence today is undeniably stronger than it was in earlier … [Read more...]
Baseball Silks Were Popular Pre-War Collectibles
As cigarette and tobacco inserts became more and more popular in the early 1900s, companies started to get more innovative with the collectibles they included in their products. Cards, which were used as stiffeners in packs of cigarettes, remained popular for some time. But one insert that gained some traction with consumers were baseball silks. What are Silks? Silks are … [Read more...]
Witmor Candy Cards One of Many E121-Like Sets
The 1921-22 E121 American Caramel set is one of the most confusing pre-war candy issues. Advertised on the backs as both a Set of 80 and Set of 120, the card fronts were also used as part of a blank-back issue. Even more confusing is that some companies printed their own advertisements on the blank-backed cards, creating many spin-off sets. One of those was the Witmor Candy … [Read more...]
