Owned by U.S. company Goudey in the 1930s, the Canadian-based World Wide Gum Company issued baseball card sets that often had the same look as the cards produced by their American counterpart. The cards are so similar, in fact, they often confuse collectors. But while the cards are alike, there are several differences over the years between the two types of cards. 1933 … [Read more...]
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Going Beyond Babe Ruth in the 1932 Sanella / Astra Sets
Babe Ruth's card in the 1932 Sanella / Astra sets is the key issue in the release. Despite the fact the set was issued in Germany, Ruth is featured and his card is easily the most popular. It is also the most expensive, even thought it is actually one of the cheapest cards of the slugger. In all, there are 112 cards in the release and there are also plenty of other … [Read more...]
Studying the Evolution of Early Football Cards
Early football cards can be a tricky pursuit. That's made even more difficult if you are looking for cards that are more of a reflection of football as the game we know it today. The earliest American football was a combination of sorts of soccer and rugby. The first game was cited as Princeton vs. Rugby in 1869, but that contest hardly resembled the kind of sport that we … [Read more...]
5 Bargains of Pre-War Stars in Strip Card Issues
Strip card sets are already seen as a great budget option. Those sets are typically where you will find some of a player's most affordable pre-war cards. But here are five cards of big time players in particular that are cheaper than you might thnk. Jimmie Foxx W560 This card is considered by many to be a rookie issue of Foxx. The Hall of Famer does possibly have an … [Read more...]
Advertising Posters Promoted Early Tobacco Cards
An Introduction to Advertising Posters Pre-war cards can be tough enough to find but collectibles advertising those cards are even rarer. Strange as it might sound, Jefferson Burdick actually thought enough of early advertising posters to catalog them. While most collectors may not realize it, early advertising posters are actually found in the American Card Catalog under the … [Read more...]
Shortprints in Pre-War Sets Cause Collector Headaches
Collecting pre-war cards is generally a challenging pursuit. Often, these cards are more than 100 years old and are difficult to track down. And even in the cases where cards are plentiful, it can still mean an expensive activity. Adding to the difficulty in assembling pre-war sets are shortprinted cards. These shortprints are even rarer than the regular cards and can make … [Read more...]
Will the 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle Bubble Ever Burst?
The 1952 Topps set remains one of the most iconic baseball card issues of all time. Featuring a total of 407 cards, it wasn't quite as massive as the famous T206 or N172 Old Judge pre-war sets. However, it was among the largest issues of all-time when it was printed and includes one of the top cards in the hobby in the Mickey Mantle (No. 311). The cards were mass produced … [Read more...]
Tinker to Evers to Chance: 5 Fun Baseball Cards of the Cubs’ Famous DP Combo
Double play combinations are a somewhat popular baseball topic. In the pre-war era, there's no more famous trio than that of the Chicago Cubs' Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers, and Frank Chance who were immortalized in a poem written by Franklin Pierce Adams and published in the New York Evening Mail after a Cubs' double play squelched a Giants rally. These are the saddest of … [Read more...]
Five Intriguing Cards in the T218 Champions Set
The T218 Champions set can go a bit unnoticed by your everyday collector. Issued in or around 1910 (most sources list it as a 1910 set but it was possibly produced over a few years), even most pre-war collectors probably can't tell you too much about it as it doesn't include athletes from the four major American sports. But the set does include plenty of intrigue. Much of … [Read more...]
Fine, Wide Pens Among Most Affordable Pre-War Issues
Many collectors have a fear of diving into older cards and that is sometimes driven by price. But while some sets are quite expensive, some of the best bargains are found in a pair of similar sets termed the fine pens and wide pens premiums. What are Fine Pens/Wide Pens Premiums? In short, these are small photographs of baseball players from the 1930s. National Chicle … [Read more...]
