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
Vintage Sports Card News
First Basketball Inserts: 1969-70 Topps Rulers and Those That Never Were
Inserts were nothing new at the Topps Company when they struck a deal to get back into the basketball bubble gum card market in 1969. In fact, you could reasonably argue that the late 1960s and early 70s were the zenith of vintage inserts. You could scarcely open a pack without finding a sticker, a coin or a poster. Oh, did Topps love posters. Sometimes they turned the … [Read more...] about First Basketball Inserts: 1969-70 Topps Rulers and Those That Never Were
Coming Attractions: Heritage Shows Off Crispy Vintage Singles, Sets, Unopened
The auction catalogs are fun to look at (even if you don't always have the funds to buy some of the best stuff), but it's a constant process to keep them full. Consignment representatives are constantly answering calls, making trips to visit clients both new and old and setting up at card shows in hopes of picking up some walk-in material. Heritage Auctions will launch its … [Read more...] about Coming Attractions: Heritage Shows Off Crispy Vintage Singles, Sets, Unopened
Vintage Unopened Basketball Boxes, Baseball Cards, MJ and Kobe Autographs in Hindman Sale
A collection of unopened boxes, single cards and autographs from a one owner collection will be on the block through Hindman Auctions this month. A 1986-87 Fleer Basketball box with a pack containing a Michael Jordan rookie card on top is the headliner in the 89-lot auction that takes place on Friday, March 24. The “Grails and GOATS” auction consists of 89 lots, … [Read more...] about Vintage Unopened Basketball Boxes, Baseball Cards, MJ and Kobe Autographs in Hindman Sale
Beaton’s Bars Stamps on Back of 1920s Paterson Hockey Cards Linked to Dairy Company
There are sports card scarcities and then there are those instances in which there are things that are not only rare, but remain mysterious many years later. One of those is the 1924-25 William Paterson Beaton's Bars overprint issue. To date, this is the furthest we have reached with documenting these stamp backed versions that appear to be associated with the 1920s William … [Read more...] about Beaton’s Bars Stamps on Back of 1920s Paterson Hockey Cards Linked to Dairy Company
The 1900 Cope Golfers Set is the Most Famous of Early Issues from the Sport
While golf has been a popular sport for more than a century, collectors will find surprisingly few early sets featuring the sport. The majority of early issues were international releases that were printed overseas. And even as the sport grew in popularity here in the U.S., domestic golf issues were few and far between before the modern era of card collecting. Some of the … [Read more...] about The 1900 Cope Golfers Set is the Most Famous of Early Issues from the Sport
REA Encore Sales Pile Up the Lots as March Event Launches
It’s been a busy three months for Robert Edward Auctions and their first “big” auction of the year hasn’t even started. The company’s monthly Encore Auctions have seen nearly 9,000 lots go up for grabs since early January with nearly 110,000 bids entered. The March event launched Thursday, with nearly 3,400 items, ranging from rare T206s and numerous classic Babe … [Read more...] about REA Encore Sales Pile Up the Lots as March Event Launches
Little Known 1993 Skinnies Basketball Set Landed Way Out of Bounds With Flagrant Pictures, Comments
From the jump, Skinnies basketball seemed to be a sports card version of Garbage Pail Kids, a roundball representation of Beavis and Butthead, Mad Magazine or even Wacky Packs.These unlicensed basketball cards take it a step, make that 20 steps, further. Many are off color, inappropriate, and in some cases flat out offensive. The 177 card set takes aim at pretty much every … [Read more...] about Little Known 1993 Skinnies Basketball Set Landed Way Out of Bounds With Flagrant Pictures, Comments
1970s Basketball Rookie Cards of College Hoop Heroes
College basketball tournaments will create their own stars over the next four weeks. For some, it will be the greatest moment of their athletic lives and we'll never see them on an NBA court. For others, it will be a springboard to a great pro career. Even though some will spend years at the next level, what they accomplished in college may … [Read more...] about 1970s Basketball Rookie Cards of College Hoop Heroes
10 Mystifyingly Tough Living Baseball Autographs
There are a lot of hurdles to leap over when you're working on getting a baseball card set completely autographed: big-name players with multiple cards, players who charge exorbitant amounts of money to sign, and sadly, those who have passed away. But what about those guys who just won't sign and there seems to be no real reason why? With my 1972 Topps set, that bugaboo is … [Read more...] about 10 Mystifyingly Tough Living Baseball Autographs