The game of hockey was aiming to grow in the 1960s and as the NHL was ready to move from the Original Six era to a 12-team league. Before expansion, it was tough to crack a roster and it was tough for a special talent to make it up - even for a few games. Sometimes, these players might have found themselves a hockey card, too. However, even the stars can become forgotten … [Read more...]
White Whale Surfaces: W600 Ty Cobb Card Uncovered,Heads to REA
File this under you never know what's on the other end of the phone. A call to Robert Edward Auctions' New Jersey office last month yielded an early contender for new discovery of the year. A long-time dealer/collector reached out to the auction house, known for high-end and rare items, to inquire about some items that he'd had in his possession for nearly thirty … [Read more...]
The Big Three: Collecting the Heart of the 1970s Montreal Canadiens
Throughout the 1970s, the Montreal Canadiens were the most dominant club in hockey. While the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers tried to wrestle that title away from them throughout the decade, the team's defense corps that featured the Hall of Fame trio of Larry Robinson, Serge Savard, and Guy Lapointe ensure that Lord Stanley's Mug was staying with the Bleu, Blanc et … [Read more...]
Stapled, Stamped and Punched: 1960 Lake to Lake Braves Were Designed to be Traded
As a new decade approached, a popular Wisconsin dairy company nestled near the shore of Lake Michigan was looking for a marketing edge. A partnership with the popular home state big league baseball team brought the 1960 Lake to Lake Milwaukee Braves baseball cards to life: two lives actually. These were meant to be traded back to the company for something … [Read more...]
Vintage Pack Facts: 1964 Philadelphia Football
After eight years with Topps at the forefront of NFL trading cards, the 1964 season brought a big change. Philadelphia Gum, founded by a former Bowman Gum executive 16 years earlier, snared the exclusive rights to make football cards for the next four seasons. Their first effort came in the fall of 1964 and it's the focus of this week's Vintage Pack Facts. … [Read more...]
Vintage Pack Facts 1965 Topps Football
You can imagine the challenges faced by the Topps Company as it plotted some drastic changes in its 1965 football card product. Having settled for the AFL as it watched Swell’s Philadelphia Gum take over the much more desirable NFL trading card contract, Topps must have felt like it needed to make its product stand out. Instead of the 2 1/1” x 3 ½” dimension that had … [Read more...]
Non-Baseball Stars in the 1933 U.S. Caramel Set are Plenty Valuable
The 1933 U.S. Caramel set is comprised of only 32 cards. While it is technically a multi-sport set, baseball is clearly the dominant subject found in it. Originally cited as a 1932 issue, it is generally believed to be produced in 1933 by many accounts these days. Similar to the 1914 and 1915 Cracker Jack cards, these are defined largely by their plain red backgrounds. The … [Read more...]
New Find of 1921 Tip Top Orioles Includes Grove, 3 Previously Unknown Cards
The population of one of the hobby’s rarest and pre-War minor league sets has grown by one—but the set itself is bigger than previously thought after the additional discovery of three previously unknown players. The fresh find of 1921 White’s Bakery Tip-Top Baltimore Orioles cards is among the highlights in Memory Lane’s newly-launched catalog. The set, collected by … [Read more...]
Part III of David Hall T206 Collection Auction Includes Near Set of Sovereign Backs
The third installment of hobby pioneer David Hall’s legendary T206 collection is now on the auction block. The sale features a near-set of scarce “Sovereign” advertising backs as well as cards that were in packages of other lesser known brands and carry advertising backs that are considered scarce today. Over 500 cards are in the auction, including dozens of Hall … [Read more...]
40 Years Later, High-Grade Ozzie Smith 1979 Topps Rookie Cards High in Demand
From 1982 until his retirement after the 1996 season, Ozzie Smith was the face of the St. Louis Cardinals. During that time, he was named as an All-Star in every season, save for 1993. Ironically, that season he batted .288, which was one of the highest averages of his career. However, Smith's earliest cards feature the defensive standout with the San Diego Padres, his … [Read more...]