Rickey Henderson’s 1980 rookie card is a thing of beauty, no doubt. Displaying Henderson trademark crouched batting stance, it’d be a nice card even if it wasn’t extremely valuable. High-grade versions of the future Hall of Famer and Oakland Athletic great’s 1980 Topps card cost way more than you’ll pay for a typical complete set. Rickey’s rookie is the first card you … [Read more...]
Humble Beginnings: Most of Cal Ripken Jr.’s First Baseball Cards Were Destroyed
It’s May 30, 1980, in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Nashville Sounds are at Jim Crockett Memorial Park to take on the Charlotte O’s, the AA Minor-League affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. Souvenir programs leading up to tonight’s Southern League contest have billed the game as “WBTV Baseball Card Nite.” Through a partnership with Charlotte’s WBTV Television, “all children 14 … [Read more...]
Worth the Wait: 1960 Topps Cello Pack Break Yields Big Prize
Sixty years after it was boxed up and left the Topps plant during the Eisenhower administration, a Topps baseball cello pack finally revealed its contents Tuesday night. Still tightly sealed, the 12-card pack would have cost 10 cents in 1960. It was the star attraction in a five-hour pack breaking marathon conducted by Just Rip It. The company offered … [Read more...]
The Wayback Collector: Is It Bowman or Play Ball?
Recently, I was flipping through some of my card binders. While I buy plenty of singles and lots, my primary collecting focus is really on building sets. I like the satisfaction of completion and set building can present some interesting challenges. Because my focus is on sets, often I find myself buying particular lots of cards even if I only need a few. That, of course, … [Read more...]
Regional A.W.H. Caramels Set is a True Rarity
It's one set you might not even find in the most comprehensive price guides. Many advanced collectors have never seen one in person. The 1910 A.W.H. Caramels set is one of the tougher early candy / caramel card issues dating to the pre-war era. Here's a closer look at this incredibly rare 12-card release that was distributed only in a small portion of the … [Read more...]
1959 Bazooka Baseball Pennants Originated with Topps Wrapper Offer
Topps tried to keep kids engaged with their brand as often as possible and in the spring and summer of 1959, it came by way of an enticing offer on the side panel of the company's baseball wrappers. Just about every youngster whose parents weren't all that strict when it came to decor had a hard time resisting the pitch. Grab a few pieces of the … [Read more...]
Lou Whitaker’s Earliest Cards as Tigers Great Awaits Hall Call
From the late 1970s to the early 90s, you knew who would be playing second base for the Detroit Tigers. Like the fellow prospect who occupied shortstop for about the same amount of time, he was a steady presence, whether the Tigers were really good, really bad or just average. You could find Lou Whitaker baseball cards in packs of Topps cards every year, too. … [Read more...]
New Jersey Man’s 80+ Year Baseball Collection Included Jaw-Dropping 1930s Autographs
He lived in the same northern New Jersey house his entire life, an avid baseball fan and collector who quietly kept an always-growing collection of baseball cards, autographs and photos. He passed away in March at age 97 but the process of selling some of the sets and other items from his lifelong pursuit had been underway for a couple of years. It wasn't until recently, … [Read more...]
5 Cool Vintage Willie Mays Cards on a Budget
It’s easy to put together a list of the best Willie Mays cards. You start with his 1951 Bowman rookie card and 1952 Topps high number and slide up the calendar for a few more. It’s not rocket science. While those iconic cards representing the first 12 months of his career are important, there are others that are worth owning-- and they’re not nearly … [Read more...]
Regional Cullivan’s Fireside Set Celebrated 1910 World Series Champion Athletics
In 1910, the Philadelphia Athletics won 102 regular season games, easily winning the American League pennant. They became World Series champions after defeating the Chicago Cubs, four games to one. Even the Cubs' lone win in that series was a struggle as the team needed ten innings to pull out a narrow 4-3 victory. The Athletics won all of the other games by at least three runs … [Read more...]