The NFL is ingrained in our sports conscience now, so it’s hard to remember that it once was a league that battled a bitter rival for nearly a decade. The AFL secured a merger with the more established NFL at mid-decade and played the inaugural Super Bowl on Jan. 15, 1967. The two leagues would merge for the 1970 season, but the merger in football cards already had … [Read more...]
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1976-77 Topps Hockey Short on Rookies but Big on Subsets and Inserts
For the most part, the 1976-77 Topps hockey set was your standard run-of-the-mill 1970s hockey issue. But in addition to numerous subsets in the release, Topps also introduced a unique insert, which helped it stand out from others. Here's a closer look at Topps' issue for the 1976-77 hockey season. 1976-77 Topps Hockey Overview The 1976-77 Topps hockey set was a 264-card … [Read more...]
Connie Mack’s Eight Decade Career in Cardboard
Cornelius Alexander McGillicuddy, known as Connie Mack, spent part of eight decades associated with Major League Baseball as first a player, then a manger, and finally an owner. For 50 years he served as manager and owner of the Philadelphia Athletics where he set records that will likely never be matched in wins (3,731), losses, (3,948), and games managed (7,755). One of … [Read more...]
1974-75 Topps Hockey Continued Shift Toward Larger Sets
After producing several issues that included only a few dozen cards, Topps made a major push in the 1970s to increase the size of its hockey sets. Here's a closer look at the 1974-75 Topps hockey issue that continued that model of growth. 1974-75 Topps Hockey Overview At the start of the decade, Topps' hockey sets consisted of 132 cards. That was double the size of what … [Read more...]
There’s More to the 1935 Goudey Set than Babe Ruth
The 1935 Goudey set is known to collectors for any number of reasons. Babe Ruth is by far the biggest draw of the small (or large, depending on how you look at it) release. The Ruth card is also special because it is one of the few that features him as a member of the Boston Braves. It is the same picture used on one of his 1933 Goudey cards as a member of the Yankees but the … [Read more...]
Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb Highlight Canadian V89 William Paterson Issue
While there aren't many Canadian tobacco baseball cards, the country did produce its fair share of candy issues. One, the V89 William Paterson set, featured numerous American stars, including Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb. V89 William Paterson Basics William Paterson Limited was a chocolatier and candy company based in Brantford, a relatively small city in Ontario. The city is … [Read more...]
1933 George C. Miller Set: Beautiful, But Challenging
As far as collectors of vintage baseball cards are concerned, not many sets are as challenging and rewarding as the 1933 George C. Miller set. The issue not only has a high artistic quality but is packed full of key players despite its small size and a Babe Ruth omission. A regional issue which was distributed in the Greater Boston area alone, this Depression era set is … [Read more...]
1930s and 1940s Brought Merging of Baseball and Gasoline
Tobacco and candy companies dominated the baseball scene in the early 1900s. But as the century went on, other types of businesses began to recognize the popularity of baseball cards. One of those was the gasoline industry, which began a push with baseball issues in the 1930s and 1940s. Here are some of the more well-known issues that came out of the partnership between the … [Read more...]
Unique B18 Blankets Have Solid Mix Of Variations And Stars
While traditional baseball cards (or, pictures, as they were frequently called) were extremely popular in the pre-war era, tobacco companies were constantly seeking ways to create new and unique collectibles. Egyptienne Cigarettes succeeded in that venture in 1914 with its distribution of an issue we now call the B18 Blankets. B18 Blankets Basics The B18 Blankets were one of … [Read more...]
Examining Exhibits: Chronicling Baseball a Penny at a Time
Much attention has been paid to recent sales of Lou Gehrig's 1925 Exhibit card. Considered Gehrig's 'rookie' card, it is emblematic of an era when manufacturers did not consistently produce card sets. While the 1925 Gehrig is far and away the most valuable Exhibit card, the yearly sets offer affordable pricing on legendary players produced in a larger format than … [Read more...]
