After yielding exclusivity in the baseball card market when Donruss and Fleer entered the fray in 1981, Topps had to take some bold steps. Its 1983 set was the answer, with a pleasing design, sharper photography, a nostalgic look back and, as it turned out, some key rookies. Readers of Baseball Hobby News had voted Fleer as the best set in 1981 and tabbed Donruss as the … [Read more...] about 1983 Topps Baseball Had Star Power, Key Rookies
Old Baseball Card Sets
1982 Donruss Set Featured Ripken RC, Legal Intrigue… And a Puzzle
It’s hard to believe that the 1982 Donruss baseball card set is now 40 years old. Many collectors draw the line of demarcation between “vintage” and “modern” sets as 1981, when Donruss and Fleer issued their first sets in competition with longtime baseball card manufacturer Topps. Donruss’ 1981 set was not impressive, with 605 cards that had 30 variations or errors. The … [Read more...] about 1982 Donruss Set Featured Ripken RC, Legal Intrigue… And a Puzzle
1954 Bowman Baseball Had Mantle, Controversy
You can find it right in-between “bold reaction” and “last ditch effort.” The “it” is the 1954 Bowman Baseball card set. Much has been written about the battles between the upstart company Topps and the established baseball card manufacturers at Bowman in the early 1950s. The records clearly show that the Bowman Gum Co. had a significant loss of market share in 1952 and … [Read more...] about 1954 Bowman Baseball Had Mantle, Controversy
1954 Dan-Dee Set Kept Snackers Busy
If you lived in parts of Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and western New York in the 1950s, you probably knew about them. If you loved sports, you probably begged mom to buy a certain brand of potato chips one summer. The 1954 Dan-Dee baseball set put one baseball card inside each bag of greasy goodness. Today, it's one of the most desirable "food issue" sets of … [Read more...] about 1954 Dan-Dee Set Kept Snackers Busy
1982 Topps Baseball Set Marked Start of 792-Card Era
One could say that 1982 was a watershed year for Topps. The company had ruled the roost in baseball cards for more than two decades, but the emergence of sets in 1981 by Donruss and Fleer called for some bold moves. So in 1982, Topps produced the largest baseball card set to date, at 792 cards, up from 726. That effectively ended the need for double-printed cards. In … [Read more...] about 1982 Topps Baseball Set Marked Start of 792-Card Era
1978 Topps Zest Cards A Quirky Tribute To Hispanic Players
The checklist was a short one but you couldn't beat the price. The 1978 Topps Zest Soap baseball card set was a free with purchase mail-in promotion that focused on some of the top Hispanic players in the major leagues. Thanks to limited distribution, it's a little difficult to find today, but not that expensive. The five-card set was cello wrapped and … [Read more...] about 1978 Topps Zest Cards A Quirky Tribute To Hispanic Players
Sports Cards Highlight the Rare Obsequio de Susini Set
The Obsequio de Susini tobacco card set is one of those international issues that doesn't come up a whole lot. The lack of baseball cards in it is a contributing factor for its relative obscurity. Nevertheless, there are plenty of great sports cards to be found in it. Let's take a deeper look at this rare set. About the Obsequio de Susini set Obsequio de Susini? That's a … [Read more...] about Sports Cards Highlight the Rare Obsequio de Susini Set
Scarce 1978 7-Eleven “Magic Motion” Cards Remain Largely a Mystery
If you love regional sets, chances are you might have a few sets issued by 7-Eleven stores in your collection, but there’s one that dates back more than 40 years that’s as obscure as obscure can be, despite the presence of such iconic names as: Cobb, Aaron, Ryan, Staubach, Chamberlain and Marciano, to name but a few. After 25 years as a hobby historian, finding undocumented … [Read more...] about Scarce 1978 7-Eleven “Magic Motion” Cards Remain Largely a Mystery
Inside the 1975-77 Hostess Twinkies Single Card Sets
Collectors are familiar with the Hostess Baseball Card promotion that ran from 1975-79. In each of those five years, ITT Continental Baking Company, the parent company of Hostess at the time, issued a 150-card set of regular Hostess cards in three-card panels on the bottom of family-sized boxes of snack cakes. Less familiar are the Hostess Twinkies … [Read more...] about Inside the 1975-77 Hostess Twinkies Single Card Sets
1963 Topps Peel-Offs Set Filled With Baseball Hall Of Famers
The 1960s are a haven for insert collectors. Posters, decals, game cards... you never knew exactly what Topps was going to toss into its packs as a free bonus. The 1963 Topps Peel-Off set offered a bigger, bolder, more colorful look than the stamps that had accompanied the 1961 and '62 cards. This insert set gave collectors some big names, with 41% of the subjects … [Read more...] about 1963 Topps Peel-Offs Set Filled With Baseball Hall Of Famers