Baseball's first Hall of Fame class from 1936 remains its most legendary. Consisting of five true greats of the game in Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson, Walter Johnson, and Ty Cobb, it can never be equaled. But the follow-up class that was inducted in 1937 included some special players, too. The Wagner T206 card, Ruth's M101-4/5 rookie cards, Ty Cobb's … [Read more...]
The Wayback Collector: Pre-War E98 Gems Discovered in Repacked Boxes
Most of the time when collectors want a taste of pre-war cards, they head to eBay or another online site, a local card shop, or perhaps a card show. But finding pre-war cards isn't limited to those options. Some card companies and distributors have taken to offering pre-war cards as inserts in unopened boxes. And while finding something of substance might be difficult, some … [Read more...]
Eddie Cicotte and His Affordable and Very Collectible Baseball Cards
Cards of the banned members of the 1919 Chicago White Sox team continue to be very popular among baseball card collectors. Shoeless Joe Jackson is the clear leader in the clubhouse in terms of players that are desired. However, cards of some of the lesser known players are even harder to come by and, as a result, can be quite expensive. Collectors wanting cards from the … [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...]
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...]
5 Key T206 Southern Leaguers
Among the many challenges of completing the T206 set is the subset of nearly 50 players from the Southern Leagues. The majority of these minor league players are not well known by collectors. Despite that, they are not necessarily cheap by comparison. While other low-grade T206 commons can be purchased starting around $20 or so, finding Southern Leaguer cards under $75 or $100 … [Read more...]
Mysteries Still Surround the Rare T217 Mono Cigarettes Set
The T217 Mono Cigarettes set is one of the rarest 20th century tobacco baseball card issues. Despite a relatively small checklist, completing this rare tobacco set is extremely difficult . And in the case of assembling a fully complete set, that may be impossible. About the T217 Mono Cigarettes Set If obscure baseball players is your thing, the T217 Mono Cigarettes set has … [Read more...]
Rare Monarch Typewriters Postcards Set Featured Philadelphia Athletics
Postcards are often among the more inexpensive types of pre-war sports cards. Ones with generic subjects, especially, can often be purchased for $10 or even less, depending on condition. Other postcards featuring real players, however, are a different story. And in some cases, the postcards are not only expensive, but rare, as is the case with the Monarch Typewriters Postcards … [Read more...]
1914 Baltimore News Set Home of Babe Ruth’s Minor League Rookie Card
When it comes to pre-war cards there's rare and then there's 'rare.' Consider the 1914 Baltimore News set to be in that latter category. Here's a look at this unique set that is home to one of the most expensive baseball cards in the world. 1914 Baltimore News Set Overview The 1914 Baltimore News set is one of the more obscure issues from the pre-war era that can be found. … [Read more...]
Prices for Cards of Baseball’s First Hall of Famers Have Soared
Baseball's first Hall of Fame class is unrivaled and the first induction included only five players. However, the players that were inducted were Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Honus Wagner, and Christy Mathewson, making for as star studded a group to be found. Several other years have also had loaded rosters but none will ever top baseball's inaugural class. Prices for … [Read more...]