Baseball fans hate players who loaf — unless those players were part of the 1947 Tip Top Bread card set. At 163 cards, this set was one of the largest to come out of the early post-World War II era — and in fact, it was one of the largest sets in many years. But that number is deceiving, because the ’47 Tip Top set actually was made up of a group of regional issues. The … [Read more...]
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What I Collect: Keeping Johnny Vander Meer Memories Alive
This is the latest in an ongoing series of articles written by readers who tell the stories of the sports memorabilia they collect and why. I learned about Johnny Vander Meer in 1996, when my wife and I moved to Midland Park, New Jersey. I soon became fascinated with his story—small town boy becomes major leaguer, sets record in his rookie season that no one … [Read more...]
1948 Sport Thrills Set Scarce, But Packed With Stars
If you’re a Cleveland Indians fan, then 1948 was a swell year. It was the last time the Indians won the World Series. In fact, 1948 could be called a Swell year, because a 20-card set called Sport Thrills was issued by the Philadelphia Gum Co. It’s better known by the brand of gum that Philly produced — Swell — and contains the subhead “Highlights in the World of Sport.” The … [Read more...]
1948 Bowman Musial Rookie Card: In Color
Bubble gum cards made their return three years after the end of World War II with Bowman launching its first set. Printing in black-and-white may have saved some money at a time when color printing was still a costly challenge and acceptance from youngsters was no sure thing, but it leaves today's collectors a bit disappointed. The 1948 Bowman set includes a few key rookie … [Read more...]
Double Play Baseball Among Last Sets Before WWII
The 1941 Double Play baseball card set is generally recognized as the last prewar set. For collectors, this 75-card set is full of Hall of Famers — more than 30 — and stars of the day, including Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams, both in their prime and rivals for postseason awards. The set, designated as R330, was marketed by Gum Products, Inc., of Cambridge, Massachusetts. The … [Read more...]
Vintage Set Break of the Week: 1940 Play Ball
Gum Inc. launched into the baseball card arena in 1939 with black-and-white photos of contemporary baseball players. Likely due to the popularity of the issue, the 1940 Play Ball set features 240 cards, larger than the previous year. While the set doesn’t seem to garner the same type of admiration from collectors as the colorized set that arrived in '41, it is still jam-packed … [Read more...]
Vintage Set Break of the Week: 1941 Play Ball
When 1941 Play Ball packs hit the shelves, the world was already at war. With America on the verge of joining the fight, the populous turned its eyes to two superstars from two of the most popular teams who were making history. The Yankees’ Joe DiMaggio hit safely in 56 consecutive games, while Boston rival Ted Williams finished the season with a .406 batting average. The … [Read more...]
Vintage Set Break of the Week: 1941 Double Play Baseball
When Gum Products, Inc. rolled out its 1941 Double Play baseball cards, the world was already in the throes of war and America was on the brink of joining in. Baseball captivated (and pleasantly distracted) the nation with two superstars stealing the show. Joe DiMaggio hit safely in 56 consecutive games, setting the single season mark which still stand today, and Ted Williams … [Read more...]
5 Great Bobby Doerr Baseball Cards
In some respects, Bobby Doerr has been a great beneficiary of circumstance. The 97-year-old and oldest living Hall of Famer was something of a product of Fenway Park, where his career OPS was over 200 points higher than it was on the road. Doerr's also forever tied to his Red Sox teammate and lifelong friend Ted Williams, with David Halberstam featuring them in two books. … [Read more...]
6 Underrated Baseball Rookie Cards of the 1940s
Even though the sports card hobby was hit especially hard by World War II thanks to paper rations and playing time lost to military service, collectors were nevertheless treated to some pretty stout 1940s baseball rookie cards. Jackie Robinson, Stan Musial, and Warren Spahn, for instance, were giants of the game, and all three of them made their cardboard debuts during the … [Read more...]
