Forty-four years after smokers of Mecca cigarettes pulled them out of packs, Topps reincarnated the interactive design for a "double folders" set of its own. The 1955 Topps Doubleheaders set was the company's first sidebar baseball issue and continues to be popular with collectors of vintage cards. 1955 Topps Doubleheaders Basics Topps Doubleheaders were issued with … [Read more...]
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Remembering ‘Newk’: 5 Cards of Don Newcombe
Don Newcombe, who died Tuesday at the age of 92, was an imposing, hard-throwing pitcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers. He won 20 or more games three times during his 10-year major-league career and 19 games in 1950. He might have topped the 20-win plateau a few more times, but he lost the 1952 and 1953 seasons to military service. “Newk” stood 6-foot-4 and weighed 220 pounds. … [Read more...]
1952 Star-Cal Decals Set Featured Stars and Two Types
The 1952 Star-Cal Decals set is one of the more interesting 1950s issues. While the Topps and Bowman sets get most of the attention from collectors, this unique set has its own great lineup of stars and is significantly tougher to find. 1952 Star-Cal Decals Basics The 1952 Star-Cal Decals set was produced by the Meyercord Company, which was based in Chicago, as is printed on … [Read more...]
Rare Real Photo Postcard Of Willard Brown Up For Auction
Those who collect cards of Baseball Hall of Famers struggle when it comes to Willard Brown but there's a rare piece on the auction block this weekend. A potentially one-of-a-kind postcard originating in Latin America is up for auction. RMY Auctions has the unique item in their current Fall Premier Auction. Bidding has already topped $500 for the piece, which is dated to … [Read more...]
Comparing Rarity of Topps’ 1951 Blue Backs and Red Backs
While the 1952 Topps set is arguably the company's most iconic issue, a pair of 1951 sets have garnered a lot of interest from vintage collectors. About the 1951 Topps Sets In 1951, Topps printed two types of cards - one with red back and another with blue backs. The cards were actually more than mere trading cards. Rather, they were used to play a baseball game and were … [Read more...]
Blue Chip Players Featured in 1952 Indians Num Num Set
It’s a perfect name for a snack — Num Num. And in 1952, a Cleveland-based potato chip gave collectors a tasty regional set. “To eat them is to like them,” a newspaper ad touting Num Nums trumpeted in late 1942. In January 1943, ads proclaimed they were “Good to the last chip.” The Indians were pretty good, too. They won the World Series in 1948, and from 1951 to 1956 … [Read more...]
‘Partial Diamond’ Variation Discovered For 1955 Topps Jackie Robinson Card
The variation is a partial diamond, and it may prove to be a gem for collectors. Fans of the 1955 Topps set and those who collect Jackie Robinson have a new variation to chase. The variation itself is not new, but its discovery is quite recent. The 1955 Topps card of Robinson, No. 50, shows a Dodgers logo inside a red diamond in the upper left-hand corner of the card. … [Read more...]
Will the 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle Bubble Ever Burst?
The 1952 Topps set remains one of the most iconic baseball card issues of all time. Featuring a total of 407 cards, it wasn't quite as massive as the famous T206 or N172 Old Judge pre-war sets. However, it was among the largest issues of all-time when it was printed and includes one of the top cards in the hobby in the Mickey Mantle (No. 311). The cards were mass produced … [Read more...]
Notes: Bobby Shantz at NBCD; Winning a ’52 Mantle; Gilmore Book Signing; Funny Stories
By most accounts, hobby shops saw good traffic for Saturday's Topps National Baseball Card Day promotion. The free packs and individual promotions came on the heels of the National Sports Collectors Convention where it got an added dose of free publicity. Giving away special packs, some of which included autographed cards, is good--but Carl's Cards in … [Read more...]
Winner of 1955 Bowman Mantle Didn’t See it Live
It’s only August but Chris Rothe is probably a hands down favorite for “Luckiest Collector of the Year.” The Maryland resident dropped $500 on the 20-spot 1955 Bowman cello pack break conducted by Vintage Breaks and landed the now famous Mickey Mantle card with a value that might be more than 100 times that amount. While a few dozen in the audience at the National Sports … [Read more...]
