Exhibit cards are among the more affordable pre-war cards that can be had. While it's true that there are some expensive ones, by comparison, they can often be nice ways to score some bargains of big name players. Here's a three-part series focusing on these unique cards. We've already looked at the earliest Exhibit cards from the 1920s as well as the 4-on-1 series that … [Read more...]
The Bond Bread Series (Part III of III): The Forgotten 1958 Set
Bond Bread issued three baseball card sets in the 1940s and 1950s. Over a three-part series, we've taken a look at each one. Part I reviewed the company's 48-card D305 set that was issued in 1947. The second part covered the company's 1947 set of Jackie Robinson cards, which featured only the Dodgers' star rookie. Part III will review the least of the three known Bond … [Read more...]
Stan’s Back; Ted’s Leaving: Collecting the Landmark 1958 Topps All-Star Cards
Featured in Topps’ 55-card 6th and last series of cards in 1958, the 21-card SPORT Magazine All-Star (#475-#495) subset was Topps’ first foray into producing All-Star cards. It provided collectors the opportunity to own two different cards of baseball’s best players. With today’s perspective and for a few different reasons, the set is regarded as a landmark moment in … [Read more...]
Hot Dog Heaven: 1953 Glendale Tigers a Tough Regional
As families pulled the baseball cards from the packages of hot dogs in the southeast Michigan summer of 1953, they had to be hoping that maybe it was the start of some telepathic connection that would turn the team's fortunes around. It wasn't exactly turning into a banner year. The Tigers never did right the ship, finishing in sixth place, a whopping … [Read more...]
Eddie Mathews Baseball Cards Cross Two Eras
It had been ten years since the glory days of the Milwaukee Braves but Eddie Mathews, whose career began in the early 1950s when most teams still traveled by train, was still swinging on the night of July 14, 1967. In the Houston Astros lineup after a trade from the only franchise he’d ever known, Mathews climbed to a summit only six other players in history had reached … [Read more...]
1952 Bowman Baseball: Underrated Elegance
When old baseball card collectors gather around their shoe boxes full of rubber-band-bound stacks and conversation turns to the greatest sets of the post-War era, as it inevitably does, the predictable run of iconic issues fills the air: 1951 Bowman, 1952 Topps, 1953 Topps and Bowman. Sandwiched among these heavyweights of the hobby, maybe the 1952 Bowman set … [Read more...]
Recapturing Memories: The Hunt for 1957 Topps
Long-time broadcaster John Clemens takes the Editor's Blog for a spin, recalling memories of a special set and the hunt to rebuild it. The year was 1957 and death was not coming easy for Grandpa Baynes who had come to live with us so he could be closer to his doctors. As a boy about to turn 13 I had to be very respectful and not make a lot of noise when my friends came … [Read more...]
Connie Mack’s 1950 Book Promotion Included 4-Card Set That’s Rare Today
In 1950, Hall of Fame manager Connie Mack released a book about his baseball career titled, "My 66 Years in the Big Leagues." The book chronicled his famous career from a 19th century player to iconic skipper. To help promote the book, a special set of baseball cards was produced. It's one of those obscure issues that's unknown to a lot of collectors today. Seventy … [Read more...]
Kahn’s Promoted its Baseball Cards in 1950s, 60s Newspapers
As baseball card food issues go, it was an impressive run. While Kelloggs released an unbroken string of baseball (and some football) sets in the 1970s and 80s, Kahn's Wieners card sets were regional issues that required a lot of hot dog eating to collect. The Cincinnati-based company issued baseball card-oriented promotions from 1955 through 1969 and as our … [Read more...]
At 90, Thomas Using Autograph to Help Kids with Cancer
The “original” Frank Thomas, who hit 35 home runs and drove in 109 runs for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1958, is still around, still signing autographs and still helping youngsters. Thomas played for six teams during the 1950s and 60s, amassing 286 homers as a teammate of players like Roberto Clemente, Frank Robinson and Hank Aaron. His ’58 season landed him on the cover … [Read more...]