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...]
Packs of Sports Cards Were Once a Grocery Enticement
Ever since tobacco companies used them as collectible package stiffeners for fragile boxes of cigarettes, baseball cards have been inserted into consumer products. They've been in smokes, soda, snack cakes and razor blades--just to name a few. Sometimes, though, the promotion went between their traditional home inside bubble gum card packs and the food products that … [Read more...]
1950s Mother’s Cookies Cards Depicted West Coast’s “Major Leaguers”
In 1952 and 1953, west coast-based Mother's Cookies issued two sets of baseball cards as a spring and summer promotion for their products. Here's a closer look at these unique sets of minor league players. 1950s Mother's Cookies Basics While the brand may not have been familiar to most consumers east of the Rockies, Mother's Cookies issued bakery products from 1914 until … [Read more...]
5 Bargains Found in the Massive 1947-66 Exhibit Set
The 1947-66 Exhibit cards have long been known for providing bargains to collectors. The set includes more than 300 cards with some of baseball's biggest stars and picked up where the 1939-46 Salutation Exhibits left off. Like those cards, many of the 1947-66 Exhibits are priced modestly and that includes those of the top players. Here are some of the bargains to be found in … [Read more...]
1950 R423 Cards are Small in Size but Full of Stars
Across the wide spectrum of the hobby, collectors will find baseball cards printed in all shapes and sizes. But one of the smallest sets of cards ever created is a relatively oddball issue from 1950. Today, we know this set mostly as the R423 set. 1950 R423 Set Overview The 1950 R423 set is made up of 120 very small baseball cards. The cards were issued in 13-card … [Read more...]
1952 Wheaties Tray Set is Actually a 1950 Issue
Sports fans have always been a target market for Wheaties. The "Breakfast of Champions" has often given sleepy-eyed fans something to read with their morning bowl of cereal. Sometimes the players were found on the back and sometimes they were featured on the front but there's a dating error when it comes to one of their most unusual and scarce collectibles. In the … [Read more...]
1953 Bowman Black and White Set Complemented the Company’s Color Release
In 1953, Bowman continued its run of collectible baseball card sets with an impressive 160-card offering. Like the company's previous issues, that set included full color cards of players. But also in that year, the company issued a shorter, complementary set of black and white cards. Because of that, this is referred to as the black and white set while the other issue is known … [Read more...]
1950 Drake’s TV Cards a Precursor to 1955 Bowman Issue
Whenever vintage collectors think of baseball cards and television, it's usually the 1955 Bowman set that comes to mind. That release would be Bowman's last one before being taken over by Topps. What some collectors don't know, however, is that the look was not an entirely new one. In 1950, Drake's offered a set of baseball cards with a similar design. 1950 Drake's TV … [Read more...]
1950 Philadelphia Inquirer Phillies Photos Commemorate World Series Run
In 1950, the Philadelphia Phillies put together a phenomenal season. Finishing with a 91-63 record, the team was first in the National League and headed to the postseason. While the Phillies would ultimately lose to the New York Yankees in the World Series that year, the "Whiz Kids" are still remembered as one of the better teams in franchise history. That year as the season … [Read more...]
The Wayback Collector: Pop Report Comparisons of Pre-War and Post-War Vintage
Whenever I write about anything involving the population reports from third party grading companies (i.e. PSA, SGC, and Beckett), I like to throw out the standard reminder that they aren't perfect. But what those "pop reports" can do is help give us an idea of the rarity between certain sets. Typically, I've used them in comparing the perceived rarity of sets from the same … [Read more...]