For this week’s final installment on Topps vintage cartoon artwork, I’ll show pieces that were used more than once, and others that probably shouldn’t have been used at all. I’ll conclude the 3-part series with a couple noteworthy cartoons and leave you with some mysteries to ponder. Oh yeah, and if you missed part 1 or part 2, feel free to read either or both before heading … [Read more...] about Topps Baseball Cartoon Artwork – Part 3: Say What?
1950s baseball cards
Robin Roberts Cards Help Tell the Story of a Pitcher Who Usually Finished What He Started
Robin Roberts was a master at completing what he started. During his Hall of Fame career, the right-hander started 609 games and completed 305. He led the National League in complete games for five consecutive seasons, from 1952 to 1956, and that includes an amazing streak of 28 consecutive complete games that spanned parts of the 1952 and 1953 seasons with the Philadelphia … [Read more...] about Robin Roberts Cards Help Tell the Story of a Pitcher Who Usually Finished What He Started
Topps Cameo Footnotes: Background Stars; Screwups and Revelations
Last month, I finished the final article on a year-long project diving into Topps vintage baseball team cards. A garden variety of interesting findings surfaced along the way, and reader response has been extremely positive. I want to include one last team photo as a footnote to the endeavor. The team pic is my high school baseball team, with yours truly featured in the … [Read more...] about Topps Cameo Footnotes: Background Stars; Screwups and Revelations
Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda: Vintage Baseball Team Photos Topps Left Out
Last August, I brought to light that Topps recycled photos on 20% of their vintage baseball team cards from 1951-1980. Then in November, I introduced a Who’s Who database highlighting players and staff featured in those 500+ cards. Now, in an effort to tie up loose ends and put a bow on this enjoyable and enlightening project, I’m sharing with readers the team photos Topps … [Read more...] about Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda: Vintage Baseball Team Photos Topps Left Out
1955 Topps Baseball Set: Small but Mighty
Topps came out with their first full set in 1952, creating a whopping (for the time) 407 cards. It would be a while before we would see another one that large. The 1955 Topps baseball set checks in at just 206 cards, but what it lacks in quantity, it makes up for with the first of what would be two classic horizontal designs. Again, the cards were a bit larger (2 5/8” … [Read more...] about 1955 Topps Baseball Set: Small but Mighty
6 Cool 1952 Topps Cards You Can Own on a Budget
As a whole the set looks like one to avoid because of the cost in buying some of the icons you'll find in that pricey final series and the high-grade Hall of Famers that cross the auction block. While owning a complete set may be out of the reach of most collectors these days, it is possible to have a fun collection of great 1952 Topps cards without spending a … [Read more...] about 6 Cool 1952 Topps Cards You Can Own on a Budget
Roll Call: All-Time Topps Vintage Baseball Team Cards Roster Revealed
A few months ago, I shared with the collecting community the identities of almost all the players and staff on over 500 Topps vintage baseball cards from 1951-1980. As a result of finding hundreds of matching photos and rosters of these teams on the internet, many intriguing findings came to light. If you missed it, I recommend you read that 8/10/23 article before reading the … [Read more...] about Roll Call: All-Time Topps Vintage Baseball Team Cards Roster Revealed
Roy Campanella Baseball Cards Recall Triumph, Tragedy
On May 7, 1959, over 93,000 baseball fans showed up at the Los Angeles Coliseum to watch an exhibition game held in honor of someone they had never seen play in person. They raised matches, lighters and candles in a darkened stadium in an effort to show their support for a once great athlete who was now confined to a wheelchair. Still today, it ranks as one of the … [Read more...] about Roy Campanella Baseball Cards Recall Triumph, Tragedy
Minnie Minoso – Nine Cards that Chronicle the Career of #9
It’s said that if you do what you love, you’ll never work another day in your life. If that’s the case, Minnie Minoso wrote the book on having fun on the job. Having played major league baseball in five different decades (1940s, 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s), Minoso’s longevity epitomized his passion for the game. His debut came in 1949 with Cleveland, while his last major league … [Read more...] about Minnie Minoso – Nine Cards that Chronicle the Career of #9
Quirky 1952 Coca-Cola Playing Tips Set Featured Players From NYC Teams
The 1952 Coca-Cola Playing Tips set was a quirky, regional 10-card offering only available in the metropolitan New York area. But after all, after the 1951 season, New York City was truly the baseball capital of the world. Like it or not, it was true. The New York Giants won a memorable playoff series in October 1951 against the Brooklyn Dodgers, thanks to Bobby Thomson’s … [Read more...] about Quirky 1952 Coca-Cola Playing Tips Set Featured Players From NYC Teams