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
1950s baseball cards
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
What Was Jim Hegan Doing in Outer Space in 1951?
Ask most collectors familiar with vintage baseball cards, and they will tell you that there are 324 cards in the popular 1951 Bowman set, which boasts the true rookie cards of Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays. While that is true, however, there is at least one more baseball card produced by Bowman that year that many are unaware of. See, while Bowman produced its popular … [Read more...] about What Was Jim Hegan Doing in Outer Space in 1951?
1954 Bowman Baseball Had Mantle, Controversy
You can find it right in-between “bold reaction” and “last ditch effort.” The “it” is the 1954 Bowman Baseball card set. Much has been written about the battles between the upstart company Topps and the established baseball card manufacturers at Bowman in the early 1950s. The records clearly show that the Bowman Gum Co. had a significant loss of market share in 1952 and … [Read more...] about 1954 Bowman Baseball Had Mantle, Controversy
1954 Dan-Dee Set Kept Snackers Busy
If you lived in parts of Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and western New York in the 1950s, you probably knew about them. If you loved sports, you probably begged mom to buy a certain brand of potato chips one summer. The 1954 Dan-Dee baseball set put one baseball card inside each bag of greasy goodness. Today, it's one of the most desirable "food issue" sets of … [Read more...] about 1954 Dan-Dee Set Kept Snackers Busy
Celebrating Mickey Mantle’s 90th Through Bazooka Cards Of The 1960s
Mickey Mantle would have turned 90 on Oct. 20. And while the Mick has been dead since 1995, his cards still interest collectors. Regular issue Topps base cards of Mantle are desirable, but offbeat sets — including those issued by gum and food companies — are just as coveted. Bazooka Gum cards featuring Mantle are intriguing. Certainly, they are scarcer than the Topps … [Read more...] about Celebrating Mickey Mantle’s 90th Through Bazooka Cards Of The 1960s
Ned Garver Was Anything But a ‘Common’
If you ask anyone in Ney, Ohio about Ned Garver you better be prepared to listen. And just about everyone in this town of 400 people has a connection to a man who lived just below the surface of baseball’s spotlight during what many refer to as baseball's "golden era." He was a fixture on baseball cards for a dozen years-- one of those guys collectors may not think twice … [Read more...] about Ned Garver Was Anything But a ‘Common’
The Original Dodger Bulldog – A Look at 5 Classic Don Drysdale Cards
Don Drysdale pitched during an era where intimidation was as much a part of the game plan as video rooms and data analysis are now. Today, the sheer admission of intentionally throwing at a hitter can land a player a suspension--one reason it’s a question that is often side-stepped in press conferences by both players and managers. During Drysdale’s career, he embraced this … [Read more...] about The Original Dodger Bulldog – A Look at 5 Classic Don Drysdale Cards
Behind the Exhibits: The Later Years (Part III)
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...] about Behind the Exhibits: The Later Years (Part III)