A hardware store worker in Canada has hammered out a new book that can serve as a useful guide for rookie card collectors. Jamie Huskins has been compiling a database of rookie cards since 2008, and he previously published e-book editions in 2015 and 2016. Now, The Huskins Baseball Rookie Card Guide has made it to print for the first time, and this third edition can be … [Read more...]
Step-by-Step Guide for Investing in Vintage Baseball Cards
Yeah, we know. Buy stocks and mutual funds. Don’t invest in baseball cards. Believe me, our retirement savings are not locked up in cardboard and we're not suggesting yours should be either. But… there’s no denying that high quality vintage cards have been very solid performers over time. If only we’d bought a few ’52 Mantles when nice ones could be had for under … [Read more...]
1959-60 Darigold Farms Sets Featured Future Major League Stars
A century ago, Darigold Farms was founded in the Pacific Northwest, when five Puget Sound dairy co-ops teamed up to form the United Dairyman’s Association. That group took on the name Darigold in 1925 after a contest was held to create a snappier name for the company. Dairy products are Darigold’s specialty, so it’s not surprising that the company dabbled in baseball cards at … [Read more...]
Kahn’s Baseball Cards Had A 15-Year Run
For 15 years, fans who loved hot dogs and baseball had a chance to collect an annual set of trading cards. Based in Cincinnati, Kahn's baseball card sets started with only Reds players but the company later expanded its checklists to include players from teams in areas where its products were sold. Here's an overview of the history of the Kahn's issues. Kahn's … [Read more...]
5 Brooks Robinson Cards Capture Career of the ‘Human Vacuum Cleaner’
When I attended junior high school in early 1971, one of the sports magazines I read contained a clever poem that paid tribute to the 1970 sports season. One verse summed up the defensive skills of Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson. "Pity the poor Big Red Machine, Brooksie stripped its motor clean." The poem might have come from Sport magazine, but I am not 100 percent sure. But … [Read more...]
Sale of Mint Clemente Rookie to Proceed After Challenge
The sale of a PSA 9 1955 Topps Roberto Clemente rookie card will continue this weekend after a legal challenge by one auction company against another. Heritage Auctions is selling the card, which is expected to sell for a price well into six figures. The current high bid is over $290,000. Bohemia, NY-based Lelands had gone to court in an attempt to halt the sale, saying … [Read more...]
Best Baseball Rookie Cards by Year: The 1950s
Rookies are the most popular and sought after cards by collectors of post-war baseball cards. Before World War II a rookie card is something of much debate and conjecture with spirited arguments on baseball card forums about which eclectic entry might be considered the 'true' rookie card of the game's greatest stars. However, thanks to Bowman and Topps a sense of consistency … [Read more...]
A Summer Baseball and Collectors Reading List
If you consider grabbing a book (or the device that holds the electronic version) and kicking back in a comfortable spot part of what makes for a great summer, we’ve got a summer reading list for sports fans and collectors. It’s the time of year when some terrific baseball books are usually issued and there are also some new or re-issued editions, too. New … [Read more...]
Vintage Set Break of the Month: 1955 Topps
Sixty years ago this month, a new series of Topps baseball cards greeted kids who were anxious for the start of a new season. It was the fourth edition from the upstart New York company, which was on the precipice of vanquishing its rival, Bowman Gum. This time, Topps went horizontal with their design and introduced three players who would wind up leaving indelible marks on … [Read more...]
1955 Topps Baseball Set: Small but Mighty
Although Topps came out with their first full set in 1952, 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” x 3 ¾”) than the standard size … [Read more...]