After World War II, the Bowman Gum Company quickly became a viable competitor to Topps. Both companies produced sets early in the postwar era but Bowman would eventually get swallowed up by its rival. Topps, of course, ceased printing cards under the Bowman label after 1955 until reviving the brand back in 1989. But while Bowman's first run lasted only from 1948 through … [Read more...]
5 Bobby Thomson Cards to Honor the ‘Shot Heard Round the World’
Unless you’re a real historian, you might not realize that Bobby Thomson hit game-winning homers off Ralph Branca in two games of the special 1951 National League playoff. It was Thomson’s two-run blast off Branca in Game 1 that gave the New York Giants a lead in the series. Of course, the one that’s been immortalized happened on October 3, 1951 when Thomson … [Read more...]
10 Underrated 1951 Bowman Baseball Cards
Almost any vintage card collector can tell you about the Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, and Whitey Ford rookie cards in the 1951 Bowman set. There are also plenty of stars that will put your Paypal account to the test. However, that all-important release has plenty of other significant rookie or early-career cards worth your attention. Many fly under the radar at very … [Read more...]
1951 Bowman Baseball Set Offers Mantle, Mays, More
A year before one of the biggest releases in baseball card history, the 1951 Bowman Baseball set ushered in a little history of its own. It just took us all a couple of decades to understand the importance of each. The '51 Bowman set featured cards slightly smaller than modern ones today at 2 1/16" x 3 1/8" but they were still bigger than the squarish cards that Bowman had … [Read more...]
Say Hey: The Best Willie Mays Cards to Own
Any debate about the greatest baseball players of all time will eventually lead to a kid who grew up in the segregated south, dreaming of a big league career but knowing as a youngster it might never happen. Eventually he got his chance. Willie Mays could do it all and look great doing it. He played in three decades, was an All Star 20 times, Gold Glove winner 12 times and … [Read more...]
45 Years Ago Marked End of the Line for Mickey Mantle
Forty-five years ago today, Mickey Mantle announced he was retiring from baseball. His 1969 Topps card had already been printed and thus serves as a tidy summary of his remarkable career with each year’s stats printed on the back. However, when collectors talk to mainstream media members one card usually comes up in every discussion among cards to own: the 1952 Topps Mantle … [Read more...]
Mint Mantle Rookie Card Brings $221,150 in Memory Lane Auction
Bidding extended into the early morning hours of the Friday before the Labor Day holiday weekend, and when the dust settled, a 1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle rookie card graded PSA 9 (mint) had reached a new plateau. The card sold for $220,150 in Memory Lane Inc’s 2013 Summer Auction. The price includes a 19% buyer’s premium. The Mantle card was part of the Graham Rookie Card … [Read more...]
Remarkable Rookie Card Collection Coming to Auction via Memory Lane
Collectors attending the National Sports Collectors Convention in Chicago this week will be able to feast their eyes on one of the most remarkable high grade collections of rookie cards featuring members of the Baseball Hall of Fame, all of it coming to the auction block next month. The “Graham Collection”, pieced together by a devotee of the PSA Set Registry, features … [Read more...]
Five Underrated Willie Mays Cards
The Say Hey Kid is no kid anymore. Willie Mays is now well into his 80s which may put kids of the 1950s and 60s into a state of shock. Wasn’t it yesterday that he tracked down that fly ball to the alley? Last week when he creamed that pitch for a grand slam? No, sadly, it’s been 40 years since he last suited up and he was no kid then. What better time, though, to … [Read more...]
Top 10 Selling Vintage Card Listings Last 7 Days
Mickey Mantle, make way for Sam Zoldak. The Mick's cards are still bringing big dollars online, but don't dismiss those pesky low pop cards, Hall of Famers in high grade or complete sets. That's a brief summary of the vintage sports card market over the last seven days. With the catalog auction market relatively quiet, Sports Collectors Daily tracked the top-selling … [Read more...]