You'll hear a lot about 1952 Topps during the company's 70th anniversary, but as avid collectors know, the company's first significant dive into baseball cards happened a year earlier. The 1951 Red and Blue Back sets were created as part of a simple card game. There were no rookie cards of Mantle, Mays, Whitey Ford or Nellie Fox and each set held only 52 … [Read more...] about 5 Solid Buys in the 1951 Topps Red and Blue Back Sets
1951 Topps
Notes: Kid’s 2004 LeBron Pull Now Worth a Small Fortune; New ’51 Topps-Style Set; Uzit Cobb a Hit
A Christmas gift from 16 years ago is about to turn into a seven-figure windfall for one sports memorabilia auction consignor. “Chris” pulled the LeBron James 1/1 Rookie Logoman card from 2003-04 Upper Deck SP Game Used Basketball on Christmas morning 2004. Not long after, he took it to a local card show where someone offered him $1,700 for it. He turned it down and stuck … [Read more...] about Notes: Kid’s 2004 LeBron Pull Now Worth a Small Fortune; New ’51 Topps-Style Set; Uzit Cobb a Hit
Topps Baseball Cards of the 1950s Extended Beyond Their Base Sets
While there are baseball players in the 1948 Topps Magic set, most collectors consider the 1952 set as their first 'standard' issue. The company was new to the baseball card world and quickly competed with Bowman for top billing in the industry. Topps quickly won that battle, ultimately buying Bowman. As they navigated the new landscape of post-war bubble gum cards, the New … [Read more...] about Topps Baseball Cards of the 1950s Extended Beyond Their Base Sets
Babe, Mick Dominate REA’s 2018 Top 10 List
As the year winds down, we’re taking a look at the top-selling sports cards and memorabilia sold through major auction companies in 2018. Since 2012, Robert Edward Auctions has gone from one giant auction per year to announcing plans for a third in 2019. The size of REA's catalogs hasn't suffered with the increase in frequency. The tomes that land on collectors' … [Read more...] about Babe, Mick Dominate REA’s 2018 Top 10 List
Comparing Rarity of Topps’ 1951 Blue Backs and Red Backs
While the 1952 Topps set is arguably the company's most iconic issue, a pair of 1951 sets have garnered a lot of interest from vintage collectors. About the 1951 Topps Sets In 1951, Topps printed two types of cards - one with red back and another with blue backs. The cards were actually more than mere trading cards. Rather, they were used to play a baseball game and were … [Read more...] about Comparing Rarity of Topps’ 1951 Blue Backs and Red Backs
Rare Topps Test Issues, Babe Ruth Items Top REA Auction
Two cards from a couple of obscure Topps creations each sold for more than $100,000 in the Robert Edward Auctions Spring Catalog sale late Sunday night. One of only two known copies of the 1961 Topps Dice Game Mickey Mantle drew a crowd of bidders who realized they may never see another one for sale. The final price was $144,000 with the buyer’s premium. The card … [Read more...] about Rare Topps Test Issues, Babe Ruth Items Top REA Auction
Over $3 Million Bid on First Day of REA
Like shoppers on Black Friday, collectors stormed into Robert Edward Auctions’ Spring catalog as soon as the cyber curtain opened on the afternoon of April 13. Within the first 24 hours of bidding, an astounding 10,345 bids totaling $3.2 million were dropped on the 2,680 lots. Once an annual event, the auction is now one of two held by the company each year but … [Read more...] about Over $3 Million Bid on First Day of REA
1951 Topps Major League All-Stars Set is a Toughie
All-Star cards have been a staple of Topps baseball card sets intermittently since 1951. And while later products incorporated them within its main sets, the 1951 Major League All-Stars, Topps’ first foray into contemporary All-Star recognition, is one of the most difficult to collect. There are 11 cards in the set, and only eight were actually issued in packs for mainstream … [Read more...] about 1951 Topps Major League All-Stars Set is a Toughie
Topps to Create Heritage 51 Collection Set
Before they got the go-ahead to go all out in 1952, Topps dipped a toe in the water of baseball card production with its Red Black and Blue Back game card set in 1951. Now, the company is tipping its cap to that first venture with 2015 Topps Heritage ’51 Collection, a 104-card offering to be sold as a boxed set later this fall. Each box, which will likely retail for … [Read more...] about Topps to Create Heritage 51 Collection Set
Vintage Pack Break of the Week: 1951 Topps Red Backs
The year before its 407-card debut set that turned the world of baseball card collecting on its ear forever, Topps dipped a toe into the game by producing two small issues of 52 cards. Referred to simply as Blue Backs and Red Backs, the cards were meant to be played with as a tabletop game rather than collected and put into bike spokes. . One of those still unopened gems … [Read more...] about Vintage Pack Break of the Week: 1951 Topps Red Backs