He was known as “Mr. Quarterback.” The Golden Arm. Or simply, Johnny U. For 18 seasons, Johnny Unitas was the yardstick for other quarterbacks. He threw for 40,239 yards and 290 touchdown passes and led the NFL in passing four times. Unitas passed for 3,099 yards during a 12-game season in 1959 and was the NFL’s Most Valuable Player in 1959, 1964 and 1967. It is a tribute … [Read more...] about Johnny Unitas: The Career and Cards of ‘Mr. Quarterback’
1960's football cards
1960 Fleer Football Cards Helped Launch AFL
As the first full week of September 1960 wound to a close, much of America’s attention was focused on the upcoming presidential election where the young Massachusetts senator, John Kennedy was battling vice-president Richard Nixon. In Rome, the Summer Olympic Games were winding down and Florida residents were bracing for Hurricane Donna. On the evening of September 9, … [Read more...] about 1960 Fleer Football Cards Helped Launch AFL
1962 Topps Football Bucks Money In The Bank For Collectors
Way before the NFL became a lucrative business, it was money in the bank for Topps. The company’s 1962 Football Bucks insert assigned money values to players in a 48-piece set, and there was some bang to those bucks. The NFL was beginning to emerge as a “money” sport. The league signed a large television deal in 1962, and players were beginning to command higher … [Read more...] about 1962 Topps Football Bucks Money In The Bank For Collectors
5 Great Football Cards From 50 Years Ago
The NFL celebrates its 100th anniversary season in 2019 and for card collectors, much has changed since the league's last really big party 50 years ago. Sure, there were special patches and events associated with the league's 75th birthday party in 1994 but the once sleepy league had really let loose in 1969 when it was becoming clear that pro football was exploding in … [Read more...] about 5 Great Football Cards From 50 Years Ago
The Toughest (and Easiest) Jim Brown Cards to Find in High Grade
His career was relatively short as NFL greats go but there was no one better running the football during the time he was employed by the Cleveland Browns. From 1957-1965 he terrorized opposing defenses at over 100 yards per game for his entire career. Brown appeared on football cards from 1958-1966 and while his rookie card is the most valuable of all, it's not the … [Read more...] about The Toughest (and Easiest) Jim Brown Cards to Find in High Grade
Vintage Pack Facts: 1965 Philadelphia Football Rack Pack
Welcome to the fourth installment of Vintage Pack Facts. While there aren’t many collectors who wouldn’t love to rip open a 30, 40, 50 or 60+year-old pack, there isn’t really a readily available knowledge base for all of them. This series hopes to shed some light on one individual release each week in terms of the variety of packaging methods used, prices at … [Read more...] about Vintage Pack Facts: 1965 Philadelphia Football Rack Pack
New Book is a Must-Have Handbook for 1962 Post Cereal Football Set
It was a one and done set tucked into the holy trinity of food issue sets from the 1960s and 70s. While Kellogg’s and Hostess enjoyed multi-year runs in the latter decade and Post Cereal’s baseball sets are an icon to those who love the early 60s, the Post football set came and went over the course of several weeks in the autumn of 1962. Today, though, the set is … [Read more...] about New Book is a Must-Have Handbook for 1962 Post Cereal Football Set
1965 Philadelphia Football Set Still Looking For Respect
More than 50 years after it was produced, the 1965 Philadelphia football set still has problems getting respect. It had six rookies in its 198-card set who would become Hall of Famers, and for the first time, the NFL’s logo was placed on the front of the card. That was a pointed reminder that Philadelphia had the rights to produce NFL cards, and not Topps, who lost the … [Read more...] about 1965 Philadelphia Football Set Still Looking For Respect
1961 Fleer Football Set Topped Topps in Size
In 1961, professional football was split between two leagues, the decades old National Football League (NFL) and the newly formed American Football League (AFL). It would be five years before the two leagues would announce a planned merger and six before the first Super Bowl. The football card industry was also divided that year as both Topps and Fleer produced large … [Read more...] about 1961 Fleer Football Set Topped Topps in Size
5 Great Football Cards From 1967
The NFL is ingrained in our sports conscience now, so it’s hard to remember that it once was a league that battled a bitter rival for nearly a decade. The AFL secured a merger with the more established NFL at mid-decade and played the inaugural Super Bowl on Jan. 15, 1967. The two leagues would merge for the 1970 season, but the merger in football cards already had … [Read more...] about 5 Great Football Cards From 1967