Ten years after it made baseball card history with its 407-card oversize debut set, Topps had settled into a regular pattern as the sole provider of bubble gum packs that kept kids busy collecting, trading and flipping from early spring through the last gasp from the final series that arrived in the fall. This week's edition of Vintage Pack Facts takes us back to the "wood … [Read more...]
Items from Christie’s Baseball Auction on Display in Chicago
Millions of dollars worth of vintage baseball memorabilia goes on the block next month when Christie’s hosts “The Golden Age of Baseball” memorabilia auction. Now, select items from a pair of catalogs being distributed to bidders is out on tour. The private collection of artifacts includes over 250 items plus another catalog with rare, original baseball … [Read more...]
Vintage Set Break(s) of the Week: 1961 and 1962 Topps
The 1961 baseball season was marked by the Yankees duo of Mantle and Maris chasing Babe Ruth’s home run record. Maris ultimately accomplished the feat on the final day of the regular season. It's an easy record to recall: 61 in '61. The following year saw the Yankees repeat as World Series champions while the National League expanded to match the two new teams the American … [Read more...]
Lelands Auctioning Gaylord Perry Collection
No, there is not an original autographed jar of Vaseline in the Gaylord Perry Collection in Lelands summer catalog that features memorabilia of the Hall of Fame pitcher. Still, the 72 items being sold by the slippery right-hander are nothing to spit at. The auction runs through June 17 at 9 p.m. Eastern time and includes items like championship rings, autographed … [Read more...]
Five ‘Killer’ Cards of Harmon Killebrew
He was one of the most fearsome home run hitters in baseball, but Harmon Killebrew was universally loved by fans and foes alike. There are countless stories of acts of kindness by “The Killer,” who always took time to sign autographs and speak with fans, particularly youngsters. It’s hard to believe that Killebrew died five years ago, on May 17, 2011. Killebrew led or tied … [Read more...]
Ramblings: Fun With 1962 Topps Card Backs
Baseball cards have always served as one of the primary ways kids learned about their favorite players and one of the most underrated aspects is the back. It was especially true in the 1950s,60s,70s and 80s when we carefully looked through the stacks and imagined ourselves as Johnny Bench behind the plate or Mickey Mantle in center field but we also committed to memory all of … [Read more...]
1962 Topps Baseball Ingrained in Hobby Lore
Life as a Major League baseball player simply doesn't get much more glamorous than it was for Roger Maris in the spring of 1962. Not only did he break Babe Ruth's single-season home run record and win his second consecutive AL MVP award as his New York Yankees marched to yet another World Series title the year before, but he was featured in all his … [Read more...]