In an era where even the “lower end” sports card packs can’t be touched for much less than $3 (when you can find them), it’s seems almost unfathomable that you could once buy a pack for a penny—and get a stick of gum to boot. The penny packs were—and are—decidedly less prevalent than their multi-card wax-wrapped brothers. Finding a display box of 1-cent Topps packs … [Read more...]
One-Owner Collection Includes Some of Hobby’s Top 1960s Topps Sets, Singles
Several high-grade Topps sets and single cards are on the block as Heritage Auctions offers hundreds of lots from the Henri Nuber Set Registry Collection. A long-time collector of PSA graded cards, Nuber has built numerous high-end post-War vintage sets that are now on the block. A total of 675 lots are up for bid through Thursday, June 18 including set breaks … [Read more...]
Why Baseball Cards Came Out a Tad Later in 1964
Think "Topps" and most people think baseball but the truth is, the trading card side of the business always been about pop culture. If it's entertainment or sports and people talk about it or like to collect it, the company is interested. If it'll sell and the licensing is right, it's a candidate for the company's cards, both physical and digital. … [Read more...]
Duke Snider Cards Spanned Parts of 3 Decades
While Yankee fans loved Mickey and Giants fans thought Willie was the best, Duke Snider baseball cards are what Dodger fans wanted in the golden era of 1950s New York baseball. In Brooklyn, he was known simply as the Duke, or the Duke of Flatbush. Edwin Donald “Duke” Snider was a mainstay for the Dodgers, a power-hitting center fielder who helped the franchise win five … [Read more...]
Best Pete Rose Cards Through the Years
He was a staple inside packs for over 20 years. Loved by some; despised by others. Respected by most even now, at least for the way he played the game. Every collector has a different idea about what would be on the list of the best Pete Rose cards. For those growing up in the mid-1960s through the mid-80s, it was rare to find anyone who didn’t have at least a … [Read more...]
1964 Topps Rookie Stars Full of Fun, Flubs, Future
At a recent show, one of my regular customers started for fun peppering me with various questions about certain cards. After about the fifth name, he realized I truly do love the cards from the 60’s and 70’s and how each one of them tells a story. Since the first card he asked me about was the 1964 Rookie Stars card with Tom Butters, we’ll start with him and discuss a few of … [Read more...]
1964 Topps Baseball Might Rub Off on You
The so-called "British Invasion" began in earnest when The Beatles made their first U.S. television appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in February of 1964, just weeks before pitchers and catchers reported to Spring Training. By the time kids popped open their first packs of 1964 Topps baseball cards that spring to background strains of "She Loves You" and "I … [Read more...]
Baseball Cards of Golden Era Hall of Fame Nominees
When the ten nominees for what the Hall of Fame now calls the "Golden Age" were announced recently, many pundits compared their careers and then offered opinions about whether any of them were worthy of the Hall of Fame tag. A committee consisting of former players, baseball executives and veteran media members will decide but what’s interesting is that card collectors have … [Read more...]
Cornering the 1964 Topps Curt Flood Market
The mystery of the 1964 Topps Curt Flood card has been solved. ). He's an important player in baseball history but he's not a Hall of Famer. Yet we had heard that there was a man who traveled to card shows, visited shops and chased this card down online in an effort to stockpile as many as he could. But why? ESPN the Magazine's Mina Kimes saw our story and with the … [Read more...]
Massive ’70s Find Hasn’t Dulled Appeal of 1964 Topps Giant All-Stars Set
This is the 50th anniversary year for the 1964 Topps Giant Size All-Stars set which is the one of the most interesting sets of the modern era. Topps always tried to experiment with products of different types, some of which are now considered very rare “test sets’ such as 1961 Topps Dice Game and some of which ended up being produced in enough quantity so they gained permanent … [Read more...]