America's trading card maker loved to tinker. Producing your standard baseball, football, basketball and hockey fare didn't mean you didn't try new things even when you had a virtual monopoly decades ago. From stamps with albums to posters to glossy cards, they were always putting something extra into packs or trying out new things to pack with the stick of pink bubble … [Read more...] about 1969 Topps 4 in 1 Baseball a Rare Test Set
1969 Topps baseball
Reggie Jackson: Mr. October’s Career in Cardboard
Reggie Jackson wore No. 44 when he played for the New York Yankees. And on Oct. 18, 1977 — 44 years ago — the Hall of Fame slugger became Mr. October. Jackson had hit a home run in Game 5 of the 1977 World Series in his final at-bat, a drive that clanged off the right-field foul pole at Dodger Stadium. New York lost 10-4 to the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Series headed back … [Read more...] about Reggie Jackson: Mr. October’s Career in Cardboard
7 Career-Chronicling Phil Niekro Baseball Cards
Catching knuckleball specialist Phil Niekro was an adventure. "Niekro struck out a hitter once and I never touched the ball," recalled Bob Uecker. " It hit me in the shinguard, bounced out to Clete Boyer at third base and he threw out the runner at first." "Knucksie" carved out a 24-year career baffling hitters with his fluttering tosses. Sometimes he was virtually … [Read more...] about 7 Career-Chronicling Phil Niekro Baseball Cards
1969 Topps Football: Last Pre-Merger Set
They were printed just months after Joe Namath proved the AFL was worthy of a merger with the 50 year-old NFL. The 1969 Topps football set was the company's largest to date, accommodating a league that was welcoming new teams and already starting to give baseball a run for its money in popularity. 263 Cards, Two Series You didn't need to tell Topps about the AFL. The … [Read more...] about 1969 Topps Football: Last Pre-Merger Set
Sinking Ship: Collecting the 1969 Seattle Pilots
The Seattle Pilots are truly one of the greatest one-year wonders in the history of professional sports as the club lasted just a single season in Sick's Stadium before being relocated to Milwaukee and becoming the Brewers. The team's cardboard legacy is a relatively small one, but it all began with the 1969 Topps set which included players from all four of baseball's expansion … [Read more...] about Sinking Ship: Collecting the 1969 Seattle Pilots
Original Drawings Reveal What Topps Did to Jim Lemon’s Weird 1969 Card
Jim Lemon had enjoyed a nice, long career as a big league player and was getting his chance to manage the Washington Senators. Little did he know in January of 1969 that he’d not only be fired a few weeks before the start of spring training but his misfortune would be subject to a rather cruel taunt from Topps. Collectors who pulled his card from packs in the third … [Read more...] about Original Drawings Reveal What Topps Did to Jim Lemon’s Weird 1969 Card
Clubhouse Signatures, Brace and Berger: 1969 Topps Aurelio Rodriguez Error Has Tales to Tell
Topps made one of its most infamous errors 50 years ago when it used a photo of an Angels batboy instead of one that was supposed to depict young prospect Aurelio Rodriguez. The mistake was never corrected but the card, #653 in the 1969 Topps set, remains one of the more memorable cardboard goofs of all-time. Rodriguez was hit by a car and killed several years ago, but … [Read more...] about Clubhouse Signatures, Brace and Berger: 1969 Topps Aurelio Rodriguez Error Has Tales to Tell
Vintage Pack Facts: 1969 Topps Baseball
It was the end of the decade...and the end of an era for those who could always count on tossing a nickel on the store counter for a pack of baseball cards. Football season brought more cards per pack but the price of had doubled for good. Expansion had come to baseball in 1969 and Topps' seven series roll out included 664 cards, making it the largest set to … [Read more...] about Vintage Pack Facts: 1969 Topps Baseball
Cartes de Baseball: Collecting the Original Montreal Expos
Major League Baseball stepped outside of America's borders as part of its expansion plans in the late 1960s and the Montreal Expos came into existence along with the San Diego Padres, Kansas City Royals, and the ill-fated Seattle Pilots. Topps was on top of getting fans in most of these markets cards featuring players from the new teams into their flagship 1969 set, but … [Read more...] about Cartes de Baseball: Collecting the Original Montreal Expos
Topps’ “Other” 1969 Baseball Sets Were Small, Tall
Fifty years ago, collectors were beginning to pull the first of what would be Topps' biggest set to date at 664 cards. Baseball was expanding and so, too, were the number cards you needed to make a set. Still issued by series, the collecting would continue for the next several months but in addition to its standard bubble gum card set with the famous (or infamous) … [Read more...] about Topps’ “Other” 1969 Baseball Sets Were Small, Tall