The city that bills itself as the “Birthplace of Spring Training” has erected a 160-foot full-color mural showcasing baseball cards of five legends who honed their craft in the area. The mural on the wall of a building in downtown Hot Springs incorporates a T206 Honus Wagner, 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth, 1953 Topps Jackie Robinson and a '53 Topps Satchel Paige. A … [Read more...]
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5 Big Stars We’d Have Loved to See in the 1936 Goudey Set
The 1936 Goudey set is often a popular target for collectors breaking into pre-war card collecting. It's cost-effective and, at only 25 cards, is an incredibly short set that can be easily assembled. All told, it's one of the easier pre-war sets that can be built. One of the reasons it's such an easy venture is because of the affordability aspect. And, to be honest, it's … [Read more...]
Packed with History and Intrigue, 1924 Babe Ruth Home Run Bat Now at Auction
No matter how many stories have been spun about Babe Ruth, there always seems to be another one waiting to be told. Here’s one with an intriguing history. The bat used by Ruth when he hit his first home run of the 1924 season was awarded to a high school senior who won a batting title in the Los Angeles area. The bat was an heirloom that was bought by a relative when the … [Read more...]
The Wayback Collector: Babe Ruth Collectibles Leading the Way in REA Fall Auction
Babe Ruth always has a prominent role in sports memorabilia auctions and this year's fall REA auction is no exception. The auction is in its final week of bidding and, as it stands right now, the Hall of Fame slugger currently occupies five of the top ten spots. You can expect that to probably continue through this weekend as bidding heats up. Now, he isn't No. 1. That … [Read more...]
The Wayback Collector: Autographed Pre-War Cards Are Truly Rare Commodities
The Wayback Collector is a weekly look at important news in the hobby as it relates to pre-war and vintage collectibles. This week’s topic takes a brief look at the autograph market and a rare Exhibit card. These days, autographed items have carved out a considerable niche in the card collecting hobby. But their presence today is undeniably stronger than it was in earlier … [Read more...]
The Wayback Collector: Pre-War Collectibles a Sizable Chunk of Sports Memorabilia Market
The Wayback Collector is a weekly look at important news in the hobby as it relates to pre-war and vintage collectibles. This week's topic takes a look at their place in the market with regard to recent news. In case you missed it, a recent study estimated that the sports memorabilia market conservatively consisted of approximately $5.4 billion. That study, performed by Dave … [Read more...]
Wheaties’ Pre-War Sports Collectibles Extended Beyond Cereal Boxes
These days, most sports collectors know Wheaties for their popular cereal boxes that have often featured famous athletes. These boxes are collectible and Wheaties has been producing them for decades. But what many don't know is that the company produced several other types of sports collectibles in the pre-war era, too. Introduced in 1924, Wheaties doesn't have a ton of … [Read more...]
7 Fun Facts About the Nap Lajoie 1933 Goudey Card
The Nap Lajoie 1933 Goudey card is one of the most iconic cards in the hobby. Lajoie has other cards but this is clearly his most popular one. Shortprinted by Goudey, it is highly desirable and almost always a five-figure card these days. Here are seven interesting facts that not everyone knows about this famous card. It was Printed in 1934, not 1933 The Lajoie card … [Read more...]
1921 Schapira Brothers Set Featured Babe Ruth
In the early 1920s, Babe Ruth was the biggest name in baseball. He was not only prominently featured in mainstream caramel/candy sets, but was, at times, the only subject in some more obscure stuff. One such issue was the 1921 Schapira Brothers Babe Ruth set. About the 1921 Schapira Brothers Cards Schapira Brothers - sounds like a law firm, right? Well, in actuality, they … [Read more...]
5 Pre-War Caramel Baseball Card Bargains
Caramel cards, in general, are much rarer than tobacco cards. Millions and millions of tobacco cards were stuffed into cigarette packages while caramel cards were usually printed in smaller quantities. As a result, caramel baseball card issues are often more expensive despite the fact that tobacco cards are more popular. Even though caramel cards aren't all that inexpensive, … [Read more...]
