When the NFL kicked off its 49th season in September of 1968, it had gone back to its old trading card partner. The four-year deal with Philadelphia Gum had ended and Topps was back in the fold. It was a relationship that wouldn’t sever until well into the 21st century. The 1968 Topps football set included 218 cards--219 if you include a slight variation on the last … [Read more...]
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One of Hobby’s Top 1957 Topps Football Collections Went Unregistered
Not every PSA-graded set of cards is listed on the company's Set Registry. Some are quietly pieced together by collectors who opt not to put them in the data base. Now, those who do chase one of the hobby's most notable vintage football sets will have a chance to own cards from one of those sets. Baseball Card Exchange (BBCE) recently acquired a … [Read more...]
Most Valuable Super Bowl Programs
Any TV broadcast documenting the aura of a major sporting event invariably uses a few setup shots of people tailgating and then walking into the stadium. It's standard operating procedure. And that one audio clip is always used to help set the scene, just outside the front entrance to the stadium of a vendor: "GET YOUR PROGRAM HERE!" It's been customary over … [Read more...]
1958 Topps Football Set Built Around Brown
The 1958 Topps football set can be defined by one player — Jim Brown. Brown’s rookie card (No. 62) is one of the top football cards of all-time and the key piece of this 132-card set. The rookie out of Syracuse would become a force in the National Football League, leading the league in rushing in eight of his nine seasons. He rushed for 12,312 yards on the ground and … [Read more...]
Notes: CNBC on Cypres Collection; Panini Chat; Starr’s Big Donation; Series Program Art
We’ve written about the collection of Gary Cypres, a former investment banker who grew up in New York but now own the Sports Museum of Los Angeles, which has been open on and off for several years. Cypres’ collection of memorabilia from virtually every sport includes a T206 Wagner and thousands of other rare cards, a Jackie Robinson game-worn jersey and hundreds of other … [Read more...]
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...]
8 Winning Super Bowl MVP Collectibles
While winning a Super Bowl is the ultimate prize in the National Football League, being named the most valuable player of the championship game is a ticket to sports immortality. Of the 44 players who have won the award in a half-century of Super Bowls, 19 have already been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Winning an MVP award can take a standout or even … [Read more...]
Photo of the Day: Starr’s Career Begins
The Green Bay Packers will salute the two greatest quarterbacks in franchise history Thursday night in what promises to be an emotional night at Lambeau Field. The franchise will retire Brett Favre’s number 4 but in attendance, perhaps for the last time, will be Hall of Fame quarterback and fan favorite Bart Starr, now 81. Starr suffered a series of strokes last year but … [Read more...]
Bart Starr Cards Chronicle Rise of Packers, NFL
Perhaps his finest hour came on a frigid day at Lambeau Field on New Year's Eve 1967 in the Ice Bowl game against Dallas, but the famous sneak was really one of many great moments. To many, he was Mr. Quarterback. Bart Starr cards are among the most popular of those trading cards issued during the explosive growth of the National Football League in the … [Read more...]
Best Football Cards of the 60s Include Champions, Tragedy
A good list of the best football cards of the 60s isn’t necessarily all about the rookie cards. Pro football cards created in that era gave us some all-time greats, a rivalry between two leagues and two card manufacturers, rookie cards enveloped in tragedy and a single card that represents the league's prevailing dynasty. The 1960s was a time for explosive growth in the … [Read more...]
