A collection of contact proofs and original photos used for the creation of some well-known vintage cards, including Jim Brown’s 1958 Topps rookie and Mickey Mantle’s 1952 Bowman card are among the top items in Huggins & Scott’s Summer Premier Auction. The 4x5” Type 1 contact proof photo of Brown was taken during his 1957 rookie season in Cleveland Browns training … [Read more...]
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Malcolm Emmons Photo of Jim Brown at Auction
“Ultimately, a running back has to get rid of tacklers without his blockers being a part of it.” That quote from Jim Brown could have been the caption for an image captured by one of America’s great sports photographers on the opening day of the 1963 NFL season. Malcolm Emmons, whose regular clients included Sports Illustrated, SPORT, The Sporting News and other … [Read more...]
1965 Philadelphia Football Set Still Looking For Respect
More than 50 years after it was produced, the 1965 Philadelphia football set still has problems getting respect. It had six rookies in its 198-card set who would become Hall of Famers, and for the first time, the NFL’s logo was placed on the front of the card. That was a pointed reminder that Philadelphia had the rights to produce NFL cards, and not Topps, who lost the … [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...]
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...]
Jim Brown Rookie Cards Soaring in Red Hot Vintage Market
It wasn't always this bad for Cleveland Browns fans. There once was a time when they had not only one of the NFL's best teams--but the best player, too. His time in the league was too short but as he turns 81 on Friday, it seems fitting to look back at Jim Brown rookie cards and the player many still believe to be the greatest running back in … [Read more...]
Notes: Thanksgiving Shows, Brown Signs (Finally), Curry’s Kindness
A tradition continues in Cincinnati this weekend with the annual three-day sports card show at Moeller High School. The ‘Thanksgiving Show’ has been a fixture since the late 1980s. Held in the school gym, the show usually draws a sizeable crowd. Several dozen dealers and about 150 tables worth of cards and memorabilia will be there. Autograph … [Read more...]
1962 Topps Football Easy to Collect; Tough in High Grade
Utilizing a horizontal design for the first time since 1957, the 1962 Topps football set gave future collectors of high grade cards some big headaches. The cause for discomfort are the unique but ultra-condition sensitive black borders, which were easily chipped and scuffed. Topps would employ the same strategy for the black backgrounds for its 1971 baseball set, with … [Read more...]
1961 Topps Football Set Included Stars of Both Leagues
It took several years before the National Football League would acknowledge the upstart American Football League, but Topps saw an immediate chance to cash in. Fleer produced an AFL set in 1960, but in ’61 Topps marketed a 198-card set with players from both leagues. Fleer followed suit, and 1961 was the only season where two companies produced cards from both leagues. The … [Read more...]
1963 Was a Watershed Year for Topps Football
They didn’t know it at the time, but the 1963 Topps football set would be the company’s last depicting NFL players until 1968. The Philadelphia Gum company would swoop in for the 1964 season and grab exclusive licensing through 1967. Like the 1962 Topps set, the ’63 version included only NFL players while Fleer enjoyed an AFL exclusive. At 170 cards, the 1963 set was six … [Read more...]
