They said goodbye to Brooklyn and moved across the country and for residents of southern California, the Dodgers were now all that and a bag of chips. Make that in a bag of chips, as in literally. One of the franchise's first endorsement deals was made with a snack maker. Bell Brand made potato chips and corn chips and for four seasons the company gave Dodgers … [Read more...]
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1952 Tip Top Bread Set a True Rarity
Any talk of Mickey Mantle’s earliest rare cards usually starts and stops with the debate over the 1952 Topps #311 and his ‘true’ rookie card in the 1951 Bowman set. Mantle collectors will tell you those are a breeze if you’ve got the cash but if you want a true challenge, try finding a 1952 Tip Top Bread Mantle for sale or auction. PSA and SGC have graded only seven … [Read more...]
Editor’s Blog: Recalling the Frenzy of 1979 Topps Test Comics
The card companies issue multiple sets per month these days. The sport doesn't even have to be in season for some new product to hit the market. That's not exactly a revelation. The flood of products really began in the 1990s. The contrast between modern era and the world of collectors of current releases back in the late 1970s is mind-boggling and one unique, one-and-done … [Read more...]
1980 Burger King Sets Included HOFers, Champs
It was fun while it lasted. Topps and Burger King had produced hyper-regional card sets for three years (1977, 1978 and 1979) but just before two other companies joined the bubble gum card fray and changed the hobby forever, they rolled out two final sets. In the final part of our four-part overview, we take a look at the Burger King baseball sets of 1980. 1980 Topps Burger … [Read more...]
1977 Burger King Yankees Cards Kicked Off Four-Year Promotion
Let's face it - some of the later 1970s Topps baseball card sets aren't credited for being all that popular from an aesthetics point of view. However, if you're a 1970s and early 1980s collector and looking for a little bit of a twist, the 1977, 1978, 1979, and 1980 Topps Burger King baseball card sets might fit the bill. What are they? In a nutshell, they are baseball cards … [Read more...]
Small Traditions ‘Spring Training Auction’ Includes 1,500+ Lots
You won’t find any 1952 Mickey Mantle cards in Small Traditions’ latest auction but if you’re a player collector, love to open boxes, like modern era rookie cards, collect autographs or love older regional and oddball sets, you might want to grab a cold beverage. The “Oddballs and Autographs” sale includes over 1,500 lots with most carrying an opening bid of $10. The … [Read more...]
1954 Wilson Franks Set is a Tough One
The early 1950’s were a great time for baseball card sets issued in specific areas of the country by local and regional food producers and other companies Anyone who wants a really good idea into the culture of the 1950’s would be well served acquiring a type card from each 1950’s set issued. There were so many of them that one can build a really nice collection this way. … [Read more...]
Beyond the “Normal” Cardboard: 1969 CITGO Coins
Baseball and business have gone hand-in-hand in the United States for a very long time. Recently baseball's official historian, John Thorn, wrote a great peice on the beginnings of this relationship ("The Dawn of Athlete Endorsements"). Indeed, for many years in America if a business wanted to attract extra notice at the cash register it found a way to attach its presence to … [Read more...]
eBay Card of the Day: Bowery Bank Joe DiMaggio
Very rarely do I wish I was older than I really am. One reason is I don't know how much my bones would be creaking if I were of the age to have watched Joseph Paul DiMaggio play centerfield for the New York Yankees. DiMaggio was known during his playing career for always playing his best because he said and believed “There might have been somebody in the stands today who'd … [Read more...]
COMC Challenge: 1951 Burger Beer Cincinnati Reds
First, we'd like to congratulate Brian Russ, the winner of the last COMC Challenge which asked for you to submit additions to Dennis Biddle's Negro League set checklist. That set has been used by various players primarily for signing autographs at card shows and through the mail. Brian added seven cards to the checklist for COMC. Since these sets are player licensed we see no … [Read more...]
