Barely a week after the close of its Elite catalog, which netted the much publicized sale of the 2009 Bowman Chrome Mike Trout SuperFractor, Goldin Auctions has launched its next event. Their Late Summer Premium Auction opened Monday and is set to close over a two day period, September 20 and 21. This time, there are 1,643 lots, including hundreds of modern and … [Read more...]
Woof! Decades Later, Red Heart Baseball Card Set Still Barking
It seems like an odd combination. Baseball cards might be a natural to tie into the promotion of breakfast cereal, hot dogs and snack cakes. Dog food? Seems like you’d be barking up the wrong tree if you were the marketing guy who came up with that idea. Thankfully, someone at John Morrell Company decided it was a solid plan and 60 years after they … [Read more...]
Photo of the Day: Stan the Man and Mantle
They both enjoyed long, Hall of Fame careers, each with the same team. When the Cardinals and Yankees did finally meet in 1964, Stan Musial had just retired. It makes the rare moments when they shared the same field something pretty special. One such occasion came on March 7, 1953. The RMY Auctions Photo of the Day is a 7x9" image of Musial and Mantle … [Read more...]
Photo of the Day: Smilin’ Stan at Sportsman’s
It was an exercise in futility for Topps to get him to sign a baseball card contract so they could use his picture on its new bubble gum cards, but Stan Musial was no stranger to the camera. One of the most photographed players of the 1950s, Musial often flashed his famous grin while lensmen captured him posing with the bats he used to torment National League … [Read more...]
Photo of the Day: Musial’s Pinch-Hit 3000th Sets off Midwest Party
Stan Musial always did things his way. From retiring as the St. Louis Cardinals’ general manager after just one (championship) season in 1967 to being the best harmonica player in the Hall of Fame, he was always interesting. On May 13, 1958, Musial added a few footnotes to the 3,000 hit club when he slammed a double of Moe Drabowsky at Wrigley Field to reach one of … [Read more...]
1948 Bowman Musial Rookie Card: In Color
Bubble gum cards made their return three years after the end of World War II with Bowman launching its first set. Printing in black-and-white may have saved some money at a time when color printing was still a costly challenge and acceptance from youngsters was no sure thing, but it leaves today's collectors a bit disappointed. The 1948 Bowman set includes a few key rookie … [Read more...]
1952 Berk Ross Baseball Set Offered Joe D, Mantle, Mays, Jackie
While Topps and Bowman began slugging it out to take control of the baseball card market in the early 1950s, another card set was quietly snaring pennies and nickels of young collectors. The 'Hit Parade of Champions' lasted just two years, 1951 and '52, with 72 cards in each set. The inaugural set included 40 baseball players and 32 stars from other sports. The 1952 Berk Ross … [Read more...]
Remembering ‘The Man’: Six Great Cards Of Stan Musial
Stan Musial played in his final major-league game on September 29, 1963, ending a 22-year career that saw him retire as the National League’s career hits leader. Consistent to the end, Musial gave the hometown St. Louis fans a 2-for-3 afternoon. Both hits came off Cincinnati Reds starter Jim Maloney, who was going for his 24th win of the season. The first … [Read more...]
1948 Bowman Baseball Set Launched Post-War Card Market
After a flurry of colorful and interesting issues released just as the Great Depression began to lift in the late 1930s, baseball cards disappeared from the American landscape after 1941 thanks to the ravages and rations of World War II. Seven long years later, and nearly three full years after our troops came home, the 1948 Bowman baseball set gave the hobby a tentative … [Read more...]
Ramblings: Why a Sport Rules a City and its Collectors
Whenever I set up at a show or have a conversation with a fellow hobbyist, there are times where the simplest question actually begets some real deep thoughts. One of the recent conversations I had centered around why Houston seems to be a far better card market than Dallas. I think there are two main reasons. The first is Tri Star being located in Houston really helps to … [Read more...]