John

An Ad For The Most Gorgeous Cards Ever Produced

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This advertisement from the back cover of the February 1977 issue of The Trader Speaks highlights the most gorgeous cards ever produced: 1976 SSPC!

Why would someone call a collector’s issue one of the most gorgeous sets ever produced? Well, because of the set that influenced its design…

1976 SSPC is a 630-card “collector’s issue” released by TCMA. Dubbed the “Pure Card” set, the design was based loosely on the 1953 Bowman set. The set was available exclusively via mail order and was advertised in the nascent Hobby Media, such as it was in the mid-70s.

Despite the cards bearing a 1975 copyright, the set is considered a 1976 set as it was not released until then.

SSPC was not licensed by either MLB Properties or the MLBPA, and shortly after its release, was sued by Topps. As part of the settlement, SSPC agreed to never reprint their 1976 set, and to never attempt to produce a similar product ever again.

Keith Olbermann, then still in high school, edited the copy on each card.

BaseballCardPedia

Dean’s Cards added that it was the only full baseball card set ever issued during the Topps monopoly, so the hobby saw it as a refreshing change of pace from the predictable Topps issues.

And lastly, if anyone has any other advertisements offering these cards, please get in touch with me.

The Only Known Scorecard From Cy Young’s 1904 Perfect Game

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Here’s the only known scorecard from Cy Young’s 1904 Perfect Game vs. Rube Waddell, the first perfect game in AL History. Sotheby’s offered it in their June 2005 Important Sports Memorabilia and Cards auction.

I’ve never been a big collector of this sort of memorabilia unless the scorecard advertised sports cards, too, but this one is so historically significant that I felt it was worth highlighting.

Here’s the full item description copied from the catalog:

One of the most consistent and durable pitchers the game has ever known, Denton True “Cy” Young won 511 games almost 100 more than any other pitcher in history. He won 30 games five times and topped 20 wins an astounding 15 times. In 1901 Young had his best season and became the fledgling American League’s first superstar, leading the junior circuit in wins, strikeouts and ERA. His greatest single performance, however, would come on May 5, 1904 at the Huntington Avenue Grounds in Boston. In an epic showdown against future Hall of Famer Rube Waddell and the Connie Mack led Athletics Young threw the first perfect game in American League history. In the ninth inning with two outs, Connie Mack sent Waddell (the pitcher) to the plate. Cy Young popped him out on a fly ball to center capping his 3-0 masterpiece. Not a single ball was hit hard by the Athletics and Mack himself commented that this was the most impressive game ever pitched. Young’s extraordinary nine-inning performance was at the center of what may be the most amazing streak of pitching excellence in baseball history. All told, the right-hander pitched 24 consecutive innings without surrendering a hit. Prior to his perfect game on May 5, Young had pitched two hitless innings at the end of a loss on April 25, and seven innings of hitless relief on April 30. In his first outing after blitzing the Athletics, he stretched his hitless streak to 24 innings against Detroit on May 11 In a 1-0 victory, Young failed to allow a hit until future Hall of Fame outfielder Sam Crawford broke the hitless streak with one out in the seventh. Offered here is the only known original scorecard from Cy Young’s historic perfect game on May 5, 1904. The six-page scorecard features pre-printed lineups at the centerfold for that day including pitchers Young and Waddell. Every at-bat has been neatly recorded in pencil by its original owner. A small composite image of the Red Sox team appears on the first page. The interior pages have loosened from the spine, which has been reinforced by clear tape. Minor soiling and general wear do not significantly detract from its presentation quality. Very good condition overall.

Extremely Rare 1973 Topps Test Comics Complete Set

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How many complete 1973 Topps Test Comics complete sets do you think exist in the hobby? My guess is under a dozen. 

These nine were part of a complete set of 24 that Mastro Sports Auctions offered for sale in December 2004.

Sports Collectors Digest wrote an excellent and detailed overview of the set in an article titled 1973 Topps Comics “Test” Set an Unreleased Rarity. But PSA, who have only graded 191 total comics across the set, has this shorter profile on their site:

Unique among baseball collectibles, the 1973 Topps Comics set was designed as a “test issue” and is never known to havebeen distributed to the public. The item was originally designed to wrap around bubblegum pieces. These thin, wax paper pieces measure 3-7/16” x 4-5/8” and carry gum-wrapper graphics (with a Johnny Bench “teaser” design) on one side, and the featured-player “Comic” on the reverse, along with a facsimile signature. The 24-piece full set consists of Hank Aaron, Dick Allen, Johnny Bench, Steve Carlton, Nate Colbert, Willie Davis, Mike Epstein, Reggie Jackson, Harmon Killebrew, Mickey Lolich, Mike Marshall, Lee May, Willie McCovey, Bobby Murcer, Gaylord Perry, Lou Piniella, Brooks Robinson, Nolan Ryan, George Scott, Tom Seaver, Willie Stargell, Joe Torre, Billy Williams, and Carl Yastrzemski. The 1973 Topps Comics set is among the toughest of all Topps Test issues to achieve in complete set form and are rarely offered on the secondary market.

Here are a few historical set/near-set sales:

  • Heritage Auctions sold a complete PSA-graded set for $20,315 in May 2008.
  • REA sold a complete raw set for $17,625 in the Spring of 2010.
  • REA sold a PSA Set Registry collection of 23/24 comics twice: first for $7,800 in the Summer of 2019 and again for $13,200 in the Fall of 2023. 
  • REA sold a raw set of 23/24 comics for $9,600 in the Summer of 2022, which is perhaps the set this collector on the net54 boards had graded.

As for unopened gum packs, a dealer named SportsInvestments has this one for sale (August 2024) with an asking price of $7,500.

Check out The Unopened Archive for more!

1952 Topps Baseball High Numbers Advertising Insert

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The following rare 1952 Topps baseball high numbers two-color advertising promo was designed to be inserted in cases and later displayed at points of sale, but few have survived. This example is from the November 2000 Mastro Fine Sports Auction catalog.

At the time, they wrote that the 7” x 11-1/2” window display piece was one of two known survivors. Other than the two folds across the sheet, as issued, they described the piece as being in Near Mint Condition.

In 2017, REA sold the following example, which looks different from Mastro’s, for $13,200.

REA wrote, “Extremely rare 1952 Topps advertising poster features images of a large wax pack near the center and a smaller head-shot image of Jackie Robinson (same used on his actual 1952 Topps card) in the lower-left corner. The text printed in red reads “New Series… just out! Over 400 Players.” To the left of the wax pack are the names of five major stars from the high-number series listed with a red star in front each one of their respective names. Listed are Jackie Robinson, Mickey Mantle, Roy Campanella, Bobby Thomson, and Pee Wee Reese. Along the bottom next to the small image of Robinson the text reads “Listen To The Jackie Robinson Show Every Saturday 9:30 A. M. WNBC.” The poster, designed to be inserted into cases and later displayed in candy-stores, announced to the world that the new baseball set was finally available. This poster has a Near Mint appearance with two natural vertical fold lines (as issued). Because of their intended use, it is understandable that few of these point-of-sale advertising displays have survived. We have seen fewer than five examples of this rare Topps poster over the past thirty-five years. A superb and extremely rare poster, which would be an outstanding companion piece to any complete 1952 Topps set or addition to any world-class advertising collection. The poster measures 11-1/4 x 6-1/4 inches and has also been matted and framed to dimensions of 18-1/4 x 13 inches.”

REA resold the same piece for $21,600 in the spring of 2019.

Check out The Unopened Archive for more!

1948-1952 Exhibit Supply Co. Football Card Machine Front Advertising Display

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A little over a month ago, I published a piece about the Exhibit Supply Co. checklist cards. I highlighted slicks as being particularly important to this hobby niche. I then shared some vending machine header sign examples with slicks pasted on them.

Well, how cool is this display of 1948-1952 Exhibit Supply Co. football card machine-front advertising display pieces that was offered for sale back in December 2005?! 

The consigner arranged a group of seven different W468 football machine-front ads into a single, incredible, wood-framed, 32’’ x 43’’ display piece. The minimum bid in December 2005 was $300, but unfortunately, I don’t know what this lot sold for. The cards were all described as paper-thin (slicks) and adhered to the cardboard. And the upper-left example includes a super rare checklist printed on the image of Chuck Bednarik. There are just a handful of these checklist cards in the hobby. 

I also can’t say I’ve ever seen an Exhibit machine sign with yellow or green text either, AND the cards in the lower-left example appear to be attached (i.e., a partial uncut sheet of sorts)!

Here’s Mastro’s complete description:

The products of Chicago’s Exhibit Supply Company were designed to be sold in amusement parks and penny arcades. A lot of noisy excitement took place in those establishments, however, and a means was needed to divert customers toward the mute vending machines standing quietly ready to accept pennies and nickels in exchange for cards. The assembled layouts here offered were used on machine-fronts to draw attention and promote sales of Exhibit’s W468 football subjects, and the gridiron greatness depicted in this group of 7 different, very scarce pieces is astonishing in its scope. Featured among the placards’ depictions are key Hall of Famers, short-printed subjects, and the Exhibit collector’s most sought-after piece: the very rare Check List. Each layout consists of thin-paper Exhibit cardfronts adhered to cardboard or paper backings, with titles and graphics added; the layouts have been nicely arranged and matted within a wooden-framed surround (32″ x 43″ total dimensions). The items’ overall display quality is at least EX (some individual components are lesser), with most faults limited largely to fragile, once-exposed corners and surfaces. Includes: MACHINE-FRONT DISPLAYS (7) 12-1/2″ x 19″ panel 1) “Football Stars” display, 9 subjects w/ Young/Baugh/Lujack/Harder/Check List SP/Motley/Graham/Layne/Christman. (Check List SP with text overprinted on the image of Chuck Bednarik-is apparent EX/MT.) 8″ x 12-1/2″ panels 2) 3-subject, 2¢ display w/ McColl/Connor/Barwegan; 3) 3-subject, 1¢ display w/Morrison/Sitko/ Tripucka; 4) 3-subject, 1¢ display w/ Turner/Hirsch/Dudley; 5) 3-subject, 1¢ display w/ Mastrangelo SP/Wedemeyer SP/Coulter SP; 6) 3-subject, 1¢ display w/ Trippi/Motley/Schlinkman SP; 7) 3-subject, 1¢ display w/Ratterman/Younger/Conerly.

1953 Topps #244 Willie Mays Original Artwork

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In July, I shared the original artwork used for Whitey Ford’s 1953 Topps baseball card; today, the details for Willie Mays.

Again, the original full-color paintings of Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, Bob Feller, Jackie Robinson, and Roy Campanella’s 1953 Topps baseball cards were first made available to the hobby in Guernsey’s Topps Auction in 1989.

Here’s the section’s description in the catalog and the details for the 3 1/2″ x 5″ VG conditioned 1953 Willie Mays original color artwork. It sold for $80k (+10% Buyers Premium).

I’m curious if the owner of the original artwork has managed to pick up a copy of the original news photograph that inspired the piece. REA sold this circa 1951 PSA/DNA Type 1 example for $16,800 in the Spring of 2020.

And finally, here’s a fantastic example of the 1953 Topps #244 Willie Mays card.

Check out The Original Artwork Archive for more!

1964 Topps Salesman’s Sample Featuring Mickey Mantle

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This 1964 Topps Salesman’s Sample Ad Card featuring Mickey Mantle was auctioned off in August 2006.

It’s encapsulated as “authentic” by PSA and was used to drum up interest and give a sneak preview to dealers and collectors for the 1964 Topps Baseball series. The triptych (a picture or carving in three panels side by side) measures 7-9/16” x 3-1/2” with Mickey Mantle, Jim Davenport, and Boog Powell on the front. While the auction didn’t include a photo of the back, they described it as having information about the prospective series’ special features and insert products and also had a Mantle card back as a design example.

Heritage resold the same item in December 2020 for $7,200; they wrote, “One of the fuels that drove the Topps machine was the salesman sample. They featured three cards but had Topps sales propaganda or a sticker selling the set on the reverse. For their 1964 effort, they wisely picked baseball’s best in HoFer Mickey Mantle to promote the upcoming 587-card series. Mantle is joined by fellow major leaguers Jim Davenport and Boog Powell but it is Mantle’s card used for the reverse example.”

If you own any salesman samples, I’d love to chat with you about them for my research.