Memorabilia

Billy Martin’s Final Topps Contract As A Yankee Player: A One-of-a-Kind Piece of History

by

Here’s a cool piece of hobby history, dating back to Mastro & Steinbach’s August 1997 Fine Sports Auctions Catalog; Billy Martin’s 1957 Topps Baseball Card Contract and Check!

I wish I had a better picture because it’s a wonderful piece from which I’d like to learn more, but I can’t make out the text; it’s a true one-of-one! Here’s the description:

Official one-page contract between Topps Chewing Gum and Alfred (Billy) Martin for the right to produce a Billy Martin card for Topps 1957, 58, and 59 baseball card sets. Dated July 20, 1956, and signed by Sy Berger (Topps, Inc.) and Billy Martin, the contract displays several folds and peripheral wear, with Near Mint to Mint signatures of both Berger and Martin. Accompanying the contract is a Topps check for $5 (made payable to Martin) as deposit toward Martin’s $125 compensation due each season for the use of his photograph. Check exhibits several light folds and an insignificant staple mark, endorsed on back by Martin (NR-MT to MT signature) and cashed through the New York Yankees account. Martin’s final Topps contract as a New York Yankee!

Here’s an example of Martin’s 1957 Topps baseball card from its PSA CardFacts page.

Happy Collecting!

A Spectacular Circa 1914 Joe Jackson Baseball Magazine Advertising Display

by

Here’s a cool item that Richard Wolffers Auctions offered in their February 1993 catalog: a Joe Jackson “Baseball Magazine” Advertising Display Piece.

They described it as a 10” x 18” sepia-toned piece from around 1914 with red lettering and one of the most spectacular Joe Jackson display pieces known to the hobby. It had been folded in half (for shipping) but was offered matted and framed with an estimated value of $10,000-12,500. Most of Wolffers’ catalogs were printed in B&W.

The picture is the same as the 1913 Joe Jackson Baseball Magazine premium, but those are usually described as being 9” x 16”. REA sold this one for $3,240 in the summer of 2022.

The posters/premiums have been found in varying formats of player identification, copyright information, and promotion for the magazine, so this display piece may just be a variety. Let me know if you know more; happy collecting!

Topps in the Field: The Rare 1910 Hermes Ice Cream Honus Wagner Pin

by

Topps Magazine had a feature called Topps In The Field dedicated to news from around the collecting world; in the summer of 92, they included this piece about collectible pins, specifically the Hermes Ice Cream Honus Wagner from the Copeland Collection!

I’ve only started learning about sports pins, so I’m not an expert. Luckily, I do have Sotheby’s Copeland Catalog Topps was referring to. Here’s a scan of the pin from the catalog.

And here’s how Sotheby’s described the Hermes Ice Cream Pin lot that included the Wagner:

Hermes Ice Cream Pins, 1910, lot of 4 different pins, set features the 1909 World Champion Pittsburgh Pirates, black and white portraits, yellow border with a blue flag “Pittsburgh” and yellow skull and cross bones at bottom, Hermes logo across the top, players not identified, unnumbered, made by Whitehead and Hoag, the lot includes Leach and Abstein (both only good condition due to excessive surface wear), Clarke-Manager and Hall of Famer (near mint) and Honus Wagner (minor edge stains near the word cream on the right—also minor surface scratches) still a very significant pin and at least excellent condition. 1¼ in. diameter (4) Hermes Ice Cream pins are very rare. Honus Wagner is one of the finest early pins and is highly coveted by collectors.

The expected sales price in the catalog was $2,000-$2,500; Topps wrote that it sold for $2,975.

Regarding the Wagner pin specifically, PSA has only encapsulated two examples and graded one a seven and the other a three. And neither looks like the Copeland pin to me.

Here’s some of the sale’s history: Heritage sold the seven for $6,120 in December 2019. REA then resold it for $9k in the Summer of 2021. REA sold the three for $2,160 in the Spring of 2019 before reselling it in the Fall of 2024 for $3,840.

Happy collecting!

When the Rose Bowl Moved East: The 1942 Rose Bowl Program And Tickets

by

Here’s one of the most gorgeous pieces of sports memorabilia: an extremely rare 1942 Rose Bowl Program for Duke vs. Oregon State, played in Durham, N.C.

Wikipedia explains why the game was moved to North Carolina:

Originally scheduled for the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, it was moved to Durham, North Carolina, due to fears about an attack by the Japanese on the West Coast of the United States following the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. The federal government prohibited large public gatherings on the West Coast for the duration of World War II; the first significant canceled event was the Rose Bowl Game scheduled for New Year’s Day, 1942.

I’ve seen the programs sell for between $300 and $600. There’s also a lot of related memorabilia you can pick up; for example, Huggins and Scott sold this pair of unused tickets intended for the game in Pasadena for $286 back in 2015.

Huggins & Scott also sold this PSA-graded ticket for the game on the East Coast for $189 in December 2013.

Both tickets are probably pricier today, given the run-up in ticket collecting’s popularity as a hobby.

Happy collecting!

The Unique NBA Fines Document Collection Featuring Barkley, Malone, McHale & More

by

How’s this for a unique hobby niche, NBA Fines Documents? I apologize for the image quality; the photo in the 2002 auction catalog is tiny.

Here’s the complete auction description, full of fines from some NBA heavy “hitters”:


NBA “Fines” Document Collection (21)
The “bad boys” of the NBA are usually those large front-court players who rebound well, defend (enforce) the paint, and throw an elbow or two. Considering the physical nature of the game there are many instances where tempers flare…as well as the players’ fists. The following are actual NBA press releases relating the fines levied upon the combatants. Amazingly, each and every release is signed by the players involved. All are bold ink or Sharpie signatures that are single or multi-signed. Includes: 1982/83 4/25 (Tree Rollins, Danny Ainge). 1984/85 4/8 (Earl Cureton), 5/8 (Akeem Olajuwon #34 his rookie year signed before his name change), 10/28 (2 Chuck Daly, Stan Albeck), 11/20 (2 Darryl Dawkins #53), 12/19 (2 Darryl Dawkins, Steve Stiponovich). 1985/86 – 1/24 (2 Larry Smith, Ken Bannister, Bob Thornton, Steve Johnson, James Bailey, and Gerald Wilkins), 2/21 (Rick Mahorn), 4/8 (2 Danny Ainge, Sedale Threatt, Matt Goukas, Charles Barkley, Clemon Johnson), 12/19 (Tony Campbell, Joe Dumars, and Sidney Green). 1986/87 1/7 (Grant Gondrezick), 4/27 (Karl “Mail” Malone #32), 5/18 (Kevin McHale #32 Celtics), 5/22 (Tom Chambers), 5/27 (Robert Parrish), 12/23 (Adrian Dantley), 12/15 (Isiah Thomas signed “Isiah #11”). 1987/88 1/18 (Rick Mahorn), 1/14 (Jeff Hornacek, Walter Davis, James Bailey, and Sleepy Floyd), 1/12 (Larry Nance #22, Mark Aguirre #24), 2/17 (Moses Malone #2). A unique and interesting look at the dark side of the NBA. As you can see from the names above, many of the well-known bad boys are included. An absolutely unique offering with huge star power to markedly increase collector appeal and the value of the collection in its entirety! LOA from James Spence & Steve Grad/PSA DNA.

Minimum Bid $200

Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find any other examples online. Let me know if you see any so I can include a better picture!

Happy collecting!

Capturing Greatness: The Iconic Cover Art Used for Inside Baseball’s 1953 Jackie Robinson Issue

by

Here’s an incredible piece from Mastro’s December 2007 Sports & Americana catalog: the Inside Baseball 1953 cover art featuring William Jacobellis’ stunning photographs of Jackie Robinson.

26) Eye-Popping 1953 Jackie Robinson “Inside Baseball” Cover Art

Noted baseball photographer William Jacobellis is responsible for the images within this three-shot collage that centers on Jackie Robinson. This collage cover originally appeared on the February 1953 issue of Inside Baseball, an issue that spotlighted an article that was entitled “Is Jackie Robinson a Quitter?” The large cover portrait is amazing in the depth of its hues, with strikingly rich skin tones and lush Dodger blues! This is one of the final mechanicals, shot from a physical collage of three mounted images and then printed on one photographic sheet. This very sheet is the one that was then used to produce the cover, after the addition of clear plastic overlays that contained all of the cover’s text. These overlays are long gone, leaving only the brilliant color image of Jackie in his prime. The usual production effects such as mounting holes and tape residue and effects of its removal allappear in the outer areas that lie beyond the print guides, far from the beautifully preserved image area. The 13-9/16″ x 17″ finalized photo work is referred to as “cover art” as an industry term that harkens back to the pre-photography days when all covers were actually hand-illustrated by artists. In truth, it’s hard to imagine any laborer in paint and brush ever being able to match the quality of this Jacobellis work. An attractive copy of the magazine that first carried this image is also included. Minimum Bid $500

Today, the magazine itself is relatively affordable, with moderately worn examples typically selling for $25–$30, though this one sold for $50 on eBay in January 2025.

Time for Yoo-Hoo: Exploring the Rare Yogi Berra Endorsed Clock

by

I’ve written about Yoo-Hoo a few times on the blog before and am super interested in the 1959 Yoo-Hoo set and 1959 Yoo-Hoo Mickey Mantle card, but this example of a Yogi Berra Yoo-Hoo clock is a first for me!

Mastro sold this specific example in November 1999 for $1,357. They described it as being 12” x 29” and still in working condition with the original cord. However, they wrote that it had a crack on the side panel. They assumed that it was used in retail stores in the late 1950s or early 1960s.

I’ve found three other sales, and it’s tough to compare, and they may all be unique.

Lelands sold the following copy for $1,503 in October 2016. They said it worked perfectly. They added that the clock was only available commercially.

Heritage sold the next fully functional one for $1,260 in August 2019, and they included a photo of the back.

Most recently, REA sold a copy for $1,320 in the spring of 2021. They said the clock worked, but the light did not. They described the clock as a 1960s point-of-sale advertising clock and noted that it was intended to be hung at retailers as an additional advertisement for the popular drink.