Here’s another hobby man cave collecting goal for many of us: a 1938 Goudey Heads Up Advertising Poster, which was described as Goudey’s file copy!
This example was a part of Robert Edward Auctions July 2000 catalog. Here’s how they described it:
This candy store window poster announces Goudey’s classic 1938 Heads Up series. It features a giant card of Brooklyn pitcher Van Lingo Mungo. This poster originates directly from The Great Goudey Find of 1969 when the files of Goudey surfaced in the hobby. This is Goudey’s file copy of this poster. Goudey file copy materials were saved by being stapled into a large album for future reference. Very close examination reveals a pair of very small and clean staple holes in the upper right and left corners, and the faint hint of a vertical crease. The poster is otherwise in Near Mint condition. Of the very few (less than ten) examples of this poster known, it is likely that this is the finest. One of the rarest and most impressive of all card related advertising displays. 8 1/8″ x 12″
The only other copy I was able to track down was also sold by Robert Edward Auctions. It was mounted on cardboard and framed with three cards (DeMaree, Bartell, Lombardi); it sold for $4,930 in the spring of 2005.
This advertisement from Trading Cards magazine in February 1992 is pretty darn interesting for its listing of “older” Fleer and Topps basketball sets. What item would you most like to time travel back for?
When looking at this, I had to step back from the fact that the company behind this ad is called National Sportscard “Investments” and that 1989 Fleer in 1992 was considered “older.” That is three years, but 1961 Fleer basketball would be an “older” set to me.
Anywho, here are some “nostalgic” prices that stood out:
1986 Fleer basketball set w/ stickers for $799.95
1986 Fleer basketball Michael Jordan Mint card for $399.95
The 1990 National Sports Collectors Convention was held in Arlington, Texas, so Optigraphics (the owner of Score and Sprotflics) produced a special Nolan Ryan promo card that they distributed to folks who toured their manufacturing facility the week of the show.
I came across the card for the first time a few weeks ago while flipping through Christie’s East October 1993 Sports Memorabilia Catalog.
During the 1990 National Sport Collectors Convention in Arlington Texas, Score Inc., a major baseball manufacturer produced only 500 special cards of Nolan Ryan for distribution to attendees who toured their manufacturing facility. About 250 people availed themselves of the opportunity and. to their delight, were presented with one of these cards, the rarest issue of a Ryan card. Of the remaining 250 cards, 100 were given to Nolan Ryan and the rest to charities. The reverse of the card has a 3-D like motion image of Ryan pitching.
Christie’s
I noticed that Christie’s expected the card to sell for $600-800. The price seemed high to me, and when I checked eBay, I ran across the Beckett 9.5 graded example pictured above, with a Buy It Now price of $200. BaseballCardPedia’s card synopsis covers more of the card’s history and addresses the price drop.
To commemorate the 11th Annual National Sports Collectors Convention taking place in their hometown of Arlington, Texas, Optigraphics (the parent company of Score and Sportflics) produced a special Sportflics card of Nolan Ryan. The front of the card is lenticular and features a reprint of Ryan’s 1990 Sportflics card. The back is a reprint of Ryan’s 1990 Score card, with the logo of the NSCC.
Only 600 copies of the card were produced with Optigraphics giving Mr. Ryan the first 100. Approximately 300 cards were given out to those who took a tour of Optigraphics’ facilities the week of The National with the remainder given to various charities in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area.
At the NSCC itself, Score/Sportflics held a press conference where Mr. Ryan personally destroyed the press plates.
During the NSCC, this promo card was regularly selling for $1000 to $1500 with a sale of $3000 confirmed by the Chicago Sun-Times. Professionally graded copies (Gem Mint or better) regularly sell for a tenth of that now.
BaseballCardPedia
BaseballCardPedia and Christies disagree about how many Ryan promo cards Opitgraphics printed, 600 vs. 500, and how many they gave out where. Beckett’s card description appears to align with BaseballCardPedia; however, they might have just referenced each other.
This standard-size card was issued by Optigraphics (producer of Score and Sportflics) to commemorate the 11th National Sports Card Collectors Convention held in Arlington, Texas in July of 1990. This card featured a Score front similar to the Ryan 1990 Score highlight card except for the 11th National Convention Logo on the bottom right of the card. On the other side a Ryan Sportflics card was printed that stated (reflected) either Sportflics or 1990 National Sports Collectors Convention on the bottom of the card. This issue was limited to a printing of 600 cards with Ryan himself destroying the printing plates.
Beckett
Now, it turns out REA attempted to sell (their site says unsold) a 1990 Nolan Ryan Score/Sportflics Signed Baseball Card Display in the spring of 2007.
Given the source material in the display, I suspect REA has the best data; here’s what they had to say:
This one-of-a-kind Nolan Ryan signed item is the actual printing plate used to create the specially produced limited-edition 1990 Score/Sportflics Nolan Ryan baseball card that was issued in conjunction with the 1990 National Collectors Convention. The printing of that special card, of which only 600 were ever produced, was done by Optigraphics, a card manufacturing company located in Grand Prairie, Texas. The card was made as a special promotion and was only distributed to members of the 1990 National Collectors Convention who participated in a special tour of the company. The card featured Ryan on both the front and reverse, with the front and back displaying, respectively, the images used on that year’s Score and Sportflics baseball cards of Ryan. The typography on the card makes special note of the 1990 National Collectors convention. Barry Halper was a part-owner of Score and Sportflics at the time and was personally involved in working with Ryan and arranging for the production of this card. The plate, which was destroyed by Ryan at the plant, has been inscribed to Barry in blue Sharpie, “Sorry you can’t reproduce these. Nice job with the card. Your Friend Nolan Ryan 4/28/92.” Ryan destroyed the metal plate by cutting through the card images with large shears, thus insuring that they could never be reproduced. The sheet measures 24 x 28.5 inches and has been beautifully decorated with photos and articles commemorating the event. Attached to the sheet are five small color photos of Ryan, taken on that day, including photographs of him cutting the sheet, touring the factory with Barry Halper, and holding the specialcard. Also included in the display are two cut newspaper articles covering the event as well as two examples of the card (one showing the front, the other the reverse). The sheet, in turn, has been mounted and framed to a total dimension of 30 x 34 inches. From the Barry Halper Collection. LOA from James Spence/JSA.
REA
There are obviously a few subtle differences between the promo and base cards; here’s a regular 1990 Sportflics Nolan Ryan card:
You can see that the promo card only used the front, with the key difference being the text area under Ryan’s action shots, which highlights the “1990 National Sports Collectors Convention” on the promo.
And here’s the 1990 Score Nolan Ryan card:
The big differences are that the promo card replaced the “1989 Highlight Texas Rangers” logo with one for The National in Arlington, added MLBPA and MLB logos, and added Score’s copyright information under Nolan Ryan’s name. The copyright information implies that the Score side is the back of the promo card, and Sportflics is the front.
One last thing: if you want a PSA-graded sample, they’ve graded 54 of these Nolan Ryan promo cards, including 19 Gem Mint 10s.
1986 Fleer basketball cards have become some of the hobby’s most popular collectibles, driven by Michael Jordan’s iconic card #57.
But many people don’t realize that the 1986 Fleer basketball set was a bit of a dud on release and was treated as “junk wax” for its first few years. Because of this, many deduce, the inferred evidence supports, and some conversations lead us to conclude that Fleer printed the 1987 basketball cards in far lower numbers than the 1986 cards. In the following paragraphs, I’ll share the current thoughts in the hobby about 1986 and 1987 Fleer basketball print runs.
Let me start by saying that all I’m trying to do is piece together some hobby history; Fleer never released print run information directly. No one documented this sort of information, and the people who worked for Fleer or other card companies weren’t necessarily collectors who saved this data; it was just a job for a lot of people.
Earlier in the decade, in 1981, Topps stopped making basketball cards because they were so unpopular, and boxes of Fleer’s 1986 release didn’t sell well either, often not even going for $10 at retail locations, despite being sold directly to dealers for $9 ($108/case).
A collector on a forum noted that a shop owner offered him the 10 1986 Fleer basketball boxes collecting dust on his shelf for $5/box. And I’m told that Fleer also offered full-value refunds for unsold cases. Other collectors and dealers stated you could get them inexpensively in high supply at shows over the next few years.
Reed Kasaoka said that in the late 1990s, a Fleer executive told him that they printed 250k of each card in the 1986 Fleer set (~6400 cases), but based on really disappointing sales numbers, they cut the production rate in half for the 1987 set. And most dealers from this time believe something similar.
1986 Fleer Basketball Wax Case
Additionally, PSA’s population report is a solid guide as there have been nearly 5x as many 1986 Fleer as 1987 Fleer cards graded. Of course, some of that disparity is based on value after grading, but that’s a huge difference. Plus, at times over the past few years, high-grade 1987 Fleer commons have commanded >$100 prices (when you could grade these cards for $6/each).
In an article about the 1987 Fleer set, Steve Taft noted that there always seemed to be more 1986 Fleer around. One of the set registry collectors agreed, saying that for every box of 1987 Fleer, he saw a lot more 1986s for sale. I also see a lot more 1986 Fleer cards and boxes for sale than 1987 Fleer. A while ago, I searched for “1986 Fleer Basketball” (with some filtering) on eBay, and it returned almost 14k items, while a search for “1987 Fleer Basketball” returned under 8k items – knowing there is some overlap based on people writing “1986/87” in the title.
I don’t think the ‘people are hoarding Fleer product’ argument holds much water here. The hobby, as a whole, was booming by 1986, and there have been a lot of times when the 1986 set was pushing higher in price that would have induced people to sell (Beckett’s first guide, the Bulls championships, Jordan’s retirements, and comebacks, etc.). If a collector had the wherewithal to hoard 1986 Fleer, they probably would have saved some 1987 Fleer, too.
1987 Fleer Basketball Wax Case
In the end, we won’t ever really know how many of each set Fleer printed or how many were returned, thrown out, or saved. However, the stories from dealers and collectors support the notion that Fleer made a lot fewer 1987 basketball cards than 1986. The print run also tells us that the popularity of the 1986 set is primarily demand-driven (no surprise, Jordan is the GOAT). We also shouldn’t be as surprised with 1987 Fleer basketball’s ascending prices over the past few years since they’re more supply-limited.
If you’ve heard stories about the 1986 or 1987 Fleer basketball print runs, please share them in the comments.
Are you looking to decorate a man cave? I recommend a 1934 Lou Gehrig Goudey Advertising Poster.
This particular matted and framed copy was available in July 2000 when Robert Edward Auctions (then a division of MastroNet Inc.) and eBay presented ‘The Wagner Card’ as the featured item in their internet/telephone auction of baseball cards and memorabilia.
Here’s the 1934 Goudey Poster and full item description as presented in the catalog:
Interestingly, the poster was unknown to the collecting world until 1995. They highlighted that Gehrig’s portrait on the poster is the same as on his card #61, that’s a mistake; card #61 has him with a bat, but #37 shares the image.
Also, how about that wrapper redemption? Just 20 Big League Gum Wrappers and a 3-cent stamp for some “swell” prizes.
Back in 2011, at the National Sports Collectors Convention in Chicago, IL, Topps held an auction exclusively for VIP ticket holders on Wednesday, August 3, at 2:30 PM. It featured “10 magnificent TOPPS items direct from the Vault!” In this article, I’ll share the paragraphs describing the lots exactly as Topps advertised them on the National’s website leading into the show.
1957-58 Topps Basketball Card Bill Russell Cancelled Check
1957-58 Topps Basketball Card Bill Russell Cancelled Check – Topps Vault Auction
Direct from Topps’ legendary vault comes Hall of Famer Bill Russell’s very first Topps basketball card canceled paycheck. Mr. Russell was the key card in the celebrated 1957-1958 Topps basketball card set. The 1957-58 Topps basketball card set was the first basketball card set issued by Topps and is the most important of the three major basketball sets issued prior to 1969 (the other two are Bowman’s 1948 set and Fleer’s 1961 set). The reverse is endorsed by Mr. Russell in bold black ink. Overall condition is very-good-plus. PSA/DNA Certified Authentic. A Topps Vault certificate of authenticity accompanies this one-of-a-kind piece of Topps hoops history.
1968 Topps Final Baseball Card Color Transparency – 1968 Nolan Ryan Rookie Card
1968 Topps Final Baseball Card Color Transparency – Topps Vault Auction
For each baseball card created by Topps, there exists one color transparency used as the original artwork from which the proof sheets were made. Offered here is a unique opportunity to own the only artwork used to create the 1968 Topps Nolan Ryan Rookie Card. This original color transparency was trimmed down in the production process in order to fit into the duel-player Topps Rookie Card design. Nolan Ryan has long been regarded as one of the most popular and sought after names in the hobby which makes this transparency one of the most unique items a card collector could possess. Transparency measures approx. 1 1/4″ X 1 1/2″ in size and is in its original state. The original hand-inscribed Topps file envelope is included. Lot is accompanied by a Topps Vault certificate of authenticity.
The bidding on this item was reported as fierce and ended at $3500. The Ryan Transparency had been listed for sale on eBay for a long time, apparently by the original buyer, for $89,995. Here are a few more items they have shared for the item.
1968 Topps Final Baseball Card Color Transparency – eBay Front
1968 Topps Final Baseball Card Color Transparency – eBay Reverse
1968 Topps Final Baseball Card Color Transparency – eBay COA
1968 Topps Final Baseball Card Color Transparency – eBay Evenlope Side 1
1968 Topps Final Baseball Card Color Transparency – eBay Evenlope Side 2
1977 Topps Uncut Proof Sheet with Rare Reggie Jackson Orioles Error Card
Every once in a while, a rather significant Topps error card will find its way to auction. This is one of those times. This incredible uncut proof sheet contains several error cards, most noteworthy, the 1977 Topps Reggie Jackson Orioles card. Printed early in the production process, this proof sheet contains Mr. October donning his 1976 Baltimore Orioles uniform. In subsequent proof printings, Mr. Jackson was outfitted in Yankees pinstripes. Barely a handful of these Reggie error cards has ever surfaced making it one of the most important Topps boo-boos in history. Other slips include Don Baylor in an A’s uniform, Dave Duncan (Orioles), Steve Stone (Cubs), Wayne Garland (Orioles), Gene Tenace (A’s), Pat Kelly (White Sox), Gary Matthews (Giants) and Rollie Fingers (A’s). Proof sheets are made by the engraver, usually from the final set of separations. Proofs show what the product will look like when it is printed. Topps staffers use them to check color and registration. Proofreaders will also check them for content. This extraordinary find is professionally matted and framed and is accompanied by a Topps Vault certificate of authenticity.
More recently, the Oriole’s Jackson cards have sold for almost $60k, so while the $10k price for this sheet was considered a lot at the time, in retrospect, it was a steal!
1987 Topps/Nestles Baseball Card Set – Mickey Mantle Signed Agreement
1987 Topps/Nestles Baseball Card Set – Mickey Mantle Signed Agreement – Topps Vault Auction
The 33-card 1987 Nestle set features players from the golden era as well as the games modern era. The biggest of these baseball greats were the late Mickey Mantle and Babe Ruth. The 1987 Nestle set was produced in conjunction with Topps and was offered inside specially marked six-packs of select Nestle candy bars. In order to include retired players in the set, Topps entered into an agreement with each individual athlete or the estate. Offered here is the original hand-signed agreement between Topps and Mickey Mantle himself. Original 8 1/2″ X 11″ archival document comes professionally matted and framed and features a bold blue ink signature. Lot is accompanied by a Topps Vault certificate of authenticity.
Here’s an example of a hand-cut Mantle 1987 Nestle set.
1987 Nestle #17 Mickey Mantle
1979-80 Topps Hockey Uncut Proof Sheet – Wayne Gretzky Rookie Card
1979-80 Topps Hockey Uncut Proof Sheet – Topps Vault Auction
Wayne Gretzky is regarded as the greatest hockey player ever and his 1979-1980 Topps Rookie Card is one of the pre-eminent trading cards ever printed. Featured here is a blank back production sheet containing the “Great One’s” very first bubble gum card. Original proof sheet is professionally matted and framed (26″ X 32-1/2″) and overall is in near-mint condition. Proof sheets are made by the engraver, usually from the final set of separations. Proofs show what the product will look like when it is printed. Topps staffers use them to check color and registration. Proofreaders will also check them for content. Lot is accompanied by a Topps Vault certificate of authenticity.
While not a proof sheet, a 1979 Topps Hockey sheet with the Gretzky rookie card was listed on eBay for ~$5k a year or two ago.
1979 Topps Hockey Uncut Sheet
1980 Topps/Pepsi Unissued Two-sided Final Uncut Sheet
The unique 1980 Topps-produced Pepsi baseball card set features many of the era”s greatest diamond stars. In fact, half of the ballplayers incorporated into this 22-card set are enshrined in the hallowed halls of Cooperstown. This prized Topps relic comes professionally matted and framed (12 3/4″ X 33″) and is in tip-top condition. The reverse side of the sheet is also viewable. Some of the more notable subjects include; Rod Carew, Robin Yount, Paul Molitor, Reggie Jackson, George Brett, Mike Schmidt, Jim Palmer, Dave Winfield and Steve Carlton. This is the first and only time this seldom-seen and un-catalogued Topps baseball product will be offered in uncut sheet form. Lot is accompanied by a Topps Vault certificate of authenticity.
1968 Topps Uncut Proof Sheet Nolan Ryan Rookie Card
Rare 1968 Topps uncut 44-card uncut blank-back proof sheet. Direct from the Topps Vault archives, this blank back proof sheet measures 21″ X 28″ and overall, is in excellent-plus condition. What makes this cherished Topps production item so special is that it is not crafted from the usual cardboard stock but rather a vinyl-like material. Proof sheets are made by the engraver, usually from the final set of separations. Proofs show what the product will look like when it is printed. Topps staffers use them to check color and registration. Proofreaders will also check them for content. The principal card featured on this highly sought-after piece is the Nolan Ryan Rookie Card. Also included are the 1968 Topps cards of Hank Aaron, Tony Perez, Joe Morgan and the late Elston Howard among others. For instant viewing pleasure, this lot is professionally matted and framed. A Topps Vault certificate of authenticity is included. *This lot will be framed.”
Memory Lane Inc. sold a sheet matching this description in their Spring 2013 auction for $1583. REA has also sold blank-backed vinyl-like sheets but unframed in a few past auctions; one sold for $1778 in the fall of 2013, and another sold for $2160 in the spring of 2017.
Framed 1968 Topps Uncut Proof Sheet
1957 Topps Basketball Card Set – Bill Russell Signed Agreement
1957 Topps Basketball Card Set – Bill Russell Signed Agreement – Topps Vault Auction
Direct from Topps’ legendary vault, this auction lot features Bill Russell’s Rookie basketball card contract. The 1957-1958 Topps basketball card set was the very first basketball card set issued by Topps and remains today the greatest of all Topps basketball card sets. Original hand-signed document measures 8 1/2″ X 11″ in size and overall, is in near-excellent condition. Contract is signed and dated by Mr. Russell as well as Topps’ Sy Berger. This extraordinary slice of Topps history is professionally matted and framed for your immediate viewing pleasure. A Topps Vault certificate of authenticity accompanies this Topps archival relic.
1974 Topps Test Issue The Six Million Dollar Man Unopened Box
1974 Topps Test Issue The Six Million Dollar Man Unopened Box – Topps Vault Auction
1974 Topps “The Six Million Dollar Man” Full 36-Count Wax Pack Box. This seldom-seen Test Issue wax pack full box originates directly from the Topps Vault archives. The plain white Test box contains 36 firmly sealed packs. Each pack contains seven cards and a slab of bubble gum. The original plain white box is in top-flight condition. Topps failed to get the U.S. rights to this 1970’s pop culture television series. After its limited test run, a small quantity of the remaining Test boxes was sent to the UK for distribution. This rare pack box was unearthed during a recent visit to the Topps warehouse and now becomes one of only a handful of Topps Six Million Dollar Man full wax pack boxes ever offered for sale. A rare find indeed! A certificate of authenticity accompanies this spectacular auction lot.
I saw a few GAI-graded packs sell for a little over $200 a few years ago, and a few PSA-graded packs have been listed for sale on eBay over the years. One of them had the words “Topps Vault Collection” written on the flip and was listed for $1429.
1974 Topps The Six Million Dollar Man PSA Pack
1985 Topps Garbage Pail Kids Series One Uncut Sheet
With its madcap gross-out humor, Topps Garbage Pail Kids stickers took the country by storm in 1985. Kids were plastering the hip gross stickers everywhere. Seldom offered, this stunning 132-sticker full sheet measures a stout 28 1/2″ X 43″ and overall, is in excellent-plus-plus condition. Sheet shows only the usual wear associated with uncut sticker-stock sheets of this size including very-very-very mild surface and edge wear. This colossal collectible is suitable for framing and much, much more! Each of the 132 finished stickers is scored. Sheet contains two complete “B” Series’ and one complete “A” series sticker sets, plus a few doubles. Sheet code is 4-494-05-01-5. A Topps Vault certificate of authenticity accompanies this fabulous pop-culture collectible.
The only item I don’t have an original photo of is this Garbage Pail Kids sheet. However, a sheet with the same serial number was listed on eBay for $5400 a while ago.
Garbage Pail Kids Series One Uncut Sheet
Also, the Six Million Dollar Man box and the Garage Pail Kids Uncut Sheet were announced as the final two auction items a few weeks after the first eight items were.
While this auction didn’t have the breadth of Guernsey’s Topps Auction from 1989, its depth was incredible. Happy collecting!
Here’s a scan of Dr. Jim Beckett’s first report on baseball card prices from the April 1977 issue of The Trader Speaks.
The survey he referenced was distributed across multiple hobby channels, but in keeping with The Trader Speaks theme, here’s the one from their January 1977 issue.
And here’s Part 2 of the Price Survey Results from the May 1977 issue of The Trader Speaks.
As I said, Beckett distributed the survey and results across multiple hobby channels; David Kathman provided a nice overall summary on the net54 boards, including when Dr. Beckett printed details in Sports Collectors Digest.
In the fall of 1976, Jim Beckett, then a professor of statistics at Bowling Green State University as well as a collector and dealer of baseball cards, got the idea of doing a survey of other collectors and dealers in order to determine the market value of various cards and card sets. He wrote up a survey, and the September 30, 1976 issue of Sports Collectors Digest announced his project, and his intention to distribute the survey at various card conventions and by mail. The October 31, 1976 SCD had a status report by Beckett, clarifying what he hoped to achieve with the survey, and the January 15, 1977 SCD printed the survey itself. The results of this first survey appeared in SCD in two parts: in the March 31, 1977 issue for Topps and Bowman cards, and in the April 30, 1977 issue for all other card sets.
