It’s always amused me how hobby periodicals advertised on each other’s pages, almost like an endless loop of cross-promotion. So, I wasn’t surprised to find this Baseball Cards Magazine ad in the May 1982 issue of The Trader Speaks.
Baseball Cards Magazine launched in the Spring of 1981, and I’ve long argued that its first few years offered the finest hobby writing ever produced. While it’s cost me more than $2.25 an issue to piece my collection together— it’s a steal for a magazine packed with top-notch articles, checklists, and hobby insight.
Back issues of The Trader Speaks are packed with valuable writing, too, but the advertisements for iconic collectors’ issues, card shows, and vintage pricing information are particularly valuable to me. Adding copies of either publication to your collection is a fantastic way to kickstart a hobby library!
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.
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!
Old catalogs, new discoveries! From the October 2007 Classic Collector Auction Catalog: 1984 Topps Gremlins Rack Pack Display Box Production Artwork and Color Proof Sheets.
Remember, the Classic Collector Auctions from Mastro were internet-only, so the catalogs rarely included any item descriptions.
You can find unique wax boxes for this set’s American (Topps) and Canadian (O-Pee-Chee) releases. However, I think the rack packs were only distributed in the US.
Here are all the boxes I could find; first, an OPC variation that REA sold for $270 in May 2023.
Next, here’s a Topps X-out variation that Collect Auctions sold in March 2022 for $110.
Also, because it’s cool, Huggins & Scott sold a sealed case of Topps Gremlins cards for $1,230 in August 2021; they’re pretty tough to track down now.
Finally, this 1984 Topps Gremlins Rack Box Case and three BBCE-wrapped (but not marked FASC) boxes, which you can compare to the proofs above, were offered on Facebook in February 2024 for $1,750.
Baseball Cards Magazine set the standard for hobby writing; here’s a piece by Tom Lamarre, published in December 1986, about the 1961 Fleer Baseball Greats set.
While Set Registry competition has driven up the prices of high-grade examples for some of the set’s key cards, complete raw sets in decent condition remain surprisingly affordable.
For example, Huggins and Scott sold an Ex to Ex-Mt near set of 152/154 cards for $390 in December 2023.
And Collect Auctions sold a similarly conditioned complete set for $566 in March 2022.
If you feel priced out of some of the more popular post-war baseball sets, consider collecting the 1952 Wheaties Baseball Player subset. The 1952 Wheaties set has 30 athletes across many supports, but just ten from professional baseball. However, each player has two cards, a portrait, and an action drawing, meaning there are 20 baseball cards to collect.
1952 Wheaties Roy Campanella Portrait
Each panel, the back of a Wheaties box, featured a variety of cards. Individually, the cards are 2’’ x 2-3/4’’ and have blank backs. The drawings are blue on an orange background with an ivory/white border. Under the picture are the player’s name, position, and team.
1952 Wheaties Panel
Many publications say the borders are rounded, and they are if you look at the white border. However, grading companies like PSA seem to grade them inconsistently. High-grade variants exist with borders cut off in squares, with rounded borders including a blue background, and rounded borders at the white edge. Because of this, I’d recommend focusing on authenticity and eye appeal and disregarding the numerical grade.
1952 Wheaties Bob Feller Action
The key card of the set is Ted Williams, but none of the ten players are commons:
Yogi Berra
Roy Campanella
Bob Feller
George Kell
Ralph Kiner
Bob Lemon
Stan Musial
Phil Rizzuto
Preacher Roe
Ted Williams
PSA has graded over 3,300 1952 Wheaties cards across all 30 trading cards. The baseball players average well under 100 combined between both their Action and Portrait cards. Williams has the most, with 162 Action and 150 Portrait cards (in February 2025). George Kell has the fewest graded examples, with 21 Action and 40 Portrait cards.
Mid-grade examples of Ted Williams cards have shot up in recent years, but most other cards can be picked up for ~$50 on average.
1952 Wheaties Ted Williams Portrait
Wrapping up, the 1952 Wheaties baseball subset is a visually appealing 20-card series that, with some patience, remains financially accessible for collectors seeking a graded set. Featuring a distinct design unlike the major releases of its time, these cards make a fantastic addition to any collection.
Do you collect any other 1950s baseball sets? I’d love to hear about them in the comments—happy collecting!
1952 Wheaties Panels
1952 Wheaties Panels
PS: Be careful if you’re buying raw copies. The Standard Catalog mentions that the set was extensively counterfeited around 2002.
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.
