I may become a sneakerhead after all; I’d love to get a pair of these Jerry West All-Pro Basketball Shoes for my collection!
These sold for $367 back in November 1999 with the following auction lot description:
Perhaps the greatest shooting guard in NBA history, “Mr. Clutch,” averaged 27 points per game for an amazing 14 seasons. This 14-time All-Star was a real fan favorite and a natural for endorsements. One of these endorsements was All Pro “Jerry West 44” basketball shoes. The distant ancestor of the Air Jordan, these circa 1960s rubber-soled sneakers are offered in their original Near Mint condition box. The lid features a classic image of West, and the box bottom includes 10 “Exclusive Tips” from the Laker guard. The sneakers themselves are unused, Navy blue “boys boat” style shoes, pristine and protected in their original tissue paper wrapping. A refreshing, unusual item that is perfect for display.
I can’t find another for sale online, but then, I have no idea how to search for shoes…happy collecting!
Here’s the original artwork for Card #13, The Training Station, in the 1941 R157 Gum, Inc. Uncle Sam set.
It was offered in Mastro’s Classic Collector Internet Only auction held in October 2007. Pricing data for original art from this set is all over the place today, with lots selling for between $250 and $925.
One of Major League Baseball history’s most iconic games was the “Shot Heard ‘Round the World Game.” The shot refers to the game-winning home run that Bobby Thomson hit off of Ralph Branca on October 3, 1951, to win the National League Pennant. The three-run home run gave the New York Giants the win over the Brooklyn Dodgers in the bottom of the ninth inning to win the best of three playoff series. The Giants went on to lose the World Series to the Yankees in six games. But, the fact that this was the first televised game nationally, coupled with an epic homer and cross-town rivalry, made it legendary. There are many theories on why the name “shot heard round the world” stuck, but I think it’s because of the extended media coverage.
Russ Hodges gave the epic live description of Thomson’s home run on WMCA-AM:
There’s a long drive … it’s gonna be, I believe … The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant! Bobby Thomson hits into the lower deck of the left-field stands! The Giants win the pennant and they’re going crazy! They’re going crazy! I don’t believe it! I don’t believe it! I do not believe it! Bobby Thomson hit a line drive into the lower deck of the left-field stands and this blame place is going crazy! The Giants! Horace Stoneham has got a winner! The Giants won it by a score of 5 to 4, and they’re picking Bobby Thomson up, and carrying him off the field!
Russ Hodges
In this post, I’ll focus on some obtainable collectibles of Bobby Thomson and his legendary home run.
First, collectors can obtain signed prints of the moment as it happened.
Bobby Thomson Shot Heard ‘Round the World Signed Image
Encapsulated playoff tickets are also available, though they’re pretty rare. Nineteen stubs, fourteen full tickets, and eight “game 2&3” passes exist in the PSA Population Report.
1951 N.L. Playoff Game 3 PSA Ticket
Bobby Thomson also signed baseballs with the game’s date. Sometimes, he inscribed them with “shot heard ’round the world’. Some are available with Ralph Branca’s signature, too.
Bobby Thomson Signed Baseball – Oct 3, 1951
Three different cards described or commemorated the game: the 1953 Red Man Tobacco #25, 1961 Nu-Card Scoops #480, and 1991 Bowman #410.
1953 Red Man Tobacco #25 Bobby Thomson
1961 Nu-Card Scoops #480 Thomson’s Homer Sinks Dodgers
1991 Bowman #410 The Shot Heard ‘Round the World
1991 Bowman #410 The Shot Heard ‘Round the World Reverse
Additionally, the 1952 Topps and Bowman cards of Bobby Thomson enumerate the season he had played leading up to this epic playoff game,
1952 Topps #313 Bobby Thomson
1952 Bowman #2 Bobby Thomson
Other artifacts, like Thomson’s game bat and shoes, can be found in the National Hall of Fame and Museum. His game jersey is part of a private collection, but the location of the ball isn’t known. However, the other items described are a great way to grow your post-war collection and commemorate one of the greatest games of the 20th century.
Leo Durocher managed the Giants to a World Series title and pitched sugary cereal to kids! Mastro offered this one in their November 2001 catalog.
Here’s the full item description from the catalog:
In the early 1950’s, Leo Durocher managed the New York Giants to two pennants and a World Championship. During those exciting years, the feisty and popular Durocher endorsed a variety of products, and Madison Avenue saw fit to use his image on this store display advertisement for the Sugar Crisp Cereal Baseball Facts and Fun Book. The offered display ad shows a beaming Leo the Lip with his Giants cap on, encouraging youngsters to eat Sugar Crisp. The display is printed on sturdy advertising stock cardboard and is in Near Mint to Mint condition with the exception of some very light creasing to each of the four corners. The sign has never been used and is quite rare, especially in this exceptional condition. In retrospect, all that sugar may help to explain the many tantrums for which Durocher was so well known. An attractive and very colorful 1950’s advertising sign featuring one of the game’s most memorable managers. Measures an impressive 23” x 28”
Minimum Bid $300
In September 2004, Heritage sold a copy of this display for $489.95 but noted it measured 20″ x 31″ at its greatest dimensions and dated it to 1954.
In the Fall of 2024, REA sold a framed copy for $330, approximating its release to 1955.
You can pick up copies of the Post Sugar Crisp Baseball Facts and Fun Book for ~$45 on eBay, where most copies are dated to 1954.
In December 1953, Topps cut Willie Mays a check for a whopping $50 to appear in their 1954 baseball card set—less than what a torn copy of his card is worth today.
Here’s the item description from Mastro’s March 2000 catalog, in which it appeared as lot 663:
In late 1953, Topps Chewing Gum and Willie Mays agreed on the terms of a 1954 baseball card contract with an option for 1955. Mays would receive a lusty $50 for the use of his picture on the 1954 Topps baseball issue (May we note that today, a ’54 Topps May, torn in half, is worth more than this original compensation). We have here for your collecting pleasure that very check. The December 17, 1953 check from Topps Chewing Gum Incorporated is made out to William Howard Mays and signed on the back “William H. Mays Jr” in fountain ink. Sarah Mays, Willie’s mother, has also signed on the back, including her address in Fairfield, Alabama. This unique check shows fold lines and a paper loss on the left border, giving it a technical grade at about Very Good; however, it has a terrific full name autograph and provides that historic link of Willie Mays with Topps. A magnificent relic realized through pitiful exploitation. Kevin Keating and James Spence LOA’s. Minimum Big $300
Here’s the back of the check with the terms and Mays’ (and his mother’s) endorsement:
The 1975 Topps basketball set was unique for two reasons. First, at the time, it was the largest basketball set ever produced (330 cards), and it was the fifth and final time Topps included ABA cards (the ABA-NBA merger would occur in 1976). In this article, I will focus on a unique situation and “subset,” in that the 1975 Topps basketball set was the only major card release to have featured the San Diego Sails basketball team.
1975 Topps #234 Lee Davis
I’m not saying that Topps ignored the San Diego Sails basketball team in its previous sets; the Sails only existed for a single year! The franchise did play three previous seasons as the Conquistadors, who were the ABA’s only expansion team. But the team was purchased in 1975, and the new owner brought in a new coach, changed the entire roster, and re-branded the team as the Sails. On the Team Leaders card for the Sails, you can see that the back of the card lists leaders for the Conquistadors.
1975 Topps #285 – San Diego Sails Team Leaders – Front
1975 Topps #285 – San Diego Sails Team Leaders – Reverse
Unfortunately, no one in San Diego seemed to care about the team, and only 3000 fans showed up to the team’s home opener. It got worse, as under 2000 fans came to their third home game, which was the last for the franchise. The owner was told the Sails weren’t a part of the ABA-NBA merger, so he shut down the team on Nov 12, 1975, with a final record of 3-8.
1975 Topps #245 Travis Grant
The NBA took four ABA franchises: the Spurs, Nuggets, Nets, and Pacers. Three other ABA teams also folded: the Spirits of St. Louis, the Kentucky Colonels, and the Virginia Squires.
1975 Topps #256 Dwight Lamar
However, a team did return to San Diego when the Buffalo Braves came to town and changed their name to the Clippers, keeping the nautical naming theme. But in 1984, the Clippers moved to Los Angeles, and San Diego (the Country’s 8th largest city) has been left without an NBA team since.
1975 Topps #264 George Adams
Now, going back to the 1975 Topps basketball set, I’ve always been a fan of it—and all 1970s basketball sets, for that matter. The cards have nice portraits and action shots, a lot of star power, and Moses Malone’s rookie card. Because the set has cards from both leagues before the merger, it features subsets from both leagues’ statistical and team leaders, along with playoff cards and team checklists.
1975 Topps #274 Tim Bassett
Topps featured the Sails on 11 cards, the same number of games the team played! I’ve been sharing the Sail’s cards throughout the article, but here is the checklist and photos of the rest of the cards:
#234 – Lee Davis
#245 – Travis Grant
#256 – Dwight Lamar
#264 – George Adams
#274 – Tim Bassett (He signed with the New Jersey Nets and had Topps cards in 1977, 1978, and 1979)
#285 – Team Leaders
#296 – Warren Jabali
#305 – Caldwell Jones (He signed with the Philadelphia 76ers and had Topps cards in 1976 and 1977)
#317 – Jimmy O’Brien
#328 – San Diego Sails Team Checklist
#328 – San Diego Sails Team Checklist – Hand-Cut
1975 Topps #296 Warren Jabali
1975 Topps #305 Caldwell Jones
1975 Topps #317 Jimmy O’Brien
1975 Topps #328 San Diego Sails Checklist
The hand-cut team checklist is a PSA pop three card that collectors acquired as part of an uncut sheet from the Topps Sports Club for $2.50 and a wrapper.
1975 Topps #328 San Diego Sails Team Checklist Hand Cut – PSA 2
1975 Topps Basketball Team Checklist Uncut Sheet
If not for Topps and the hobby, the San Diego Sails might have faded completely from memory. Thankfully, the hobby is more than just cardboard—it’s a living archive that helps preserve and celebrate forgotten chapters of sports history.
In September 2024, I highlighted a handful of P.F. Canvas shoe advertisements. Well, I ran across another in a March 2000 auction catalog, and I think this one’s my favorite!
I dig the giant baseball in the background.
The piece dates back to the early 1950s when baseball was first on national TV and showcases the game’s top stars endorsing the P.F. canvas shoes (later known as P.F. Flyers). The framed ad was described as 19” x 25”.
In March 2016, Hake’s sold a copy for $707 and they said the ad was a 19.5” x 25-5/8′” stiff cardboard standee w/easel back.
And then, in September 2023, Rockhurst Auctions offered it for sale again, but it failed to meet its reserve.
