Why Topps Made Two Base Cards for George Blanda in 1975

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The other day, I was looking through the checklist of the 1975 Topps football set and saw the George Blanda had two consecutive cards, #7 and #8. I then read that this was the only time Topps has put a player on consecutive cards, but why?

The answer is pretty simple, and it’s rooted in his longevity in the game. George Blanda played an incredible 26 seasons of professional football as a kicker and quarterback between 1949 and 1974. His statistics were too long to fit on the back of a single card, along with his vitals/biography, so Topps made two cards, one is now known as the Black Jersey card and another now referred to as the White Jersey card.

1975 Topps #7 George Blanda Black Jersey – Front
1975 Topps #7 George Blanda Black Jersey – Reverse
1975 Topps #8 George Blanda White Jersey – Front
1975 Topps #8 George Blanda White Jersey – Reverse

Blanda threw for 26,920 yards and tossed 236 touchdowns as a quarterback, and made 335 field goals and 943 extra points as a kicker. He also had the NFL record for interceptions thrown with 277 until Brett Favre broke that record. When Blanda retired, he was pro football’s scoring leader with 2002 points, but now sits 7th on the list behind Adam Vinatieri, Morten Andersen, Gary Andersen, Jason Hanson, John Carney, and Matt Stover. He went into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1981, which was the first year he was eligible.

Some collectors consider the two 1975 Topps Blanda cards to be tributes since the Black Jersey card (#7) shares his bio and key achievements, while the White Jersey card (#8) lists his career scoring record (he scored nine touchdowns too).

The White Jersey card is a little more challenging in premium (PSA 9/10) grades than the Black Jersey card, but that doesn’t result in a price premium.

Overall, PSA has graded 214 Black Jersey 1975 Topps George Blanda cards. Here are some more population and price sale data (from PSA’s APR) for Blanda’s 1975 Topps #7 card:

  • PSA 10 – Pop 19 (doubled the past 2.5 years from Pop 9) – Last two sales were $100 in September 2021 and $84 in August 2021
  • PSA 9 – Pop 72 – Last two sales were $32 in January 2025 and $25 in February 2022
  • PSA 8 – Pop 76 – There’s a lot of variance in these with prices over the last year ranging from $3.25 to $22.18

PSA has graded 227 White Jersey 1975 Topps George Blanda cards. Here are the population and price sale data for card #8:

  • PSA 10 – Pop 11 – last two sales were $84 in August 2021 and $80 in October 2017
  • PSA 9 – Pop 57 – last two sales were $50 in Mar 2022 and $26 in June 2022
  • PSA 8 – Pop 92 – Just under $10

The 528-card 1975 Topps football set features another Blanda card too. Card #351 is a record holder card honoring Blanda as the All-Time Scoring Leader. Funny enough, it’s a Pop 2 now in PSA 10 (up from one 2.5 years ago), so it would be the most expensive Gem Mint 10 of his three 1975 Topps football cards.

1975 Topps #351 George Blanda – Front
1975 Topps #351 George Blanda – Reverse

The fact that Topps only once put a player on consecutive base cards is the sort of vintage trivia I really enjoy. And it makes sense that Topps would have wanted to honor Blanda’s career accomplishments this way in the final set he’d be in as a player. What’s particularly nice is if you want these cards graded, the pair, in PSA 8 condition, will only cost you ~$20, happy collecting!

An Extremely Rare 1950 Royal Pudding Salesman’s Booklet

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The rarest of the rare — here’s a 1950 Royal Pudding salesman’s booklet. It’s the only example I’ve ever seen and was available in an April 2003 auction catalog.

This is an accordion-style booklet containing 11 highly desirable trading cards produced by Royal Desserts during the early 1950’s. The “Royal Pudding” cards (listed as F219 in the American Card Catalog) are super-scarce in their own right. Veteran collectors consider themselves lucky whenever they find a single example from the series, most often at the National Convention or similar large venue. Due to their method of distribution as box panels, the cards are usually in rough shape when they do surface. They’re all tough, and every item in the set is a “key.” The offered mini-collection is even rarer than an assembly of high-grade singles. Carried outside the company only by sales representatives, a few booklets like this one were presented to favored contacts. When folded, the 4-1/4″ × 5″ booklet’s cover only hints at the remarkable contents: “23 New Stars to Help You Crown Your Royal Sales.” Opening the small volume reveals a gallery of nearly perfect Royals, including numbers 1-14 and 16 picturing baseball subjects and 1-6 depicting film stars. (The actual cards total 21 by our count, but the company must have felt its gelatin spoon and batting tips offers, also featured on the booklet’s pages, qualified as additional ‘stars.) Fully unfolded, a long slogan emerges above the cards to act as a display advertisement in banner form. The baseball stars included in the booklet form an amazing roster. Hall of Famers Stan Musial, Pee Wee Reese, George Kell, Warren Spahn, Phil Rizzuto and Luke Appling are among the baseball luminaries whose cards appear on leaves of this booklet. Dom DiMaggio, Andy Patko, Bobby Thomson, Ewell Blackwell and Tommy Henrich are among the other ballplayers present, and Forrest Tucker, Farley Grander, Tony Curtis, Joan Evans, Ann Blyth and Allan “Rocky” Lane represent the promotion’s movie star category. Externally, condition is a well-preserved and gently handled Excellent, and individual pages approach Mint in a number of cases. The booklet is dated “7/50,” in small print on the back cover. This is an almost never-seen item, created to promote an extraordinarily difficultspecialty issue.

Please get in touch if you have more information about this item and happy collecting!

Jerry West’s Vintage All-Pro Basketball Shoes Are My New Grail

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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!

The Original Artwork for Card #13, ‘The Training Station’ from the 1941 Gum Inc. Uncle Sam Set

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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.

Here’s the final product, plus the back.

Happy collecting!

Collecting Bobby Thomson and The Shot Heard Round The World Game

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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.

Happy Collecting!

Rare Vintage Advertising – 1950s Leo Durocher Sugar Crisp Cereal Store Display

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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.

Happy collecting!

A $50 Deal for Cardboard History: Willie Mays’ Signed Topps Check for His 1954 Baseball Card

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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:

Happy collecting!