Hank Aaron

1958 Topps Roger Maris Salesman Sample

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I was pretty excited when I saw this hand-cut 1958 Topps Roger Maris Salesman Sample card graded authentic by SGC pop up on eBay back in July 2024; it’s a really cool piece of hobby history.

Back in Newsletter #28, I wrote:

As the name implies, salesman-sample sports card panels were used by salesmen as samples to vendors (e.g. grocers and candy-store owners) to illustrate an upcoming release of cards to promote sales. These panels were produced in limited numbers, making surviving samples quite rare.

The front of the panels looked like regular-issue cards, while the back had a small advertising pitch for the new product. In some years, the backs also had redemption information or a sample card back.

Here’s an example from Heritage Auctions of a complete 1958 Topps Salesman Sample.

On the front, you can see that the three cards are just a random strip of three from an uncut sheet, while the back has advertising copy and an example card’s back. So, depending on a card’s location on an uncut sheet, it could be on any position on the front and, therefore, have any piece of the back (unless Topps placed it on a sheet’s edge). So a salesman sample with a 1958 Roger Maris front could go Frank Bolling/Wally Burnette/Roger Maris, or Wally Burnette/Roger Maris/Del Rice, or Roger Maris/Del Rice/Bill Fischer.

The cut Maris pictured above has the top of the back printed on its back, but it could have any; however, this SGC authenticated one is the only one in either PSA’s or SGC’s Pop Report.

The SGC-graded 1958 Topps Roger Maris “#47” cut Salesman Sample card sold on eBay for $785 on July 8th, 2024. Unfortunately, the buyer didn’t pay, and the owner had to relist the card. It was sold again on July 23rd for $538. The $538 price is reasonable when you compare it to other examples. REA sold a Don Drysdale cut sample for $156 in February 2023, and a Hank Aaron sold for $1,499.99 on eBay in April 2024.

The Maris sample card appears to have been purchased by another dealer who re-listed it on eBay with a Buy-it-Now price of $949.99.

1956 Topps Uncut Sheet of 110 Cards

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Hobby History From A November 2001 Mastro Auction – A 1956 Topps Baseball Uncut Sheet of 110 Cards.

This 110-card production sheet features cards numbered 1-100 plus ten double prints. Included are Hank Aaron, Ted Williams, Roberto Clemente, Jackie Robinson, Sandy Koufax, Al Kaline, Ernie Banks, and Warren Spahn. Hank Aaron and William Harridge are among the double-printed cards.

I’ve read that the hobby has under 30 1956 Topps production sheets, and many are overprinted errors.

Regarding pricing, REA sold the following example in their Spring 2022 catalog for $57600. Ernie Banks and Jackie Robinson are double-printed on this one!

$5 Hank Aaron Autographs

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Here’s some hobby-show history from March 1982, when you could get a Hank Aaron autograph for $5!

The advertisement for the “East Coast’s Newest and Largest Show..Sports & Paper Collectible Show and Sale” in White Plains, NY, was scanned from the February 1982 issue of Trader Speaks.

And here’s what may be the coolest Hank Aaron signed items in the hobby: a signed ticket stub from the game where he hit his 715th home run to pass Babe Ruth.

1976 MSA Sports Discs Hank Aaron

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Last week on Twitter, @nightowlcards shared a blog post called Parallels and the ’70s do mix highlighting MSA Discs, particularly the backs. @BeautyOfAGame responded, “An entire volume could be written about the various MSA sets in the 70s and 80s.” I responded by saying, “Challenge…accepted?…” So, an MSA anthology is on the to-do list now.

Anywho, while going through a stack of random cards in my collection, I ran across this 1976 MSA Sports Discs Hank Aaron Blank Back, which looks absolutely incredible in its slab.

When you read about the set, it’s tough to visualize how gorgeous they are and how much bigger the 3-3/8” diameter discs feel in your hand.

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