Topps Signed Check

Billy Martin’s Final Topps Contract As A Yankee Player: A One-of-a-Kind Piece of History

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Here’s a cool piece of hobby history, dating back to Mastro & Steinbach’s August 1997 Fine Sports Auctions Catalog; Billy Martin’s 1957 Topps Baseball Card Contract and Check!

I wish I had a better picture because it’s a wonderful piece from which I’d like to learn more, but I can’t make out the text; it’s a true one-of-one! Here’s the description:

Official one-page contract between Topps Chewing Gum and Alfred (Billy) Martin for the right to produce a Billy Martin card for Topps 1957, 58, and 59 baseball card sets. Dated July 20, 1956, and signed by Sy Berger (Topps, Inc.) and Billy Martin, the contract displays several folds and peripheral wear, with Near Mint to Mint signatures of both Berger and Martin. Accompanying the contract is a Topps check for $5 (made payable to Martin) as deposit toward Martin’s $125 compensation due each season for the use of his photograph. Check exhibits several light folds and an insignificant staple mark, endorsed on back by Martin (NR-MT to MT signature) and cashed through the New York Yankees account. Martin’s final Topps contract as a New York Yankee!

Here’s an example of Martin’s 1957 Topps baseball card from its PSA CardFacts page.

Happy Collecting!

Hank Aaron’s 1954 Topps Rookie Year Check: A $10 Deal for the 1955 Set

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I’ve previously shared Hank Aaron’s 1961 Topps signed check and contract, well, here’s his 1954 Topps Gum Company Check that includes his rookie year signature!

Mastro offered the signed check in its August 2002 Sports & Americana Premier Catalog Auction. Unfortunately the pictures in the catalog are rather small; here’s the back:

And here’s the lots complete description from the catalog:

An official “Topps Chewing Gum Inc.” check that is dated 8/5/54 and made out to “Henry Aaron” in the amount of $10.00. The payment made is for use of Aaron’s image during the 1955 season, but the signature is pure “rookie year” in appearance. On the reverse is the “Henry Aaron” signature, as well as the printed agreement between Topps and Aaron for the rights to use his image for the 1955 cards. Although fully readable, the signature is affected by the check’s fold and by several cancellation stampings. LOA from Mike Gutierrez/MastroNet.

PS, another cool Topps check I’ve shared is Bill Russell’s 1957-58 Topps basketball card canceled paycheck.

Happy collecting!

Bill Russell’s 1957-58 Topps Basketball Canceled Paycheck

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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!” 

One of the items was this 1957-58 Topps basketball card Bill Russell canceled paycheck.

Here’s how they described it: “Direct from Topps legendary vault, comes Hall of Famer Bill Russell’s very first Topps basketball card cancelled 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.”