WIREPHOTO: Ryne Sandberg - [10/02/89] 'Playoff Cubs Starters' (Cubs)

Book = $ *BOOK*
Price = $ 9.95

Price = $ 9.95

Below are short bits & pieces on sportscard & baseball trading card collecting.
Please wander around the website for more info, prices, values & images
on vintage baseball, football, basketball, hockey, sport and non-sports cards.

1968 Baseball Marbles
by Creative Creations

These 'Marbles' were issued in 'blister packs' of 20 marbles. The 'Marble' was a ��-diameter clear plastic orb containing a paper insert with the player's portrait on the front a facsimile autograph on the back.
The blister packs themselves are collectible. They measure 9-3/4� x 10-1/2�, with the marbles positioned on front; the pack�s back features a baseball design awash in approximately 60 player's facsimile signatures. The package mentions 24 series of 20 marbles per but only 120 different marbles were created.

One of the more interesting collectibles from the late 1960's, they are sought after by both Team and Player collectors.

For another similar interesting issue see the 1970 Chemtoy SuperBalls.

1969 Topps Team Posters
Checklist & Values

The 1969 Topps Team Posters set was made up of 24 large 11 1/4" x 19 3/4" colorful posters, 1 for each team. The posters, the largest printed item by Topps to date, were very colorful picturing 9 or 10 players with their facsimile autographs. The Posters were sold one per pack at .10 cents each. Because they were folded many times and usually placed on walls with tape or pins, high grade posters are very scarce.

Click for complete 1969 Topps Baseball Team Posters checklist, values and prices.
Note: You may be on that page right now.

1952 Topps Baseball Cards
Checklist & Values

1952 is often thought of as Topps 1st baseball card set, but it was not.
Topps issued several smaller baseball card sets prior to their huge 1952 set.
Topps buzz word was "BIGGER is BETTER" for their 1952 Topps set which Topps described as: "GIANT IN BOTH SIZE and NUMBER of CARDS" (407).
Key card in the 1952 Topps set is #311 MICKEY MANTLE. Often called Mickey Mantle's Rookie card - BUT IT IS NOT. That honor goes to his 1951 Bowman.
1952 Topps "High Numbers" (#311-#407), are very, very scarce with an interesting story:
This HUGE set was released in series weeks apart. By the last (6th) series, baseball season was over and football starting. Candy shops had plenty of baseball cards from earlier series so most cancelled their orders for the last series creating the scarcity.
Adding interest is how Topps disposed of the now un-needed cards including THOUSANDS of 1952 Topps MICKEY MANTLE's. They dumped them into the Atlantic Ocean like most of New York's trash in those days.

Click for complete 1952 Topps Baseball card checklist, values and prices.

Are sports cards valuable ?

Like all collectibles, over time some sports cards go down in value, others go up and some can even become very valuable. Card values are based on many factors: player popularity, scarcity, condition & collector interest. A card can be scarce but without demand value may not be great.

Q: What are some ways to collect cards ? * Complete sets by year & issue
* Cards of your favorite player
* Cards of your favorite team "TEAM SETS"
* Rookie cards
* Hall-of-Famer cards
* I even had a girlfriend that collected Don Mossi (checkout his ears), players whose last name start with "Z", and the Brett brothers George & Ken (she had a crush on George).
* "TYPE COLLECTING" (everyone should at least do a little of this !)

"Type Collecting"
is collecting at least one of each different "type" of issue. On scarcer issues you can add a less expensive common while on others you can select your favorite player or team.

WIREPHOTO: Ryne Sandberg - [10/02/89] 'Playoff Cubs Starters' (Cubs)

1968 Baseball Marbles by Creative Creations

1969 Topps Team Posters Checklist & Values

1952 Topps Baseball Cards Checklist & Values

1968 Baseball Marbles
by Creative Creations

1969 Topps Team Posters
Checklist & Values

1952 Topps Baseball Cards
Checklist & Values