1971 Topps # 45 Jim Hunter (A's)

Book = $ *BOOK*
Price = $ 9.95
NEAR MINT

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.

1938 Horrors of War - Gum Inc.
One of the most famous card sets of all time, it began as a 240-card set featuring the Chinese-Japanese War, the Spanish Civil War and the Ethiopian War. 48 cards were later added on Germany and the buildup to World War II.
Cards #25-192 appear to be slightly more common than the others cards in the series. Cards 241-288 are similar to more recent high numbers in that each pack held one card from the high series and one card from the low series.

The set is extremely popular and card "values" have increased ten-fold since the early 1990s. Cards #1, #240, #277, #283, #286 & #288 are particularly valuable, especially in prime condition.

1968 Topps Action All-Star Stickers
Checklist & Values

1968 was an awesome year for Topps test & oddball issues with Game cards, Player Posters, 3-D cards, Plaks, Discs, Punchouts and these "Baseball Action Stickers" also called "Action All-Stars Stickers".
"Baseball Action Stickers" were STAR-PACKED 3-panel sticker strips, some with facsimile autographs. There were (16) different strips in the set but only 12 are totally different. #13 thru #16 re-used panels from #1 thru #12.
Strips were perforated, folded at joints and put in packs. Boxes had 12 packs (10 cents each) with 1 sticker per pack. Sets could be made back then for $1.60. Today, the Mantle panel goes for around $2,000.
Collectors often collect just individual panels as complete strips are so scarce, fragile & EXPENSIVE. Single panels themselves are quite scarce - in 20+ years PSA has graded just over 200 TOTAL compared to over 1,000 1952 Mantles !!!
PROOF sheet below is missing the facsimile autographs.

Click for complete 1968 Topps Action All-Star Stickers Info, Checklist & Prices

Another interesting issue: 1960 Pirates Tag-Ons Baseball Stickers

1970 Chemtoy Superballs
Checklist & Prices

Chemtoy & MLB teamed up to offer a set of major league baseball player "Superballs" or "High Bouncing Balls". One of the more interesting collectibles from late 1960's, early 1970's and sought after by Team & Player collectors.
The 285 player set with 12 per team except Twins, White Sox and A's with 11. Each "Superball" has the player's photo inside with name, team, position and Chemtoy inventory number on back.
Click for complete
1970 Chemtoy Baseball SuperBalls checklist & prices
For an interesting similar issue see: 1966-1968 Baseball Marbles

How long have sports cards been around ? (part 1)

The first baseball trading cards date back to 1869. For many years, baseball cards were packaged in packs of tobacco as a way to increase sales the same way that today prizes are packaged in boxes of cereal. In the 1920's and 1930's, candy and gum companies started packaging baseball cards in their products as well.

Baseball card production was virtually halted in the early 1940's due to paper shortages created by World War II. The "Modern Era" of baseball cards began in 1948 when Bowman Gum Inc. offered one card and one piece of gum in a pack for a penny.

The first important football set was the Mayo set featuring college players in 1984. Other than the 1935 National Chicle set no other key football set was issued until 1948 when noth Bowman and Leaf produced sets.

1971 Topps # 45 Jim Hunter (A's)

1938 Horrors of War - Gum Inc.

1968 Topps Action All-Star Stickers Checklist & Values

1970 Chemtoy Superballs Checklist & Prices

1968 Topps Action All-Star Stickers
Checklist & Values

1970 Chemtoy Superballs
Checklist & Prices