1958 Topps #435 Ed Roebuck (Dodgers)

Book = $ *BOOK*
Price = $ 14.95
NEAR MINT to NM/MINT

Price = $ 14.95

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.

1934,1935,1936 Diamond Matchbooks
During much of the Great Depression, matchbook collecting swept the country ! Sports matchbooks started appearing in the 1930s, most issued by Diamond Match Company of New York. Over the next few years, several series were issued with similar designs; b/w photo of the player on front with short write-up and stats on back. The player's name and team was also printed on the 'saddle'.
Please consider the following info as approximate.
1934's first baseball release featured 200 players, in 4 different background colors (red,blue,green and orange) for a total of 800 different covers. The set features plenty of Hall-of-Fame greats like Dizzy Dean and Mel Ott.
1935's issue was tiny with only 24 total covers (8 red,8 blue,8 green).
A third series was later released with 200 or more different covers (players/colors).
1930's matchbook covers appear to be huge bargains for collectors as their current values are fractions of the value of Goudey and other baseball cards from the same era.

Click for complete 1935-1936 Diamond Matchbook Checklist and Prices
Note: You may be on that page right now.

1954 Bowman Baseball
Cards Checklist & Values

Competition was raging between Topps and Bowman in 1953 and 1954 leading to problems with both companies sets. Bowman caused Topps to missing 6 cards in 1953 with Topps getting revenge by signing Ted Williams to an exclusive contract in 1954. Bowman then had to pull Ted Williams card #66 from their set shortly after they started printing, replacing it with Jimmy Piersall, who also was on card #210 making the 1954 Bowman Ted Williams #6 one of 50's scarcest cards.
Perhaps distracted by it's competition with Topps, the 1954 Bowman set was filled with errors and variations. Nearly 20% (40/224 cards) had some sort of variation, with some having more than 2.
The St. Louis Browns recent move to Baltimore also made things interesting. Bowman's artists had no idea what an Orioles jersey would look like - so they just madeone up.

TOP ROOKIES: Don Larsen, Harvey Kuenn, Frank Thomas
TOP STARS: Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Yogi Berra, Duke Snider, Roy Campanella, Whitey Ford, Phil Rizzuto ... Ted Williams is not considered part of a complete set.
Click for complete 1954 Bowman Baseball card checklist, values and prices.
Note: You may be on that page right now.

1969 Topps Stamps
Checklist & Values

Only inserts in 1961 & 1962, stamps had their own issue in 1969 ! A nickel for a 12-stamp strip plus mini album !!!
The 1969 Topps Stamps set contained (240) 1x1-7/16 inch stamps. Stamps were released in both horizontal & vertical panels with the player's name in a banner. 1974 Stamps, the name was inside an oval.
Topps issued a mini albums to hold complete 10-stamp team sets and the back cover had facsimile autographs of each players.
The 1969 Topps Stamps set is packed with stars: Pete Rose, and Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente & more !!!

Click for complete
1969 Topps Baseball Stamps checklist & prices
Similar Topps issues
1961 Topps Baseball Stamps checklist and prices
1962 Topps Baseball Stamps checklist and prices
1974 Topps Baseball Stamps checklist and prices

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.

1958 Topps #435 Ed Roebuck (Dodgers)

1934,1935,1936 Diamond Matchbooks

1954 Bowman Baseball Cards Checklist & Values

1969 Topps Stamps Checklist & Values

1954 Bowman Baseball
Cards Checklist & Values

1969 Topps Stamps
Checklist & Values