1963 Topps #550 Duke Snider SCARCE HIGH SERIES [#] (Mets)
Grade |
NEAR MINT to NM/MINT |
Book Value |
n/a |
Our Price |
$ 99.95
Add to cart
|
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.
1970/1972/1973 Topps Candy Lids Checklist & Values

Topps has tried many crazy products, often called "test issues".
Test issues were usually only distributed in limited areas and were difficult
to find. Candy Lids were one of Topps most unusual; little tubs of candy
with player's photos on bottom of the 1 7/8" lids. The 10 cent candy's came 24 to a box.
Sealed tubs can still be found in the $150 to $200 range. Called "Baseball
Stars Bubble Gum", the 1970 Topps Candy Lids set had 24 different
players, while 1973 Topps Candy Lids had 55.
Topps released their first Candy Lids in 1970. The 1970 Topps Candy Lids
are very, very hard to find and had small photos of Tom Seaver,
Carl Yastrzemski and Frank Howard.
In 1973 the candy was replaced by gum, the mini photo of Frank Howard was
gone from the top of the lid and team logos were airburshed off the player's
caps. Even the tiny Yaz and Seaver photos logos removed. 1973 Topps Candy
Lids are hard to find, but not nearly as scarce as the 1970's. In 1972
a Topps Candy Lids issue was planned but never released although a few proofs do exist.
Topps released two other test issue sets in 1973 (1973 Topps Pinups and 1973 Topps Comics).
The 1973 Topps Comics and 1973 Topps Candy Lids shared many photos and again
had no team logos. If thinking "licensing dispute", you are likely right.
Topps received player's union's permission for these test issues, but not
Major League Baseball's. Issues over rights & fees with MLBPA and the player's
union resulted in Topps started shutting down future production of test
issues putting an end to some of their most fun collectibles.
Click for complete
1973 Topps Candy Lids Checklist and Prices
Note: You may be on that page right now.
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Tobacco Cards
Starting approximately in 1886, sportscards, mostly baseball cards, were often
included with tobacco products, for promotional purposes and also because the
card reinforced the packaging and protected cigarettes from damage. These sports
cards are referred to as tobacco cards in the baseball card hobby. Over the next
few years many different companies produced baseball cards. Tobacco cards soon
started to disappear as the American Tobacco Company tried to develop a monopoly
by buying out other companies.
They were reintroduced in the 1900s, as American Tobacco came under pressure from
antitrust action and Turkish competition. The most famous and most expensive,
baseball card is the rare T206 Honus Wagner. The card exists in very limited
quantities compared to others of its type because Wagner forced the card to be
removed from printing. It is widely (and incorrectly) believed that Wagner did
so because he refused to promote tobacco, but the true explanation lies in a
dispute over compensation.
Soon other companies also began producing baseball and football cards. Sports magazines
such as The Sporting News were early entries to the market. Candy manufacturers
soon joined the fray and reflected a shift toward a younger target audience for cards.
Caramel companies were particularly active and baseball cards were one of the first
prizes to be included in Cracker Jacks. World War I soon suppressed baseball card
production.