The Post War Cards Newsletter #1
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We're back and in mint condition—no creases and sticking around like the gum in an old wax pack!
⚾️ 1954 Topps Advertising Sign Featuring Ted Williams
In partnership with eBay, Robert Edward Auctions (then a division of MastroNet Inc., so the catalog isn't online) offered this incredible 1954 Topps advertising sign featuring Ted Williams in its July 2000 Baseball Cards and Memorabilia Auction.
They described the piece as a "Store display advertising sign, printed on heavy cardboard stock, features Ted Williams endorsing the 1954 Topps series. This incredibly rare sign is, to the best of our knowledge, one of only two known, and this is the first time that either have appeared at auction since the early 1970's, when this very example was offered in The Trader Speaks by Fred McKie, then one of the hobby's leading collectors. The sign was purchased by legendary Ted Williams collector Steve Ryeson, who had Williams autograph the display in blue sharpie (10/10). In the early 1980's Ryeson parted with the sign when offered 'a deal he couldn't refuse' and it has remained in a private collection until now. This is both one of the most significant Ted Williams related advertising signs as well as one of the hobby's greatest Topps advertising rarities. Excellent to Mint condition."
Back in June, a fellow collector contacted Fred McKie for me, mentioning the early 70's reference from REA's lot description. McKie said he thought he'd picked up the advertising sign between '68 and '72. However, McKie also said that he basically sold his entire collection to Barry Halper in either late '75 or early '76 and thought that sale included the Williams piece, but he acknowledged this happened a long time ago.
I was lucky to be flipping through some back issues of hobby magazines earlier this month because it turns out McKie actually sold it via an auction that he advertised in the May 1981 issue of The Trader Speaks (along with a gorgeous 1953 Topps ad featuring Bob Feller)! The description said the sheet was 7 x 11 inches.
McKie hadn't seen another of these Williams pieces until ~2 years ago when one turned up in a small estate auction.
Notice that the artwork is the same as that on the 54 Topps wax boxes and includes the "'54" date in the baseball. So, I presume the "baseball w/ date" design was the main variation in the U.S. market.
✍️ Great Hobby Writing
1939 Bruins: 1939 Bruins Trading Cards
Pre-War Collector: Ranking Major Taylor's Four Primary Cards & Ogden's Guinea Gold Cigarettes offers Harry Houdini's First Card
Night Owl Cards: Back to the Morgue
Number 5 Type Collection: 1972-73 Sport Grafico Venezuelan Winter League Baseball #5, Manny (J. Marcano) Trillo
Nine Pockets: A Smorgasbord! 1986 Topps Quaker Granola
The Shlabotnik Report: A Set Without Peer (Literally)
Hobby News Daily: 1959 Topps A Different Look
The Topps Archives: Nutty Goodness & Winner's Circle
Sports Collectors Daily: 1962 Topps Baseball Bucks: Show Me The Money& Topps Vintage Article Updates: Pigskin, Presidents & Imposters
Topps Ripped: 1957 Topps Football | Set Design
🏀 Unopened Item Of The Week - A 1957 Topps Basketball PSA Pack
The Baseball Card Exchange (BBCE) wrapped up its third auction on September 16th, featuring some exceptional unopened items. Among them, the PSA 7-graded 1957 Topps Basketball 5-cent wax pack really caught my attention; I've been tracking the history of these packs on the blog for a while. This one sold for just under $69k, which is $23k less than the $92k a PSA 7 pack commanded in their November 2023 auction and significantly lower than the $128k a PSA 7 pack fetched at MHCC's auction in April 2023. Perhaps the market is cooling, or maybe the high-end segment has become saturated with these packs.
The other priciest unopened sales in the BBCE auction were a $133k 1986 Fleer basketball wax box, a $91k 1952 Topps baseball wax pack (there'll be more about a 1952 Topps wax box in a future newsletter), and an almost $63k 1971 Topps football series one cello box.
Also, I noticed that the auction was light on vintage hockey, but due to scarcity, it's by far the toughest major sport to collect unopened items from.
📝 On The Blog
September 25, 2024: 1933-36 Zeenut Pacific Coast League Joe DiMaggio
September 24, 2024: 1949 Topps Pixie Bubble Gum X-Ray Round-Up Advertising Poster
September 23, 2024: Frank Nagy's Signed 1933 Goudey Mel Ott Card
September 22, 2024: Early 1950's P-F Canvas Shoes Advertising Sign Featuring Musial, Doerr, Campy, Lemon, and Rizzuto
September 21, 2024: Pete Rose & Bart Giamatti Signed 1983 All-Star Game First Day Cover
September 20, 2024: 1939 Babe Ruth Signed Advertising Contract
📰 In The News
Sports Collectors Digest: Topps To Produce Marvel Trading Cards
Bloomberg Law: Ohtani Interpreter's Baseball Cards Sought by Federal Government
Collectibles on SI: PSA Closes Autograph Authentication Loophole
The New York Times: A Sports Memorabilia Gold Mine Is Uncovered in Virginia
MLB: Topps Rip Night 2024 & Bleacher Report: Tom Brady, Bronny James, Wemby and More Join Fans at 'Topps Hobby Rip Night' cllct: Topps Hobby Rip Night Highlighted by Athletes, Celebrity Guests
CBS News: Minnesotan's Expertise Helps Lead To Record $1.7 Million Wilt Chamberlain Rookie Card Sale
MLB: Go Back in Time and Meet Superstar's Lovable Pups in New Episode of 'Carded'
abc7: Shohei Ohtani's 50/50 milestone sparks frenzy at Fountain Valley sports store
Collectibles on SI: Clemente Rookie and Ohtani Cards Sell for Big Bucks at Sotheby's & Fanatics Collect's Inaugural Auction & cllct: 'Holy Grails' Auction: cllct breaks down every result & SCD: Inaugural 'Holy Grails' auction showcases hobby's biggest cards, nets $7 million in sales
🇨🇦 In The Hobby Library - The Life Magazine With Post Cereal Cards, Canadian Style
The April 13th, 1962 issue of Life Magazine, with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton on the cover, is pretty significant in the hobby.
Why? For its 1962 Post Cereal baseball card insert panel with Mickey Mantle's and Roger Maris's cards, along with the full-page Post advertisement featuring Whitey Ford.
However, the Canadian version of the magazine is less known. The other end of the card panel (near the back of the magazine) has a coupon on one side and a Toronto, Canada, address on the other.
