The Post War Cards Newsletter #18
REA & Progressive Proofs, CFL Albums, A Card Show, A '54 Bowman Ad, And A '69 Topps BK Set
On Monday, I’m launching The Unopened Market Report, which is dedicated exclusively to (you guessed it) unopened products! The first report won’t cost anything but will become part of a paid tier here on Substack afterward. The Post War Cards Newsletter will always be free and will continue to come out every Thursday.
Anywho, here’s what I’ve got for you this week:
REA and a series of basketball progressive-proof wrappers,
What happens when unopened items and the hobby library collide,
Amazing guests at a 1991 card show,
A 1954 Bowman baseball ad,
And a complete PSA-graded 1969 Topps Basketball set on a bed,
🏀 1970-71 Topps Basketball Progressive Proof Wrappers
Robert Edward Auctions rebranded itself as CollectREA and wrapped up its “first” auction under the new name, with new auction software, on January 19th. The pricey headline items included a PSA 10 1980 Topps #482 Rickey Henderson Rookie ($150k including the 20% Buyers Premium), an SGC 3 ($51,600) and PSA Auth ($30k) 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantles, and an SGC Auth 1915 E145 Cracker Jack #103 Joe Jackson ($34,800). That said, REA’s non-catalog auctions are a great place to find some niche collectibles that don’t come to market that often. Examples this time included a circa 1960s Mani-Yack Iron-On Transfers Baseball and Football Collection ($84), circa 1960s Keds Allsport Shoes in Original Box with Johnny Bench and Willis Reed on Lid ($204), and a sealed package of 1968 Creative Creations Official Major League Players Baseball Marbles ($360).
But I want to highlight the signed 1970-71 Topps #13 Pat Riley Riley card, lot #2659, which sold for $180 in the auction.
Why? It gives me an excuse to share a related and incredible piece of hobby history that most collectors have never seen: the four-color, six-stage progressive proof wrappers for that 1970-71 set.
The item is from Christopher Sanchirico's collection, and he mentioned that it came directly from Topps with a certificate of authenticity; here’s an example of the final wrapper offering the same whale’s tooth good luck charm.
✍️ Great Hobby Writing
Baseball Cards Come to Life: Misheard lyrics
Wax Pack Hero: Hail to the Orange
My Cardboard Life: He played there? Baseball Edition: Part 3
The Topps Archives: Hey Rook!
Night Owl Cards: On a whim
Cardboard Catastrophes: 1961 Fleer Autograph Project - Part 73
When Topps Had Base(Balls): Vintage Special! “Missing” 1954 Wilson’s Franks Eddie Mathews
The Chronicles of Fuji: Food Issues While Shedding Weight
My Hockey Card Obsession: Wallett Card - A Mello-Minty Smile
🇨🇦🏈📗 Unopened Item(s) Of The Week - CFL Album
Here is what happens when the Unopened Item of the Week meets The Hobby Library: 1971 Eddie Sargent CFL sticker albums directly from a pair of original cases recently discovered in Southern Ontario, Canada!
“OK-cards” is currently offering mint-condition albums fresh from these cases for $40 each on eBay. And if you grab one and want to fill it up, the stickers meant for these albums are described in several ways: 1971 Eddie Sargent CFL Stickers, 1971 CFL Properties Eddie Sargent Stickers, and 1971 Eddie Sargent Stamps Football on TCDB.
Here’s a slightly less-than-mint scan of the album cover from my collection.
Andy Malycky, in his excellent Collecting Canadiana Football Volume I book, wrote that the stamps were manufactured by Eddie Sargent Promotions, who produced a lot of similar hockey sets at the time. Each sheet of stamps (16 in total) was available at grocery stores weekly for ten cents. The album, which was available for purchase in the same stores, shared some team history with bilingual player descriptions.
📝 On The Blog
January 16, 2025: Championships And Collectibles: The 1963 HP Hood Dairy Bob Cousy Basketball Card
January 17, 20225: One Of The Rarest Junk Wax Era Baseball Cards – The 1993 Topps Nikon House Celebrating Baseball Card
January 18, 2025: From $121K to $50M? Revisiting the Iconic 1952 Mantle and Other 1996 Hobby Highlights
January 19, 2025: Why the 1990 Score McDonald’s Baseball Cards Are Worth A Lot More Than a Happy Meal
January 20, 2025: A Tasty Collectible: The 1963 Milwaukee Sausage Co. Seattle Rainiers Set
January 21, 2025: Unearthed History – The Exhibit Supply Co.’s Original Football Photo Archive
January 22, 2025: An Eye-Catching 1959 Topps Baseball Uncut Sheet
⚾️ Card Show History - The Midwest Sports Collectors Show
I scanned this advertisement for the Midwest Sports Collectors Show, held November 15th, 16th, and 17th, 1991, at the Cervantes Convention Center in downtown St. Louis, Mo., from the premier issue of Allan Kayes Sports Cards News & Price Guides.
That’s one of the strongest groups of signers I’ve seen; I can’t even think of a modern-day comparison for Mickey Mantle, Ted Williams, Yogi Berra, and Harmon Killebrew.
📰 In The Hobby Library - A 1954 Bowman Baseball Ad
Hilariously featuring Hank Bauer on a card that looked nothing like the final version is an advertisement for 1954 Bowman baseball cards.
Notice that they highlighted two things to stand out from Topps in the bubble gum wars: first, that they had 400 headliners under exclusive contract, and second, that each pack had seven action picture cards for 5 cents; Topps offered six cards for 5 cents in 1954.
🏀 A Complete PSA-Graded Set of 1969 Topps Basketball Cards On A Bed
You’ve probably seen ‘carpets of cards’ on X, where collectors lay out their collections on the floor and share photos. Well, it turns out Facebook is the spot for ‘beds of cards.’ On January 14th, a collector posted in a vintage basketball card group offering a complete 1969 Topps basketball graded set (all 4s or better)—including all the rulers—laid out on their bed, with a $10,000 price tag.
Happy collecting!