The Post War Cards Newsletter #22
đ Hi, and happy hobby Thursday!
đ€Ș Do you ever feel like your collection has no direction? It happens to all of us, but Iâve been told that since my handle is âPostWarCards,â I can justify buying ANY post-war card!
đ Anywho, thanks for checking out the 22nd Post War Cards Newsletter; if you havenât already, subscribe to feed your hobby soul and have issues sent directly to your inbox:
𧹠1961 Jay Publishing Bagged Sets
From 1958 until 1965, Jay Publishingâs Big League Books division produced and sold 5ââx7ââ black-and-white, typically glossy, player photos for a bunch of Major League teams, most often in checklists of 12. The card fronts showed the player or managerâs name, city, and team name along the bottom, beneath the photo. Today, the cards are usually distinguished as Type 1 (1958-61) or Type 2 (1962-65), with the former using a san-serif font and the latter a serif font.
The cards were sold in stadiums, stores, and by mail in brown/white envelopes, or, particularly in 1961, based on online inventory, clear plastic bags for 25 cents.
In 1961, Jay Publishing released cards for 18 teams: the Orioles, Red Sox, Cubs, White Sox, Reds, Indians, Tigers, Athletics, Angels, Dodgers, Braves, Twins, Yankees, Phillies, Pirates, Giants, Cardinals, and Senators (plus an All-Stars set). These 1961 bagged sets are pretty affordable, with many available on eBay right now for under $10. I think a run of every team would make for an awesome collection or display.
And it turns out that GAI used to grade these packs, too, if you want yours to be authenticated.
For more about identifying and distinguishing Jay Publishing picture pack photos, check out this page from KeyMan Collectibles.
đïž In The News
The Chronicle Journal: Sports cards, autographed jerseys, wrestling belts key parts of new shopâs attraction
COMC Blog: CGC & CSG Grading Now Available on COMC
CNBC: Fanatics to start livestreamed shopping of trading cards, collectibles
CTV News Montreal: 31,000 cards: Montreal woman passing along father's extensive collection of Expos baseball cards
KSBW: Rare sports cards worth more than $25,000 stolen in Monterey
Prince George Post: Thief steals signed Wayne Gretzky jersey worth $10k from beleaguered Kelowna store
ESPN: Kobe Bryant jersey from MVP season sells for over $5.8 million
PSA Blog: PSA Unveils New Pricing and Improvements to Ticket Authentication Service
Huggins & Scott Auctions In Memorium: Bill Huggins
Beckett: Ticket Grading and Authentication
Bleacher Report: Projected Value of LeBron James' Lakers Memorabilia from NBA Scoring Record Game
đ„ Americaâs Great Boxing Cards
In the 20th Post War Cards Newsletter, I highlighted the T218 Champions set, which features some incredible boxing cards. Jack Johnsonâs cards in that set have helped drive a resurgence in boxing card popularity, in general, but there isnât much written online about them.
So, if youâre into boxing, thereâs a book you need to check out called Americaâs Great Boxing Cards by Adam S. Warshaw.
The 376-page book is incredibly well-researched. And as Adam says in the introduction, itâs ânot a price guide; it is an effort to create an encyclopedia of North and South American boxing cards and related items.â
He starts off writing about why boxing cards were made before jumping into an overview of nineteenth and twentieth-century cards and current trends. He then discusses grading, nomenclature, and boxing card resources before sharing a few words on rarity, demand, and price before closing with some credits and acknowledgments.
Page 12 kicks off the 19th Century Cards (1860-1899), which begins with the earliest boxing card (1860s CDV issues of John C. Heenan by Charles D. Fredricks & Co.), which is surprisingly affordable for many collectors, though one hasnât seemed to surface for a while. The book then highlights over 20 sets like the 1886 Goodwin Old Judge (N167) boxing cards and the 1887 and 1888 Allen & Ginter The Worldâs Champions Series 1 (N28), Series 2 (N29), and oversized (N43) cards.
20th Century cards start on page 66 (including the T218 Champion Athletes and Prizefighters). I like that Adam includes uncut sheets and unopened boxes when he gets to gum cards. Iâve got one, the 1951 Topps Ringside set, featured on the Unopened Archive.
The following 300 pages contain incredible history, photographs, and insights; I canât recommend it enough.
âšïž On The PostWarCards Blog
February 6th, 2023: Exploring the Iconic 1941 Baseball Card Sets: Play Ball, Goudey, and Double Play
February 7th, 2023: A Closer Look At The Dirty Dozen 1977 Topps Mexican Football Cards
February 13th, 2023: The 1959 Topps Football Vending Box That Sold For $117,000: A Closer Look At The Box And Old Vending Machines
February 14th, 2023: Comparing Collectibles: A Look at 1960 Topps, O-Pee-Chee, and Venezuelan Tattoos
đșđž A Trio Of All-American Basketball Cards
Itâs fantastic when a group comes together so well.
