The Post War Cards Newsletter #23

👋 Welcome to the latest issue of The Post War Cards Newsletter, the newsletter that celebrates #TheHobby.

🗓️ Every week, I share unique content about vintage sports cards, hobby & sports history, and industry activity with collectors.

😎 Sound cool? Feed your hobby soul with issues sent directly to your inbox:

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🖼️ 1952 Topps Original Photos

On Tuesday, I announced the launch of a new page on the website to go with my other longer-term projects (the Unopened Archive and the Oddball Archive). This one is called the 1952 Topps Baseball Type Photos and Crossovers project. Here’s how I describe the photo collection on PostWarCards.com:

The 1952 Topps Baseball set is the king of post-war cards. And because one of my passions is finding and sharing original photos used to create classic cards, I thought I would combine the two and develop the ultimate destination for the original photographs used for the 1952 set. And, because many of the photos used for the 1952 Topps set were used for other sets, I figured I’d add in-era cross over cards as well.

I’m pretty enthusiastic about this project, but I know it’s going to be challenging due to my current lack of entries - I only have 16 so far, and the set has 407 cards. Part of my inspiration for this effort came from a website that’s now defunct but was devoted to 1952 Topps cards (1952toppsbaseballcards.com). The website had a ton of photos, but unfortunately, even with the assistance of the Wayback Machine, I didn’t find any I didn’t already have. So I’m asking you, hobby friends, for some help. If you have any original photos that Topps used for its iconic 1952 set, please reach out to me on Twitter or via e-mail.

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✍️ Great Hobby Writing

• Japanese Baseball Cards: 1964 Japanese Olympic Baseball Team(s)

• The Shlabotnik Report: Non-Random Team Review: 1977 Topps St. Louis Cardinals

• Night Owl Cards: C.A.: 1976 Topps Claudell Washington

• Dime Boxes: There’s Something About Bowman

• Pre-War Cards: Christy Mathewson T205 Error Combines Rarity, A Star Player, and a Popular Set

• Wrigley Wax: My Top Ten Most Valuable Cubs Cards

• The Shlabotnik Report: 1961 Topps Sports Cars – The Latest Batch

• Nothing If Not Random: 1980 Topps Superman II Rack Pack

• A Penny Sleeve For Your Thoughts: Better Late Than Never

• The Topps Archives: Additional Guidance

• Sports Collectors Digest: Stars of undefeated Miami Dolphins add to popularity of 1972 Topps Football set

• Nine Pockets: Baseball in French, Lesson 3: Le Frappeur D'Urgence

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🐋 What’s A White Whale Anyway?

Collectors are a unique breed who are always looking for that “one” item that might complete a part of their collection. For many, this item is their "white whale," a term that originated from Herman Melville's classic novel Moby Dick. It refers to something difficult to obtain that becomes an all-consuming obsession.

For many of us, the hobby is awesome because of the chase, the anticipation, and the joy of finally obtaining a key card. And that hunt can be thrilling, frustrating, and, yes, sometimes manic.

Lately, though, I think a "white whale" is becoming associated with something unattainable and expensive, more like a bucket list item, but that's not always the case. For some collectors, it's not about the cost but the item’s rarity. And, for others, it's the sentimental value that makes the thing priceless. For example, I recently added a 1948 Exhibits George Mikan to my collection (I’m a big Mikan fan).

It took me a long time to find one at a reasonable price, but the search was worth it. My new “white whale” is a 1963 Fleer Baseball checklist. It's not the most expensive item either, but finding one that meets my criteria (good centering and color, no markings, and the right price) has been insanely frustrating.

The search for a white whale is an important part of a collector's journey that’s not just about acquiring an item but the thrill of the hunt and the satisfaction of finally finding it. So, whether your white whale is a rare baseball card, cut signature, wax pack, or something else entirely, keep searching and happy hunting!

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🏙️ The Last Regular Issue Topps Willie Mays Card

Thanks to Repacked Wax for pointing out that Willie Mays’ last regular issue card isn’t really his 1973 Topps card. He was a Mets coach and is pictured on their team cards from 1974-1979.