The Post War Cards Newsletter #4
Deep Thoughts by The Post War Cards Newsletter: It is still “junk wax” if it sells for more than $50 a box?
1955 Rawlings Stan Musial
I’ve been a fan of oddball sets since I got back in the hobby. For example, I’m confident I have more 1975 TCMA All-Time New York Yankees cards in my collection than anyone else. Plus, I’ve even been building an Oddball Archive on the site, where I’ve profiled over 75 sets, so far. But no matter how much I study the history of our beloved hobby, I keep running into oddball sets I’ve never heard of. The most recent is the 1955 Rawlings baseball card set.
The 1955 Rawlings baseball card set consists of 6 hand-cut cards of Stan Musial. This set is particularly significant because Stan Musial didn’t have any cards in the Topps or Bowman sets between 1954 and 1957! Collectors found these cards on boxes of Rawlings baseball gloves which Musial endorsed.
I think the black and white photos pop against the blue background; the backs are blank. Also, cards 1A and 2A are smaller than cards 1, 2, 3, and 4. Here’s a picture I found of a complete box:
Individual hand-cut cards have become really popular in the last two years and have been selling for between $150 and $350, depending on their condition. PSA has graded 96 in total, but only two have publically changed hands (via PSAs reporting) since January 2021.
Great Hobby Writing
The Topps Archives: Opening Day
Night Owl Cars: Here ya go, kid
Greg Morris Cards: This Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is one of the rarest basketball rookie cards you can find
Japanese Baseball Cards: 1968 Shonen Book Cards
My 1987 Topps Project: Topps Through the Years: Wally Joyner
SABR’s Baseball Cards Research Committee: The Milwaukee Racing Sausages
Collecting Cutch: Great Managers vs. Great Players?
Sports Collectors Daily: 1959-1962 Bell Brand Dodgers Baseball Cards Were Snack Food Bonus
Collectors Dashboard: The Most Visually Stunning Ty Cobb Card Ever?
1967 Philadelphia Gum Team Cards
I wrote about the 1965 Topps Hockey Team cards in the second newsletter. It turns out that the color and B&W combo worked for football too! The Philadelphia Gum Company organized their set with twelve cards dedicated to each of the league’s 16 teams (except the expansion Saints; so they used a helmet on both cards 121 and 132). The first card in the run was the team card, followed by ten player cards, and finally, a logo card. I’d love to see a complete team run pictured together.
The Happiest Football Card
Ted Marchibroda was one of the best college quarterbacks in the early 50s and was the 5th pick in the 1953 NFL Draft. While he only played through the 1957 season, he had a very long head coaching career (186-87 record) with the Colts and Ravens, with a few offensive coordinator stints along the way. And he sure does look happy throwing on his 1956 Topps football card!
Kahn’s Basketball Cards
While discussing the 1955 Rawlings Stan Musial set, I mentioned my love for oddball cards and my dedication to the Oddball Archive. I added the nine-year run of Kahn’s basketball set releases to the site this month. Over that run, the 1963 set is the only one to have borders around the front of the cards, and I think its trio of Jerry Lucas, Oscar Robertson, and Jerry West is the strongest over Kahn’s print run.
The Robertson’s and West’s 1960 Kahn’s cards are incredible in their own right and predate what many consider their true rookie cards in the 1961 Fleer set, but the 1960 set lacks that third star.
Documenting these sets has encouraged me to consider going after a complete Kahn’s basketball print run, and I dipped my toe into that game by purchasing a 1962 Kahn’s Wieners Jack Twyman.
In the News
PSA Card: PSA Opens Value Service Level
Screen Rant: Mark Hamill Reacts To His Obscene Star Wars Trading Card Autographs
Bloomberg: Fanatics Trading Cards, Collectibles Gets New CEO
Sportscasting: Is Collecting Sports Cards Even a Hobby Anymore?
CNN Business: Where do you put your money in a bear market? Try wine, art, and baseball cards
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