HOF Cards From The Forgotten Yankees & Athletics Rivalry
As the prosperous days of the Roaring Twenties inched toward conclusion, baseball fans were gifted with an all-time rivalry that played out over a 4-year period from 1927-1930.
It was an interesting period for America’s Pastime. Most major cities on the east coast had two professional teams, between the AL and NL, because baseball had not yet garnered as much popularity in the west.
However, these four years saw one of the earliest battles between two teams who were in a quest to become major leagues’ supreme club at the time.
1950 Toleteros Joshua Gibson: The Real Holy Grail?
For me, there’s no more intriguing baseball issue than the Josh Gibson 1950-51 Toleteros card.
Donned as the “Black” Babe Ruth, Josh Gibson is widely believed to be the greatest player never to play in the major leagues.
Owners of the professional baseball teams at the time refused to hire black players.
Although the recording of statistics during the negro league era is perceived as tenuous, Gibson’s talent on the diamond was seen in the exact opposite light; his talent was utterly undeniable.
In this piece, I’ll take a closer look at the career of Josh Gibson and his Toleteros baseball card.
I also argue that Gibson’s card might just be the true ‘Holy Grail’.
The 1940s saw a rather sparse issuance of baseball cards, with seven major sets produced.
Card production in the early 1940s was quite slow, and some blamed the lack of supplies (particularly paper and gum). However, things started to return to normalcy in 1948, following the end of World War II.
Although fewer sets were produced in the 1940s, the era still produced some of the most beautiful sports cards. And some, in my opinion, represent the most important cards in the hobby.
I will cover each set by discussing player and set specifics and fun facts for cards; going over the top cards from each set; critiquing set and card aesthetics, and commenting on recent market values for certain cards and grades using PSA’s population reports.
What’s your favorite set from the 1940s? Let me know in the comment section below.
Three Vintage Baseball Cards With Cameos In Movie Classics
I love movies about baseball and there are three movies specifically where I can remember a cameo for three big-time vintage baseball cards.
The movies: “Needful Things”, “The Sandlot”, and “The Lou Gehrig Story”.
I know there are others but these are the ones that stand out vividly for me. In fact, I wonder if anyone had the cards slabbed and maybe even identified as actually being on film; because, if so, I’m sure the cards would probably garner a big premium.
Usually, the more things a card has going for it — grade, scarcity, popularity, career success, iconic stories — the more ways value may be seen in the market. Even cards that have been a collection of popular figures have shown to sell for more at auction.
Let’s dig into the three movies.
And if you’ve spotted a vintage card in a movie, let us know in the comments at the end of this article!
Collecting With My Dad: How A Frank Robinson Rookie Card Started Our Love For The Hobby
The 1957 Topps Frank Robinson rookie card is one of the key cards in the set.
I’ve always taken an interest in collecting things. I get it from my father, who first began collecting Lionel trains before transitioning into collecting vintage sports cards.
I remember the first card he bought. He dropped it on the kitchen counter, right in front of my mom and me, saying “Frank Robinson Rookie. First card; we’re going to start collecting vintage sports cards!” with a content little smile.
The store was right near his office, so he would always make it a habit to go there on his way home from work. He would end up staying for hours, looking at and talking sports cards with the owner.
