WIREPHOTO: Ozzie Smith - [06/23/87] 'The Amazing Ozzie Smith' (Cardinals)

Book = $ *BOOK*
Price = $ 9.95

Price = $ 9.95

Below are short bits & pieces on sportscard & baseball trading card collecting.
Please wander around the website for more info, prices, values & images
on vintage baseball, football, basketball, hockey, sport and non-sports cards.

1934,1935,1936 Diamond Matchbooks
During much of the Great Depression, matchbook collecting swept the country ! Sports matchbooks started appearing in the 1930s, most issued by Diamond Match Company of New York. Over the next few years, several series were issued with similar designs; b/w photo of the player on front with short write-up and stats on back. The player's name and team was also printed on the 'saddle'.
Please consider the following info as approximate.
1934's first baseball release featured 200 players, in 4 different background colors (red,blue,green and orange) for a total of 800 different covers. The set features plenty of Hall-of-Fame greats like Dizzy Dean and Mel Ott.
1935's issue was tiny with only 24 total covers (8 red,8 blue,8 green).
A third series was later released with 200 or more different covers (players/colors).
1930's matchbook covers appear to be huge bargains for collectors as their current values are fractions of the value of Goudey and other baseball cards from the same era.

Click for complete 1935-1936 Diamond Matchbook Checklist and Prices
Note: You may be on that page right now.

1969-1970 Topps Basketball Cards
Checklist & Values

The 1969-1970 Topps Basketball set, (99) "Tall Boys" (a huge 2-1/2 x 4-11/16) , sold in 10-card packs for 10 cents, was history making in card size & players. WOW !!! Lew Alcindor's ROOKIE (later Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), John Havlicek, Dave Bing, Earl the Pearl Monroe, Bill Bradley, Willis Reed, Walt Frazier, Elvin Hayes & more.
Brightly-colored "Rulers" were random inserts. Delicate 2-1/2 x 9-7/8, printed on thin paper, they featured a cartoon drawing and a ruler measuring his height. Planned for 24, #5 Bill Russell was not issued.

Click for complete 1969-1970 Topps Basketball card values and prices
Note: You may be on that page.

1970/1972/1973 Topps Candy Lids
Checklist & Values

Topps has tried many crazy products, called "test issues". Mostly distributed in limited areas, test issues were scarce. "Candy Lids" were little tubs of candy with player's photos on bottom of a 1-7/8" lid. 10 cents/tub, 24 tubs/box.
Topps first Candy Lids in 1970 and they are very, very hard to find. They had small photos of Tom Seaver, Carl Yastrzemski & Frank Howard.
1970 Topps Candy Lids were called "Baseball Stars Bubble Gum", had 24 players, the 1973 Topps Candy Lids had 55.
Topps planned 1972 Candy Lids but never released it, a few proofs do exist.
Topps 1973 Pinups & Comics share many of the same photos.

Click for complete 1973 Topps Candy Lids Checklist/Prices
Note: You may be on that page now.

How long have sports cards been around ? (part 2)

The first important and mainstream basketball set was issued by Bowman in 1948. Other than a Topps set in 1957-58 and a 1961-62 Fleer set, there were no mainstream basketball sets issued until Topps started producing yearly sets beginning with their 1969-70 set featuring the rookie card of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who then went under the name of Lew Alcindor.

In hockey, there were a few sets issued in the 1910's and while O-Pee-Chee issued some sets in the 1930's, the real modern sets began in 1951 with the itroduction of Parkhurst's first set.

In racing, while cards go back as far as the early Indy car days of 1911, modern racing sets began in 1988 with the issues released by MAXX.

WIREPHOTO: Ozzie Smith - [06/23/87] 'The Amazing Ozzie Smith' (Cardinals)

1934,1935,1936 Diamond Matchbooks

1969-1970 Topps Basketball Cards Checklist & Values

1970/1972/1973 Topps Candy Lids Checklist & Values

1969-1970 Topps Basketball Cards
Checklist & Values

1970/1972/1973 Topps Candy Lids
Checklist & Values