1954 Topps #240 Sam Mele (Orioles)

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1959 Topps displays vintage 1959 Topps Baseball sports cards.
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The history of vintage baseball card auctions is long and colorful.

T-206 Honus Wagner tobacco cards have sold for upto $2.8 million in auction. The "Holy Grail of Sports Cards", it's extreme-high auction value can mostly be attributed to great PR and "auction fever". It's not close to being the rarest baseball card and Honus Wagner is not Babe Ruth or Mickey Mantle. Yes, the T-206 set is beautiful & special but because of the # of cards and scarcities, few collector's try to complete, which should keep auction competition down compared to say 1933 Goudey or 1952 Topps baseball card issues.
BUT IT DOES NOT...

There's a story Wagner banned his card because he was anti-tobacco but there are other stories about financial considerations.

You surely have heard of PSA and may even know that this card was the FIRST they ever graded. But did you know that dealer (B.l. .ast.o name encoded) admitted tampering with the card, perhaps having it trimmed down to size, before PSA graded it so highly for the auction.

The 27-card 1954 Quaker Oats Sports Oddities multi-sport set was available card by card in boxes of Quaker Oats "Puffed Wheat and Rice" or if you weren't patient, you could purchase a complete set through the mail for all of 15 cents and two box tops from Quaker Puffed Wheat or Quaker Rice !!!

The very colorful cards measured 2-1/4 x 3-1/2 inch and came with rounded corners honoring special moments in sports history. Each card featured a portrait and action illustration.
Click for complete 1954 Quaker Oats Sports Oddities card values and prices
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One of Topps most popular 1960's test issues !!!
Blank-backed, unnumbered & standard size - cards were called "Stand-Ups". "Stand-Ups" refers to a type of card that was die cut around the player's picture. The background could be folded so the player's picture could "stand up" alone. 1934-36 Batter Up and the 1951 Topps All-Star sets are 2 other popular stand-up issues.
22 of the 77 cards are single prints making them twice as scarce and much higher in demand. Thanks to the green and yellow borders and that most cards have been folded, 1964 Stand-Ups extremely difficult to obtain in high grade.
On the left and right are images of a pack and box. Set packed with 19 Hall-of-Famers including the Top-5: Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente, Hank Aaron & Sandy Koufax.

Baseball, Football, Basketball & Hockey Memorabilia Cards

It's cool to have a card of your favorite player.
It's even cooler to have your favorite player's jersey or bat.
Well just think how cool it is to have a card of your favorite player embedded with a piece of his bat or jersey that he used in a real major league game !!!
That's the concept that Upper Deck dazzled the hobby with in 1996. Ever since the hobby has been in love with Game-Used memorabilia cards and they have become a staple of sportscard collecting. Originally they were very scarce inserts with less than 1 every few boxes. Now these insert cards are so popular that many products include one in every pack.

Be sure you visit our Game-Used card section with nearly 1,000 available at discount prices.

1954 Topps #240 Sam Mele (Orioles)

Auction's most costly vintage baseball cards

1954 Quaker Oats Sports Oddities
Checklist & Values

1964 Topps Stand-Ups
Checklist & Values

1954 Topps #240 Sam Mele (Orioles)

Auction's most costly vintage baseball cards

1954 Quaker Oats Sports Oddities Checklist & Values

1964 Topps Stand-Ups Checklist & Values

1954 Quaker Oats Sports Oddities
Checklist & Values

1964 Topps Stand-Ups
Checklist & Values