1968 Topps #250 Carl Yastrzemski [#] (Red Sox)

Select a different Sport or Vintage Baseball Cards set
or Find:
Enter words, partial words or phrases
1959 Topps displays vintage 1959 Topps Baseball sports cards.
Bowman Mickey Mantle displays all Bowman Mickey Mantle sports cards.

1952 is often thought of as Topps 1st baseball card set, but it was not.
Topps issued several smaller baseball card sets prior to their huge 1952 set.
Topps buzz word was "BIGGER is BETTER" for their 1952 Topps set which Topps described as: "GIANT IN BOTH SIZE and NUMBER of CARDS" (407).

Key card in the 1952 Topps set is #311 MICKEY MANTLE. Often called Mickey Mantle's Rookie card - BUT IT IS NOT. That honor goes to his 1951 Bowman.
1952 Topps "High Numbers" (#311-#407), are very, very scarce with an interesting story:
This HUGE set was released in series weeks apart. By the last (6th) series, baseball season was over and football starting. Candy shops had plenty of baseball cards from earlier series so most cancelled their orders for the last series creating the scarcity.

Adding interest is how Topps disposed of the now un-needed cards including THOUSANDS of 1952 Topps MICKEY MANTLE's. They dumped them into the Atlantic Ocean like most of New York's trash in those days.

Another Hit Topps Test Issue from the 1960's !!!
1962 Topps Bucks were one of Topps most creative Test Issues. Each 1-3/4" x 4-1/8" "Buck" resembled U.S. currency but instead of George Washington staring at you, it could be Mickey Mantle !!!

1962 Topps Bucks were sold in 1 cent wax packs and were NOT inserts in 1962 Topps wax packs. Most exist with a fold line witgh some unfolded proofs around. Set packed with Hall-of-Famers featuring MICKEY MANTLE, Willie Mays, Sandy Koufax, Roberto Clemente, Carl Yastrzemski, Stan Musial, Hank Aaron & more !!!

Click for complete 1962 Topps Baseball Bucks checklist and prices
Note: You may be on that page right now.
Click for complete 1962 Topps Baseball cards checklist and prices

Official authentic vintage UPI/AP Wirephotos/Laserphotos are very limited, normally only 1 sent to subscribing newspapers. Photos were black & white printed on electro-static printers, usually sent in 3 stages, Cyan, Magenta & Yellow, then combined into a color photograph. Photos are work products and VG to NEAR MINT. As a bonus, some have editor's blue-line cropping marks.

Scarce, interesting and snapshots of history, wire photos of major subjects and moments make for great collectibles. Wirephotos and laserphotos are no longer transmitted in this manner (stopping around the early 90's). Images are now transmitted from computer to computer with no need for hardcopies.
old UPI wirephotos old AP wirephotos Wirephotos images taken with low res camera so images do not do then justice. The wirephotos are nicer than in the image. Most wirephotos from San Diego Union Tribune archives and make nice additions to your collection.

Tobacco Cards

Starting approximately in 1886, sportscards, mostly baseball cards, were often included with tobacco products, for promotional purposes and also because the card reinforced the packaging and protected cigarettes from damage. These sports cards are referred to as tobacco cards in the baseball card hobby. Over the next few years many different companies produced baseball cards. Tobacco cards soon started to disappear as the American Tobacco Company tried to develop a monopoly by buying out other companies.

They were reintroduced in the 1900s, as American Tobacco came under pressure from antitrust action and Turkish competition. The most famous and most expensive, baseball card is the rare T206 Honus Wagner. The card exists in very limited quantities compared to others of its type because Wagner forced the card to be removed from printing. It is widely (and incorrectly) believed that Wagner did so because he refused to promote tobacco, but the true explanation lies in a dispute over compensation.

Soon other companies also began producing baseball and football cards. Sports magazines such as The Sporting News were early entries to the market. Candy manufacturers soon joined the fray and reflected a shift toward a younger target audience for cards. Caramel companies were particularly active and baseball cards were one of the first prizes to be included in Cracker Jacks. World War I soon suppressed baseball card production.

1968 Topps #250 Carl Yastrzemski [#] (Red Sox)

1952 Topps Baseball Cards
Checklist & Values

1962 Topps Baseball Bucks
Checklist & Values

Vintage Baseball Wire Photos

UPI/AP Wirephotos

1968 Topps #250 Carl Yastrzemski [#] (Red Sox)

1952 Topps Baseball Cards Checklist & Values

1962 Topps Baseball Bucks Checklist & Values

Vintage Baseball Wire Photos

UPI/AP Wirephotos

1952 Topps Baseball Cards
Checklist & Values

1962 Topps Baseball Bucks
Checklist & Values