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.
1963 Bazooka ALL-TIME GREATS
In 1963, competitive pressures compelled Topps to add a bonus to it's 1963 Bazooka boxes.
These cards were inserted inside boxes of Bazooka bubblegum at 5 per box.
The 41-card set of Hall-of-Famers features black and white photos of the player
inside a gold plaque.
A short biography appears on the back, a first (and last) for Bazooka.
The 41 numbered cards measure 1 9/16" by 2 1/2".
Scarcer silver colored plaques also exist.
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1954 Topps Baseball Cards Checklist & Values
No only did the 1954 Topps issue feature the rookie cards of some of the
greatest baseball players of all-time, it also was the 1st appearance of
Ted Williams on a Topps card. Topps was so proud of this they made
Ted the FIRST (#1) and LAST (#250) card in the set.
1954 Topps was released in three different series, (#1-50),
a tougher mid-series (#51-75), and finally (#76-250). Of note for fans
of variations, first series cards were issued in Canada with gray backs.
ROOKIE cards of future Hall of Famers Hank Aaron, Al Kaline & Ernie Banks
along with cards of SuperStars Ted Williams, Willie Mays, Duke Snider,
Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, Jackie Robinson and tons more !!!
Click for complete
1954 Topps Baseball card checklist, values and prices.
Note: You may be on that page now.
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1974 Topps DECKLE EDGE Checklist & Values
This scarce 72-card test issue set was released with very limited
East Coast distribution making them quite scarce.
Officially simply called "Topps Baseball Photos", their serrated or "DECKLED"
edge gave them the name they go by today.
The 2 7/8" x 5" inch cards were sold in 2 card packs with gum or 3 card
packs without for 5 cents.
Click to enlarge Complete Proof Sheet on left
Fronts are similar to b&w Exhibit Postcards from the 50's
with photos and facsimile autographs.
The backs make this very scarce test issue more interesting !
They feature handwritten script of player's name, team, position & date
and location of the photograph as well as a mock newspaper article.
This was Topps 2nd "Deckle Edge" issue, their first being the smaller
and more common 1969 Topps Deckle Edge inserts in 1969 Topps packs.
Variations of 1974 Topps Deckle Edge exist,
making this issue more fun and challenging to collect.
Backs can be found in gray or a much scarcer white.
Also, more limited proof versions with non-scalloped edges exist and
can be found with and without card numbers.
Click for complete
1969 Topps Deckle Edge checklist and prices
Click for complete
1974 Topps Deckle Edge checklist and prices
Note: You may be on that page right now.
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Baseball card collecting terms (part G)
Grade/Condition Centering, corner wear, photo clarity, edges,
creases, print flaws ... all combine to determine a card's condition or grade.
Along with rarity/scarcity it is the major factor in a card's value.
Graded Card As values increased the condition of cards and the
determination of fakes and alterations became increasingly more important.
Various companies became "graders" of your cards. For a fee they would grade
your card (usually on a 1 to 10 scale) and then placed in a sealed plastic
holder with labelling of the vital information.
From past experiences, most people are NOT HAPPY with the grades they receive.
To keep values up, graders can be extremely picky. Things you don't see,
they do so don't be surprized when the NEAR MINT card you send in ends up
with an EX or EX/MINT grade.
There are TOO many grading companies - if you do, do choose carefully.
PSA / SGC / GAI / BGS are some of the many companies.
It is good to know that getting a card graded by a company that people
do not recognize or respect will usually just cost you time and money
and not help you in any way.
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