1971 Topps FB # 71 Alan Page (Vikings)

Gateway Stamp Company has provided collectors over 1 MILLION authenticated certified autographs over the last 30+ years. Though a "stamp company", Gateway went down a new creative road combining art, color photographs, historical events & autographs with their full-color silk cachet envelopes.

WHAT IS A SILK CACHET ?
A "cachet" is a design on an envelope marking an event. "Silk" refers to the delicate material the art and photography are printed on after which it's signed by the player and then post-marked by the Post Office IN THE EVENT'S CITY !!!

WHY POSTMARKS?
A postmark is a great way to mark historical events and the rules governing postmarks GUARANTEES that NO Gateway issue can EVER be re-issued protecting their value !!!

Like baseball cards, boxing cards have been produced in this country since the 1880's. First in tobacco products, later in gum and candy. Unlike baseball cards, boxing cards have been produced in many countries around the world.

In 1910 Mecca and Hassan tobacco companies put out colorful boxing sets with names like: Jack Johnson, Jim Jeffries, John L. Sullivan & Jim Corbett. In 1951 Topps joined in with a fairly large card set they called "Ringside".

WOW ! Few issues compare to the 1956 Topps Pins set. The colorful and attractive 1-1/8" diameter pins were packaged with bubble gum and featured a color photo of player on front with a pin clasp on back. Many of the images for pins are the same as on the 1956 Topps cards. If you collect 1956 Topps cards than YOU MUST add at least one of these 1956 Topps Pin to your collection.

Packed with stars (no Mickey Mantle), the 1956 Topps Pins set also had a few scarcities such as Chuck Stobbs, Hector Lopez & Chuck Diering.

In the end, collectors of the day preferred cards to pins and Topps cut back the 1956 Topps Pin set from a planned 90 pins to just 60.