As taste develops, the breadth of appealing sets broadens. Since the priority is to collect beautiful paper and not focus on players, I simply gravitate to the sets I find most appealing, whoever it may be. Interest started with ’59 Topps baseball and has gradually become older and older, with favourite years finally resting in the 1909 to 1939 range, sport and otherwise, with the most beautiful set being the 1915 Cracker Jack series.
1887 Old Judge Patsy Tebeau (Bat at Ready, Looking at Camera)
This rough example is my first venture and I think my last, I just don’t find the cards attractive, at all really, and the age doesn’t make up for it. Issued from 1887 to 1890, Goodwin Company’s Old Judge baseball series includes photos of hundreds of ballplayers pasted onto thick cardboard.
1909 Sweet Caporal Domino Discs Frank LaPorte (red)
This obscure disc set appears similar to the company’s 1910-12 P2 pin set with many of the same images of the top players of the day. Each disc measures approximately 1-1/8” in diameter with a player’s portrait, name and team as well as the company name printed in the front with a red, green or blue background.
1909 Sweet Caporal Domino Discs Eddie Phelps (blue)
1909 Gabby Street, Catching, Sweet Caporal 350/25
1909 T206 Sweet Caporal Frank Arellanes, Sweet Caporal 350/25
The second Series 350 Factory 25 1909 T206 I’ve picked up recently, not a big impact on a set nicknamed “The Monster”, but I’m loving the niche. This one is from the Charles Bray collection, the hobby’s first card dealer. Lelands Auctions collection info.
1912 T207 Brown Background Frank Chance
Player Info: Frank Chance
PSA Card Info: 64342669
Frank Leroy Chance (Sept. 9, 1877 – Sept. 15, 1924) was a key member of the turn-of-the-century Chicago Cubs as manager winning four National League Championships from 1906 – 1910 and winning the 1907 and 1908 World Series titles.
1915 Cracker Jack Elmer Baumgardner #131
Hands-down, now my favourite card series of all time. The 1915 (E145-2) Cracker Jack Baseball set consists of 176 subjects, each inserted in boxes of the molasses-covered popcorn snack. A highly sought-after factory set was also available, by mail, in exchange for coupons. With a handful of cards in the set reaching prices in the five-figures even in very low grades, its doubtful I’ll obtain them all but will try.
1941 Play Ball Gene Moore #25
Rare in this condition, population 1 of 23 PSA 8s (3 higher) – only one 8.5 and two 9’s exist.
PSA Cert.: 01014201
PSA Sales: Gene Moore PSA 8
It’s been called baseball’s best season. A hobby classic, Gum Inc.’s smallest and final “Play Ball” series with 72 cards measuring 2-1/2″ by 3-1/8″ each.
1948 Leaf Ted Williams #76
PSA Card Info: Ted Williams
This iconic card looks like it was run over by a truck, but even in this low, possibly lowest grade, it still commands a large sum. The condition of this card goes completely against my personal rules and i have mixed emotions as to why I felt I needed to jump in with my first Williams card with this particular example, but I felt I just had to have it.
1959 Topps Bill Renna #72
1959 Topps Ernie Johnson #279
1959 Topps Gene Conley #492
1963 Topps Baltimore Orioles #377
Not a particularly special card per se, notable here simply because it is gorgeous and uber-clean, with sharp corners and absolutely no printing errors whatsoever, save for being slightly off center – a spectacular example, I’m wagering a PSA 9.
1937 O-Pee-Chee Series E Buzz Boll #140
Population 1 of 3, only 1 higher
1937 O-Pee-Chee Series E Desmond Smith RC #148
1937 O-Pee-Chee Series E Polly Drouin #158
1937 O-Pee-Chee Series E Earl Robinson #165
1962 Mars Attacks Earth Bombs Mars #47
I love this artwork, they look like small scenes from a comic, with gorgeous colour. Gory cards, depicting burning flesh, buxom women and dogs being zapped by aliens are the brainchild of Len Brown and Woody Gelman with this 55-card set conveyed the story of ruthless Martians attacking Earth (PSA article). Topps reportedly made efforts to tone down thirteen of the most controversial cards, but after a complaint from a Connecticut district attorney, production was stopped completely.
1966 Bergmann Automatenbilder Fussball Bundesliga, Franz Beckenbauer / Helmut Schon / Uwe Seeler
Expanding horizons beyond the usual sports suspects – my first venture into soccer with a 1966 Bergmann – a sport which continues to surprise with some really cool big ticket cards.
1966 Philadelphia Gum Morrall & Scholtz #127
Very rare in this condition, population 1 of 10 PSA 9s, only one graded higher.
PSA Cert.: 49404192
PSA Pop. Report: 1966 Philadelphia Gum
I love this set, and buying this card raw and graded a PSA 9 was the first in a new addiction. Earl Edwin Morrall (May 17, 1934 – April 25, 2014) was perhaps the greatest back-up quarterback in NFL history, winning NFL’s Most Valuable Player award and an NFL Championship.
2000-01 Upper Deck Final Floor ’98 Finals MVP Michael Jordan
This card is too cool. It has a piece of the actual hardwood from that game embedded in the card.
1934 National Chicle Sky Birds Col. William Bishop #26
