| Nowbatting19 Sports Cards |
1975 SSPC #401 Fred Lynn RC
2003 Topps All-Time Fan Favorites #77
Refractor 155/299
Refractor 155/299
WELCOME to Nowbatting19 Sportscards! This site features pictures and stories of vintage baseball cards, basketball cards, football cards, hockey cards, boxing
cards, even some non-sport cards. Something for everyone. I have created this site for my own enjoyment (& amusement) and I think you will enjoy it as well. There are
lots of goodies to choose from, starting with this page, which features a brief history of baseball cards. I have been collecting cards since the late 1960's. So sometimes
I DO know what I are talking about! There are many pages to explore, including a Fred Lynn Page, Roger Maris Page, Dodgers Page, Red Sox Page, PSA SUCKS!
Page, We Grade 'Em Page (where I grade the grading companies), Baseball Card Atrocities Page ("The Horror...the horror..."), and many, MANY more! Scroll down to
the bottom of this page to see a complete list of pages. Enjoy! Tim Pulcifer
cards, even some non-sport cards. Something for everyone. I have created this site for my own enjoyment (& amusement) and I think you will enjoy it as well. There are
lots of goodies to choose from, starting with this page, which features a brief history of baseball cards. I have been collecting cards since the late 1960's. So sometimes
I DO know what I are talking about! There are many pages to explore, including a Fred Lynn Page, Roger Maris Page, Dodgers Page, Red Sox Page, PSA SUCKS!
Page, We Grade 'Em Page (where I grade the grading companies), Baseball Card Atrocities Page ("The Horror...the horror..."), and many, MANY more! Scroll down to
the bottom of this page to see a complete list of pages. Enjoy! Tim Pulcifer
| A Brief History Of Baseball Cards |
| Tobacco Cards |
Baseball cards started off as premiums for tobacco products in the late 1800's to early 1900's. Among the
most popular of these early tobacco issues are the T206 White border cards. "T206" refers to the catalog
number assigned to this issue. Say "T206" to any collector and they will know what you are talking about.
These cards were issued from 1909 to 1911 and feature many Hall of Famers like Christy Mathewson, Ty
Cobb, Tris Speaker, Cy Young, & Walter Johnson, just to name a few. But the most famous of the T206 cards
is the very rare Honus Wagner card (see picture, right). Say "T206 WAGNER" to any collector and watch them
drool! The card was pulled early in production; hence there are only about 50 or so known examples. The
highest graded example (PSA 8 NM/MT) just traded owners (Feb. 2007) for a cool 2.3 MILLION DOLLARS!
Even poor grade examples sell for several thousands of dollars. This card is considered the HOLY GRAIL OF
BASEBALL CARDS. While most collectors cannot obtain (or afford) a Honus Wagner, the T206 baseball cards
are still somewhat affordable. Common players list for around $25 in VG (Very Good) condition. More on
condition later. Other early tobacco cards of note are the 1887-1890 Old Judge cards (one of the first baseball
cards ever produced), the T205 Gold border set (featured gold leaf borders), and the T3 Turkey Red Cabinets;
beautiful 5-3/4" x 8" cards which are extremely popular today. Because of these early tobacco issues, baseball
cards became extremely popular with the youth of America. Keep in mind there was no TV or even radio then.
So these cardboard pictures were highly prized by kids, and other manufacturers, namely, candy and gum took
notice.
most popular of these early tobacco issues are the T206 White border cards. "T206" refers to the catalog
number assigned to this issue. Say "T206" to any collector and they will know what you are talking about.
These cards were issued from 1909 to 1911 and feature many Hall of Famers like Christy Mathewson, Ty
Cobb, Tris Speaker, Cy Young, & Walter Johnson, just to name a few. But the most famous of the T206 cards
is the very rare Honus Wagner card (see picture, right). Say "T206 WAGNER" to any collector and watch them
drool! The card was pulled early in production; hence there are only about 50 or so known examples. The
highest graded example (PSA 8 NM/MT) just traded owners (Feb. 2007) for a cool 2.3 MILLION DOLLARS!
Even poor grade examples sell for several thousands of dollars. This card is considered the HOLY GRAIL OF
BASEBALL CARDS. While most collectors cannot obtain (or afford) a Honus Wagner, the T206 baseball cards
are still somewhat affordable. Common players list for around $25 in VG (Very Good) condition. More on
condition later. Other early tobacco cards of note are the 1887-1890 Old Judge cards (one of the first baseball
cards ever produced), the T205 Gold border set (featured gold leaf borders), and the T3 Turkey Red Cabinets;
beautiful 5-3/4" x 8" cards which are extremely popular today. Because of these early tobacco issues, baseball
cards became extremely popular with the youth of America. Keep in mind there was no TV or even radio then.
So these cardboard pictures were highly prized by kids, and other manufacturers, namely, candy and gum took
notice.
1909-11 T206 Honus Wagner 1911 T205 Christy Mathewson
| Candy & Gum Cards |
The next evolution of baseball cards came with the candy & gum issues. Baseball cards seemed to go better
with candy and gum and what better way to get kids to buy your products than to put a Babe Ruth or Lou
Gehrig card in with a piece of gum. Probably the most popular gum cards ever are the Goudey Gum issues
from 1933 to 1934. The 1933 set features the big names of the day including four different Babe Ruth cards,
while the 1934 set features two different Lou Gehrig cards (see card, left). Other stars included Jimmy Foxx,
Rogers Hornsby, Dizzy Dean, and many more. Goudey also issued popular sets in 1935 (known as "Goudey
4-in-1" as they featured 4 players on 1 card) and also a popular set in 1938, commonly referred to as Goudey
"Heads-Up" as the players heads are depicted with a smaller cartoon drawing of their body in action. This
set featured very early cards of both Joe DiMaggio and Bob Feller. Other popular candy & gum issues are the
1914 & 1915 Cracker Jack cards (hence the moniker, "Cracker Jack" ballplayer), the American Caramel
issues of the 1920's (features early cards of Babe Ruth and "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, and the very popular
Playball America (by Gum, Inc.) cards of 1939-1941. The Playball cards in 1939 & 1940 were black and white
issues and featured early cards of both Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams. Also included in the 1940 set were
all-time greats like Christy Mathewson, Grover Cleveland Alexander, and "Shoeless" Joe Jackson (see right)
. In 1941 Playball produced color cards but coloring in black & white photos. These cards were extremely
popular as Joe DiMaggio was in the midst of his record 56-game hitting streak and Ted Williams was tearing
the ball off the cover and finished the season with a .406 batting mark (the last player to hit .400 in a season).
However, in 1941, something even bigger came along...World War II, and card production was halted.
Considering the paper drives during the war, and the fact that these fragile pieces of cardboard were handled
by kids, it is a small wonder that so many of these cards survive today (some in high grades even).
with candy and gum and what better way to get kids to buy your products than to put a Babe Ruth or Lou
Gehrig card in with a piece of gum. Probably the most popular gum cards ever are the Goudey Gum issues
from 1933 to 1934. The 1933 set features the big names of the day including four different Babe Ruth cards,
while the 1934 set features two different Lou Gehrig cards (see card, left). Other stars included Jimmy Foxx,
Rogers Hornsby, Dizzy Dean, and many more. Goudey also issued popular sets in 1935 (known as "Goudey
4-in-1" as they featured 4 players on 1 card) and also a popular set in 1938, commonly referred to as Goudey
"Heads-Up" as the players heads are depicted with a smaller cartoon drawing of their body in action. This
set featured very early cards of both Joe DiMaggio and Bob Feller. Other popular candy & gum issues are the
1914 & 1915 Cracker Jack cards (hence the moniker, "Cracker Jack" ballplayer), the American Caramel
issues of the 1920's (features early cards of Babe Ruth and "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, and the very popular
Playball America (by Gum, Inc.) cards of 1939-1941. The Playball cards in 1939 & 1940 were black and white
issues and featured early cards of both Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams. Also included in the 1940 set were
all-time greats like Christy Mathewson, Grover Cleveland Alexander, and "Shoeless" Joe Jackson (see right)
. In 1941 Playball produced color cards but coloring in black & white photos. These cards were extremely
popular as Joe DiMaggio was in the midst of his record 56-game hitting streak and Ted Williams was tearing
the ball off the cover and finished the season with a .406 batting mark (the last player to hit .400 in a season).
However, in 1941, something even bigger came along...World War II, and card production was halted.
Considering the paper drives during the war, and the fact that these fragile pieces of cardboard were handled
by kids, it is a small wonder that so many of these cards survive today (some in high grades even).
1940 Playball #225 Joe Jackson
1934 Goudey #63 Lou Gehrig
| Post-War Baseball Cards |
1948-49 #79 Leaf Jackie Robinson
In 1948-1949 Leaf Gum Inc., produced the first major baseball card set after the war. These are very popular issues and included cards of Ted Williams, Joe DiMaggio, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Stan
Musial, and one of the first issues of Jackie Robinson (see card, above) who had broken baseball's color barrier in 1947 with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Oddly this was the only mainstream set issued by Leaf
until 1960.
Bowman Gum also produced a mainstream set in 1948 and even though this was a black & white issue, by 1950 Bowman was THE NAME in baseball cards. Bowman's large & colorful sets were big hits with
the kids and featured established stars as well as up-and-coming stars like Mickey Mantle & Willie Mays (both featured in the 1951 Bowman set). In 1953 Bowman produced perhaps the most beautiful cards
of all-time with it's Kodachrome photos (see Carl Erskine card, below left). Bowman was also very innovative, creating "TV set" design for it's 1955 issue (below, right). However, 1955 was to be a last hurrah
for Bowman Gum.
Musial, and one of the first issues of Jackie Robinson (see card, above) who had broken baseball's color barrier in 1947 with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Oddly this was the only mainstream set issued by Leaf
until 1960.
Bowman Gum also produced a mainstream set in 1948 and even though this was a black & white issue, by 1950 Bowman was THE NAME in baseball cards. Bowman's large & colorful sets were big hits with
the kids and featured established stars as well as up-and-coming stars like Mickey Mantle & Willie Mays (both featured in the 1951 Bowman set). In 1953 Bowman produced perhaps the most beautiful cards
of all-time with it's Kodachrome photos (see Carl Erskine card, below left). Bowman was also very innovative, creating "TV set" design for it's 1955 issue (below, right). However, 1955 was to be a last hurrah
for Bowman Gum.
1953 Bowman Color #12 Carl Erskine 1955 Bowman #197 Ralph Kiner
| Topps Chewing Gum Inc. |
In 1952 Topps Chewing Gum, Inc. of Brooklyn, New York, put out a series of (407) baseball cards and this set is
considered to be the "grand-daddy" of the modern baseball card. Whether it was the larger card format than
Bowman, the taste of the bubble gum, or the fact that Topps used the previous season's statistics on the card
backs, one thing is certain. Within 3 years from it's first major release, Topps put Bowman out of business.
Bowman gum sure deserves a lot of credit for their contributions to baseball cards (in fact after Topps bought
out Bowman in 1955, they used some Bowman designs, namely the 1955 "TV set" design for their 1966
Football & Hockey issues; Bowman's wood grain border design that was considered for a future release was
copied by Topps in their 1962, 1987 baseball sets). After the unfortunate demise of Bowman; baseball cards
were almost exclusively produced by Topps Chewing Gum. There are a few exceptions, mostly regional issues
such as Bell Brand L.A. Dodgers; cereal & food issues such as the 1960-1963 Post & Jell-O cards that were
issued on the backs of cereal boxes and dessert boxes; and a couple of smaller issues like the 1960 Sports
Novelties (also known as Leaf) cards, exclusive 1959 Fleer set featuring the career of Ted Williams, and Fleer's
1963 small baseball set of (66) cards. But Topps was the brand most kids collected. Among the most famous
of Topps issues (and there has been a lot of them) are these two 1952 Topps cards. The 1952 Topps #1 Andy
Pafko card (see left) is notable as it is the very first baseball card (mainstream) issued by Topps. It is extremely
difficult to find in high grade as most kids back then would have their cards sorted by card number and an easy
way to keep them together was to put rubber bands around them. Hence, the Pafko card is a tough card to
acquire in high grades. If the granddaddy of the modern baseball card is the 1952 Topps set, then the GRAND
POOBAH OF THE MODERN BASEBALL CARD would have to be without a doubt, the 1952 Topps #311 Mickey
Mantle (see right), the first Topps Mantle card and certainly not the last. The reason this card is so desirable is
this- #1, it's MICKEY MANTLE! Second, it was issued in the high numbered series (card numbers 311 to 407)
which were produced in more limited numbers than the previous series. Third, Topps was left with a large
number of these "high numbers" which they then proceeded to discard by dumping them in the Atlantic Ocean.
Remember, baseball cards were not "worth" anything back then. They were used as a gimmick to get kids to
buy bubble gum. Today these "high numbers" are worth a few hundred dollars each in nice shape; the Mantle
alone is worth around $25,000 in graded NM (Near Mint) condition, even several thousands of dollars for lower
grade examples. Though Topps no longer has a monopoly on baseball cards, they still are major producers of
cards and remain synonymous not with bubble gum (which was usually kind of stale), but with baseball cards.
considered to be the "grand-daddy" of the modern baseball card. Whether it was the larger card format than
Bowman, the taste of the bubble gum, or the fact that Topps used the previous season's statistics on the card
backs, one thing is certain. Within 3 years from it's first major release, Topps put Bowman out of business.
Bowman gum sure deserves a lot of credit for their contributions to baseball cards (in fact after Topps bought
out Bowman in 1955, they used some Bowman designs, namely the 1955 "TV set" design for their 1966
Football & Hockey issues; Bowman's wood grain border design that was considered for a future release was
copied by Topps in their 1962, 1987 baseball sets). After the unfortunate demise of Bowman; baseball cards
were almost exclusively produced by Topps Chewing Gum. There are a few exceptions, mostly regional issues
such as Bell Brand L.A. Dodgers; cereal & food issues such as the 1960-1963 Post & Jell-O cards that were
issued on the backs of cereal boxes and dessert boxes; and a couple of smaller issues like the 1960 Sports
Novelties (also known as Leaf) cards, exclusive 1959 Fleer set featuring the career of Ted Williams, and Fleer's
1963 small baseball set of (66) cards. But Topps was the brand most kids collected. Among the most famous
of Topps issues (and there has been a lot of them) are these two 1952 Topps cards. The 1952 Topps #1 Andy
Pafko card (see left) is notable as it is the very first baseball card (mainstream) issued by Topps. It is extremely
difficult to find in high grade as most kids back then would have their cards sorted by card number and an easy
way to keep them together was to put rubber bands around them. Hence, the Pafko card is a tough card to
acquire in high grades. If the granddaddy of the modern baseball card is the 1952 Topps set, then the GRAND
POOBAH OF THE MODERN BASEBALL CARD would have to be without a doubt, the 1952 Topps #311 Mickey
Mantle (see right), the first Topps Mantle card and certainly not the last. The reason this card is so desirable is
this- #1, it's MICKEY MANTLE! Second, it was issued in the high numbered series (card numbers 311 to 407)
which were produced in more limited numbers than the previous series. Third, Topps was left with a large
number of these "high numbers" which they then proceeded to discard by dumping them in the Atlantic Ocean.
Remember, baseball cards were not "worth" anything back then. They were used as a gimmick to get kids to
buy bubble gum. Today these "high numbers" are worth a few hundred dollars each in nice shape; the Mantle
alone is worth around $25,000 in graded NM (Near Mint) condition, even several thousands of dollars for lower
grade examples. Though Topps no longer has a monopoly on baseball cards, they still are major producers of
cards and remain synonymous not with bubble gum (which was usually kind of stale), but with baseball cards.
1952 Topps #1 Andy Pafko
1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle
You might have noticed I did not mention the baseball cards of today. While some hobby mainstays like Topps are still around, the hobby itself is no longer about the cards themselves,
but HOW MUCH THEY ARE WORTH. It is sickening. So this site will feature pretty much VINTAGE cards and not modern cards. I hope you don't mind. If you want to learn about new
cards this is not the site you want. But if you want to know a little bit about the history of cards, collecting cards, grading cards, or just enjoying cards, then this site is for you! Check out
the many pages below and have fun!
DISCLAIMER. While some of the cards pictured on this site I do own personally, many photos on this site have been "lifted" from other sources (eBay, etc.). I in no way imply I have any
or all of these cards in my possession (I wish I did). However, the cards I offer for sale ARE from my own collection and they are listed on the Baseball Cards For Sale Page and the
Other Sports Card & Non Sports Card Page. This site is for my own enjoyment and I hope you enjoy it as well! Sincerely Tim Pulcifer (CEO, President, Chief Wahoo, and other
assorted, unflattering titles...)
but HOW MUCH THEY ARE WORTH. It is sickening. So this site will feature pretty much VINTAGE cards and not modern cards. I hope you don't mind. If you want to learn about new
cards this is not the site you want. But if you want to know a little bit about the history of cards, collecting cards, grading cards, or just enjoying cards, then this site is for you! Check out
the many pages below and have fun!
DISCLAIMER. While some of the cards pictured on this site I do own personally, many photos on this site have been "lifted" from other sources (eBay, etc.). I in no way imply I have any
or all of these cards in my possession (I wish I did). However, the cards I offer for sale ARE from my own collection and they are listed on the Baseball Cards For Sale Page and the
Other Sports Card & Non Sports Card Page. This site is for my own enjoyment and I hope you enjoy it as well! Sincerely Tim Pulcifer (CEO, President, Chief Wahoo, and other
assorted, unflattering titles...)
LINKS
Submit Solution - Search
Engine Submission
The Baseball Page - Great site for baseball fans!
Baseball-Reference.com - An online Baseball Encyclopedia! Invaluable for baseball fans!
Fredlynn.net - Official website of my favorite player. Well done site by Todd Farino.
Est. 2004
NEW! Just added a Carl Yastrzemski Page and also a Hall Of Fame Page! Also added a JIMMY PIERSALL Page! , GOOFS, GAFFS, & ERRORS Page! , HOW TO GRADE PAGE! ,
BASEBALL CARDS FOR SALE PAGE! and I am currently working on the Other Sportscards & Non-Sports Card Page. Check it out!
BASEBALL CARDS FOR SALE PAGE! and I am currently working on the Other Sportscards & Non-Sports Card Page. Check it out!
Jimmy Piersall Page! (NEW!)
Nowbatting19 Sportscards Table of Contents
Page last updated 1-29-08