A popular tournament for a new card game featuring major leaguers dropped off the face of the earth for no good reason
Articles
Unchecklisted Error of Abe Goldstein Found in the W512 Strip Card Set
The boxing champion has a newly-discovered error in the popular strip card set
Gilbert’s Lady Wrestlers and the Early Origins of Female Professional Wrestling
Women’s wrestling cards found in the 1901-02 Ogden’s Tabs General Interest set help shed some light on the sport’s origins
Jack Johnson Cards Among Pre-War’s Best Bargains
Some cards of the fighter can be purchased for the price of baseball commons
Is the M116 Sporting Life Set a Sleeping Giant?
Could the M116 Sporting Life set be poised for an increase in value?
Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse ‘Rookie Card’ Found in UK Tobacco Card Set
A tobacco card from the UK has the distinction of being the first card of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse
Few Sales Make 1914 Baltimore News Babe Ruth Cards Difficult to Price
With a limited supply and few public sales, gauging the value of Babe Ruth’s minor league baseball cards isn’t easy
Short, Quirky T201 Mecca Double Folders Issue is One Affordable Tobacco Set
The T201 Mecca Double Folders set has Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson … and low prices
1906 E230 Lowney’s Chocolates Postcards Set is … Weird
The checklist for this oddly-classified postcard issue is confusing at best
1941 Play Ball Set a Rare Family Affair for DiMaggio Clan
The three DiMaggio brothers are all found in the 1941 Play Ball set — and that was a true rarity
T218 Champions Errors Include Newly-Discovered Joe Jeannette
A new unchecklisted error/correction for a boxing Hall of Famer has been discovered
Rare Fourth Type of T213 Coupon Cards is Under the Radar
While three is commonly cited as the number of T213 types, a fourth with an overprint actually exists
Five Underrated Goudey Baseball Cards
Here’s a look at some underappreciated cards from the pre-war Goudey sets
Despite a Modest Baseball Career, Billy Sunday Cards Remain Popular
The evangelist’s cards often bring high prices thanks to his post-career work as a preacher
Christy Mathewson’s Inclusion Gives an Obscure 1930s Food Card Set a Boost
The Hall of Fame pitcher bails out an otherwise forgettable set
High-Grade 1933 U.S. Caramel Cards in Heritage Auction
PSA 8s and 9s from the iconic set are in Heritage’s current auction
The Dean Brothers Rice-Stix Shirts Are Very Bad
Anyone wearing these shirts should be given a free bowl of soup
The T227 Champions Set Part II: Identifying a Potential 25th Card
There are lots of great candidates for the missing 25th card in the T227 Champions set
The T227 Champions Set Part I: Where’s the 25th Card?
25 cards were advertised in the T227 Champions set but only 24 are known — where’s card No. 25?
What are the Toughest T207 Recruit Commons?
The Broadleaf and Cycle cards aren’t the only tough ones in the T207 set
Monthly Site Updates (March 2019)
Here’s a look at the updates to the site made last month
Babe Ruth Tobacco Issues Far From Nonexistent
Babe Ruth has more tobacco cards than most collectors realize
Major Variances to be Expected in Strip Cards
Strip cards can vary in size, color, and just about everything in between
Early Advertising and a Babe Ruth Ice Cream Party Kicked Off Fro-Joy Campaigns
Targeted campaigns from Gene Tunney and Babe Ruth were used in advance of their 1920s Fro-Joy card promotions
Shoebox Treasures Baseball Cards Exhibit to be Added to the Hall of Fame
Collectors will soon be able to visit a new baseball card exhibit at the Hall of Fame
Game Cards are Ideal for High-Grade Collectors
Gaming issues are great places to look for high-grade pre-war cards
Size Matters: A Look at Some Diminutive Baseball Cards
These cards are all smaller than most tobacco and early candy issues.
Rare Notebook Cuts Often Mistaken for E95 and E96 Caramel Card Proofs
Cuts from the 1913 Baseball Series Notebooks are sometimes called proofs
Overland Wrappers Checklist Expands with Two New Additions
A collector adds two wrappers to the known R301 Overland checklist
Rarity Only One Piece of the Puzzle in Determining a Card’s Value
‘Rarest’ doesn’t always equate to ‘most expensive’
50 Fast Facts from the T206 Set
Here are 50 basic facts about the world’s most popular set of baseball cards
Punctuation Matters (Or Not): A Look at the Messy Formatting in the E90-1 American Caramel Set
The E90-1 set is full of formatting oddities and errors
Rare Rittenhouse Back Details Company’s Unique Promotion
A rare E285 Rittenhouse variation explains their unique promotion
The Final Days of Noted Collector Jefferson Burdick
A look at the famous collector as well as his final days
The N-Card Designation Has Caused Some Confusion
Because Jefferson Burdick cataloged 19th century cards differently, the N-Card categorization can be confusing
E98 Old Put Cigar: When Caramel Cards Become Tobacco Cards
A rare variation of E98s has turned some caramel cards into tobacco issues
What’s the Real Prize in the T212 Obak Set?
A closer look at the Big Three in the massive Obak minor league set
Dots Miller E90-1 American Caramel ‘Sunset’ Variation Remains a Tough Find
A rare variation in a popular caramel card set is selling for big money
Tale of the Tape: T205 vs. T206
Comparing the two behemoth tobacco sets
Monthly Site Updates (February 2019)
Here’s a look at the site updates for February 2019
(In)famous Shotwell Babe Ruth Card Remains Unauthenticated
A supposedly legit and valuable Babe Ruth card hasn’t yet been graded. Shocker.
Red Grange: From College Football Star to Football Card VP
In only a few days, Grange went from being a college football player to an executive
The 1941 Play Ball Set is Short, Sweet, and Relatively Simple
This war-time set is a painless venture for vintage baseball card fans
Comparing COMC vs. Sportlots
I placed some orders on COMC and Sportlots. Here’s how I rate the two sites.
It’s the Dog, Stupid — Art Whitney N172 Old Judge Card Popular for a Canine
This card’s prices have been driven up by the inclusion of a dog
E91 American Caramel Cards – Generic Players or Not?
Jefferson Burdick said the E91 American Caramel cards had a ‘faked design’ — but what’s the truth?
The Wide, Crazy World of Collectible Ink Blotters
A look at one of the more unique types of pre-war cards
A Timely Visit Likely the Only Reason this Babe Ruth Tobacco Card was Printed
Without Max Schmeling, this Babe Ruth card might not exist
N154 Duke Presidential Candidates is the Ultimate Nonsensical Presidents Day Set
These 19th century cards are rare … and incredibly dumb
The New Pre-War Cards Site is Up and Running
Here are the ins and outs of the new website
Vinegar Valentine Postcards Included the World of American Football
Here’s a Valentine’s Day look at a rather odd genre of pre-war sports cards
The Virginia Brights Baseball Nine Cabinets Were Hard to Find — Here’s Why
The interesting cabinets are rarely seen today
A Temporary Adjustment
Website changes are coming
A Cigarette Card Marriage
The story of how a tobacco card started a relationship and ultimately led to a wedding
This List of Most Valuable Baseball Cards from 1977 will Surprise You
An old list revealed the most expensive cards more than 40 years ago
1897 Marked the Temporary Death of the American Tobacco Card Industry
Two reasons were at the forefront of a ban on tobacco cards
Monthly Site Updates (January 2019)
Here’s a look at changes to the site made this month
Wagner, Doyle, Plank, Magie … and Bug(g)s?
When T206 cards were released, one town had trouble finding a relative common
Thou Shalt Not Collect: The Warnings and Perils of Early Tobacco Card Collecting
Here’s why early card collecting was viewed as a bad thing by many adults
The Mythical Type 4 1932 Sanella / Astra Margarine Cards
After years of looking, it’s pretty clear these cards don’t exist
