Here’s a look at the news and updates from the past month
Articles
SGC Adjusts Card Grading Operations Due to the Coronavirus
SGC is making some operations changes with regards to its card grading
T202 Redux: Rare Ty Cobb T202/T205-Like Card Appeared in 1956 Gentry Magazine
A 1950s magazine decided to remake a classic pre-war baseball card and, well …
Obscure Card of the Month: 1929 Wills English Period Costumes – Golfer
What were golfers wearing in the 1700s? This unique tobacco card provides us with a glimpse.
Showtime? 2020 National Sports Collectors Convention Still On — For Now
As of now, the National has no plans to cancel or reschedule this year’s annual event despite the spread of the Coronavirus
COVID-19 Temporarily Halts Grading at PSA, Beckett; SGC Continues
The Coronavirus has forced two popular grading companies to cease card grading operations
Reprints are Cheap, Popular … but Should They Exist?
There is clearly demand for reprinted baseball cards — but should they exist?
Non-Players Among the Keys in the 1910 Tip Top Bread Pirates Set
Some of the more valuable cards in the 1910 Tip Top Bread set actually don’t feature players on the team
Popular Strongsville Card Show Canceled Due to Coronavirus / COVID-19 Virus
The popular vintage card show has been canceled due to the virus
Real Athletes in the 1928 Major Drapkin Sporting Snap Set?
This 1920s UK set has long been believed to feature generic subjects. Some, however, could depict real athletes.
Comparing Joe Jackson ‘Rookie Cards’
How does Joe Jackson’s E90-1 American Caramel card match up with his T210 Old Mill minor league card?
1889 Duke Yacht Colors of the World (N91 / N140) Combined Sports and Non-Sports
The popular 19th century tobacco card release is among the cheaper ‘sports’ sets from the 1800s
Babe Ruth 1933 Goudey Card Prices are … Kind of Out of Control
The slugger’s 1933 Goudey cards have risen sharply in value — some might wonder why
Breaking Down the E92 Croft Candy and Croft Cocoa Cards
Two different Croft products have advertisements on the backs of E92 cards — and there’s a significant difference between them
1923 Fleer Cards are Tough Finds
While the first Fleer cards have not typically sold for big bucks, they are nearly impossible to find
Meet the Homers: Baseball Cards Found in Pre-War Old Maid Card Sets
Baseball cards are in some early versions of the popular card game
Revisiting the T207’s Big Three: Lewis, Lowdermilk, and Miller
Are the T207’s ‘Big Three’ cards really the keys to the set?
In the Mail: March 2020 Edition
The most recent In the Mail segment features some great pickups including a tough T207, some rare E90-1 American Caramels, and … other stuff
How a Random 1986 Topps Baseball Card Led to a Pre-War Card Obsession
Some collectors got their introduction to the baseball card hobby through an iconic vintage card — mine came in the form of a 1986 Topps common
As Documented on Early Cards, Umpiring is a Hard Business
Early baseball cards depict the rough life of an umpire
Obscure Card of the Month: To the Ball Game Playing Card
This month’s obscure card comes from a rare playing card set
Ty Cobb Autographed T206 Card Fetches $144K at Heritage Auction
The autographed T206 green background is the only known example
Topps Announces Allen & Ginter is Going Rogue … I Mean, Chrome
The popular reboot of the Allen & Ginter brand is getting a shiny new makeover
Few Baseball Cards Document Ruth’s Sole Boston Braves Season
Few cards or memorabilia items depict Babe Ruth’s final major league season with the Boston Braves
Continued Strength of the Pre-War Hobby Depends on … Modern Card Collecting?
Believe it or not, modern card collecting has much to do with the future of the pre-war card market
The Walter Johnson T207 is One Hideous Baseball Card
This rare tobacco card of the Hall of Famer Walter Johnson could be … better
T51 Murad Williams Basketball Tobacco Card on the Rise
An early tobacco basketball card is drawing attention — and increasing in value
Finding Shag: Shag Shaughnessy’s T206 Card can be a Tough Find
Shag Shaughnessy is one of the T206 Southern Leaguers that is difficult to find
Discovery of a Rare Cricket Trade Card Adds to an Uncataloged Sports Set
The discovery of a rare cricket trade card adds to an uncataloged sports set
Not all PSA (MK) Qualifiers are the Same
The dreaded (MK) designation on PSA cards usually means a significant drop in overall grade — but should it?
The Original Relic Cards: 1889 Duke Postage Stamp Set
This American tobacco card set featured actual postage stamps on the fronts
1936 Godfrey Phillips Famous Minors Set Spotlighted Early Years of Famous People
This 1930s UK tobacco card set includes famous people — with a twist
W515 Strip Cards Memorialized the “Tygers”
Turns out that a weird spelling for the Detroit Tigers isn’t a typo
Downgrading a Card — On Purpose
Collectors frequently upgrade cards but I’ve been known to downgrade some instead — here’s why.
Four Words: Don’t Forget the Signature
When shipping valuable sports cards, sometimes tracking just isn’t enough
1922 E120 American Caramel Albums are a Blast to the Past
These albums to hold a popular caramel card set are somewhat rare — and more affordable than you probably think
Beyond the Big Four: A Look at the Other Top T206 Cards
The T206 set is known for the Big Four — but there are plenty of key cards after those
Obscure Card of the Month: 1936 United Tobacco Sports & Pastimes of South Africa Baseball
This international tobacco card shows how the sport of baseball was spreading around the globe
Editor’s Notes (February 2020)
Here’s a look back at what happened on the site this past month
Rarity of Buck Weaver’s Cards Contributes to High Prices
Buck Weaver has relatively few cards — and almost all of them are rare
Johnny Evers and His Three T206 Cards
Here’s a closer look at the three cards of Hall of Famer Johnny Evers in the T206 set
Spotlight: Babe Ruth M101-4 and M101-5 Rookie Cards
Babe Ruth’s major league rookie cards are among the most valuable cards in the world
‘Cancelled’ 1923 Curtis Ireland Candy Cards Remain an Unsolved Mystery
‘Expired’ caramel cards from a 1920s contest are supposed to exist — but where are they?
Sifting Through O-Pee-Chee’s First Hockey Sets — The Amazing V304 Series
Let’s dive into the earliest O-Pee-Chee hockey cards — the V304 set
A Look at the Rarity of Goudey’s Baseball Card Sets
Let’s take a look at the rarity of all of Goudey’s baseball card sets
Five (More) Great Bargains in the T206 Set — Part II
Here are five (more) bargain commons found in the T206 set
1907 Cracker Jack Bears Postcard Predates Other Baseball Cards
An early 1900s baseball postcard was issued several years before Cracker Jack’s more famous baseball cards
Comparing the Rarity of 1914 and 1915 Cracker Jack Sets
How do the Cracker Jack sets compare against each other in terms of rarity?
What was Zee-Nut?
Many collectors have heard of Zee-Nut cards but don’t know anything about the product — or the song that was created for it
Five Great Bargains in T206 Commons
The T206 set has many great finds that can be bought for low prices
T205 Cubs Variations of Peaches Graham, Dave Shean Among Tougher Finds
Here’s a closer look at the rarer Cubs T205 variations for Peaches Graham and Dave Shean
A Look Inside the Scarce Fred Lindstrom 1930s U.S. Caramel Card
The Fred Lindstrom 1930s U.S. Caramel card is one of the true pre-war rarities
Editor’s Notes (December 2019)
Here’s a look back at what happened on the site this past month
Original Patent for T. Norpoth Playing Cards Game Rediscovered
Here’s a copy for the patent of a World War I baseball playing card set
In the Mail: New Years Edition
December’s card finds included Ty Cobb, a few sets, and, as usual, some pretty rare discoveries
The 2019 Year in Review
Here’s a look back at the news and discoveries in pre-war cards from the past year
Obscure Card of the Month: 1923 Sarony Origin of Games — Rounders/Baseball
This rare tobacco card depicts baseball in its early form
Behind the Lens: A Close-up Look at T206 Cards
Using a macro photography lens on the T206 card of Jack Warhop
Rewards of Merit Among the More Unique Pre-War Cards
Rewards of Merit cards highlighted good behavior and date back to the 1700s
Fixing the Chaos: How to Organize a Pre-War Card Collection
What’s the best way to organize a pre-war card collection?
Lack of Bob Feller Cards from Iconic Play Ball Sets is a Mystery
Why was one of baseball’s best pitchers entirely absent in some of the most recognizable early gum card sets?
Reviewing Mel Ott’s Two 1933 Goudey Cards
Let’s take a closer look at the two 1933 Goudey cards of Hall of Famer Mel Ott
A Look at Some of Ty Cobb’s Most Popular Cards
On Ty Cobb’s birthday, let’s take a look at his most popular baseball cards
Second E104 Nadja Fred Tenney Card Discovered, Auctioned by Heritage
Another copy of the rare Fred Tenney E104 Nadja card has surfaced and was recently sold
Confirming a New Willie Keeler E90-1 American Caramel Variation
A fourth Willie Keeler E90-1 card has been discovered
1941 Goudey Set is Wrought with Problems
The unpopular 1941 Goudey set has a litany of issues that hardly make it worthwhile for most collectors
Baker’s Dozen: The Top 13 Pre-War Baseball Card Sets of All-Time
Here’s one man’s rankings of the top pre-war baseball card sets in history
Pre-War Bargains: John McGraw Polo Grounds Postcards
A series of postcards featuring Hall of Famer John McGraw are among the cheapest around
Sound Too Good to be True? It Probably is.
The story of a Babe Ruth strip card is a good reminder of the old adage
Reviewing the Horizontals in the E90-1 American Caramel Set
The popular candy card set has five horizontal cards in it — how do they stack up against each other?
Existing Sets were Popular Targets for Bread Card Releases
Bakeries were experts in the recycling of baseball card sets
SGC Now Offers Scans of Collectors’ Graded Cards
SGC will now provide customers with high definition scans of their graded cards
Frank Chance and His Three T206 Cards
Let’s take a look at the three T206 cards of Hall of Famer Frank Chance
I’ll Fight You Here, There, or Anywhere
A look at the strange scenery in the T220 Boxing Champions set
Johnny Seigle (Siegle) and his Strange E90-1 American Caramel Card
What exactly is Johnny Siegle doing in the E90-1 American Caramel set?
Obscure Card of the Month: 1901 Hill Flags and Flags with Soldiers (America)
The Obscure Card of the Month is an early tobacco American flag issue
Editor’s Notes (November 2019)
Here’s a look back at what happened on the site this past month
In the Mail: Pre-Thanksgiving Card Buying
This week’s card pickups included caramel cards, strip cards, and a rare international card
The Three Words that Baseball Card Buyers Never Want to Hear
One simple phrase will usually have prospective buyers running in the opposite direction
Four Things Missing from the Iconic T205 Set
While nearly perfect, the T205 set is missing a few things
Harvard-Yale Rivalry Led to Early Pre-War Football Cards
Numerous early football cards were created surrounding the longtime Harvard-Yale rivalry
In the Mail: One Crazy Week of Card Buying
The past week included some serious card buying
Too Many Sets, Too Little Time (and Money)
Establishing and breaking limitations in the grand world of set collecting
Making a Card Trade Via Mail? Here’s Some Tips and Proper Etiquette.
Here are some keys to help make your mail trades go smoothly
A 1921 New York Times Pictorial Led to a Common Babe Ruth Card
The publication was the basis for one of Ruth’s popular early candy cards
Behind the Lens: A Close-Up Look at T205 Cards
Using a macro photography lens on the T205 card of Red Kleinow
A Look at Joe Tinker’s Four T206 Cards
The Hall of Famer is one of the most featured players in the T206 set
Edmonton Grads are Subjects on Some of the Earliest Basketball Cards
The famous Edmonton Grads are today’s Google Doodle – here’s a look at their early cards
A Look Through the Various Types of Images Found in the T206 Set
The T206 set covers just about everything in terms of its images
A Look Inside the Popular 1888 Allen & Ginter American Indian Chiefs Set (N2)
The N2 Allen & Ginter set remains one of the top pre-war non-sports releases
A Rare eBay Find of Ogden’s Tobacco Cards Brought Plenty of Surprises
Finding a complete subset of Ogden’s Tabs General Interest cards yielded some surprises and an elite athlete
Studying Nap Lajoie’s Three T206 Cards
Let’s take a look at the three T206 cards of Hall of Famer Nap Lajoie
Fred McMullin Makes Black Sox Collecting Difficult
While there are biggest names from the infamous Black Sox team, Fred McMullin’s cards are the toughest to find
Baseball, Beer, and Golf make for One Tough Pre-War Find
The rare set includes two Hall of Famers
Dating Pre-War Cards is not Always Easy
Trying to determine a pre-war card’s specific origins can be difficult
Obak Cards are a Set Collector’s Nightmare
The Obak cards are great — unfortunately, building an entire set is extremely challenging
Earn up to 10% in New eBay Bucks Promotion
Another eBay Bucks promotion is here
Despite Rising Prices, Low-Grade T206 Cards Remain Budget-Friendly
Bargains can still be had from the popular T206 set
Cycling Cards of the Legendary Major Taylor Draw Heavy Interest
Pre-war cards of the early star sell for relatively strong prices
Obscure Card of the Month: Walter Johnson W516-2-2 Scrap
A recent pickup was one of my favorites of the entire year
