While sports cards were issued starting around the 1860s, most collectors didn’t start buying and selling them until much later
Articles
Rare 1935 Illustrated Current News Supplement Boasts ‘Rookies’ of Jesse Owens, Joe Louis
A unique supplement features the two legends before they became all-time greats and predates their 1936 ‘sophomore’ issues
Jefferson Burdick Discusses the Practice of Card Soaking in the American Card Catalog
The first American Card Catalog briefly discussed the topic of soaking cards
Major League Rookie Card of Chick Gandil Highlights the E90-3 American Caramel Set
The rookie card of Black Sox ‘middleman’ Chick Gandil is the key to American Caramel’s E90-3 release
In the Mail (January 2022)
Last month saw me complete three sets, start a couple more, and add a few unique singles
Ah, Yes, the Infamous Clark(e) Boys
The Clarke brothers, Fred and Josh, both had typos on some famous pre-war baseball cards
Even with Increasing Prices, Here’s Why I Believe Pre-War Cards Can Continue to Rise
You can point to one post-war card in particular and see that there’s plenty of room for even more growth in the pre-war marketplace
Breaking Two Modern Boxes of Panini Baseball Cards for No Good Reason
On a spur of the moment purchase, I opened two boxes of modern baseball cards. It went as bad as I expected.
1981 Diamond Stars ‘Extension’ Recreated Alleged Planned Set Additions
In 1981, a hobby shop issued what are believed to be planned additions to the popular 1930s Diamond Stars set
The Strange Appearance of Hall of Fame Boxer James Corbett in a Non-Sports Set
Boxing legend James Corbett is found in the unlikeliest of tobacco card sets
Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, and … Carl Hubbell — How the Pitcher Earned His 1933 Goudey Sport Kings Appearance
Some have questioned Carl Hubbell’s inclusion as one of three baseball players in the 1933 Goudey Sport Kings set — but he was well deserving
Two International Releases are Cited as Shirley Temple’s Earliest Cards
The documented ‘rookie cards’ of Shirley Temple date to 1934 and were printed outside of the U.S.
Obscure Card of the Month: 1915 Stollwerck Chocolates Ice Hockey Card
The Obscure Card of the Month is a Rare Hockey Card
Recapping My Favorite Pickups in 2021 (Part 2)
Here’s Part 2 of my 2021 recap of my favorite card pickups.
What’s Next for Collecting in 2022? Well, I’ve Got an Idea.
While I don’t have 2022 collecting goals, I do have a solid idea of what I’ll be chasing this year
Recapping My Favorite Pickups in 2021 (Part 1)
Here’s a look at Part 1 of my favorite card pickups from 2021
A Look at Some of Santa Claus’ Earliest Trading Cards
Santa Claus is featured on numerous cards from the 19th century
Buying UK Cigarette Cards? Watch for the Dreaded Four Corners Disease.
There’s a common flaw on international cigarette cards and it often goes unnoticed
An Obscure 1920s Men of America Booklet is the Most Recognized Rookie Card of Kenesaw Mountain Landis
Kenesaw Mountain Landis has a single pre-war cataloged issue making it a rookie card to many collectors
19th Century N245 Kinney Sweet Caporal Actors and Actresses Set is Full of Unknown Names — and Bargains
The massive N245 Kinney Sweet Caporal Actors and Actresses cards are some of the least expensive from the 19th century
In the Mail (December 2021)
Here’s a look at my most interesting pickups from last month
“Our Quarterback” Football Postcard Commemorated President Franklin D. Roosevelt
This unique postcard combined football with politics, featuring president FDR
Comic Strips, Women in the Workplace, and Baseball — Tracing the Origins of the 1927 Rinkeydink Stamps
Here’s a look back at the mysterious origins of those 1927 Rinkeydink Baseball Stamps
1888 Kitchel’s Liniment Trade Card with Baseball Testimonials Discovered
A rare 19th century baseball trade card for S.B. Kitchel’s famous liniment surfaces
Thomas Edison’s Polyform Trade Card is One of His Earliest Issues — and it’s Controversial
This 19th century trade card of famous scientist Thomas Edison might be his first card. If nothing else, it comes with plenty of controversy.
Obscure Card of the Month: 1903 Joseph Tetlow Princeton Basketball
The Obscure Card of the Month is one of the earliest basketball cards ever produced
Interest for early Jesse Owens track and field cards has spiked
The earliest cards of the legendary Jesse Owens are rising in value
Love of the Game Fall Auction Includes Pre-War and Vintage Rarities
Love of the Game’s Fall Auction is headlined by vintage cards, including a rare 1917 Babe Ruth Collins-McCarthy
A Cricket Card in the Wills Sports of All Nations Set Appears to Depict the Legendary W.G. Grace
While the Wills Sports of All Nations set includes generic subjects, at least one looks like famous cricketer W.G. Grace
The Collector Connection’s Monthly Auction Dedicated Exclusively to Pre-War Goodies
The current auction from The Collector Connection’s got Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Lou Gehrig, Cy Young — and a lot more
In the Mail (November 2021)
Here’s a look at some of my more interesting pickups from last month
A Closer Look at Hal Chase’s Three T205 Baseball Cards
Hal Chase has three cards in the T205 set — here’s a look at all of them, including pricing and rarity
A Familiar Bufford Trade Card Image Variation Spotted
A holiday variation exists for one of the earliest known hockey cards
One-of-a-Kind Cy Young Rose Company Postcard up for Auction
An ultra-rare Rose Company baseball postcard featuring the legendary Cy Young is up for grabs
Rare Runkel’s Cocoa Baseball Trade Card Surfaces
I recently bought a baseball card and, well, I know nothing about it
Trade cards weren’t always advertisements
While most trade cards advertised a product or business, that wasn’t always the case
Wanna buy a T206 set overnight? Here’s what it’ll cost you.
You can buy every one of the cards needed to build a 520-card T206 set on eBay. The bad news? It’ll cost you.
Obscure Card of the Month: Buchner Morning Glory Maidens Baseball Card
The Obscure Card of the Month is a rare 19th century baseball tobacco card
A New, Undiscovered N694 Risido-Like Card Sells in Recent Auction
An eighth subject in the rare 19th century Risido Cigars (N694) set has surfaced — sort of
Sports a Highlight in 1937 Wills Our King and Queen Set
There’s golf, tennis, and more in this UK tobacco card set featuring royalty
Early Amelia Earhart card tops National Chicle’s Sky Birds set
The 1930s National Chicle Sky Birds set contains one of the few contemporary cards of Amelia Earhart — and it’s her most popular one
In the Mail (October 2021)
Last month included a large amount of new, unusual pickups for my collection — here are a few of them
Obscure Card of the Month: 1901-02 Ogden’s Tabs General Interest Hockey Card
The Obscure Card of the Month is a rare ice hockey card in the Ogden’s Tabs General Interest Set
Editor’s Notes: October 2021
This month’s Editor’s Notes looks at the large site update, currently underway
1911 T38 Aviators Set Focused on the Pioneers of Flight
Despite having only 25 cards, the 1911 T38 Aviators set is harder than it seems
Long-Awaited Major Pre-War Cards Site Update is Coming
Numerous new sports card set descriptions will shortly be added to the Pre-War Cards website
1910 C60 Imperial Lacrosse Lot Yields Unusual Find
A rare print error surfaces in a tough pre-war tobacco card set
A Look at the T207 Rookie Card of Buck Weaver
The rookie card of Buck Weaver is one of the keys found in the T207 set — and I think it’s a bargain
A Pre-War Recap from the Monroeville Card Show
The Annual ‘Pittsburgh’ Card Show provided a nice selection of pre-war as well as a few surprises
A Review of Early Auto Racing Cards
Early motor racing cards aren’t commonplace — but they are out there
Some Risque 1940s Mutoscope Exhibit Cards Combined Women with Sports
The popular Mutoscope exhibit cards include racy shots, sports, and were spread out over several years
The Cards of Camille du Gast, the First Female Auto Racing Star
Camille du Gast has few cards but was the first true female star in motor racing
In the Mail (September 2021)
Here’s a look at some of my more unique pickups last month
Reviewing the 1910-11 Types of Nations Set (T113)
This 50-card T113 Types of Nations tobacco card set covers the globe and includes a pair of cards for America
Discovering a New York Coffee Die-Cuts Trade Card Set
Little is known about this 19th century sports trade card set
Obscure Card of the Month: 1878 Huntley & Palmers Baseball Trade Card
This 19th century trade card appears to be one of the earliest known baseball issues
Editor’s Notes: September 2021
Here are news and notes from the past month, including new set additions
Comparing the 1910 E75 and E76 American Caramel Prize Fighter Cards
The E75 and E76 American Caramel boxing cards are similar but different
Twice the Fun: A Second Similar Caramel Card ‘Scrap’ Surfaces
A second Richard Montague caramel card ‘scrap’ surfaces
Heinie Groh Card Adds (Again) to the 1921 Self Developing Strip Cards Checklist
A collector steps forward with yet another addition to the 1921 Self Developing Strip Cards Checklist
The Hidden Rookie Card of Hall of Famer Ross Youngs
This Ross Youngs’ Rookie Card Isn’t Necessarily Easy to Find
1921 Self Developing Strip Card Checklist Expands with Six New Cards
A recent discovery of the rare 1921 Self Developing Strip Cards led to several new checklist additions
Let’s Flip: T207 Set Binder
Here’s a page by page flip through of the T207 baseball card set in a binder
Pre-War Gems Highlight the Latest Love of the Game Auction
Love of the Game’s 2021 Summer Auction includes key pre-war cards
American Tobacco Company’s T68 Set a Key Historical Non-Sports Release
Two series’ and 100 cards make up one of the more notable non-sports tobacco releases in the pre-war era
Reviewing a 19th Century Ketterlinus Trade Cards Set — with Sports
This trade card set from the 1800s features children playing a variety of sports
Sports Featured in 1881 J&P Coats Trade Cards
Some of the earliest trade cards from this thread manufacturer focused on minor sports
Let’s Flip: T205 Set Binder
Here’s a page by page flip through of the T205 baseball card set in a binder
Let’s Flip: T206 Set Binder
Here’s a page by page flip through of the T206 baseball card set in a binder
Honus Wagner T206 baseball card sets new record as most valuable
Honus Wagner T206 sets a new record as highest-sold sports card in latest REA auction
In the Mail (August 2021)
Here’s a look at some of my more unique pre-war pickups from the past month
The Endless Supply of Early Sports Comic Postcards Means Low Prices
The early 1900s saw a major increase in postcard production — and many of those were comedic and sports-related
Pre-War Pickings from the National
Here are some of my more interesting finds at the National As I wrote here, I had the chance to head to the National Sports
Here’s My Big, Bad Recap of the National
Cards, food, and more cards — here’s how I spent three fun-filled days at the National Sports Collectors Convention
A T205, T206, and T207 Set Run is Finally Complete
A rare T207 shortprint ends a long collecting journey
Obscure Card of the Month: The Game of Sports Baseball Card
The Obscure Card of the Month is a baseball card from a multi-sport game set
Editor’s Notes: August 2021 (National Edition)
This month’s Editor’s Notes gives a brief rundown on the National card show
Your Best Bets for Inexpensive T206 Hall of Famers
Here are some of the more affordable Hall of Famers you’ll find in the T206 set
Buried in a pre-war lot, this Red Murray card provides plenty of intrigue
This caramel card oddity leaves a lot of questions with no real answers
One Stollwerck’s Chocolate Sports Set Stands Out Among the Rest
If you’re looking for sports cards in the massive Stollwerck set, subset #566 is the one to find
Reviewing a recent find of blank-backed caramel cards
A recent find uncovered some rare pre-war blank backs
Skip the Blaster: 1933 Goudey Joe Moore
How about a 1930s rookie card from a popular set of a star player at a low price?
Looking for Pre-War Boxing? Start with these Sets.
Looking to get into boxing cards? Here are seven pre-war sets that are affordable and, in some cases, even downright cheap.
Plenty of Intrigue Surrounds Rare Joe Louis Wittone Trade Card
There are several questions around a trade card of the former heavyweight world championÂ
In the Mail (July 2021)
Here’s a look at some of my more unique pickups from last month
Third 1915-16 Obsequio de Susini Baseball Card Remains a Mystery
A baseball scene in a rare tobacco card set offers plenty of intrigue
Obscure Card of the Month: 1888 Duke Comic Characters Off His Base
The Obscure Card of the Month is a rare 19th century baseball issue
Editor’s Notes: July 2021
Here’s a look at news and notes from around the hobby, as well as recent updates to the site
1908 Garfield’s Tea Syrup Documented the Historic New York-Paris Auto Race
These pre-war trade cards covered one of the most famous auto races of all time
In the Mail (June 2021)
Here’s a look at some of my more unique pickups from the past month
Blue Background Joe Tinker E90-3 American Caramel Card Not a True Variation
A blue background variation of Joe Tinker’s E90-3 American Caramel card is almost certainly a print error instead of a true variation
Tobler Chocolates Cards a Large, Diverse International Series
The Swiss chocolate maker issued hundreds of early 1900s trading cards
Stollwerck Chocolate cards tried to predict the year 2000. It didn’t work out.
It’s the Year 2000 — why are your policemen not flying?
Sports Cards are the Keys to the Felix Potin Chocolates Series
The athletes pictured on these candy cards issued out of France are generally the most valuable ones in the massive series
Skip the Blaster: Joe Gordon / Red Ruffing 1941 Double Play
This 1941 Double Play card is a relative bargain with two Hall of Famers
Babe Ruth 1914 Baltimore News minor league card breaks record
The minor league rookie card of The Babe is now the most valuable sports card ever sold
Beckett to suspend most grading operations on June 7
The popular third-party grader is temporarily suspending grading services to focus on backlog
Obscure Card of the Month: J. Baines Shield Quebec Baseball Card
Few collectors realize it but baseball made its way into the J. Baines Shield series
Editor’s Notes: June 2021
Here’s a look at news and notes from around the hobby, as well as recent updates to the site
Honus Wagner T206 Card Sells for Record Amount
A Honus Wagner T206 card just sold for more than $3.6 million
Pre-War Cards 