The Zee-Nut sets are largely made up of baseball obscurities and one in particular caught my eye recently
Articles
Let’s Look at the E91 American Caramel Poses — All 33 of Them
Here’s a look at all of the 33 poses used in the E91 American Caramel set
Skinned Cards Can Be Great Low-Grade Finds
While not technically high-grade, skinned cards often look like it
A Trio of Unknowns are Keys to the T207 Set
A Trio of Unknowns are Keys to the T207 Set and Worth Thousands
Buck Ewing leads a tired cast of baseball players in the N29 Allen & Ginter set
Unlike the star-studded N28 Allen & Ginter set, the baseball players in the follow-up N29 set leave a lot to be desired
Latest Honus Wagner T206 Card Tops $1.35 Million
The PSA 2 Honus Wagner T206 card sold for big bucks in a recent Mile High auction
The T205 Equivalent of the T206 Big Four
We all know about the T206’s Big Four — but what about a Big Four for the T205 set?
Could Gold be Struck at a Recent Flea Market Stop?
Was it possible to find a hidden gem in an unexpected trip to the flea market?
The Original “Junk Era” Cards Came Much Earlier than Most Realize
The junk era of trading cards began more than a century before most thought it did
T206 is Only One Small Part of American Pre-War Tobacco Baseball Sets
While popular, T206 isn’t the only tobacco card set out there
A Cheap Find Leads to a Post-War Distraction
Inexpensive Bowman cards derailed my pre-war tendencies … and I’m not sorry
The Dreaded Plain White Envelope (PWE) — When is it Suitable for Shipping Cards?
Using a PWE for shipping baseball cards isn’t always a great idea, but it does work for some situations
The Ins and Outs of Binder Storage
Binders are my ‘go to’ for baseball card storage and there are ways to store nearly everything in them
E90-2 and E90-3 American Caramel cards are routinely ‘lost in the shuffle’
The brethren to the popular E90-1 American Caramel release are often forgotten — here’s why
Al Schacht’s 1939 Play Ball Card is … Something
Where can you find a baseball player sliding into a base while wearing a suit? The 1939 Play Ball set, of course.
Debating the Ugliness of the W512 and W515 Ty Cobb Strip Cards
One of the greatest players of all time has two very ugly cards
The Story of the 1940 Play Ball Roy Hobbs Cards from the Natural
Here’s the rundown on the famous Roy Hobbs baseball cards from the iconic movie, The Natural
Obscure Card of the Month: 1888 N86 Duke Perilous Occupations (Baseball Umpire)
This rare pre-war 19th century tobacco baseball card details the difficulties of early umpiring
Monthly Site Updates (September 2019)
Here’s a look at what happened on the site last month
Wildfire Schulte: An MVP with Dirt Cheap Cards
Wildfire Schulte is among the many pre-war bargains to be found
Baseball Anatomy and Pre-War Sets that Focused on Body Parts
Some pre-war cards include a focus on specific anatomy of baseball players
Little Will-Burr One of Least Known E-Cards
A rare E-card is mostly overlooked by sports collectors
One Man’s Journey in (Mostly) Slaying the T206 Monster
Nearly four years ago, I built a 520-card T206 set – here’s the story behind it
When Does a Card Cease to be a Card?
There’s card damage … and then there’s card damage
The T206 Big Four: Honus Wagner (Part IV of IV)
The final part of the T206 Big Four series covers the iconic Honus Wagner card
The T206 Big Four: Joe Doyle Error (Part III of IV)
A look at the six-figure error card is the latest installment in this series of articles on the T206 Big Four
Obscure Card of the Month: 1892 Keystone John Sullivan-Jim Corbett Stereoview
This month’s Obscure Card of the Month depicts one of the most famous boxing matches of all time
The T206 Big Four: Sherry Magie Error (Part II of IV)
Part II of the T206 Big Four series takes a look at the Sherry Magie error card
COMC the Latest Site to be Hit by Dealers of Altered Cards
Blowout alleges that altered cards have made their way onto the COMC site
The T206 Big Four: Eddie Plank (Part I of IV)
The first part of this series takes a close look at the shortprinted Eddie Plank card
Autograph Collecting Spotlighted in the 1920s Through a Pre-War Tobacco Set
A pre-war tobacco set proved that autograph collecting was alive and well in the 1920s
1915 Cope’s Boxers set Highlighted Fighters’ Call to Duty in World War I
The somewhat rare pre-war boxing tobacco card set included boxers … as military men
Despite occasional hiccups, eBay remains this collector’s ‘go to’
For buyers, eBay isn’t perfect … but it’s close
Monthly Site Updates (August 2019)
Here’s a look back at what happened on the site in August
PSA Makes Registry Upgrades
The third party grader is expanding its registry capabilities
Breaking Down the Two Types of 1922 Neilson’s Chocolate Cards
Let’s take a look at the two different types of the popular Canadian candy cards
Baseball Subjects are Only One Small Part of the Pre-War Card Era
Baseball cards lead the way but they are only a fraction of sports cards from the era
Varied Sunsets are Among the Unique Cards in the E90-1 American Caramel Set
Unique sunsets add to the diversity of one of the most popular early candy issues
When Your Favorite Card Isn’t Necessarily Your Most Expensive One
What’s the prized possession in your sports card collection?
1930s Ty-phoo Tea Trade Cards’ Odd Link to Sports
What do golf and tennis have to do with Ugandan cotton or Australian wool?
Bleaching Claims Among the Latest Alleged Pre-War Baseball Card Alterations
The latest alleged alterations being found are for pre-war cards that have been bleached
Generic Subjects Doesn’t Always Equate to Inexpensive Cards
While cards picturing generic subjects are often cheap, that isn’t always the case
A Study of the Rarity of E90-1 American Caramel Variations
Which variations in the popular candy card set are the tougher ones to find?
100+ Years Later, E98, E101, and E102 Set Distributors Remain Anonymous
The distributors of three caramel card sets remains a mystery to collectors
‘Average Joe’ Baseball Cards are Buried in the 1925 Dominion Chocolate Set
The popular multi-sport Canadian set is home to two obscure baseball players
Two Types of 1878 Huntley and Palmers Biscuit Cards are Known
There are two types of these popular trade cards with distinctly different designs
New Threat on eBay with Pre-War Card Offerings from China
An increasing number of sketchy pre-war card offerings are popping up on eBay
T206 Mathewson Dark Cap vs. White Cap — Pick Your Poison
These two Christy Mathewson tobacco cards may be similar but they’re hardly the same
Athletes are the Keys in the Rare D146 Thrilling Moments Set
The few athletes found in this 1930s set are the most important cards
Babe Ruth Card Helps Correct Dating in D32 Drake’s Cake Set
A card of the Babe proves dating a movie card set has been incorrect
Short Card Measurements are not Always an Indicator of Alterations
In the pre-war era, card sizes were not always consistent
One 1921 Schapira Babe Ruth Card Isn’t Like the Others
Collectors looking to buy a 1921 Schapira Babe Ruth card should keep one simple thing in mind
Mike Donovan Cards Stand Out in the T220 Boxing Champions Set
A pair of unique cards are buried away in a popular boxing tobacco card issue
USA Today is the Latest to Tackle the Altered Cards Scandal
USA Today covered the ongoing scandal in an article on Tuesday
The Evolution of Card Collecting
Here’s a quick overview of how American sports cards have evolved over the years
Differences in the 1930s National Chicle Fine Pens and Goudey Wide Pens Sets
While there are similarities in the Fine Pens and Wide Pens sets, there are plenty of differences, too
Lefty O’Doul Cards Sell at Hall of Fame Level
O’Doul didn’t reach Cooperstown but the prices for his cards remain strong
A Book in 1986 Provided a Glimpse into Pre-War Cards for This Collector
A 1980s book helped introduce pre-war and vintage cards to this collector
(Not) Live from the National: Weekend
What happened at the National over the weekend? Plenty!
(Not) Live from the National: Wednesday/Thursday
Shenanigans from a guy who is definitely not at the National Sports Collectors Convention
Monthly Site Updates (July 2019)
Here’s a look back at what happened on the site in July.
The Collector/Investor Distinction is a Vague One
While most of us might consider ourselves to be true collectors, keeping the investment part out of our cards is quite difficult
The 1937 O-Pee-Chee Set Begins with No. 100 Instead of No. 1 — But Why?
For some reason, the 1937 O-Pee-Chee set begins at No. 100 instead of No. 1 — but why?
Despite Lack of Teams, no Shortage of Pre-War Major League Baseball Cards in Canada
Numerous major league sets surfaced in Canada during the pre-war era
This Week’s National Sports Collectors Convention Should be … Interesting?
With a major scandal on altered cards rocking the industry, the year’s biggest sports card show is surrounded by intrigue
Rare Babe Ruth 1933 Goudey Copyright and Proof Cards in REA Auction
The two Ruth cards are among the more unique items available in the auction
The 1929 Liebig Humorous Sports Set is Bonkers. That is All.
This rare trade card set is ridiculous by any reasonable standards — and it’s glorious
It’s One of Honus Wagner’s Rarest Cards — and it’s a Virtual Unknown
Many questions surround a scarce tobacco card of the Hall of Famer
Rare 1894-95 N300 Mayo Tobacco Cards Latest Alleged Alterations in Blowout Scandal
Some tough 19th century tobacco cards are called out as altered in recent Blowout forum posts
With New Additions to 1938 Sawyer Biscuit Checklist, What Others Could Appear?
Here are five players that could surface in the growing 1938 Sawyer Biscuit cabinet photos set
Challenging the Big Three Card Grading Companies Hasn’t Proven Easy — Here’s Why.
While room exists in the marketplace, third party grading companies have found challenging PSA, SGC, and Beckett to be difficult
Washington Post Covers Altered Baseball Cards Scandal
The altered baseball cards scandal remains in the spotlight with another national news piece — this time from the Washington Post
Gum, Inc.’s 1940 Superman Set Remains a Favorite with Collectors (It’s Valuable, too)
Cards from the popular non-sports set are on par with many baseball cards
Massive W514 Set is King of the Strip Card Issues
When it comes to baseball strip card sets, the W514 release stands alone at the top
The Emergence of … Strip Cards?
Prices for Hall of Famers and big names in strip cards sets are doing quite well
Lou Gehrig’s Strange Disappearance in the 1930s Goudey Sets
The removal of the legendary baseball player from Goudey’s later sets has confused collectors for decades
Tolstoi Backs are a Tough Find in the T218 Champions Set
Tolstoi backs are rarely seen in the popular multi-sport tobacco card set
A Particular eBay Phrase Generally Means You Should do One thing — Run
Lots of red flags appear in suspicious eBay listings but one in particular is usually bad news
The Disappearance of the Set Collector
Fewer and fewer baseball card collectors are pursuing entire sets. Consider me a holdout.
Wanna Buy a Honus Wagner T206 for $100? Here’s your Chance … Sort of.
Collectors will soon have a chance to own a portion of the iconic card for only $100
When a White Whale Shows Up and Panic Hits
I panicked about a rare soccer card until the mailman delivered it into my fat, greedy hands
Babe Ruth’s Most Underrated Cards
Here are my top picks for the most undervalued cards of legendary slugger, Babe Ruth
Elite Athletes and Strange Tales are Buried in the 1934 Garbaty Moderne Schonheitsgalerie (Modern Beauty) Set
Hall of Famers, Olympic gold medalists, and even a famous aviator are among the keys found in a rare tobacco card set
Second Shoeless Joe Jackson Rookie Card is Alleged to be Altered
The five-figure card is among the most iconic pre-war cards around
Rare E229 National Licorice and D353 Champions Sets Rare and Virtually Forgotten
The E229 and D353 sets are rare ‘Champions’ issues that mostly fly under the radar
Massive Pre-War Card Find Includes Stars … and a Rare Babe Ruth Rookie Card
A newly identified collection includes numerous Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, and Honus Wagner cards
Pre-War Cards Site Expansion Announcement
The Pre-War Cards site is set to grow a bit more
One of the Most Patriotic Pre-War Baseball Cards is in a Rare 19th Century Set
The N557 Little Rhody set has various sports, countries, and a heavy dose of American patriotism
The Unusual Story of an Expensive Uncle Sam Card in a Rare Tobacco Issue
This rare pre-war Uncle Sam tobacco card in rough shape will cost you four figures
The Role of Qualifiers in PSA Grading … and Their Effect on a Card’s Price
What are qualifiers in PSA grading and how do they affect a card’s value?
A Closer Look at Ernie Lombardi’s Four 1938 Goudey Variations
The Hall of Fame catcher has twice as many cards as he should in the odd 1938 Goudey set The 1938 Goudey set has 48
Card Altering and the Registry Problem
Behind the scenes, altered cards have created another problem — how they affect graded registries
Ranking Goudey’s Sets from Worst to First
Goudey produced several baseball card sets and here’s my not-so-definitive ranking of them
Poll: What is the Oldest Card in Your Collection?
How old do your sports cards go?
Monthly Site Updates (June 2019)
Last month was a crazy one on the site.
The ‘Restoration’ Conversation in the Sports Card Market has Conflicting Views
While alterations are widely being frowned upon, there’s no true consensus
When Card Doctoring Goes Wrong: Rare Christy Mathewson Tobacco Card Sees Loss
Most of the alleged alterations on the Blowout forum rose in value — but not all
World’s Largest T206 Collection? 5,000+ Cards to Enter Marketplace.
A rather large collection of T206 cards is headed to the auction block … but how will it impact the hobby?
Rare Five-Figure Babe Ruth Caramel Card Latest Alleged Pre-War Alteration
The Babe Ruth card alleged to be altered saw a price gain of nearly $20,000
Lou Gehrig Autographed 1933 Goudey-Like Photo Tops $100,000
A photograph that is nearly identical to the pose used on Lou Gehrig’s 1933 Goudey cards sold for big bucks
