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1963 IDL Pittsburgh Steelers Specs
Year: 1963
Title: IDL Pittsburgh Steelers
Size: 4″ by 5″
Number in Set: 26
1963 IDL Pittsburgh Steelers Overview
A cooperative of independent drugstores issued the 1963 Independent Drugstores League (IDL) Pittsburgh Steelers set. The cards are unnumbered, blank-backed, and printed on a relatively thin, magazine cover-like paper. Collectors may be able to find some cards with a specific drugstore’s address stamped on the back.
The photos of many players look odd because the images are of cropped action shots only showing the faces and upper bodies of the player.
The cards display the IDL Drug Store logo on the bottom front-left corner of the card. The player’s name is centered on the bottom in capital black letters.
1963 IDL Pittsburgh Steelers Examples and Sales
Mile High Card Company sold a complete set of these cards for $288 in September 2025.

PSA has graded 75 of these Steelers cards, mostly in the 6/7 range.

As you can see, while the cards are relatively rare, they’re also pretty inexpensive. Here are a few graded sales:
- 1963 IDL Steelers Ed Brown PSA 5: $14.30 in June 2025
- 1963 IDL Steelers Lou Cordileone PSA 5: $12.6 in June 2025
- 1963 IDL Steelers Dick Hoak PSA 4: $9.38 in June 2025
- 1963 IDL Steelers John Reger PSA 4: $6.50 in June 2025
I do see that a few raw copies of Ernie Stautner have sold for $170 in March 2024, $71.95 in January 2025, and $45 in October 2023.
1963 IDL Pittsburgh Steelers Key Cards
John Henry Johnson and Ernie Stautner are considered the headliners.
1963 IDL Pittsburgh Steelers Checklist
Frank Atkinson
Jim Bradshaw
Ed Brown
John Burrell
Preston Carpenter
Lou Cordileone
Buddy Dial
Bob Ferguson
Glenn Glass
Dick Haley
Dick Hoak
John Henry Johnson
Brady Keys
Joe Krupa
Ray Lemek
Red Mack
Lou Michaels
Bill Nelsen
Buzz Nutter
Myron Pottios
John Reger
Mike Sandusky
Ernie Stautner
George Tarasovic
Clendon Thomas
Tom Tracy