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Specs
Year: 1971
Title: House of Jazz
Size: 2 3/8″ x 3 1/2″
Number in Set: 35
Overview
The 1971 House of Jazz set has been a bit controversial and had its legitimacy questioned for a long time. That is most likely because the cards were unlicensed. You can see that the Ted Williams, Babe Ruth, and Mickey Mantle images were all taken from other sets.
The cards were a regional issue that the House of Jazz supposedly gave away with music purchases at the House of Jazz in Glenside, PA; one card with each record purchase.
I’ve read that Ted Taylor was likely the creator of the cards. He, with Bob Schmierer, ran the original Philly card show, which had locations in Willow Grove and Fort Washington, PA.
The unnumbered cards are black and white with round corners. The backs are blank. However, some backs have a blue and white address sticker for House of Jazz LTD. You’re more likely to find a card with a sticker than with one.
Example
Key Cards
The belief is that the Mickey Mantle and Stan Lopata cards are the rarest and that fewer than 100 cards for each player exist. The Mantle is the set’s key card, though, with his dominance in the post-war market. Any card from the set is tough to find graded, though; PSA has encapsulated just 129 across the set.
Checklist
John Antonelli
Richie Ashburn
Ernie Banks
Hank Bauer
Joe Dimaggio
Bobby Doerr
Herman Franks
Lou Gehrig
Granny Hamner
Al Kaline
Harmon Killebrew
Jim Konstanty
Bob Lemon
Ed Lopat
Stan Lopata
Peanuts Lowrey
Mickey Mantle
Phil Marchildon
Walt Masterson
Ed Mathews
Willie Mays
Don Newcombe
Joe Nuxhall
Satchel Paige
Roy Partee
Jackie Robinson
Babe Ruth
Carl Scheib
Bobby Shantz
Burt Shotton
Duke Snider
Warren Spahn
Johnny Temple
Ted Williams
Early Wynn