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1971 House of Jazz Specs
Year: 1971
Title: House of Jazz
Size: 2 3/8″ x 3 1/2″
Number in Set: 35
1971 House of Jazz 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 without a sticker than with one.
1971 House of Jazz Examples And Sales
PSA has encapsulated just 193 across the set with 61 as Gem Mint 10s like the following Ernie Banks that REA sold in August 2022 for $1,980.
Despite the shortage of graded examples, one collector has managed to put together 91.43% of the set; Teds 1971 House of Jazz on the Set Registry. Another, baseballcrazy62 has 54.29% of it.
Here are a few examples of high-grade individual card sales from the set:
- 1971 House of Jazz Jackie Robinson PSA 10: $2,520 in May 2023
- 1971 House of Jazz Ernie Banks PSA 10: $1,980 in August 2022
- 1971 House of Jazz Babe Ruth PSA 10: $1,560 in May 2023
- 1971 House of Jazz Lou Gehrig PSA 10: $1,560 in May 2023
- 1971 House of Jazz Satchel Paige PSA 10: $1,5000 in December 2024
- 1971 House of Jazz Joe Dimaggio PSA 10: $1,000 in December 2024
- 1971 House of Jazz Willie Mays PSA 9: $630 in May 2023
- 1971 House of Jazz Ted Williams PSA 9: $450 in June 2025
1971 House of Jazz 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.
1971 House of Jazz 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