When flipping through Heritage’s July 11-12 2025 Summer Sports Card Catalog Auction, I wasn’t sure what I’d write about. There’s no shortage of eye-popping material, but I wasn’t in the mood to chase six-figure headlines. Then I stumbled on a group of six Venezuelan baseball albums, and just like that, I had my angle.
First, I’m a hobby library guy. Second, I just featured the 1968 Venezuelan Topps album in The Post War Cards Newsletter #38, and it reminded me how deep and overlooked this part of the hobby really is. Third, these are cool, challenging, and story-rich collectibles that still sit within reach for many collectors. And fourth, one of my most-read blog posts is about identifying Venezuelan Topps cards. There’s real interest in this space—just not always enough material to dig into.
All six albums in this auction include stickers or cards that were pasted in, a typical feature of the time. The two standout lots are the 1966 Venezuela Topps Grandes Ligas Baseball Album With Complete Set (370) and the 1967 Venezuela Topps Baseball Near-Set In Album Deportivo (317/336), each with an estimate over $4,000. Both are incredibly tough to find in decent shape. In this case, the pages in the ’66 album are described as very loose, and the ’67 is described as fragile. Since condition and card mix varies, it’s tough to predict a final sales price, but both are already over $1k (w/ BP).
The other four albums are from later periods and have more modest estimates—$500 and up. Those include:
- 1976–77 Venezuelan Professional Baseball Card Album and Near Set (319/320)
- 1977–78 Venezuelan Professional Baseball Card Album
- 1980–81 Album de Barajitas Beisbol with Complete Set of Stickers
- 1981–83 Venezuelan Professional Baseball Card Album
These later ones offer a more accessible entry point into the niche. And while the aesthetics may vary, they all provide a glimpse into how baseball culture was celebrated and commercialized outside the U.S.
For collectors who care about international issues, obscure oddball runs, or the full story of how Topps and its counterparts spread the baseball gospel globally, these albums are special. They’re part scrapbook, part set registry, and part regional artifact. And seeing them together in one auction is a treat.
It’s easy to write about the Ruths and Mantles of the catalog. But the soul of the hobby lives in stuff like this.
Happy collecting!
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