In 1977, Michael Schechter Associates (MSA) produced a wide array of player discs that were distributed by various regional sponsors. One of the more recognizable issues was the set offered through Holiday Inn. These 3-3/8″ diameter discs were available with the purchase of a children’s dinner at any of 72 (or 70, details are inconsistent and I don’t have any source informaiton) participating Holiday Inns across the Midwest. Each meal included five unnumbered discs, and the complete set consists of 70 different (unnumbered) players.
Because they were only licensed by the Major League Baseball Players Association and not Major League Baseball itself, the discs don’t feature team logos, just bold, floating player portraits surrounded by basic vitals and a Holiday Inn logo. Despite their promotional nature, they’ve become a niche favorite among oddball collectors.
According to PSA’s Population Report, over 1,000 examples have been slabbed and most are in Gem Mint 10 condition. That kind of grading skew suggests a significant portion of the original stock likely bypassed kids’ meals and entered the hobby through other channels. Unsurprisingly, stars like Nolan Ryan and Pete Rose dominate the population charts. Personally, I’ve always liked the Thurman Munson.
If you’re looking to add a set, they surface on eBay occasionally. In May 2025, Probstein sold the following set for $226—about what you might expect for a well-preserved but still under-the-radar oddball set from the late ’70s.
Holiday Inn was just one of many sponsors tied to MSA’s 1977 disc blitz. Others included Zip’z, Wendy’s, Dairy Isle, Saga, Customized Sports, Chilly Willee, and Detroit Caesars.. Collecting all 70 player variations across sponsor backs is a whole different level of dedication.
This post was sparked by a Bluesky post from @CardBoardJones. I’m actually working on a much larger anthology of all MSA disc issues, but that’s a years-long project. So for now, enjoy this quick look at one of the more charming and accessible sets of the bunch.
Happy collecting!
I really like the MSA discs from the 70’s. I’ve seen some collectors collect all of the different backs for a specific player. Thought that was pretty cool.