Vintage Sports Cards – Baseball – Basketball – Football – Hockey
John 
I’ve just got two quick things to mention this month. First, I’ve been trying to add a lot more detail to new set summaries on the Oddball Archive, which you can see in the three 1960s regional football sets and the Quaker Oats basketball set I posted this month (linked below); I’ll probably start going … Read more
After dedicating a lot of time exploring early ’90s baseball autograph insert sets, I decided to broaden my horizons a bit and delve into the world of hockey insert cards from the same era. In doing so, I stumbled upon two really attractive sets: the 1993-94 Donruss Elite and the 1994-95 Donruss Elite insert sets. … Read more
While flipping through the April 1998 edition of Sports Card Magazine and Price Guide, I stumbled upon a fascinating article authored by T.S. O’Connell titled “Collector Issues” with a subheading that read ‘Once upon a time in the hobby, there weren’t enough cards for collectors to collect (no kidding)… so TCMA, Larry Fritsch, and Mike … Read more
If you’ve been following my writing, you’ll know that I’m a little obsessed with checklist cards. I even have a page dedicated to them called Checklist Central. After studying checklists over the past few years, a resounding realization has taken hold: standing at the pinnacle of the hobby niche is the “1st Series” 1963 Fleer … Read more
Those who follow me on Twitter or read my editor blog last April know that I collect hobby-related books, magazines, periodicals, etc., and that I’m building “the hobby library.” A couple of weeks ago, I bought a program from the Fourth Annual National Sports Collectors Convention held in Chicago from July 7-10 in 1983. And … Read more
While baseball cards remained a consistent profit driver, the late 1970s marked a pivotal moment for Topps as it dove hard into the world of non-sports cards. Among these years, 1978 stands out as one where Topps was really trying to capitalize on a wave of T.V., movie, and other pop culture properties. This article … Read more
When it comes to 1970s Topps baseball cello packs, some of the scarcest and priciest are those from 1974. They’re also particularly popular with the vintage unopened community for being the last of the jumbo cello packs. However, quite a few fakes exist. One way to identify legitimate packs is through the pack’s product code, … Read more
Among the myriad of sports cards, there’s a unique subset that features not just one, not two, but three iconic players on a single card. These cards capture extraordinary convergences of talent, highlighting team success, legendary individual accomplishments, a bit of hobby history, and family success. In this post, I’ll share ten of the most … Read more
Three things to share this month. First, I’ve been busy researching a lot of poorly documented parts of the hobby lately, like the 1950/60s Burger Beer Cincinnati Reds cards, the 1954 Blue Ribbon CFL cards, the Finer Points of Baseball Instructional Booklets, 1956 Bowman baseball, the 1961 7-11 baseball cards, and Exhibits checklists. So, to … Read more
When it comes to football legends, few names shine brighter than Walter Payton. His 1976 Topps rookie card is a well-known collector’s gem, but Payton’s rookie legacy goes beyond traditional cards to the often-overlooked world of discs. While the Topps card garners the most attention, this article shifts the spotlight to Payton’s lesser-known rookie discs … Read more