John

1984 Fleer Dune Wax Cases

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With ‘Dune: Part Two’ having just been released in theaters, I’d be remiss not to remind everyone of the 1984 Film and that Fleer, of course, made a set of cards for it.

Collect Auctions sold this 12-box sealed case of the 1984 product for $566 in November 2020. 

However, one of the bottom seals (where the bottom meets the side) of the tape was torn, and the case had some significant handling wear.

Last week, a collector sold another full case on the Facebook ‘Vintage Wax and Packs’ group, this one with very dried tape, and hence not sealed, for $1500 (the boxes looked super clean and untouched).

1950-52 Bowman and Topps Display Boxes

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Vintage, empty display boxes just weren’t as popular as they are today when, in April 2003, this trio was auctioned off in a lot TOGETHER.

Included were a two-piece red and blue 1951 Bowman 120 Count One-Cent Box, a one-piece red and blue 1952 Bowman 24 Count Five-Cent box, and an incredible two-piece red and green 1952 Topps 24 Count Five-Cent Box.

The 1952 Topps box is particularly rare. It has a blue and white “NEW SERIES” label on the front pane of the bottom of the box.

1957 Topps Paul Hornung Rookie Card Original Artwork

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Here’s the original artwork used as the foundation for the 1957 Topps Football Paul Hornung rookie #151.

The flexichrome, a full-color painting on a black-and-white photograph, is 3-3/8” x 4-3/4”, larger than the finished card. The back of the art piece has working pencil marks and adhesive residue.

The item came from the 1989 Guernsey’s Auction, where Topps sold a large portion of their archives.

Bob Cousy Basketball Shoe Advertisement

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This would be an awesome collectible for Boston Celtics fans, a B.F. Goodrich Bob Cousy “P.F.” Basketball Shoe Advertisement. 

The “P.F.” All-American was B.F. Goodrich Company’s shoe made to compete with Converse’s “Chuck Taylor.” I’m sure having Cousy endorse the product helped; he was one of the most popular players in the 1950s. 

The item was available in MastroWest Auction’s March 2000 catalog and was described as a 22″ x 20″ cardboard piece in Ex-Mt to Nr-Mt condition.

1950 Bowman Football Uncut Sheet

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This 36-card uncut production sheet of 1950 Bowman football cards is a legitimate work of art. I definitely need to pick up an early Bowman-era sheet to display in the Hobby Library.

It consists of cards 109 through 124. Card 144 in the bottom right corner is missing a piece, and there is also a stain, mostly evident from the back, which affects four cards.

Lelands sold the following pair of 36-card uncut sheets in December 2001 for $1491; one is the same but without the missing piece.

1972 Topps Candy Lid Test Issue Uncut Proof Sheet

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The Spring 1982 issue of Baseball Cards has a great article by Bill Bossert called Uncut Sheets Tell the Untold Story. He shares this incredible proof sheet for Topps’ 1972 Candy Lids test issue in it.

Here’s what he wrote about the set and sheet:

I hope that sheet wasn’t cut up. However, I did find this 1972 Topps Candy Lid Test Proof Willie Mays card that was sold by SCP Auctions for $622 on January 29, 2008.

You can see that Topps printed the Mays card on previously used stock, and there are a few other proof’s out there.

Signed 1953 American Card Catalog

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The American Card Catalog is a foundational piece of the hobby. It was the first major attempt to categorize all known American card issues under a common numbering systems. So older American Card Catalogs are highly collectible, but this 1953 copy is special because both Jefferson Burdick and Charles Bray signed it. 

Here are some later reprints from the hobby library (1960, 1967, and 1988).