John – Page 4 – Post War Cards

A Quick Look at NFL and AFL Trading Card Rights in the Early 1960s

April 10, 2025 by John

In the middle of 2022, on X, I shared a handful of 1961 Topps and 1961 Fleer football unopened products, and someone asked how it was that both Topps and Fleer had a license to print AFL and NFL cards in the same year. We also noted that it was weird that it was midway through seemingly exclusive 4-year deals for each brand. Honestly, after more research, I still don’t know why or how this happened, but I thought I would share some information about NFL and AFL trading card rights in the early 1960s.

This all started with the founding of the American Football League in 1959 and its inaugural season in 1960. They were challenging the established National Football League, who, as PSA wrote, “…had a fan base. They had connections with college athletes, and they had Topps bubble gum cards. The popular trading card company had issued its first professional football set featuring NFL players in 1956, which began an uninterrupted streak of Topps football sets featuring contemporary players that ran through the 2015 season.”

So, just as the leagues were competing against each other, Fleer and Topps would also. Fleer printed football cards from 1960 to 1963, having the rights to the AFL players in 1960, 1962, and 1963, and Topps had the rights to the NFL players during that time. Somehow, in 1961, both companies had players from the AFL and NFL.

Here is the year-by-year breakdown of each set.

1960 Fleer: The set has 132 cards, 125 with players and seven showing head coaches. It was Fleer’s first football set and was made up entirely of AFL players. And since it was the first year of the AFL, most players were coming into the pro ranks out of college, so Fleer showed them in college uniforms.

1960 Topps: The 132-card set only has NFL players and showcased the expansion Dallas Cowboys.

1961 Fleer: Fleer released the 220-card set in two series, the first with 132 NFL players and the second with 88 AFL players.

1961 Topps: The 198-card set featured NFL players in the first series (#’s 1-132) and AFL players in the second series (#s 133-197), with card 198 being a checklist.

1962 Fleer: The set has cards of 88 AFL players, and many collectors believe it had the lowest print run of any of the Fleer football sets.

1962 Topps: The 176-card set features NFL players

1963 Fleer: The set features 88 cards of AFL players and a great unnumbered checklist. The set is known to have three of the most sought-after vintage football cards of the ’60s (the Checklist, Charles Long, and Bob Dougherty).

1963 Topps: The 170-card set of NFL players was grouped alphabetically by city name.

Things got interesting after that. In 1964, the Philadelphia Gum Company obtained NFL rights through 1967, and Topps printed AFL-only sets between 1964 and 1967, leaving Fleer with no product in football (or baseball). Then, in 1968, after the NFL and AFL agreed to merge, Topps got the rights to both leagues.

I can make a lot of guesses about exclusivity and printing rights in the early 1960s that led to the 1961 sets from Fleer and Topps having both AFL and NFL cards, but I really don’t have any facts. If anyone knows what happened, please let me know in the comments and happy collecting!

Rookie Sensation – 1992-93 Topps Basketball Card Sets

April 9, 2025 by John

Topps Magazine’s final issue (Number 16) came out in the Fall of 1993, and it featured this fantastic article by Larry O’Rourke on the 1992-93 Topps Basketball sets!

“After an 11-year hiatus, Topps returned to the NBA in 1992-93 with two star-studded sets, Topps and Stadium Club.”

I almost forgot about the 1992-93 Topps Archives set—regular Topps and Stadium Club are junk-wax staples; hey, Beam Team and ToppsGold!

Happy Collecting!

One Of The Sporting World’s Most Historic Signings – The Pete Maravich 1970 Atlanta Hawks Rookie Year Contract

April 8, 2025 by John

Hobby and NBA history from Mastro’s December 2007 catalog, Pete Maravich’s 1970 rookie contract with the Atlanta Hawks. A groundbreaking $1.5M moment in sports history.

Long before the jump from high school courts to NBA hardwoods became commonplace, Pete Maravich hit the professional hoops scene to anticipation since unrivaled. The son of legendary mentor Press Maravich. “Pistol Pete” arrived at Louisiana State University along with his father and proceeded to topple scoring standards with amazing regularity. Wowing the masses at the NCAA level like none before, Maravich warranted attention and a previously unheard-of price tag -upon his arrival to the NBA. Here offered is the actual contract drawn up for and signed by the mop-topped Hall of Famer for his 1970 rookie campaign with the Atlanta Hawks. Setting the precedent for a nightly cult-like following, Maravich debuted at LSU in 1966, pouring in 50 points for the Tigers’ freshman squad. In an era during which freshmen were not eligible for varsity play, Maravich performed before a packed arena in his inaugural effort–providing the only show that mattered, the crowd dispersing immediately after the freshman contest, ignoring the varsity tilt altogether! Proving that those opening night exploits were no fluke, Maravich went on to average 44.2 points per game in his LSU varsity career. Posting that stunning mark in the days before the three-point arch was implemented. Plucked as the third overall pick in the 1970 NBA draft. Maravich was signed by the Atlanta Hawks for a record $1.5 million. The offered documents are rife with details and, more importantly, the princely sum promised the Hall of Fame guard. Entitled ” NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION UNIFORM PLAYER CONTRACT,” the seven-page binding document is accompanied by a three-page “RIDER” attachment, a one-page “AMENDMENT” and a five-page “GUARANTY AGREEMENT.” The additional paperwork was necessary as the language in the uniform contract was altered. Sizable passages are blacked out and followed by a typewritten notation of “See Rider attached hereto.” In short, in lieu of the standard one-year agreement. Maravich was to be awarded his hefty sum over a five-season period. The amendment simply altered the increments in which the showy performer was to be paid, allocating less than the original wager for the 1971-72 season and more for the following campaign. Both Maravich and Hawks President Thomas Cousins have initialed each page while, in blue ballpoint or marker, Maravich’s signature appears four different times, all told, projecting “9-10” strength in each instance. With normal compacting folds throughout, the documents are complete (and quite thorough!) in representing one of the sporting world’s most historic signings. LOA from Steve Grad & Zach Rullo/PSA DNA and LOA from James Spence Authentication.

The catalog included a close-up of a few of the signatures.

It looks like Lelands resold the contract in June 2004 for $6,095; I suspect it’d go for quite a bit more today.

Happy collecting!

6 Original Photos That Transformed into Iconic Basketball Cards

April 7, 2025 by John

Today, here’s a short basketball-dedicated list of 6 original pictures that Topps, Kahn’s Wieners, Fleer, and Bowman used to create some awesome cards.

1968 Topps Test #5 John Havlicek

In February 2020, Heritage Auctions sold this unique 8×10’’ photograph of John Havlicek, which Topps used for their scarce 1968 Topps Test Issue, for just $312.

1960 Kahn’s Wieners Jerry West

I don’t know if this photograph is a Type 1 example, but it is autographed and authenticated by JSA. In early 2023, the photo was listed for sale on eBay for $8,750.

1961 Fleer #19 Tommy Heinsohn

The following 8×10’’ Type 1 image of Tommy Heinsohn was listed for sale on eBay for $1,800 in January 2023 but is now listed for $749.99. Heinsohn was an all-time great and was elected to the Hall of Fame as both a player and a coach.

1961 Fleer #22 K.C. Jones

Robert Edward Auctions sold this Type 1 image of Boston Celtics Hall of Fame great K.C. Jones for $1100 in their 2020 fall auction.

1976 Topps #60 Pete Maravich

Lelands’ 2022 Summer Classic Auction had three great Type 1 basketball photos used for the 1976 Topps basketball set, but the Maravich stood out. It sold for $1375.

1948 Bowman #69 George Mikan

This Mikan Type 1 image was signed and sold for $30k at Robert Edwards Auction’s 2018 Spring Auction.

I hope you enjoyed seeing these amazing original photographs. Please reach out if you have any other type photographs used to create basketball cards, particularly any from the ’80s Fleer basketball sets.

Happy collecting!

A Spectacular 1960s Jerry West Wilson Die-Cut Advertising Sign

April 6, 2025 by John

Flipping through old auction catalogs is a dangerous game—so much rare memorabilia, and my wish list just keeps growing! Here’s a cool one from Mastro in 2007: a 1960s Jerry West die-cut advertising sign.

Here’s how they described it:

Presented is a “Wilson 50 Years” store advertising sign displaying the image of hoops legend Jerry West. To commemorate their fiftieth year as one of the top sports retailers in the industry-and to help commence another fifty-Wilson released this splendid marketing device. The 21-1/2″-tall item displays the impeccably crisp image of the basketball Hall of Famer in his 1960s Los Angeles Lakers garb. The All-Star guard is captured holding a basketball with the manufacturer’s label conveniently exhibited. A caption along the bottom reads, “a progressive past…a golden future.” The relic demonstrates superb preservation, exhibiting unobtrusive furrows confined mostly to West’s neck. The advertisement’s colors are every bit as vibrant as the day it was released. Matted and framed to total dimensions of 20-5/8″ x 29-5/8″

Unfortunately, I haven’t come across another example; let me know if you have a lead on one online or have more details about it and happy collecting!

A Rare Sight: Mint 1965 Topps Tall Boy 5-Cent Display Boxes

April 5, 2025 by John

You’re not going to see many mint 1965 Topps Tall Boy 5-cent Display Boxes on the market; I scanned this one from Mastro’s December 2007 catalog.

This empty box once held 24 5-cent packs, and one or more of them may have contained Joe Namath’s rookie card. Its minimum bid was $300 at the time, but I’m unsure what it closed at.

As I said, the box is rarely found, especially in mint condition. However, you may remember that in September 2017, MileHighCard Co. sold a full unopened BBCE-authenticated box for $145,746 and a box with 21/24 packs for $106,149.

Exploring auction history over the past few years, it looks like mid-grade display boxes have been selling for between $250 and $500.

Happy collecting, and don’t forget to check out The Unopened Archive!

Dick Perez’s Original Artwork For The 1989 Donruss Mike Greenwell Diamond Kings Card

April 4, 2025 by John

Here’s the original artwork Dick Perez painted for the 1989 Donruss Mike Greenwell #1 Diamond Kings card.

Ron Oser Enterprises offered it in a lot with a few other signed Perez originals in April 2001. I think the piece is 11” x 17”. I previously shared the Mike Schmidt, Bobby Bonilla, and Frank Viola cards from this lot on the blog.

Here’s the final card, followed by a side-by-side comparison.

Happy collecting, and don’t forget to check out The Original Artwork Archive for more!