Today, here’s a little hobby history courtesy of the September 1977 issue of The Trader Speaks. It’s an advertisement for the 1977 Indianapolis Indians baseball card set, confirming they were a team issue.
In the ad, we can see they were issued as a “27 full color card set” that included a checklist card. They were $3.50 per set, postpaid directly to the team at Bush Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Since this set doesn’t have much star power, it hasn’t appreciated in 45 years; this one sold for $8 on eBay (shipped) back in June 2024.
The same can be said for graded cards; PSA has only slabbed 11, and this 8.5 of Mario Soto (a 3x MLB All-Star) sold for just $4 in one of PWCC’s weekly auctions in December 2008.
Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to track down an uncut sheet. You can see that they were available for $7 in the ad. However, I did find a cool-looking framed example for the 1976 team set for sale on Craigslist for $40. I presume the 1977 one has the same layout.
I ran across this advertisement for “beautiful 4 color cardboard storage boxes” in the October 1977 issue of The Trader Speaks but haven’t been able to find any more information about them! If you have any, please reach out.
Before Memory Lane Inc. sold the lone PSA 10 1948 Bowman Yogi Berra RC for $192k in 2017, Mastro moved the gem mint example in their April 2006 Sports Catalog Auction.
Mastro wrote, “This singular card is the ultimate complement to a high-grade assembly of its series, and it dominates the field in establishing the industry standard.”
Today, of just over 2200 graded samples, it’s still the only Gem Mint example.
As I said, Memory Lane Inc. sold the card for $192k in May 2017. You can see that it had been reholdered into a case I believe it remains in today.
I ran across this advertisement for what is now a Hobby Library essential, The American Premium Guide to Baseball Cards by Ron Erbe, in the October 1981 issue of The Trader Speaks.
As the advertisement says, the book is massive, at 752 softbound pages.
It’s full of interesting info. Here’s the Table of Contents.
As an example of the book’s awesomeness, here’s a photo of a 1956 Topps promotional sheet—the same one I shared from Baseball Cards magazine.
They also included a nice collage of T206 white border backs.
But every set has a nice, insightful introduction.
If you have a Hobby Library, I recommend picking up a copy of this book. Despite inflation, you can still get a copy shipped to you for the cover price of $14.95.
High on The Hobby Library want list is a 1945-46 Caramelo Deportivo Cuban League original album, ideally with a complete set inside; this one, from Mastro in June 2006, came with a near set (98/100).
The scan pictured above is from Mastro’s June 2006 Classic Collector Auction, and the catalog didn’t include a description of the catalog. However, a few other auction houses have offered these albums.
But first, if you’re interested in learning more about the set, Pre-War Cards, and Cardhound Vintage have nice summaries. Now, Hake’s Auctions offered an album with a complete set of 100 cards in their March 2013 auction; it sold for $805. Here’s the item description, followed by a few of the photos they included online:
8.25×10.75″ album w/thin cardboard cover has 16 pages and contains complete set of 100 cards all mounted at appropriate spots. Issued by Caramelo Deportivo (Sporting Caramels) this set covers the 1945-46 Cuban Winter League season and features teams: Habana, Almendares, Marianao and Cienfuegos. These teams are represented by pennants on the cover art and color pennant cards inside. The other cards have bw photos. Cards are 1-7/8×2-5/8″. Page text includes info on the players, teams, etc. Inside back cover has season results filled in by original owner as intended. This set features many former and future stars of the Major Leagues as well as the Negro Leagues, in some cases providing the only cards issued contemporary with their playing careers. The top card in the set is Martin Dihigo. The other key cards are Ray Dandridge, Raymond Brown, Minnie Minoso and Napoleon Reyes (which was a short print incentive card and therefore scarce). Other stars include Armando Marsans, Lazaro Salazar, Manuel “Cocaina” Garcia, Adolfo Luque, Luis Tiant Sr., Dick Sisler. Cards have general wear/aging as mounted but images for the most part remain bold and distinct throughout. Visually some cards are just VG but most exceed this and are more in the Exc. visual realm, including most the keys. Cover is well worn and split along spine edge w/tape repairs. Trace of staple rust. Pages also worn/aged. Small 1×1/5″ piece missing from top edge of back cover and last page but not affecting any cards. Album itself only about Good. Please contact us if more detailed card condition information and/or photos are desired. From the Richard Merkin Collection and comes with Hake’s COA.
A few years earlier, in June 2009, Lelands sold this album with 91 cards pasted in for just under $400.
If you’ve got an album for sale, reach out; I’m a buyer. Happy collecting!
In 1977, Burger Chef reigned as a leading fast-food chain, and among its standout promotions was the Triple Play Funmeal – a combination of food and play. The Funmeal was served on a cardboard tray that doubled as a playing board. What really separates the Triple Play Funmeal apart, and warrants an article is the scale of the offering. With 24 team trays, each equipped with nine punch-out discs, it’s the largest disc set of its time. Created in collaboration with Michael Schecter and Associates, the discs share the same basic design as other MSA discs, but the backs feature a burger chef cartoon character. Burger Chef also released a set of six zany baseball posters to bolster the promotion and add a bit more humor to the mix.
1977 Burger Chef Funmeal Discs Johnny Bench
You can read all about Burger Chef on Wikipedia, but the 101 is that they operated between 1954 and 1996 and, at their peak, had 1050 locations. Burger Chef introduced their Funmeal in 1974, five years before McDonald’s Happy Meal. But, the Burger Chef brand owners gradually sold to Hardee’s.
The following advertisement shows that each Funmeal came with a burger, fries, a soft drink, and a treat.
1977 Burger Chef Advertisement
The advertisement highlighted the game, the fact that each tray had 9 Major League trading cards (discs), and the fact that there were 24 different trays, adding up to 216 different baseball cards, each with a colorful Burger Chef cartoon character on the back. Kids had to punch out the discs, which doubled as player cards and baseballs. The bottom of the ad highlighted the six different baseball-themed wall posters.
The in-store displays highlighted the same features in the Triple Play Funmeal: the Major League Baseball Trading Cards, Baseball Action Game, and Zany Baseball Posters.
1977 Burger Chef Triple Play Funmeal In-Store Display
The trays are about 8.7″ x 11.75″, each featuring nine player discs from one of the 24 Major League teams in 1976. Burger Chef printed assembly instructions and game rules on the box. Here’s a pair of examples, one for the Dodgers and one for the Cardinals, and an unfolded tray in its game board form.
Burger Chef Triple Play Funmeal Dodgers Tray – Side 1
Burger Chef Triple Play Funmeal Dodgers Tray – Side 2
Burger Chef Triple Play Funmeal Cardinals Tray – Side 1
Burger Chef Triple Play Funmeal Cardinals Tray – Side 2
Burger Chef Triple Play Funmeal Tray Folded For The Game
You can pick up a complete set of 24 team trays for just under $200 with a bit of patience. The priciest tray, by book value, is the California Angels one, which features Nolan Ryan’s disc, which is, again, by book value, the priciest individual disc. The Yankees and Reds trays are pretty popular, too.
Burger Chef Triple Play Funmeal Set of 24 Trays
As I wrote in the intro, Michael Schecter Associates produced the 2-3/8″ diameter discs. Hence, the fronts share the same basic design as all the other MSA discs of the era that the Players Association licensed and had to have the team cap logos airbrushed out. They’re also unnumbered.
1977 Burger Chef Funmeal Discs Thurman Munson
Interestingly, because the discs carry a 1976 copyright, despite being marketed in 1977, Reggie Jackson can be seen wearing an airbrushed Orioles cap while being included on the Yankees team tray, despite not playing with the Yankees until 1977. Jackson signed with the Yankees in November 1976, so the Burger Chef promotion must have been finalized after that (the advertisement above does feature a 1977 copyright) under a Player’s Association license MSA received in 1976.
1977 Burger Chef Funmeal Discs Reggie Jackson
However, while the fronts feature standard MSA designs, the backs feature a Burger Chef cartoon character: Burger Chef, Jeff, Crankenburger, Burgerilla, Fangburger, Mrs. Fangburger, Fangburger’s Daughter, Burgerini, and Where Wolf.
PSA has graded 1030 of these discs; most sell for a little more than grading costs. Tom Seaver actually has the most PSA-graded discs, with 48, followed by Mike Schmidt, Nolan Ryan, Dave Winfield, and George Brett.
I’ve also seen the following American League and National League Triple Play Funmeal posters advertising all the discs; they’d make incredible wall art for a collector’s office.
1977 Burger Chef Triple Play Funmeal American Leauge Discs Poster
1977 Burger Chef Triple Play Funmeal National Leauge Discs Poster
Burger Chef also promoted the six Zany Baseball Posters: 1-“Jeff Hits A Homer,” 2-“Crackenburger Goes After A Fly,” 3-“Jeff Slides Into Home Plate!!!” 4-“Fangburger Steals 2nd Base!” 5-“A Great Catch In Left Field!” 6-“Burger Chef Throws His Rainbow Pitch…!” Here are three of them.
Burger Chef’s Zany Baseball Poster Number 2
Burger Chef’s Zany Baseball Poster Number 3
Burger Chef’s Zany Baseball Poster Number 6
I suspect the Burger Chef Triple Play Funmeal holds a special place in the hearts of those collectors who experienced them as kids in the restaurants. For those who didn’t, the discs are still pretty cool!
Despite its short run of only 16 issues, Topps Magazine produced a ton of amazing content, including this brief piece from Skip Rozin on New York heroes Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, and Duke Snider.
I love that the magazine highlighted the three players’ 1952 Topps baseball cards.
