Hobby Library

Alan Mr. Mint Rosen’s 1952 Topps Wax Pack Seattle Find

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Here’s a photo from Rosen’s book True Mint of his $75k deal for hundreds of low number, black back, 1952 Topps baseball packs.

Rosen wrote that he was at a show in Seattle in 1991 when, right before the show, a man walked in with hundreds of packs of 1952 Topps baseball cards cellophane-wrapped in bricks of six. And since the seller had opened a few, there were also five Pafkos and a bunch of other low-number cards.

The seller told Rosen he got the cards at a garage sale for $50 and didn’t have more, but Rosen wrote that the seller sold several more to other dealers and consigned several low-number boxes in an auction.

Check out The Unopened Archive for more!

1880’s Allen and Ginter Album Page

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A hobby library item I’d love to get my hands on is an 1880s Allen and Ginter Album, one of which you’ll see designated as “A16.” This 6” x 8” page, auctioned off in December 2001, is the most desirable from that album, featuring Cap Anson, King Kelly, Tim Keefe, and Charlie Bennett.

Robert Edward Auctions sold a mid-grade complete 1888 First Series Allen & Ginter “World’s Champions” premium album featuring all fifty cards from the N28 Allen & Ginter set in their Spring 2023 auction for $1380.

I’ll share more about the A17 album for the N29 issue another time.

The Fourth Annual National Sports Collectors Convention

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The marketing blitz is on for this year’s National Sports Collectors Convention, but for a bit of hobby history, here’s an ad for the 4th NSCC show, held at the Holiday Inn O’Hare-Kennedy in Chicago from July 7 to 10, 1983.

The ad is from the April 1983 issue of Trader Speaks.

Here’s the program for the show. More scans from inside of it another time!

1956-57 Chix Confectionary Famous Footballers Set and Album

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I know almost nothing about soccer cards, particularly vintage ones, but I saw this Chix Bubble Gum Football Picture album for sale on eBay and decided to pick it up; the price was right for the hobby library. Inside is a complete 1956-57 Chix Confectionary Famous Footballers Set.

After some research, the set appears to be considered a second series of Chix Famous Footballers following one dated to 1955.

There are quite a few variations to the cards in this set and the album as well; I found this one with a different cover and red text on the inside. 

If you know anything else about this set or the albums, please leave a comment.

1962 Bell Brand Dodgers Ad Sheet

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I try to grab card company sell sheets when they come up for sale for the hobby library; I’m super happy to have picked up this rare one, a 1962 Bell Brand Dodgers salesman advertising sheet, a few months ago.

It was made to advertise the 1962 Bell Brand Dodgers set that was distributed inside packages of Bell Brand Potato chips and Bell Brand Corn Chips. The cards pictured on the front are those used in the 1961 set, though.

The back has more product info, images, and advertising text.

Check out The Unopened Archive for more!

1937 Warriors and their Weapons Picture Album

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New to the hobby library. A 1937 D. C. Thomson & Co. Warriors and their Weapons Picture Album.

You could get a pair of free football boots when you saved up 70 different warrior cards, stuck them in the album, and sent them to Fleet Street in London. The back cover says the boots would be sent free of charge AND the album would be returned too.

Here’s a pair of interior pages.