Memorabilia

A Bob Feller Popsicle Advertising Display

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I’m lucky my office/Hobby Library walls don’t have any space left, or I’d be all over vintage baseball star advertising memorabilia like this ad for Popsicle featuring Bob Feller. Popsicle is Topsicle!

Mastro offered this one in their Fine Sports Auction catalog in November 2000. It was described as “a classic original window advertising display, circa 1948, picturing a ‘cartoon’ image of World Champion Indians ace Bob Feller endorsing his favorite summertime treat. ‘Popsicle is Topsicle!’ is the pitch, and the vibrant display vividly recalls the days of Mr. Softee and the Good Humor Man. In exceptional Near Mint condition with incredible color. The display measures 8” x 17-1/2.”

Memory Lane Inc. has sold one of these, perhaps the same one, twice, most recently in August 2018 for $565 and $352 in September 2007.

Also, Dreamsicle featured Feller in its ads at this time.

The Rarest Rookie Cards: The 1964 Topps Rookie All-Star Banquet Set

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In its Summer 1990 issue, Topps Magazine published Kenneth M. Liss’s great article about “The Rarest ‘Rookie Cards.'” PSA has only slabbed 252 cards from this 35-card (ok, 36-card) set!

I want to draw your attention to two things from the article. First, instead of a program in booklet form, in 1964, Topps presented a boxed set of 36 over-sized cards with all the same information. Second, Topps only made 600-700 sets, making them exceedingly rare.

Here’s the original sleeve/box that held the cards.

Leland’s included that box and 35 cards, a handful of which were PSA-8 graded, in their 2018 Invitational auction. The lot sold for $1,886.40.

But what’s really interesting is that it seems Topps pivoted at some point and printed a sample program! Huggins and Scott sold a newly discovered, potentially one-of-a-kind example in August 2023 for $1,740.

They also wrote that only about 300 (or so) invitees attended. The auction believed that after this 1964 program was made, someone at Topps realized they were card manufacturers and that a card set should be made instead of a program. Topps didn’t do much work, as there’s a page number on the lower right-hand corner of each card (see the Page 12 notation on the following example)!

Huggins noted a few differences between this program and the cards:

The thicker card stock versus the thinner paper pages of the program, the cards are blank backed versus the back-to-back printed program pages, and the size.  The program is 3/16″ wider than the card set (so, the bigger program was not part of the snugly fitting boxed card set.)  We believe the programs were likely deemed redundant and were probably trashed, assuming they even made more than one or two to begin with.

Unfortunately, Topps went back to banquet programs in 1965 and 1966. REA offered a complete run of seven 1959 to 1966 Topps Rookie Banquet Programs in their 2018 Spring auction. They sold for $2,040 then but would command A LOT more today.

Where’s Wahoo? The 1993 Cleveland Indians Media Guide Cover

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The Cleveland Indians hired San Francisco photographer Pat Johnson to create the cover for their 1993 media guide. The Cleveland expat mainly used his collection to create one of the greatest collages the hobby has ever seen!

Topps Magazine highlighted the cover in its Spring 1993 issue. Johnson said shooting the cover was a dream come true and likened it to a puzzle. He said, “The big items are a focal point at first, but two weeks later, you’ll find other things hidden in there.” Topps added that it was like one of those “Where’s Waldo?” cartoons.

1950s Baseball Buttons Complete Store Display Sheet

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I ran across this super cool cardboard display sheet, advertised as being from the 1950s, in an older auction catalog from December 2000. I’ve found a few more examples online, but with no additional historical info.

The copy above was described as an 11” x 16” cardboard display sheet featuring 144 assorted 3/4” pin-back buttons still attached. It included a bunch of “Team” pins of the White Sox, Browns, Red Sox, Tigers, Phillies, and Dodgers, along with a few “Slogan” pins, including a bunch of “I am a Yankee Fan” and “I am a Giants Fan” examples. The sheet was described as being in VG condition, while the buttons were mostly NM/MT.

Inside The Park Collectibles auctioned off the following example in June 2021. However, it went unsold with a $350 minimum bid.

They mentioned it was the first time they had seen the display, which they described as “50’s/50’s.” They also said the display was 12.5” x 15”.

I still have a few button books to pick up for The Hobby Library, so in the meantime, if you know anything about these displays, please share!

1950s Ted Williams Moxie Die-Cut Advertising Sign

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I ran across this “very striking” 1950s Ted Williams Moxie die-cut advertising sign in an auction catalog from December 2000.

The item was described as a 10” x 14” brightly colored, fluorescent-toned heavy cardboard sign with a three-dimensional cutout of Williams in his Red Sox uniform. Excellent condition, original easel-back still intact.

It was a little challenging finding more info about this piece. The giant window decal is a BIT more common; however, I discovered that Heritage sold the following copy in May 2022 for $690.

But their description primarily just highlighted the die-cut nature of the piece a bit more:

A third dimension makes this advertising sign particularly special, as the figure of the greatest hitter that ever lived is die-cut to allow it to stand in front of the background portion reading, “It’s a Hit, Says Ted Williams.” Dimensions of background are 8.5×13.5″. Easel back remains in place on reverse. General handling and storage wear is apparent, and the sign originally had a segment upon which the Williams figure stood that is now missing, but otherwise the sign presents wonderfully. 

Lou Gehrig’s Official “Plaball” Baseball Game

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If you got a grand or two, here’s a fun one to add to a baseball card man cave: Lou Gehrig’s Official “Plaball” Baseball Game.

Sotheby’s offered this example in their March 1993 Important Baseball Cards and Sports Memorabilia catalog. They described the piece as follows:

Lou Gehrig “Playball” Baseball Game, table top game pictures Gehrig in black and white batting pose in centerfield, the only thing missing is the original marble, minor aging, slight water stains at the very edges and a few wooden pegs missing but for this particular game the condition is exceptional, overall at least excellent to mint condition. 18in. by 18in.

Leland’s has sold a pair of them; the first went for $417 in December 2003 and included the following description:

A beautiful all-original rendition of this classic baseball board game made valuable by a patent tying it to Lou Gehrig. Vintage to the 1930’s, the green surface is uncommonly crisp with bold colors and almost no fading or damage. Printed with facsimile signature and inscription from Lou Gehrig, “Yours Truly Lou Gehrig” with a photo of the Yankee legend adding style and prominence. All pegs protruding from the board’s face are original and show the expected signs of tarnishing. 90% of all the pegs are still attached. The game is operated by a small mechanism in the top corner through which a marble was dropped and “rolled” onto the board, encountering the many pegs which altered its path to any one of the 21 “traps” denoting a “strike”, “foul out”, “double play”, etc. or a “1 base hit”, “home run”, etc. The title of the board game, as printed behind home plate is “Lou Gehrig’s Official Plaball – by arrangement with Christy Walsh.” Still attached to the bottom of the board, which is constructed completely of wood is the rules of the game, printed on an 8.5×11” piece of paper and the wooden “leg” which elevates one side of the game 1.5”, allowing for the marbles to roll down.

The second Leland’s sale was more recent when they sold a copy in April 2023 for $1,250. The hobby must have learned a bit more about it since they added a few manufacturing details to the description:

Scarce baseball board game, titled “Lou Gehrig’s Official PLABALL,” produced by the Johnson Store Equipment Company of Elgin, Illinois, in 1932. (PLAGAMES was the name given to the company’s series of board games, “PLABALL” is not a misspelling.)  This is just the second example of this attractive baseball game we have offered in the past twenty years and we have seen few others at auction during that time. The large game board, constructed of wood, features a colorful depiction of a baseball diamond, with an illustration of Gehrig and his facsimile signature pictured in the centerfield area. The game’s title appears in print behind home plate. This was a bagatelle game, with the “game action” determined by a ball that was released onto the game board. The ball would descend onto the “field” (the game board rests on wooden risers that tilt the board) , where it would be continuously deflected by the dozens of metal rods  and wooden dowels until it finally came to rest in one of the compartments that determine the result of the “at bat.” The game board displays moderate use and wear, including several minor stains. Three of the wooden dowels surrounding the “Home Run” compartment have broken off and the original game ball is no longer present. In Very Good condition overall. 18x18x1″.

There’s a copy on eBay (Sept 2024) with an asking price of $1,675.

A Circa 1961 Mickey Mantle And Roger Maris Bakelite Like Plastic Radio

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You know what’s cool? A plastic radio with facsimile signatures of Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle!

Christie’s East offered this example in their October 1993 Sports Memorabilia Catalog.

They described it as a “Circa 1961 Bakelite like plastic radio depicting a baseball player and facsimile plastic signatures of Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle. This working example is in excellent/mint condition and has the correct dial knobs of a bat on the tuner and a green baseball diamond on the volume control. Scarce in this condition.”

Their estimate was $1,200-1,500. However, it’s not that pricey today. REA, which dates the radio to 1962, has offered at least nine examples; in 2023, one sold for $720. The coolest one, though, included an original box!