Forgotten Second Cards: 1952 Topps Pete Runnels

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Introduction James Edward “Pete” Runnels MLB career spanned from 1951-1964 as a player with a short stint as the Boston Red Sox manager from 1965-1966. He was a solid hitter who finished his career with a .291 Batting Average while twice being the AL batting champion and earning five trips to the All-Star game. Pete … Read more

The 1958 and 1959 Topps Mickey Mantle All-Star Cards

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In 1958, Topps introduced their first subset, a group of All-Star cards sponsored by SPORT Magazine. Yankee Slugger Mickey Mantle was, of course, included. In their 1959 release, Topps expanded to include three subsets, All-Star cards, Baseball Thrills, and Rookie Stars. Again, Mickey Mantle was in the All-Star set. I thought it would be interesting … Read more

Six Cards That Mattered When I was a Kid

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Like many kids in the 80s and early 90s, I collected sports cards with a relentless passion. I was lucky to live in cities with iconic athletes and a bunch of professional sports teams. I grew up in Baltimore when Cal Ripken was a perennial MLB All-Star. My family then moved to Chicago, where we … Read more

Five Underrated Baseball Rookie Cards

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There are so many criteria one could use to call a baseball card underrated. A baseball card’s merit has a lot to do with the player’s popularity. But, a teammate could have overshadowed the player on the card. Some play in small markets and don’t get national attention. The card might not be as popular … Read more

Rising Prices: 1974 Topps Basketball Unopened

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Introduction The price of unopened sports card material has been skyrocketing for a few years. In particular, 1970s Basketball has seen an unusually high growth rate over the past two years. Already printed in far lower numbers than its baseball counterparts, 1970s basketball wax was already tough to find. I’ll be using the 1974 Topps … Read more