Vintage Sports Cards – Baseball – Basketball – Football – Hockey
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!
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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!
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!
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!
Frank Lane was infamous for making many trades, including players like Norm Cash, Rocky Colavito, Roger Maris, Red Schoendienst, and Early Wynn. Among the over 400 trades he made in his career included one for managers. In 1960, when he was the GM of the Cleveland Indians, he sent Joe Gordon to Detroit and brought Jimmy Dykes over to the Indians in the middle of the season.
Many baseball fans may remember Joe Gordon more for playing with the Yankees and Indians. He was the MVP in 1942, a 9x All-Star, 5x World Series champion, and entered the Hall of Fame in 2009. He began his managing career with the Indians in 1958 but had a rocky relationship with Frank Lane. So Gordon, in 1959, said he wouldn’t return to the team the following year, so Lane fired him. However, he rehired him shortly after that. Gordon was 49-46 with Cleveland in 1960 when Lane sent him to Detroit.
Gordon would go 26-31 with Detroit in 1960 but wouldn’t re-sign as their manager. Instead, he became Kansas City Athletic’s coach for the 61 season, where he went 26-33 before being fired and replaced by Hank Bauer. So we never got a Topps Baseball card with Gordon in a Tigers uniform. Gordon would be a head coach again in 1969 for the Kansas City Royals, going 69-93 before resigning.
For his 1960 card, Topps used the same photo from the 1959 Indians Picture Pack. They then used the same image, with a little airbrushing, for his 1961 Topps card as the Athletics Coach.
Jimmy Dykes was also a player before becoming a manager. He played for 22 years between 1918 and 1939 before becoming a manager between 1934 and 1961. He was the player/manager for the Chicago White Sox from 1934 to 1939. As a player, he was a 2x All-Star and 2x World Series champion.
Dykes had a record of 44-52 with the Detroit Tigers in 1960 before being sent to the Indians, where he would go 26-32. He stayed on as the Indian’s coach in 1961, going 77-83 before retiring.
Topps used the same photo they used for Dykes’ 1960 Topps card for his 1961 card. I haven’t been able to find a team photo or type 1 for the 1960 Dykes card; if you have one, please leave a comment down below.
It wasn’t uncommon for Topps to reuse and airbrush images throughout the vintage post-war era. But, as far as I know, this is the only case of a trade involving a pair of managers forcing Topps to do a little of their magic airbrushing.
Happy Collecting!