Until recently, I had only encountered passing mentions online of an uncut sheet of 1926 Spalding Champions cards, but never a photo of one. That changed when I came across its appearance in Christie’s East Sports Memorabilia auction catalog from October 1994, where it was offered as a standalone lot.
Christie’s titled the piece “1926 Sports Co. of America Uncut Card Sheet,” using the corporate name that appears on the cards themselves. According to the catalog, the sheet represents the entire 206-card set, measuring 24 x 33½ inches, with four fold creases and otherwise excellent condition. Christie’s described it as the only known uncut sheet of the complete set and assigned it an estimate of $30,000–$40,000, though it appears the lot did not sell.
While individual cards are collectible on their own, seeing the entire issue preserved on a single sheet offers a look at just how ambitious this release really was. Much has already been written about the complexities of the Spalding Champions set itself, including different back types. Anson Whaley has documented those details extensively elsewhere; on Pre-War Cards in September 2016 and in a longer piece on Sports Collectors Daily in September 2019.
Uncut sheets from the 1920s are scarce under any circumstances. A confirmed, complete example from a sprawling multi-sport issue like this is something else entirely and a remarkable survivor from the era. Or, at least, I hope it’s a survivor and hasn’t since been cut; its current whereabouts are unknown to me.
Happy collecting!
Check out The Uncut Sheet Archive for more!
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