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Collectibles |
NEWSLETTER |
July 2022 |
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Collecting
Oddball Baseball Cards |
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Steven KeyMan |
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By Steven KeyMan |
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Founder of
Keymancollectibles.com,
and a long time
collector, Steven
KeyMan has more than 30
years of experience in
researching, and
cataloging information
on Baseball
Memorabilia.
Researching his own personal
collection, and helping others find
information on their
collectibles, the
website grew into the
largest online resource
for baseball
memorabilia |
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Ask
Steven: Direct your questions or feedback,
about Baseball Memorabilia to Steven KeyMan
Steve@keymancollectibles.com You can also Send
KeyMan pictures of your personal Memorabilia Display,
and get your own Free
Collectors Showcase Room featured on the website.. |
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Oddball baseball cards are an
"off beat" category outside the
normal cards commonly
collected. Atypical, bizarre,
unusual, or uncommon to the
hobby, oddball baseball cards
are a fun addition to your
collection.
The
1932-1933 Sanella Margarine
Babe Ruth baseball card is one
of two Baseball related cards
featured in the “Handbuch des
Sports” a German "Sports
Manual."
The other card is an unidentified Japanese player. Through some research,
it can possibly be Nobuo Kura,
a Japanese catcher that is also
featured in the JBR 48 1934
Tour of Japan set.
The 2 cards were part of a 112 sports card set depicting athletes of
different sports from around
the world.
One card was given away with
the purchase of a half pound of
Sanella Margarine or a full set
was made available in an album
titled “Handbuch des Sports”
that could be ordered through
the mail.
Hocus-Focus "Magic Photos"
were issued in two separate
series of 126 cards by Topps in
1948. The complete set of 252
cards was broken down into 19
sub series. Series-K "Baseball
Hall of Fame" is a 19 card sub
set noted to be the first
baseball card issued by Topps.
Each pack of Hocus-Focus Bubble gum came with a Magic Photo card which was
blank on the front. The wrapper
included the following
developing instructions: "Dip
card in water. Then rub blank
side gently with this wrapper.
Wet and rub until magic photo
appears clear and bright."
Given the catalog designation
R423 these micro
strip baseball cards were
inserted in capsules to be
dispensed in vending machines.
Produced by the Oak Sales Co.
the 5/8" x 7/8" cards were
issued in 13 card perforated
strips in 1950. The thin stock
paper cards features a black &
white player photo, are
numbered 1-120, followed by the
players name, and at the very
bottom a baseball play, used to
play a game; Ball, Strike,
Walk, Strike Out, Fly Out, Foul
Out, Out, Sacrifice Fly, Safe
Bunt, Single, Double, Triple,
Home Run.
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The back of the cards, most
printed in orange, are
sometimes found in purple or
green, illustrate a baseball
diamond with tiny figures at
six infield positions. Years
later cards with
"Go
R423" on the back were issued by Gypsy
Oak Studios. These 2015 micro cards
were made in the style of the 1950 R423
vending cards but without the payer's
name.
The
1961 Topps baseball 3-card
uncut salesman sample
panels measure 3.5 inches wide
by 7.5 inches long. These cards
were issued to the retailer to
promote the 1961 Topps baseball
cards.
The front features three 1961 first series baseball cards. The reverse
side has the promotion for the
1961 Topps baseball cards which
will include two baseball
player stamps inserted into
every .5˘ pack.
New York Yankees Whitey Ford,
and St. Louis Cards Ken Boyer
stamps are used as examples.
The back of Roger Maris card
No. 2 is shown at the bottom.
All known examples that
surfaced in the hobby have the
same back.
The
1968 Sports Illustrated
Poster Baseball Cards were a
promotional item that was
issued by Sports Illustrated to
dealers that carried their
magazines. The cards were printed on thin
"cereal box" like cardboard
stock,
and were attached to a single
sheet of cards held on by 4
perforation tabs.
The pictures used are the same as the full size poster but has the
inventory number at the bottom left
corner, and the players name on the
right. The front of the blank back
cards use the same format as the
posters. |
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If you won a Camaro instead of a Corvette would you get mad? Or, You
might be unlucky and just win
money. That's the way it was in 1968 at
American Oil service stations.
Winner
Circle cards were distributed to anyone
with a drivers license, no purchase
necessary. Patrons could win Cars or
cash up to $1,000. Over half the
winning game cards were instant
winners.
After a participant tore the attached
cards apart along the perforation, it
reveled the action picture on the left
side and the "Winners circle" picture
on the right side. If the same sports
personality or car appears on both
sides, you are the instant winner of
that cash prize or car. Three Sports
personalities were baseball players.
Mickey Mantle ($10.) Willie Mays ($10.)
and Babe Ruth ($1.)
Inside each wrapper of the 1970s
product Big Bazooka was a large slab of
Bazooka gum sandwiched between two
equal size
trading cards featuring
Bazooka Joe comics. This was the first
trading card series devoted to the
iconic Topps character, who first
debuted in 1954. The five sets from
1970-1977 sets featured the numbered
premiums on the front.
These were the same numbered premiums
offered on the Bazooka Joe comic bubble
gum inserts, and trading card wrappers
since 1954. The bazooka Joe Trading
cards offer the following baseball
premiums; #121. Felt Baseball Team
Pennant, #421. Baseball Hot Iron
Transfer, #451. Baseball Batting Glove,
and #445. Ball-Strike Indicator.
 This black-and-white
photo paper thin card of
Gene Michael was distributed by a
Staten Island McDonald's Restaurant
for an autograph appearance on January
26, 1974. The fast-food restaurant
opened in November of 1973, on Forest
Avenue in Graniteville, near Richmond
Avenue. It was the first McDonald's in
Staten Island, NY.
The card pictures the Yankee shortstop
in a throwing pose, during spring
training at Fort Lauderdale Stadium and
features his 'Gene "The Stick" Michael'
facsimile signature at the bottom,
which is in print above it.
Trivial Pursuit is a board game
released in 1981, in which winning is
determined by a player's ability to
answer general knowledge and popular
culture questions.
The original Genus Edition features six
categories, the sixth, (SL) Sports &
Leisure which included Baseball related
questions.
Noted players include; Mickey Mantle, Pete Rose, Ty Cobb, Rod Carew,
George Brett, Calton Fisk, Thurman
Munson, Rickey Henderson, and many
others. Card 221 Genus Sports &
Leisure -What baseballer said of the
movie Fatal Attraction: "I wasn't
scared until it came to the part where
you get scared"?
Visit this link for the answer.
Edible baseball Cards? The
1976 Motorola "Old Time Baseball
Trading card" set consist of 11
Standard size cards. The set which
depicts some of the all-time baseball
greats, were issued to stock holders
for the purpose of product promotion by
its distributors.
The cards were made on a thin vegetable
oil parchment-paper like card stock and
are very flimsy. The second printing
was thinner than the first.
Dealers have reported there was an
edible version made of organic
substances of these cards issued.
"A Happy Baseball Birthday," audio
cassette featured a two-minute birthday
greeting from one of eighteen Major
League stars in 1991. The back of the
blister package includes a
Happy Birthday Baseball Card
picturing one of 18 ballplayers with
the stars printed autograph and
greeting.
The payers include: Wade
Boggs, Lenny Dykstra, Dennis Eckersley,
John Franco, Ken Griffey Jr. & Sr. (on
one tape), Tony Gwynn, Howard Johnson,
Don Mattingly, Kevin McReynolds, Kevin
Maas, Kevin Mitchell, Mark Grace, John
Smoltz, Nolan Ryan, Ruben Sierra, Dave
Stewart, Bobby Thigpen, and Dave
Winfield.
Specially marked 1992 baseball birthday
wishes came with a free 1992 Topps
Baseball card of the player.
In conjunction with Major League
Baseball and The Sporting News, the
Danbury Mint issued "The Baseball Chess
Set." The set of hand painted solid
metal chess pieces ranging from 2" to
3" tall depict the greatest legends in
the game.
Each piece cost $19.95, issued in pairs every other month, and was
accompanied with a baseball card. Team
cards had facts about the franchise on
the back, Player cards with stats.
The complete set consists of 32 cards -
14 players, 16 teams, and 2 League
cards.
In 1999 Parker Brothers issued the
Major League edition of Monopoly. Team
editions that included the Red Sox, and
Dodgers would follow; along with
special World Champion editions, My
Fantasy baseball players Edition, and
this
2001 Yankees Collectors Edition.
Player property cards feature Yankee
greats such as; Babe Ruth, Reggie
Jackson, Thurman Munson, Don Mattingly,
and Stengel. Ted Williams is part of
the Red Sox edition, Dodgers Edition
Jackie Robinson.
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KEYMAN COLLECTIBLES
RELATED RESOURCES |
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webs best resource for baseball memorabilia. |
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KeyMan Collectibles Baseball
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