The Baseball Card Store

Eric Hosmer rookie card. The real one?

2011-11-11T10:18:00.000-08:00

Okay, there are somewhere around fifty "first" cards
for Eric Hosmer from various companies, but here is what
most people consider the official Eric Hosmer rookie
card--heck, it even has "RC" on it, so that must mean
it's for real, right?

This is a good looking card, the Topps Chrome. It's a fine
photo, and the sheen of the chrome printing gives is a slight
3D effect.

trisha

Mike Moustakas

2011-11-04T12:04:00.000-07:00

At The National Sports Collector Convention held in
Chicago this year, Topps was giving away special Heritage
cards everyday, a limited run stamped 1-299. The only
"catch" was you had to open five packs of any Topps product,
and be one of the first 299 in line, to get said cards.

The youngest son and I were always early to the show, so
no problem with the lines--with a table set up, we had to
be there bright and early anyway, right? So, how did we
end up with 212/299???

:)trisha

Pete Maravich rookie card

2011-10-28T11:55:00.000-07:00

I remember the first time I saw 1970 Topps basketball
cards--I thought they were the coolest cards I'd ever,
with the extra tall size and bright colors. Here is
Pistol Pete Maravich's rookie card, a PSA near mint-
mint 8. Here's a video of Pete from the same year:

Roger Maris autograph

2011-10-21T11:41:00.000-07:00

Certified authentic by PSA/DNA, an index card autographed
by baseball great Roger Maris. We don't have any background
for this auto--whether it was obtained in person or through
the mail, by a baseball fan or autograph hound. It is,
however, a fun bit of baseball history, and would make a
great addition to any collection.

Shaquille O'Neal's shoe. For real.

2011-10-14T11:09:00.000-07:00

It's big--size 23, as you may know--but it seems
unreal in person, like something for a store display.
But, if you were over seven feet tall, you would need
something substantial to stand on, too . . . at this
writing, Shaq's shoe is up for auction on our ebay
site--the link is to the right, go check it out!

1951 Topps Honus Wagner

2011-06-11T14:30:00.000-07:00

These cards are something else, and hard to find
in good condition, due to the whole "Fold on dotted
lines to make figure stand." The players are die
cut, and punch out part way--a nightmare for collectors
now, but what a great idea for a set, back in the day!
They're extra skinny and tall, by regular card standards,
measuring 2 x 5 1/4 inches.

The 1951 Topps Connie Mack All-Stars featured eleven
cards of the greatest players of the 1900's, such as
Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner (seen here), and Lou Gehrig.

Gotta love this guy--check out his collection of
these fun cards:
The Virtual Card Collection

1961 Fleer Wilt Chamberlain

2011-06-04T14:17:00.000-07:00

The 1961 Fleer basketball Wilt Chamberlain
rookie card--I really like the clean lines
and interesting colors in this set. Here's
a great site for viewing more of these striking
cards:
The Virtual Card Collection

Want to know more about the 1961 Fleer basketball
set? Check out this article:
1961-62 Fleer Basketball - The Ultimate Vintage Hoops Set

1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle rookie card

2011-05-28T13:59:00.000-07:00

Yup, it's the real deal, all right! Man, it feels
good to hold one of these, even if it IS in a plastic
psa case--makes me miss the good old days, fingers to
cardboard, know what I mean? 1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle
Rookie Card. In my hands. Amazing.

1980 Topps Scoring Leaders

2011-05-17T13:48:00.000-07:00

Gotta love this card--especially since the pieces
are still intact! 1980 Topps basketball scoring
leaders Larry Bird, Julius Erving, and Magic Johnson,
what an amazing combination. Subsets for this year
include Slam Dunk, All-Star, and Team Leaders, plus
the 16 posters that were issued as inserts folded
into the regular issue wax packs. They are printed
on thin white paper and feature one of 16 NBA teams
photos, using the same design as the regular cards,
and measuring 4 7⁄8 × 6 7⁄8 in.

2001 SPx Albert Pujols

2011-05-07T13:43:00.000-07:00

Nice car, slick design--yep, it's a real auto, this card
numbered 441/1500 The 2001 SPx set also includes
these key rookies: Ichiro Suzuki, Travis Hafner, Brian
Roberts, Mark Teixeira, Mark Prior, Johnny Estrada, and
Ricardo Rodriguez.

1963 Fleer football Len Dawson

2011-04-30T13:33:00.000-07:00

Here is Hall of Famer Len Dawson's 1963 Fleer
Rookie Card--this particular one, available (at
this writing) in our ebay store, is a psa 6.

Want to see more 1963 Fleer Football? Here's a
great site:
Football Card Gallery

1933 Goudey--Babe Ruth

2011-04-23T13:27:00.000-07:00

Old cards are my favorites; they're like tiny time
capsules, and I really enjoy knowing what was going
on in the world at the time the cards were made.
This 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth, number 144, is a psa 1,
but what tales could it tell?

Here's a great site for viewing more 1933 Goudeys:
The Virtual Card Collection

And here you can learn more about this Goudey set:

1933 Goudey R319: A Closer Look . . .

1986 Fleer Michael Jordan

2011-04-16T13:14:00.000-07:00

What can we say? It's a classic. Want to read
more about this set? Check out:
Historic Sets: 1986-87 Fleer Basketball

This particular Michael Jordan card is a NM-MT
psa 8, and is currently available to you in our
ebay store--check out the linky in the sidebar.

T 205 Ty Cobb Gold Border

2011-03-12T14:26:00.000-08:00

The T205 "Gold Border" set, which came out in 1911, is, in my opinion, one
of the prettiest sets ever issued. The American Tobacco Company outdid
itself with the vibrant colors, distinctive design, and rich gold border.

There are three different leagues represented in the T205 series: the American, National, and Minor Leaguers. The American League cards are identified by the baseball diamond surrounding the portrait of the player with their team logo near the top. The National League cards show a simple colored background with the first-ever use of a facsimile (printed) autograph of the player. The Minor Leaguers are made up of 12 cards printed with obvioulsy different and much more detailed borders.

These cards measure 1 ½ x 2 5/8 and were available randomly in many brands of cigarettes (the "T" stands for tobacco, remember), including: Hassan, Polar Bear, American Beauty, Cycle, Piedmont, Sovereign, Sweet Caporal, Honest, Broadleaf, Hindu, and Drum.

The "Gold Borders" are the first issue to include a bio and statistics of the player on the back of the cards. T205's are VERY hard to find in really good, high grade condition, due to that gorgeous gold border--it's easily chipped gold leaf--and the generally fragile nature of the cards.

This set has tons of short prints, quite a few variations (my favorite is the Eddie Collins "Open Mouth" and "Closed Mouth"), and many Hall of Famers. Ever heard of Ty Cobb, Christie Mathewson, Walterd Johnson, Tris Speaker, and Cy Young? Despite all the big name players, the most difficult card find is, supposedly, the Hoblitzell with no stats on the back!

baseball card Christmas ornaments.

2010-12-10T14:30:00.000-08:00

We have a Christmas tree at The Baseball
Card Store . . .

They're reprints. Of course.

1950's autographed Yankees team ball

2010-09-24T15:19:00.000-07:00

This is a pretty fun find:

It has pretty much everybody--Mickey Mantle,
Casey Stengel,

See Ed Ford? That would be Whitey. He was
supposedly in the service in '52, which is why
we think this is a '53 ball, but PSA does not
agree. They're calling it as '51-'52.

There's Yogi Berra. Anyway, it could possibly
have been started in '51 or '52, but then
finished in '53.

Hey, we aren't complaining--as long as it's the
real deal, right? (And yes, it is!)

1953 Topps Mickey Mantle

2010-07-26T12:17:00.000-07:00

After their 1951 Red Backs and Connie Mack's All Stars cards, then their amazing 1952 set, they continued with a beautiful set of baseball cards in 1953.

The 1953 Topps set are prints made from small color paintings. These paintings were done by artists from black and white photographs of the players. There are very few action poses--the vast majority of the cards are portraits. This artistic approach is probably the main reason the 1953 Topps set remains one of my favorites.

This is a great portrait of Mickey Mantle; this card is currently in our
ebay store.

1933 Goudey BABE RUTH

2010-07-19T12:05:00.000-07:00

This was the first set of cards issued by Goudey. There are 239 cards in the set, and each card carries a short player biography on the back. The cards measure 2-3/8" X 2-7/8," and feature color art reproductions of either portraits or action photos.

There are four George Herman "Babe" Ruth cards in the 1933 Goudey set; this one is an example of card number 149.

This Babe Ruth card is currently in our ebay store.

Unless someone bought it.
;)

1948 Leaf BABE RUTH

2010-07-12T12:15:00.000-07:00

The 1948 Leaf set was the first color baseball cards issued after World War II, and consisted of 98 baseball players. The complete set consists of 168 cards, but also includes football and boxing cards. This is one of the more difficult of the post-war era sets to complete, mainly because one-half of the set (49 cards), are considered to be “short print” cards.

The 1948 Babe Ruth card was his last "real" baseball card, as he died August 16 of that year.

This Babe Ruth card is currently in our ebay store.

oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh

2010-07-08T18:51:00.001-07:00

Mickey! Mickey Mantle! Mickey Mantle rookie
card (1952 Topps, obviously, not the 1951 Bowman.)

We got him from his original owner, how cool
is that? Mr. Previous Owner said,

"I have this Mickey Mantle, and it would be
worth a lot, if I hadn't taped it to my wall
when I was a kid."

Dude, it's a Mickey Mantle rookie card. Do
you really think we're going to turn you away
because you taped him to the wall?

Heck no at all. Hand it over, thank you very much.

Gaze upon the Mantle . . . oh, Snoopy, today,
happiness is a Mickey Mantle rookie card, creased
and taped as it may be!

1939 Joe DiMaggio Play Ball

2010-07-05T12:15:00.000-07:00

Joe Di's fourth season with 100 (or more!) RBIs, he was
named the American League's MVP for the first time.
1939 Play Balls are, unfortunately, sometimes noted for
poor centering and random print marks. These cards are
about 2 1/2 by 3 1/8 inches, and there are 161 cards to
a set. This Joe DiMaggio card is currently found in
our ebay store.

Years ago (this is trisha talking), we were at a card
show, and a friend had asked I wait in line for a Joe
Di autograph. He wanted the auto in a particular spot,
and I asked the handler (for lack of a better word) if
that was okay. "Sure, sure, no problem."

But when he passed the photo through, Joe just signed
it, I don't know, somewhere NOT where I'd just asked.
Since it wasn't even my photo, and even back then,
Mr. Di's autos were NOT cheap, I was kind of startled.
Freaked out. Hey, I was only maybe 23 at the time.

I asked Mr. Di if he'd sign in another spot--he said,
"No problem." And did so, right where I asked.

This was right after the guy in front of me asked him
to sign a pic of Mr. Di and Marilyn Monroe. Joe looked
at the photo, said "This is a nice picture, I've never
seen this one before." The autograph seeker told him
where he'd found it.

"It's a nice picture. But I'm not signing this."

And he handed it back.

That's my Joe DiMaggio story.

The End.

2010 Allen and Ginter is in!

2010-07-01T14:25:00.000-07:00

Okay, fine, it was in yesterday; sorry if you were
wanting first crack on that first case. Product
highlights include:

Topps Million Card Giveaway continues with authentic,
original T206 cards.

1 Autograph Or Relic Card Per Hobby Box.

Hobby Exclusive Cap Logo Patches are back.

Watch for the 2010 Red Hot Rookie Redemption cards.

1/1 Legends Cut Signature Cards.

Each pack contains 9 Topps Baseball cards, plus
1 Ticket to Toppstown.com card.

Scott opened a box topper and found this:

N43 Allen and Ginter Matt Holliday relic auto, 2/5.
Not a bad pull.

1941 Ted Williams Play Ball

2010-06-30T12:26:00.000-07:00

1941 Play Ball baseball cards were the only Play Balls
issued in color, and there are 72 cards to a set. Each
wax pack came with two sticks of gum and one card. This
is the last baseball card set issued before World War II.

The Ted Williams pictured here is prettier in real life,
with a better color (but that may just be my own monitor
issue). He can currently be seen in our ebay store.

(Well, whaddya know? I already posted one of these back in
September. That one was a photo instead of a scan, and you
can really tell the difference.)

really bad baseball card humor.

2010-06-23T14:47:00.000-07:00

So Scott is fixing to list a 1984 Fleer Update Roger
Clemens in the ebay store.

"How long do you think this will stay in the store?
I give it two weeks, tops."

"No, honey, it's a Fleer."

Been in this back room a lil' too long . . .

Zack Greinke autographed minor league jersey

2010-01-18T15:46:00.000-08:00

That's right, check out this bad boy:

First, I thought it was pretty great to have Greinke's
minor league Wichita Wranglers jersey. Sure, he wasn't
the only one to wear it, so it doesn't have his name on
it, but still, nice, right?

This weekend we were at the Royals FanFest in Kansas
City, and the youngest son was all too happy to wait in
the ponderously huge, snaking line of Greinke autograph
hounds waiting to see the latest Cy Young-er.

So, he had this signed in silver. What say you?

Pretty, yes?

the sweetest GI Joe I've ever seen!

2009-11-25T11:29:00.000-08:00

First, he still talks.

Second, check out those knees--no cracks!!

If you haven't looked at about a million GI Joes, you
probably won't be impressed. I, however, was amazed.

Happy Thanksgiving!
:)trisha

1941 PLAY BALL Ted William

2009-09-21T14:44:00.000-07:00

The Play Ball baseball cards were issued by Gum Inc.,
from 1939-1941. This is a 1941 Ted Williams--the 1941
set consisted of 72 cards, and were also the only year
Play Balls were printed in color.

The Ted Williams is one of the more expensive cards in the
set, along with Joe DiMaggio and the rookie Pee Wee Reese.

Any Play Ball cards are relatively rare, and if highly graded,

these cards can be pretty pricey.

1948 Leaf Joe DiMaggio

2009-08-27T09:34:00.000-07:00

The 1948 Leaf set is simply beautiful. Clean design, vivid colors--

in fact, the first color set of the post World War II era. There are

98 baseball cards in the '48 Leaf set, but including the football and

boxing cards also issued, there are a total of 168 all together.

In addition to being such an attractive set, it's also one of the most

difficult to complete, as 49 of the 98 baseball cards are short prints.

(Short print--in reference to collectors' cards--simply means there

were fewer of those particular cards printed.)

Here is a 1948 Leaf Joe DiMaggio, who happens to be

card number one, and a fine example of the set's gorgeous colors.

DiMaggio was in his heyday at the time, and to this day holds his

record of 56 consecutive games with a hit, achieved in 1941. Other

significant cards in the 1948 Leaf set include Jackie Robinson, Stan

Musial, Phil Rizzuto (these cards are considered rookie cards), the ever

popular Satchel Paige card, as well as Ted Williams, Babe Ruth, and

even Honus Wagner.

If you are interested in seeing more 1948 Leaf cards, be sure to visit

Dan Austin's Virtual Card Collection for some great pics of the entire

baseball set.

T206 Ty Cobb and Walter Johnson

2009-08-25T17:06:00.000-07:00

T206 cards were issued from 1909 through 1911 by the
American Tobacco Trust. With its white borders and
many back variations, this set is known among card
collectors as "The Monster." It is also one of the few card
sets recognized by those outside the hobby, due to the
large number of high dollar cards it contains (Honus
Wagner, anyone?)

Here is an example of the T206 Ty Cobb, who was an original
Hall of Fame inductee in 1936. (I'd recommend you go visit
it in our ebay store, however, Mr. Cobb has found a happy
home.) Ty Cobb held was the all time hit leader until Pete
Rose broke his record, not to mention a successful business
man.

Walter Johnson, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame
alongside Ty Cobb, was a pitcher for the Washington Senators
when his T206 card was issued.

You can find a gallery of T206 cards at The T206 Museum Gallery.

T205 Christy Mathewson

2009-08-17T13:00:00.000-07:00

The T205 Gold Border set is considered by many collectors to be one of the most beautiful card sets ever issued. This set, issued in 1911 by the American Tobacco Company, uses vivid colors, attractive portraiture, plus an attractive (and, unfortunately, very condition sensitive) gold border.

Like the T201 Mecca Double Folders, also out in 1911, the T205s, or "Gold Borders," have player biographies and stats, setting a precedent for future sports cards. The Gold Borders depicted the American, National, and Minor leagues. American League cards have the player portrait surrounded by a baseball diamond. The National League cards, like the Christy Mathewson pictured, has one of the excellent portraits on a bright background, plus the first use of facsimile autographs ever on a sports card. There are twelve Minor League cards, which have more detailed borders, and the pictures are often "action shots" of the players.

Like most tobacco cards, the T 205 cards measure 1 1/2 by 2 5/8 inches. The Gold Borders were issued in eleven different brands of cigarettes, including Sweet Caporal, Hassan, Polar Bear, American Beauty, Cycle, Piedmont, Sovereign, Honest, Broadleaf, Hindu, and Drum. The T205's are subject to the chipping around the edges, making it difficult to find them at a very high grade--the Mathewson pictured here is PSA graded a 2--but they still remain a favorite among collectors, partly due to the number of early Hall of Famers included in the set.

If you'd like to see more 1911 Gold Borders, the T205 Gallery has a card set on display on-line.

1933 Goudey #127 Mel Ott

2009-08-14T11:30:00.000-07:00

Here is a 1933 Goudey card of Hall of Fame player
Mel Ott (nice game face!) The 239 card set was issued
in Goudey bubble gum packs, each card measuring
2 3/8 by 2 7/8 inches.

Goudey was the first American company to issue baseball
cards with each stick of gum, though they had been available
with cigarettes and certain lines of candy for many years.

There are two series in the 1933 set, Mel being from
series two. The first series cards have a red band
across the bottom with the words "Big League
Chewing Gum." Interestingly, or oddly, enough, the
1938 set picked up in numbering where the 1933 set
left off.

Unfortunately, the 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth is a commonly
forged card: some estimate that over half of the 1933
Ruth Goudeys in circulation are counterfeits. There are
ways to spot the fakes, however.

If the 1933 you're looking at has a glossy finish on the front,
that's a bad sign--these cards should appear matte. Next,
check the text on the back of the card, looking at it under
magnification. If the printer's ink appears dotted rather than
solid, that's another sign of a reprint. Also, many cards have
been artificially aged, so don't let a few creases, a short dip in
a cup of tea, and some sandpapered edges fool you! I've
read that the 1933 Goudeys won't fluoresce under a black
light, but as most of us don't routinely carry one of those,
rely on your common sense when buying in person, and a
reputable grading company when buying on-line.

1951 Connie Mack's All-Stars

2009-08-12T10:44:00.000-07:00

Here's another set of cards not generally seen--the Topps
1951 Connie Mack's All-Stars. Now in our ebay store are
these two --Christopher "Christy" Mathewson, who was
an original Hall of Fame inductee in 1936, and Tristam
"Tris" Speaker, who was inducted the second year, 1937.

These were distributed by Topps in 1951, and are printed
on a medium weight card stock, about 2 inches by 5 inches.
The figures are diecut, meant to be folded out and stand up,
similar to paper dolls.

Unfortunately, there are forgeries out there. Things to watch
for in a fake Connie Mack's All-Stars card are heavier weight
card stock, non-diecut figures, and obviously hand cut edges.

Our image will enlarge if you click on it, but if you want to see
more 1951 Topps Connie Mack's All-Stars, check out (yes, again!)
Dan Austin's Virtual Card Collection .

T201 Mecca Double Folder

2009-08-01T11:37:00.000-07:00

Scott has been on an old card kick lately, and one of his recent finds
is a T201 Mecca Double Folder. Have you ever seen these?

These cards were distributed nationally in 1911 in Mecca
Cigarettes. They have beautiful, colorful lithograph images,
but if that's not enough for you, how about the fact that they
are made to show TWO different player images. This is
achieved by flipping the folded flap up or down--a first in
baseball cards. Another distinction are the player stats (we
now take these for granted) shown on the back of each card.
In 1911, this was not yet a common practice.

T201s are also quite a bit bigger than the previous (and
subsequent) tobacco cards, and made of a lighter weight
cardstock, as well--this makes it tougher to find one in
very good shape, but what can you expect from a card that
was designed to be folded and unfolded, and is almost 100
years old?!

There are fifty separate two-player cards in the T201 set, fifteen
of which include at least one Hall Of Fame player. Our card
pictured here is one of the ORIGINAL Hall of Fame inductees,
Walter Johnson (his fold up buddy is Gabby Street). You can
find this card in our ebay store.

Want to see more T201s? Check out this awesome site:
The Virtual Card Collection by Dan Austin.

Thanks for stopping by,
Scott and Trisha