1954 New York Journal American: A Rare and Oddball Roy Campanella Pickup!

The card I'm showcasing today is one I didn't know existed for the longest time and proceeded to hunt for many months after learning of its existence. I could never find one in my price range raw or graded and they didn't appear at auction all that often either, as it's as oddball and regional an item as you'll find. Patience and my willingness to embrace lower condition vintage eventually paid off.

What a beauty! My newest Roy Campanella PC Pickup hails from the 1954 New York Journal American set released only in, you guessed it, New York. The set is comprised of Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Giants, and New York Yankees. Campy is card number 2 in the set and as you can see, my copy is missing the upper left corner entirely and a small piece of the lower left corner. But I could care less, as I can still see Roy's smiling mug and that gorgeous Brooklyn B.

The back of every card in the 59-deep set features the team's home schedule from 1954. I may one day upgrade my Campy (we have one at work) and get it slabbed just to ensure its safety, as it shall for the time being reside in a tallboy penny sleeve and toploader. Via KeyMan Collectibles, here's the rundown on the set:

The 1954 New York Journal American Baseball Card set produced by Hearst Corp. consist of 59 cards that measure 2" X 4" The cards were issued at newsstands with the purchase of the now extinct New York Journal American newspaper. The set featured players from the Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Yankees, and the New York Giants. The front of the card features a Black & White player portrait, and promotional information to win cash. The bottom of the card has a serial number for the contest. The back of the card features the team schedule. The cards are unnumbered, and the checklist is in order by team (Dodgers, Giants, Yankees) with the players in alphabetical order.