Naugatuck, Connecticut is Calling...

Here's another fun Al Rosen pickup. It's also yet another I may keep long-term or may part with as I continue to condense my collection and assess what I still really love enough to not ever let go. Food issues from the '50s have long held a special place in my heart, and this 1954 Dairy Lids offering is no different.

I enjoy the fact that the back allows for people to get a fun "toy" by mailing in the lid and a quarter. We don't really have that any longer in the hobby, especially with everything being seen as the biggest monetary piece of one's personal puzzle. Just buy stuff you like!

These came with a wide variety of ice cream brands advertising on the reverse. I have never seen another Naugatuck Dairy ice cream company advert on any of these. I am sure another exists, but it was a cool find to get a more unique back brand with this score.

A Jackie Robinson Stadium Pin

Today's post brings forth an oddball vintage item, which is likely to end up on my collecting tombstone if I could pick one phrase to describe myself. I don't mind collectible issues that were released over the span of years. While it might be hard to pin down the exact year, just knowing it's period appropriate is enough for me.

With that in mind, here is a 1947-66 PM10 Stadium Pin of Jack Robinson. While the release did surpass Jackie's tenure in MLB I think this is probably a first half of the '50s item. The bright yellow is great and the stoic pose works very well.

The ribbons on the reverse don't always remain on the vintage pins that featured them, so it was cool that this one was still around. It reminds me of any of a number of vintage pieces that could have tabs. If given the choice, I always want the entire piece to be original even if it's in poor condition as opposed to being in better condition but missing an OG aspect.

1933 Goudey Is In The Books!

A few years back I posted about grading my 1933 Goudey Brooklyn Dodgers' team set. PSA graded everything but one card which they felt was too low-grade to slab. I assume it's because they did not think the card would survive the encapsulation process -- although the head grader at PSA once told me anything too low-grade would not be slabbed as it would damage the brand by being in a PSA holder.

That last part is pure bullshit considering some of the items I have seen PSA grade in the same timeframe. Nevertheless, I knew I could not argue the point and so I had to find a way to get Val Picinich holdered so the whole team run could be as uniform as possible. I did not want to go and buy a PSA graded Val, as I would then have to do the added task of selling my raw copy as I don't need two.

As you can see the card survived the process of being entombed in plastic. I also did not have to wait 6-12 months or pay an ungodly fee to have a common in wildly poor shape slabbed. MBA Grading also did not require me to sign forms saying if damage occurred they were not liable. They simply provided a grading service. I am now a happy camper with my entire team set protected for eternity.

1953 Northland Bread Labels: Al Rosen

I used to heavily chase Al Rosen vintage cardboard and collectible-related stuff like it was going out of style. I built a very respectable Hebrew Hammer PC but have not sought out anything new in ages. That's partly because I had acquired all the easy stuff and just needed oddball, and partly because my collecting has drastically changed over the last 6-7 years.

This 1953 Northland Bread Labels offering caught my eye. The vibrant red combined with my enjoyment of vintage food issues made it an easy pickup. I may or may not keep it long-term as I continue to refine my collection, but it's super cool all the same.

These are beyond paper thin but secure it shall forever be in its MBA home.

Find Me A Vending Machine...Stat!

Oddball vintage always puts a smile on my face even though I don't chase it as often as I once did. Combine it with one of my main PCs and it's even cooler. The below pair of Roy Campanella goodies have been with me for a decade plus but were not on the list of collectibles that PSA/SGC would encapsulate. I sent them to MBA and lo and behold they had no issue slabbing awesome oddities.

While there are more colors to chase two will suffice unless I stumble upon a great deal. I think these charms look great and while they are cheaply made they are period-appropriate Campy pieces. Thus, they are necessities for my collection.

I had posted about snagging the yellow way back when here. If vending machines had anything like this nowadays I would run out of quarters very, very quickly.

Jackie Robinson or Jim Gilliam?

Hey, two posts in a week....it's a miracle! It's also my second MBA slab of the week and there will be more as I submitted a few orders to them at multiple Front Row Card Shows in Vegas over the course of this year.

I snagged this 1955 Golden Stamps offering of Jackie Robinson from eBay a while back. The poor condition was very appealing as I didn't want to break the bank on picking one up. Items from 1955 of course have added appeal and this is also a set I've long liked aside from its year of origin.

The kid who decided to add Jim Gilliam's name to the front gets bonus points.

The back is low-grade but it doesn't matter. It resides with me and I am happy for it.

Roy Campanella PM10 Stadium Pin

I really should be more consistent posting new pickups. I used to be, way back when, but that fell off around 2019. I have so much stuff backlogged that I won't get to it all...but trying is half the battle. Let's try to be consistent and post -- yet again -- with today's newest addition to one of my longest-standing PCs.

The PM10 Stadium Pin set released between 1947-66 is a funky and fun set, but not an easy one to have grading companies recognize. I've had this Campy pin for years, maybe even over a decade. I know PSA would not slab it but thankfully MBA Grading was willing to do the research and allow their grading team to review it.

The fact it received a 6 was purely icing on the cardboard cake. Having it slabbed in any grade/status is all I cared about and I do like the simplicity of the holder (I would change the way the label reads if it was a decision that was mine to make).

I am thrilled to have this reside in my Campanella Collection!

(Zack) Wheat Wednesday: The First Ever Fleer Baseball Cards Came Out in 1923

Today's featured piece of cardboard is one of the absolute rarest Zack Wheat items I have ever come across. Prior to purchasing it, I did not even know the set itself existed. A couple of years ago I connected with a guy on Instagram who told me his friend had this card and it was available. After researching it to learn anything and everything I could, I was given a price and happily paid up.

The 1923 Fleer Baseball set is similar to many strip card sets of the time -- an existing set was used to promote a variety of companies. The W515-1 and W515-2 sets morphed into the first ever Fleer baseball cards when the company put its advert on the backs of some of these.

Other than knowing I would likely never see the Wheat again (POP 1) it's also wildly miscut which is extra cool. Add on the player whose elbow and face you can see is fellow Hall of Famer Rogers Hornsby....and I had to have this at all costs.

The all-important reverse is above, and they were printed upside down. Fleer included the cards in packages of "Bobs and Fruit Hearts." This bad boy will never leave my collection!

Just Call Him The Confectionary Kid

Today's card is oddball vintage, which always brings a smile to my face. I believe I bought it from an auction house but I could not tell you which one or when I bought it. I simply liked the rarity of the set and the player struck me as one worth owning.

Kid Gleason is the player, and he was a darn good one. He pitched and hit and was the manager of the 1919 Black Sox, so that portion of the equation was easy. The set -- 1922 W575-1 Henry Johnson -- was also easy as it's a very tough offshoot set of the normal W575-1 Strip Cards.

Henry A. Johnson was a Bay Area confectionary wholesaler. They stamped the back to promote their company and finding them now is not always easy or cheap. I may not keep this card as my collecting habits/love of the hobby has changed since acquiring it, but for now, it's a very cool addition to my Vintage PC.

(Zack) Wheat Wednesday: El Principe De Gales, The Sexiest of T206s Backs!

Today's Zack Wheat pickup was an auction house score a couple of years back. I don't recall which auction house, but I felt the price was fair for a tougher T206 back and one that is easily the most fun to say out loud.

This becomes my 7th different Wheat back and while I would love to have the entire run one day and will likely keep it as a goal I will theoretically pursue, I know it's not the most likely thing to accomplish. Price and availability often make the T206 completion game a difficult task from the jump.

The back being clean is a nice plus! PSA scans usually work well for me, but unfortunately this time they came out a wee bit blurry (at least to my old eyes).

Ohhhhh, We're Halfway There.....

July begins with another addition to my slow and steady set build of the beautiful 1962 Mars Attacks. I am building it in PSA 4 form, with no qualifications to how old or new a label it arrives in. Despite nabbing a couple at local card shows, most have come from eBay and today's entry is no different.

Number 6 in the set, Burning Navy Ships, is the lucky card that becomes number 28 of 55 and officially moves me to over 50% of the project being in-hand.

Here is the back for those who enjoy seeing both sides of a piece of cardboard.

(Zack) Wheat Wednesday: An Extremely Rare T206 Back Addition.....Red Hindu!

This is one card I 100% never thought I would own, and I specifically mean this copy of this card in addition to the card itself seemingly being unattainable. Red Hindu T206s are very tough, ranking Top 10 in scarcity. Factor in that some players always feel like they have less of a certain back combination that they exist in, and I knew it would always be a difficult get. The "this copy" comes in as this exact copy came in with a collection to the card shop I was working at, and I was instantly smitten. My boss almost immediately had it sold to a really good and wealthy customer, and it was out the door about as soon as it came in.

I took a picture with it (it was raw at the time) and kept that photo on my phone for damn near a decade, looking at it every so often and remembering a wonderful card, a super cool collection, and a great time in my life. But then a funny thing happened, and I got a random text from that boss years after leaving. He said something cool walked in, and he thought I would like to see it.

He sent over a front and back of this raw beauty and I was flooded with memories and the instant reaction that he better hold it for me because it was not going to end up in any collection other than mine and my Zack Wheat PC.

I had a ton of store credit with him for work I had done after leaving the shop, and that covered most of what I owed. Less than a c-note out of pocket and this stunner was mine. I eventually sent it to SGC for safety purposes and it will never leave my Wheat or T206 PC.

The all important Red Hindu back is the key here, and she is glorious!!

Sadly, I'm Sure We Will Bomb Mars

Great artwork will probably be the main theme of my collecting journey moving forward, at least for the foreseeable future. Be it sketch cards or non-sport vintage, seeing beautiful art makes this completely non-artistic person a happy camper.

Card number 47 in the 1962 Mars Attacks set enters the PC after an eBay win. The acquisition of "Earth Bombs Mars" puts me at 27 out of 55, or 49%. It's been a slow but fun process of snatching these up and I look forward to the long set build ahead as I tick away at my remaining needs.

(Zack) Wheat Wednesday: A Second Wm. Paterson Rarity Because Why Not....

I posted 2.5 years ago on an exceedingly rare Zack Wheat card I came across and had to snatch up. I had never heard of the set before....let alone been aware of Wheat's existence within it. That purchase led me to start selling stuff and condensing my collection, so it was a huge win overall. But as us collectors know all too well, when something like this pops up, another copy is right around the corner to taunt us and make us laugh at how hard we went after the first one.

You all know the ending to this story and that it finishes with me now owning two copies of Zack's 1922 Wm. Paterson card! The set is Canadian in origin and William Paterson was a candy company. They also put out a really dope set filled with some great names beyond my guy Zack (Ruth, Cobb, Hornsby, Speaker, Walter Johnson, Sisler, Eddie Collins, and a few other HOFers).

I did have to buy the card raw from a seller I truly loathe, but to own something so rare I was willing to make an exception. I sent it to SGC and love having a backup/trade piece on a beauty like this! My Wheat PC remains a collecting love that will always be there.

Jackie Robinson Day with a Beautiful 1950 Sporting News Dope Book Baseball Guide Full Page Piece

Jackie Robinson Day is upon us once again. I feel so many currently don't support what Jackie stood for and will root for athletes from other places while simultaneously shitting on those that are different. With that in mind, I will celebrate this day every year (and not just on April 15th).

I snagged this very frameable and displayable piece from eBay over two years ago, and for less than $14 shipped to my doorstep. Give me every playing days Jackie item possible, and more than one of each wouldn't be so bad come to think of it.

Ty Cobb Bat Off T206 Pickup!!!

I remember the times when I would post almost every day. New pickups were promptly scanned in, written about, and catalogued. Man....those were the days. But life changes, responsibilities change and grow, and sometimes we just lose interest in parts of our lives that meant something. I say all of that because today's HUGE addition was purchased in late 2018/early 2019 and I am just now getting around to showing off one of the biggest cards in my collection.

Tyrus Cobb (Bat Off Shoulder) is in the building! This was purchased at the exact same time as the Bat On Shoulder was acquired with me landing the pair in a package deal from the card shop I was Assistant Manager at for 4.5 years. I remember exactly what I paid for the two Tys and how nice my boss was to hold them for me so I could make it happen. While I have done no research into what they are worth now, I know that if I needed to move them, I'd do plenty well. But thankfully, they are not going anywhere any time soon!

I was instantly attracted to how beautiful this copy was despite the trim, which of course helped to keep it within a range I could handle. The colors are vibrant, all of the important parts of the card are present, and it has a sweet overprint back.

I now proudly own the Bat Off Shoulder, Bat On Shoulder, and Red Portrait. The Green Portrait is by far the toughest and most expensive to buy, but hopefully one day it will become part of my T206 PC!

(Zack) Wheat Wednesday: 1914 B18 Felt Blankets SGC Auth -- GREEN INFIELD

I'm back for another Wheat Wednesday and it's the sassy sister post to last week's offering. Joining that Blue Infield from the 1914 B18 Felt Blankets set is this Green Infield, also slabbed Authentic by SGC.

The Green has definitely seen a little more action than the Blue, but that just means someone enjoyed it 100 years ago. The stain, the creasing, the potential trim -- none of that matters to me in the end.

There are Red Infield variants, and they are the rarest and most expensive. Whether Zack has a Red version is an entirely different question, but if it exists, I hope to one day secure it and complete the trifecta.

(Zack) Wheat Wednesday: 1914 B18 Felt Blankets SGC Auth -- BLUE INFIELD

I have plenty of pickups from the last few years to still get through, so we will start in on that with some oddball and oversized vintage from pre-WW1. The 1914 B18 Felt Blankets set is a fun and weird issue with a slew of big Hall of Famers in it. Thankfully, Zack Wheat is one of those HOFers.

The vibrant colors, the baseball equipment surrounding the player, and the simple full-body image makes this a winning set in my mind. It looks fantastic in the SGC tuxedo and the Blue Infield on this variation is a nice team color match touch.

Here's the back. Now to just store this monster....

Babe Ruth Pickup: 1927 Spalding Guide

Playing-era Babe Ruth stuff is not cheap but when it is I am like a fly to honey or vinegar or whatever flies like. The more oddball, the better. Spalding Guide pages have quickly become a favorite of mine over the last couple of years, so this 1927 double-sided offering was easy to tuck away into my Ruth PC.

Two images of Ruth from the 1920s and an advertisement for an essential baseball piece? Count me in. I like advertisement pieces so that added bonus to just having Babe's picture was a welcome sight.

This is the exact type of piece I'd like to frame up for cheap and put on the wall, but then the awesomeness of it being double-sided sort of prevents that from occurring.

An Insanely Rare Roy Campanella: 1956 Meiji Seika Caramels Postcard!

Today's post is of an item I not only did not think I would ever own, but one I did not know existed until I stumbled across the auction about two and a half years ago. When I did find it, my research indicated it would exceed my monetary limits and simply be too popular as it's dumb rare and Roy Campanella has a lot of collectors.

Somehow the Cardboard Gods were smiling upon me that day and I was able to secure a truly phenomenal oddball piece straight out of 1950s Japan. Playing era Campanella items are the only ones I care about. If you add in the general awesomeness of Japan and the Dodgers tour there, well.....I am all in like McLovin at a party before the cops show up.

From the auction house website, as Prestige Collectibles can sum it up far better than I can:

"This is a truly rare item with a beautiful photo of the immortal Roy Campanella on the front, along with an ad for Meiji Caramel. The lucky holder of this postcard was entitled to receive a ticket to the Brooklyn Dodgers vs. All Japan game played October 28th in Utsunomiya. Furthermore, if his or her lucky number was called, he or she would also receive a signed baseball of a Dodgers player. The lucky number 0099 is located near the bottom right on the front. The round stamp on the back indicates this card was indeed redeemed for a ticket.

This ticket invitation card is slightly different than the two others we have seen before. According to stamped text on the back, this invitation card is specifically for elementary and junior high school students only. Moreover, the other examples were for the game of November 3rd played at Koshien.

The Dodgers beat the Japanese All-Star team on October 28th, 1956 by a score of 6-3, thanks in part to a Duke Snider home run."

Here's the back of the sweet postcard. It will forever remain in my Campy PC!