| MAIN MENU |
|
- Home - Feature stories - From the editor - Just a thought - Small blessings - You are not alone - Come and get it - Then and now - Fun pages - Advertising info - Helpful links New - About Us |
|
|
What may have become big business,
is still a whole lot of fun.
Published March/April 2001
(NAPS) - America is a nation of collectors. A big hit with many collectors are baseball and other sports trading cards. It is a hobby that many adults have fond memories of.
In 1951, the Shorin brothers were trying to get people to buy their bubble gum. They decided to package it with baseball cards. The first set featured such stars as Yogi Berra, Duke Snider, Bob Feller and Warren Spahn. In 1991, Topps dropped gum from the packs. Customers wanted mint condition cards, and the stick of gum left an impression on the card it touched.
Today such sports cards are on the cutting edge of photography and design, boasting such innovations as die-cut holo-foil technology. While people used to buy their cards at candy stores, today you'll see folks crowding the counters at hobby stores and other mass retailers to get their cards.
These trading cards are true collectibles. A 1952 Mickey Mantle Topps card in mint condition went for $121,000 at auction in 1997. A 1952 Andy Pafko in mint condition went for $83,870 in 1999. Why so high? Pafko was card #1 in the first set. In those days, kids sorted their cards and Pafko usually had major rubber band damage.
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of what has become a part of America’s cultural history, Topps is presenting its 2001 Baseball Series cards. This collection salutes the game’s legends while capturing the spirit of a brand new generation of ballplayers. In this 2-series historical set, cards feature veteran superstars, draft picks and prospects, league leaders, managers and some great moments in baseball history. An added feature is that Topps will be randomly inserting one each of the original cards of Roberto Clemente, Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle and other valuable players into lucky packs. There will also be some autographed cards of more than 50 players inserted in packs as well. To find out more information on this exciting series, check out www.topps.com on the Web.
Return to a list of feature stories from Home Front Magazine.
Home
|
Feature stories
|
From the editor
| Just a thought
You are not alone | Come and get it | Then and now
Small blessings | Fun pages | Advertising | Helpful links | About Us
© Copyright 2002 Home Front Magazine. All rights reserved.
Hosting by FN Publishing
You are not alone | Come and get it | Then and now
Small blessings | Fun pages | Advertising | Helpful links | About Us
© Copyright 2002 Home Front Magazine. All rights reserved.
Hosting by FN Publishing