Michael T. posted an article on Nearmint's Vintage Football Card Blog - Nov 26, 2009, 5:49 pm
Tom Janik, who played defensive back from 1963 to 1971 for the Broncos, Bills, and Patriots, died on November 21. According to his page on pro-football-reference.com, Janik intercepted 25 passes in h...
Comment - Like

Michael T. posted an article on Nearmint's Vintage Football Card Blog - Nov 25, 2009, 6:12 pm
I mentioned in O is for Oddball that someday I would buy a set of 1972 Sunoco stamps. “Someday” came sooner than I thought: I picked up a set last night. I bought them mainly to add to t...
Comment - Like

Michael T. posted an article on Nearmint's Vintage Football Card Blog - Nov 24, 2009, 10:28 pm
I was putting some 1967 Topps cards up for sale the other day, and I noticed that one of them, the Tom Day card shown here, had a bit of brown along the top border. I remembered that 1967 Topps footb...
Comment - Like

Michael T. posted an article on Nearmint's Vintage Football Card Blog - Nov 24, 2009, 8:52 am
eBay seller “batnbal” is auctioning off some old San Diego Chargers items that I’ve never seen before. I thought I’d point them out. 1961 Golden Tulip Chargers cards were dis...
Comment - Like

Michael T. posted an article on Nearmint's Vintage Football Card Blog - Nov 23, 2009, 3:03 pm
Last week I added 1960 Topps Metallic Stickers to the Vintage Football Card Gallery. As I wrote in I is for Inserts, these were inserts in packs of 1960 Topps football cards. The set includes the 13...
Comment - Like

Michael T. posted an article on Nearmint's Vintage Football Card Blog - Nov 21, 2009, 4:52 pm
To a card collector, “oddballs” are collectible items that have some characteristics of cards–small size, two dimensions, pictures of players, team logos, and so on–but are not...
Comment - Like

Michael T. posted an article on Nearmint's Vintage Football Card Blog - Nov 19, 2009, 7:05 pm
Eddie Bell, who played defensive back and linebacker from 1955 to 1960 for the Philadelphia Eagles, Hamilton Tiger Cats, and New York Titans, died on November 16. Bell’s obituary at philly.com ...
Comment - Like

Michael T. posted an article on Nearmint's Vintage Football Card Blog - Nov 19, 2009, 11:07 am
This is the first time I’ve seen these offered together: a full set of 1969 Glendale Stamps, still on panels, with the accompanying album. The seller, cocicoco, has lots of oddball items like t...
Comment - Like

Michael T. posted an article on Nearmint's Vintage Football Card Blog - Nov 13, 2009, 3:25 pm
In 1935, the National Chicle Gum Company became the first company to print a football-only set and distribute it nationally. The backs of the cards indicate that the company had planned to print 240 ...
Comment - Like

Michael T. posted an article on Nearmint's Vintage Football Card Blog - Nov 12, 2009, 4:24 pm
Today I put together another virtual uncut sheet page, this time for 1969 Topps football cards. The page includes both the first and second series sheets. These are the first sheets I’ve seen ...
Comment - Like

Michael T. posted an article on Nearmint's Vintage Football Card Blog - Nov 12, 2009, 12:41 pm
The things you find on eBay. Here’s a listing for something I didn’t know existed: O.J. Simpson’s Football Card Price Guide. O.J. is a man of many talents! For more interesting eB...
Comment - Like

Michael T. posted an article on Nearmint's Vintage Football Card Blog - Nov 8, 2009, 7:17 pm
There’s a fun thread developing on the Collectors Universe message boards: collectors there are posting their worst miscut cards. Here’s my entry, a 1963 Topps Tom Bettis with -5/105 cent...
Comment - Like

Michael T. posted an article on Nearmint's Vintage Football Card Blog - Nov 3, 2009, 6:04 pm
Question #6: What do the five players pictured on these football cards have in common? Scroll down slowly; the answer is after the sponsored links. For more information on a card, click on it or h...
Comment - Like

Michael T. posted an article on Nearmint's Vintage Football Card Blog - Oct 31, 2009, 11:26 am
There are lots of scary images on old football cards, but this Don Hutson 1963 Stancraft playing card struck me as the Halloweeniest. He looks like he’s wearing a homemade super hero costume. ...
Comment - Like

Michael T. posted an article on Nearmint's Vintage Football Card Blog - Oct 30, 2009, 3:21 pm
The first set of football cards printed was the 1894 Mayo Cut Plug tobacco card series. The 35-card set, which was distributed in tins of chewing tobacco, includes only college players from Princeton...
Comment - Like

Michael T. posted an article on Nearmint's Vintage Football Card Blog - Oct 29, 2009, 5:47 pm
Here’s an easy one. Question #5: What do the three players pictured on these football cards have in common? Scroll down slowly; the answer is after the sponsored links. For more information...
Comment - Like

Michael T. posted an article on Nearmint's Vintage Football Card Blog - Oct 29, 2009, 9:59 am
Yesterday I added 1935 National Chicle cards to the Vintage Football Card Gallery. What a beautiful set! My favorite cards are the Pittsburgh Pirates, in their bumblebee uniforms. (The Pirates beca...
Comment - Like

Michael T. posted an article on Nearmint's Vintage Football Card Blog - Oct 28, 2009, 2:29 pm
Here are the auctions I mentioned yesterday, a bunch of 1948 Bowman football cards with the wrong backs. The group includes a Steve Van Buren rookie card and a Sammy Baugh rookie card. These are the...
Comment - Like

Michael T. posted an article on Nearmint's Vintage Football Card Blog - Oct 27, 2009, 9:27 pm
Check out the back of Charley Conerly’s 1948 Bowman football card: there’s an offer for toy “Frisky Dogs” that says “Lots of Fun–Watch them fight.” I suspect...
Comment - Like

Michael T. posted an article on Nearmint's Vintage Football Card Blog - Oct 27, 2009, 9:21 am
I knew that Fred Williamson had been in movies after his football days, and today I did a search to check out what he films he had done. I had no idea! Williamson’s IMDB page lists 110 acting ...
Comment - Like

Michael T. posted an article on Nearmint's Vintage Football Card Blog - Oct 26, 2009, 8:25 pm
Here is the latest trivia question. Question #4: What do the four players pictured on these 1958 Topps football cards have in common? Scroll down slowly; the answer is after the sponsored links. ...
Comment - Like

Michael T. posted an article on Nearmint's Vintage Football Card Blog - Oct 24, 2009, 11:26 am
This is the oddest oddball set I have ever seen: they are sweepstakes cards given out by the American Oil Company in 1968. A full game piece consisted of two of these cards–one Mr. and one Mrs....
Comment - Like

Michael T. posted an article on Nearmint's Vintage Football Card Blog - Oct 23, 2009, 5:05 pm
The Leaf Gum Company printed football cards in 1948 and 1949. The cards from the two years are very similar. In fact, except for the variations in the 1948 cards, for players who appear in both sets...
Comment - Like

Michael T. posted an article on Nearmint's Vintage Football Card Blog - Oct 22, 2009, 5:37 pm
Continuing our little quiz: Question #3: What do the four quarterbacks pictured on these vintage football cards have in common? Scroll down slowly; the answer is after the sponsored links. For mo...
Comment - Like

Michael T. posted an article on Nearmint's Vintage Football Card Blog - Oct 21, 2009, 4:47 pm
Continuing our little quiz: Question #2: What do the three players pictured on these 1951 Bowman football cards have in common? Scroll down slowly; the answer is after the sponsored links. For mo...
Comment - Like

Michael T. posted an article on Nearmint's Vintage Football Card Blog - Oct 20, 2009, 8:43 am
In previous posts I’ve shown you that the images of Bill Wade and Doug Atkins are reversed on their 1960 Topps football cards. Here’s another reversed image in the same set, Frank Varrich...
Comment - Like

Michael T. posted an article on Nearmint's Vintage Football Card Blog - Oct 19, 2009, 1:54 pm
Here’s something I haven’t seen before–a full deck of 1973 Nebraska playing cards. The auction listing includes the full list of player names, and you can pick the little green VIEW...
Comment - Like

Michael T. posted an article on Nearmint's Vintage Football Card Blog - Oct 18, 2009, 10:56 am
I pick up bits of trivia here and there, and I thought I’d pass them on via a quiz. The questions will be about the players, not the football cards, so you don’t have to be a card collect...
Comment - Like

Michael T. posted an article on Nearmint's Vintage Football Card Blog - Oct 17, 2009, 7:21 pm
This is cool: an old birthday card with a pack attached containing a 1950 Topps Felt Back card. The auction also includes a box that the birthday cards came in. Evidently different birthday cards ca...
Comment - Like

Michael T. posted an article on Nearmint's Vintage Football Card Blog - Oct 16, 2009, 8:14 pm
Regional sets feature cards of players from only one team, and they were distributed in that team’s region by a local business, usually a food company. Because they cover only a single team, r...
Comment - Like

Michael T. posted an article on Nearmint's Vintage Football Card Blog - Oct 15, 2009, 12:25 pm
Pictured here are two cards I listed for sale yesterday, both 1968 Topps cards graded PSA 5. Each of them has a tiny hairline crease that I had to use a magnifying glass to see. If not for the hairl...
Comment - Like

Michael T. posted an article on Nearmint's Vintage Football Card Blog - Oct 5, 2009, 1:16 pm
In G is for Grading, I wrote that Some collectors also participate in set registries, where you can show off your collections and compete with other collectors for the highest-graded sets. PSA, SGC, ...
Comment - Like

Michael T. posted an article on Nearmint's Vintage Football Card Blog - Oct 2, 2009, 10:25 am
Today I added 1964 Wheaties Stamps to the Vintage Football Card Gallery. When I bought my first group of these stamps, I assumed that they would be the thickness of a card, like the 1969 Topps 4-in-1...
Comment - Like

Michael T. posted an article on Nearmint's Vintage Football Card Blog - Sep 30, 2009, 1:35 pm
A common error on vintage football cards was spelling a player’s name Charlie when he spelled it Charley, or spelling it Charley when he spelled it Charlie. I don’t know how the guys name...
Comment - Like

Michael T. posted an article on Nearmint's Vintage Football Card Blog - Sep 29, 2009, 6:39 pm
A couple of months ago I wrote about the white footballs you sometimes see on old Bowman cards. Naturally, after writing that post, I started noticing more and more white footballs. Here are a few t...
Comment - Like

Michael T. posted an article on Nearmint's Vintage Football Card Blog - Sep 26, 2009, 11:02 am
In 1960, card companies started inserting little extras into packs of football cards: stickers, posters, tattoos, decals, punch-outs, and so on. The wrappers for the packs showed what insert was insi...
Comment - Like

Michael T. posted an article on Nearmint's Vintage Football Card Blog - Sep 23, 2009, 7:35 pm
Randy Johnson, the first quarterback of the Atlanta Falcons, died on September 16. Along with Tommy Nobis, Johnson was a first round draft choice for the Falcons in 1966. Johnson played for five y...
Comment - Like

Michael T. posted an article on Nearmint's Vintage Football Card Blog - Sep 23, 2009, 5:54 pm
I read an article a long time ago–perhaps in Sports Collectors Digest?–written by someone who collected players’ last cards. A player’s last card has advantages over his rooki...
Comment - Like

Michael T. posted an article on Nearmint's Vintage Football Card Blog - Sep 22, 2009, 5:34 pm
Jay Cutler wasn’t mad at the coach. He just didn’t want to wear these socks! (Here’s another view.) The Broncos are wearing their 1960 uniforms twice this year–complete with...
Comment - Like

Michael T. posted an article on Nearmint's Vintage Football Card Blog - Sep 22, 2009, 9:38 am
Yesterday eBay removed most of the subcategories under sports cards, leaving only the major category for each sport: football cards, baseball cards, etc. Previously they had subcategories under each ...
Comment - Like

Michael T. posted an article on Nearmint's Vintage Football Card Blog - Sep 20, 2009, 11:36 am
Today’s article in the Uni Watch blog bemoans the disappearance of “shoulder loops” on NFL jerseys. (Scroll down to Getting Loopy On You.) The article prompted me to look through m...
Comment - Like

Michael T. posted an article on Nearmint's Vintage Football Card Blog - Sep 19, 2009, 9:52 am
Bob Kowalkowski, who played guard for the Lions for 11 years, died on September 17. Kowalkowski joined the Lions in 1966, and he started every game for the team from 1972 to 1976. He ended his caree...
Comment - Like

Michael T. posted an article on Nearmint's Vintage Football Card Blog - Sep 18, 2009, 3:37 pm
In any vintage set, the cards of players and coaches who have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame tend to be more popular–and hence more valuable–than the other cards in the set....
Comment - Like

Michael T. posted an article on Nearmint's Vintage Football Card Blog - Sep 17, 2009, 12:48 pm
Steve Romanik, who quarterbacked for the Chicago Bears and Chicago Cardinals from 1950 to 1954, died on September 16. He was the Bears’ leading passer in 1952, sharing duties with George Blanda...
Comment - Like

Michael T. posted an article on Nearmint's Vintage Football Card Blog - Sep 15, 2009, 10:55 am
I stumbled across a bunch of these on eBay today. You’re probably familiar with 1952 Bowman Large and 1952 Bowman Small cards. This is the first time I’ve seen 1952 Bowman Mediums, thoug...
Comment - Like

Michael T. posted an article on Nearmint's Vintage Football Card Blog - Sep 14, 2009, 5:28 pm
According to the Oldest Living Pro Football Players web site, Ralph Kerchival is the oldest living pro player, at nearly 98 years old. He was a back and kicker with the Brooklyn Dodgers of the NFL fr...
Comment - Like

Michael T. posted an article on Nearmint's Vintage Football Card Blog - Sep 13, 2009, 5:23 pm
In 1956, Topps held a logo lookalike contest, and Norm Willey won it with this pose. No, not really, but he does look like he’s doing an eagle imitation, doesn’t he? I have always loved ...
Comment - Like

Michael T. posted an article on Nearmint's Vintage Football Card Blog - Sep 11, 2009, 5:33 pm
If you are going to collect cards, you need to learn to grade them. To the untrained eye there is little difference between a mint card and a near mint card, but there can be a tremendous difference...
Comment - Like

Michael T. posted an article on Nearmint's Vintage Football Card Blog - Sep 4, 2009, 4:27 pm
The Fleer Corporation printed football cards each year from 1960 to 1963. In 1960, 1962, and 1963, Fleer had rights to the AFL players, while their competitor, Topps, had rights to the NFL players. ...
Comment - Like

Michael T. posted an article on Nearmint's Vintage Football Card Blog - Sep 3, 2009, 6:37 pm
In case you haven’t noticed it, I added a new tab to the top of this page, called Interesting eBay Auctions. I had been writing blog posts for this purpose, but I find that they scroll out of s...
Comment - Like