As sad as that is, and even though we have the denouement of the pennant races and postseason in front of us, this is also the time of year when other sports start to creep into our consciousness.

The allure of football and — soon, basketball and hockey — is not limited to the field of play, either.

Nope, there is plenty of droolworthy cardboard to be found among the non-baseball sports, and this week, those goodies start creeping into our Friday listings.

So, sit back, enjoy, and don’t be surprised if a little variety strikes your fancy.

(Note that this post contains affiliate links, which means if you click over to eBay and buy something, I’ll receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.)

1969 Topps Willie Mays (PSA 10)

By 1969, Willie Mays was squarely in the define phase of his career, but he still had a few seasons left to produce at All-Star levels, albeit with reduced playing tome from his heyday.

More importantly, Mays was a legend, an all-time great who had an outside shot at topping Babe Ruth’s career home run record.

That didn’t happen, of course — Hank Aaron was the one who ultimately took the homer crown — but Willie was and is one of the most popular players who ever lived.

And his 1969 Topps issue features the smiling superstar adorned in his San Francisco Giants home white jersey. It’s a great card, and this eBay lot presents it in perfect PSA 10 condition, one of only six to have ever received that grade.

The Buy-It-Now (BIN) sits at a similarly wowing $11,999.99.

Here is the eBay listing (affiliate link).

1969 Topps Baseball Unopened Wax Pack

Hailing from the same set as the Mays card above is this 1969 Topps unopened 5-cent wax pack.

It’s a great period display piece with vibrant colors — red, yellow, blue, white, black — and graded in PSA 7

The wrapper shows a few crinkles but is in great shape overall (obviously) and features advertising for the rub-offs insert.

A very nice vintage pack listed at $2499.99

Here is the eBay listing (affiliate link).

1969-70 Topps Basketball Uncut Sheet with Lew Alcindor Rookie Card

The NBA season is still a ways off, but as baseball enters the final stretch and LeBron James heads for the Los Angeles Lakers, the sports world is starting to get that hardwood itch.

Evidence of that can be seen in the basketball lots that are starting to make their way to the market.

Take this 1969-70 Topps Basketball uncut sheet, for example.

How many times do you find the rookie card of two Hall of Famers on one sheet that’s nearly 50 years old? Along with a handful of other Hall of Famers?

Hardly ever, in my experience, but that’s what you get here …

A John Havlicek rookie card …

A Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) rookie card …

… and …

… Jerry Lucas, Connie Hawkins, Jerry West, Bill Bradley, Len Wilkins.

Obviously, this thing is loaded, and it’s hard to argue with the seller’s $9999.99 BIN.

Here is the eBay listing (affiliate link).

1981 Topps Baseball Unopened Wax Case

In 1981, Fleer and Donruss broke Topps’ 25-year monopoly on the baseball card market to produce their first-ever sets of current players (although Fleer also tried the same in 1963).

None of the three 1981 sets are great, but Topps issue is almost universally accepted as the most solid among the trio.

Sporting a decent baseball-cap design that suffers from the usual dingy photography and mushy brown cardstock of the era, 1981 Topps baseball is nevertheless basically error-free, a far cry from the mess Fleer and Donruss issues.

And, while the rookie class isn’t the best ever, you can still find first-year cards of Kirk Gibson, Fernando Valenzuela (and Mike Scioscia), Tim Raines, and Harold Baines.

Given all that, this unopened wax case (20 boxes) of 1981 Topps baseball is a bona fide piece of hobby history that the seller is offering up at a $6200 BIN

Here is the eBay listing (affiliate link).

1984 Topps Football John Elway Rookie Card (PSA 10)

Though the world may not quite be ready for the NBA season, it seems everyone is ready for some football.

Friday Night Lights are firing up across the nation.

The college rumor mill is churning.

The NFL preseason is in full swing.

And some stellar cards are surfacing on eBay.

What could be a better accompaniment for your fall fun than this PSA 10 copy of the 1984 Topps John Elway rookie card?

The man is Denver Broncos through and through, a legendary Hall of Fame quarterback who led the team to two Super Bowl victories and then helped them to another as the lead front office man.

Hard to beat that legacy, and impossible to beat the quality of this card, listed at $3750.

Here is the eBay listing (affiliate link).

Check out our other posts detailing baseball cards for sale here.

The dog days of summer.

The start of school.

The end of summer.

It’s bull, if you ask me. I mean, boys and girls — of all ages — should be free to watch baseball all season long, unfettered by the constraints of school and work, teachers and bosses.

But since we all have to live, and learn, we’ll just have to take our solace where we can get it.

Like in the warm arms of a cardboard embrace … or the soft glow of an eBay listing.

So let’s combine the two and check out this week’s droolworthy lots — five baseball card listings for sale right now that will make you downright giddy and maybe green with envy.

August or not.

(Note that this post contains affiliate links, which means if you click over to eBay and buy something, I’ll receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.)

1954 Topps Ted Williams (#1) – PSA 5

Topps spent the first three years of their existence fighting the wolves of the baseball card world without Ted Williams in their corner.

So, when they finally inked the Splendid Splinter to a contract in 1954, they tried to make up for lost time by giving him two cards — #1 and #250 — bookends!

Those bookends also helped create one of the hobby’s toughies in the form of the 1954 Bowman Williams, which Topps’ competitor had to pull from circulation.

This eBay lot, though, offers up that Topps #1 cards, a PSA 5 specimen with a Buy-It-Now (BIN) of $6999.

That’s a big number, but this card is also the tough gray back variety, and the PSA Population Report shows just 16 have been graded. This is the only 5, and there has been only one 6.

They just don’t come much better.

Here is the eBay listing (affiliate link).

1963 Topps Pete Rose Rookie Card (#537) – BVG 9

Think Pete Rose doesn’t carry much weight in the hobby these days?

Listings like this one — and they aren’t all that rare, though this one is exceptional — might change your mind.

Here we have the legendary 1963 Topps Pete Rose rookie card, graded at BVG 9.

According to the seller, only five Rose rookies have achieved that grade, and none have rated higher.

You’d expect nothing less for a BIN of $11,999, right?

Here is the eBay listing (affiliate link).

1959 Bazooka Mickey Mantle (SGC 55 / 4.5 VG/EX+)

One of the cards I always considered untouchable, and almost mythical, as a kid was the 1959 Hank Aaron Bazooka card.

I first laid eyes on this beauty in an old, stripped-down price guide that was probably some Beckett knock-off but that provided a few black-and-white pictures.

And something about that Henry Aaron card just clicked with me …

The wistful follow-through …

The long card dimensions …

The colors I imagined I could see …

The thought of pulling a great card from a whole box of bubble gum.

It was great.

I never did get that card, but this eBay listing brings back most of those old feelings.

You can’t go wrong with Mickey Mantle, after all. And, even though the condition of this one is not great and it’s not graded by PSA, the PSA Pop Report shows that the grading giant has handled just a few of these over the years.

The Mick + scarcity = big bucks ($7499, in this case).

I’d still rather have the Hank, though.

Here is the eBay listing (affiliate link).

1957 Topps Baseball Uncut Sheet

Man, when it comes to baseball cards, t’s tough to beat the sheer beauty of 1957 Topps.

Yes, that sounds cheesy, but these things are just stunning, even more than 60 years after their issue.

I mean if the Jim Gilliam card or the Frank Robinson rookie don’t stir something deep in your diamond soul, something’s just not right.

Anyway, this lot ratchets things up a notch with a 55-card uncut sheet of these beauties, including Mickey Mantle, Warren Spahn, Ted Kluszewski, Bob Lemon, and Red Schoendienst.

Not surprisingly, this thing is a little beat up, but $2750 doesn’t seem all that out of line for those big names and all that beauty and all that uncuttedness.

Here is the eBay listing (affiliate link).

1986 Topps Traded Set Case (100)

In the fall of 1986, I figured out a foolproof scheme for making big money — I’d invest in Kurt Stillwell rookie cards.

He was, after all, going to be the shortstop for the Cincinnati Reds when they reeled off a few World Series victories in a row.

Barry Larkin wasn’t even on my radar.

So I bought 100 of Stillwell’s 1986 Topps Traded cards for $25 and waited.

I came across those babies a year of so back, at the bottom of my closet. The good news is, they’re still pristine.

The bad news is, they’re still Kurt Stillwell.

Why am I telling you all this?

Because this eBay lot could help you recreate my Stillwell thrills, courtesy of a full case — 100 sets — of 1986 Topps Traded.

So, not only would you get 100 Stillwells, you’d get 100 Barry Bonds and Bo Jackson rookies, too.

Oh, and Bill Wegman.

All for a BIN of $1050.

Rejoice, times 100!

Here is the eBay listing (affiliate link).

Check out our other posts detailing baseball cards for sale here.

Maybe I’m longing for some time at the ballpark with my favorite franks, or maybe I’m looking forward to the culinary pleasures of football season.

Whatever the case, I couldn’t keep my attention off the various delectable food issues that filled my browser as I browsed through eBay this week.

So, I had little choice, really …

Here are five droolworthy baseball card lots available on eBay right now, all of them offering up food issues.

Bon appétit!

(Note that this post contains affiliate links, which means if you click over to eBay and buy something, I’ll receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.)

1953 Glendale Meats Detroit Tigers Complete Set

Nothing says “ballpark” much better than a good old hot dog, right?

That’s part of what makes those old Kahn’s sets so cool, and it’s also part of what made this listing jump out at me — the 1953 Glendale cards were issued with packs of wieners.

Also, these cards are 65 years old, complete at 28 cards of the Detroit Tigers, and fully PSA-graded (1s and 2s!).

Plus, there are plenty of great pictures of these vintage pasteboards in the listing, including Matt Batts.

Any Matt Batts sighting is worth a second look, don’t you think?

I do.

Even at a Buy-It-Now price of $6499.

Here is the eBay listing (affiliate link).

1954 Red Man Tobacco Gil Hodges (PSA 9)

I have this irrational love of Gil Hodges, in a hero-worship sense, and I’m not afraid to admit it.

Irrational because his numbers say he’s not a Hall of Famer, but I think he belongs in Cooperstown.

Maybe it’s because he was a Hoosier (like me).

Maybe it’s because the stories I’ve heard of him paint him in an almost saintly glow.

Maybe it’s because he looks so darn good smiling in Brooklyn Dodgers Blue.

Or maybe it’s because of the triumphant homecoming he made in taking the 1969 New York Mets to a World Series title. Amazing!

Maybe.

Part of me also believes those stories about Hodges’ concocting the modern bullpen.

Hodges cards are hard to resist, especially when they’re of the stunning Red Man Tobacco variety (not technically a food issue, though I suppose if your gut could handle it …).

This beauty is sitting there just waiting for the next $2000 to float by.

Here is the eBay listing (affiliate link).

1954 Wilson Franks Ted Williams (PSA 5)

Back to the Hot Dog brigade we go for a pretty sweet Ted Williams card issued in 1954 by Wilson Franks.

Inserted in packages of hot dogs (sound familiar?), there were 20 cards in the set, including some of the biggest names in the game.

They didn’t come much bigger than Teddy Ballgame, of course, and his status combines with the relative scarcity of the card (136 total copies graded by PSA, 22 that scored a 5) to make the $12,500 price tag seem reasonable.

Well, at least not totally unbelievable. After all, PriceRealized shows a PSA 7 selling for $33,500 in April 2018 and a PSA 5 fetching $5700 nearly a year ago.

Hot dog!

Here is the eBay listing (affiliate link).

1974 O-Pee-Chee Frank White Rookie Card (PSA 10)

You may not think of O-Pee-Chee cards as food issues, but Wikipedia lists O-Pee-Chee as a “confectionery company.”

Close enough for me!

Besides, Frank White is one of those really good 1970s and 1980s players who don’t get remembered and celebrated as often as they should. He was an absolutely vital member of all those great Kansas City Royals teams, so … Go, Frank!

Besides besides, we get to see Andre Thornton as Andy, and he was pretty darn good, too.

And my heart pitter-patters anytime I get to see a Hughes on a real-live baseball card. Good on you, Terry Hughes.

And … this thing is from the Dmitri Young collection … and graded PSA 10.

Holy Moises Alou!

Is $3500 too much for a one-of-a-kind?

Here is the eBay listing (affiliate link).

1971 Kellogg’s Football Unopened Envelopes – Complete Set (60)

So this is another cheat, right?

Kellogg’s is definitely a food issue, but football is definitely not baseball.

But the Hall of Fame Game was this week, and that means the NFL is ready to ramp up again. Hard not to get in the football spirit this time of year, even with MLB pennant races just heating up.

Besides, how many times have you seen even one unopened Kellogg’s pack from 1971, let alone the whole set?

That would be zero on both counts for me.

Seeing those blue borders peeking out through the cloudy white envelopes in this listing is an almost magical experience, let me tell you.

Or better yet, click over for yourself and see what kind of magic $3601 can buy you.

Here is the eBay listing (affiliate link).

Check out our other posts detailing baseball cards for sale here.

That means two things …

1. The Major League Baseball trade deadline.
2. Hall of Fame induction weekend.

And, as exciting as both of those things are, sometimes they collide and supernova our baseball exhilaration beyond all bounds (maybe a slight exaggeration).

When that happens, you get future Hall of Famers switching teams at the trade deadline, and you get new future Hall of Famer cardboard associations.

Fun stuff!

To celebrate this colossal collision, this week’s droolworthy lots all feature those guys … Hall of Famers who, at one point in their careers, were the subject of trade deadline deals.

Bestill my beating heart!

(Note that this post contains affiliate links, which means if you click over to eBay and buy something, I’ll receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.)

1967 Topps Punch-Outs Unopened Pack (Lou Brock!)

Click the image for the eBay listing (affiliate link)

The 1962 pact that sent Lou Brock from the Chicago Cubs to the St. Louis Cardinals is still the yardstick by which all other trade deadline deals are judged.

Brock, of course, went on to a Hall of Fame career with the Cards, while the Cubs languished for another 20 years before finally winning a division title in 1984.

In between, Topps was busy issuing all sorts of baseball cards, including the 1967 Punch-Outs test issue.

Now, these weren’t gorgeous cards, but they’re definitely interesting.

And an unopened pack with three of the lineup-style cards? Awesome!

This particular pack just so happens to have the Lou Brock Team Captain card showing through, so it’s perfect for our list this week.

Here is the eBay listing (affiliate link).

1971-72 Game Worn and Autographed Gaylord Perry and Dave Kingman San Francisco Giants Jersey

Click the image for the eBay listing (affiliate link)

In 1971, Gaylord Perry wore number 36 for the San Francisco Giants.

In 1972, Dave Kingman wore number 26 for the San Francisco Giants.

According to the seller of this jersey, its number was changed from 36 to 26 at some point. So, even though it says “Perry” in the collar, the thought is that both dudes wore this thing.

What we know for sure is that both (apparently) signed it.

And that the Giants traded Perry (and Frank Duffy) to the Cleveland Indians in November 1971 in exchange for Sam McDowell.

And that Perry was part of a deadline deal that sent him to the Texas Rangers in 1975.

Too intriguing to ignore.

Here is the eBay listing (affiliate link).

1973 Topps Pin-Ups Tom Seaver (PSA 9)

Click the image for the eBay listing (affiliate link)

In 1977, the New York Mets traded staff ace Tom Seaver to the Cincinnati Reds in the middle of summer.

It was devastating to NYM fans but exciting for Seaver and Cincy fans — it seemed like he might be the missing piece to keep the Big Red Machine chugging along.

As it turned out, the Reds just didn’t have quite enough gas to keep up with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Seaver never did make it to the World Series with the Reds.

But that’s OK, because Seaver was already a living legend.

Enough of a legend, in fact, for Topps to have included him in their super-scarce 1973 Pin-Ups test issue that may have never been actually, um, issued at all.

This is a pretty cool set, with each “card” essentially intended to be a gum wrapper. As you might imagine high-grade copies are hard to come by.

There’s only one PSA 9 Seaver in the Population Report, for example.

This eBay lot features a PSA 9 Seaver.

You do the math.

Here is the eBay listing (affiliate link).

1973 Topps Comics Steve Carlton (PSA 5)

Click the image for the eBay listing (affiliate link)

Unlike Seaver, Steve Carlton’s deadline deal came at the end of his career when the Cleveland Indians sent him to the Minnesota Twins in 1987.

Just like Seaver, though, Lefty found himself included in a 1973 Topps test issue — “Comics” in this case.

The Carlton comic in this eBay lot checks in at “only” a PSA 5, but like the Seaver offering above, it’s the only one in the PSA Population Report so graded.

Yuk it up!

Here is the eBay listing (affiliate link).

Collection of (18) Ken Griffey Jr. Rookie Cards Graded PSA 10

Click the image for the eBay listing (affiliate link)

For many hardcore Cincinnati Reds fans (like me), Ken Griffey, Jr., was one of the biggest busts of all time.

It’s not that he wasn’t great — he was.

It’s just that former Reds GM Jim Bowden mortgaged the 2000s to bring Griffey “home” to the Riverfront before the 2000 season.

The Kid just wasn’t the same legend in Cincinnati as he had been with the Seattle Mariners, and it didn’t hurt at all to see him walk out the door in a trade deadline deal with the Chicago White Sox in 2008.

Still, few players have ever excelled in all areas of the game like Griffey did, and few are more popular — still — among collectors.

So, what better way to celebrate his exit from Cincinnati than with this 18-card lot of Junior rookies, all graded PSA 10?

Among the goodies are minor league cards, rookie/update set cards, Griffey’s 1989 Topps (Traded)/Fleer/Donruss rookies, and, of course, that glorious 1989 Upper Deck rookie card.

Hard to imagine a more mouthwatering group of modern cards, huh?

Here is the eBay listing (affiliate link).

Check out our other posts detailing baseball cards for sale here.

The All-Star break is behind us, the pennant races lie ahead, and we’re smack dab in the middle of trade deadline season.

You know … where teams drool all over the “rental” players they would love to add, even though most won’t be able to get the deal done.

That’s sorta the deal with these Droolworthy Card posts, too, right? We’d all love to dig in and snag these goodies, but most will remain out of reach.

Still …

It’s great fun to window shop, just our Major League teams are doing.

So this week, I present our Trade Deadline Droolworthy Deals, where each lot features at least one guy who, once upon a time, was all the rage at as the stretch run loomed in some long ago season.

Now, sit back, relax, and … drool!

(Note that this post contains affiliate links, which means if you click over to eBay and buy something, I’ll receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.)

1909-11 T206 Rube Waddell (PSA 3)

Click the image for the eBay listing (affiliate link)

Rube Waddell was one of those fireplug-of-a-man pitchers from the early days of Major League Baseball who looked like he could carry his family’s oxen into town should one of them fall ill.

If you read his bio on Wikipedia, you’ll see that may not be far off.

While Waddell was never traded during the season, per se, his Baseball Reference page lists several instances when he changed uniforms in the summer — returned to the Louisville Colonels by the Columbus-Grand Rapids after an earlier trade, loaned to Milwaukee (American) by the Pittsburgh Pirates, returned to the Pirates, and “jumped” from Los Angeles (California) to the Philadelphia Athletics.

That last move sounds particularly Bunyanesque and makes this T206 Waddell card feel even more mythical than it already did.

The card is in pretty rough shape at a grade of PSA 3 but has the scarce brown Hindu back … and Waddell is a rough-and-tumble Hall of Famer,

Worth checking out at the very least.

Here is the eBay listing (affiliate link).

1962 Topps Lou Brock Rookie Card (PSA 9)

Click the image for the eBay listing (affiliate link)

The 1964 trade that sent young Lou Brock (with Jack Spring and Paul Toth) from the Chicago Cubs to the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for Ernie Broglio, Doug Clemens, and Bobby Shantz is still legendary in baseball circles more than 50 years on.

Brock, of course, blossomed into one of the greatest base-runners of all time in his 16 years with the Cards, and he developed into a well above-average offensive threat across the board. When he hung up his spikes in 1979, Brock owned just about every stolen base record in the book (since rewritten by Rickey Henderson), more than 3000 hits, and a beeline to the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.

Even now, “Broglio-for-Brock” elicits groans from Cubs faithful and serves as a cautionary tale for baseball execs everywhere.

Little wonder that Brock’s 1962 rookie card has continued to grow in prestige and value over the years as the hobby has matured, to the point that the ten grand asking price for this PSA 9 copy (population 28) doesn’t seem completely outside the realm of possibility.

Here is the eBay listing (affiliate link).

1980 Topps Baseball Unopened Rack Pack Box

Click the image for the eBay listing (affiliate link)

Yes, the 1980 Topps set is home to the Rickey Henderson rookie card, with a good chance that you’ll uncover one of those gems in this unopened rack pack box.

But when these cards were new, in 1980, Henderson was an afterthought on the rookie scene. Though Rickey recorded his first 100-steal season, that summer was dominated by Cleveland Indians slugging sensation Joe Charboneau, who ran away with the American League Rookie of the Year award.

In the National League, Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Steve Howe took home ROY honors, matching fellow rotation member Rick Sutcliffe, who had copped the 1979 award.

And so, right alongside Henderson, you’ll find Sutcliffe’s rookie card in this 1980 set.

And …

Four years later, in June 1984, the Cleveland Indians traded the Red Baron to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for Joe Carter and Mel Hall.

The Windy City proved to be a magical elixir for Sutcliffe, who went 16-1 the rest of that summer, helping the Cubbies to their first-ever division title and nabbing NL Cy Young honors.

So remember that if you ever feel a twinge of disappointment in pulling a Rick instead of a Rickey!

Here is the eBay listing (affiliate link).

1969 World Series Game 4 Ticket Autographed by Tom Seaver

Click the image for the eBay listing (affiliate link)

By the time the New York Mets traded Tom Seaver to the Cincinnati Reds in June of 1977, we pretty much already knew what Tom Terrific was — a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

And, while Doug Flynn, Steve Henderson, Dan Norman, and Pat Zachry provided some value to the Mets over the next several seasons, Seaver continued to build his legend with the Reds, starting with a 14-3 record to close out ’77.

Even though Seaver found himself on the Riverfront while the Big Red Machine was still trucking along, he never made it to the World Series with the Reds.

In fact, the only hint of World Series succor that Seaver, his fans, or Mets fans could muster until 1986 were sweet memories of past glory, like this autographed ticket from Game 4 of the 1969 Fall Classic.

In that tilt, Seaver pitched the Miracle Mets to a 2-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles and to the brink of their first championship.

But the appeal of this ticket doesn’t end with dripping nostalgia, because it’s also a great looking display piece. Check it out …

Here is the eBay listing (affiliate link).

1989 Fleer Baseball 20-Box Wax Case (Billy Ripken F-Face Error Series)

Click the image for the eBay listing (affiliate link)

We all knew that Randy Johnson was a rental player when the Seattle Mariners sent him to the Houston Astros in exchange for Freddy Garcia, Carlos Guillen, and John Halama on July 31, 1998.

But that didn’t really matter to any of us.

The Big Unit was set to be a free agent, and the Mariners couldn’t afford to keep him.

The Astros were trying to make it to the postseason.

And fans … well, we just wanted to see this dude smoke hitters with something on the line.

Boy, did we get our wish!

In 11 starts with Houston, Johnson went 10-1 with a 1.28 ERA, four complete games, and 116 strikeouts in 84-1/3 innings. Wow!

Alas, the Astros won the National League Central but lost to the San Diego Padres in the NL Division Series.

But Johnson’s dominance helped him land a fat new contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks that fall, set him up for what would eventually become a run to the Hall of Fame, and propelled his baseball cards straight into the summer glare of the hobby spotlight.

One of the beneficiaries was his 1989 Fleer rookie card, which you would undoubtedly find in multiplicate in this 20-box wax case.

And, oh yeah … the markings on this case indicate it was cranked out on January 4, 1989 — plenty early enough for the infamous Billy Ripken “F-Face” error to make an appearance.

Open at your own risk!

Here is the eBay listing (affiliate link).

Check out our other posts detailing baseball cards for sale here.

Maybe more than any other time of year, our minds are on the top stars in the game.

And what better way to get in a star groove than with some superstar baseball cards?

You’ll find plenty all-time greats among our droolworthy lots this week, as well as a few other amazing goodies.

So get ready for some ballpark fireworks and dive into these incredible listings from the week ending July 13, 2018.

(Note that this post contains affiliate links, which means if you click over to eBay and buy something, I’ll receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.)

1975 Topps Robin Yount Rookie Card Wrong Back

Click the image for the eBay listing (affiliate link)

There is no denying that the 1975 Topps Robin Yount rookie card is one of the premier baseball cards of the 1970s. Along with the George Brett rookie from the same year, the Yount rookie drove decades of price growth and exploding interest in the Chiclet-like 1975 set.

Not surprising, either, given Yount’s status as a two-time American League MVP, a member of the 3000-Hit Club, and a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

And when there is something extra special about a particular Yount rookie, you can expect to pay extra, too.

I mean, a PSA 10 Yount or a cherry mini version of the card will always bring a premium.

But what about a wrong-back — say, a Yount rookie front with … I don’t know … a Frank Duffy back? Would that be worth more or less than a “regular” Yount rookie?

How about if it has a Beckett grade of 7 (near mint)?

Then how much would you pay?

Well, if you want to buy-it-now, you’ll pay $9999.

Or Best Offer.

I’m thinking Best Offer will take this one, but it is a very cool card.

Here is the eBay listing (affiliate link).

1957 Topps Baseball Uncut Sheet (55 Cards) — Mickey Mantle, Warren Spahn, Ted Kluszewski

Click the image for the eBay listing (affiliate link)

Ask ten collectors what they consider to be the most beautiful baseball card set of all time and … well … you’ll probably get ten different answers.

But show those same ten collectors a stack of 1957 Topps baseball cards, and ten jaws will drop in unison.

The only people who don’t think these things are gorgeous are bitter descendants of 1950s Bowman employees and folks who are just chronically wrong.

Like Pepsi or Chevy people.

Those guys.

Not only does this lot bring you 55 of the 1957 Topps beauties, but it brings them to you in uncut sheet fashion. Are you kidding me?

The sheet is pretty packed with stars, too — Mickey Mantle, Warren Spahn, Ted Kluszewski, and … um … a combo of William Harridge and Warren Giles looking for all the world like a beardless Colonel Sanders and Dick Cheney.

And to top it all off  — for me at least — this sheet includes Jim Gilliam, maybe the best dadgum baseball card of the entire 1950s!

Here is the eBay listing (affiliate link).

1974 Topps Deckle Edge Uncut Sheet

Click the image for the eBay listing (affiliate link)

In 1974, Topps issued all their base cards in one shot for the first time ever.

Freed from the fetters of multiple series, Topps was free to invest their time and energy into creative endeavors.

One of those undertakings was a set of Topps Baseball Photos that showcased 72 players on sorta artsy black-and-white photos with facsimile blue autographs and scalloped edges.

Those uneven borders led to a nickname that stuck — Deckle Edge.

Oh yeah … the 1974 Deckles were a limited test issue that most experts think were limited to release in Massachussetts. That scarcity has led to pretty hefty prices over the years and planty of collector interest.

No wonder, then, that this framed uncut sheet of 36 Deckle Edges carries a Buy-It-Now price of just under five grand.

Of course, the interesting thing about the sheet is that the uncut nature of the thing renders the actual deckles indistinguishible.

Oh well … c’est la vie!

Here is the eBay listing (affiliate link).

1962 Topps Baseball Near Complete Set

Click the image for the eBay listing (affiliate link)

There are a handful of polarizing baseball card sets that are almost impossible to be ambivalent about.

The black-bordered 1971 Topps set.

The psyhedelic 1972 Topps set.

The burlap 1968 Topps set.

And, maybe the original divider of men, the woodgrained 1962 Topps set.

Especially during the early years of the hobby boom in the 1980s, collectors seemed to either love or hate these things. When Topps resurrected the design in 1987, though, both sets took on a the aroma of true classics.

For me, the 1962 set was always classic and high on my list of sets I’d love to own someday.

I never did reach that goal, but this eBay lot gives some lucky and fiscally liquid collector the chance to grab most of the set in solid shape.

Now, there are some key cards missing, like Mickey Mantle and the Gaylord Perry rookie card, but, hey — four grand doesn’t go as far as it used to.

Plus, the 24-card gap leaves you a challenge to tackle.

Here is the eBay listing (affiliate link).

1956 Topps Baseball Card Empty Wax Pack Display Box

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Mickey Mantle called 1956 his favorite summer, and he even wrote a book about his love affair with that particular season.

Winning a Triple Crown tends to help you form those sorts of strong associations, I suppose.

Meanwhile, collectors were dealing with the aftermath of Topps’ victory over Bowman in the baseball card wars.

Luckily, the only game in town — 1956 Topps — was a classic set that was imminently worthy of Mantle’s signature season and of carrying the torch in the first year of the quarter-century Topps monopoly.

While this eBay lot doesn’t give you access to any actual cards, it definitely gives you a whiff of the essence of that long-ago Golden Age of baseball and baseball cards.

This empty box is the same sort you might have found at your corner drugstore late that summer, maybe on your way home from that first miserable day back at school.

Endless days playing baseball in the backyard or on the deadend street were gone.

The ice cream truck was gone.

The parades and fireworks and fishin’ holes were gone.

The baseball cards were gone.

Summer was gone.

But this glorious box remained.

Here is the eBay listing (affiliate link).

Check out our other posts detailing baseball cards for sale here.

The fireworks are done, the Major League Baseball season is more than halfway finished (*sigh*), and the All-Star break is just over a week away.

Draft picks are signing, and trade talks are heating up.

It’s a busy time of year for baseball and for fun.

And, baseball card collectors, there’s not much more fun than looking at cards, holding cards, and even dreaming about cards that are maybe beyond our reach.

That’s what this droolworthy series is about — bringing you some of the mose awe-inspring baseball cards for sale on eBay each week.

So tie on your bib and get ready for this week’s main course …

(Note that this post contains affiliate links, which means if you click over to eBay and buy something, I’ll receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.)

1954 Topps Hank Aaron and Ernie Banks PSA 8 (oc) Rookie Cards

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Quick!

What has 1264 home runs, two Hall of Fame plaques in Cooperstown, a combined PSA score of 16 (oc), and a 64-year legacy of making collectors smile — twice?

That would be this duo of 1954 Topps rookie cards, each graded PSA 8, though with the “oc” (for off-center) qualifier.

Baseball players don’t get much better than Hank Aaron and Ernie Banks, after all, and hardly any are more beloved. Throw in rookie card status and awesome condition and it’s not surprising the seller is asking nearly eight grand for this duo.

As Mr. Cub himself might have said were he a cardboard hound like us … let’s collect two!

Here is the eBay listing (affiliate link).

1959 Fleer Ted Williams Unopened Pack (PSA 6)

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In 1959, Ted Williams walked away from Topps and took his talents to Philadelphia.

No, he didn’t sign on with the Phillies or the A’s, but rather inked a deal with Fleer that gave the gum-maker exclusive rights to produce baseball cards of the Splendid Splinter.

Fleer took advantage of that arrangement by producing an 80-card set that chronicled the life and times of one of baseball’s greatest hitters of all-time. Along the way, they also created a couple of scarce cards that still haunt collectors today.

This eBay lot gives you the chance to relive the ecstasy of “Where Ted Stands” or “Ted Discharged” through the magic of an unopened eight-card wax pack. Does it hold a long-lost “Ted Signs for 1959”?

Unlikely, but a guy can dream, can’t he?

Here is the eBay listing (affiliate link).

Baseball Card Collection of 100,000+

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Am I the only one who gets a lump in his throat when confronted with a mound of baseball cards from some unknown corner of the universe?

Whose hands go cold even as his palms drip with sweat?

Whose heart races with anticipation?

Whose head spins with the thought of what might be hiding right there under that 1969 Topps Deckle Edge Pete Rose card or that 1977 Hostess Manny Sanguillen.

Nah, I’m not the only one. We’re all — us collectors, that is — pretty much the same at heart. And a heap of unexplored cardboard is like tripping a hatch to a new universe.

That’s what makes lots like this one, which the seller says contains over 100,000 cards from 1965 to 2017 so intriguing — the possibilities seem endless, even if we know deep in our old men hearts that they’re not.

Here is the eBay listing (affiliate link).

1964 Topps Giants Complete Set – PSA Graded

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Most of the Topps base sets from the 1960s were pretty heavy on design. From wood grains to mult-colored borders with inset headshots to burlap borders, the cards seemed to be as much about widgets as they were about photography.

In 1964, Topps issued a team-focused set that featured a prominent block-letter team name at the top of each card — great for sorting, but, again, heavy-handed in terms of stealing real estate from the game itself.

Never one to leave collectors wanting for too long, Topps doled out a brief design respite with their 1964 Giant set that was pretty much all photo, save for a small baseball in the lower right-hand corner that offered up the player name, position, and team affiliation.

This eBay lot brings all of that full-color goodness to you and all 60 cards have been graded by PSA for good measure.

Now, not all of the cards received a high grade, but these sure would make a great display piece.

Here is the eBay listing (affiliate link).

1980s Baseball Card Dealer Costume … er … Cases and Sets

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You’ve seen those all-in-one bagged Halloween costumes that you can get at the Frank’s Frights and Drac’s Digs stores that popup like headstones all across the land each October … right?

You know the disguises I mean …

Vampire with Leftover Neck Bits

Werewolf with Silly Sheep Shears

Umpire with Spitting Earl Weaver Head

You get the picture.

Well, this eBay lot is the baseball card equivalent for all of us who ever dreamed of making a living buying and selling cardboard, which is pretty much all of us if we’re being honest.

With more than 100 boxes and cases of stuff, from unopened 1986 Topps rack packs to 1990 Upper Deck cases, this is the 1980s Sports Card Dealer with Precariously Stacked Dreams.

And it’s spectacular, Junk Wax or not.

Here is the eBay listing (affiliate link).

Check out our other posts detailing baseball cards for sale here.

So sit back, get your hobby history radar geared up, and enjoy these droolworthy listings for June 29, 2018.

(Note that this post contains affiliate links, which means if you click over to eBay and buy something, I’ll receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.)

1979 Hostess Ozzie Smith Handcut PSA 9

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Topps wasn’t the only company who got in on the Ozzie Smith rookie card sweepstakes in 1979.

If you were a sweets connoisseur or just a diehard collector, you could head to your local supermarket and nab The Wizard of Oz on a box of Hostess goodies.

What sets this offering apart from all the rest of the sticky Ozzie’s out there is that it grades out at PSA 9, one of fewer than 10 cards to make that, um, cut.

Here is the eBay listing (affiliate link).

Unopened T206 Era Drum Tobacco Pouch

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What’s more fun than an unopened pack of baseball cards, just taunting you with its untapped potential?

Well … how about an unopened tobacco pouch from the early that may contain a T206 baseball card?

This thing is a drawstring bag of Drum Granulated smoking tobacco that has apparently never been opened — that’s over 100 years of patience, if you’re counting.

The seller is careful to say this package “could potentially contain” a T206 card (and throws in the obligatory Honus Wagner mention), and I honestly have no idea if this type of pouch ever contained baseball cards.

Sure is fun to speculate, though, isn’t it?

Here is the eBay listing (affiliate link).

1971 Topps Baseball Complete Set

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The 1971 Topps set is a longstanding white whale for many collectors — it’s huge, full of Hall of Famers, and really tough to assemble in nice condition because of its chip-prone black borders.

This listing won’t get you far on the condition front — the seller lists them at VG — but you get all the rest of the 1971 goodness.

Two out of three ain’t bad.

Here is the eBay listing (affiliate link).

1972 Topps Reverse Card Art Uncut Sheet of 12

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Topps opened its vaults a couple decades back, and every once in awhile, those one-of-a-kind pieces still make their way back onto the market.

Case in point — this eBay listing of 12 original drawings used as cartoons on 1972 Topps high-number cards. Among the players on whose cards these drawings appeared were Rod Carew, Steve Garvey, and Jose Pagan.

And if you don’t like any of the comics on this sheet, you can always check out the other 12-drawing sheet the seller has listed (affiliate link).

Sheesh! Hobby history and choices. What could be better?

Here is the eBay listing (affiliate link).

1963 Fleer Baseball Cards Uncut Sheets Complete Sets (2)

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Above, we saw some amazing uncut sheets and a pretty cool old complete set.

This listing combines both elements to bring you … two 1963 Fleer baseball card sets in uncut sheet form.

The seller claims these are the only uncut complete 1963 Fleer sets in existence, and I have no ammo with which to combat that statement (though the second set is “near” complete, with 65 out of 66 cards).

However that particular cookie crumbles (see what I did there?) these six-sheet offerings are pretty amazing from a historical and visual perspective.

Here is the eBay listing (affiliate link).

Check out our other posts detailing baseball cards for sale here.

But this Friday is different … this Friday is the Friday before Father’s Day!

Does that mean some of these goodies might actually show up in the Dad stockings we hang by the hammock with care?

Maybe, if you get your want list into the right hands.

But even if that doesn’t happen, its’ fun to dream, as always.

Here are the droolworthy lots for June 15, 2018.

(Note that this post contains affiliate links, which means if you click over to eBay and buy something, I’ll receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.)

Three (3!) 1973 Topps Complete Sets

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How many complete 1973 Topps sets have you seen in your collecting lifetime. For most of us, I’m guessing the answer is less than ten.

Probably far less than ten.

Maybe even one or none.

So here, in this one eBay lot, you might have tripled or infinitied your exposure to 1973 Topps complete sets.

Now, these cards aren’t perfect, as the seller grades them, overall, at VG and says some are in “pretty rough” condition.

But the three complete sets are, well, complete, which means three Mike Schmidt rookie cards, three Pete Rose cards, three Nolan Ryan cards, and, yes, even three New York Mets Willie Mays cards.

Here is the eBay listing (affiliate link).

1975 SSPC Proof Cards

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In 1976, SSPC issued a bootleg set of baseball cards that became known as the “Pure Set” in hobby circles owing to the simple design.

Just pure, beautiful photos, white borders, and nothing else.

Those cards were unlicensed, though, and it didn’t take Topps to have the operation shut down.

The SSPCs live on in hobby lore, though, and part of that is the 1975 copyright on card backs. These beauties were conceived the year before they were issued … and there is proof.

Or there are proofs.

Like this eBay lot, which offers up 18 photos used to make the Pure Set, when they were just photos and not yet cards.

Are these proofs any more legitimate than the SSPCs themselves? No clue, but they’re a great conversation and display piece.

Here is the eBay listing (affiliate link).

1960 Kahn’s Weiners Sales Presentation Catalog Featuring Jim Brown

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OK, this is not baseball cards.

It’s not even baseball.

And it’s not even cards.

But Kahn’s made baseball cards in the 1960s, so there’s that.

And Jim Brown was like the Mickey Mantle and Babe Ruth and Willie Mays of football all in one person.

So there’s that, too.

And this catalog is awesome, with page after page of vintage pigskin stuffs. You definitely need to see this.

Baseball or not.

Here is the eBay listing (affiliate link).

1979 Topps “Unopened” Boxes — 50,000+ Cards!

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This lot gets air quotes around its “unopened” status because the seller says the cards have been picked through to remove potential PSA 10 specimens.

But the seller also maintains that superstars and high-grade cards remain — only the absolute cream have been removed.

And when we’re talking about 39-year-old cards, the milk is nearly as good as the cream.

I mean … 50,000 cards from 1979 Topps with the chance to pull Ozzie Smith, Paul Molitor, and Wayne Nordhagen over and over again is pretty cool.

And then when you wrap them tight in 46 big brown boxes like that … forget about it!

*drool*

Here is the eBay listing (affiliate link).

1988 Fleer Edgar Martinez Rookie Cards Graded PSA 10 (39!)

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We can’t completely lose touch with our junk wax roots, so how about a little rookie card speculation?

Edgar Martinez is, like, the best designated hitter who’s not in the Hall of Fame, and fans still love him.

Someday, he’ll probably make it to Cooperstown, even if Ken Griffey, Jr., has to go all Ted Williams on us and take over the Veterans Committee just to pull his old teammate along.

But whatever.

Edgar was great, and this lot gives you 39 of his 1988 Fleer rookie cards, all graded PSA 10.

So that means you can build a Monument of Martinez, with an overall grade of 390.

When was the last time you saw that?

Uh-huh. Thought so.

Here is the eBay listing (affiliate link).

Check out our other posts detailing baseball cards for sale here.

No matter what makes you gasp when it comes to baseball cards — sheer volume, rarity, a sudden rush of memories — you’ll find it among these offerings.

Whatever their individual superpowers, though, these lots all have one thing in common — you’re going to want them!

Here are the droolworthy lots for June 8, 2018.

(Note that this post contains affiliate links, which means if you click over to eBay and buy something, I’ll receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.)

Enough Rollie Fingers Rookie Cards to Lead the League in Saves

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When you think of mega lots or rookie card speculation, what comes to mind?

If you’re like most collectors, it’s modern stuff — junk wax cards and later. You know, like 100 Kurt Stillwell rookie cards from the 1986 Topps Traded set.

Certainly not vintage cards, however you might define that term.

And that’s what makes this lot of 1969 Topps Rollie Fingers cards stick out like a handlebar mustache on a 20th century Cincinnati Reds team.

Can there really be 50 Rollie Fingers rookie cards all in one place? I mean, who would do that?

Sure, Fingers is a legend in the game and one of the few relievers to win a League Cy Young and Most Valuable Player awards in the same season (1981).

And yes, Fingers is also one of the few relievers to have been elected to the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.

But 50 is an awful lot of 50-year-old cards, especially if they’re in NM-MT condition, as this listing states.

The explanation is that they came from a vending case, but, man — still astounding.

Here is the eBay listing (affiliate link).

Near Complete Set of Perez-Steele Hall of Fame Art Postcards (1980-2001) PSA 9 & 10

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From 1980 through 2001, Dick Perez created original paintings to honor Hall of Fame inductees, and that art was reproduced on Perez-Steele postcards offered for sale to collectors and Cooperstown visitors.

In all, there were 275 different postcards produced, and this lot offers up 266 of them.

The kicker is that all of these cards have been graded by PSA, with 44 of them checking in at PSA 9 and a whopping 242 scoring perfect 10s.

Yowza!

Here is the eBay listing (affiliate link).

Baseball Digest – 44 Issues from 1964-1975

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OK, you got me … these aren’t technically baseball cards.

But everything you can do with a box of baseball cards, you can do with these beauties …

Devour stats? Read bios? Peruse photos? Flip the “cards”? Sort the “cards”? Trade the “cards”?

Yep. Yep. Yep. Yep. Yep. Yep.

And when was the last time you read fan mail on the back of a baseball card?

Or how about learning which eight players are at a career crossroads?

Or worked a baseball crossword puzzle?

Uh-huh. That’s what I thought.

If you’ve never curled up with a box of Baseball Digests and told the world to go away for the weekend, well, you’re missing out on one of the diamond world’s great guilty pleasures.

Consider this lot a chance to redeem yourself.

Here is the eBay listing (affiliate link).

Partial 1973 Topps High Numbers Uncut Sheet w/Mike Schmidt Rookie Card

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This one is a bit odd, yet still *ahem* oddly appealing.

When you first see the photos, you think they’ve been cropped, that you’re seeing only part of the picture.

But you’re not.

It’s the sheet itself that’s been cropped, down to 10″ x 14″, which translates to nine full cards plus 16 other partials.

Full cards include the Cincinnati Reds and New York Yankees team cards, but it’s the partials that are really intriguing.

At the bottom, you have the Gary Matthews rookie card.

And in the upper right-hand corner … the Mike Schmidt rookie card.

Oh yeah … the front of the sheet is blank, too.

So tantalizing, yet so flawed.

In the end, this is a curiosity, to be sure, but one that would still make a great display piece and give you something to talk about when you huddle up around the hot stove with your partial-sheet buddies next winter.

Here is the eBay listing (affiliate link).

Collection of 40,000 Baseball Cards

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Squint your eyes and take a peek in the mirror before you check out this lot.

If you’re balding, put on a ball cap. If you have wrinkles, lean forward on the sink and rest your face in your hands … you know, to pull out the crinkles a little.

Maybe dim the lights.

OK. Now, do you look young(er)? Could you believe it’s the 1980s or, maybe the 1990s?

Alright!

You should be primed for the maximum excitement afforded by this listing.

I mean, wasn’t this the kind of thing you dream of as a kid, or as a young adult? You’re out hitting garage sales and flea markets when you run into some dude selling his whole dang collection.

You finagle a deal and *bang* — your cardboard holdings double in a flash.

These cards look to be about that vintage, and they’re stacked in all sorts of interesting boxes, sheets, and tubs. Whether you think these bad boys are worth much today, you have to admit they’d be fun to tear into.

Here is the eBay listing (affiliate link).

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Check out our other posts detailing baseball cards for sale here.