Posted By:
Al C.risafulliThe Helmar Brewing cards are awesome.
They're being manufactured NOW, and inserted in small packs of four cards in a bag of potato chips. I think they are distributed in the midwest, primarily. Their company spokesperson is a former Negro League player - his name escapes me.
You can find these easily on Ebay. The potato chip bags feature reproductions of vintage baseball art of guys like Babe Ruth and Christy Mathewson. Same with their beer packaging, and the bottlecaps are also collectible with player images.
The cards are of prewar baseball players, Negro Leaguers, Japanese league players, and boxers. They keep adding to the set, issuing more and more cards over time. They're designed like T206s, and the cards are SUPER thick, purposely to keep them from being slabbed or stored in toploaders, as the manufacturer feels that the cards are meant to be handled and abused. You'd love them, Gil.
-Al