Rexall Drugs in the New York in the 50s

[Brianruns10]

Hey All,

Got a rather unusual question for everyone, especially our senior members.

I'm doing a bit of fiction writing, and there is a plot point revolving around buying some 52 high number cards. I know, from reading anecdotes here and elsewhere, that Rexall Drugs was known to have carried the high series, and I'm wondering if anyone who grew up during the time period, remembers a any particular street corner in NYC that had a Rexall drugs? I'm keen to go for accuracy, and I'd love to get that detail right for the piece I'm writing.

Or for that matter, if anyone remembers a Rexall location near them, circa early 1950s, feel free to chime in.

Thanks!

BR

[GoldenAge50s]

My little hometown in WNY state had a Rexall Drug Store & no, they did not carry 1952 Topps, esp. Hi #'s!

In fact, Hi #'s were never available ANYWHERE in my area of Wellsville, NY.

[Brianruns10]

That's interesting. Elsewhere it's been said they did carry them. And in fact, I know at least one collector who put together a 52 set when they were originally released, including the high #s, and he lived in the suburbs of Kansas City. And he got them from a Rexall.

[GoldenAge50s]

I was 12 yrs old in 1952 and used to hit every drug store, every five & dime store & every Mom & Pop store looking for cards. The Rexall Drug in Wellsville never carried any cards at all. Maybe it was just that particular store's choice.

Now that I think of it, when I lived in Attica NY (1946-1952) I used to buy alot of cards at a small drug store downtown & it may very well have been a Rexall affiliate.

[Volod]

Originally Posted by GoldenAge50s

My little hometown in WNY state had a Rexall Drug Store & no, they did not carry 1952 Topps, esp. Hi #'s!

In fact, Hi #'s were never available ANYWHERE in my area of Wellsville, NY.

Fred - I think your recall is pretty accurate. I grew up some distance to the east in Auburn, and never saw the '52 Topps cards in any stores that year. After first seeing them in the hands of a kid who had bought them in NYC, my bud and I went around to a lot of mom&pop and other retail stores looking for Topps cards. I recall that we found some Look N' See and other non-sport issues, but the only baseball cards available were Bowman. Don't know if we hit any Rexall stores, so maybe that was where the motherload was hidden - or, as I tend to believe, Topps' distribution pattern that year was rather strange.

[Volod]

Originally Posted by Brianruns10

Hey All,

Got a rather unusual question for everyone, especially our senior members.

I'm doing a bit of fiction writing, and there is a plot point revolving around buying some 52 high number cards. I know, from reading anecdotes here and elsewhere, that Rexall Drugs was known to have carried the high series, and I'm wondering if anyone who grew up during the time period, remembers a any particular street corner in NYC that had a Rexall drugs? I'm keen to go for accuracy, and I'd love to get that detail right for the piece I'm writing.

Or for that matter, if anyone remembers a Rexall location near them, circa early 1950s, feel free to chime in.

Thanks!

BR

Brian - Your request jogged my memory of an old photo buried somewhere in my files showing a crowd lined up to buy Topps high numbers in 1952. Oh well, the store was right, but the mob que'ed up for some other purpose...sorry.

[tedzan]

Hey guys,

I grew up in Hillside, NJ (north section of Elizabeth)..... and, our local small pharmacy/soda fountain store had plenty of 1952 T0PPS Hi #'s (as the 1952 BB season
was ending).

My friend Ralph, growing up in the Smokey Mountain region of North Carolina, acquired many 1952 T0PPS Hi #'s in his small town and completed the set at age 15.

TRIVIA....I think it's "cool" that TOPPS numbered Mickey's card 311. Mantle batted .311 in the 1952 season.


Never get tired of talking "1952 T0PPS cards".


TED Z

[toppcat]

Ted- I never realized that 311 connection before with Mantle-nice observation.

Rexall Drugs seems like they had pockets of stores that had the 52 highs, whose availability would have hinged on the particular jobber distributing the cards. Distribution was much more regional at the time so I am not surprised at how scattershot it was.

[Cardboard Junkie]

My older brother, (now 72), says he got 52 Topps hi #s in 1953 packs in Bayfield Ontario Canada. Not a Rexall but a little diner/bowling alley called "The Old Forge"......as a side note in 1952 he got some "grey backs" there.

[Volod]

old photo[/quote]
Just thinking about it - if I owned all those vehicles right now - in the condition they were in then - I could probably trade them to buy the entire 52 Topps high-number run in fine condition - maybe with the rest of the set tossed in?

[GoldenAge50s]

Nice to meet a fellow WNY'er! Auburn (Yankees) joined the old PONY Lg w/ Wellsville (Braves) in the yr I graduated HS--1958. Joe Pepitone & Phil Linz were on that Auburn team!

As for '52 Hi's, I pretty well scoured all over WNY area in those early '50's yrs and I never found any Hi's anywhere--from Buffalo, Rochester and points E & W of Wellsville. They just weren't there!

BUT, Lo & behold, this afternoon I cked my local Woolworth store & there they were! BUT ALAS, they were all LOW #'s!

[JollyElm]

Originally Posted by GoldenAge50s

Nice to meet a fellow WNY'er! Auburn (Yankees) joined the old PONY Lg w/ Wellsville (Braves) in the yr I graduated HS--1958. Joe Pepitone & Phil Linz were on that Auburn team!

As for '52 Hi's, I pretty well scoured all over WNY area in those early '50's yrs and I never found any Hi's anywhere--from Buffalo, Rochester and points E & W of Wellsville. They just weren't there!

BUT, Lo & behold, this afternoon I cked my local Woolworth store & there they were! BUT ALAS, they were all LOW #'s!

I'm sorry to the OP, because it seems no one has been really able to help him and this thread has gone astray, but pictures like that just make me absolutely drool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[tedzan]

Originally Posted by toppcat

Ted- I never realized that 311 connection before with Mantle-nice observation.

Dave

I love coincidences like that. I think my engineering background makes me a "numbers nut". I'm constantly looking for these types of coincidences.

Regarding stores that stocked 1952 TOPPS Hi #'s.....BEN FRANKLIN 5 & 10-cent stores had this series of cards. And, like "Cardboard Junkie" noted,
in early 1953, there were 1953 TOPPS packs with 1952 TOPPS Hi #'s interspersed with 1st series 1953 TOPPS cards.


Best regards,

TED Z

[Brianruns10]

Hey all no apologies necessary if the thread goes off topic. I'm really enjoy reading everyone's recalls.

As a young person, it drives me nuts that I totally missed out on the fun of scouring for these cards in the early 50s. I grew up in the age when you could buy the whole series in a box, when cards had become instant, ready made, prefab collectibles...in other words, junk.

Not to mention, there is a lot less to admire about the players today. I really wish I could know what baseball was like in the prime years. I ask my dad about it, who grew up in the 50s, and all he can say was, "Growing up, baseball was everything."

I had heard the story about 52 Hi's in the 53 packs...if I had a wax 53 pack or two, I'd sure think about opening them, though I imagine at the time kids might've been a little pissed off at getting a few cards from last year in the mix with the new ones.

[toppcat]

I blogged a little about the 52 high number wrappers recently, you may be interested in some of the info guys: http://toppsarchives.blogspot.com/20...is-not-53.html

[GoldenAge50s]

When the '53 Topps came out they were easily found just about everywhere in WNY and that prevailed right thru the Hi-#s---no problem getting those in my area. I'm sure Topps improved & increased their distribution for their 2nd major effort.

As for '52 Hi's in '53 packs----I never found any such thing!

[steve B]

Originally Posted by Brianruns10

Hey all no apologies necessary if the thread goes off topic. I'm really enjoy reading everyone's recalls.

As a young person, it drives me nuts that I totally missed out on the fun of scouring for these cards in the early 50s. I grew up in the age when you could buy the whole series in a box, when cards had become instant, ready made, prefab collectibles...in other words, junk.

Not to mention, there is a lot less to admire about the players today. I really wish I could know what baseball was like in the prime years. I ask my dad about it, who grew up in the 50s, and all he can say was, "Growing up, baseball was everything."

I had heard the story about 52 Hi's in the 53 packs...if I had a wax 53 pack or two, I'd sure think about opening them, though I imagine at the time kids might've been a little pissed off at getting a few cards from last year in the mix with the new ones.

Baseball was everything because the other sports weren't widely promoted and had shorter seasons. Even baseball in the 70's wasn't always on television, making the games a bit more special. I remember the entire male half of most classes badgering the teachers to not give us homework while the world series was on.

But the players then were just like the players now. Some were good some not so good as people. Into the 50's and maybe later the reporters travelled with the team and often at the teams expense. A good writer was closer to the players than would be considered seemly today. So some stories didn't get any press. Especially stuff like bar fights or other personal issues.

The earlier eras were also bit harsher, and some stuff that would be really a problem today was just rather ordinary then. In some ways that's good, but not all. Like most older guys I think the world has become a bit too easily offended.

I watched some episodes of "a football life" last night. Landry and Ditka.

On the Landry one they showed the onfield reaction to a playoff loss, I think late 60's. One player yanked his helmet off and threw it some distance. Like out of the picture distance, and it wasn't a closeup. Today there'd be a big fine and required public apology.

On the Ditka one they showed the clip of him clobbering a drunk fan who ran on the field. (One of my favorites) Today that would probably involve a fine, suspension, apology, and probably a large lawsuit. At the time it was more "what did he think would happen?"

Baseball wasn't much different.
One player who gave a talk was asked for Boog Powell stories, he couldn't think of many repeatable with kids around, but when presed told one about some of the team drinking at a bar frequented by mafia types. One guy was hitting on one of the thugs girlfriends, and things got very tense. Big standoff and argument that was headed for a big maybe dangerous fight.
Boog then grabbed one of the bigger goons and stuffed him headfirst into an ice freezer, yeling run for it boys! ..............I can only imagine how that story would play out in todays press.

Steve B