Ode to Post-war Football Oddball Sets
 

There's been some great posts recently about various mainstream football sets (bowman, topps, fleer, philly, etc.) that are available out there. Beyond these sets there are boatloads of oddball, regional, team issued, and food sets available for collectors too.

I'm starting this thread to encourage people to show some of the "less than mainstream" cards / sets they like and collect. I'll start with one of my favorites. The only bread label football card set. Here are some of the stars.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/E9...E=w640-h627-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/sk...g=w640-h627-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/CV...o=w640-h627-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/ag...o=w640-h627-no

jeff

Jeff, haven't seen those before. Thank you for sharing.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

I hadn't seen those either, very cool!

1969 Glendale Stamps:

http://i1199.photobucket.com/albums/...le%20Nance.jpghttp://i1199.photobucket.com/albums/...05%20front.jpg

1972 U of Alabama playing cards:

http://i1199.photobucket.com/albums/...2%20Hannah.jpghttp://i1199.photobucket.com/albums/...r%20Bryant.jpg

I'm "Mr. Mainstream" I've got NOTHING!:D
Larry

Wow Jeff! NICE Bread for Health labels! Those are in great shape too considering that they're paper thin & were issued by being glued to the end of a loaf of bread. They remind me of the Leaf cards (b&w photo that has been color tinted) but seem more appealing. I think I've said this before on this site, but I wish they weren't so expensive so that I could actually get one (a Baugh)!

I'm w/ Larry here, I'm mostly mainstream but I do have these 1984 7-11 coins that I think are pretty cool. I used to bike to the 7-11 w/ my friends to get them so they have sentimental value to me.

A few vintage oddballs...

I remembered I have these postcards they are certainly "odd" LOL
Larry
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w...Scan%20136.jpg
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w...Scan%20137.jpg

This little guy too:
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w...on/Scan_21.jpg
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w...can%201_21.jpg

Nice oddball stuff, guys!

This set is tough. One of the only AAFC card sets out there.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/H7...4=w375-h640-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Be...o=w368-h640-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Xr...8=w372-h640-no

jeff

In 1948 a regional set of sports stars was distributed in the DC area. It is believed to be the first police set produced and goes by the name Safe-T-Card. The set includes a total of 67 cards with 30 of them being Redskins. Most of the cards have a B&W front but a few use colored ink. The backs have multiple colors. This is a very difficult set to complete

Here are some of the Redskins:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_G...k=w456-h640-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Gn...0=w446-h640-no

There are actually two different Sammy Baugh cards in this set. They look very similar with one having a larger head shot than the other.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/rH...0=w466-h640-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/lX...E=w458-h640-no

The old HOF lineman makes the set as a Redskin executive.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Yo...s=w463-h640-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/AW...U=w450-h640-no

Besides the Redskin players/coaches, there are a couple of other football related cards of interest.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/ZH...4=w456-h640-no

I believe this is the only card of NY Jets founder Harry Wismer back in his Sports Director days.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/nf...Y=w457-h640-no

Not sure why Corinne was included in the set and not her husband, Redskin founder George Preston Marshall. Maybe the police liked her better? Regardless, they spelled her first name wrong which probably didn't make George very happy.

jeff

Thanks for sharing these. A very tough set indeed. I've lost out by a lot on several auctions for these.

Corinne Griffith was a very famous and popular silent film actress, so was probably way more collectable than Marshall himself.

I've always loved the Dixie lids and the Sears Brown's cards. This is a great thread!

One of my all-time favorite odd ball football sets is 1959 Bazooka. These cards are cut from the bottom of a 20 piece Bazooka gum box and the set is very difficult to complete. It includes 18 cards with three short-prints: Groza, Tracy, and Conerly. Jim Brown is also very difficult to find.

Here are some of my favorites.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/X7...A=w357-h640-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Fk...M=w364-h640-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/ts...I=w358-h640-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/F_...w=w370-h640-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/KR...E=w363-h640-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Xg...M=w367-h640-no

jeff

Love the 1959 Bazookas. Great looking cards, and yes the Brown is very difficult.

If you're on a budget, here's a reasonable Walter Payton Rookie Card from the 1976 Crane Potato Chips Set. Even NRMT condition whole sets don't cost much more than $30. A handful of great Hall of Famers in this 30 large disc set. Paired with the 1976 Pepsi disc/football/tabs, it's a pretty comprehensive checklist of Cincinnati Bengals, haha :) Here's a very brief article by Dan Beyers which references the fate of the Crane Potato Chips Company: https://www.washingtonpost.com/busin...laQ_story.html

http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/...psil4c5dgt.jpg

Nice Crane set, Ty! I always liked those.

Throughout the years, Wheaties has featured football players on their boxes periodically. In the 1930s, they produced a bunch of cards that I wrote an article on for Gridiron Greats Magazine (with Joe Squires). In the 1950s, Wheaties produced a multi-sport set of cards also distributed on boxes of cereal. There are six football players in the set, each with two poses: a portrait and an action shot. Here are a few.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/wY...w=w566-h755-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/7V...U=w559-h755-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pL...4=w559-h755-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Ef...o=w550-h755-no

These are readily available on ebay and occasionally someone will sell a complete Wheaties back panel that includes multiple cards on it.

Also produced in the 1930s and 1950s were single serve Wheaties boxes with athletes on them. These are much scarcer than the other Wheaties items, probably because single serve boxes were not as popular and probably purchased mostly by restaurants and other types of food service instead of consumers.

I believe this 1951 single serve Johnny Lujack is the only football player on a single serve box from the 1950s but could be wrong on that.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/2u...E=w399-h499-no

jeff

So much great stuff - the bazookas, the cranes, the wheaties!!

Tresler Comet is a great little regional set from the early days of the Cincinnati Bengals. There's some real star power in this set! Check it out.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/gy...Y=w397-h640-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/7b...g=w397-h640-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/oT...Y=w397-h640-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/oe...g=w397-h640-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/mx...o=w397-h640-no

jeff

In 1951 Berk Ross produced a multi-sport set of 72 cards that came in four windowed boxes containing two card perforated panels. Over half the cards are of baseball players but there are eight college football players in the set including several stars.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/xz...Y=w379-h640-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/aK...8=w379-h640-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Yq...Q=w382-h640-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/6s...A=w379-h640-no

jeff

WOW Jeff, :eek: Sweet Tresler Comet and Berk Ross cards!

Surprised no one has mentioned the 1962 Post yet; Unitas and Tarkenton RC:

http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/...ps6sdjkjyy.jpg

(standard operating procedure)
 

The SOP for eBay wins (when the seller ships other purchases for free) is to take a look at what else they have for sale. Nobody wants their purchases to travel alone! That's how I picked up the 1953 Parkhurst "Believe It of Not" card which features my towns favorite team, the beloved Gators. The card is a smaller size about the size of the Topps '51 Magic set and set me back three dollars and fifty cents.
Larry
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w...on/Scan_11.jpg
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w...can%201_13.jpg

I *love* old oddball and regional sets! I especially like college cards that show players who later played professionally. Here are a few:

Jack Patera, who played 7 seasons in the NFL before coaching the Seahawks, on a 1953 U. of Oregon card.

http://www.footballcardgallery.com/1...ack_Patera.jpg

David Beverly, a punter for 7 seasons with the Oilers and Packers, on 1972 Auburn playing card.

http://www.footballcardgallery.com/1...id_Beverly.jpg

Willie Miller, who played 7 seasons for the Browns and Rams, on a 1973 Colorado State card. (Miller served in Vietnam and received a Purple Heart and Silver Star before attending CSU.)

http://www.footballcardgallery.com/1...lie_Miller.jpg

Nat Moore, who played 13 seasons for the Dolphins, on a 1973 U. of Florida playing card.

http://www.footballcardgallery.com/1.../Nat_Moore.jpg

Gary Jeter, who played 13 seasons for the Giants, Rams, and Patriots, on a 1974 USC Disc.

http://www.footballcardgallery.com/1...Gary_Jeter.jpg

Finally, Wonderful Terrific Monds Jr., who played 3 seasons for the Ottawa Roughriders and 1 for the San Francisco 49ers, on a 1974 Nebraska playing card. (Monds's son, Mario, also played in the NFL.)

http://www.footballcardgallery.com/1...nder_Monds.jpg

Love all the playing card sets

I've just got to learn a bit more about "Wonderful Terrific Monds Jr."
What a great name!
Larry

The oddest of the oddballs are Littelfuse playing cards, from sometime in the 1970s. The single-digit cards, 2-9, picture famous linebackers; the rest picture fuses.

http://www.footballcardgallery.com/1...ick_Butkus.jpghttp://www.footballcardgallery.com/1...y_Nitschke.jpg
http://www.footballcardgallery.com/1...ting_Fuses.jpghttp://www.footballcardgallery.com/1...able_Fuses.jpg

Great oddball stuff posted recently guys! Love the playing cards and all the college sets.

Team sets were pretty popular in the 1950s and 60s. These were card / photo sets put out by the team itself to its fans. Here is some of the stars from the 1953 Rams set. That cards look like exhibit cards as they are larger than regularly issued Topps/Bowman cards.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/GE...Q=w424-h640-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/LN...o=w425-h640-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/cA...o=w422-h640-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/n0...Y=w422-h640-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/YZ...c=w424-h640-no

jeff

Love that Hirsch!

Me too, Don! And that Dick "Night Train" Lane card is his pre-rookie by 4 years. How does Lane not get a Topps/Bowman card until 1957?

jeff

Sweet Night Train, and pose by Hirsch. Lane omission is pretty bad, how about Bill Willis; not at all in his career? Is there an oddball set out of Cleveland that includes Willis during his playing days?

Unless I'm missing something I know of no set from the 40s and 50s that includes Bill Willis. Hard to believe when he was All-Pro all eight seasons he played pro football.

jeff

After I completed my Topps baseball sets, I started chasing the baseball wax pack inserts (coins, rub-offs, stamps, etc) and it's become one of the favorite parts of my collection.

It appears I've done the same thing with my Topps football cards (down to ONE card '72 Topps #266) and I'm now chasing the wax pack inserts:o

1960 Topps Team Emblem Stickers, Topps first football insert set. 33 stickers for the full set, I've got 15 of them so far:
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w...pton/Scan.jpeghttp://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w...an%201_10.jpeg

1961 Topps "flocked" Stickers wax pack insert. These came with lettered tabs which can be peeled off, and I think each sticker came with two different letters. Does anyone know what the letters mean? 48 different stickers in the set (I guess the master set would be 96 stickers) and it looks like I have 19 different.

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w.../Scan%203.jpeghttp://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w.../Scan%202.jpeg

1962 Topps "football bucks" 48 cards in the set, these are the eight I have so far. These seem like the easiest of the '60s inserts, and there are always plenty available on eBay.
1964 Topps: "Pennant Stickers" (24) difficult to obtain.
1965 Topps "Tall-Boys": "rub-offs" (36) difficult to obtain.
1966 Topps: "Funny Rings" (24) easier but expensive and kind of weird.
1967 Topps: "Comic Pennants" don't appear to tough.
1968 Topps: "Stand-Ups" don't appear to be tough.
1969 Topps: "4-in-1" cards and albums easy to complete.
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w...on/Scan_9.jpeghttp://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w...an%201_11.jpeg

I think the letters were just for kids to peel off and make words, Larry--most often their names, I suppose. There is no Q and no X. 12 of the stickers--9 AFL and 3 college--were paired with 2 different letters. So the base set contains 48 stickers, and the master set contains 60.

A bit of trivia: among the stickers of the pro teams, the Chargers stickers are the only ones that don't include the name of the city. The Chargers moved from LA to San Diego in 1961, so at the time the stickers were designed, perhaps Topps wasn't sure where the Chargers would be?

http://www.footballcardgallery.com/1...E/Chargers.jpg

I've been lurking on this board for a few months. Finally had to post because I have a soft spot for oddball football, specifically rookie and prerookie HOF oddball items.

I'm a product of the junk wax era but even as a kid got into vintage football because I loved the history and the low cost compared to baseball. I rediscovered the hobby a couple years ago after a 20-year hiatus. My first task was picking up Staubach, Dorsett, and Randy White rookies since mine were stolen as a kid. (I mowed several lawns and saved my allowance for weeks to get that Staubach.) I quickly acquired a taste for oddball items since many are downright cheap compared to regular issues. My favorite oddball sets and cards that haven't been mentioned yet...

1948 Topps Magic Photos: three rookie-year HOF cards. The misspelled Bednarik is my favorite. I actually like the small size.

1961 Packers Lake to Lake: three HOF prerookies and one rookie-year card. I actually like the simple look. However, except for Adderley, the key cards are prohibitively expensive unless in poor condition. I only have the Adderley.

1964 Wheaties Stamps: three HOF rookies. I really like the simple design with the autos. Also very reasonably priced.

1966 American Oil Stamps: two HOF rookies. I actually kind of love these, though I imagine I don't have much company. The Sayers is a favorite in my collection. I have a single and a couple complete panels. (Not the $1 winner one with Wayne Walker, though.) The Ditka, however, is impossible. I've never seen one. Might be my white whale.

1972 Sunoco Stamps: my absolute favorite oddball set, and maybe my all-time favorite set period. I'm surprised no one mentioned it yet. Nine HOF rookies and seven prerookies. I lucked into a cheap Langer update stamp with the tab attached as a BIN on eBay a couple years ago. Another favorite in my collection is the Riggins. Not only does it show Riggo in action, but that's Curley Culp chasing him down. A rookie and prerookie on the same stamp.

Welcome to the board! I'd love to see some scans of the cards you mentioned.

Let's see if this works...

The 1948 Bednarik. Centered nicely, unlike my Connor and Walker.

The 1972 Langer update stamp with tab attached and Riggins with Culp cameo. The Langer is OC but still a favorite.

Very nice - I always thought Bednarik would be a great player to do a player set - I can't think of anyone who has cards in more vintage sets. I wonder if they made up the "Chas" - I don't recall seeing that anyplace else.

Larry, you forgot one.

1968 Topps Test !!!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

More college cards: 1973 Kentucky Fried Chicken Washington Huskies.

http://www.nearmintcards.com/pics/mi...washington.jpg

Defpotec, now that's an entrance! Damn!

Great oddball stuff, guys! Keep it rolling. There's lots more to show.

Welcome defpotec! Glad to have you here.

jeff

1978 Country Kitchen Vikings set. Includes pre-rookie image of Tommy Kramer.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/D_...4=w538-h756-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/7L...w=w540-h756-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/sh...I=w541-h756-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/fv...E=w538-h756-no

jeff

Sweet odd-ball sets everyone, love the KFC UW players! The Eskimo Pie Company offered a lot of mail-in promos; dye-cast toys, hot wheels, balsa wood airplanes, plush toys, all sorts of stuff. They had a hand in the production of the 1928 Yuengling baseball card set and the nearly impossible to complete 1969 AFL Football Set (handcut from Eskimo Pie boxes).

The poster ad with various sports equipment is circa 1930's, The Jolly Club litho'd tin tabs were made in the 1950's, and the real Super Bowl III MVP, Matt Snell.

http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/...psrj0h7gqx.jpg
http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/...psr54ade66.jpg
http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/...pszavtvzxj.jpg

Oh Eskimo Pie, why do you mock me??

The Gino Cappelletti/Dale Livingston card is my white whale

My one and only fetish, Fairmont Dairy Kansas City Chiefs(like that's a secret)

Another one of the few AAFC "card" sets out there. The 1948 Colts Matchbooks.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/FC...s=w242-h668-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/1I...s=w245-h681-no

jeff

In 1967 Royal Castle, which I believe was a burger joint in FL, put out a Miami Dolphins regional set. There aren't a huge amount of stars in it (as the Dolphins were REALLY bad before Shula showed up) but it does include some extremely difficult SPs that I've never seen. One of these is a card of Bob Griese.

Here are a few of the other cards in the set of the more popular players.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/NF...k=w266-h388-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/jn...Q=w429-h640-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_O...M=w444-h640-no

jeff

Raiders team issue ca. 1974. Clarence Davis, Alonzo Thomas, Charlie Smith, Bubba Smith, Jack Tatum. Only way to get career contemporary cards of some of the team legends.

http://photos.imageevent.com/exhibit...s%20photos.jpg

1962 Lee Jeans Jimmy Taylor

http://photos.imageevent.com/exhibit...Taylor%201.JPG

1959 Baltimore News-Post Colts:

http://photos.imageevent.com/exhibit...20Lipscomb.jpg
http://photos.imageevent.com/exhibit...t%20Unitas.jpg

1959 Baltimore News-Post and Baltimore American Colts:

http://photos.imageevent.com/exhibit...k%20folder.jpg

The set itself consists of a complete chronicle of the 1959 season and looks like this:

http://photos.imageevent.com/exhibit...0Colts%201.JPG



The write-ups are on both sides of the pages, so it was definitely a special issue. Since this last one was dated 12/29/59, I am not sure if it was a 1959 issue made at the tail end of the year or a 1960 issue. Anyway, it is still fun. I have a second complete set that I am going to either sell or consign to an AH.


1961 National City Bank Jimmy Brown:

http://photos.imageevent.com/exhibit...nk%20Brown.jpg

Jim Brown team issues:

http://photos.imageevent.com/exhibit...am%20issue.JPG
http://photos.imageevent.com/exhibit...4%20JB%201.jpg
http://photos.imageevent.com/exhibit...4%20JB%203.jpg
http://photos.imageevent.com/exhibit...size/001_2.jpg
http://photos.imageevent.com/exhibit...4%20JB%202.jpg

Did I mention that I collect Jim Brown cards?

And finally, after years of fruitless searching, I was able to pick up a tinted stock Exhibit card:

http://photos.imageevent.com/exhibit...ow%20stock.jpg