Your Information Resource for Vintage Baseball Cards
Old Cardboard eMagazine Issue #178                      June 2021


Welcome to Old Cardboard, the most complete reference resource for information about collecting vintage baseball cards and related memorabilia.  More information about this eMagazine and its companion website is found at the bottom of this page.

Contents:
1. Updated Auction and Show Calendar
2. Set Profile: The 1910-1911 M110 Sporting Life Cabinets
3.
Columbia Records "Talking Baseball Cards"
4. 1933 Goudey Premiums: Photos That Stand-Up & Stand-Out
5. Recent Additions to the OldCardboard.com Website
6. News Briefs (A Digest of Recent Hobby Happenings)


1. Updated Auction and Show Calendar

The following is a summary of vintage card events coming up in the next 90 days. For the most current listings of additional vintage card shows and auctions, see the Key Events Calendar, accessible directly from the home page of the Old Cardboard website.

Have an event that needs to be on the OC Calendar?
Email editor@oldcardboard.com
June 2021
9Phone/Internet Clean Sweep Auctions (see website for details).
11-13King of Prussia, PA Philly Show (see website for details).
15Austin, TX Old Cardboard eMagazine Release (Issue #178; website).
17Dallas, TX Heritage Sports (T206) Auction (see website for details).
17-19Long Beach, CA Long Beach Expo (see website for details). canceled
19Internet Brockelman Auctions (see website for details).
20Phone/Internet Robert Edward Auctions (see website for details).
24Phone/Internet Sterling Sports Auctions (see website for details).
25-27Willmington, MA Rich Altman's Boston Show (see website for details).
26Dallas, TX Heritage Sports Auction (see website for details).
26-27Phone/Internet Goldin Auctions (see website for details).
27Phone/Internet Leland's Pop-Up Auction (see website for details).
29-30Internet Hake's Premier Auction (see website).
July 2021
8-10Dallas, TX Heritage Sports Auction (see website for details).
9Phone/Internet SCP Auctions (see website for details).
9-11Chantilly, VA CSA Chantilly Show (see website for details).
10Phone/Internet Memory Lane Auction (see website for details).
15Dallas, TX Heritage Sports Auction (see website for details).
15Phone/Internet CollectAuctions.net Auction (see website for details).
15-18Plano, TX Dallas Card Show (see website for details).
22-24Dallas, TX Heritage Sports Auction (see website for details).
28-8/1Chicago, IL National Sports Collectors Convention (website).
29Phone/Internet Huggins & Scott Auctions (see website for details).
August 2021
5Phone/Internet Sterling Sports Auctions (see website for details).
6Phone/Internet Leland's Classic Auction (see website for details).
15Phone/Internet Robert Edward Auctions (see website for details).
19Dallas, TX Heritage Sports Auction (see website for details).
21-22Dallas, TX Heritage Sports Auction (see website for details).


2. Set Profile: The 1910-1911 M110 Sporting Life Cabinets

The appealing color format and scarcity of the M110 Sporting Life Cabinets place them among the most highly prized baseball cabinet cards in the vintage hobby.

They were issued as premiums during 1910 and 1911. As such, they became a companion series to the newspaper's massive M116 set designed in a smaller and more conventional card format for the period.

The oversized 5-5/8 by 7-1/2 inch cabinet series contains cards of only six players and is designated as set M110 in the American Card Catalog. All six players represented, however, were baseball superstars of the period, and all but one of them have since been inducted into baseball's Hall of Fame.

Unlike the black and white portraits featured on the company's earlier W600 cabinets, these M110 cards feature pastel-colored action images.

The M110 images are framed inside a relatively simple border with the player's name printed on a simulated brass panel along the bottom.

The card fronts are very similar in both size and appearance as the popular T3 Turkey Red premiums. Both sets were issued during the same period. Because the design is so similar, it seems likely that the artwork for both sets was produced by the same graphics designer. Like the T3 tobacco set, the M110 series is unnumbered. Other than the player names, there is no other data printed on the card fronts.

Sporting Life Backs Compared

M116
(regular
issue)





        M110
  (premiums)





(Click to
Enlarge)

All of the Sporting Life backs (both regular and premium issues) are printed in dark blue.

Except for a much larger size and wider margins, the design of the M110 card backs is almost identical to one of the three back variations found in the M116 regular issue.

Example backs from each of the two sets are compared here. Both card backs are scaled to about two-thirds actual size.

In addition to promoting the Sporting Life newspaper itself, the ads on the backs of cards in both sets promote the M116 Sporting Life regular issue. Thus, the ads on the back promote "pictures of all the players in the National and American Leagues. If you want them, see full list in this week's issue."

As the Sporting Life promotion states on the backs from both sets, the newspaper is published every Saturday and copies can be obtained for 5 cents "at all newsdealers."

Like the smaller M116 cards, the M110 cabinets were distributed by U. S. mail. It is not currently known how the cabinet cards were wrapped for mailing.

A Set Profile for the M110 Sporting Life cabinets can be viewed on the Old Cardboard website. A set Checklist and full Gallery has also been recently added.


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3. Columbia Records "Talking Baseball Cards"


Columbia Records Jacket (Front)

Columbia Records Jacket (Back)
(displayed at approximately 40% of actual size)
The "Talking Record" baseball cards distributed in 1964 by the Auravision brand of Columbia Records are quite unique.

Each of the sixteen records in the set contains a four-to-six-minute interview of the player by one of three period sports casters: Marty Glickman (14 interviews), Ernie Harwell (1 interview) or Chuck Thompson (1 interview).

By using what was then a brand new technology, an audio track for each card was etched into a laminate of cardstock with a transparent vinyl overlay. Before lamination, however, the card stock was printed with colorful images of the subject player.

Adding to the set's appeal (aside from the unique audio interviews) are the quality of the oversized player photos and the fact that ten of the sixteen featured players are now in the baseball Hall of Fame.

The Mays example from the set (see above) is believed to have been short printed and is now considered to be the set key. Other popular cards include those of Mickey Mantle and Sandy Koufax.

In addition to the player images, the fronts of the 6-1/2 inch square records include a facsimile autograph next to the player and a "Sports Record" emblem in the upper right corner.

Finally, the record recording speed is printed at the upper left corner. Curiously, about half of the records in the set state a recording speed of 33 RPM while the other half read 33-1/3 RPM.

The record backs include an additional black and white photo along with a brief player bio and a complete listing of his batting statistics through 1963. In addition, instructions for playing the record are provided in the upper left corner.

All backs are printed inside a red border. Within the border at the bottom is a 1962 copyright for "Sports Champions, Inc." The 1962 copyright appears to indicate when the player interviews were recorded (see description below for test set distributed in 1962).

The records were no doubt produced in 1964 as the player stats on the card backs are provided through the 1963 season.


Meadow Gold Milk
Record Promotion
(back of carton)

Meadows Gold
1964 Set of Four
(front of carton)
The records were distributed through special promotions by Meadow Gold Milk, Milk Duds Candy and perhaps others.

Each record was distributed via mail after the customer sent 25 cents in coin plus a required proof of purchase, recipient's name and address and, of course, the name of the requested player on the record.

The "proof of purchase" for Meadow Gold Milk customers was a "Sports Record" emblem cut from the side of a 1/2-gallon carton of Meadow Gold milk. Mild Duds Candy required its customers to send both end flaps from boxes of candy.

Interestingly, many vintage collectors today are familiar with both of these sponsors for their other baseball card "sets."

As it turns out, the opposite side of the same Meadow Gold milk carton (see image at right) displays a four player panel that includes Mantle, Koufax, Mays and Mazeroski.

Unfortunately, the obscure four-card Meadow Gold panel is not part of an continuing series. However, the four-card Meadows Gold "set" still warrants a place (both as a panel and as individual player cards) in many hobby Set Profiles and Checklists.


Box Used for Packaging 1980s Overstock Find
Later, around the early 1980s, a hoard of factory overstock from the 1964 Columbia Records baseball record series was discovered and released to collectors.

It was these overstock sets that were distributed in near-mint condition and packaged in cardboard containers.

The packaging included all sixteen records along with an audio cassette tape containing the 5-minute interviews of all of the players featured on the records. (see example at right).

* * *

1962 Columbia Records Test Issue




1962 Columbia Records Mantle
(Click to Enlarge)



1964 Columbia Records Mantle
(Click to Enlarge)
As a prelude to the 1964 "Talking Baseball Cards" issue, Columbia Records also produced what is described as a "test issue" in 1962. The eight-record 1962 set used to test the same technology (and generally the same interviews, design and format) that was ultimately used in the 1964 series.

Some of the player poses, however, were different between the two sets, as illustrated in the Mantle examples illustrated here. In addition, the stats printed on the back of the 1962 records ended with the 1961 season (rather than the 1963 stats used for the 1964 set).

Because of the nearly identical designs of the 1962 and 1964 Columbia Records sets, there remain many erroneous set identifications found in auction lots on eBay and elsewhere.

Aside from the difference in the final year of player stats, perhaps an even more consistent and readily identifiable difference is in the caption (title) in the red frame bar that extends across the back of all records. For the 1962 cards, the caption reads:

  • "A History of [Player Name]'s Years in the Major Leagues."

All 1964 cards, however, read:

  • "[Player Name]'s Baseball History."

Adding to the confusion in differentiating between the 1962 and 1964 Columbia Records cards is the fact that all records in both sets carry a "Copyright ... 1962" label within the bottom border of all backs. Clearly, this is NOT the distribution date for the 1964 records because they all contain the featured player's stats for 1963. Rather, it assumed that the 1962 copyright date is the date that the player interviews were recorded and not when the records were produced and distributed.

The First (1952) Columbia Records "Talking Baseball Cards"

To be sure, in 1962 and 1964, Columbia Records was not new to the production of records featuring baseball players. More than a decade earlier, in 1952, the company produced a set of eight records featuring popular players of the period.

The more conventional technology for the 1952 set, however, employed standard two-sided vinyl disks produced in 45 RPM record format. As indicated in the example shown below for Yogi Berra, the sleeves displayed attractive color images on the front along with a facsimile autograph.


1952 Record Sleeve

1952 Record Sleeve (back)

1952 Vinyl Record

Across the top edge of the sleeve was the label "Baseball Series" along with the name of the player and a card number ranging from 800 through 807.

The record backs contained drawings of a player in the position featured on the "how to" record audio. Across the bottom is the same information found at the top edge of the front of the jacket. The "Columbia Record" label is also printed at the bottom.

As seen above right, the record itself is cut on bright red vinyl. The two-sided record includes a label with the featured player's name and the baseball play that was described in the record audio. For example, the record shown is labeled "Baseball Series; Bob Feller, Part 1, Pitching." Part 2 (i.e., side 2) was just a continuation of the narrative on side 1.

Sponsor Updates:

1) With roots dating back to 1889, Columbia Records exists today as a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony Corporation.

2) Meadow Gold Dairy, with operations in about ten states, is a brand of Dean Foods, which filed for bankruptcy in 2019 and was acquired in 2020 by the conglomerate Dairy Farmers of America.

3) Milk Duds Candy was first produced in 1928 by Chicago manufacturer Hoffman and Company. Since 1996, the popular chocolate-covered caramel brand has been owned (and the candy produced) by Hershey Foods Corporation of Hershey, PA.

Note: Profiles for all three Columbia Records "talking baseball card" sets can be accessed on the Old Cardboard website. All three Profiles (1952, 1962 and 1964) include set Galleries and complete Checklists.


4. 1933 Goudey Premiums: Photos That Stand Up & Stand Out

Only four premium cards make up this appealing set of self-standing oversized cards.

The cards are printed on heavy cardboard stock and measure 5-1/2 by 8-3/4 inches. They are designated in the hobby as set R309-1.

The first card (in the order they were numbered Goudey's redemption promotion) pictures Babe Ruth in a familiar batting pose (see example below).

The other premiums include the 1933 All-Star Teams for both the National and American Leagues, and the 1933 World Champion New York Giants. The premiums were issued as part of a mail-in redemption program by the Goudey Gum Company.

Each of the four black-and-white images in the set are surrounded by a gold picture-frame style border, with the card title displayed in an oval panel at the bottom. A built-in easel attached to the card back allows the cards to be used in a free-standing display. Each of the three team cards has a brief write up on the back that describes the card image and identifies the players by last name.

Each premium was distributed by mail as part of a promotional redemption program related to the 1933 Goudey regular issue set (described in more detail below).

An example of the mailer used to distribute the R309-1 premiums is shown at right. As seen, the content is described as a "photographic print" with a return address of Goudey's Boston offices.

The all-star team cards (which make up one half of the four-card set) are especially significant since this was the first of a long and ongoing series of the annual event--and many baseball fans consider one of the best all star games ever played. In some ways, it was a match between managers, with legendary Connie Mack as manager of the American League team pitted against the equally-acclaimed John McGraw who managed the National League team. The nearly 50,000 fans at Comiskey Park in Chicago watched Babe Ruth slam a two-run homer in the third inning on the way to a 4-2 American League victory.

The R309-1 photo of the 1933 American League All Stars (see example above) captures one of the most powerful and most famous baseball lineups of all time. In a single team photo there are more than a dozen Hall of Famers--including Babe Ruth (standing, fourth from left), Lou Gehrig (standing, third from left) and manager Connie Mack (in dark suit).

Although there are no numbers printed on the R309-1 cards, each card's number was prominently printed on the 1933 Goudey wrappers used to distribute the regular issue cards and to promote and order the premiums (see example wrapper at left).

According to the directions on the wrapper, 50 of them could be mailed-in for "ONE" of the four pictures. A large number corresponding to each picture was printed prominently on each corner of the wrapper.

To prepare the wrappers, the collector was instructed to "Cut off every corner EXCEPT the corner showing the number and name of the picture you want."

The collector apparently had precious little time to collect and redeem the wrappers. According to a statement found on some of the wrappers, the premium offer expired November 1, 1933. That was only three and a half weeks past October 7, the day that the Giants won the Series in the fifth game.

Because of the November 1 deadline for ordering the cards in the premium set, it is most likely that at least some (if not all four) of the premiums were distributed in 1933. Nevertheless, the set is traditionally referenced in vintage hobby checklists (and by grading companies) as a 1934 issue.

It is also interesting to note that the Ruth premium card is based on the same 1927 Charles Conlon photograph used in three of the four Ruth cards in the regular 1933 Goudey set. Thus, regular set card numbers 53, 144 and 149 use the same image (differently cropped), while card number 181 from the regular set is based on a different photo (see comparison images below).


1933 Ruth Premium

Regular Set Card #53

Regular Set Card #144

Regular Set Card #149

Regular Set Card #181

It is the Goudey regular issue Ruth cards, not the premium, that command the highest prices among today's collectors. On average, Goudey's regular issue Ruth cards are valued five to ten times higher (or more) than the Ruth "premium" in similar condition.

Beware of Reprints: Collectors should be aware that reprints of the R309-1 premiums are sometimes seen on eBay and elsewhere.

A Set Profile, Player Checklist and Gallery of Cards for the 1934 R309-1 Goudey Premiums cards is provided on the Old Cardboard website.



5. Recent Additions to the OldCardboard.com Website

We are continually expanding the Old Cardboard website with more set profiles, checklists and card galleries. Recent (past 30-40 days) additions include:

Set Profiles have been added for:
1952   Columbia Records Baseball Series
1962   Auravision (Columbia Records) Baseball Series
1964   Auravision (Columbia Records) Baseball Series
1960   JBR62   Third Year Elementary School Magazine
1962   JBR64   Shonen Book Furoku 45 RPM Record Bromide
1930   JBR67   King Magazine Ruth
1931   JBR71   Yakyukai Mag. Sepia Bromides

Set Checklists have been added for:
1911   M110   Sporting Life Cabinets
1929   Red Background Game Cards
1933   R309-1   Goudey Gum Premiums
1952   Columbia Records Baseball Series
1962   Auravision (Columbia Records) Baseball Series
1964   Auravision (Columbia Records) Baseball Series
1960   JBR62   Third Year Elementary School Magazine
1931   JBR71   Yakyukai Magazine Sepia Bromides

Set Galleries have been added for:
1911   M110   Sporting Life Cabinets
1929   Red Background Game Cards
1933   R309-1   Goudey Gum Premiums
1952   Columbia Records Baseball Series
1962   Auravision (Columbia Records) Baseball Series
1964   Auravision (Columbia Records) Baseball Series (includes full audio interviews of featured players)
1960   JBR62   Third Year Elementary School Magazine
1931   JBR71   Yakyukai Magazine Sepia Bromides

Updating the website with checklists and full set galleries for additional vintage sets is an ongoing project, so check back often to check out the latest additions. There are now many thousands of card images on the website and the list continues to grow every month. We welcome and encourage feedback with checklist additions, images of cards missing from our galleries, error corrections and suggestions. Please send all feedback to editor@oldcardboard.com.

Beyond the above pages recently added to the Old Cardboard website, we continue to expand and refine our eBay Custom Search Links to make finding vintage baseball cards on eBay easier than ever. The results of these searches are continuously changing, so check back often to find the most recent eBay listings. Samples of a few of these custom searches are provided below. Hundreds more are provided on the Set Profile pages throughout the Old Cardboard website.

Pinbacks
P2 Sweet Caporal Pins
Mrs. Sherlock's Bread
PM8 Our National Game
PR3-3 Orbit Gum
PR4 "Cracker Jack"
PX3 Double Headers

Game Cards
1888 WG1 Game Cards
WG2/WG3 Fan Craze
WG4 Polo Grounds
WG5 "National Game"
WG6 "Tom Barker"
WG8 S&S Game Cards

(more custom searches
by major card group)



6. News Briefs (A Digest of Recent Hobby Happenings)

M313/M314 Research Request: Old Cardboard reader Doug Goodman is currently researching the original issue dates of the M313 and M314 Baseball Magazine posters. The posters were distributed over a 48-year stretch from 1910 through 1958 and were often promoted in ads within the magazines. Toward his goal, Doug is seeking images of ads from the magazines (especially issues printed before 1920) and would appreciate input from other collectors. Once compiled, Doug intends to report his findings in an article in a future issue of Old Cardboard eMagazine. He can be reached at doug.goodman@earthlink.net.

Lord (Cleveland) Added to W600 Checklist & Gallery Thanks to Old Cardboard reader Tom Martens for providing an image of the W600 Sporting Life cabinet card for Briscoe Lord of the Cleveland American League. Previously, our checklist included a Lord cabinet--but with him playing for Philadelphia A.L. This brings the total number of different cabinets in the W600 checklist to 691! Thanks again, Tom.


Lyman and Brett Hardeman
Old Cardboard, LLC.

Old Cardboard LLC. was established in December 2003 to help bring information on vintage baseball card collecting to the hobbyist.  Produced by collectors for collectors, this comprehensive resource consists of three components: (1) Old Cardboard Magazine (currently on hold after printing 34 Issues), (2) a companion website at www.oldcardboard.com and (3) this eMagazine. The Old Cardboard website contains well over 1000 pages of descriptive reference information for baseball card sets produced fifty years ago or longer.  Each of the set summaries has a direct set-specific link to auctions and a similar link to 's powerful search engine for further research.  The website also includes a Show and Auction Calendar, an eBay Top 50 Vintage Sellers List, and much more.  As a result, the Old Cardboard website makes a great "Alt-tab" companion for vintage card shoppers and researchers.  Each Old Cardboard eMagazine provides three or four articles about vintage baseball card sets or related memorabilia, current hobby news, upcoming shows and auctions, and updates to the website.  It is published quarterly around the middle of the last month of each quarter.  For a FREE subscription to the eMagazine, please visit the website at www.oldcardboard.com.  If you find this information resource helpful, please tell your friends.  We need your support and your feedback. Thank you.

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