Card of the Day: Jerry Kramer 1959 Topps #116

Card of the Day: Daryl Spencer 1959 Topps #443

Card of the Day: Whammy Douglas 1959 Topps #431

Card of the Day: 1959 Fleer Ted Williams – Ted Williams & Jim Thorpe #70

Card of the Day: Frank Gifford 1959 Topps #20

Flashback Product of the Week: 1959 Topps Venezuelan

With professional baseball becoming popular in other regions of the world, Topps decided to try and cash in on it.  Starting in 1946, the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League was formed.  Given the time of year they play baseball in Venezuela, it gives players from North America an opportunity to play in what would normally be their off season.  Its a way of keeping their baseball skills sharp.

Topps teamed-up with a company called Benco to help print what would be their first Venezuelan set.  1959 Topps Venezuelan consists of 198 cards.  Its basically the same first two series of cards that were released in the United States.  The first series of Venezuelan cards has a mix of grey and cream colored backs.  In the U.S. counterpart, they were all cream colored.  Cards normally show that they were printed in the U.S. or Venezuela.  The Venezuelan team cards don’t state a country of origin.  Plus the Venezuelan team cards have numbered checklists on the back too making the set look bigger than 198 cards.  This can be very misleading for some collectors.

The main difference between the U.S. and Venezuelan cards is the lack of gloss.  The Venezuelan cards don’t have gloss at all.  You normally don’t think of vintage sets like this having gloss, but they do.  Because the Venezuelan cards don’t have gloss, almost every single card you find will have some type of damage.  Its just not a little damage either.  There is going to be a bunch.  But don’t let the damage fool you though.  This Bill Virdon 1959 Topps Venezuelan #190 recently sold for just over $200.00.  The U.S. version can be bought for under $5.00 in most cases.

Card of the Day: Ernie Banks 1959 Topps #350

Card of the Day: Duke Snider 1959 Topps #20

Card of the Day: Hal Naragon 1959 Topps #376

Topps Officially Has Valentine’s Day Covered

In 1961 Topps added another Valentine’s Day set to their crazy lineup of products.  The official name of it was Topps Giant Funny Valentines.  I refer to this set as the “tall boys” of Valentine’s Day products.  Unlike the other Valentine’s Day sets Topps issued in 1959 and 1960, these cards are much bigger.  The cards found in the 1961 set measure 2-1/2″ x 4-3/4″.  I guess Topps thought they had to change things up a bit.  All of the drawings were done by Jack Davis.  On the front you’ll find a cartoon which sets you up for a punchline on the back.  Topps reissued them again in 1966.

1961 Topps Giant Funny Valentines #53 front

1961 Topps Giant  Funny Valentines #53 back – its not uncommon to find writing on the backs considering they were made to be given to people

1960 Topps Funny Valentines front

1959 Topps Funny Valentines front

Garbage Pail Kids also have a bunch of Valentine’s Day themed cards.