Posted By:
Ted ZanidakisNo big deal, Jeff.....we were pretty smart 8, 9 and 10 year olds growing up in Hillside (NJ).
We figured out their "marketing gimmick" quite quickly. There was one "rich kid" on our block
that had about 500 cards ($5.00 worth); and, he shared his info with the rest of us. So, thats
how we realized there were only 49 Boxing cards to acquire for the complete run.
In the Spring of 1949 it was somewhat tougher for us kids, when the Leaf BB cards were available.
They were skip-numbered to #159 (Mizell Platt).....and, the "rich kid" buddy had moved from our
neighborhood. So, we were on our own to buy a lot of cards.
I became the "rich kid" for a day....when I found a $5 bill in the grass on my way to the store. I
bought two boxes (24-count) of Leaf BB from my candy store. These boxes cost me $1.20 each.
And, my friends and I opened the 48 wax packs, which yielded 288 cards. If I recall correctly, I
had 5-6 cards of Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, JRobby, Stan Musial, etc., etc.
TED Z