Ali cards

[Exhibitman]

I've noticed a spike of about 10-20% in the number of cards on eBay in the boxing cards category, basically all Ali modern stuff plus some of the older cards.

I have gotten a lot of questions about Ali cards over the last few days, mostly people wanting advice on which Ali card to get for their collections. My views, FWIW, on the essential Ali cards, which are representative of my own personal preferences, peccadillos and prognostications:

1960 Hemmets Journal Cassius Clay: A Swedish Olympic issue of four card panels in pages that could be cut up or inserted into a booklet. Each card was individually numbered and has a self-contained bio back. This is the real RC for Clay/Ali whether hand cut from the page or as part of the four card sheet.

1962 Rekord: His second card. Another Swedish issue, these were two to an issue cards on the front covers of the magazine. Again, clearly intended to be a card cut from the publication.

1960s Exhibit (green tint): This is the first American issued Ali card. I haven't been able to pin down the exact date yet but definitely 1963-1964. There are sepia tint and black and white versions that were issued a few years later, so the greenie is the one to get.

1964 MacRobertsons: An Aussie game issue that is often touted as the RC, which is not correct. It is early enough to be notable.

1964 Simon Chocolates: A Spanish issue that is also promoted by those who own it as a RC. Personally, I don't really like the drawn and caricatured cards as much as the photographic ones but it is another very early and therefore worthwhile card.

1965 Lampo: The first of the Italian sticker cards.

1966 Panini: The first of the Panini issues. I don't like it as much as the later Panini cards because it uses the Olympic photo but it is the first one from the most important card issuer for the heavyweights' greatest era.

1966 DC Thompson: I would argue that this is the first British Ali card. There is something called a "Bancroft's Tiddler" that dates to 1965 but that is a page ripped out of a booklet that has no indication of intent to be a card. It doesn't even have the Ali bio on the back: the bio is on a different page which sits directly across from the picture, so that when the booklet is open you can read the bio and see the picture. Someone, somehow, got PSA to slab the Tiddlers, so it is on the registry. The Thompson card is for my money the first real British card.

1969 Shindana Games: If you are the sort of pinhead who thinks that Exhibit cards don't count because PSA won't slab them, then the first American card of Ali is this one.

1975 Asian "menko" issues: When Ali decided to fight in Asia twice (Joe Bugner in Malaysia and Joe Frazier in Manila) it touched off a wave of card issues in the region. A gigantic series of menko-style cards were issued in Malaysia in connection with the Bugner bout. I don't know how many there are but they are found in two or three formats (the third may be Japanese menko). I think having a few is essential for a global look at Ali:

1979 Sportscasters: They are common and cheap but they are career-issued Ali cards with some really nice images.

1992 Classic autographed: Ali signed thousands of these insert cards for the Classic release. The most common has a nice signature at the bottom and a certification on the back. Another group of 2500 were issued numbered. A final group numbered to 250 has 1964 KO on the front as well. All have a white back with printing explaining the card is a limited issue autograph. This is the best Ali signed insert to get because it is early, 8 years after his diagnosis but before the disease really wrecked his signature, and they show his Liston I action image. The cards are also very affordable; they used to sell for around $150-$175 each, before his death. They've spiked a bit since but are still a good deal IMO.

OK. that's my $0.02 worth; now have at it.