Show Us Your Favorite AFL Items

[jefferyepayne]

In my opinion, the AFL doesn't get enough respect. There's not enough former AFL'ers in the HOF and AFL records are sometimes discredited.

Show any and all AFL items (cards, photos, memorabilia, etc.) you love in this thread as an ode to THE American Football League!



jeff

[jefferyepayne]

Man, no love for the AFL on Net54 either!



jeff

[vintagebaseballcardguy]

Great idea for a thread, Jeff! When it comes to football, the AFL is my favorite. I just picked this up. I hope it shows up this weekend. It is a 1965 Chargers AFL West champs team ball with 34 signatures.

[jefferyepayne]

Ok. Show us your LEAST favorite AFL item ...

jeff

[revmoran]

I like this item from the first AFL - the Grange league in 1926. It's a reminder of how the various AFLs really struggled for a share of the market against the NFL for half a century. Here are the two best teams of the first AFL sharing a double bill with a high-school game on Thanksgiving in New York City

[AFLfan]

This is in my collection. It is Sid Gillman's team-signed game ball from the 1963 AFL Championship Game.

[AFLfan]

The display case next to my desk.

[vintagebaseballcardguy]

Originally Posted by AFLfan

This is in my collection. It is Sid Gillman's team-signed game ball from the 1963 AFL Championship Game.

Wow, wow, wow! I wondered if any 63 championship balls were out there. Someday one of my main goals is to have one, along with other such items from that seaaon. I really like your display case items as well, particularly the We Love Lance Alworth sticker and the program. Just terrific stuff, Todd!

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[AFLfan]

Here is a proof ticket from the 1963 AFL championship game, a super-rare candy try produced by Coca-Cola, showing the '63 team, and Sid Gillman's 63 championship tie clip and bracelet.

[revmoran]

Have you ever been to the Vatican library - they have twenty items in one display case that would be a stand alone center piece of any other library in the world - and then they have 10 more cases just like that. Todd is the Vatican of the AFL!

[vintagebaseballcardguy]

Originally Posted by AFLfan

Here is a proof ticket from the 1963 AFL championship game, a super-rare candy try produced by Coca-Cola, showing the '63 team, and Sid Gillman's 63 championship tie clip and bracelet.

I am speechless! As a Charger fan/collector. ..just. ...amazing.!

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[jefferyepayne]

This item is by far the pinnacle of my AFL memorabilia.

When the AFL turned 5 years old, AFL founder Lamar Hunt created a composite piece to give to each of the eight AFL owners. The piece includes a photo of each of the eight AFL teams. As the owners had always called themselves the "Foolish Club" for taking on the NFL, that is the inscription he put on the piece. I have the one that was originally given to Jets majority owner Sonny Werblin. I know the one Hunt had made for himself hangs in the Kansas City Hall of Fame but have not been able to track down the location of the other six.



Like all things AFL, this item was originally in Todd Tobias's collection.

jeff

[vintagebaseballcardguy]

Originally Posted by jefferyepayne

This item is by far the pinnacle of my AFL memorabilia.

When the AFL turned 5 years old, AFL founder Lamar Hunt created a composite piece to give to each of the eight AFL owners. The piece includes a photo of each of the eight AFL teams. As the owners had always called themselves the "Foolish Club" for taking on the NFL, that is the inscription he put on the piece. I have the one that was originally given to Jets majority owner Sonny Werblin. I know the one Hunt had made for himself hangs in the Kansas City Hall of Fame but have not been able to track down the location of the other six.



Like all things AFL, this item was originally in Todd Tobias's collection.

jeff

Awesome piece, Jeff!

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[Steve D]

As a life-long Chargers fan, my life goal is to be named in Todd's will!

Amazing collection!!!!!


Steve

[vintagebaseballcardguy]

Originally Posted by Steve D

As a life-long Chargers fan, my life goal is to be named in Todd's will!

Amazing collection!!!!!


Steve

Amen to that and +1000!

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[AFLfan]

This piece was give to players by the local Coca-Cola Bottling Plant after winning the '63 AFL Championship. Also, Paul Lowe's trophy from being named to the AFL All-Time Team.

[yankeesjetsfan]

Great stuff. Aside from a program from the 1968 season and some cards My Jets AFL collection is a tad light, lol. I will live vicariously through the fantastic collections I see here.

Mike

[AFLfan]

Originally Posted by jefferyepayne

Like all things AFL, this item was originally in Todd Tobias's collection.

jeff

That certainly is a beauty, Jeff. I am glad that you are enjoying it. I especially like the Patriots photo, which shows Jess Richardson, the last professional player to not wear a face mask.

[jefferyepayne]

Originally Posted by AFLfan

That certainly is a beauty, Jeff. I am glad that you are enjoying it. I especially like the Patriots photo, which shows Jess Richardson, the last professional player to not wear a face mask.

Huh. Didn't know that, Todd. That's a great piece of AFL trivia.

jeff

[DBesse27]

Wow wow wow! Todd your collection is better than amazing. I need a better adjective. I'll post my favorite AFL item in a minute.

[DBesse27]

I collect Gino Cappelletti, so all my favorite AFL items are of him. Here is a 1967 Caprolan Nylon premium:

[jefferyepayne]

Fantastic premium, Dan! Have never seen that one before.

There are a few oddball AFL card sets out there from the 60's. Here are some.

1960 7-Eleven Dallas Texans. These were distributed by 7-Elevens in the Dallas area.


1961 Golden Tulip Chargers. These were inserted in Golden Tulip potato chip bags.




As the backs show, if you send it five cards of the same player, you can get a picture of a player sent to you. I only have one of these premiums.


1960s Fairmont Dairy Kansas City Chiefs. These cards were distributed from approx 1963-1969 on Fairmont Dairy milk cartons.


1967 Royal Castle Dolphins. These were distributed by the Royal Castle hamburger restaurant in the Miami area.


1969 Tresler Comet Bengals. Cards distributed by Tresler Comet gas stations in the Cincinnati area.


jeff

[AFLfan]

My collection is actually quite small now. Less than 2,000 cards, and not a lot of memorabilia. I've reduced by probably 90% in sheer quantity over the last few years. That said, what I kept was either nice and/or meaningful to me.

Ernie Ladd Eating Contest Placard and Sid Gillman's honorary Key to the City of San Diego, presented to him in 1961.

[HRBAKER]

[AFLfan]

A handful of signed cards...

[DBesse27]

Those Parilli autos reminded me of this card I got signed when I met the man less than a year before he passed.

[DBesse27]

..... and that reminded me of these in-person autos.

[AFLfan]

I recently bought a 1964 Topps Patriots team card signed by Babe Parilli. I just stuck it in the mail to Gino Cappelletti. I'd love to have a nice team card with both of those guys on it.

Nice Pats cards, Dan!

@Jeff - I really like both of those Flores pics also!

[AFLfan]

A few more...

[yankeesjetsfan]

Wow, some great autographs here!

Mike

[BigRedOne]

I have witnessed Todd and Jeff's Outstanding AFL items before and they are always amazing! Where do you guys dig up all of those odd ball items!?


HRBARKER: The Auto'd Wire Photos are absolutely priceless!

I really like the Bills Photo with Billy Shaw. Football down and Dirty like it should be. Who is the other Bills Lineman in the photo(#67)? Whoever it is, he looks like he means business, and I don't believe I want to be on the other end of that business deal!


My ventures into the AFL started a few years back when I began picking up a few 64 Topps Cards. I figured since it was my Birth Year......... ya know..

I think Im now up to 50 some odd cards. I also just picked up The Lamonica and Jack Kemp from my ole Buddy Rich Icaan! I'll have to get those scanned.

[jefferyepayne]

Great stuff, everybody!

John: those '64s are pristine! As always, your eye is impeccable when it comes to cards.

Thanks for posting these. I know a lot of collectors don't like the '64 set as it seems too ... sparkly? I've never met a set I didn't like so don't mind them at all. Keep'em coming.

jeff

[AFLfan]

I went to visit with Paul Lowe yesterday. He signed a few cards for me, including this one. Kind of a longstanding joke here...

[Joe Hunter]

First ever regular season Oakland Raiders game program and 1968 season AFL All Star Game program with 24 signatures. Second photo from right to left: 1963, 1965 and 1968 KC Chiefs nodders. The '63 is nearly impossible to find and the '65 is tough, as well.

[AFLfan]

I've posted some of these individually, but last night I took a scan of one of my favorite binder pages in my collection.

[BigRedOne]

Joe Hunter

Fantastic looking pieces you have there! The Oakland Raider Program has beautiful art and colors, Very nice! The Nodders are just so cool as well! Thanks for posting them!

[BigRedOne]

Originally Posted by jefferyepayne

Great stuff, everybody!

John: those '64s are pristine! As always, your eye is impeccable when it comes to cards.

Thanks for posting these. I know a lot of collectors don't like the '64 set as it seems too ... sparkly? I've never met a set I didn't like so don't mind them at all. Keep'em coming.

jeff

Much appreciate the kind words Jeff!

Over the Past couple years Ive kind been pecking away at the 64 set here and there. I know the 64 set is not on everybody's must have list, but it is my birth year, and if you can find them with nice centering they really are quit nice looking, at least to me. I seem to have a deep devotion for Stars and Stripes

Here are the Daryle Lamonica Rookie and Jack Kemp Cards I just received from none other than Rich Caan, and a few others Ive picked up along the way somewhere.

[Butch7999]

#67 is the well respected, fondly remembered Joe O'Donnell.

Originally Posted by BigRedOne

I really like the Bills Photo with Billy Shaw. Football down and Dirty like it should be. Who is the other Bills Lineman in the photo(#67)? Whoever it is, he looks like he means business, and I don't believe I want to be on the other end of that business deal!

[andypcl]

Great pieces everyone! Here's a button that I've had for many years. It must have been an early effort to sell tickets...

[LuckyLarry]

Not much compared to what has already been posted here. But I recently picked up this bent and creased uncut strip of 1960 Fleer AFL cards. Opening bid of $9.99 won it plus $3 to ship. I thought it was a pretty good deal.
Larry

[BigRedOne]

Originally Posted by Butch7999

#67 is the well respected, fondly remembered Joe O'Donnell.

Thanks for the info. Its a great Photo!

[HRBAKER]

[DBesse27]

Holy crap, that signed Buoniconti RC is a MONSTER card!!

[DBesse27]

I'm a big Gino Cappelletti collector, but as I built my collection I purposely left out the team cards, since I'm not a fan of vintage team cards in baseball. Truth be told, I excluded them without taking the time to check them out. I did recently and when I saw how easy it was to pick out #20 and how recognizable his face was, I decided to pick them up. There were only 2 team cards during his career: 64 Topps and a 68 Topps test issue. The first of them arrived, and it's the tougher of the two:



The cards in this test issue were pretty large, if you couldn't tell that it's in a tallboy holder. Gino is in the second row, 4th in from the left. I dig it.

[AFLfan]

I love the team cards, and am slowly picking up copies of the 68s to get signed. I have roughly 200 different signed 1964s.