Awesome cards Charlie!

Orioles Photos
 

Although I have over 2400 team issued 8x10 photos, it's always nice to find new poses I don't have.

A big thanks to Charlie Strite for hooking me up with these four 1961-1962 beauties. I really appreciate it.

I'm sure there are plenty more out there, so the hunt continues...


Marv Throneberry and Russ Snyder

Attachment 446509 Attachment 446510


Jim Busby and Dick Hyde

Attachment 446511 Attachment 446512

I had to post a few.
 

Here is one corner. The ashtray makes me laugh all the time as this would have something I would have/may have done as a kid. Every household had these types of ashtrays it seemed liked in the 60s/70s

About 25 years ago I was contacted by a manager of a Chi Chi's Restaurant (remember those?) in Kansas City who read about my collection in Sports Illustrated who told me that he had a signed credit card receipt from a time when Cal Ripken Jr. ate there in 1987 & asked if I would be interested.

While I doubt Cal still has this Visa card, I did erase (via photoshop) the last 4 digits of his card #:

https://i.imgur.com/S8axmdi.jpg

1961 Victoria/Ardmore Rosebuds (updated from post #1096)
 

While the 2021 version of spring training has been a let down, the first quarter of 2021 has been better than I could have hoped for collection wise. I've added some nice team issued 8x10 photos and a 1964 Stockton Ports program, but that pales to today's mail.

I am beyond thrilled to add a 1961 Ardmore Rosebuds program to my collection. I never thought I would find one. I've coveted what is probably the only surviving copy for a long time and finally talked the owner into parting with it. It won't have a more loved home....


The Orioles Class AA affiliate in 1961 was the Victoria Rosebuds. They played in the Texas League. On May 27th, the Rosebuds moved from Victoria, Texas to Ardmore, Oklahoma. The Rosebuds were 18-25 during their time in Victoria and 39-58 in Ardmore, for a combined record of 57-83.

1961 Ardmore Rosebuds Program


Attachment 446979 Attachment 446980

Attachment 446981 Attachment 446982

An interesting side note is that all the Texas League teams played 24 games, that counted in the 1961 standings, against teams from the Mexican League. The program is from a game against the Puebla Parakeets. On the Parakeets roster is Dan Bankhead. Bankhead was the first black pitcher in the Major Leagues, pitching in 4 games with Brooklyn in 1947 and hitting a HR.


The closest I've come to anything from the Victoria period, is an away program from Amarillo, when they played the Gold Sox. The Rosebuds played in Amarillo from May 27-29, so the insert roster sheet is likely the last time they were identified as Victoria.

1961 Victoria Rosebuds away program

Attachment 446983 Attachment 446984

Alan:

Congratulations on this new acquisition. I know how much you enjoy collecting affiliate game programs (particularly older ones). How badly did you have to twist the owner's arm? lol

Bill

It was a lot like the Chris Davis and Orioles contract negotiations... I was certainly bidding against myself, but made him an offer he couldn't refuse.
I paid $150, but don't expect to ever see another since the team only lasted half a season with poor attendance.

Still a ways to go and some pretty obscure teams to complete the run. My 2021 goal was three programs and I've already picked up two. :D

Congrats Alan on your new program!

neat dual signed photo of both Brooks & Cal....Not sure but it looks like it was taken in the early 1990's (perhaps a Dream Week?) however signed later on:

https://i.imgur.com/ysHcBkT.jpg

I especially like the ‘83 cardboard sign!

1979 ALCS NBC Press Credential signed by Don Stanhouse:

https://i.imgur.com/GGNIN0e.jpg

Brooks Robinson PSA Master Set - 1968
 

Good Sunday morning. This week I will update you on 1968 entries to the Brooks Robinson PSA Master Set. We'll begin this week with the Bazooka slots. Technically, there are two entries for Bazooka in 1968 but at the top left, I am showing you 3 entries. First, you see the Panel, which is actually the backside of the Bazooka Box showing Brooks. The Panel and the single hand cut card below it are interchangeable according to PSA. The single cut card is the highest graded coming in at a PSA 10. This card is the only one graded, as well. The Panel is a high grade (PSA 8) with three graded higher. The box is the highest graded with another peer. All of these Bazooka examples can be expensive. Next is the 1968 O Pee Chee version of the "Topps" Pin-up. This pin-up looks the same as the 1967 Topps version but the Canadian version is graded as 1968. This examples graded as a PSA 2. I have had 3 graded and can't seem to get higher than "Good." There are 2 graded higher. Centering seems to be the challenge wiht O Pee Chee and pin-ups. Moving right, you next see the 1968 Topps Action All Star Stickers with Brooks and two of his friends. This sticker is graded as a PSA 3 and like the O Pee Chee Pin-up, I do not have much luck with grading these. Generally, these do not grade higher than a 4 or 5 so mine is actually pretty nice. This sticker is part of a longer sleeve of stickers, which are fairly expensive. The stickers were a test issue and were sold with one sticker per pack. Below the sticker is the 1968 Dexter Press Post Card. This card is graded as a PSA 8. The Dexter Press Post Cards include 77 cards produced by Coca-Cola. There are 6 Brooks cards graded higher. Next, you will find the Atlantic Oil Play Ball Card featuring Brooks. There were 50 total players. The AL was on a Red Card while the National League was featured on a Blue Bordered Card. The cards either had the game rules on the back or a "play ball" back. The cards were perforated so conditioning can be a challenge. Here, the version with the rules on the back is graded a PSA 6, which is a high graded card given the challenges with these cards (there are 2 graded higher). I am showing you a PSA 3 "play ball" back version (4 graded higher). The next card is on my top 5 favorite Brooks cards list. Another Test Issue...here is the 1968 Topps Discs Facing Right. This card has great eye appeal and will cost you dearly. This card was supposed to be part of a pin-back button issue, which never materalized. There were 24 discs in the set on an uncut sheet with numberous HOF'ers. This card is the only one graded by PSA. This and the 67 disc with eyes facing left (I showed you this one last week) are very similar looking in my opinion. The 1968 Topps Game card is next. This card is graded as a PSA 8, which is affordable but a PSA 9 can be worth over $1,300 if not more. I can't seem to find a PSA 9 but they pop up routinely. There are 21 graded higher. This card was offered as in insert or you could buy the entire set of 33 cards. Next, you see the lone entry from 1968 with a Coca-Cola Cap. There will be more "soon" (I have 5 other versions at PSA being graded). This verion is the Orioles Team Cap O10 and you can tell it is 1968 because there is no position annotated right of his face. This cap is the highest graded but soon, you will see more and more of these being graded. Next, you will find the many entries from Topps with Brooks. You see the regular Topps issues, Milton Bradley, O Pee Chee and Venezuela. The Regular issued cards from Topps has 4 entries. You see the Bird Belters at a PSA 9 grade (surprisingly, there are 57 GEM cards). Next, you see the PSA 9 All Star Card (there are 30 graded GEMs) followed by the Team Card, which is one of 13 GEMs. Next, you see the GEM graded regular Topps Brooks issue (there are 30 GEMs) along with Milton Bradley (graded PSA 7 with 10 graded higher) and O Pee Chee (mine is graded PSA 8 with 9 graded higher). Finally, you see the 1968 Venne cards. The All Star Card is graded as a PSA 3 (6 graded higher), the team card is graded as a PSA 5, which is very nice (1 graded higher), and the regular issue is graded as a PSA 2 (7 graded higher). I have several of the Venes at PSA for possible upgrades. Well, that is it for this week. Hope you enjoyed the 1968 entries...so many different items to collect. Next week has as many as 19 entries and throughout the remaining 9 weeks, the number of entries rise.

Charlie,

Take a WILD guess on which one is my favorite!

Lucked out and found a random lot of signs/banners from a stadium employee.

Awesome! I’m still missing an example from ‘83. Hopefully I’ll pick one up someday. I have a coupe signs framed, but need to get a couple more done so I can put up. The metal signs I just attach to the wall w/o any frames.

A 1950's Orioles Bolo Tie holder (about 2" tall)..It's available if anyone is interested (DM me):

https://i.imgur.com/xko7eY4.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/hIUx878.jpg

Brooks Robinson PSA Master Set - 1969
 

Good morning! This week I will share with you the 1969 entries for the Brooks Robinson PSA Master Set. There are 20 items required for 1969. I have a few extras, which I will cover. First, you see at the top left is the 1969 MLB Photo Stamps. These stamps came from an album. Technically, the individual stamp and the 12 player stamp page is required and both are tied as highest graded. The next required entry is the 8 player panel, which comes from an album. This panel only grades as authentic. Next, you see the two 1969 Topps Stamps panels at the far right. The panels are graded in a vertical and horizonal configuration. The horizonal panel is #6 in the stamp series. It is hard to get a numeric grade on the #6 panel; the other panel eluded me for a year or so and finally was able to get one graded and was very pleased with the PSA 3.5 grade. The individual stamp is graded as PSA 9 and is tied as highest graded. All of the stamps listed are affordable but not necessarily easy to find. The 1969 Brooks picture pack picture is graded as a PSA 10 and is the highest graded. For some reason, PSA will no longer grade this one and the one shown is the only one graded. It was part of the Master but now it is optional. Next you see one of my favoite entries...the Transogram. The Transogram is required as a box; here you see it as a PSA 1 and it is folded. I am not a fan of this entry as a "folded" box but I bought it this way and would never ruin one of these; there are only 2 graded and one is graded higher. The other entry is the small panel from the top of the box (this PSA 5 small card is one of two graded) and the hand cut card from the back of the box. The hand cut card is the highest graded with one peer. I also show the actual box with the Brooks figurine. The 1969 MLBPA Pin is graded as a PSA 8. I looked for this pin for a long time and when found, it seemed they appeared routinely. This pin has one graded higher. The 1969 Milton Bradley PSA 8 is tied as highest graded with another card. For some reason, I collect all the Milton Bradley sets with Brooks; one set I bought just to get the Brooks! I will go to the right of the picture again and discuss the 1969 Nabisco Card, which is tied as the highest graded. This PSA 9 is amazing and is a recent addition. I collect the 1969 Nabisco hand cut cards; one set is listed on the PSA Nabisco Team Flakes 1969 Master Set and I am working on two other sets, which I will likely trade or sell. I forgot to show the 1969 Nabisco Panel with Brooks and Fregosi. I would love to find the entire Nabisco sheet featuring Brooks. Next, is the PSA Global Imports 9 of Hearts. This card is part of a set. There are 3 graded higher. The Topps and O-Pee-Chee Deckles are graded as a PSA 7 (14 graded higher) and PSA 8 (3 graded higher). The 1969 Topps Super at the bottom of the photo is one of my favorites. This card is very expensive at this grade and there are 3 PSA 10s. Finally, the regular Topps Cards are listed. The All Star Card has many graded higher; same with the Check List. The PSA 9 regular entry is an expensive card with over 190 graded as a PSA 9; there are 9 PSA 10s. Hope you enjoyed this week's 1969 posting and we'll see you next week with the 1970 entries.

Charlie,

More nice items.

I decided to wait and post some of the team issued Brooks Robinson photos from 1967-69. The Orioles used the same photo for most of the postcards and 8x10 photos during that period and it's impossible to put an exact date on them.

1967-69 Team Issued Postcards

Attachment 449084 Attachment 449085 Attachment 449086

Attachment 449087

1967-69 Team Issued 8x10 Photos

Attachment 449088 Attachment 449089

The Orioles also provided newspapers and magazines with 8x10 team publicity sheets to be used in their publications. Often times these are found cut into smaller photos or missing parts based upon how they were used.

1967 Publicity Photo

Attachment 449090

1968 Publicity Photo

Attachment 449091

1969 Publicity Photo

Attachment 449092


One last item to go with Charlie's nice collection of Transogram pieces.
I believe this was cut from a larger Transogram store display. Interestingly, they mislabeled the Brooks and Frank Robinson photos.

1969 Transogram Store Display

Attachment 449093

Allan
How big is the transogram panel you posted above. Great piece. Never owned that one. I do have an uncut Tasso poster piece that is huge with brooks on it !
Love the transogram!
Scott

Scott,

It's about 2" x 3 1/4" and cardboard. It isn't poster type paper. I'm sure it's been cut from a larger display piece. I found this picture online. Looks like a store display.

Attachment 449120

Transogram
 

Possible better pics...

Attachment 449348
Attachment 449349

Mark if you wouldn’t mind, would you cut the three Oriole players off and send them my way. Appreciate it!

If I was young and had this piece it would have been cut for sure... Hey Alan has one cut already; see if he’ll send it your way 😳.

It’s worth a shot😁

1983 Topps Rickey Henderson Record Breaker with Cal
 

Hi everyone,

I have the 1983 Topps set and I try to get as many cards as I can autographed. The Rickey Henderson Record Breaker card (#2) has a guest appearance by Cal in the background.

I was finally able to get both players to sign the card. It's now my favorite card in the set.

Attachment 450385

Mike

You should have had Cal sign half his name :)

Nice piece

Brooks Robinson PSA Master Set - 1970
 

Happy Easter and good morning. Today I will discuss the 1970 entries. Starting at the top and far right is the 1970 Traffic Safety sheet and individual card. The Washington Senators have a similar card set. This 10 card set includes many of the stars for the Orioles and their HOF Manager. The sheet is out there for about a $100 but grades hard. I always buy these sheets when I see them if priced right. The Brooks card is a PSA 6 and there are 2 higher. Next, is the Action Cartridge. The Action Cartridge set features many different athletes. The master requires a panel and the box. The box is a PSA 3 with 2 higher. The panel is a PSA 2 with 5 higher. These are out there for a reasonable price but they are not always in the best shape. I have several of these but not willing to send in for a higher grade. Has anyone ever watched the video? Next, boelow the panel is the Brooks 1970 Matchbook graded and the matchbook ungraded. Sadly, the graded version is without the "matches." I love this 24 matchbook set. I have all of them (with lots of extras) but the Weaver...can anyone help me? Sorry...back to the Master...the Brooks matchbook is not graded that high but it is good enough at a PSA 2.5. Only one other is graded and it has a higher grade. These are very hard to find but affordable. Going to the far right is the 1970 Kellogs PSA 9 card. These are readily available at the PSA 9 grade (187 total). There are 36 PSA 10s but for some reason, I have never seen a GEM example. Next you have two rows of Topps and O-Pee-Chee (OPC) Cards. The Topps regular card is a PSA 9 with 58 peers. There are 2 PSA 10s. The OPC PSA 8 is the highest graded with 9 peers. The Topps Orioles team card is a PSA 8.5; there are 13 graded higher. This is a very tough card to grade. The OPC Orioles card is even tougher to grade; here I have a PSA 7 and there are 7 graded higher. Finally, one of my favorite AS cards is the 1970 verstion. The Topps AS Card is a PSA 8 with 107 peers. There are 18 graded higher. The PSA 9s are very expensive. The OPC AS card is a PSA 5 with 1 peer and as many as 6 graded higher. I am always looking to upgrade this card. The 1970s in general grade hard, which is interesting. Finally, the Carl Aldana 12 Card Orioles Set includes two Brooks cards. This rare set commemorates the 1970 WS Championship. The cards are done in black with a picture and last name. The back is blank. They were issued in the Baltimore area. There are 10 players plus Brooks with two versions. The one shows his face ("face showing" is a PSA 7 with 2 graded higher) and the other his back ("back showing" is a PSA 7 with 3 graded higher). Well, that is all this week. Next week we will discuss 1971, which has twice the entries as 1971.

Charlie,


Here are a few team issued items from around 1970.

In 1970, the Orioles switched from B&W postcards to color versions. From 1970-1972, the same photos were used. The best way to identify the 1970 postcards are the smaller font used for the printed name.

1970 Postcard

Attachment 450725

The Orioles also printed three different borderless style postcards of Bob Grich, Davey Johnson and Brooks Robinson. They are often listed as 1969, because of the sleeveless photo used for the Davey Johnson postcard. However, I believe these were done sometime between 1970-1972.

Borderless Postcards

Attachment 450726


8x10 photos are also tough to date, but I believe these are around 1970, possibly 1971.

Team Issued 8x10 Photos

Attachment 450728 Attachment 450729


1970 Publicity Photo


Attachment 450731


One last card is from the Orioles Pictures of Champions set.

Attachment 450727

Picked up this cool decal transfer.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...05eb4782f7.jpg


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

John,

Nice. I have the same decal, but with a blue background. I didn't realize they came in different colors. Is yours 3x4 and have Topflight on the back?

Attachment 450852


I also have this nice 3x5 Impko Decal.

Attachment 450855

1970 Photos
 

Hi, Alan. Great photos. Thanks for sharing. By the way, PSA considers the Orioles Champions card as 1971. I will include that card in next week’s update. ThNks for the comments.

Brooks Robinson PSA Master Set - 1971
 

Good Sunday morning. Went to my first Orioles Game last night...not a great finish but it was nice to see the fans, ballfield and Orioles "stuff." As promised, this week is 1971 and there is a lot of ground to cover. First off, you have the two versions of the Dell Stamps (All Stars and Team). I believe I added the two sheets to the Master. Both the sheets came from a book and both are highest graded as PSA 8. The individual all star stamp is tied as highest graded (PSA 10) and the team version is a PSA 9...there is one PSA 10. Lots of HoF'ers on these two sheets. Moving right, my favorite, the 1971 Bazooka entries. In 1971, you had the Numbered (very hard to find) and no number version. I mistakenly included the 1963 Bazooka box (it took 30 minutes or so to pull these out, display them and put them in their home so sorry...not enough energy to redo all of this but if anyone insists, happy to pull the 1971 box out and take a picture.). My 1971 no number Brooks bazooka box with Hank Aaron is graded PSA 5. It is hard to find these boxes at an affordable price. There are 7 graded higher. The numbered hand cut card is graded PSA 7 with 2 higher. The hand cut panel is graded PSA 4 with 3 graded higher. The numbered hand cut card is a PSA 8 with 5 higher and the no number panel is a PSA 8 with 6 graded higher. The Bazooka cards, boxes and panels are all hard to find and expensive. Next, is the 1971 Orioles Post Card as a PSA 6 with two graded higher. I am showing the 1971 Milk Duds variations. The Master requires the #18 and #23 box and hand cut card. Brooks had two entries in this set. These are hard to grade. I am showing the #18 PSA 5 with 5 higher and #23 PSA 6 with 1 higher. The card is a PSA 8 with 5 higher. I am also showing the ungraded box. The 1971 Topps Tattos are perforated and shown is the PSA 9 with Brooks and Nate Colbert as a PSA 9 (tied as higherst graded). The individual Brooks is a PSA 5. The master includes one or the other; I need to find a better individual Brooks Tattoos. Another one of my favorites is the 1971 Orioles Champions Card of Brooks; this one is a PSA 8 and tied highest graded. I have the entire set. I found the set at a show and paid $60...what a find! This set celebrates the 1970 WS championship (I believe it was released in the Baltimore area in late 1970) but for some reason, PSA counts it as a 1971. The 1971 Brooks Coin is a PSA 8 and there are 2 graded higher. This coin is harder to grade than the earlier 1960s coins. The 1971 All Star Photo is a PSA 9 and there are 3 graded higher. The bottom row includes the 1971 OPC and Topps entries. I have not had a lot of luck with the WS OPC card; here, I have a PSA 3 with 40 graded higher. The OPC Brooks regular card is a beauty. This PSA 7 is a high grade; there are 7 higher. The OPC WS game 5 card of Brooks is another nice one coming in at PSA 7; there are 9 graded higher. The Topps WS card is a PSA 8 and very difficult to find graded higher. My PSA 8 is probably the best I will own; these are so expensive. There are 19 graded higher. The 1971 Brooks Topps is a PSA 8.5. When I found this, I thought I might upgrade it but not likely given the low numbers (12 higher) and extreme cost. The last item is the WS card of Brooks as a PSA 8 with 40 graded higher. The next entry is the 1971 Greatest Moments. Surprisingly, there are 18 graded higher than my PSA 7. These are so expensive. This one is very nice; I had a PSA 6 but sold it to make room for this one (gosh...I regret that). The 1971 Topps Super is a PSA 9 and tied as highest graded with 8 others. I prefer the 1969 Super but this one is very nice. This was a big list so sorry about not providing more details on the different items. Next week, 1972, will have a 1/3 of the entries as 1971. Have a great week.

Brooks Robinson PSA Master Set - 1972
 

Good Sunday, everyone. This week I will discuss the Brooks Master 1972 entries, which there are 8. 1972 did not have as many entries as 1971, but some nice cards, nonetheless. First, is the 1972 Milton Bradley. This card is not easy to find. I actually bought the entire set on an Auction to get this card (ungraded). This PSA 6 example is a nice grade but there is one higher. Next, is the 1972 Topps Candy Lids Test Issue. Unlike other Test Issues, PSA graded this one with a number. The PSA 4 is a decent grade. This card is pretty difficult to find. I think I overpaid for it, but was happy to make the deal. There are 2 graded higher. The 1972 Venezuelan Stamp is extremely hard to find, rarely grades higher than VG. This example is a PSA 1. The stamp uses the same photo as the 1972 Topps card and has a blank back for a stamp album. The next entry is the 1972 Canadian Pro Star Promotions card, which is an oversized card and grades as a PSA 9. There are two PSA 10s. This card is very expensive and not easy to find. I believe there is a PSA 9 on ebay for around $400. Next, is the 1972 Topps regular card with the Orioles team card. The regular card is plentiful at a high grade. This PSA 9 has over 100 peers. There are 15 PSA 10s; if anyone has one laying around, let me know. The Orioles Team card is a PSA 10. There are 23 other PSA 10s. Next, is the Brooks Topps Boy Hood Photo Card and the OPC version. Both are graded as PSA 9s. The Topps version has 64 graded peers with 7 PSA 10s. The OPC version is highest graded with 9 peers. Hope you enjoyed the posting. See you next week with the 1973 entries.

Baltimore Orioles Wild Bill Hagy Megaphone
 

Hi, everyone. Curious if anyone has the details on the Wild Bill Hagy Megaphone. I have been looking for this for a year or two and won on an auction recently. Can anyone educate me on how you would get this megaphone (purchase in the Orioles Team Store or was it a give away?). Also, any idea what year these were sold/given to fans? Thanks.

I love the Candian Pro Stars Brooks. A fellow collector here at Net54 sold me mine a few years ago. In fact that whole set is really neat and chock full of Hall of Famers.

It definitely wasn't a Stadium Give Away item.....I don't believe they sold them at the concession stands inside Memorial but rather at the independent vendor stands outside the stadium (I would estimate the year of issue at about 1980)

I picked up a nice copy of one a few years ago off eBay.

I like this issue as well. I wish they would have made the Brooksie poster like they did for some of the others in the set.

1966 Bethlehem Steel full ticket
 

Good morning,

Several items from Bethlehem Steel Nights at Memorial Stadium have been posted on this thread before but here is a full ticket from 1966.

Attachment 453050

Attachment 453051

It was 40 years ago yesterday that the longest game in professional baseball started when the AAA Rochester Red Wings played the Pawtucket Paw Sox at McCoy Stadium.....The two teams played 32 innings until early Sunday morning before the game game was finally suspended and then resumed in June, when it lasted only one more inning with Pawtucket winning 3-2.

Here is a 1981 Red Wings program signed by about 12-13 of the players including a 19 year old Cal Ripken Jr.:

https://i.imgur.com/ux39ZiR.jpg?2

Very NICE!

Bill,

Love the program. Here's the newspaper headline the next day from the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.

Attachment 453207

Charlie,

Here are a few team issued items from 1971-72 you might enjoy.

The Orioles used the same photo for both 1971 & 72 for their postcards. The font used is larger than the 1970 postcard. The name is printed closer to the photo on the 1971 postcard (left), compared to the 1972 (right).

1971 and 1972 Team Issued Postcards

Attachment 453217 Attachment 453218


1972 Tadder 8x10 Photo

Attachment 453219


1971 and 1972 Publicity Team Sheets featuring Brooks

Attachment 453220 Attachment 453221

1971-1972 Photos
 

Alan, thanks for sharing. Love the post cards! Slowly chipping away on the Brooks Photos and Post Cards. Thanks for the insights.

Team signed ball from the 1984 Hagerstown Suns who were the Orioles Class A affiliate in the Carolina League. The team (which used three different managers) wasn't very good that year with a 60-80 won/loss record...Bill Ripken participated in 115 of those games:

https://i.imgur.com/DOJAwin.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/JiR2Gh9.jpg

Who is Len Johnston, and why does he get the sweet spot?? :cool:

Len Johnston was the Suns manager for part of that year. He also spent over 30 years as a coach in the Orioles minor league system, mainly with the Bluefield Orioles.

See also post #2261.

Attachment 453578


Here's the 1984 Hagerstown Suns program. Every post needs a program.. :D

Attachment 453579

About 25-30 years ago I was in touch with Len's son, Tom who was a collector himself and I picked up a lot of neat memorabilia from him.

Brooks Robinson PSA Master Set - 1973
 

Good Monday, everyone. Sorry for being a day late. I went on a small "vacation" over the weekend. So...this week I will discuss the 1973 PSA entries for Brooks Robinson. First, is the Brooks Johnny Pro Fielding and Batting "variations." These two cards are part of a Regional Orioles set (28 total). The fielding version is a PSA 6 with five graded higher. The Batting version is highest graded with 5 peers. Both are reasonbly priced. Next, is the 1973 Topps Pin Up test issue, which includes a number of HoF'ers in the 24 card set. This version is a PSA 8. This pin up is very expensive and not easy to find at this grade. There is 1 graded as a PSA 9 (I believe one of our members owns this one!). The Orioles Post Card of Brooks is not difficult to find. Finding this one in this condition without a signature was not so easy though. The one here is the highest graded (PSA 6). One of my favorite and most difficult cards to find is the next example...the 1973 Topps Comics (another test issue by Topps). This card is a PSA 6.5 and is very expensive and very hard to find. This set had 24 different cards with plenty of HoF'ers. There is one graded as a PSA 8. Finding this one proved very difficult. I am sure there are a few of you that have one but wow, this card is amazing. Next is the Topps Brooks and OPC Brooks. The Topps card is plentiful and very affordable at the PSA 9 grade...the PSA 10 has not proven easy to find (8 PSA 10s are out there!). The OPC version is a PSA 7 with one graded higher. The Orioles Team Card is a PSA 9 (5 PSA 10s exist) and the OPC Orioles Team is a PSA 7 with 12 graded higher. Finally, you see the Topps Candy Lids, which is not terribly difficult to find and another Topps "experiment." There were 55 lids in this set with 20 HoF'ers. This example is a PSA 5 with 7 graded higher. Accompanying the Lid is the proof, which PSA suprisingly graded (this is the only one graded...my gut says they will never grade another "proof"). Next week I will cover the 1974 PSA Brooks entries, which there are 11.

Love the Johnny Pros and just got both recently. Hate that those test issues don’t have the Oriole bird on the hats as they are great shots.

Charlie,

More nice test items. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the postcard is not from 1973. PSA doesn't do a very good job with postcards. Just because a postcard is mailed in 1973, doesn't make it a 1973 issue. Yours is either a 1971 or 1972 (See post #2842).

Here's the Brooks Robinson team issued postcard from 1973/1974.

Attachment 454763

I think its a 1971 postcard Charlie. Still a nice piece ! Scott

There are several of my favorite Brooksie cards in ‘73. The pin up is one of them as I really like the photo used of Brooks holding multiple bats. Go ahead and send me your example Scott...

You have to love the comic; doesn’t get much better than that.

I go back and forth on a favorite regular issue card and the ‘73 Topps usually comes out on top. Simply the BEST Brooks picture used.

Maybe I can’t see it, but I don’t see a grade on the lid proof. I guess these get a lower grade due to the tab being bent.

1973 Brooks Lid Proof
 

Mark, graded authentic. Most proofs (if graded) get authentic.

Most Orioles collectors are familiar with the Rochester Red Wings 1981 WTF card set primarily due to the inclusion of the Cal Ripken Jr. card.

However most collectors don't realize that one of the cards in this set has a tough variation.

From the web site Ripken in the Minors:

"When Steve Kozel received permission to print the 1981 WTF Rochester Red Wings set is came with a condition. The condition was that Steve would provide 3,000 cards of Doc Edwards for an Eastman Kodak Underprivileged Day during the 1981 season. The quote included a quote on the back from Edwards. In reality, Doc did not want to be bothered so the quote was attributed to him but chosen by Steve and then Co-General Manager Bill Terlecky. It was the first time the Kodak logo was ever put on a trading card and the people at Kodak were not happy. For whatever reason, possibly rain, the cards were never handed out. In March 2011 a copy surfaced at auction. Kevin Johnston of Clubhouse in Rochester sold the card. Kevin was Clubhouse Manager for the Wings in 1981 and had no clue how he received the card. The card was printed on the same sheets as the 1981 WTF set but has a picture cropped different from its WTF counterpart."

I was fortunate to acquire one of these cards from Kevin Johnston:

https://i.imgur.com/GEZMJ1f.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/yn3lo6e.jpg

Bill,

Wow. I have never heard of or seen that card before. Thanks for adding another card to my wantlist.. :(

I wonder how many are left? I would love to find one for my minor league collection. What do you guess for value?

I was thumbing through some cards last night waiting for the Orioles to start and I ran across these & had forgotten I even had them...

Back 7-8 years ago I think I paid about $75 for it but I'm not positive (and I may have been given a price break since I had purchased quite a few items from him over the years).

1974 Brooks Robinson PSA Master Set
 

Good Sunday. This week I will show you the 1974 entries to the Brooks PSA Master. The 1974 Laughlin All Star is graded as a PSA 9 with 2 PSA 10s out there. Next, is the Topps cards for Brooks in 1974. The regular card is a PSA 10, which is very rare at this grade and expensive. There are 3 other GEMs. The All Star Card with Boyer is a PSA 9 with over 70 peers and 7 GEMs. The Orioles team card at a PSA 9 was difficult to find and a little pricy. There are 3 PSA 10s. The 1974 OPC Brooks and All Star Cards were surprisingly hard to find at these grades. The PSA 6 OPC Brooks card has 10 graded higher. The OPC All Star card is a PSA 8 OC (I have another 8 OC I had graded). There are 3 graded higher. The 1974 Brooks single Stamp is a PSA 9 with 2 graded higher. The Stamp Panel is graded Authentic with only 2 graded with a number grade. Finally, the 1974 Deckle Edge gray and white back. The Gray Back is less rare and is graded as a PSA 8 with 14 peers and 11 graded higher. The rarer white back is tied as highest graded with 2 others. I had this card graded and it is very expensive. The proof is part of the set but does not count in the denominator. My Brooks collection took a turn this week. I completed the Master. It is 100% complete (272 out of 272 on hand; I have as many as 13 items to add). I did some research and found no complete masters with PSA for similar master sets such as Bench, Palmer, Gibson, Mays, Mantle, Clemente, or Aaron. See ya next week with 1975.

I didn't even realize there was a Brooks Robinson thread. Picked this one up recently.

Charlie,

Congrats. Here are a few more 1974 team issued items you might enjoy.

Team issued Postcard (It's considered a 1973/74 issue by postcard collectors)

Attachment 455748


Team Issued Tadder Photos

I can't be sure the photo on the right is from 1974. The pose is definitely before 1974, but the name is in very small print, which is common to the 1974 team issued 8x10 photos

Attachment 455749 Attachment 455750


1974 Orioles Publicity Photo Sheet

Attachment 455751


1974 O-Pee-Chee Cards

Charlie, You are correct that the OPC cards are much harder to find centered. 1974 OPC cards in general tend to be tough. It took me a long time to complete my Orioles team set. Very happy to find these three with decent borders. Does the PSA master set not include the 1974 OPC team card?


Attachment 455752 Attachment 455753 Attachment 455754

OPC Team Card Brooks PSA Master
 

The Brooks Master does not include the 1974 Team Card. This is one I want to add. Thanks for sharing!

Great looking autographed Brooksie card!

Charlie,

Again, CONGRATS on the completion of the Brooks Master. Now go get that #1 position.

Charlie, why is the 1957 Oriole team card included in the Brooks registry? Looking at the names on the back of the card Brooks isn’t pictured or did I miss something?

Congrats on completing the master!


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I feel like Brooks is missing from the 1970 or 71 team photo on the Topps card. Could be wrong... is that one included in registry ? Scott

I think the 71 Topps Orioles card doesn’t have Brooks in the photo. Am I correct with that? Scott

70 and 71 Orioles Team Card
 

Both years are part of the Registry.

Scott,

I believe you are right.

Also, I noticed that the 1971 World Series card with Brooks is included, but some of the other Playoff & World Series cards from 1970-1972 with Brooks in the picture are not. They might be part of what Charlie is working to get added to the PSA Master.

Ray Miller passes
 

I just saw where long time Orioles pitching coach and manager, Ray Miller passed away. He was pitching coach to several great Orioles pitchers, including Jim Palmer, Scott McGregor, Mike Flanagan, Mike Boddicker and Steve Stone.

Here's a couple team issued photos - 8x10 from early in his career and a postcard from the end.

Attachment 456286 Attachment 456287

I know I've posted this multi signed ticket before but after John Means' performance yesterday, I thought it was worthy of posting again:

https://i.imgur.com/iICkah4.jpg

Alan, I was surprised to hear of Miller's passing (who is a member of the Orioles HOF). The news of this was somewhat (ironically) overshadowed by Mean's no-hitter.

Here is a photo of the Orioles 1979 coaching staff...My original intent was to get it signed by all & it's now somewhat saddening knowing that everyone in this picture is now deceased:

https://i.imgur.com/8EMNHjd.jpg

Great photo Bill and sad news!😢

Brooks Robinson PSA Master Set - 1975
 

Good morning! This week we have a lot of entries. 1975 has 21 different cards. We begin from the left with the Hostess Cereal Panel. The Panel is hard to find at a high grade. The PSA 6 here is nothing special; there are 12 graded higher. The single PSA 10 is tied as highst graded with 30 peers. The Kellogs card is tied as highest graded with 40 peers at the PSA 10. The two 1975 Japanese NST Mr. Baseball Nagashima JMC 1 Brooks cards/stamps are pretty rare. The one of him in uniform is a PSA 5, which is pretty nice despite the grade. There are 2 graded higher. The other Japanese card where Brooks is not in uniform is the highest graded as a PSA 8. Both of these cards are hard to find and can be a little expenisve. There is a Boog Powell card, too. Next, you will find the 1975 SSPC Brooks regular card, which is a PSA 10 with 324 peers. I love the 1975 SSPC set...full of Hall of Famers. The All Star card is a PSA 6 with four graded higher. The All Star Cards are hard to find and impossible to find in a high grade. Next you will find 3 rows of four cards from 1975...the mini topps set, the regular topps set and the o-pee-chee set (OPC). Each set has a regular card, the MVP card, team card and AL Champions card. I have found both the mini and OPC cards are more scarce than the regular set. The mini regular Brooks card at PSA 9 was very hard to find. This one elluded me for years. There are 22 at PSA 9 and 3 PSA 10s. The MVP card is a PSA 9 with 36 peers and 4 PSA 10s. The Orioles team card is a PSA 9 with 37 peers and only 3 graded higher. The Championship card is quite expensive at the PSA 9 or 10 level; here I am showing a PSA 8.5 with 2 peers and 12 graded higher. The 1975 regular Topps card is a beauty...this PSA 10 has 7 peers. The MVP PSA 9 has 67 peers and 1 graded higher. The Orioles team card is a PSA 8 with 209 peers and 44 graded higher. The AL Championship cardis a PSA 9 with 34 peers and 2 graded higher. The OPC cards are all in a nice grade. The regular PSA 9 has 9 peers with 1 PSA 10. The MVP is a PSA 7 with 6 peers and 14 graded higher. The Orioles team card is highest graded as a PSA 8 with 5 peers. The AL Championship card is a PSA 6 with 3 peers and 11 graded higher. Finally, you have the two Orioles mail in checklist sheet team cards. The gray back is the highest graded with 2 peers (I own two of these at this grade...by accident). The white back checklist sheet card is a PSA 7 with 2 graded higher. I believe this is the first of many years topps sold the hand cut sheet cards. Anyone remember requesting these by mail? See you next week with 1976.

Charlie, I ordered some of the football team sheets in 1977. I still have them. The 75’s are all pretty nice cards I think.

1977 team sheets
 

Clint, did you mean baseball team sheets?

I had the football, never ordered the baseball for some reason. The football ones are on a thinner glossy type stock.

Brooks Robinson Master Set - 1976
 

Good morning. This week I will share with you the 1976 Brooks entries to the Master. The 1976 Hostess Panel and Hand Cut cards are both high quality cards. The 1976 Hostess in my opinion is so much nicer than 1975. Here, the panel is a PSA 9 with 2 peers and 1 graded higher; the single hand cut card is also a PSA 9 with 11 peers and 2 graded higher. Next, you see the Topps 1976 as a PSA 9. This card is easy to find at this grade (192 peers). There are 14 PSA 10, which I am looking for. The OPC 1976 PSA 7 is a high graded card with 4 peers and 9 graded higher. The Orioles Team Topps card is a PSA 10, with 39 peers. The OPC Orioles Team Card is a PSA 8 with 5 peers and 3 graded higher. The 1976 Orioles Team Checklist Sheet Hand Cut is graded as a PSA 6 with 1 peer and 2 graded higher. The 1976 Laughlin Diamond Jubilee card is very nice as a PSA 10 with 22 peers. This card is part of a 32 card set with plenty of HoF'ers. The 1976 Brooks Post Card PSA 10 has 2 peers. The 1976 Chicken Lid is a PSA 1.5, which was graded recently. Forgive me, but i forgot to include this in the picture and had to paste it in. The Chicken Lid is hard to find. I have the entire set. There is a 1983 set, too. I have requested PSA add this 1976 lid to the master set. Surprisingly, no other Brooks Chicken Lids are graded. Next, you will see all of the 1976 Discs. All but one of these are PSA 10s (Town Club, Safelon, Carousel, MSA Blank Back, Orbakers, Crane Chips, Dairy Isle, Buckmans, and Isaly's Sweek Williams). The Dairy Isle PSA 10 has 3 peers, while the others have dozens or more. The discs are plentiful and affordable. The PSA 9 Red Barn Disc is a tough one to find high graded. This PSA 9 has 3 peers and there are 2 PSA 10s out there. We are down to 2 more years. See you next week with 1977 (more of the dreaded Discs).

Great looking Brooksie items! I especially like the English Chicken Lid and the Hostess. Also, I’m a fan of the discs just because they’re fun to try and acquire all of the different varieties and of course in your boat trying to get them all in high grade. Hey, find me a ‘76 Dairy Isle in a PSA10 please (mines not that nice..).

By the way do you try and get the stamp back versions as well?

Brooks Robinson Discs
 

Mark, I enjoy the discs but there are so many between 76 and 77. I have an extra Dairy Isle PSA 9...no extra 10s. Never got into the different stamps on the back. Take care.

Brooks Robinson PSA Master - 1977
 

Good Sunday morning to you. This week I will write about the 1977 entries to Brooks' PSA Master Set. This weeks entries total 16 and more than half of those are "discs." Starting at the top left, is the 1977-79 Sportstcaster (Printed in Italy). This example is a PSA 9; there are 6 other PSA 9s and one PSA 10. This set includes over 2,000 multi-sport entries. The Brooks card is not expensive and plenty are available. On the back, there are details about Brooks. Next, you will see two Orioles Post Cards of Brooks...the Light Background version (PSA 10 with 2 peers) and mis-labled Dark Background version (PSA 10 with 1 peer). The two post cards are part of the 1977 Orioles Team Set including over 30 entries, depending on what you reference. These are available routinely in lesser grades but the PSA 10s are surprisingly expensive and just not available (it is hit or miss with PSA on grading the Post Cards). Next is the Sertoma Stars Brooks PSA 9 (nine peers with 2 PSA 10s). This card is part of a 24 card set with tons of HoF'ers. Finding a high graded copy of this card can be difficult. Next is the Topps Brooks card graded a PSA 9, which are plentiful and affordable. There are 178 total PSA 9s and eighteen PSA 10s (yes...I want a 10!). I am not a huge fan of the 1977 Topps card but it is Brooks so I have to love it. The PSA 9 Topps Orioles Team Card is a PSA 9 (64 peers) with 12 PSA 10s. I like this card with the dark Orange (almost red) jerseys. The Orioles Team Checklist Sheet Hand Cut is a PSA 5 and highest graded with 3 peers. These are not easy to find but affordable. One of my favorite discs is the 1977 Brooks Burger Chef Funnel Discs from my favorite childhood fast food joint. The Burger Chef Disc is smaller than the others. I have several of these at various grades and have given up on finding one of the 3 PSA 10s; I have sent at least 4 to PSA for grading and continue to strike out on receiving a PSA 10. The PSA 9 here has 17 peers. The other 8 discs are all PSA 10s minus the Dairy Isle, which is a PSA 9 (1 peer and 5 PSA 10s exist). The discs include the Zip Z (19 peers), Wendy's (1 peer...this one was very hard to find at this grade), SAGA (4 peers), MSA Customized Sports (9 peers), Holiday Inn (16 peers), Detroit Caesars (7 peers), and Chilly Willy (11 peers). I hope you enjoyed this week's post. Next week will be my final posting with 1978 with 6 entries.