HOF -- First Round
 

Which sets / issues feature the first five HOF inductees...Cobb, Ruth, Wagner, Johnson and Mathewson?

1976 topps?

1951 Topps Connie Mack's All-Stars

I assume the Callahan's set.

1960 and 1961 Fleer certainly.

First 5
 

Nothing 1916 or 1917?

I think if you get Ruth you're going to be missing Mathewson, like with M101-4 and E135, etc. Could be wrong.

M113/m114

That's a series over 7 years though.

well i do not believe such an issue exists...so im improvising!

1948 HOF Exhibits

I checked VCP and I don't think there is a set that includes all five players during their playing careers (or even a few years after). The main problem is that Mathewson did not appear in many sets after 1915 and the ones he did appear in were not mainstream (Fleischmann Bakery, Mother's Bread, and a lot of strip cards). I did not check every set but I think the above-mentioned 1948 HOF Exhibits is the earliest set not issued over several years to have all five and M113 is the earliest catalogued set to have all five (as mentioned, issued over several years).

If only Ruth had made an appearance in the Cracker Jack set...

that would make the cj set by far the best ever!!!!!

1915 PM1 Ornate Pins has all 5.

good one Jeff. I wouldn't have thought of that one.

My contribution would have been the 1939 Centennial of Baseball Stamps set. It has all five (among other HOF stars).

https://photos.imageevent.com/derekg...nnial%2015.jpghttps://photos.imageevent.com/derekg...nnial%2021.jpghttps://photos.imageevent.com/derekg...nnial%2024.jpghttps://photos.imageevent.com/derekg...nnial%2018.jpghttps://photos.imageevent.com/derekg...nnial%2020.jpg

Nicely done...VCP doesn't appear to list PM1s and that's what I used for research. The unique Ruth pin was a little controversial when discovered since there is no name on it, but it was identified by a photo match to a 1918 Conlon photo. I think it is now accepted that PM1s were issued over several years. That doesn't disqualify the set as an answer but it is something to note.

[The above was based on some quick online searching, so there may be more information out there.]

Set
 

Thanks Jeff. Nice work!