Quote:
Originally Posted by Sc19cards
After sitting out on the periphery for a few months, I am back full swing into building my boxing collection. I still gravitate towards looking at prewar first, but I have been looking at the early 70s and late 80s Panini Stickers of fighters I loved growing up (just grabbed an '86 Supersport Donald Curry).
This is the latest pickup - a quick and cheap local pickup from 1956 Gum Adventure. Nine cards in total. I have looked around for the Schmeling and while they are abundant on eBay - nobody is giving them away and they are all priced too high. Just given the shock factor of the card itself alone is one reason I'd love to own it, however Schmeling's own story and the friendship he had with Louis until his death makes it a coveted card.
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Not a rare card, but a definite short print for that particular set. There was a big vending find of these back in the 80's or 90's or so, to the point these were almost considered junk wax for a bit, even though it was a 50's issue.
You could pick up near sets of these in top shape for a song. The find was missing the Schmeling card however.
Don't recall the exact reason for the short print, but I believe Max didn't exactly appreciate being associated with the Swastika. He was a considered a German hero and revered by Hitler after beating Louis in the first fight, but by the middle of the War, Hitler considered Schmeling a liabilty and "disloyal" to the cause...and eventually had Schmeling put on the front lines in a paratrooper division, and then blasted the news out to the world media, putting a huge target on Schmeling's back. Somehow he survived the war and redeemed himself quite well to the outside world.