I've been searching for years to get ESCO catalogs, sale sheets, samples, and other marketing materials to try and debunk some of the hobby myths associated with these sets. Like dates on the football set. A million years ago, when dinosaurs ruled the hobby, someone pulled 1948-52 out of his butt and that became the set date. Worse yet, some other myth-makers attached those dates to the Canadian Exhibit issues (except the dated 1953 set). Well, I found a catalog offering the football cards in 1955. The 1950 catalog offers the HOF baseball set as a "new series" illustrated with the Ruth standing in front of the bat rack pose. So much for the 1948 date that the dinos put on the set.
As it regards Clay, a 1961 ESCO catalog states that the boxers are "Revised for 1961". Does that mean they went to the 16-card set in 1961? No. The catalog lists 32 cards in the set. What I need to see are 1962-1963 catalogs and order forms to see when they went to the 16-card issue. When that happened is when the Clay happened.
Last edited by Exhibitman; 10-19-2023 at 01:18 PM.
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