Vintage Pictures of Vintage Card Displays

[Lorewalker]

So we all have seen that cool Dime Store pic of the 52 Topps display. Maybe it is from Woolworth's. I found this one today. Maybe you all have seen it. Anyone else have one to share so we can go back in time?

[Gmrson]

Very cool!! It's the stuff dreams are made of....

[toppcat]

Middle shelf is mostly Topps, left to right : Unknown bagged product likely not theirs, Clor-Aid Gum (Topps Clorets type gum, they got their asses sued and took it off the market), Wings, two different series of 1953 Baseball (3rd series for sure, 2nd next to it?), party boxes of Bazooka, unknown product again (Adams gum?)

[GasHouseGang]

Here's a picture of a kid enjoying his baseball cards in the Detroit News 1955.

[Lorewalker]

Originally Posted by GasHouseGang

Here's a picture of a kid enjoying his baseball cards in the Detroit News 1955.

Fantastic David! Thanks for sharing!

[MikeGarcia]

Originally Posted by GasHouseGang

Here's a picture of a kid enjoying his baseball cards in the Detroit News 1955.

..I think I see a 1952 Topps Matt Batts ?? Anyone else see anything else ?

..

[GasHouseGang]

I see a 1954 Topps #1 Ted Williams in the lower right hand corner.

[irv]

Originally Posted by MikeGarcia

..I think I see a 1952 Topps Matt Batts ?? Anyone else see anything else ?

..

A lot of 52 Topps cards in that pic, including a Preacher Roe in that stack with a rubber band around it.

[lowpopper]

52 bowman Spahn in center of the pile

[lowpopper]

LOL

[Leon]

Originally Posted by GasHouseGang

Here's a picture of a kid enjoying his baseball cards in the Detroit News 1955.

The original post display is great and this one is how it used to be .>

[Pack The Ripper]

Several 1974 Topps baseball wax boxes on full display at a Woolworth candy aisle.

[Webster]

1953 Bowman B & W Stengel just above the barrel of the bat. (Casey's head lopped off by a 52 Topps card.)

[KCRfan1]

Originally Posted by lowpopper

LOL

OMG! It's like a Twilight Zone episode for us on Net54!

[KCRfan1]

I'm sure someone on the board here has the '53 wrapper, if not each year of Topps and Bowman....

[bigfanNY]

Absolutely Love the Woolworth's picture. From 1974 till 1978 when our local Woolworths closed down My Dad and I would stop by in september and the Manager would sell us all the left over boxes he had for 40% off retail. we opened almost all of it to build sets...

[Leon]

Originally Posted by Pack The Ripper

Several 1974 Topps baseball wax boxes on full display at a Woolworth candy aisle.

There many of us are, as kids again!!

[Lorewalker]

Originally Posted by Leon

There many of us are, as kids again!!

Indeed. I recall seeing mid 70s boxes and that fantastic Gold Rush bubble gum on the shelves when I would go shopping with my mom. Stupid me bought the candy and not the cards.

[horzverti]

Originally Posted by bigfanNY

Absolutely Love the Woolworth's picture. From 1974 till 1978 when our local Woolworths closed down My Dad and I would stop by in september and the Manager would sell us all the left over boxes he had for 40% off retail. we opened almost all of it to build sets...

I think I have seen this scenario in my dreams!

[GasHouseGang]

You started off this thread saying everyone has seen the 1952 display pic, but just in case you haven't, here you go. Wouldn't that be a dream?

[rainier2004]

I don't collect post war, but it would some time before my family saw me again if I warped to that 52 Topps display with a couple hundred dollars...thanks for posting that.

[conor912]

Originally Posted by GasHouseGang

You started off this thread saying everyone has seen the 1952 display pic, but just in case you haven't, here you go. Wouldn't that be a dream?

I never really thought about it before now, but did people then buy boxes? I always assumed not, but that seems like an astronomical amount of packs to put out for individual sale.

[rats60]

Originally Posted by conor912

I never really thought about it before now, but did people then buy boxes? I always assumed not, but that seems like an astronomical amount of packs to put out for individual sale.

I am sure they did. I didn't start collecting until the mid 60s, but I bought boxes at age 7-8 by saving my allowance. I wouldn't see what would have been different ~15 years earlier. I have an older friend that said he only bought them by the set each year and claimed that included 1952 Topps. His cards were thrown away, so he may be mistaken on the years he had.

[GasHouseGang]

I'm sure we have some collectors that can pipe in that were buying the 1952's when they came out. Ted Z maybe?

[horzverti]

I had posted this pic a few years ago. Thought I'd add it to this thread as well.

How many cards can you ID?

[Pack The Ripper]

I found this picture surfing around. The picture was originally saved as dorm1.jpeg. It looks like possibly his dorm room around the 50s-60s timeframe.

Look closely at the wall. Lots and lots of tobacco cards.

I've never seen this before. Sorry if a repost.

[Jay Wolt]

Originally Posted by Pack The Ripper

I found this picture surfing around. The picture was originally saved as dorm1.jpeg. It looks like possibly his dorm room around the 50s-60s timeframe.

Look closely at the wall. Lots and lots of tobacco cards.

I've never seen this before. Sorry if a repost.

That picture was posted here years ago & I think someone said it was during the time of WWI
Perhaps someone can find the original thread.
Fantastic picture

[Pack The Ripper]

It appears the kid on the right is holding a card from the 1978 Donruss Elvis set. The other kid as well. I think I see 1971 and 1976 Topps baseball in the pile. Bless these kids.

[Pack The Ripper]

Originally Posted by Jay Wolt

That picture was posted here years ago & I think someone said it was during the time of WWI
Perhaps someone can find the original thread.
Fantastic picture

Sorry for the repost.

[jcmtiger]

I bought 52 TOPPS and other years. Only packs,
could not afford to buy a box.

Joe

[GasHouseGang]

Did you ever find any high numbers?

[ronniehatesjazz]

Originally Posted by jcmtiger

I bought 52 TOPPS and other years. Only packs,
could not afford to buy a box.

Joe

The funny thing about that Joe is that most kids could at least afford a pack or two with their allowance for mowing their parents grass. That same kid today, even if he were a doctor or lawyer, would have a really hard scrounging up the change to pick that same 52 pack up lol.

It is amazing looking at these pictures. Wonder what these kids would have thought if they knew the cards they're tossing around could be worth fortunes in the future. It makes me cringe to see that Matty and Cy Young pasted to the guys dorm room wall. But who would've thought that be worth anything more than the cardboard they were printed on at the time. One can only hope he had a green cobb or two locked up for safekeeping!

[ruth_rookie]

Originally Posted by GasHouseGang

Here's a picture of a kid enjoying his baseball cards in the Detroit News 1955.

He looks like he’s about to finish gluing the “good” cards to his album. The rest will go onto his bicycle spokes. If he only knew...

[unamuzd1]

Originally Posted by conor912

I never really thought about it before now, but did people then buy boxes? I always assumed not, but that seems like an astronomical amount of packs to put out for individual sale.

My dad doesn't share a whole lot of stories about his childhood, but one that he did tell me was the time my grandfather surprised him by coming home with a whole box of 1953 Topps cards, that they proceeded to open together.

[GasHouseGang]

Here's another picture you've probably seen posted before. I guess this would have been the true "vintage" version of the place to find baseball cards. But there wouldn't have been any gum to chew as you sorted the cards.

[Pack The Ripper]

A. W. (August WIlliam) Flick (right) stands in front of his store with his brother-in-law, George Wuchner. A sign in the store window promotes a baseball game with the Jasper Reds. Ads are seen for Kodak, Piedmont and Fatima cigarettes, and Decision cigars. The store stood at 515 Main Street in Jasper, IN.

[Leon]

Nice Piedmont on that one. Here are some store displays RPPC's shown before but a few folks probably haven't seen them. I especially like the Drum cartons on bottom. And of course along with displays it's always nice to be part of the Baseball Card Society.

Originally Posted by Pack The Ripper

A. W. (August WIlliam) Flick (right) stands in front of his store with his brother-in-law, George Wuchner. A sign in the store window promotes a baseball game with the Jasper Reds. Ads are seen for Kodak, Piedmont and Fatima cigarettes, and Decision cigars. The store stood at 515 Main Street in Jasper, IN.

[vthobby]

Originally Posted by Pack The Ripper

I found this picture surfing around. The picture was originally saved as dorm1.jpeg. It looks like possibly his dorm room around the 50s-60s timeframe.

Look closely at the wall. Lots and lots of tobacco cards.

I've never seen this before. Sorry if a repost.

I want that Matty next to the pole in the bottom right corner!!!!

Peace, Mike

[Pack The Ripper]

Look at the wall behind the middle man's head and the wall between the two workers. Source says this was taken in a print shop in Washington DC in January 1922. The calendar on the wall matches that information.

[Pack The Ripper]

Tobacco cards on the wall and possibly others. Source says the photo was taken in 1918.

[BobbyStrawberry]

That's a great photo, wow

[Seven]

So many incredible photo's. If only we all had time machines!

Times were simpler, so were the cards. Probably looking at the past with rose tinted glasses too!

[JollyElm]

148. Cigareverie (also Pipebeam)
Losing yourself in happy wonderment as you think about how somebody over a century ago pulled the very card you are holding out of a pack of cigarettes or tobacco.

See also: Timetrippedup - wishing you could go back in time to grab tobacco cards right out of the packs or see Hall of Famers playing in actual games...but knowing your lazy ass would be exposed as a time traveler by wearing the wrong hat or making too many ‘Seinfeld’ references.

[JustinD]

Tell ya what, this video reposted from the archives of Topps is just awesome for those that remember the teacher rolling the projector in...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfvCFFBnWic

[JustinD]

I'll throw in the 74' production line too

[Bigdaddy]

Originally Posted by JustinD

I'll throw in the 74' production line too

I swear that is Lucy and Ethel on the Topps production line..

[brianp-beme]

Originally Posted by Bigdaddy

I swear that is Lucy and Ethel on the Topps production line..

And Opie amongst all the card wrappers.

Brian

[BeanTown]

Love seeing old pictures of advertising displays and inside the factory. Keep ‘em coming!

[Yoda]

Originally Posted by GasHouseGang

I'm sure we have some collectors that can pipe in that were buying the 1952's when they came out. Ted Z maybe?

David, as a 7 year-old and baseball mad, you can only imagine the excitement in the neighborhood when the new, revolutionary '52 Topps came out. My meagre allowance of .25 a week didn't stretch very far when buying those .05 packs.
I grew up in Schenectady, NY, where we were blessed to be part of the last series distribution. I managed to get Campy, Pee Wee, Hoyt, Jackie and several Dick Groats, who was very popular then and in his rookie season.
Alas, never pack-opened a Mick. One kid in our gang actually got one (I saw him open that special pack) and the rest of us nearly tore him to pieces trying to get him to trade. He never budged, and if still alive today, probably still has it.

[GasHouseGang]

Those are great memories Yoda! It must have taken a backbone of steel not to be bullied into trading that Mick card.