SMR Article: 1953-55 Stahl-Meyer Sets

[brian1961]

Hi Dan, good to hear from you.

Yes, I was able to uncover some evidence, though some was secondhand but I believed to be trustworthy and substantiated by an old Dodger fan I encountered on Baseball-fever.com. We emailed back and forth, and he confirmed the Stahl-Meyers were distributed at the New York ballparks. That was a triumphant breakthrough in my research on the Stahlies. This, of course, was in addition to their main thrust of acquisition---thrust between two rows of wet, greasy hot dogs. Though some of the cards were placed outside the rows of dogs, they were still in direct contact with the meat. The stains of the frankfurters bear witness to their typical condition.

As for the sets you mentioned, all of them are discussed, though some more than others. I only had so much time, and less money, to put into the research and writing of the book. Again, my approach was to offer a fine selection from the postwar regionals. Exhaustive it is not, but I know there is a sumptuous feast for those who relish these babies.

Since I seem to recall you really like this great player, I do want to convey to you an occurrence that happened to me while attending my first major convention, the big Detroit show of 1972. A pioneer collector brought his album of Stahl-Meyers to probably show some of his fellow pioneers whom he had corresponded with for years, and was meeting for the very first time. I caught glimpse of the album in passing by, then waited for the opportunity to politely ask if I could look at his album. The collector was by profession a college professor, and perhaps because of my good manners and studious attitude, he graciously allowed me the privilege of viewing his collection of Stahl-Meyers. So, I sat down in a chair close by. I don't know if he kept a close watch on me, but my eyes were riveted to the appearance of those lovely cards.

Never had I seen such baseball cards. Never had I heard of them. They were positively gorgeous. The word "breathtaking" is sometimes used to described cards we particularly admire. Breathtaking fit these beauties to a T. I believe the gentleman kept his Mantles at home. I would have remembered them had they been in the album. At this point in time, I didn't know Mickey was included in these sets. He was probably wise not to do so.

Regardless, the card that absolutely, positively mesmerized me was that of Roy Campanella, a player we both dearly love. I just stared and stared, burning Roy's image into my memory. I did not want to take my eyes off it. The tinting rendered by the printer was magnificent. I loved it. Boy, did I love it. Thus was born my love affair with the Stahl-Meyers.

Take care Dan. Wishing you the very best in your collecting pursuits, and otherwise. ----Brian Powell