1977-79 Sportscaster Cards

[Exhibitman]

There are numerous earlier Bruce Lee cards. Domestically there are the Green Hornet cards from the mid-1960s. There were also cards issued in Asia that predate the Sportscasters by a decade.

[Jerry G]

Signed by my pal, Joe

[k-dog]

I have exactly one...the "Affirned vs Alydar" card. There are many others I would like to have, but the size make it a bit of a challenge for me to store. I do like them though!

[HRBAKER]

Originally Posted by Jerry G

Signed by my pal, Joe

He's a good pal to have.
Nice one!

[Mark70Z]

I know I have a few Brookie one's, but does anyone know how many different variations there are of his Sportscaster card/s?

[oilersfan9994]

I've been working on a 'base' US set of these (at least one variation of every card in all 91 series) for a few years and I'm now only about a dozen or so cards away from completion. I also have a complete set of the index cards, Sportscaster Digests, and I believe all the triptychs. I've also been able to nab what I presume are promo cards from the initial mailings, a couple of Sportscaster medallions (these can be found for dirt cheap, by the way), and a storage display.

It's been a really fun set to work on but I fear that going any further in terms of collecting variations may be difficult. Part of the problem with this set is that because there is so little info out there regarding the variations available even the most detail oriented collectors may not realize that they have a particular version or variation of a card, meaning that happens to be a feature which is neglected when selling and trading. Just hop onto ebay for some evidence of this--relatively few listings identify simple information such as the series and card number, let alone if they are a 'A, B, C' or 'Japan, Lausanne, Geneva' variation or if the card in the listing is from the US or UK set. Heck, some of the listings aren't even using the term 'Sportscaster', complicating matters even further.

[mrmopar]

Can you tell me if there is a Digest that features Steve Garvey, either on the cover or inside? How many are there? I have a couple myself as well as some unopened packages. I presume that is how they were delivered and not someone repackaging them.

Originally Posted by oilersfan9994

I've been working on a 'base' US set of these (at least one variation of every card in all 91 series) for a few years and I'm now only about a dozen or so cards away from completion. I also have a complete set of the index cards, Sportscaster Digests, and I believe all the triptychs. I've also been able to nab what I presume are promo cards from the initial mailings, a couple of Sportscaster medallions (these can be found for dirt cheap, by the way), and a storage display.

It's been a really fun set to work on but I fear that going any further in terms of collecting variations may be difficult. Part of the problem with this set is that because there is so little info out there regarding the variations available even the most detail oriented collectors may not realize that they have a particular version or variation of a card, meaning that happens to be a feature which is neglected when selling and trading. Just hop onto ebay for some evidence of this--relatively few listings identify simple information such as the series and card number, let alone if they are a 'A, B, C' or 'Japan, Lausanne, Geneva' variation or if the card in the listing is from the US or UK set. Heck, some of the listings aren't even using the term 'Sportscaster', complicating matters even further.

[oilersfan9994]

Originally Posted by mrmopar

Can you tell me if there is a Digest that features Steve Garvey, either on the cover or inside? How many are there? I have a couple myself as well as some unopened packages. I presume that is how they were delivered and not someone repackaging them.

Nope, no pictures or mention of Garvey in any of the digests. There is coverage of Bill Gullickson, Jerry Reuss, Tug McGraw, Pete Rose's son (in two issues, no less), Ronald Reagan (also in two issues), and even Gary Coleman, but no Steve Garvey.

I have Sportscaster Digests #1-21. #1 is dated May 10-June 7, 1979 with #21 dated November 23-December 20, 1980. If there are more digests (which I doubt) I've never seen them offered for sale.

[4reals]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

Domestically there are the Green Hornet cards from the mid-1960s.

oooh, I forgot about that show. You just gave me a new target for my display case.

[runbrett]

I don't have a complete set yet, but I've been tracking variations for each series as a long-term project. I've found a lot so far in the different printings - A, B, C, blank. More when I complete sorting the lots that I purchased in the last few years.

[frankbmd]

I just acquired over 300 of these babies to sell for a friend. I told him not to expect too much. Contact me if interested in any specific cards or the whole enchilada.

[oilersfan9994]

I've been slowly but surely going through my collection of these, making upgrades to my set and putting aside the extras. By the time I'm finished I will likely have somewhere in the neighborhood of about 1000 or so extras, including the biggies (Gretzky, Magic, Bird), and most of them in good shape. Once I'm done I'll post here and see if anyone is interested in nabbing some of the extras, though the set upgrade process is going to take a while, perhaps until the summer.

[Fergman1978]

I just acquired a large lot of these and I am in the process of sorting them. As I sort, I have noticed some say printed in Italy and others Printed in Japan. Was wondering if building the sets does it make a difference to mix them? I have also noticed some number variations. Is there a way to know if any variations are rarer than others.

Thanks

[mrmopar]

If anyone has any clear Garvey variations they are willing to part with, please let me know. I have 2-3 different of each of the 2 cards he is featured on (his and the ASG card with Morgan), but there may be a few other versions out there i don't have. I know none of mine say printed in Japan, for example.

[oilersfan9994]

Originally Posted by Fergman1978

I just acquired a large lot of these and I am in the process of sorting them. As I sort, I have noticed some say printed in Italy and others Printed in Japan. Was wondering if building the sets does it make a difference to mix them? I have also noticed some number variations. Is there a way to know if any variations are rarer than others.

Thanks

It all depends on what you mean by 'set'. Some likely will not care if they have a Japan or Italy card or whether they have the Lausanne or Geneva variation of a particular card or an 'A' or 'B' variation...but then again, some will.

I just finished completing my set of 2184 cards in which are mixed all kinds of variations. I have enough of the variations available that I might consider building a master set but, of course, that's a toughie given that most cards sold online rarely feature the back of the card and that, of course, is what you need to see to determine which variation you have.

If you are finding number variations, you may have a lot which mixes the US version of the cards with those from the UK. The Atlas page linked below gives you an idea of which number prefix is associated with each set...

http://www.atlaspicturecards.com/Spo...ter_cards.html

As you might guess, the higher numbered series tend to be tougher to find...series 1-55 are the most readily available but also, in my experience, seem to be the series with the greatest number of variations. Series 80 and above tend to be the toughest but also appear to have the fewest number of variations.