SMR Article - 1938 Churchman Boxing Personalities

[GasHouseGang]

I don't know the answers. However, I looked up the set in an old Murray's book and it mentions that they had for sale a detailed 36 page booklet about the Churchmans. Has anyone seen this booklet? Maybe it has some of the answers you are looking for.

[Exhibitman]

Also FWIW Churchmans made a lot of different sets. The 1938 is only one of many.

[david_l]

What really floors me is that this set was reprinted in 1990. Was there not already enough cheap circulating copies?

[steve B]

A few of the more interesting British sets of all kinds were reprinted in the late 80's early 90's. I mostly saw the sets of reprints framed with fairly large asking prices.

Steve B

[david_l]

Originally Posted by steve B

A few of the more interesting British sets of all kinds were reprinted in the late 80's early 90's. I mostly saw the sets of reprints framed with fairly large asking prices.

Steve B

It's the rare situation where the reprint is rarer than the original

[BradH]

Originally Posted by david_l

What really floors me is that this set was reprinted in 1990. Was there not already enough cheap circulating copies?

David - you are correct. In fact, I've seen reprint Churchman boxer cards in PSA holders (not identified as reprints) with high grades - one as recent as last month at a card show in Atlanta that was graded a "9". I pointed it out to the dealer and he just said, "Oh...crap..."

I've never understood why these were reprinted, but my guess is that in the early 90s, pre-internet days, maybe people didn't really know how available they were. The internet opened us up to a lot more buying power and discoveries of what was really out there in the international marketplace. I ordered several sets off eBay in around 1998/99 and I still have them.

It's still a neat little set, along with many of the other sets they produced in that era.