Legendary Auction Corn Flakes Set ??

[sreader3]

FWIW, I checked the federal trademark database and could not find any evidence of an attempt to register the mark "CHAMPION" in connection with corn flakes, cereal (except one infant cereal) or breakfast.

[CowboysGuide]

Originally Posted by sreader3

FWIW, I checked the federal trademark database and could not find any evidence of an attempt to register the mark "CHAMPION" in connection with corn flakes, cereal (except one infant cereal) or breakfast.

Perhaps "Champion" was used as a description of the players covered in the set(?). "All-Star" could be another term they could have used.

[dallen]

These posts were pointed out to me so I thought it appropriate to comment.
First some background...an old time collector saw our recent sale of the "Champion Corn Flakes" football cards and brought to the attention of a dealer that he had acquired a collection of these baseball subjects decades ago. The dealer contacted us after examining the cards and coming to the conclusion they were in fact original and appeared legitimate. I asked that these be sent in for us to review. Myself and two of my staff examined the cards and came to the same conclusion and discussed the find with Bob Lemke. The collection included the 52 cards offered along with a hand-full of duplicates. The blank-backed cards are on white blank-backed card stock that match the "Champion Corn Flake" football issue. We concluded they were a "Champion Corn Flake" issue based on their similarities to that set. Although one may question this designation they are most definitely not a thin poster stock printed on both sides as the promotional piece produced by Sports Illustrated. I would be happy to answer any additional questions anyone may have.

[dallen]

....at a minimum we will modify our description so bidders know why we used the "Champion Corn Flakes" designation. Before We do that we will see what else comes out of this discussion.

[slidekellyslide]

Okay, now how did the football set acquire the name "Champion Corn Flakes?"

[NATCARD]

It has been very interesting to hear the responses this thread has created. My response is they had glue 40 years ago and no one has come up with a Champion box or the fact any cereal box has a white interior panel. The digging continues.......

[bh3443]

Hi Jeff!
Great thread. It was nice to see Doug Allen chime in, too. Jeff, are you going to the local Net54 meeting in late Aug/early Sept? The guys are shooting for the Paparazzi's off the Mass Pike in Newton/Watertown. It would be AWESOME if you went!
As for this SI card set, it's a neat collectible, but can you call it a card based on the issues posted?
Jeff, I'll email you for my new cell # that kicks in on 8/1. Thank you!
Your friend,
Bill Hedin

Originally Posted by NATCARD

It has been very interesting to hear the responses this thread has created. My response is they had glue 40 years ago and no one has come up with a Champion box or the fact any cereal box has a white interior panel. The digging continues.......

[paul]

I've got a Tom Seaver from this "set". It has a blank, white back. It is slightly smaller than a regular Topps card and much larger than a Nabisco Team Flakes card. I've always assumed it was cut from an advertising poster that promoted the Sports Illustrated posters.

Also, mine is on stock consistent with a poster. It is not card stock.

[fkw]

Does anyone have an image of the actual display that held the rolled up posters? There might have been a point of sale display poster that was different than the duel sided insert poster.

I remember the posters as a kid but not well enough to remember what the display looked like.

[CowboysGuide]

Originally Posted by paul

I've got a Tom Seaver from this "set". It has a blank, white back. It is slightly smaller than a regular Topps card and much larger than a Nabisco Team Flakes card. I've always assumed it was cut from an advertising poster that promoted the Sports Illustrated posters.

Also, mine is on stock consistent with a poster. It is not card stock.

Sounds like yours was cut from a display poster, which I've never seen for the football promos. The 'cards' all should have tabs from whatever they were attached to. Sort of like the 1977 Topps Mexican set.

[Bob Lemke]

I exchanged emails a couple of months ago, and again more recently, with the folks at Legendary about these items. They offered to send examples for my inspection, which I declined since the deadline for the 2012 book had passed.

When first presented with these "cards," I knew the images looked familiar, but couldn't place them. Last week I was contacted by a reader who brought up the SI Posters connection. I shared that information with Legendary.

My current position on including the set in the Standard Catalog of Baseball Cards is that the set will not be listed without some sort of contemporary confirmation of a connection with the purported Champion Corn Flakes, i.e., surviving packaging, 1968-era advertising.