|
1951 Wheaties
Photo Premiums |
 |
|
|
1952 Berk Ross Jackie Robinson Baseball Card |
 |
|
 |
|
1934 Butterfinger
Premium Photo |
 |
|
|
|
|
| KeyMan
Collectibles |
NEWSLETTER |
January 2019 |
|
|
Every Picture Tells a story: Premium
Photos and |
 |
|
Steven KeyMan |
|
|
Rare Issues -
By Steven KeyMan |
|
Founder of
Keymancollectibles.com,
and a long time
collector, Steven
KeyMan has more than 30
years of experience in
researching, and
cataloging information
on Baseball
Memorabilia.
Researching his own personal
collection, and helping others find
information on their
collectibles, the
website grew into the
largest online resource
for baseball
memorabilia |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Ask
Steven: Direct your questions or feedback,
about Baseball Memorabilia to Steven KeyMan
Steve@keymancollectibles.com You can also Send
KeyMan pictures of your personal Memorabilia Display,
and get your own Free
Collectors Showcase Room featured on the website.. |
|
|
|
|
| |
Premium photos picturing baseball
players have been offered by companies
to promote their products for many
years. The facsimile signatures were
advertised as being autographed by our
favorite players! Some photographs were
issued to test the market and like the
premiums became highly sought after by
collectors today.
The
1934 Butterfinger premium photos
(R310) consists of 66 players and were
made available in 1934, by redeeming
coupons from Butterfinger candy
products. The 7 3/4" x 9 1/2" black &
white photos feature a facsimile
signature of the player. The photos
were printed on poor quality newspaper
like paper, and are commonly found with
light wrinkling, creasing, or tearing
and with loss of paper from "chipped."
The photos were also made with heavy
cardboard, that features a Butterfinger
advertising with Red printing that
reads: "FREE baseball Picture with 5¢
Butterfinger" with a picture of a
Butterfinger candy bar, to the right.
These advertising photos are valued at
4 times the paper photos.
The
"Diamond Stars Gum" photo premiums
were issued in two sets of different
sizes in 1939, by the Goudey Gum
Company. Designated by the American
Card Catalog as R303-A, the first set
of 48, each measure 4"x6-3/16". The
photos were printed in brown
sepia-tone, and features a facsimile
autograph. The back contains drawings
that illustrate various baseball tips.
The second set of 24, given the
designation R303-B, is identical in
format to the "A" issue but measures
4-3/4" x 7-1/4." These premium photos
can be found in both black & white and
sepia toned, with backs printed in
brown.
This extremely rare and previously
un-cataloged "Babe Ruth premium photo"
can be connected to Ruth's nation-wide
American Legion Junior Baseball tour In
1947. The Ford Motor Company sponsored
the tournament while dealers supplied
uniforms for local teams. Babe Ruth was
signed on as a consultant and director
of operations.
Despite being diagnosed with cancer Ruth traveled more than 40,000 miles
for personal appearances in promoting
junior Legion ball. His illness forced
him to make an occasional stop to the
hospital in between cities, where he
would speak to the young ballplayers at
luncheons.
In 1951 after a 10 year absence in
issuing baseball cards, the General
Mills Corporation was planning on
issuing baseball cards once again. A
set of 9 (baseball) Photographs
measuring 5" x 7" were test marketed
and
issued as a "test issue set," in a
sample market to determine public
popularity.
However, after only a few weeks in production, the set was pulled from the
market because General Mills was not
able to come to terms with two of its
players, Cleveland Indians outfielder
Al Rosen and a brash young 20-year old
New York Yankee rookie, named
Mickey Mantle.
Berk Ross was a photographer who took
sports photos in the 1940's and '50s,
and who produced two sets of baseball
cards issued in 1951 and 1952. The 72
card sets were called "Hit Parade of
Champions." Ross was believed to be the
"official photographer" for the Bowman
sets between 1948 and 1950. The 1951
and 1952 Hit Parade of Champions
baseball cards included some of the
same photography used for the Bowman
cards.
A small number of
photographs used to
produced the cards have surfaced into
the hobby over the years. A few, like
the Jackie Robinson Berk Ross
photograph features a white facsimile
autograph, as it appears on the card.
Other such photographs to surface
include; Joe DiMaggio, Pee Wee Reese,
and Duke Snider. There is no evidence
indicating that these photos were used
in any promotion or sold in the retail
market.
Previously un-cataloged, this newly
discovered Mickey Mantle premium
photograph can now be attributed to a
Grand Slam Mattress promotion. In 1965
Mickey Mantle endorsed a line of Grand
Slam bed sets, witch included the King
Koll, Southern Cross, and Eclipse,
mattress brands.
The "Free autographed picture of Mickey Mantle" was made available by just
asking, at a furniture store that
carried the grand Slam line of bedding.
A Mickey Mantle Louisville Slugger,
Little League baseball bat was also
given away with the purchase of a
Bunkie, or Twin bed mattress & box
spring set. The premium photo features
a Mickey Mantle facsimile autograph |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
KEYMAN COLLECTIBLES
RELATED RESOURCES |
|
| |
|
|
| |
KeyMan
Collectibles Collectors Corner
- Keep up with the latest collecting news,
announcements, and articles of interest on the
webs best resource for baseball memorabilia. |
|
| |
KeyMan Collectibles Baseball
Memorabilia Facebook Group -
Post Questions and comments relating to
Baseball Collectibles and Memorabilia. Interact
with other collectors or show off your
collection. |
|
| |
KeyMan Collectibles Forum
- A great option for those that "Don't do
facebook" Post Questions and
comments relating to Baseball Collectibles and
Memorabilia |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
