1969 Globe Imports set - a tale of redemption

Last month, I saw an eBay listing for 94 mini baseball playing cards. I recognized them as the 1969 Globe Imports set, and thought it would be cool to get that many at once. With about a day left there were no bids, so I made a bid for the minimum $9.99 plus $5.00 shipping. Later that day I kept thinking about the cards, thinking they would make a fun oddball addition to my vintage collection and decided to make a higher bid. However, I forgot to actually do so, and found that I lost by 50 cents - someone had bid one higher and that was enough. I was disappointed but figured that was that.

Fast forward to last week. I saw what was clearly the same lot again! 94 cards from the 1969 Globe Imports set. Had to be the exact same cards with such a random number. Clearly the first buyer was a flipper, and knew at least a little bit more about the set, at least he knew the name. I bid, and I won - for $10.49 plus $5.00 shipping! Same amount to the penny that the flipper bought it for. And he would have had to pay tax, so he actually lost a little bit on the flip. Meanwhile, I got it for less than I would have last time, assuming I would have had to fight the flipper for the cards. Amazing!

There is not a lot of information online about this set. The blog Number 5 Type Collection has the best overall summary. It was a set of playing cards that were sold in a shrink-wrapped deck in gas stations in the South. The set was apparently unlicensed. Black and white photos were printed on a flimsy stock - almost feels like typing paper. The backs are blank. 

It appears that in the original printing you could see team logos on the uniforms, but they were removed in later printings. On some of the cards you can see how they weren't even airbrushed, it looks like just a little scrap of paper was put over where the logo was on a player's jersey or hat. For example, the Number 5 blog has a Bud Harrelson card with his Mets jersey visible. Here is my Harrelson card:

Very amateurish job of covering up the logo. Here is something else interesting though. On the Number 5 Blog, the author Matthew assumes that Globe just photocopied Harrelson's 1967 Topps card. However, while it is clearly the same photo, it is NOT a photocopy of the card - Globe would have had to remove the facsimile signature and METS team name that obsure parts of the card. This was probably too difficult for a big company like Topps in 1969, let alone some fly-by-night outfit that was using scraps of paper to cover up logos. Perhaps Topps and Globe got some photos from the same distributor?

I took a photo of a similar card, also to show the scale of these cards versus a standard card. As you can see, it's the same photo but clearly NOT a photocopy of the Topps card.

These examples aside, there was actually some great photography in this set. This is a very rare set for the 1960s in that it is mostly action photos, some quite good ones when you get beyond the bad print quality.

Now here is something else cool. As it is a 52-card deck I knew that there would be lots of multiples in a 94-card lot. However, what neither seller seemed to realize was that there was a complete standard 52-card deck in the lot! (There are some variations that I still need, as some cards featured different players in different printings. 2S Tovar; 3C McCormick; 3H Drysdale; AC Yazrzemski; AS Mantle)

 Here is the full set:

2-5 - Reggie Smith, Chris Short, Paul Casanova, Denny McLain, Jerry Koosman, Juan Marichal, Tony Conigliaro, Rick Monday, Tony Oliva, Jim Fregosi, Bill Freehan, Richie Allen, Bud Harrelson, Earl Wilson, Willie McCovey, Mel Stottlemyre

6-8 Rich Reichardt, Tony Horton (VERY interesting - Horton was a talented but troubled slugger for the Red Sox and Indians who quit baseball at the age of 26 in the middle of the 1970 season, for what was later revealed to be a suicide attempt after a game. He got his life in order but has refused to acknowledge the baseball part of his life in anyway. Horton also refused to sign a Topps contract so has very few baseball cards), Joel Horlen, Tommy John, Billy Williams, Harmon Killebrew, Ernie Banks, Don Mincher, Pete Rose, Tom Seaver, Jim Wynn, Chico Cardenas (my personal favorite photo in the set)

 

9-J Jim Maloney, Curt Flood, Brooks Robinson, Willie Davis, Tim McCarver, Orlando Cepeda, Frank Robinson, Campy Campaneris, Max Alvis, Bob Aspromonte, Al Kaline, Ron Santo

 

Q-A Ron Swoboda, Lou Brock, Gene Alley, Al Ferrara, Johnny Callison, Jim Lonborg, Rusty Staub, Clete Boyer, Richie Allen (same photo as 4S), Bob Gibson, Willie Mays, Ken Harrelson

This set has some drawbacks but there are lots of really great photos in there! Not every big name in the sport (Aaron and Clemente are notably missing, for example) but a great collection of players.

94 - 52 = 42 extras to trade! This would make a unique addition to a PC or team set, or maybe someone wants to try to build a set. Kind of a precursor to the "Broders" or the 1980s. There was no more than one extra card per player. A couple of these have a number handwritten on the back.

Trade Bait Photo 1: Paul Casanova, Denny McLain, Tony Conigliaro, Tony Oliva, Jim Fregosi, Bill Freehan, Richie Allen, Bud Harrelson, Mel Stottlemyre, Tony Horton, Joel Horlen, Tommy John, Billy Williams, Harmon Killebrew, Ernie Banks, Don Mincher, Pete Rose, Tom Seaver, Jim Wynn, Chico Cardenas, Jim Maloney

Trade Bait Photo 2: Curt Flood, Brooks Robinson, Willie Davis, Tim McCarver, Orlando Cepeda, Frank Robinson, Campy Campaneris, Max Alvis, Bob Aspromonte, Al Kaline, Ron Santo, Ron Swoboda, Lou Brock, Gene Alley, Al Ferrara, Johnny Callison, Jim Lonborg, Rusty Staub, Clete Boyer, Richie Allen, Ken Harrelson