Venezuelan Topps Baseball Cards

1968 Topps Venezuelan #247

Here at DeansCards.com, we are always looking for Venezuelan Topps. Some of the Venezuelan Topps can be easily identified by the Spanish and English printed on the backs. These cards were first released in 1959, around the time that the government in Venezuela would become more stable and democratic. They were sold as parallel sets to the regular 1959 Topps issue. However, the 1959 Venezuelan set would stop after card #196. The 1959 cards can be identified by the Spanish phrase “Impreso en Venezuela por Benco Co.” on the back of each card. The Benco Company was the Venezuelan printer that Topps decided to use.

1962 Topps Venezuelan #1 Roger Maris

Topps would release another Venezuelan set in 1960 that also included only 196 total cards and could be distinguished by their faded appearance. The next set would be released two years later in 1962 and would include two extra cards (#199 and #200) that featured Elio Chacon and Luis Aparicio, two natives of Venezuela. Numbers 197 and 198 are skipped in this set.

The next release of Venezuelan cards would be in 1964. The 1964 set was much larger at 370 cards and could be distinguished from the regular Topps issue by the large black margin on the backs of the cards. The next printing of Venezuelan Topps would be in 1966 with another 370-card set. The backs of the 1966 Venezuelan Topps are much darker than their American counterparts. A 1967 Venezuelan set was released, but it features both Venezuelan league players in addition to the MLB players. The final printing of a Venezuelan Topps issue would be in 1968 with another 370-card set. These cards look the most different from the regular issue because they were printed on gray card stock and have a orange, instead of yellow, back. Some, but not all, of the Venezuelan cards have the phrase “Hecho en Venezuela -C.A. Litoven” on the backs.

1964 Topps Venezuelan #323

For many of the Venezuelan years, the card stock is lower quality and, therefore, it is much more difficult to find these cards in high grades. Not only is the overall population small, but many cards cannot be found that grade over a Very Good/Excellent or Excellent.

Topps’ foreign market has provided some of the most interesting cards of the 20th century. DeansCards.com is always looking to buy collections that include Venezuelan Topps cards. If you are interested in more information about selling your collection, please click here. To see our selection of Venezuelan cards, please click here.

Fro-joy Ice Cream Cards

We’ve seen baseball cards commonly packaged along side of tobacco, caramel, and bubble gum, and for one short week in 1928, thousands of Americans received limited edition Babe Ruth cards along with their ice cream. From August 6th through the 11th, children who purchased Fro-joy ice cream cones received free small pictures of the legendary Babe Ruth. These small cards measured 2 1/16" by 4", and for six days in a row, people across the country visited their nearest Fro-joy dealer in order to acquire all six Ruth picture cards. The cards featured black and white photos, along with a short caption on the front, and an ad for Fro-joy ice cream on the back.

Fro-joy ice cream container

Why collect a complete set of six Ruth picture cards? Individuals with complete sets of six were encouraged to mail them to the General Ice Cream Corporation in Schenectady, New York on or before August 25th, 1928. In doing so, one would receive a larger, premium Babe Ruth photograph which measured 8 ½ by 12”. However, instead of returning the six original Babe Ruth images along with the larger photo, General Ice Cream Corporation set out a new, uncut sheet of the six original images, printed on cheaper card stock. Aside from the cheaper card stock, the cards were nearly identical to the originals. However, also included on the new sheet of cards was instructions on how to cut apart the new six cards, as well as a longer advertisement for Fro-joy Ice Cream. The original six pictures were never returned.

Un-cut cards and Babe Ruth image issued by General Ice Cream

For over eighty years now, these cards have created controversy across the country. When they first issued these Babe Ruth cards to thousands of Americans, I think that it is safe to say that General Ice Cream Corporation had little clue how much controversy could stem from a seemingly innocent advertising campaign. However, printing the six cards on a single page of poor quality card stock, opened the doors to counterfeiters and profit seekers all over the country, as it made the cards easy to reproduce. These fakes integrated themselves into the card market and into the homes of unknowing collectors.

It is estimated that millions of Fro-joy ice cream cards exist today, but the underlying question remains, how many of the cards are real? Sources speculate that 99% of Fro-joy ice cream cards that are deemed real are actually counterfeit. In fact, it has gotten so out of hand that numerous grading companies refuse to authenticate cards from this set.

Fro-joy Reprint Cards available at DeansCards.com

So how does one spot a fake? Some cases are easier than others. If you come across an uncut sheet of color images of Babe Ruth, it is almost guaranteed that it is not an original sheet produced by the General Ice Cream Corporation. The 1928 Fro-joy ice cream cards were printed and issued only in black and white. Thus the color cards are counterfeit. Black and white fakes are much harder to detect, as they appear to be exact replicas of the originals. At this point in time, even counterfeit replica cards printed in the 70’s are going to show wear, and in turn, look much more real to collectors. Thus, unless you’re able to scrutinize the originals and fakes under a microscope and see differences in paper stock, ink, and printing techniques, we advise that you use caution in purchasing “authentic” Fro-joy ice cream cards.

DeansCards.com does not carry original Fro-joy cards at this time, but if you would like to purchase Fro-joy Reprint Card Sets, please visit our website at DeansCards.com

Three of a Kind: Baseball Card Sets of the 1950's

1950's Sets in binders at DeansCards.com

What are the odds of coming across 1953 Topps, 1954 Topps, and 1953 Bowman Sets all in the same week? Highly unlikely, but as January comes to a close, the first month of 2011 has set the bar high here at DeansCards.com for the coming months. Within the past few days we've seen three very rare sets come through our front door.


1953 Topps Complete Set

The 1953 Topps Baseball Card Set consists of 274 vintage size cards. Collectors note that this set is nearly impossible to find in pristine condition, as the players name and team panel are easily damaged due to their location near the edge of the card. The set we have on our site proves to be no different, as nearly every card in the set (stars and commons alike) averages somewhere around Good Plus in condition. On the "Up Side", this makes this particular set increasingly affordable.

1954 Topps Complete Set

Containing Rookie Cards of the famed Hank Aaron, Ernie Banks, and Al Kaline, as well as two separate Ted Williams cards, it's safe to say that the 1954 Topps Baseball Set is one of a kind. However which Hall of Famer is oddly absent? Mickey Mantle. Mantle signed an exclusive contract with Bowman for both 1954 and 1955, thus he does not appear in Topps sets for either year. Despite the missing Mantle, as stated before, the 1954 set is still home to a fair share of Stars and Hall of Famers.

1953 Bowman Complete Set

In constant competition with Topps, Bowman really stepped up their game in 1953 when they issued what many collectors feel is the "best looking set of the modern era". This set in particular sets a precedence for all sets to follow, by issuing the first ever "action photo" of a player-- #33 Pee Wee Reese.

Regardless of whether you are an avid set collector, or just take an interest in browsing vintage collectibles, we encourage you to stop by DeansCards.com and check out these three sets.