You may have noticed that I've recently been showing a lot of the disc sets from MSA. It has been a fun and interesting dive down the MSA rabbit hole, but also a bit frustrating.
You know that I am a bit of a completist. I don't like empty spots in my collection. My quest is to have all of the Cubs discs from all of the MSA sets. The problem is that I have yet to find a master list of their sets. Instead, I've had to use a scatter-shot search.
First I searched on the Trading Card Database. My query was a year and the word discs. For example, searching for "1976 discs" gives me these results:
Then I'd click each of the results with word "discs" and see if they are MSA sets. I did that for each year from 1974 through 2005. I found their first set, a test set in 1975. Their final set came out in 2002.
I also scanned through the index of the Standard Catalog. I found a couple sets there that were labeled with the word discs though the TCDB did not use discs in their description.
That is my frustration. Are there other sets that I missed? I have no idea.
My research has turned up a total of 93 different MSA sets. The sets include 138 Cubs. I have in hand or on the way 117 of them. The 21 that I'm missing will not be easy to find. I'm expecting it will take years, if ever, to end up with all 138. But that is my goal.
Below is a list of all the MSA sets. Take a look. Vintage collectors, do you notice any that I've missed?
| 1975 | MSA Test - blank backs |
| 1976 | Blank backs |
| Buckman | |
| Carousel | |
| Crane | |
| Dairy Isle | |
| Isaly's | |
| Orbakers | |
| Red Barn | |
| Safelon | |
| Towne Club | |
| 1977 | Burger Chef |
| Chilly Willee | |
| Dairy Isle | |
| Detroit Caesars | |
| Holiday Inn | |
| MSA Customized | |
| Pepsi Glove | |
| Saga | |
| Wendy's | |
| Zip'z | |
| 1978 | Big T/Tastee Freez |
| Papa Gino's | |
| Saga | |
| Wiffle | |
| 1979 | Wiffle |
| 1980 | NONE ISSUED |
| 1981 | FBI |
| MSA Mini | |
| Peter Pan / Sunbeam Bread | |
| 1982 | FBI |
| On Deck Cookies | |
| 1983 | Roy Rogers Yankees |
| 1984 | NONE ISSUED |
| 1985 | Cain's |
| Jox Thom McAn | |
| KAS | |
| Kitty Clover | |
| Subway (blank back) | |
| 1986 | Cains |
| Jay's | |
| Jiffy Pop | |
| KAS | |
| Kitty Clover | |
| 1987 | Cain's |
| Jiffy Pop | |
| Key Food | |
| Our Own Tea | |
| Super Stars | |
| Weis Winners | |
| 1988 | Master Bread |
| Fantastic Sam's | |
| Hostess Potato Chips | |
| Jiffy Pop | |
| Key Food | |
| King B | |
| Our Own Tea | |
| Super Stars | |
| Tetley Tea | |
| Weis Winners | |
| 1989 | Bimbo Cookies |
| Holsum | |
| Holsum Schafer | |
| Key Food | |
| King B | |
| Master Bread | |
| Our Own Tea | |
| Rainier Farms | |
| Super Stars | |
| Taystee | |
| Tetley Tea | |
| Weis Winners | |
| 1990 | Holsum |
| King B | |
| MSA Super Stars | |
| Tetley Tea | |
| 1991 | Holsum |
| King B | |
| 1992 | Ben's Super Hitters |
| Coke Hardees | |
| King B | |
| 1993 | Ben's Super Pitchers |
| King B | |
| 1994 | Innovative Confections |
| King B | |
| 1995 | King B |
| 1996 | King B |
| Schwebel's Stars | |
| 1997 | King B |
| 1998 | King B |
| 1999 | King B |
| 2000 | King B |
| 2001 | King B |
| King B Legends | |
| 2002 | King B |
Pretty sure those 76' discs also had a blank back version
ReplyDeleteYou’re right, and I have five of those on order. I don’t know why I didn’t include them on the list. I'll update the list. Thanks for the heads up.
ReplyDeleteLOL, Blank back set in 75 too
ReplyDeleteI think the '75 blank and '75 Test are one in the same. At least that's what it looks like on Ebay.
DeleteI was thinking about picking one player... and chasing down all of their discs. But I'm already chasing too many other rabbits right now.
ReplyDeleteFantastic research, much appreciated. Your listing matches up what I have/need as a Mike Schmidt collector. The '88 Fantastic Sam's set comes in both circular - disc and square versions.
ReplyDeleteThe 1976 Carousel set has approximately 30 variations as the discs were stamped on the back by the snack bar location that distributed them. The blank backs may be unstamped Carousels.
ReplyDelete