Eureka!

 I love being able to get really old stuff at a really good price.  I feel like I struck gold, Eureka!

This is the stamp album cover for the 1949 set put out by Eureka Sportstamps of Scranton, PA.

The cover tells you all you need to know - there are 200 stamps featuring players from the National League.  Each of the eight NL teams got 24 stamps (24 x 12 = 198) and there was also a stamp of the NL president and the commissioner.  You'd assume that an American League edition would follow the NL, but that's not the case.  No AL set was ever released and the 1949 set is the one and only made by Eureka.

The stamps measure in at 1½" x 2".  The ad claims "dramatic action in full color."  That's half right.  The stamps are in full color, but there isn't much dramatic action as the pictures are all posed shots.  They include the player's name and the stamp number.  Each team was number consecutively and in alphabetical order, making it pretty easy to make sure you've got the whole team.

These are now 71 years old and you'd think they'd be pretty tough to come by.  Stamps typically aren't an easy thing since many were stuck into an album.

Recently I was able to pick up an entire Cubs team set of 24 for less than $2 per stamp.  The team set was listed in an auction and I was the only bidder.  I really thought that there might be more action since we're talking about a complete set of something over 70 years old.  I was please that I got it for the opening bid.