Today's cards are the lesser known Conlon cards of the 1980s. Collectors are probably more familiar with the 1991-1994 Conlon Collection, a massive set of over 1400 cards.
The cards from the 1980s came in much smaller sets. They also came in a variety of sizes.
The sets were initially made by a company called Marketcom and were sponsored by The Sporting News. Later sets, 1986 - 1988, were make by Wide World Sports with the Sporting News remaining as sponsor. All the photographs on the cards were taken by legendary photographer Charles Martin Conlon, for whom the sets were named.
1981 - 100 cards in the set, cards measure 4" x 5".
1983 - This 60 card set commemorates the 50th Anniversary of the first All-Star game. The card size is 4½" x 6 1/8".
1984 - Both a card set (on top) and postcard set (on the bottom) was made, each with the same checklist. The postcards are 3 13/16" x 5 3/8" while the cards are 4½" x 6 1/8"
1986 - This is the first set made by Wide World Sports. All the Wide World cards are the standard 2½" x 3½". There are 60 cards in the set. The two Cubs are Joe McCarthy and Hack Wilson.
1987 - Another 60 card set, with Charlie Grimm, Gabby Hartnett, and Mark Koenig.
1988 - There were two sets in 1988, one with 60 regular players and the other with 24 All- Stars from the 1933 team. The top four cards are from the regular set and feature Charlie Grimm, Babe Herman, Charley Root, and Riggs Stephenson. The three Cubs All-Stars are the same three players, with the same pictures, from the 1983 set.
I didn't think I had heard of these before but turns out I have one of the Dodgers in my collection, just didn't know what it was (thought it was a one-off).
ReplyDeleteThere are even cards of Conlon and his wife in the '86 set.