Vintage Set Needs

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Red Man Tobacco Billy Pierce cards... got 'em all finally


1952 Red Man Billy Pierce

I'm perplexed by scanning technology (well, truth be told I'm perplexed by lots of things, like why anyone would eat creamed corn or watch the Pro Bowl, but those are separate topics).

I bring up scanners because these three Billy Pierce Red Man Tobacco cards I picked up on eBay have some real flaws. But my scanner tends to gloss them over. Oh, you can see the crease in the '52 card above but it's much more pronounced in hand. But the scans of my BALTIMORE Colt media guides make them look like someone took a chainsaw to 'em when in actuality they are just soooo damn pretty.

But anyway, back to the Pierce cards. I have had a 'saved search' for them on eBay for years. I didn't check it that often but when I did I found sadly miscut examples or overpriced graded and slabbed ones. A month or two ago I found a dealer who I bought from several times in the past was offering all three of the cards.

Each is flawed to some extent but none of them are butchered. And the total for all three shipped was about $17. That was hard to pass up.



1952 back

All three cards have the same image of Pierce with different tints and the '53 (see below) has a ballpark background. That one is by far the best of the bunch as far as condition goes. It has the 'tab' or 'stub' removed but that's of little consequence in my eyes. The lack of serious creases and the background make it my favorite of the three.


1953 Red Man Billy Pierce


1953 Back


1954 Red Man Billy Pierce


1954 Back


5 comments:

  1. The Redman cards are a favorite of mine. Have all the Redsox from the 4year run except for the 52 Williams.. I have a 54 Redheart. Pierce up for grabs if you are interested.

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  2. I loved getting all my Pierce Red Man. That whole Red Man set is really nice - I'll need to get more.

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  3. The Red Man cards are sweet. $17 delivered for 3 Red Mans (in almost any condition give or take the tabs) is a great deal.

    I have 3 Red Mans (yes sadly only 3 currently) that I had gotten between $5-$10 per card. 2 have the tab and are in pretty nice condition the third is in real bad shape w/out tab. I blogged the story on them a couple of years back http://captkirk42.blogspot.com/2012/03/redman-senators-1953-with-tab.html

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    1. Kirk I read that post you linked. I hadn't realized that jackie jensen was in the set as a Senator. That may end up on my list.

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  4. Outstanding acquisition! (I get tired of saying "Awesome pickup!")

    I've always loved the Red Man cards from afar, and it was only within the last couple of years that I realized that they can be affordable. Cut off the tab, write on it, pin it on the wall... as long as the image is intact and it fits in my budget, I'm fine with it.

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