1971-72 NFLPA Wonderful World BALTIMORE Colts Stamps

Back when I was doing my rundown of all things BALTIMORE Colts I came across this stamp set which was listed as the NFLPA Wonderful World Set/Album. There were 15 players from each NFL team in the set for a total of 390. The stamps were distributed in packs of 8.  

They albums issued in '71 and '72 have different covers as do the packs. But the stamps are very close to being identical in both year's sets. I had a few stray singles but a month or so ago I came across a listing for the complete Colts set. It was pretty cheap so I picked it up. 

The stamps themselves are very simple with no text on the front and just a minimum ID on the back. A short write-up is found in the box for each players' stamp in the album. I scanned most of the Colts. This being an unlicenced set there are no team logos to be found. 

The great John Unitas. This was just as he was starting to let his hair grow out. No more flattop for Johnny U.

Next is another Hall of Famer, John Mackey. John has those 70's sideburns going for sure.

Badass linebacker Mike 'Mad Dog' Curtis.

Did I mention he was a bad ass?

Below is left tackle Bob Vogel. The logo on his helmet is whited out giving the impression that he's holding a balloon. 

Here is the back of one of the stamps.

Norm Bulaich, the 'Human Bowling Ball'.

Another balloon holder, receiver Eddie Hinton.

Safety Rick Volk.

Ted 'The Mad Stork' Hendricks

Versatile halfback Tom Matte.

And finally the hero of Super Bowl V, Jim O'Brien.

Excuse me just a second as I re-live a great moment:

Anyway I found some photos on eBay of the album and wrappers from both years of this thing.

I spied my high school hero Ben Hawkins on the Eagles page. I may have to track his stamp down. 

Lastly here is what Beckett has to say on these:

This set of 390 stamps was issued in both 1971 and 1972 under the auspices of the NFL Players Association in conjunction with an album entitled "The Wonderful World of Pro Football USA." The album features a photo of Earl Morrall and Mark Washington from Super Bowl V. The stamps are numbered and measure approximately 1 15/16" by 2 7/8". The team order of the album is arranged alphabetically according to the city name and then alphabetically by player name within each team The picture stamp album contains 30 pages measuring approximately 9 1/2" by 13 1/4". The text narrates the story of pro football in the United States. The album includes spaces for 390 color player stamps. The checklist and stamp numbering below is according to the album. There are some numbering and very slight text variations between the 1971 and 1972 issues on some stamps.

It's nice to knock another oddball item off my BALTIMORE Colts wantlist.