I Like CHIX and World Cup Autographs

When I talk to people about some of the cards sets I collect, I sometimes (erroneously) assume that they are familiar with these soccer collectables.

So, maybe there is educational value on these here pages.

Even the beginners know that Panini stickers have albums to put the sets into. But they are far from the only ones, as card albums go back to at least the 1920's for soccer cards. 

The fact that fewer and fewer card makers have albums for their cards is a bit disheartening.   Which brings me to a manufacturers from the 1950's and 1960's that had wonderful cards and some colorful albums to match. In their heyday the CHIX Confectionary Limited sold candy with their soccer cards.

Some of the colored renditions of star player truly have held their own even by todays glitzy, memorabilia infested card world. 

The 1955 CHIX - Stan Matthews

The above card was meant to be adhered into the aforementioned album. Not long after the last of the cigarette card era, most examples still came in the size of tobacco issues.

But things were changing by the 1950'sand cards were almost the product that sold the item.  In this case, the cards sold the candy and the samples became more colorful and elaborate.  By the 1960's most soccer cards were full color and larger.

I recently landed this 1960 CHIX STAN MATTHEWS for the collection.

The double photo fronts have an outstanding portrait shot and a nice posed action photo to match.

The card backs are black and white but score a triple by adding a cartoon caricature of the player.  So more "Stan art" goes into my collection.

1960 CHIX - Stan Matthews

There are some CHIX issues that are very short printed and highly desired for their magnificent painted portraits. I will be looking for more Chix examples for my type collection.

WORLD CUP SIGNATURES

A fellow collector - Alan, was kind enough to send me a pair of BERGMANN cards. They both were signed by players from West Germany's 1974 World Champions.

Hubert "Berti" Vogts was a tenacious defender for Borussia Munchengladbach. He helped his club to 5 League titles in the 1970's and part of the dynasty for Germany's 1972 Euros and 1974 World Cup sweep. He would later manage his own National Team to the 1996 Euro title. 

"Der Terrier"had a reputation that made Vogts one tough defender.

Josep "Sepp" Maier was the Bayern Munich goalkeeper and also key to the 1972-74 German successes. At Bayern he not only won 5 League titles but 3 European Champions League trophies.

Sepp Maier -  3 time German player of the year.

Alan probably has one of the finest vintage pre-war collection in North America. I appreciate his additions to my collection.

CHARLIE BUCHAN, Official Stan Fan and Monster Mugs ...

Long before the internet, there was a day when cardboard cards were a rich resource of information.

One card set that held such vital stats was the 1922 F&J Smith Football Club Records.

F&J Smith had issued several excellent sets from 1912 on using mostly black and white photographs. For the 1922 issue they selected on player for each of the English and Scottish top divisions for a total of 50 cards.

Each card depicted the player in a full color portrait on the front while listing a complete home and away results from the previous season on the reverse.

I recently added the Sunderland F.C. card who is represented by CHARLIE BUCHAN. Charlie began with Arsenal in 1909 when they were still known as Woolwich Arsenal before moving to Sunderland in 1911. He was awarded medals for his services in the First World War. 

On returning to football, he rejoined Arsenal leading them to 2 FA Cup Finals in the Twenties.

After his playing career, Buchan embarked on a long journalistic profession which included the Football Writers Association which now votes for player of the year. He had his own publication of magazines and annual soccer books.

An issue of Charlie Buchan Monthly featuring Stan Matthews.

I really cannot tell you when it became official, but I am OFFICIALLY a Stan Matthews collector. I've recently added this 1948 "TURF" Cigarettes card to the SMC (Stan Matthews Collection). 

The cards were usually hand-cut from the cigarette packets rather than inserted.

It is one of the last tobacco issues to feature soccer players in Britain. Within a decade almost all soccer cards were trade cards. Although the card appears black and white, it is actually more blue and gray.

Sir Stan Matthews has the distinction of appearing on soccer cards during 4 decades (1930's -1960's) of which he was an active player  !

I was fortunate to have met Sir Stan several years ago and got his autograph and later a letter from him. (I featured this in an earlier blog). My Master List of Matthews cards shows I need about 70 to 80 more cards from around the world to collect ...

POSTSCRIPT -

Among some of weird finds for the weekend was this pair of horror movie shot glasses. They are in actuality plastic, but the size of a standard shot glass.

The two ugly mugs are JASON from Friday The 13th and FREDDY KRUGER from Nightmare on Elm Street.

Boo ! Yaaaaaaa

Quakes, Kookie cards and more Stan ...

One of the great things about surfing the web for your favorite cards is finding stuff that you've never seen. One of the worse things about surfing the web to find your favorite cards is finding stuff you've never seen ... but now want.

Case in point - this Greek card, of a French movie poster, of BRUCE LEE from Enter The Dragon, depicted as "Kato", from the Green Hornet TV show. Phew !

Just plain kookie, but pretty cool in another way, as it is quite colorful and may be a very rare card.

With all the art cards / sketch cards being produced (I should know, as I used to make them for Topps and Co.) it is interesting to find vintage memorabilia with some quality pencil work. Here are two samples from the 1978 Coca-Cola SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES set.

This is PARVIZ, the Iranian Soccer Captain at the 1972 and 1976 Olympic games. He joined San Jose after the 1978 World Cup in Argentina. Two other Iranian stars who also came to the NASL were Andranik ESKANDARIAN who joined the New York Cosmos and Iraj DANAEIFARD with the Tulsa Roughnecks.

This is LES CHAPMAN, who racked up an amazing over 700 games in English League. He spent one season with San Jose.

I really like these sketch cards, albeit they are just prints and not actual sketches. Upper Deck could learn a few things by making the MLS sets a step up from less boring. 

And the results of more searching is this fantastic 1 of 1 art card of SIR STAN MATTHEWS from the 2012 SPORT KINGS set. From what I understand it went for over $1000.00 to a private buyer. 

That's really too bad. Or should I say good - because I really, really wanted this. And I have a grand burning a hole in my wallet ... NOT.

So I have to settle for some other Stan Matthews cards to add to my collection. I will feature these in an upcoming blog. 

A Knight of Sport Kings

It is few and far between that I am excited about new products. Don't misunderstand me, I have interest in lots of the new stuff, but that different from EXCITEMENT !

The SPORT KINGS GUM series that has been revived of late. It is a continuation of the classic cards of various sports stars from the 1930's. And it is only fitting that the 2012 set contain a players that was a star from that pre-war period.

Stanley Matthews was featured in several tobacco and trade cards from the 1930's all the was to his last playing season in 1965. He was first dubbed "the wizard of dribble" for his skillful artistry with the ball. 

As an ambassador of the game to all part of the world, he was never sent off and never booked during his career. He was knighted by the Queen of England in 1965, the first soccer player to be honored as such.

Sir Stanley Matthews is seen in the colors of Stoke City FC with which he began in 1930. He served in WWII and returned to the "Potters" until he was transferred to  Blackpool in 1947. He returned to Stoke City in 1961 while earning 54 caps for England. (he had an additional 29 war-time appearances)

The Sport Kings set contains a subset of  "papercuts", unique one-of-a-kind autograph cards.

If I could own one card, to add to my present collection, it would be this one.

I once had the pleasure of meeting Sir Stan and found him to be the very essence of class. I asked him to send me a postcard when he returned to Stoke, England. A few weeks later I received a postcard in the mail. Neatly written on it " Best Wishes from Stan Matthews".