Max Baer Razor Blades. He famously fronted his own 1930s shaving brand, the Max Baer Razor Blade Corporation. Today, these original branded blades and vintage promotional boxes are highly sought-after boxing collectibles.
1934 Quaker Oats Premiums - Max Baer. These are awesome. The 1934 Quaker Oats premiums, most notably the famous Babe Ruth memorabilia, were issued primarily as mail-in rewards for joining the "Babe Ruth Baseball Club" or as direct prizes for engaging with Quaker Oats Puffed Wheat and Puffed Rice promotions. The issuance process and available items included: Mail-In Fan Club: To join the club, children were required to mail in a box top from Quaker Puffed Wheat or Puffed Rice to a specific headquarters (P.O. Box 1083, Chicago, Illinois). Membership Items: In exchange for their box tops, members received an 8" x 10" glossy photograph of Babe Ruth, a membership pin or badge, and a booklet titled How to Knock Home Runs. Weekly Prizes: Members were also encouraged to participate in a "Quaker Oats Ask Me" trivia game. Those who completed trivia or sent in box tops could win weekly prizes, which included official baseballs and fielder's gloves. Trivia Inserts: In addition to the mail-in premiums, the "Ask Me" baseball trivia series was integrated directly into promotional boxes, featuring trivia questions where Babe Ruth was the focal photograph.
Another funny Max Baer photo here. If you read the caption below the photo of Baer in the above post, it says he was a "playboy", and that he was, the ladies loved him. This is a photo of Max Baer at his training camp in Asbury Park on the Jersey shore in 1934 while training for his bout against Primo Carnera, the bout in which he defeated Carnera to become World Heavyweight Champion. Anyway, he's wearing a fake beard and fake eyebrows as a disguise to keep the ladies away from him so he can focus on training for Carnera. Great boxing photo.
2010 Ringside Boxing Round One - Turkey Red - Base - Max Baer. I used to know where to find the photo to match up with this card but the person took it down and now I can't find the image to save my life.
Let's get some John L. Sullivan cards in here. Widely recognized as the first heavyweight champion of gloved boxing and the last heavyweight champion of bare-knuckle fighting. Nicknamed the "Boston Strong Boy", he became America’s first true sports superstar and a towering cultural icon at the end of the 19th century. Sullivan played a pivotal role in transitioning the sport from the illegal and underground era of bare-knuckle brawling to the modern, gloved era fought under the Marquess of Queensberry rules. Crowned heavyweight champion in 1882, he formally held the title until September 1892, when he was defeated by "Gentleman Jim" Corbett. In 1889, he successfully defended his title in a grueling, 75-round bare-knuckle fight against challenger Jake Kilrain in Richburg, Mississippi, it is largely considered the last major official bare-knuckle fight. With a brash personality and a trademark declaration that he could "lick any man in the house", the Irish-American Sullivan captured the nation's attention, touring in theatrical productions and earning enormous sums of money. He fought as an aggressive, relentless slugger with a granite-chin, who overwhelmed opponents with sheer power, speed, and forward pressure. Rather than relying on defense, he used a crouched stance, heavy head movement, and a two-fisted attack to deliver punishing blows in close-quarters, a style heavily influenced by his training in wrestling. By the way, that loss to Corbett in 1892 was the only time he was "licked", he finished his career with a record of 47-1-2. The guy's honestly a legend, he's mythical. A lot of John L. Sullivan cards use the same image so I'm going to choose my favorites. This is my favorite Sullivan card, it's just a beautiful piece of art, the 2010 Ringside Boxing Round One - Turkey Red - John L. Sullivan.
1887 N269 Lorillard's Mechanics - John L. Sullivan. There are actually two Sullivan's in this set, this one is my favorite. Both are highly sought-after cards.
Check this out, this is the only known photo of John L. Sullivan throwing his signature right cross, the unlucky recipient being Jake Kilrain. This image was captured during the last round of their 1889 grudge match, the fight lasted 75-rounds.
This is one of the coolest and rarest John L. Sullivan cards, I saw a copy that was in really good condition pop up on eBay years ago and it took off like a bat out of hell, way past my price range. The 1937 Wolverine Gum - Ripley's Believe it or Not! - The Great "John L." Beautiful piece of art.
2013 Panini Golden Age - White Border - John L. Sullivan. The White Border variation of this card can be a bastard to find. Man, look at this photo of Sullivan, his eyes, he was intense.
2009 SP Legendary Cuts #/550 - John L. Sullivan. I like the design of this series. Check out the serial number on this card, 187, that's insane, out of 550 possibilities you pull number 187. Of course that number is famous in gang culture as the slang for murder, it originated from Section 187 of the California Penal Code, which defines the crime of murder.
2021 Super Products - Pieces of the Past - Orange Glow - John L. Sullivan. The image for this card was actually inspired by a classic 1883 lithograph by J. Cameron. Originally published and copied by permission of The New York Illustrated Times, this historic portrait often surfaces on the vintage art market as both a Currier & Ives print and a standalone historical engraving.
You know, stamps are fascinating to me, the most expensive single stamp ever sold is the British Guiana 1c Magenta from 1856. It is universally recognized as the world's rarest stamp, with only a single surviving copy known. The stamp achieved its all-time record public auction price of $9,480,000 at Sotheby's in June 2014. It was later sold again at a Sotheby's auction in June 2021 for $8,307,000.
The 1856 British Guiana 1c magenta is the world’s most valuable stamp due to its extreme rarity (it is the only one in existence) and its mythic provenance. Because it is a unique survivor of an emergency printing, it became the undisputed "Holy Grail" of philately. The stamp's astronomical value (fetching a record-breaking $8.3 to $9.5 million at past auctions) is driven by several unique factors: Strict Uniqueness: Unlike many other historic rarities, this is the only surviving copy in the world. No other examples have ever been found. Accidental Origin: In 1856, a delayed ship from London left the colony without its regular shipment of postage stamps. The local postmaster ordered a temporary emergency printing from a local newspaper office. Intended Use: The 1-cent stamp was designed to prepay local newspaper postage. Since newspapers were routinely discarded, almost all of these stamps were destroyed. The "Schoolboy" Discovery: The stamp owes part of its legend to its discovery in 1873 by a 12-year-old Scottish schoolboy, Louis Vernon Vaughan, who found it in a pile of his uncle's discarded letters in British Guiana.
1955 Fantomen Comics - Masters of the Ring - John L. Sullivan. I honestly think they should have left his clothes on for this card, it's a wicked photo of Sullivan during his prime.
1921 Romeo Y Julieta - Jake Kilrain/John L. Sullivan. This is a really cool, and rare, card. They picked an awesome image of Kilrain and Sullivan sparring in their old age.
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This is really cool, an original 1948 advertisement for Topps Magic Photos.
1935 Frankie Darro Movie Stamp Club - Max Baer. Another rare treasure.
1946 Propagandas Montiel - Max Baer.
1956 Adventure Gum - Actor, Boxer - Max Baer.
Max Baer Razor Blades. He famously fronted his own 1930s shaving brand, the Max Baer Razor Blade Corporation. Today, these original branded blades and vintage promotional boxes are highly sought-after boxing collectibles.
1934 Quaker Oats Premiums - Max Baer. These are awesome. The 1934 Quaker Oats premiums, most notably the famous Babe Ruth memorabilia, were issued primarily as mail-in rewards for joining the "Babe Ruth Baseball Club" or as direct prizes for engaging with Quaker Oats Puffed Wheat and Puffed Rice promotions. The issuance process and available items included: Mail-In Fan Club: To join the club, children were required to mail in a box top from Quaker Puffed Wheat or Puffed Rice to a specific headquarters (P.O. Box 1083, Chicago, Illinois). Membership Items: In exchange for their box tops, members received an 8" x 10" glossy photograph of Babe Ruth, a membership pin or badge, and a booklet titled How to Knock Home Runs. Weekly Prizes: Members were also encouraged to participate in a "Quaker Oats Ask Me" trivia game. Those who completed trivia or sent in box tops could win weekly prizes, which included official baseballs and fielder's gloves. Trivia Inserts: In addition to the mail-in premiums, the "Ask Me" baseball trivia series was integrated directly into promotional boxes, featuring trivia questions where Babe Ruth was the focal photograph.
1946 Kid Herman - Max Baer.
2009 Caplin & Rosetti - Score Prize Fighters - Red Backs - Max Baer.
Another funny Max Baer photo here. If you read the caption below the photo of Baer in the above post, it says he was a "playboy", and that he was, the ladies loved him. This is a photo of Max Baer at his training camp in Asbury Park on the Jersey shore in 1934 while training for his bout against Primo Carnera, the bout in which he defeated Carnera to become World Heavyweight Champion. Anyway, he's wearing a fake beard and fake eyebrows as a disguise to keep the ladies away from him so he can focus on training for Carnera. Great boxing photo.
2010 Ringside Boxing Round One - Turkey Red - Base - Max Baer. I used to know where to find the photo to match up with this card but the person took it down and now I can't find the image to save my life.
Let's get some John L. Sullivan cards in here. Widely recognized as the first heavyweight champion of gloved boxing and the last heavyweight champion of bare-knuckle fighting. Nicknamed the "Boston Strong Boy", he became America’s first true sports superstar and a towering cultural icon at the end of the 19th century. Sullivan played a pivotal role in transitioning the sport from the illegal and underground era of bare-knuckle brawling to the modern, gloved era fought under the Marquess of Queensberry rules. Crowned heavyweight champion in 1882, he formally held the title until September 1892, when he was defeated by "Gentleman Jim" Corbett. In 1889, he successfully defended his title in a grueling, 75-round bare-knuckle fight against challenger Jake Kilrain in Richburg, Mississippi, it is largely considered the last major official bare-knuckle fight. With a brash personality and a trademark declaration that he could "lick any man in the house", the Irish-American Sullivan captured the nation's attention, touring in theatrical productions and earning enormous sums of money. He fought as an aggressive, relentless slugger with a granite-chin, who overwhelmed opponents with sheer power, speed, and forward pressure. Rather than relying on defense, he used a crouched stance, heavy head movement, and a two-fisted attack to deliver punishing blows in close-quarters, a style heavily influenced by his training in wrestling. By the way, that loss to Corbett in 1892 was the only time he was "licked", he finished his career with a record of 47-1-2. The guy's honestly a legend, he's mythical. A lot of John L. Sullivan cards use the same image so I'm going to choose my favorites. This is my favorite Sullivan card, it's just a beautiful piece of art, the 2010 Ringside Boxing Round One - Turkey Red - John L. Sullivan.
1948 Leaf Gum - John L. Sullivan.
1901 Ogden's Cigarettes - Heroes of the Ring - British Labour Back - John L. Sullivan.
This is another one of my favorites, the 2011 Upper Deck Goodwin Champions - Mini Black - Lady Luck - John L. Sullivan.
This is the original Goodwin, the 1888 N162 Goodwin Champions - John L. Sullivan.
1887 N269 Lorillard's Mechanics - John L. Sullivan. There are actually two Sullivan's in this set, this one is my favorite. Both are highly sought-after cards.
1910 E75 American Caramel - John L. Sullivan.
1888 N174 Gypsy Queen Cigarettes - Prizefighter - John L. Sullivan.
1951 Topps Ringside - John L. Sullivan.
1890 Mayo's Cut Plug - Name at Bottom - John L. Sullivan.
Check this out, this is the only known photo of John L. Sullivan throwing his signature right cross, the unlucky recipient being Jake Kilrain. This image was captured during the last round of their 1889 grudge match, the fight lasted 75-rounds.
This is one of the coolest and rarest John L. Sullivan cards, I saw a copy that was in really good condition pop up on eBay years ago and it took off like a bat out of hell, way past my price range. The 1937 Wolverine Gum - Ripley's Believe it or Not! - The Great "John L." Beautiful piece of art.
2015 Upper Deck Goodwin Champions - Goudey - John L. Sullivan.
1910 T223 Dixie Queen - Prize Fighters of the Past and Present - John L. Sullivan.
1946 Propagandas Montiel - Pink Border - John L. Sullivan.
2010 Ringside Boxing Round One - Cut Signatures 1/1 - John L. Sullivan. Just wow, what a beast of a card, a signature from Sullivan in the year 1890.
1950s Joe Palooka Candy - John L. Sullivan. Check this out, the whole candy box slabbed, that is awesome.
Here is what the other side of a Joe Palooka candy box for this issue looks like for reference.
2013 Panini Golden Age - White Border - John L. Sullivan. The White Border variation of this card can be a bastard to find. Man, look at this photo of Sullivan, his eyes, he was intense.
2014 Panini Golden Age - Star Stamps - John L. Sullivan/Jack Johnson/Joe Louis/Joe Frazier.
2009 SP Legendary Cuts #/550 - John L. Sullivan. I like the design of this series. Check out the serial number on this card, 187, that's insane, out of 550 possibilities you pull number 187. Of course that number is famous in gang culture as the slang for murder, it originated from Section 187 of the California Penal Code, which defines the crime of murder.
2022 Historic Autographs - Gilded Age - Zircon Aurora #/16 - John L. Sullivan.
2022 Historic Autographs - Gilded Age - Aurora #/25 - John L. Sullivan.
Check this out, the Cyan Printing Plate #1/1 for the 2022 Historic Autographs - Gilded Age - John L. Sullivan.
1993 Brown's Boxing - Promo - John L. Sullivan.
2021 Super Products - Pieces of the Past - Orange Glow - John L. Sullivan. The image for this card was actually inspired by a classic 1883 lithograph by J. Cameron. Originally published and copied by permission of The New York Illustrated Times, this historic portrait often surfaces on the vintage art market as both a Currier & Ives print and a standalone historical engraving.
1889 N223 Kinney Bros. - Magic Changing Cards - John L. Sullivan.
1951 Baytch Bros. -
This is a really cool card, the 1888 Union Pacific Tea Co. - John L. Sullivan.
Another cool card, 1963 Topps Valentine Foldee - John L. Sullivan.
Music break, it's hard to believe it's been 34 years since this song was released and I'm still jumping.
Check out the John L. Sullivan cardboard cut-out with toboggan and scarf at a boxing fan's home.
1963 Topps Famous Americans Stamps - John L. Sullivan. These things can be very difficult to find.
An original 1963 advertisement for the Topps Famous Americans Stamps.
You know, stamps are fascinating to me, the most expensive single stamp ever sold is the British Guiana 1c Magenta from 1856. It is universally recognized as the world's rarest stamp, with only a single surviving copy known. The stamp achieved its all-time record public auction price of $9,480,000 at Sotheby's in June 2014. It was later sold again at a Sotheby's auction in June 2021 for $8,307,000.
Guyana Philatelic Society members with British Guiana 1c Magenta stamp t-shirts.
The 1856 British Guiana 1c magenta is the world’s most valuable stamp due to its extreme rarity (it is the only one in existence) and its mythic provenance. Because it is a unique survivor of an emergency printing, it became the undisputed "Holy Grail" of philately. The stamp's astronomical value (fetching a record-breaking $8.3 to $9.5 million at past auctions) is driven by several unique factors: Strict Uniqueness: Unlike many other historic rarities, this is the only surviving copy in the world. No other examples have ever been found. Accidental Origin: In 1856, a delayed ship from London left the colony without its regular shipment of postage stamps. The local postmaster ordered a temporary emergency printing from a local newspaper office. Intended Use: The 1-cent stamp was designed to prepay local newspaper postage. Since newspapers were routinely discarded, almost all of these stamps were destroyed. The "Schoolboy" Discovery: The stamp owes part of its legend to its discovery in 1873 by a 12-year-old Scottish schoolboy, Louis Vernon Vaughan, who found it in a pile of his uncle's discarded letters in British Guiana.
1956 Adventure Gum - The Great John L - John L. Sullivan. Man, it is brutal trying to find this issue centered and in good condition.
1955 Fantomen Comics - Masters of the Ring - John L. Sullivan. I honestly think they should have left his clothes on for this card, it's a wicked photo of Sullivan during his prime.
1921 Romeo Y Julieta - Jake Kilrain/John L. Sullivan. This is a really cool, and rare, card. They picked an awesome image of Kilrain and Sullivan sparring in their old age.