UNTAPPED GOLD?
By Kevin Glew
PHOTO BY DOUG KOZTOSKI
The 1961 Golden Press Baseball Hall of Fame Set
I n 1961, while baseball fans were captivated by the battle between New York Yankees sluggers Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris for the single-season home run record, Golden Press opted to look back.
For their first foray into baseball cards, they produced a set comprised entirely of Hall of Famers.
Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Lou Gehrig, Honus Wagner and Joe DiMaggio were among the 33 legends featured in color images on the Golden Press cards in 1961.
“Those are beautiful color pictures,” said Bob D’Angelo, a veteran collector, about the 1961 Golden Press cards. “The images have nice bright colors and they aren’t cliché shots.”
So why then does the 1961 Golden Press Hall of Fame set remain affordable?
D’Angelo say some consider it a “novelty set.” It should also be noted that the cards were distributed unconventionally. The 33 Golden Press cards came in a booklet that sold for 25 cents. Marketed as “Golden Funtime Trading Cards,” each single had perforated edges, so the card could be punched out.