Exhibit cards, or arcade cards, have been around for years and have featured some of the greatest athletes who have ever lived. They have always been a little special.
Exhibits were not issued with gum, tobacco, marbles, cereal, dog food or any other product. Even without a product, you got more out of your penny from a card machine in an arcade than you would from any other machine. However, the cards were large, mono-toned, undated, numberless and void of any information other than players’ “signatures.” If you wanted a specific player, you would have to “play” the machine for a while to get the player you wanted to come flying out – a concept still very popular with modern manufacturers and their chase cards.
Two 32-card uncut pre-production sheets from 1966 include two Mantles, two Killebrews, two Fords and other tough cards like Yastrzemski, Richardson and Kranepool.
(Photo: F. McKie)