Checklist of my custom baseball cards, 1951-56

Until now, there has been no place where all of my custom cards could be found in checklist form.  It is my intention to update this posting as new cards are created. Similar checklists for my other baseball, non-sports and football custom cards will also be posted.

Custom card availability. Unless noted, all of my custom cards are available to collectors for $12.50 each, postpaid for one or two cards; $9.95 each for three or more (mix/match). To order, email me at scbcguy@yahoo.com for directions on paying via check/money order, or to my PayPal account.

1951 Bowman
325 Satchel Paige, Browns
326 Kevin Saucier, Browns

1952 Bowman
253 Satchel Paige, Browns

1952 Topps
408 Satchel Paige, Browns
409 Rogers Hornsby, Browns
410 Duke Markell, Browns
411 Luis Marquez, Braves
412 Nellie Fox, White Sox
413 Jack Daniels, Braves
414 Johnny Logan, Braves
415 Sam Hairston, White Sox
416 Gene Conley, Braves
417 Bill Sharman, Dodgers
418 Bob Hope-Bing Crosby
419 Paul Pettit, Pirates
420 Buzz Clarkson, Braves

1952 Red Man
27 Mickey Mantle, Yankees

1955 Red Man
26 Ernie Banks, Cubs

1953 Bowman black-and-white
65 Jackie Robinson, Dodgers
66 Pee Wee Reese, Jackie Robinson, Dodgers


1953 Topps
253 Richie Ashburn, Phillies
261 Jim Pisoni, Browns
267 Harry Hanebrink. Braves
268 Stan Musial, Cardinals
271 Quincy Trouppe, Indians
281 Bob Hope, Indians
282 Bing Crosby, Pirates




1953 Johnston Cookies Milwaukee Braves
26 Joey Jay
27 Harry Hanebrink

1954 Bowman
225 Charlie Pride, Memphis Red Sox
226 Hank Aaron, Braves
227 Ernie Banks, Cubs (w/bats)
227 Ernie Banks, Cubs (portrait)
228 Warren Spahn, Braves

1954 Topps
251 Charlie Pride, Memphis Red Sox
252 George Crowe, Braves
253 Jack Faszholz, Cardinals
254 Mickey Mantle, Yakees
255 Bobby Thomson, Braves
256 Ralph Kiner, Cubs
257 Ralph Branca, Tigers
258 Joe Adcock, Braves

1955 Bowman
322 George Crowe, Braves
323 Sandy Koufax, Dodgers (belt to cap)
323 Sandy Koufax, Dodgers (letters to cap)
324 Duke Snider, Dodgers
325 Roberto Clemente, Pirates
326 Warren Spahn, Braves

1955 Topps
123 Sandy Koufax, Dodgers (green)
123 Sandy Koufax, Dodgers (yellow)
175 Richie Ashburn, Phillies
186 Charlie Grimm, Braves
203 Mickey Mantle, Yankees
209 Bob Hazle, Redlegs
211 Bobby Thomson, Braves
212 Johnny Logan, Braves
213 Ralph Kiner, Indians
214 Ralph Branca, Yankees
215 Phillips Paine, Braves
216 Bob Thorpe, Cubs
217 George Crowe, Braves
218 Nino Escalera, Redlegs
219 Luke Easter, Indians
220 Joe Adcock, Braves

1956 Topps
7     Paul Pettit, Hollywood Stars
9     Bill Mazeroski, Hollywood Stars
12   Satchel Paige, Miami Marlins
341 Casey Stengel, Yankees
342 Charley Peete, Cardinals
343 Frank Robinson, Redlegs
344 Tom Gastall, Orioles
345 Charlie Grimm, Braves
346 Tommy Lasorda, Athletics
347 Bill Mazeroski, Pirates
348 Stan Musial, Cardinals
349 Bob Hazle, Braves
350 Stu Locklin, Indians
351 Brooks Robinson, Orioles
352 Rocky Colavito, Indians

'54-'55 customs complete Spahn's Bowman run

It's fitting that Warren Spahn was included in so many baseball card sets during the "bubblegum wars" years of 1948-1955. He was one of the most dominant pitchers in the major league for nearly two decades and may have been the best left=handed pitcher of all time.

During the late 1940s and early 1950s, Spahnie was a true egalitarian when it came to bubblegum cards. He appeared in Bowman's initial baseball card set in 1948 and in the Leaf set of 1949. Spahn was in the Bowman issues of 1949-53, as well.

When Topps came along in 1951, Spahn was in the Brooklyn company's Red Backs set. He would then be found in every regular Topps set, and many of their auxiliary issues, every season through the end of his major league days in 1965.

The only gaps in this opus appear in Spahn's absence from the final Bowman baseball card issues of 1954 and 1955.

Spahn was one of my favorite Milwaukee Braves when I was a kid; we were both lefties. To this day, I'd still like to replace the 1953 Bowman card I had in my youth. I'd like to find a nice, bright VG card, perhaps with an autograph to match my Eddie Mathews '53B.

I'm surprised it has taken me so long to create some Warren Spahn custom cards. I've been squirreling away vintage pictures for many years.

Here's what I came up with in the format of 1954 and 1955 Bowman cards.

In the coming days I'll be working on at least two, and perhaps as many as four, more Spahn customs. I'll showcase them here when they're ready.

Chuck Noll custom card 1954 Bowman

I can't tell you anything about Chuck Knoll that you haven't heard in the days since his death or that you can't easily find with a google search.

I can tell you that while I've seen no fewer than seven photos of Noll from the late 1950s in Topps Vault auctions in the past couple of years, he never appeared on a Topps card during his days as a guard-linebacker with the Cleveland Browns.

He was slighted by Bowman, as well. In those days when football card sets comprised fewer than 200 cards, the so-called "skills players" got most of the spots on the checklists.

Fortunately for today's collectors, the Cleveland Browns in the 1950s produced many team-issued picture sets, premium photos, etc. Chuck Noll can be found in such sets as:

• 1954 Fisher Foods
• 1955-56 Team-issue 8-1/2" x10" pictures
• 1956 Team-issue 6-3/4" x 8-1/2" pictures
• 1958-59 Team-issue 8-1/2" x 10-1/2" pictures
• 1954 and 1958 Carling Beer premiums

Noll was also included in Kahn's Weiners card set of 1959, perhaps his most expensive card.

And, of course, since the early 1980s he's been on dozens of cards from second-tier card companies as Steelers coach.

My contribution to Noll's football card legacy is a custom card in the style of the 1954 Bowmans, one of my favorite football card sets from childhood.