Lot # 1144: Signed 1953 to 1969 St. Louis Cardinals Team-Issued Postcards/Photocards Collection (126) Including Gibson, Minoso, Musial, Brock, and Carlton

In the early 1950s, the St. Louis Cardinals began annually issuing postcards featuring individual photos of their players. These postcards were produced by the team to help players respond to fan requests for autographs. They have been extremely popular with collectors for many years. Since the earliest days of the organized hobby, they have been treated very much as a long-running regional issue unto itself, widely collected and appreciated by many types of collectors (including postcard, St. Louis Cardinals, and autograph collectors). Offered is an incredible collection of 126 St. Louis Cardinals team-issued postcards/photocards from a variety of different series dating from the 1950s and 1960s, each signed by the respective player on the front, highlighted by Bob Gibson, Orlando Cepeda, Minnie Minoso, Stan Musial, Lou Brock, Red Schoendienst, and Steve Carlton. Players are listed at the earliest possible year that the card may be; some photographs were reused in later years making it difficult to tell exactly what year the card was issued. This collection consists of the following: 1) 1953-1955 (4 cards): Burbrink, Erautt, Haddix, and Hemus. 2) 1954 (1 card): Burbrink. 3) 1955 (2 cards): Grammas and Moon. 4) 1956 (8 cards): Collum, two Katt, Littlefield, McDaniel (personalized), Morgan, Sauer (personalized), and Smith. 5) 1957 (8 cards): Blasingame, Cooper, Green, Jackson, Landrith, Miksis (personalized), Miller, and Schofield. 6) 1958 (1 card): Jackson. 7) 1959 (21 cards): Blaylock, Broglio, Brosnan, Cimoli, Clark, Crowe, Duliba, Durham, Grammas, Gray, Hemus, Kellner, Musial (HOF), Noren, Nunn, Porter, B. Smith, two H. Smith, Stone, and Tate. 8) 1960 (12 cards): Gibson (HOF), Grammas, Javier, Katt, Kline, McCarver, McDaniel, Simmons, Spencer, Wagner (personalized), Walker (personalized), and White. 9) 1961 (2 cards): Hemus and Schaffer. 10) 1962 (4 cards): Maxvill, two Minoso (HOF), and Sadecki. 11) 1963 (8 cards): Clemens, two Gagliano, Groat, Humphreys, James, Shannon, and Taylor. 12) 1964 (7 cards): Bakenhaster, Brock (HOF), Buchek, Clemens, Craig, Shantz, and Uecker. 13) 1965 (7 cards): Aust, Briles, Dennis, Francona, Savage, Skinner, and Vernon. 14) 1966 (7 cards): Buchek, Cepeda (HOF), Corrales, Jackson, Schultz, Smith, and Williams. 15) 1967 (15 cards): Two Brock (HOF), Carlton (HOF), Gibson (HOF), Hoerner, Hughes, Jaster, Lamabe, Lewis, Maxvill, Ricketts, Schoendienst (HOF), Shannon, Spiezio, and Washburn. 16) 1968 (7 cards): Briles, Edwards, Hague, McCarver, Schofield, and two Spiezio. 17) 1969 (12 cards): Briles, Browne, Davalillo, Giusti, Grant, Hoerner, Huntz, Javier, Johnson, Pinson, Ricketts, and Taylor. The signatures are scripted in both ballpoint and marker in a variety of different colors. Fifteen of the postcards are postally used and addressed. Condition of the postcards ranges from Fair to Excellent (with a few better), averaging Very Good. The lesser condition cards have a number of different flaws on the reverse, including pencil notations, stamping, postal use, and evidence of album removal. Total: 126 signed postcards/photocards. Auction LOA from James Spence/JSA.