Dear Babe: I was looking through my 1977 Pepsi baseball disc set, and yes, I know that the value is lowered because they have been separated from the gloves. I noticed that there are four variations of Mike Schmidt and Reggie Jackson -- different colors on the card edges. I haven't seen any collector's almanacs that list these variations. Do you know the reasons behind them, and how they impact the value of the set, if at all? -- Jane Liljedahl, Redding, Calif.
These discs were created as the top of a tall insert that was put into cartons of Pepsi. As you noted, the discs were perforated and could be moved from the gloves that held them. The Standard Catalog of Baseball Cards from the editors of Sports Collectors Digest details four variations for Jackson and Schmidt -- light blue, sky blue, purple, green and orange. The Standard Catalog does not explain why there are four-color variations except to say that those are the only two players in the set with cards in multiple colors.
The Standard Catalog lists the entire 80-disc set with the color variations for Schmidt and Jackson at $75. A 72-disc set with just one Jackson and one Schmidt books at $75. Nolan Ryan is the most valuable at $17.50 with Pete Rose and George Brett at $10 and Jackson and Schmidt at $7.50 each. Beckett's Almanac of Baseball Cards does not make note of the color variations. It lists a 72-disc set at $100. It puts Ryan and Brett at the top at $10 each with a number of other discs, including Jackson and Schmidt at $5 each. Cards that have been separated from gloves are usually worth no more than half the book value for each player. That said, a couple of Schmidt's (disc only) that were graded PSA 10 sold for $80 (blue) and $45 (green).
The promos were created by Michael Schechter Associates and were distributed in Ohio, which resulted in the set being loaded with Reds and Indians players along with top stars from around the Major Leagues. The backs include an offer for a player t-shirt that could be personalized with the collector's name added. The Almanac indicates the offer was for shirts of Joe Morgan, Pete Rose, Rick Manning and Rico Carty.
Finally, it should be noted that MSA was a licensee of the MLBPA, but not Major League Baseball. That means the players appeared with logos of their teams air-brushed into oblivion. It also means that MSA was able to offer the discs to other companies. There are any number of sets out there from the early 1980s that have 32 or 36 discs. Some have blank backs while others have the names of various businesses. The discs look pretty much the same as the Pepsi discs except that they have no perforation chads.
Dear Babe: I was at a street fair and saw a 1992 card that the seller said had a piece of jersey, bat and a real Babe Ruth autograph. He offered it for $500. It is hand numbered 1 of 3 on the corner. I found out it was from a Megacards set. I suspect that it is a fake as memorabilia and cut signatures were not around in 1992. Do you have any idea what this card is or if it is even real? -- Greg Perez, San Bernardino, Calif.
I can't find it and as you noted, memorabilia cards weren't around back then and they certainly hadn't cut up any Ruth bats back then. Methinks you did the right thing to shy away from the card.
Dear Babe: I have a Babe Ruth card produced by Megacards. It is a black and white card No. 35. -- Vickie Mathews, Hapeville, Ga.
Speaking of Ruth Megacards, these cards, similar in style to the Conlon cards produced by the Sporting News, were issued in 1992. The 165-card set lists for $15 in The Standard Catalog of Baseball Cards from the editors of Sports Collectors Digest. If it's in the collector tin, the guide has it at $20. Becketts's Almanac of Baseball Cards has the set at $17 with no mention of the tin. Most cards such as yours book at 10-25 cents.
(Send card questions to Babe Waxpak, PO Box 492397, Redding, CA 96049-2397 or e-mail babewaxpak(at)charter.net. If possible, include card number, year and brand or a photocopy. Please do not send cards. For Babe Waxpak's blog, see www.scrippsnews.com/waxpak. Babe Waxpak is a feature of The Record Searchlight in Redding, Calif.)
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.scrippsnews.com)
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