1961 Crane Potato Chips Pins (PF-unc)

Number of Pins

The 1961 Crane Chips feature 18 pins, representing each Major League Baseball team, including the Chicago Cubs.

Size of Pins

The size of the pins are 7/8 inch diameter

Basic Features

In 1944, Ollie Crane acquired the company and managed it for 27 years in Decatur, Illinois. While residing in Chicago, I primarily consumed Jays potato chips, which had very few collectible items over the years. However, Crane offered baseball pin collectibles for many years. These pins feature vibrant designs showcasing team names and logos, and they are stamped on the reverse side with the logo of Crane's Potato Chips. These pins are not particularly expensive and are difficult to counterfeit due to the metal used, unlike the 1970 MSA paper discs.

Throughout the 1960s, Crane pins were included in bags of potato chips. The most effective method to determine the years is by examining the back of the pins. Over time, I will compile a comprehensive list of the various ways to identify which set corresponds to which year, starting with 1961.

Chicago Cubs 1961 Crane Potato Chips Pins Checklist

Player

Chicago Cubs

As observed above, this year is straightforward to identify, so there are no issues in that regard

1937 Wheaties BB7 (F272-2-7), Wheaties BB14 (F272-2-7B)

Number of Cards

The 1937 Wheaties collection consists of 16 boxes, featuring 1 player from the Cubs.

Size of Cards

The box measure 6" X 8 1/4"

Basic Features

In the 1930s, Wheaties issued package-design baseball cards on the backs of its cereal boxes, which were intended to be hand cut from the boxes. This collection is known as the "29 Series." These unnumbered cards feature the player's name, position, team, and additional information printed near the top. The player's signature is located on the lower section of the panel, adjacent to a printed endorsement for the cereal. The design includes an orange background with a picture of the player, framed in white and blue.on the box.

Additionally, there existed a Wheaties individual serving cereal box, measuring approximately 2 5/8" by 3 7/8". These compact panels feature orange backgrounds and are recognized as Wheaties BB14 (F272-2-7B)

Chicago Cubs 1937 Wheaties (F272-2-7), Wheaties BB14 (F272-2-7B) Checklist

Player

Frank Demaree

1937 individual serving Wheaties BB14 (F272-2-7B)

Frank Demaree

Billy Herman

1909-16 Max Stein Postcards (PC758)

Number of Cards

Max Stein Postcards collection consists of 25 cards, featuring 6 players from the Cubs.

Size of Postcards

The size of the cards are 3 1/2" x 5 1/2"

Basic Features

These sepia-toned postcards were released between 1909 and 1916. The majority of these postcards featured a standard postcard layout on the reverse side. However, some included additional details, such as a checklist. The Zimmerman card is marked with "United States Publishing." on the back. Some fonts feature distinct block-style lettering; take a look at the Frank Schulte card.

Chicago Cubs 1909-16 Max Stein Postcards Checklist

Player

1916 Chicago Cubs Team

Johnny Evers

Frank Schulte

Heinie Zimmerman

Johnny Evers / Jimmy Archer / Mike Hechinger / Roger Bresnahan / Tom Needham

Ward Miller / Wilbur Good / Mike Mitchell / Bill Clymer / Fred Schulte

1912 Colgan's Chips Red Border (E270-1)

Number of Cards

The 1912 Colgan’s Chips collection consists of 181 cards, featuring 15 players from the Cubs.

Size of Chips

round 1-3/8” diameter discs

Basic Features

Colgan Chips set series is thought to have been produced in 1912 and is particularly notable for its red borders. This distinctive feature makes it the simplest to recognize when identifying its subset. The backs indicated that customers could send in 25 box tops from Colgan’s Violet or Mint Chips to receive a photograph of a World’s Pennant Winning Team.

Chicago Cubs 1912 Colgan’s Chips Red Border Checklist

	Player
	Jimmy Archer
	Ginger Beaumont
	Roger Bresnahan
	Frank Chance
	Johnny Evers
	Solly Hofman
	Michael Mitchell
	Orval Overall
	John Pfiester
	Ed Reulbach
	Jimmy Sheckard
	Frank Schulte
	Harry Steinfeldt
	Joe Tinker
	Heinie Zimmerman

1979 TCMA All Time Cubs

There are 13 cards listed in the checklist; however, the set contains only 12 cards. Charlie Grimm is counted twice, once as 1b and again as manager.

This collection closely resembles the 1977 set, with different photos but an identical checklist.

Number of Cards

1979 TCMA All Time Chicago Cubs cards which there are 12 Cubs players

Card Dimensions

The standard-sized cards are the following dimensions: 2-1/2" by 3-1/2"

Basic Features

Tom Collier and Michael Aronstein are recognized as TCMA, a name derived from the founders' initials. Over its 15-year history, TCMA has primarily produced cards that honor the golden era of baseball, emphasizing teams and players from the 1920s through the 1950s. The 1979 TCMA All Time Chicago Cubs team set is a sought-after collectible card series that showcases notable figures from the Chicago Cubs' legacy. The reverse sides of all these cards are identical. I appreciate the designs on the front, but they fell short regarding the backs.

1979 TCMA All Time Chicago Cubs Checklist

Player

Ernie Banks

Kiki Cuyler

Larry French

Charlie Grimm PL, MGR

Gabby Hartnett

Billy Herman

Rogers Hornsby

Emil Kush

Charlie Root

Ron Santo

Billy Williams

Hack Wilson

1909-11 Colgan’s Chips “Stars of the Diamond” (E254)

Number of Cards

The 1909-11 Colgan’s Chips collection consists of 290 cards with varations, featuring 12 players from the Cubs.

Size of Chips

round 1-7/16” diameter discs

Basic Features

These Chips were released over a period of three years in five-cent tins of Colgan’s Mint and Violet Chips gum. Each Chips showcased a borderless image featuring a black-and-white portrait of the player, with his last name and team name printed close to his shoulders.

Chicago Cubs 1909-11 Colgan’s Chips Checklist

	Player
	Ginger Beaumont
	Frank Chance
	Johnny Evers
	Solly Hofman
	Orval Overall
	Jack Pfiester
	Ed Reulbach
	Jimmy Sheckard
	Wildfire Schulte
	Harry Steinfeldt
	Joe Tinker
	Heinie Zimmerman

This poem was released in the New York on July 12, 1910, following the Cubs' victory over the Giants.

These are the saddest of possible words:
"Tinker to Evers to Chance."
Trio of bear cubs, and fleeter than birds,
Tinker and Evers and Chance.
Ruthlessly pricking our gonfalon bubble,
Making a Giant hit into a double
Words that are heavy with nothing but trouble:
"Tinker to Evers to Chance."

1971 Fleer World Series (Black Backs) (R418-11)

Number of Cards

1971 Fleer World Series has 75 cards, which there are 10 Cubs cards.

Size of Cards

Standard size, which measure 2 1/2” by 3 1/2”

Basic Features

Distributed by Fleer, sports artist R.G. Laughlin created his World Series artwork cards featuring a color scheme that pays tribute to a significant event from each year's series. The reverse side displays black printing on white card stock, along with a narrative text, which has come to be known as a "Black Back" due to its black print on off-white card stock. Although the copyright line on the back of the card indicates the year of issue as 1968, these black backed cards actually made their debut in 1971. The cards were distributed in a single series (#1-68). Cards #69-75 (World Series 1971-1977) were released in 1978 as part of a promotion with Good Humor ice cream.

Chicago Cubs 1971 Fleer World Series Cards Checklist

Number	Player
4	1906 White Sox vs. Cubs
5	1907 Tigers vs. Cubs
6	1908 Cubs vs. Tigers
8	1910 Cubs vs. A's
16	1918 Cubs vs. Red Sox
27	1929 A's vs. Cubs
30	1932 Yankees vs. Cubs
33	1935 Tigers vs. Cubs
36	1938 Yankees vs. Cubs
43	1945 Cubs vs. Tigers

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