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Mail Order/Food Issue Autograph Sets

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mrmopar

Member
Jan 19, 2010
6,188
4,100
Back in the 90s, it was a treat to find autographed cards inserted into products or even mail order. The mail order sets especially were a nice inexpensive way to get some pretty decent names. At one time I was trying to collect as many different as I could find and recently renewed my interest in the sets. I know I am probably missing some, but started a list:

1993 Nabisco All Star (Banks, Drysdale, Hunter, P. Niekro, B. Robinson, Stargell)
1994 Nabisco All Star Legends (Gibson, Palmer, B. Robinson, Snider)
1996 Big League Chew Alimni Series (Marichal, B. Robinson, B. Williams)
1995 Tombstone Pizza (Bench, Brett, Gibson)
1996 Canadian Club (Banks, Fingers, B. Robinson, F.Robinson, Stargell, B. Williams)
1999 Hillshire Farms (Banks, Killebrew, F. Robinson, Stargell)
1997 Jimmy Dean Great Moments (Berra, B. Robinson)
1995 Jimmy Dean All Time Greats (Hunter, Kaline, B. Williams)
1995 Collectors Edge Ball Park Franks (Berra, F. Robinson)
1992 Donruss McDonald's MVP (Alomar)
1993 US Bicycle Baseball Aces Playing Cards (Maddux. McGriff, Pendleton, Ripken)
1995 UD Eagle Snacks Ballpark Legends (Killebrew)
1994 Post Canadian (J. Carter)
1994 Yoo Hoo (Yastrzemski)
1994 Virginia Lottery Baseball Legends (Berra, McCovey, P. Niekro, Snider)

1996 Jimmy Dean All Time Greats (Football - Dorsett, Largent, Sayers, Starr)
1995 Tombstone Pizza (Football - All 12 cards in set? - Anderson, Bradshaw, Dawson, Fouts, Griese, Kilmer, Namath, Plunkett, Stabler, Starr, Theismann, Unitas)

Anyone see any glaring holes in the checklist?
 
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Tom Oates

Active member
Sep 15, 2008
1,673
0
Went through my binders. I've got the Big League Chew B. Robinson. I must have sold off my Nabisco autographs. Based off of memory, you pretty much nailed it. These mail away promotions were a lot of fun.
 

Dilferules

Well-known member
Aug 10, 2012
1,949
1,746
Auburn, WA
Catfish Hunter also had a Jimmy Dean autograph (1995). It has him with an airbrushed A's jersey, I think his Nabisco card was with the Yankees.
 

zyceoa

Active member
Sep 2, 2012
270
42
There were 2 different Jimmy Dean auto sets. The one from 1995 had J.Hunter, A.Kaline, and B.Williams. There was also a 1994 Post Canadian auto of Joe Carter and a 1994 Yoo-Hoo auto of Carl Yastrzemski. I actually own some of the sets mentioned; both Jimmy Dean sets, Tombstone Pizza (no COAs), Canadian Club, and Hillshire Farms (Stargell seems tough to find). Like you said, a nice way of getting some star power for cheap. I mean, where else can I get a George Brett auto for $20?
 

mrmopar

Member
Jan 19, 2010
6,188
4,100
Thanks for the additional info. Not sure how I missed the Jimmy Dean set, as I have them! Was not aware of Carter or Yaz, but I can find very little about either. At least there is a Carter photo, but nothing I could find for Yaz. Unlike MOST of those cards, which were very easy to find or obtain, a few were chase cards and appear to be quite tough.

I bought some lottery cards in a similiar type of format that were supposedly authentic, but never really dug into them. I added them as well.
 

Pinbreaker

Well-known member
Aug 7, 2008
10,131
287
Laguna Niguel, CA
These would have been great if they were distributed with auto's.

mothers-auto.jpg

I have a couple of the Hilshire (Banks, Killebrew, Robinson)

hillshire-EB1.jpg hillshire-HK1.jpg hillshire-FR1.jpg
 
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KLARNOLD

Well-known member
Sep 17, 2008
1,409
147
Owensboro, KY
Not from the 90s, but on the 2002 Topps Nestle Ice Cream boxes it showed that you could get an autographed version of Alex Rodriguez or Chipper Jones. I have never seen any autographed versions.
 

mrmopar

Member
Jan 19, 2010
6,188
4,100
The thing I liked about most of these sets is that you could get them fairly easily at the time and either cheap or "free" in some cases, by buying product and sending in for them. There are some other great auto cards that were like winning the lottery to pull from products as well. I imagine the Yoo Hoo Yaz may be in that category, given I had never heard of it and couldn't find a scan on one online. Those are great if you were the lucky winner, otherwise quite frustrating.

Not from the 90s, but on the 2002 Topps Nestle Ice Cream boxes it showed that you could get an autographed version of Alex Rodriguez or Chipper Jones. I have never seen any autographed versions.
 

mrmopar

Member
Jan 19, 2010
6,188
4,100
I bought a Padre sheet that was nearly completely signed. It is a neat piece for sure. That would have been awesome if the teams would have done card set giveaways that had random autographs included. How cool would it have been in say 1989 or 2001 to pull a signed griffey or Ichiro from a SGA Mothers/Keebler set?

I don't recall how many sets they gave out usually (maybe 10K), but getting one or several players to sign 50 or 100 each and seed them into sets seems like it would have been a no brainer knock it out of the park promotion!

These would have been great if they were distributed with auto's.

View attachment 89348
 

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