Card of the Week - Part 4

This week's Card of the Week features Jim Brown's 1964 Philadelphia card. This set came about when, in 1964, Topps decided to print cards exclusively of players from the AFL, due to the large television contract they had signed. As such, there were no cards of the NFL, and the popular Giants, Browns, and Bears. However, the Philadelphia Gum Company quickly stepped in, and began producing cards for the NFL.

For the most part, the cards in the set are incredibly well done, with photos of the players without their helmets on (aside from Y.A. Tittle and Erich Barnes) against a clear blue sky. However, twelve members of the Cleveland Browns had their photos taken in a parking lot, with Jim Brown's brand new white Cadillac as the backdrop. Why? Well, it is a cool car.

Looking at this card, it's obvious as to why Brown would want to be photographed with it. He appears to truly have a lot of pride in this possession, and it almost seems as if he was using the card as a way of promoting what he owned (sort of like a very early version of MTV Cribs or something of that ilk). Why the other 11 members of the Browns were posed near that car is entirely beyond me however. Maybe Brown talked them into it to help promote the car. Maybe Philadelphia was rushed for time due to a deadline to produce the cards. Or maybe they ran out of money for the budget, and slammed them out as quickly as possible. Either way, it is a strange background for a football card.

This is, all in all, a very nice football set, featuring 30 different Hall of Famers, 12 different rookies, and, interestingly enough, three different players who ended up with an acting career. The set has 198 cards, and is very affordable, with the most valuable card presently booking for $90, which is the Jim Brown card. Should one be looking to build a smaller vintage football set, 1964 Philadelphia is definitely one to consider.

On a personal level, this card has always reminded me of my father. Back in 1964, he was 10 years old. He played football in high school, taught my brother and I thinks like how to catch a football and how to tackle, and is a major car guy. This card, combining football and classic cars, always brings him to mind.