COLLECTOR’S SHOWCASE THE ROOKIE DEBATE By Dan Rafael
a white border and was meant to be put into a two-ring binder produced for the set. The photos were not meant to be separated like many card issues (think 1970s Twinkies boxes with cards on the back specifically meant to be cut apart and collected). The Hemmets Journal is the opposite. It’s impossible to separate the photos and have the photo and biographical information on the back line up because of the odd spacing. If you clip them apart, you’ll cut off part of the words on the reverse. It meets none of the rookie card criteria and the group was obviously not intended to be treated as cards, so, therefore, it’s not a rookie. What has given the issue relevance is that for some weird reason, third-party authenticator PSA agreed to grade them. The Swedish Rekord Journal was a biweekly magazine that included inset head shots of two athletes next to each other on the lower right edge of each issue. Ali and European handballer Kjell Jarlenius were depicted on the cover of a February 1962 issue. Even though it’s magazine stock, the inset was designed to be cut out from the cover, given that the biographical information on page 2 lines up with each photo and there is a line meant for an autograph. Still, it’s hard to see this as a rookie card, because it’s magazine paper. The 1964 Simon Chocolates card from Spain, which came in packages of chocolate, has a good case as the rookie. It’s Ali’s first numbered, factory-cut card and was part of a set focused on major events from the previous three years. The cards, depicting historical figures and some athletes, were meant to be glued into a branded album. Many probably were, making untouched examples quite rare. While it meets most of the technical criteria of a rookie card, it’s never been all that popular, because it’s an oversized
Olympic gold medalist, fit the bill for inclusion. The cards are slightly smaller than a traditional card and they’re extremely scarce, especially in high grade. The 1965 Lampo from Italy is obscure but has a great case as the rookie because it’s an actual card and could be pack-pulled as the main product, as opposed to the card serving as a premium to help sell something like tobacco or chocolate. The photo is a commonly used one of Ali from the Olympics wearing his gold medal. The same photo was on some of his other early card and sticker releases. There are two versions: “Edizioni” and “Collezioni.” The “Edizioni” version has Italian commentary on the back and is the rarer of the two. The “Collezioni” version has mostly a blank back except for the card number and brand name. Having two versions has added to collector and third-party authenticator confusion, and both are quite scarce. Many consider the 1966 Panini sticker from Italy to be Ali’s true rookie, as it meets all of the rookie card criteria. It was his first widely distributed card or sticker (at least in Europe) available in packs from a major manufacturer. Many of Panini’s annual sets from 1966 to 1980 included Ali, and all of them incredulously referred to him as Cassius Clay! Decades later, Panini remains a major manufacturer, which adds to the 1966 issue’s gravitas as the rookie. The sticker features the image of Ali from the 1960 Olympics that is also on the 1965 Lampo. Panini stickers, which are smaller than traditional cards, are extraordinarily condition-sensitive because they are printed on very thin paper, making high-grade examples extremely tough to find. Most were peeled off the backing paper and pasted into the sticker album produced to house the multi-sport set.
R ookie cards rule in sports card collecting, even though in recent years players often have had dozens due to the volume of sets. Not to mention the short prints, numbered versions, autographed cards, parallels and variations in those sets. But there is still a generally accepted rule of thumb that defines the modern rookie card. It must be the player’s first licensed card from a major manufacturer showing them in their team’s uniform; it must be part of a widely distributed set; and it’s
usually marked with an “RC” logo – as in “rookie card.” If only it were that easy in boxing, where for decades there has been a healthy debate among collectors about which issue represents Muhammad Ali’s rookie card. “The Greatest” has several candidates but no definitive answer. While many boxing cards were produced during the first half of the 1900s, usually as premiums that came with tobacco products, by the time Ali arrived on the scene in the early 1960s there were no widely distributed boxing sets being produced, although there were exhibit cards and multi-sport card and sticker sets that often included some boxers. What little product there was generally came from Europe. Whichever candidate you view as Ali’s rookie, remember: None refer to him as Muhammad Ali. He is listed by his birth name of Cassius Clay because he didn’t change it until after winning the heavyweight championship in 1964, and even then, the card manufacturers refused to use his new name for many years. Here are the candidates for Ali’s rookie (in order of release): The ESCO (Exhibit Supply Company) exhibit card is one of the earliest known Ali collectibles
and has a good case as the rookie. It’s larger than a typical trading card, smaller than a traditional postcard, has a blank back and is made of sturdy sepia-toned card stock. ESCO produced exhibit cards for decades depicting celebrities and athletes, including many boxers. One of the series, produced from 1958 to 1962, was of 16 boxers and included Ali in a full-body boxing pose with a facsimile signature. The exact year the Ali card was first produced is unclear. While they didn’t come in packs, the set was widely distributed. They were sold randomly for one penny in arcade vending machines. Many view the polarizing 1960 Hemmets Journal “card” as Ali’s rookie. Many – myself included – do not at all consider it his rookie card because, well, it’s not a card or sticker! Cool to have? Sure. A rookie card? No way. It’s from a Swedish family magazine and is, you guessed it, magazine stock, which is the first problem. It was issued on a sheet containing photos of four athletes with holes punched on the left side of
square and the photo is ugly as sin: Ali, his eyes nearly closed, is making a face with his mouth open and tongue out. The 1964 Mac Robertson’s Olympic quiz card didn’t come in packs, as it was part of a multi-sport trivia game sold in Australia ahead of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. Ali, as a 1960
84 RINGMAGAZINE.COM
RINGMAGAZINE.COM 85
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker