BASKETBALL CARDS, EPHEMERA & MEMORABILIA
​
1950 - 1959

CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE
​Images are all from the Retro Baloncesto collection and are ascending by year. The rarity scale (for cards) is based on graded POP reports, online exemplars, past listings, available sales history and is subject to change. ​

1950

195O MENKO DISC #5013 GEORGE MIKAN (JAPAN)

This Menko set featured different sports and included a few American athletes, most notably George Mikan, the only Basketball disc in the set. With so few Mikan cards produced and given this is early in his career, this card has grown in popularity and is one of only a few Menko basketball cards known to exist.  ​Measurements: 

195O CHOCOLATES AMATLLER JUEGOS OLIMPICOS, ALBUM 1, #17 PARTIDO DE BALONCESTO (SPAIN)

Amatller chocolates was a known card maker but I there is not much information on the set or album this card came from. There is a mention on the back of
redeeming missing cards from your collection.  Note: CGC accidentally labeled this as 1930, the correct year is 1950.  ​Measurements: 2.875" x 1.675"

JUNE 3RD, 1950 HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS GAME TICKET AT THE PALAIS DES SPORTS

Harlem Globetrotters Game Ticket from their very first International tour. The game took place at the Palais Des Sports in Paris on June 3rd, 1950. In May 1950, the European journey began in Portugal and continued in six other countries (France, Italy, Belgium, Switzerland, FRG, and Great Britain); the 73 matches played in a little over two months drew tens of thousands of spectators. The tour was so successful that it drew the attention of the State Department, which decided to make the Harlem Globetrotters one of its key actors in the cultural Cold War underway at the time.

195O LAVAZAA AVVENEMENTI SPORTIVI #2 HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS (ITALY)

There were only 6 cards in the 1950 Lavazaa Avvenementi Sportivi set, one of which featured the Harlem Globetrotters. The player depicted is unknown and ​is missing the "H" from Harlem on his jersey.  Measurements: 2.75" x 4.25"

BABE RUTH SPORTS COMICS, VOL. 1, NO. 6, FEATURING GEORGE MIKAN COVER & STORY, HARVEY COMICS FEBRUARY 1950

NEW SPORT MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 1950 VOLUME 7, NUMBER 2
​ BASKETBALL COVER

1950 BASKETBALL BEER COASTER ADVERTISING FUHRMANN & SCHMIDT BREWING COMPANY

1950 PRESS PHOTO OF HANK LUISETTI, FORMER PLAYER AND THEN MANAGER OF THE SAN FRANCISCO STEWART CHEVROLETS

1950 EDITORIAL MOVAL COLECCION RECREO LOS DEPORTES #17 BALONCESTO (SPAIN)

The Coleccion Recreo set consisted mostly of Futbol cards but a few were dedicated to other sports. This is the only example of a basketball from that set that I have seen.
​Measurements: 1.675" x 2.125"

1940s/1950s BALTIMORE BULLETS MATCHSTICK COVER ADVERTISING GAME TICKETS

1950s BAS-KET-BALL, THE ENTERTAINING GAME PLAYED WITH DISCS AND ENVELOPE BY SPOTSWOOD SPECIALTY CO.

1951

1951 BERK ROSS "HIT PARADE OF CHAMPIONS" BASKETBALL CARDS

The 1951 Berk Ross set, also known as the “Hit Parade of Champions”, consisted of 72 cards featuring a variety of sports, including 5 basketball cards. They were released as 2 cards, attached with a perforation between them, and can be found for sale still intact or detached as single cards. The most notable basketball card in the set is the #1-11 Bob Cousy, which is his first card, although not considered his rookie by most, as it’s his college team (Holy Cross) and part of a multi-sport set.  Measurements: 2.125” x 2.5”

1951 LES BELLES IMAGES DE VÉRONIQUE ET JEAN-PAUL, TOUS LES SPORTS, LE BASKET-BALL - UN PANIER, CHOCOLATERIE DE L'UNION (FRANCE)

Les Belles Images was a French set and album by Chocolaterie L'Union that consisted of 192 cards that were broken into section by topic. There were 2 sections dedicated to sports that had a total of 36 combined. This is the only basketball card in the set. The cards were meant to be adhered to an album, so finding them without glue or residue can be difficult.
Measurements: 2.625" x 2"

1951 CHOCOLAT LOMBART PLAISIRS DES SPORTS BASKETBALL CARDS (FRANCE)

Plaisirs Des Sports was a French set and album by Chocolat Lombart that included 155 cards of various sports broken into series (A thru M). There are at least 2 basketball cards in the set. The cards were meant to be adhered to an album, so finding them without glue or residue can be difficult.  Measurements: 2" x 2.75"

1951 WHEATIES CHAMPIONS GEORGE MIKAN "MR. BASKETBALL" COMPLETE SINGLE SERVE BOX (U.S.A.)

In 1951, Wheaties produced Series 85 D-D single serve small boxes of Whole Wheat Flakes that featured a Multi-Sport Champions image of 6 different athletes. George Mikan was the one (and only) featured basketball player. These miniature boxes are ideally best collected in whole and flattened out, but the athletes images are often found hand-cut from the panel into the shape ​of a card.  Measurements: 9.125" x 7.125"

1951 ALBOSPORT EDITRICE DIDASCO PALLACANESTRO CARDS (ITALY)

There was a massive 675 cards in the Didasco set and they featured a variety of popular sports at the time. There were 15 total basketball cards, the majority of which showing Italian matches vs. other world teams. There are 3 cards that feature the Harlem Globetrotters. Two of them are of the team and one is a solo card for one-armed Globetrotter, Boyd Buie,
​which I believe is the only card ever featuring him as a player. Measurements: 1.25" x 1.5"

1951-52 DENIA DEPORTIVOS T-1 VICTOR MARIO INSTRUYE (PUERTO RICO)

The Denia Deportivos set consisted of 384 cards featuring various sports and was produced by Denia S.A. Compania Anonima, a powdered milk company. These cards and there corresponding album are incredibly rare and hard to find in good condition. There were 34 basketball cards in the set, released in two lettered series, K (18 cards) & T (16 cards). 
Measurements: 1.625" x 2.5"

1952

1952 ROYAL DESSERTS ROYAL STARS OF BASKETBALL #4 FRANK BRIAN (U.S.A.)

The Royal Stars of Basketball Cards were released on packages of Royal Puddings and Desserts and were made to be hand cut from the box. There were 2 versions, the more common black tinted image and text and the much rarer blue tinted image and text, although all Royal Dessert cards are hard to come by. The basketball set consisted of 8 cards, including a card of basketball legend George Mikan. Because these cards were hand cut from a box, they are difficult to find in good condition. Frank Brian was an All-American college player at LSU and went on to become the National Basketball League's All-Rookie in 1947 and was both a 2-Time NBL All-Star and 2-Time NBA All-Star. He was an NBA Basketball Pioneer, playing in the first 7 Seasons of the NBA (1949-1956) and ranked in the Top-6 in the NBA for scoring in 1950, 1951 & 1952. Hall of Famer Bob Pettit, Brian's 3rd cousin, has advocated for Brian's induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame for years. Although Brian has been on the HOF ballot, he has yet to be voted in.    Measurements: 3.375" x 2.75"

1952 FIGURITAS LALI DISCS (ARGENTINA)

The Figuritas Lali disc cards featured a variety of sports including basketball. The basketball discs included 10 players of the Harlem Globetrotters, who made their first trip to Argentina in May of 1952 during their first world tour.  Notable players like Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton, Reece "Goose" Tatum and Marques Haynes were included, and many consider these disc cards as their "rookie" cards. The other basketball discs were of Argentinian players, of which there were at least 12 featured.  Measurements: 1.75" in diameter

1952 TYPE 1 PHOTOGRAPH OF THE HARLEM GLOBE TROTTERS WITH AN ARGENTINIAN BASKETBALL TEAM AT LUNA PARK IN ARGENTINA

Noted Harlem Globetrotters on pictured here on their first World Tour include Marques Haynes, Reece "Goose" Tatum & Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton.

The Harlem Globetrotters visited Argentina on their first World Tour in 1952. They played the New York Celtics at Luna Park but also played at least one local Argentinian team (pictured here with names on the reverse)

HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS VS NEW YORK CELTICS TICKET FROM MAY 27TH, 1952 AT LUNA PARK IN ARGENTINA

Although the Harlem Globetrotters started their International (European) tours in 1950, their first World tour was in 1952, on their 25th anniversary, where they visited 44 countries in 168 days. The team was considered ambassadors of extraordinary goodwill for America and garnered attention from the US State Department, which saw the Globetrotters as a tool to promote the American way of life during the Cold War. Notable players on the team included Marques Haynes, Goose Tatum & Nat Clifton. This ticket is from their historic stop in Argentina, where they played against The New York Celtics, a team that toured with the Globetrotters for the World Exhibition games. They would often play games with local teams as well.

1952 CHOCOLAT L'AIGLON BASKETBALL CARDS (BELGIUM)

There are 3 basketball cards in the 50 card Chocolat L'Aiglon set, the remaining all featuring other sports. Card #48 features Goose Tatum of the Harlem Globe-Trotters. Many consider this (or his 1952 Figuritas Lali) his rookie card. These were produced with an accompanying album, so many examples have residue on the back.  Measurements: 5.25" x 3.375"

1952 BALAS SELEÇÕES SÉRIES ESPORTIVAS (BRAZIL)

This 1952 Brazilian card set and album was released by Selecoes chocolates. It features 284 cards of athletes from a variety of sports. There were 12 basketball cards in the set, numbers 117 thru 128. These cards are difficult to find without residue on the back or in good condition. Measurements: 1.375" x 2"

1952 OLYMPIA-SAMMELBILDER XV. HELSINKI SUMMER GAMES #89 CHILE VS. BRAZIL (HAND CUT) (GERMANY)

The cards from this set were printed on paper and hand cut into individual cards. It is unknown how many cards are in the set but this is the only one featuring basketball that I've seen. There were a variety of 6 advertisers listed as publishers on the back of these cards, so examples will vary.  Measurements: 2.375" x 3.625"

JULY 31st, 1952 HELSINKI XV OLYMPICS BASKETBALL SEMI-FINAL GAME TICKET, USA VS. ARGENTINA

The Semi-Final game was won by the United States 85 to 76. Clyde Lovelette scored 27 points for Team USA, his highest points total of the series. Team USA won all 8 of their matches and went on to defeat Russia for the gold medal. 

1952 PHOTOGRAPH OF THE 1923 UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS TEAM WITH 3 HALL OF FAMERS (JAMES NAISMITH, FORREST PHOG ALLEN & ADOLPH RUPP)

1952 LES SPORTS PAR LES IMAGES LES DOCKS FRANC-COMTOIS (FRANCE)

The Les Sports Par Les Images set consisted of 271 cards featuring a variety of different sports. There were 19 total ​basketball cards included. The back of the cards were sponsored, so the advertisements on these vary. The albums were also labeled at the bottom with the advertiser they were associated with. The complete set pictured here is from the Les Docks album. I know there is a Les Bieres Motte-Coddonier and a La Ruche Moderne album too and there may be more. Measurements: 2.75" x 2"

1952 QUIZ CALENDARIO #144 PALLACANESTRO (ITALY)

Little is known about the Quiz Calendario set and how many cards were included in it, although I have seen examples with numbers as high as the mid 300's. The set consisted of a variety of sports, athletes and famous actors of the era. This is the only known copy of a basketball (pallacanestro) card, so I'm not sure if there are any more in the set.
​The player featured on the card remains unknown.  Measurements: 1.75" x 2.25"

1952 DORAMIN MANDELA OLYMPISCHE SPIELE VORSCHAU AUF HELSINKI, BAND 1 #69 PERU OLYMPIC COMMITTEE BASKETBALL (GERMANY)

Doramin Mandela was a margarine product in Germany that released this set of cards that were given away as singles with purchases of their products. The cards featured countries and players of the 1952 Helsinki Olympic games and were meant to be glued into the accompanying album, Vorschau Auf Helsinki (Preview of Helsinki). There were a total of 80 cards in the set, 40 in color representing the participating countries, and 40 black & white photos of individual athletes. This card featuring the Peruvian Olympic Committee was the only basketball card.
Measurements: 1.875" x 2.75"

1952 WHEATIES MULTI-SPORT (HAND CUT) BASKETBALL CARDS (U.S.A.)

The Wheaties card set consisted of 30 athletes from various sports and were hand cut from the blue backs of Wheaties boxes. There were 3 basketball players featured including George Mikan (not pictured) that each had a portrait card and an in-action card for a total of 6 basketball cards in the set. Measurements: 2" x 2.75"

EARLY 1950s EDITORIAL ROLLAN F.B.I. ALBUM DE CROMOS #41 BASKETBALL (SPAIN)

This 200 card set was named the Federal Bureau of Investigation Sticker Album. It's cards featured FBI agents out in the field, doing forensic and lab work and even playing sports. This is the only basketball card in the set. These can be hard to find unglued as they typically are found adhered to their accompanying album.  ​Measurements: 1.75" x 2.5"

1950s MÉTASPIRINE ASPIRINE COMPOSÉE TONIQUE & GRISON TOUS LE PRODUITS INK BLOTTERS FEATURING BASKETBALL (FRANCE)

1952 KOSMOS-ZIGARETTENBILDER OLYMPISCHE SPIELE HELSINKI #195 (GERMANY)

The Kosmos tobacco company released this 200 card set featuring athletes and sports from the 1952 Olympic games in Helsinki. There were 2 basketball cards in the set, #4 featuring Clyde Lovellette towering over Mehmod Mamdjou and #195 featuring the Basketball final between Russia & America (also showing Lovellette).  ​Measurements: 2.875" x 4.25"

1952 OLYMPIA QUARTETT #5D PLAYING CARD, MANNSCHAFTSSPIELE BASKETBALL BY BIELEFELDER SPIELKARTEN G.M.B.H. (GERMANY)

This card was part of a card playing game that featured summer sports that commemorated the 1936 Olympic Games. There were 48 cards in total.
​Measurements: 2.5" x 4"

1952 ANNÉES 50 A TRAVERS LES SPORTS #38, BASKET-BALL: LA BALLE AU PANIER (FRANCE)

The Travers Les Sports cards were a set of 50 and featured a variety of different sports. They were made to adhere to the Cafe Jihair album, so finding them without residue may be difficult.
​Measurements: 3.75" x 2.375"

1953

1952-53 MAPLE LEAF GUM PLAYING CARDS - EMILE KETS & JEF EYGEL (BELGIUM)

I'm unable to find examples with the exact same back as these playing cards but Emile Kets & Jef Eygel competed in the 1948 and 1952 Olympic games. I assume these playing cards were produced shortly thereafter. Similar Maple Leaf cards featuring athletes from the 1950s can be found but these are the only basketball examples I've seen. Measurements: 2.25" x 3.5"

1953 ORIGINAL 8X10 PHOTOGRAPH BY KEDS SHOES FEATURING THE 1952-53 MINNEAPOLIS LAKERS BASKETBALL TEAM

LE CHASSEUR FRANCAIS MAGAZINE NUMBER 681 NOVEMBER 1953
​

1953 EDITORIAL FHER SPORT MAGICO #63 HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS (SPAIN)

The Fher Magico Cards were 3-D, meant to give a dimensional effect when looked at with blue and red 3-D glasses. There were 128 cards in the set featuring various sports.
​The Harlem Globetrotters card (#63) is the only basketball card.  Measurements: 2.5" x 3"

1954

1954 VEB VOLKSKUNSTVERLAG XV. OLYMPISCHE SOMMERSPIELE HELSINKI NO. 72 - SOVIET UNION VS. URUGUAY  (EAST GERMANY)

This is card 72 out of a 100 card set published by Der Volkseigenen Zigarettenindustrie (The nationally owned cigarette industry) featuring various athletes and games from the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. These cards were meant to be adhered to the XV. Olympische Sommerspiele album by Veb Volkskunstverlag. This is the only basketball card that I'm aware of from the set, I'm unsure if there are others. Measurements: 2.25" x 3.125"

1954 QUAKER SPORTS & ODDITIES BY JIMMY EVANS CARDS (U.S.A.)

The Sports Oddities were distributed in boxes of Quaker Cereal and the entire set consisted of 27 cards. There were a total of 4 basketball cards in the set. These cards took a Ripley's Believe it or Not approach with their odd but true stories on the back of the cards. Measurements: 3.5" x 2.25"

1954 GENERAL MERCHANTS/ICE CREAM ASSOCIATION ALBUM HASPORT HAISRAELI (ISRAELI SPORTS ALBUM) BASKETBALL CARDS (ISRAEL)

This album was produced and distributed by the Union Ice Cream Manufacturers of Israel. It’s not confirmed but, I would assume the cards were sold with their products and then meant to be adhered to this collector’s album. The set consisted of 146 cards featuring various sports, 16 of which were basketball. The players names are listed on the back of the cards. Credits for the album: written by Nehemia Ben Abraham, drawings by David Gilboa and photographs by Eliyahu Atar. Card measurements: 1.875” x 2.75”

1954 CAJA DE AHORROS DE ASTURIAS, CROMOS CULTURALES, SERIE 5, NO. 15 BALONCESTO - PARTIDO MEJICO-ITALIA, EN LA OLIMPIADA DE BERLIN (SPAIN)

Caja De Ahorros De Asturias was a Savings Bank in Oviedo, Spain. They gave out these cards to children every time they put a peseta (coin) into their savings account. The cards were meant to be glued into an accompanying album, Album de Cultura y Arte. The set consisted of 15 Series of 20 cards each for a total of 300 cards. The 5th series was sports and included this one basketball card (#15) with a famous image of a match between Mexico & Italy in the 1936 Olympics. The same image was used on many 1936 Olympic German card releases. 
Measurements: 1.50" x 2.125"

1950S ORIGINAL BELGIAN PHOTOGRAPHS OF A MORMONS VS. TENNIS TRAVELING SHOW BASKETBALL GAME 

1954 SPETTACOLI SPORTIVI (SPORTS SHOWS) ORIGINAL BARBER’S POCKET CALENDAR FEATURING A HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS CARD

Calendari da barbiere (barber calendars) were distributed in Italian barbershops from the turn of the century until the 1960s. The cards in this calendar are standard trading card in size (2.5” x 3.5”) and feature a few months of the year with each day featuring a unique name, I’m unsure what this is for.

1955

mid 1950s HUMOR SPORT FERRERO BASKETBALL CARD (ITALY)

This set consists of 15 cards and features various sports like soccer, football, hockey and this single basketball card. The Italians commonly used balls like this during the era that somewhat resemble a volley ball. I've seen the cards listed anywhere between 1953 and 1958, so I'll just consider them a mid 50s release. Measurements: 1.75" x 1.375"

1955 LA VI FLOTA AMERICANA EN SU VISITA A ESPAÑA #48 USS MIDWAY BASKETBALL GAME (SPAIN)

The La Vi Flota American En Su Visita A España (The VI American Fleet On It’s Visit To Spain) album consisted of 104 Cards featuring American Military and photos of their 1954 trip to Spain and many photographs the men and their ship. One of the recreation photos, card #48 featured the men playing a basketball game.  Measurements: 2.75" x 1.75"

1950s CHOCOLAT DACCORD LE BASKET-BALL ILLUSTRATED CARD (FRANCE)

I cannot find any information on this particular card and set. I do have an image of one of the album pages that features a variety of sports and my best guess on the age is that it was likely issued sometime in the 1950s. Measurements: 2.125" x 3"

1955 HARLEM MAGICIANS SOUVENIR PROGRAM, 1st FEATURING GOOSE TATUM & MARQUES HAYNES TOGETHER

Marques Haynes left The Harlem Globetrotters in 1953, due to salary disputes with Abe Saperstein. Haynes then founded his own basketball barnstorming team, The Fabulous Harlem Magicians, shortly thereafter. Other Globetrotters also joined his effort, most notably Goose Tatum. Their games included many of their classic comedy bits and they were a popular touring act for years but started losing popularity in the early 1960s and Tatum leaving to join other barnstorming franchises. This is the first Harlem Magicians program I've found that features both players. It includes their lineup for 1955, including the infamous one armed phenom, Boid Buie. There is also an article expaining Haynes motivations for leaving the Globetrotters and starting the Magicians.

1955 BISCOTTES A. LESPEAU SPORTS D'EQUIPE (FRANCE)

The Sports D'Equipe set had 140 cards of various sports. There are around 40 basketball cards but the exact number is unknown as I have yet to find a complete checklist.
​Measurements: 3" x 2.25"

1955 ASHLAND/AETNA OIL CARDS (U.S.A.)

The Ashland/Aetna Oil basketball card set consisted of 96 cards of college basketball players from universities in Kentucky and West Virginia. The most notable card in the set is that of Hall of Fame coach Adolph Rupp. The cards feature advertisements from either Ashland or Aetna oil companies, with the Aetna oil variation being the rarer of the two.
​Measurements: 2.625" x 3.75"

1955 NABISCO SPORTS CARDS (CANADA)

There were a total of 70 cards in the 1955 Nabisco Sports Cards set. They featured a variety of sports including basketball. ​These cards were hand cut and are difficult to find
​in high grade condition. Measurements: 2.875" x 1.875"

1955 BLUE BAND 40 SPORTEN EN SPELEN IN WOORD EN BEELD #20 BASKETBALLWEDSTRIJD, NEDERLANDS-LUXEMBURG (NETHERLANDS)

Blue Band was a Dutch Margarine company that released this set of 150 sports cards. This was the only basketball card in the set and features a match between the Nederlands and Luxemburg teams. The cards were meant to be glued into an accompanying album, so examples may include residue if they were ever pasted to one.
​Measurements: 2.375" x 3.5"

1955 EDITORIAL BRUGUERA CAMPOENES (SPAIN)

There was almost 200 cards released in Bruguera magazine that were in this set. They included a variety of sports, including basketball, the total number of basketball cards ​is unknown. These were meant to be adhered to an album, so they are hard to find with clean backs.  Measurements" 1.125" x 1.675"

1950s JEU DES 7 FAMILLES, FAMILLE “BALLON” LE BASKET-BALL, MAKER UNKNOWN (FRANCE)

Example from the same set with the artist signature, Jean Brian.

The game of 7 families is a card game with simple rules, involving memory and observation. It is played with a deck of 42 cards, divided into 7 families of 6 cards each. This particular basketball card was in a family set named Ballon (Ball) with artwork done by known French artist Jean Brian, whose signature appeared on one card in each family. The maker of this set and exact year of release is unknown but assumed to be sometime in the 1950s when compared to other 7 family card games. I have not found another example of this particular set or card. Measurements" 2.375" x 3.5"

1950s CHEIW CHEWING GUM FRENCH INK BLOTTER

1950s RUHI (RUTH) GUM WRAPPER LABEL (ISRAEL)

1950s SOLO MATCH WORKS #24 BASKETBALL CARD LABEL (CZECHOSLOVAKIA)

These matchbox labels are actually a miniature card set made up of 24 cards depicting different sports. The last card in the set (#24) is the only Basketball card. The images from this set are commonly found in reproduction prints and apparel.  ​Measurements: 1.25" x 1.75"

1950s ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPH OF OUR MOTHERS OF SORROW HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL TEAM WITH PRIEST

1950s SOVIET RUSSIAN POSTCARDS FEATURING BASKETBALL

1956

1956 ALBUM DE FIGURITAS COLA BASQUETBAL CARDS (HAND CUT) BY GUAYRA (ARGENTINA)

I am unable to find much information on this set of cards anywhere. They are small hand cut cards that have very vibrant colors.  They come from the Album De Figuritas Cola issued by Guayra. There were 254 cards in the album, the exact number of basketball cards remains unknown. Measurements (approx): 1.1875" x 1.3125"

1955-56 BRUGUERA PLATILLOS VOLANTES BALONCESTO DISCOS  (SPAIN)

This Bruguera set totaled 288 cards, most of which were futbol (soccer).  I do not have a complete checklist, so the exact number of basketball cards is unknown. The title of the set is Platillos Volantes, which translates to Flying Saucers, what the disc shape cards resemble.  ​Measurements: 1.75" in diameter

1956 TOPPS HOCUS FOCUS SPORTS THRILLS #107 BASKETBALL (U.S.A.)

The Hocus Focus 126 multi-sport set was very similar to the 1948 Topps Magic photos, in that the cards needed to be wet and exposed to sunlight in order for the image to be revealed. The Hocus Focus cards are much rarer than the Magic photos and are typically found underexposed and in rough condition. Number 107 is the only basketball card in the multi-sport set. 
​Measurements: 1" x 1.625"

1956 VEB SPORT-TOTO BERLIN OLYMPISHE SOMMERSPIELE MELBOURNE USA VS. USSR BASKETBALL CARD (GERMANY)

The Olympische Sommerspiele card set was produced by Veb Sport-Toto of Berlin and consisted of 100 cards featuring various athletes and events of the 1956 Olympic games in Melbourne, Australia. There were two sizes of cards, 50 large cards and 50 jumbo cards in the set. This card featuring Team USA vs the USSR was the standard large size and the only card featuring basketball in the set. Bill Russell was notably part of the USA team just prior to making his debut in the NBA. The cards were meant to be adhered to the (pictured) accompanying album, so finding them without residue can be difficult.
​Measurements: 3.25" x 4.75"

1956 FERCA DEPORTES COLECCIÓN DE 147 CROMOS, ALBUM PARA CROMOS BASKETBALL CARDS (SPAIN)

The 1956 Ferca Album Para Cromos featured many different sports and athletes and consisted of 147 cards. I've only been able to track down an image of the album cover, but no interior photos or checklist, so I'm not sure how many basketball cards are in the set. Shown here are two basketball cards, one notably featuring the Harlem Globetrotters. I obtained these by opening original packs of the cards, which only consisted of two cards per pack. Measurements: 1.375" x 3"

1956 ADVENTURE GUM PRODUCTS, INC #8 (U.S.A.)

The Adventure card set depict a variety of sports and there is only one basketball card in the set. The reverse gives a quick description of the game. Measurements: 2.5" x 3.5"

1956 OLYMPIC GAMES BASKETBALL TICKET (MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA, NOVEMBER 30TH, 1956)

1956 AP WIRE PRESS PHOTOGRAPH OF WILT CHAMBERLAIN PLAYING A KANSAS INTER-SQUAD GAME

1956 CASA CRACK FIGURITAS SPORT DISCS (ARGENTINA)

These disc cards were made to be adhered to the Album Gigante De Figuritas Sports. The set was 367 cards, 27 of which were basketball (the complete basketball subset is pictured here). These are very difficult to find in great condition. Measurements: 1.5" diameter

1956 OLYMPIAD MELBOURNE COLE SWAP BASKETBALL CARD (AUSTRAILIA)

These Australian cards featured illustrations of Olympic sports. The number of cards in the set is unknown. Measurements: 2.25" x 3.5"

1950s COLE SWAP WOMENS BASKETBALL CARD (AUSTRAILIA)

 This Cole Swap card is similar in design as the 1956 Melbourne Olympics card but has different bordering on the front and no Cole markings on the back, therefore it can't be confirmed as a 1956 release but is likely very close to the same time period. It seems to be quite a bit rarer than the 1956 Olympics Cole Swap card.  Measurements: 2.25" x 3.5"

1956-57 CAFÉ CHARLIE C, SÉRIE 2 (CHAMPIONS SPORT), NO. 3 - ROBERT MONCLAR
& 1950s BISCOTTES-BOUGARD, SÉRIE 2 (CHAMPIONS SPORT), NO. 3 - ROBERT MONCLAR (FRANCE)

These two cards came from different albums but are nearly identical cards and sets. The Cafe Charlie has a darker color tone and mentions the album name in the upper right. I'm not sure which is rarer but both seem scarce. Cafe Charlie was a coffee and wine company that produced these cards to be adhered to an accompanying album. There were 12 series in the set, containing 8 or 16 cards per series, the total amount of cards in the set is unknown. The 2nd series, Champions Sport, had 8 cards with 1 featuring the basketball player Robert Monclar.  Biscottes-Bougard was a French biscuits company and also had an album featuring the same cards. It seems as though they only released 1 album, unlike Charlie, who had an A, B & C album releases.  Robert Monclar was a famous French basketball player, competing in the 1952, 1956 and 1960 Olympic games. He was inducted into the French Basketball Hall of Fame in 1960.  ​Measurements (of both): 2.3125" x 3.125"

1956 CONVERSE BASKETBALL YEARBOOK 35TH EDITION, JAMES NAISMITH COVER

1957

1957 STOŽER SPORT KROZ VEKOVE KOŠARKA (BASKETBALL) CARDS (YUGOSLAVIA)

Stožer published this Bosnian language sports album and cards that advertised Zvečevo food products. It was released in Belgrade, in the now dissolved country of Yugoslavia. The set featured various Olympic sports and games and consisted of 250 cards, 3 of which were basketball (all pictured here). These cards were meant to be adhered to the album,
​so finding them without residue is extremely rare.  Measurements: 2.25" x 1.5"

1957 BISCOTTES GRÉGOIRE SPORT ET DANSE #31 BASKETT-BALL (FRANCE)

Grégoire was a French biscuits company that produced this sports and dance album. The set consisted of 120 cards and featured one basketball card, #31. You were able to send in duplicate cards (2 for 1) to trade for ones you still needed.  ​Measurements: 3.175" x 2.375"

1950s MIROIR-SPRINT ANDRÉ BUFFIÈRE (SIGNED) DECKLED EDGED CARD (FRANCE)

The exact release date is unknown, but similar soccer releases are dated from the mid to late 1950s. The card has deckled edges and a blank back. There were other postcard releases during that time that had no text on the front. Miroir-Sprint was a communist run French magazine that ran from 1946 to 1971. They irregularly also released cards that featured French Star athletes. This is the only example I’ve seen that featured a basketball player, Pierre André Buffière. Buffière played in both the 1948 and 1952 Summer Olympics games and won 6 French League championships. He was inducted into both the French National & French Basketball Hall of Fames. He became a legendary coach after his playing days and is often considered one of the greatest French basketball players of all time.  Measurements: 3.5” x 5.5”

1957 UNION OIL 76 SPORTS CLUB "FINE POINTS" BOOKLETS FEATURING BASKETBALL PLAYERS & COACHES

1957 PRE ORDER TICKET STUB FOR THE HARLEM GLOBE TROTTERS VS. THE UNITED STATES ALL STARS AT THE SPORTS PALACE IN PARIS, MAY 1957

HURRAH MAGAZINE #206 LA GRANDE FINALE SEP 28TH 1957 (FRANCE) 

1958

1958 ANGLO AMERICAN CHEWING GUM WRAPPER BELL BOY SERIES OF 48, SPORTS GALLERY #23 HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS (U.K.)

The Anglo American chewing gum company wrapped their sticks of gum with colorful comics that depicted all types of fun facts and images, including sports. The general topic would be part of a numbered set, probably a marketing ploy encouraging people to chew more gum in order to obtain them all. The "Sports Gallery" set included 1 basketball wrapper, #23, that featured the Harlem Globetrotters. I have seen dates for this wrapper vary but the majority of examples are listed as 1957 or 1958.  Measurements: 2.125" x 2.625"

1958 A. ARNAUD, EDITEUR PARIS BASKET-BALL CARD  (FRANCE)

Examples of Arnaud printed sheets of cards

The A. Arnaud Printing Company produced cards throughout the 1950's in sheets made for educational or business advertisement purposes. Text would then be printed on the front and/or reverse by the company and distributed with their products. This is the same card image used on the 1959 Chocolat Aiguebelle La Promenade Enchantée card #115. The Aiguebelle card has printing on the front & reverse and also has a gloss sheen, unlike the matte finish of this card. I have not seen another example of this card used by any other company.
​  Measurements: 3.125" x 2.25"

1958 FERD. PIATNIK & SOHNE WIEN XIV No. 294 SPORTS QUARTET #5D BALL GAMES, BASKETBALL (AUSTRIA)

The Piatnik Sport Kwartet set had 9 series of 4 cards, for a total of 36 cards, just one of which featured basketball (#5D)  ​Measurements: 2.75" x 4.25"

1958 DELL SPORTS BASKETBALL MAGAZINE WITH WILT CHAMBERLAIN COVER

1959

1959 HEINERLE DIE KLEINE REGELECK BASKETBALL HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS CARDS (GERMANY)

The Heinerle set consisted of sports teams and stars including Pele and Sugar Ray Robinson. The 2 basketball cards featured the Harlem Globetrotters, one with Curly Neal, the other with Meadowlark Lemon. These cards were both likely released in 1959, although both 1958 and 1960-61 have been used by SGC grading.  Measurements: 2.5" x 3.5"

1959 CASA CRACK FULBITO DE HISTORIA Y DEPORTES (ARGENTINA)

These oval shaped disc cards were part of a larger set depicting all types of sports, primarily soccer. The exact number of basketball cards and the number of cards ​in the entire set is unknown as I've yet to find a checklist.  Measurements: 1.25" x 1.75"

1959 BLUE CAP CHEESE FLIXIES SPORT SERIES #7 BASKET BALL (U.K.)

The Blue Cap Cheese Company released these sets in the 1950s and they are similar to slides, most likely made to be projected with light onto a surface to enlarge.
There were 12 subsets released, each with 12 cards. The Sports series included one Basketball card, # 7, seen here.   ​Measurements: 1.375" x 1.5"

1959 COMET SWEETS OLYMPIC ACHIEVEMENTS #12 BASKETBALL (U.K.)

These cards were released by Comet Sweets Cigarettes before the 1960 Olympic games. There were 50 cards in 2 sets that depicted different Olympic achievements up ​until that point. Number 12 is the only basketball card in the set.  Measurements: 1.375" x 2.5"

1950s FATHER FLANAGAN'S PLAYING CARD, 6 OF DIAMONDS - BASKETBALL, BOYS TOWN, NEBRASKA (U.S.A.)

Father Flanagan's boys' home was founded in 1917 to help children in need and provide them programs and services. Boys Town village is located just outside of Omaha, Nebraska. These playing cards feature activities of the children and I believe ​this is the only example of basketball in the deck. Measurements: 2.5" x 3.5"

1950s/1960s SCHOOL SPORTS CARDS (FRANCE)

The French school system gave out cards to students throughout the 1950s and 1960s. They often featured sports (including basketball) and rarely had a makers mark on them, so the manufacturer is nearly impossible to determine most of the time. I've come to refer to these types of cards as simply "French school cards" and will continue to add examples as I find more. The rarity of these cards varies but I do believe they are rather common.  ​Measurements: varies.

1959 CHOCOLAT AIGUEBELLE LA PROMENADE ENCHANTÉE #115 BASKET-BALL (FRANCE)

The La Promenade Enchantée set consisted of 144 cards featuring a variety of different sports. This is the only basketball card. These cards were meant to be glued to a corresponding album, so they are more difficult to find without residue on the back. You could send in completed albums for prizes or toys.  ​Measurements: 2.25" x 3.125"

1959 LA SEINE ET OISE MON DÉPARTEMENT, VIVE LE SPORT NO. 77 BASKET-BALL (FRANCE)

This set was produces by the Departmental Coordination Committee for the expansion of Seine-et-Oise trade (La Seine et Oise is a region of France). There were 128 cards in the set and this is the only basketball card to my knowledge. The subset is Vive Le Sport and I'm not sure how many sports cards are in the series. These were meant to be adhered to an accompanying album that included a form for exchanging cards and a list of the local businesses in which to obtain them. These are particularly rare, especially without residue on the reverse.
​Measurements: 3" x 2.125"

1959 FRENCH HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS GAME PROGRAM FEATURING WILT CHAMBERLAIN LISTED AS A PLAYER

1959 LA PETITE ENCYCLOPÉDIE CIBON, SÉRIE ÉDUCATIVE, LES SPORTS #521 BASKET-BALL (FRANCE)

The Cibon Educational Album consisted of cards of all types – History, Animals, Transportation, Military and Sports. The Sports Section of the album contained 16 cards, one of which was basketball. The back of the card mentions James Naismith’s invention of the game, it’s introduction to France in 1902 and it growth in popularity there between 1917 and 1918. Measurements: 2.375" x 3.25"