1927 ? w560 - Johnson, Hornsby, and Lindstrom

The 1927 W560 strip cards are an interesting set of cards for several reasons. They came in a full sheet (unlike the row of strips of the M.P. & Co) and included a few non-baseball players (aviators). Of personal interest, the Walter "Big Train" Johnson and Rogers Hornsby cards were acquired in one of the strangest ebay auctions I have seen. They were included in a lot of ink-stained 1983 Topps cards and a 1982 Fleer Cal Ripken Jr. rookie card. It was not only very odd that these cards were grouped together, but that the 1983s were the lead listing (when they ought to have been tossed in the garbage) and the W560s were virtually a footnote was perplexing to ay the least. I won the lot for around $14, which would have been a $4 loss (the Ripken RC was worth about $10) if the W560s turned out to be nothing. They were not nothing. They were legitimate. And it turned out this set had a couple iterations, and the iteration with two colors per card (the picture off-set from the playing card color) was more rare. Most examples found of W560s are monochrome, either all black or all red.

Another interesting aspect of this set is the date. It is listed in the Standard Catalog as being a 1927 issue. And since Walter Johnson's last season as a player was 1927, this might make sense (although card producers had no rule about not using famous players in their sets after their playing days - and Walter Johnson was one of the most famous). But Rogers Hornsby is pictured as being on the Cubs. He didn't play for the Cubs until 1929. So the W560s can't be 1927. Walter Johnson took over as the manager of the Senators in 1929, so maybe he is being pictured as a manager. I can't remember the reasoning, nor the specific claim, but I believe that 1930 is also a possibility. As there are at least two versions of this set, perhaps they were made at different times. Nevertheless, the Hornsby proves that 1927 doesn't work.

I sold or traded the Johnson and Hornsby. Then I picked up HOFer Fred Lindstrom for $10 - also in the more rare two-color variation. I love the way the half diamond in the middle gives him a devil's beard.