1962 Salada Coins

Set Size: 263 coins (221 subjects), 1-3/8" in diamater

Design Notes: These plastic discs contain a color portrait on the front, which is actually a paper insert on the inside. The plastic discs themselves could be one of several colors, with the text on the "back" embossed or pressed into the plastic. The color portrait front also contains the disc number, team name, and player name and position.

Parallels and Similars: Other coin issues have been made by Salada and other companies, but this is distinguished by the plastic disc and text on the back.

Distribution: Coins were included with Salada tea packets and Junket pudding mixes. There are 10 players for each of the 18 original teams, with an additional 20 subjects for the Mets added in a later version. In addition, several players were updated with new teams and 21 players were replaced with new subjects (with higher numbers - 201-221). The updated players make the total number of variations/coins available 263.

Thoughts: I like oddball issues and this one is fairly odd. These don't really feel like "coins" but discs because they're made of plastic. These are fairly small, but it would have been cooler if action art was used instead of portraits.

1962 Topps Stamps

Set size: 201 stamps, each 1-3/8" by 1-7/8"

Front Design: Each stamp has a color photo on a red or yellow background. The player's name, team, and position appear over a white background beneath the photo. A black frame surrounds the picture and text. The stamps have a jagged edge.

Back Design: Being stamps, there are no backs.

Parallels and Similars: Topps has issued stamps in multiple years, though the design differs. Other companies have released stamps as well, and reprinting or copying this design wouldn't be difficult. I'm not aware of any reprints. The 2011 Topps Heritage set created new stamp panels, but those were mounted to cards. Original 1962 stamps were used in a separate set that year.

Distribution: Stamps came in panels as shown above, inserted into regular packs of 1962 Topps.

Thoughts: I enjoy products which are unique, and stamps are a departure from the usual baseball card. The design is minimal, unlike the prior year's ornate release. These are full-color though, as the 1961 stamps were drab. The stamps aren't too expensive, other than Mantle, but with a large checklist, assembling a full set poses a challenge.

1962 Angels Jay Publishing

Set size: 12-5x7 photos.

Front Design: A black and white photo sits inside a thick white border; the player's name and team appear at the bottom.

Back Design: The backs are blank.

Parallels and Similars: There are many issues by Jay Publishing over several years. Most issues of this era have the same design, and there are no markings to identify the date. There are additional similar issues (such as the late-50's to early-60's Dodgers team issues) that have slightly different markings.

Distribution: These 5x7 photos were sold in packs of 12 as stadium souvenirs. You could also buy them in stores and order them directly from the company. Each year a new set would be made, and as players were added or removed from teams the content of the sets would be updated. Sets were issued for several teams in several seasons, and identifying the actual year of release is quite difficult without a complete pack or set - the intact packs contain the date and a full set can help identify the year due to trades and new teammates.

Thoughts: I dislike the lack of information on these photos. For single-item collectors such as myself (and player collectors), these will be a nightmare to fully unravel. I'm going through a similar issue with a '58-65 Dodger Team Issue - I have no comparisons to identify which set it came from. On the other hand, having a collection of 5x7 photos is a fantastic way to collect autographs - the larger size makes them great for pinning on a wall. The set I bought this from was glued to something at some point, and there's some signs of that on the back.

Additional Images: An intact picture pack. Note the date of issue included on the plastic cover.