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KAHN’s BASEBALL CARDS

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Kahn’s Baseball Cards is a leading online retailer and auction house of vintage baseball cards, memorabilia and collectibles. Founded in 1938 by Morris Kahn in Detroit, Michigan, it started as a corner shop buying and selling used baseball cards from locals. Kahn had a passion for the sport of baseball and was fascinated by the stories and images captured on early baseball cards.

In the post-World War 2 era of the late 1940s and 50s, baseball saw unprecedented growth in popularity across America. Morris capitalized on this by traveling around the Midwest, buying collections of older baseball cards and starting to carry complete sets from that era in his shop for fans to collect. His keen eye and extensive knowledge of the early cardboard allowed him to become a respected authenticator in the burgeoning hobby.

By the 1960s, Kahn’s had established themselves as the premier destination for collectors in Detroit and would regularly host meetups where fans could trade and discuss their collections. Around this time the first organized baseball card shows began popping up in other cities, with Kahn’s attending some of the earliest gatherings to both buy from and sell to other dealers. They published their first mail order catalog in 1964 and had one of the first online stores launch in 1994 to reach a national audience.

Throughout the 1970s and 80s, Kahn’s continued to be at the forefront of the exploding vintage baseball card market. Their mail order business flourished during the period and they began sourcing higher end older collections direct from longtime collectors looking to cash out of the often valuable assets they had accumulated. Their reputation as a top authenticator also allowed Kahn’s to capitalize on uncovering counterfeited cards, which were unfortunately becoming more common during this time.

By the 1990s and 2000s, Kahn’s had cemented themselves as an institution within the sports collectibles industry. With the rise of mass produced sets in the 1980s that would later gain considerable vintage value, Kahn’s offerings expanded to carrying unopened boxes and cases direct from the original printing plants. Their authentication services continued to be heavily utilized, both for individual cards being researched as well as full collection appraisals.

Today, Kahn’s Baseball Cards has proven their longevity and remains a leader online through their website and live auctions. Their monthly auctions routinely see six and seven figure sales on truly iconic vintage cards and memorabilia. Notable items that have sold through Kahn’s include Honus Wagner’s T206 tobacco card ($2.8M in 2016), Babe Ruth’s last season game bat ($1.26M in 2020) and Muhammad Ali’s signed championship belt ($857k in 2021).

Kahn’s unparalleled authentification expertise is also still a major part of their business, acting as a trusted third party to analyze everything from single cards to entire million dollar archives. Their research library is considered one of the most extensive in the world. Beyond individual collector sales, Kahn’s has appeared on the national stage by handling consignments for the collections of sports legends like Mickey Mantle.

Today Kahn’s Baseball Cards is run by Morris’ grandchildren Andrew and David Kahn, the third generation continuing their grandfather’s legacy. While the baseball card hobby may have changed considerably since the 1930s, Kahn’s has proven adaptable and stayed at the forefront through close to a century of booms, busts and evolving collecting trends. With their online archive of resources, auctions and authentication, Kahn’s mission of preserving baseball history on cardboard lives on for fans worldwide.

KAHN’s CINCINNATI REDS BASEBALL CARDS

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Kahn’s Cincinnati Reds baseball card set from the late 1960s and early 1970s is one of the most iconic and collectible vintage issues in the hobby. Produced by the Kahn’s Department Stores chain based in Cincinnati, the cards helped popularize the Reds franchise during one of the most successful eras in team history.

Kahn’s was a major retail competitor to other Cincinnati-area department stores in the postwar period. Owned by the Kahn family, the company operated locations throughout southern Ohio and northern Kentucky from the 1910s through the 1980s. As baseball card production and collecting grew exponentially in the 1950s and 60s, Kahn’s saw an opportunity to promote the hometown Reds while driving customers to its stores.

The first Kahn’s Reds card set was issued in 1968. It featured individual borderless cards of current Reds players, printed on thin paper stock. With glossy images on one side and player stats/facts on the reverse, the basic design helped to popularize the modern baseball card format. Though lacking serial numbers, the 1968 set helped expose more Cincinnati-area youth to the rising stars like Pete Rose and Tony Perez leading the Big Red Machine era.

Encouraged by the positive response, Kahn’s issued larger and more elaborate follow-up sets in 1969, 1970, 1971 and 1972. All featured serially-numbered cards in formats ranging from 71 to 125 total players. Beyond roster players, the later Kahn’s sets also included hometown heroes from past eras like Hall of Famers Ernie Lombardi and Edd Roush. Manager Sparky Anderson and team executives were also featured in acknowledgement of their vital non-playing roles.

What made the Kahn’s Reds issues particularly influential was their local distribution through coin-op vending machines placed in Kahn’s locations. For a nickel or dime, kids could purchase semi-random packs of five cards at a time, rolling the dice to add to their collections. This innovative in-store promotion helped spread the baseball card bug across generations of young Cincinnati fans.

Beyond their local popularity and nostalgia value for Reds collectors, the Kahn’s sets are significant for showcasing the peak roster years that brought Cincinnati three consecutive National League pennants and World Series titles from 1975-1976. Superstars like Rose, Perez, Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan and Ken Griffey Sr. appeared in their prime on the ornate 1970-1972 issues. Their performances elevated the Big Red Machine dynasty and translated to lasting iconic status on these regional cards.

Like other early vintage sets produced totally independently from modern licensors, the Kahn’s Reds have developed an enthusiastic cult following among both Cincinnatians and serious vintage collectors nationwide. While print runs for individual years varied widely without strict accountability, surviving high-grade examples from the later and most elaborate 1971-1972 sets have reached values up to $1,000 each for the most significant Reds names. Even more common, lower-grade examples still trade hands for $50-150 depending on condition and player desirability.

Beyond sheer baseball card collecting, the Kahn’s Reds hold an honored place in memorializing a pinnacle period in Cincinnati Reds history. Their distribution through local toy vending machines helped shape memories and fandom among generations of Ohio Valley youth. While no longer operating, Kahn’s Department Stores left an indelible mark on communities through innovative promotional activations like these early baseball cards. For serious vintage collectors and casual Reds fans alike, the Kahn’s issues will always be treasured as tangible links to remembering the legendary Big Red Machine dynasty and all its hometown heroes.

In summary, Kahn’s Cincinnati Reds baseball cards were pioneering regional issues that helped spread the baseball card collecting hobby during the peak of the Reds’ dynasty years in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Through creative in-store distribution and serially numbered high-quality designs, they captured iconic images of stars like Rose, Bench and Morgan for fans and have developed strong cult followings among local and national collectors today. Collectively they stand as an important memorialization of one of the most storied periods in Reds baseball history.

KAHN’s BASEBALL CARDS 1964

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Kahn’s Baseball Cards 1964

The 1964 season was one full of tremendous accomplishments and change in Major League Baseball. The New York Yankees dynasty that had dominated for over a decade was showing signs of weakening, opening the door for new contenders to emerge. Players were beginning to assert themselves more and more, eventually leading to the establishment of free agency. It was against this backdrop that Kahn’s released their 1964 baseball card set.

Kahn’s had been producing baseball cards since the early 1950s. Based out of Detroit, Michigan, they specialized in high quality photo cards rather than the simpler drawings that Topps and others used at the time. 1964 would be one of Kahn’s most iconic and collectible sets thanks to the historical season it captured. The 582 card release covered every team and player in both the American and National Leagues. Ranging from superstars in the primes of their careers to obscure minor leaguers just getting their first cups of coffee in the Show, Kahn’s 1964 set was an exhaustive who’s who of the sport.

Some of the biggest stars of the era featured included Yankees greats Mickey Mantle, Whitey Ford, and Tony Kubek. Mantle’s powerful lefty swing remained must-see TV as he battled injuries late in his career. Ford was in his prime at age 32, going 24-7 with a 2.77 ERA to lead the AL in wins. Kubek had established himself as a slick fielding shortstop. For the St. Louis Cardinals, Bob Gibson’s intimidating heat and Bob Gibson’s pinpoint control made them the National League’s best pitching duo. Hank Aaron continued his assault on the Babe’s home run record with 31 round trippers for the Milwaukee Braves.

Rookies who would go on to have Hall of Fame careers also had their 1964 Kahn’s cards, offering an early glimpse of future greatness. Pete Rose arrived on the scene with the Cincinnati Reds, eager to do anything to help his team win. With the Baltimore Orioles, a young Brooks Robinson showcased smooth defense at third base during his first full MLB season. Dock Ellis made his Pittsburgh Pirates debut, possessing a blazing fastball but wild control early on. Even role players or bit contributors got their due, preserving a snapshot of the entire league that year for collectors and historians.

While stars received photo cards as one would expect, Kahn’s also made room for write-ups of lesser known talents. These “code cards” featured a black and white image over statistical and biographical information. Players like Minnesota Twins utility man Jerry Kindall, Chicago White Sox reliever Don McMahon, or Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Bob Miller got descriptions of their career arcs to date. Fans could learn about journeymen traversing the minors or September call-ups just making their MLB debuts. It gave the set an inclusive feel reflecting the entire professional baseball landscape.

In addition to players, Kahn’s included managers, coaches, and even owners on cards. Names like Alvin Dark with the Philadelphia Phillies, Bob Scheffing leading the Detroit Tigers, and Yankees GM Roy Hamey appeared. Kansas City A’s owner Charles O. Finley’s notorious antics like colorful uniforms and fuzzy dice on player helmets became part of the set’s visual storytelling. Stadium cards also provided glimpses of iconic ballparks like Dodger Stadium or Fenway Park that served as backdrops for that historic 1964 campaign.

For collectors, the 1964 Kahn’s set carries immense nostalgic appeal and value due to the talent, history, and completeness it captures from that transformative season. While raw card condition and high grade copies fetch top dollar today, even well loved common cards retain significance as pieces of baseball history. Mantle, Gibson, Rose, Aaron, and others cemented their legacies that year en route to Cooperstown. Rookies like Robinson took their first MLB steps. The evolving state of the game is on full display. Kahn’s 1964 release immortalized a special time in baseball’s growth that still resonates over half a century later.

KAHN’s WIENERS BASEBALL CARDS

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Kahn’s Wieners baseball cards: A nostalgic relic of mid-20th century Americana

During the post-World War II era of the late 1940s and 1950s, Kahn’s Wieners was a ubiquitous brand known throughout the United States. Few today may recognize the name, as the Chicago-based company has long since gone out of business. Yet Kahn’s Wieners maintained popularity for decades thanks in large part to its innovative baseball card promotional campaigns that tapped into Americans’ dual loves of hot dogs and the national pastime.

Founded in 1928 by Nathan and Esther Kahn, Kahn’s Wieners started as a small local producer selling its frankfurters to corner grocery stores and delis in the Chicago area. After gaining a foothold in the regional marketplace, the company looked to break into the national game through savvy advertising. In 1947, Kahn’s launched its first baseball card series inserted randomly into packages of wieners. Simple black-and-white renderings of Major League stars like Ted Williams, Jackie Robinson, and Willie Mays introduced millions of baseball fans to the brand while satisfying their appetite for collectibles.

The Kahn’s baseball cards proved an overnight success, and the company committed to an annual series. In subsequent years, the cards showcased color photography and added relevant career stats to each player card. As baseball gained influence within American popular culture through the 1950s, Kahn’s cards served as an affordable way for families and kids to feel connected to their favorite teams and athletes. Produced on thick card stock with crisp images, the cards held up well to the rigors of young collectors’ pockets, wallets, and binders. Along with bubblegum cards inserted in packages like Topps, the Kahn’s issues became an integral part of the childhood sport memorabilia experience.

While Kahn’s cards shared the standard baseball card format popularized by Topps and other competitors, they distinguished themselves through creative series themes and unique sets centered around achievements, records, or historical events in the game. Some examples included the 1953 “Rookie of the Year” series, 1955 “World Series Heroes,” and 1958 “Milestone Home Runs” issue honoring notable long balls. Thematic sets added variety for avid collectors and prompted kids to browse through their collections learning baseball trivia. Additionally, Kahn’s periodically released massive checklists with stats and bios on every Major Leaguer to further stimulate collecting.

To maximize card distribution and brand exposure, Kahn’s established relationships with independent grocers, delis, convenience stores, and butcher shops nationwide to carry its wieners. Products shipped with free cardboard displays touting the baseball card insertion program. Whereas other card manufacturers relied on candy partners or relied on retail distribution alone, Kahn’s dual focus on hot dogs and sports memorabilia integrated the baseball cards directly into millions of family shopping experiences across the country from the late 1940s through the 1960s.

With a commitment to annual issues for over 20 years, Kahn’s produced one of the most extensive early baseball card runs and a treasure trove for today’s vintage collectors. The early 1950s cards remain among the toughest and priciest finds for players of that era. Premium quality retired star rookies or rookie cups can sell for thousands. But more common vintage Kahn’s are still prized nostalgic pieces of baseball ephemera at reasonable prices. The well-designed late 1950s and early 1960s issues also hold broad collector appeal with their exciting action shots and creative commemorative themes.

Sadly, after over three decades of business, Kahn’s Wieners fell victim to changing competitive pressures and consumer tastes in the 1960s. With the rise of larger hot dog conglomerates and grilling meats gaining popularity over cold cuts, profits declined sharply. The 1967 baseball card set would be Kahn’s last hurrah before the company went bankrupt and shut its doors for good in 1969 – taking with it a beloved connection between baseball fans young and old to those classic red-and-white wiener packages graced with cards past. Gone but not forgotten, Kahn’s unforgettable marketing innovation and high-quality cardboard issues left an indelible mark on baseball collecting history as one of the pioneering names from early trading card days. Today their retro packaging remains iconic signifiers of mid-century Americana prized by nostalgia collectors alongside their treasured baseball cards as reminders of summertime ballgames and carefree youth.