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Symbol of Courage
When I think of 50'sbaseball cards, the first thing that pops into my head is the 1956 Toppsset. It's been my favorite set design for quite some time and I don't think that's going to change anytime soon.
So when I read the Day 9topic in Tony's 30-Day Baseball Card Challenge, which is to show off one of your favorite cards from the 1950's, it would make sense for me to choose a card from this set.
Well today I'm feeling rebellious and decided to go with my 1959 Toppscard of Roy Campanella:
1959 Topps #550
I remember seeing it sitting in the display case at the card shop I worked at in the early90's and thinking what an amazing card. Who can't appreciate a card honoring the courage of one of baseball's greatest catchers? Plus the combination of the card's title, "Symbol of Courage" and seeing Campanella in his wheelchair with a huge smile on his face automatically makes me smile and feel inspired.
Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure this card was fetching close to $100 back in the day and at the time I was a struggling college student making less than $5 an hour.
Two decades later, this card was still a "dream card" sitting in my Top 10 Wantlist, until one dayCommishbob (a.k.a. The Five Tool Collector) generously donated this beautiful card to my collection.
Today it not only serves as a Symbol of Courage, it's also a Symbol of Generositywithin our hobby and community.
That's why it'll always be one of my favorite baseball cards from the 1950's... even if it's not part of the beautiful 1956 Topps set.
Happy Tuesday and sayonara!
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