Dear Babe: My son has had some cards since the 1970s, and we’ve never been able to find out anything about them. They are oversized and have rounded corners. They include Reggie Smith (No. 1), Mel Stottlemyre (10), Fritz Peterson (13), Rico Petrocelli (19), Pete Rose (20), Rico Carty (29), Richie Allen (40) and Carl Yastrzemski (49).
-- Gene Lachawicz, Dunsmuir, Calif. Babe: Your son has some 1971 Topps Super cards. The 63-card set was used in three-card wax packs. The oversize cards have the same backs as regular-issue 1971 cards. The Standard Catalog of Vintage Baseball Cards from the editors of Sports Collectors Digest lists the set at $300. Beckett’s Almanac of Baseball Cards has it at $250. Like a number of these oddball Topps issues from the 1960s and early ’70s, the set is loaded with Hall of Famers. There are 19 of them in the set plus Joe Torre, who will get into Cooperstown because of his managing achievements and Pete Rose, the all-time hit leader, who was banned for life because of his gambling. Rose (No. 20) is your most valuable card, booking at $25. Yastrzemski (49) lists for $10-$12. The guides have Allen at $2.50-$4.50. The others are $1-$3 cards. For the record, the most valuable card in the set is Roberto Clemente (37). He lists for $30-$40. Willie Mays (56) books at $20-$25, while Henry Aaron (44) lists for $15-$25. Dear Babe: I am very curious. I think I have a 1958 Yankees World Series team signed baseball. Names on the ball I can make out include: Don Larsen, Darrell Johnson, Art Ditmar, Duke Mass, Andy Carey, Bobby Shantz, Larry Berra, Mickey Mantle, Ed Ford, Tony Kubek, Johnny Kucks, Tom Sturdivant, Casey Stengel, Frank Crosetti, Jim Turner, Enos Slaughter, Bill Skowron, Virgil Trucks and Elston Howard. -- Amber Underwood, Dayton, Ohio Babe: Back in the day when team rosters most often stayed the same from year to year, it’s usually one name or two of a minor player that helps date the ball. That’s the case for this baseball. Virgil Trucks pitched but one year for the New York Yankees -- 1958. It was a very good year. The Yankees beat the Milwaukee Braves in seven games to win the World Series. It was one of eight pennants the team won in 1950s and the sixth and last Series triumph during that decade. "If it is in average (6 to 7 out of 10) condition it is worth $1,000," said Mike Heffner, president of www.Lelands.com. "If it is 9 out of 10, then it is $2,500. If it is 2 out of 10, then it’s worth $300." Of course, if the ball has preprinted facsimile signatures, then it has little, if any, value. Dear Babe: I have an official NFL Super Bowl football signed by Marshall Faulk. I actually rented him a car. I knew he was returning the rental car the next day, so I brought my football for him to sign it. -- Marco Gama, Riverside, Calif. Babe: The key to value is having a Super Bowl XXXIV ball signed by Faulk. The St. Louis Rams edged the Tennessee Titans 23-16 in one of the most exciting finishes in Super Bowl history. Kurt Warner, the game’s MVP, connected with Isaac Bruce for a 73-yard touchdown with 1:54 to go. But the Titans weren’t done. Steve McNair drove the Titans to the Rams 10 with six seconds to play. On the game’s final play McNair hit Kevin Dyson with a short pass at the Rams 5-yard-line, but Mike Jones made a game-saving tackle as Dyson desperately tried to reach the ball over the goal line. "A Super Bowl 34 SB football signed by Faulk would have an approximate retail value of $300," said Bobby Mintz, vice president of operations for Houston-based www.TristarProductions.com. "A store-bought football is worth around $125." Mike Breeden, a Sports Collectors Digest columnist and autograph expert, agreed on the store-bought ball, saying it would fall in the $100-$150 range. (Babe Waxpak is written by Bill Wagner. If you have a question for Babe Waxpak, include your full name and hometown, the card number, year and manufacturer or send a photocopy. Please do not send cards. The address is: Babe Waxpak, Box 492397, Redding, CA 96049-2397 or email babewaxpak@charter.net.)
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