1950-1959 Football Cards

Although not technically the beginning of football cards, the late 1940s and early 1950s marked the emergence of regularly-issued football cards. While they don’t have the same popularity as baseball cards from the same period, 1950s cards are very popular for collectors based on their classic design and rookie offerings. Once again, Topps and Bowman battled for card supremacy during the decade. Bowman dominated the early 1950s and Topps owned the late 1950s.

1951 Topps Magic Football Cards

1951 Topps Magic Football came with an added scratch-off surprise for collectors. The top rookies include Vic Janowicz, Babe Parilli and Bill Wade.

1951 Topps Magic Football Product Detail

When it comes to early gridiron cards, 1951 Topps Magic Football was a little different than most.

For its second set of collegiate football players, Topps went with a gimmick, incorporating scratch-off areas that hid the identity of the college the player represented. This time, however, Topps went through the motions of producing a set of cards that could be issued in its own wax package along with a slab of gum.

1951 Topps Magic Football Set Detail

The 1951 Topps Magic Football cards were larger (2 1/16 inches by 2 15/16 inches) and issued inside penny packs or as perforated two-card panels that came three to a nickel pack. The cards that were issued in panel form are often found with tabs at the top or bottom.

Card fronts feature a colorized action shot of a player. At the bottom of the picture is a black box that contains his name, position and team nickname. A thick black line and then a white border surrounding the photo.

The 1951 Topps Magic Football backs are oriented vertically, with a card number in the upper left corner. The player's name runs along the top, followed by his age, height and weight. A short write-up about the player appears, along with a picture of his school's mascot and a question about which school he attends.

When the cards originally came out of the package, the bottom half of the back was covered with a scratch-off surface that covered a picture of his school grounds. Cards that still have the scratch-off surface present are given a premium over those that have been scratched. Intact two-card panels are very rare.

There are 75 cards in the 1951 Topps Magic Football checklist. The top overall option is the rookie card Heisman Trophy winner Vic Janowicz. In addition, Babe Parilli, Bill Wade, George Young, Marion Campbell and Bert Rechichar are also rookies found in the set.

How We Grade:

Gem Mint (GMT): (10.0) A flawless card. To be in Gem Mint condition, a card’s borders must have a ratio of 50/50 side to side and top to bottom. 

Mint (MT): (9.0-9.5) A perfect card. Well-centered with parallel borders which appear equal to the naked eye. Four sharp, square corners. No creases, edge dents, surface scratches, paper flaws, loss of luster, yellowing or fading, regardless of age. No imperfectly printed cards – out of register, badly cut or ink flawed – or card stained by contact with gum, wax or other substances can be considered truly Mint, even if new out of the pack. Generally, to be considered in Mint condition, a card’s borders must exist in a ratio of 60/40 side to side and top to bottom. 

Near Mint/Mint (NM/MT): (8.0-8.5) A super high-end card that appears Mint 9 at first glance, but upon closer inspection, may exhibit a very slight wax stain on reverse, slight fraying at one or two corners, or a minor printing imperfection. Centering must be app. 65/35 to 70/30 or better on the front and 90/10 or better on the reverse. 

Near Mint (NM): (7.0-7.5) A nearly perfect card at first glance, but upon closer inspection, may have slight surface wear, slight fraying on some corners, slightly out-of-register picture focus, a minor printing blemish or slight wax stain on reverse. Centering must be 70/30 to 75/25 or better on the front and 90/10 or better on the reverse.

Excellent/Near Mint (EX/NM): (6.0-6.5) Card may have visible surface wear or a printing defect. A very light scratch. Corners may have slightly graduated fraying. Picture focus may be slightly out-of-register. Card may have minor wax stain on reverse, may have very slight nothing on edges. Centering must be 80/20 or better on the front and 90/10 or better on the reverse.

Excellent (EX): (5.0-5.5) Corners are still fairly sharp with only moderate wear. Card borders may be off center as much as 85/15. No creases. May have very minor gum, wax or product stains, front or back. Surfaces may show slight loss of luster from rubbing across other cards. Dark bordered cards may have one or two small nicks.

Very Good/Excellent (VG/EX): (4.0-4.5) Shows obvious handling, but still looks nice. Corners may be rounded or have minor creases. No major creases, tape marks or extraneous markings or writing. Surfaces does exhibit loss of luster, but the printing is intact. May have paper wrinkles. May show major gum, wax or other packaging stains. All four borders visible, though the ratio may be as poor as 95/5. Exhibits honest wear. 

Very Good (VG): (3.0-3.5) A well-worn card, but exhibits no intentional damage or abuse. May be “Mis-cut or Off-Center” with no border visible. May have major or multiple creases, however, creases are not so deep as to show the underlying paper. This card is completely readable, has not been written on, and has no tape marks or holes. Corner rounding may extend well beyond the border. 

Good (GD) (2.0-2.5) Shows excessive wear, along with damage or abuse. Will show all the wear characteristics of a Very Good card, along with such damage as thumb tack holes in or near margins, evidence of having been taped or pasted, perhaps small tears around the edges or creases so heavily as to break the cardboard. Backs may show minor added pen or pencil writing or be missing small bits of paper. Still basically a complete card. 

Poor (P): (1.0-1.5) A card that has been tortured to death. Corners or other areas may be torn off. Card may have been trimmed, show holes from a paper punch or have been used for BB gun practice. Front may have extraneous pen or pencil writing, or other defacement. Major portions of front or back design may be missing. Not a pretty sight.