APBA CEO John Herson just passed this announcement to me regarding the APBA Game Company’s new release of the 1960 and 1964 baseball season card sets.
APBA Baseball Fans,
For almost 60 years APBA has been the unchallenged KING of quality sports entertainment products! APBA announces the release of the 1960 and 1964 Big League Baseball seasons. Replay the exciting 1960 World Series with one of the most famous home runs of all-time. 1964 was the awful collapse of the Phillies and Mickey Mantle’s last World Series appearance.
You can now manage these teams. Are you a better manager than Casey Stengel? Would you have started Whitey Ford in Game 1 of the 1960 World Series instead of Art Ditmar? Can you manage the Phillies to the 1964 pennant? Or would you abuse your top pitchers? The choices are yours!
The 1960 season is $33 and the 1964 season is $38. If both of these sets are ordered by the close of business on Friday, July 15, the price is $65. These prices do not include shipping. .
With these seasons, APBA is changing its production process to just in time orders. This means that will APBA will not be carrying an inventory of these sets. Instead, APBA will be printing the number of sets ordered. This doesn’t mean that you can’t order these sets later. It just means that when you order sets in the future, you will have to wait a little longer for your order.
The estimated delivery time is the week of August 2nd. It maybe sooner but this is a new process. There may be hiccups. I’m sorry that these sets will not be available at the convention.
With this change, APBA has the flexibility to personalize card sets. You could have your name printed on each card in your set. For example, property of John Doe. .
The first step in personalizing card sets is that APBA is offering sets of the 1960 and 1964 seasons that are numbered 1 of 10, 2 of 10, through 10 of 10. Each card in that set will have 1 of 10 printed on the top of the card etc. APBA is going to auction these ten sets for the 1960 season first.
Your bid should be sent to . You will be notified if someone makes a higher bid. The auction ends at 5:00 pm (Eastern) on Thursday July 14th. Winners will have the first opportunity to purchase subsequent sets with the same number.
This is an exciting development for APBA. I want to rebuild our inventory of baseball season offerings. In the future, we will be asking you for your opinion on subsequent seasons to offer. Hopefully this process will work and APBA can offer cards sets, instead of card sheets, for the other sport offerings.
By the way, these sets are re-releases of previously issued sets. These sets have the new pitching ratings
I appreciate the support of each and every one of you. APBA has made mistakes. I’m sorry. Every day we strive to get better. This change in production process is one of those steps. There will probably be missteps implementing these changes. I hope not but experience suggests otherwise.
I apologize for not being at the convention. One of our sons has a baseball tournament that weekend. My opportunities to watch him play are limited. Again I apologize. You will be in good hands with Sandi, Marc, Skeet and Veryl.
Regards,
John
You can also read this on the APBA Company’s web site (pdf).
My thoughts
First, I’m excited about the choice of seasons. The early 60s were an exciting time in baseball. Mays, F Robbie, Banks and Mathews and Mantle all had great years in 1960 and Maris was beginning to show what he was capable of. Pitching-wise, Broglio and Spahn both won 21 and Drysdale led everyone in Ks with 246.
By 1964, Clemente was on the scene and so was Dick Allen. Dean Chance had his career year joining Koufax and 24 game winner Larry Jackson. In all, two good choices and quite frankly, it should be popular with a those of us who were born of a certain age (ahem).
My choice? I’m getting the 1964 season. The Cubs had at least a respectable team.
Regarding the “just in time” printing, I’m betting this is a process to reduce over-inventory (just a guess). I can appreciate that and assuming the wait isn’t more than a few days more I’m sure people won’t gripe. Then again, some probably will.
I don’t know what the demand of custom printing will be but who knows? It might prove to be popular (I’m thinking having your league’s name printed on the cards might be neat but that’s more relevant for current seasons). I do have two questions on this matter: Will the card format be substantially different than what it is now? Also will future current card sets like next year’s 2011 set be printed in the same fashion?
Finally, I’m not a APBA card collector. When I get a set, it’s ripped into and played. But I know people who do buy a card set and never open it. Rather they just put it in a closet and let it appreciate. Will they be interested in a collector’s edition 1960 set or 1964 set? Time will tell but I’m sure there is a niche market for this.
I do appreciate Mr Herson acknowledging APBA’s mistakes in the past. We’ve beaten this dead horse here on this blog before and there’s really no point in going into again. Agreed?
Thoughts?
I’m not sure what makes these 2 sets, “collector sets”. On of the points you left out is purchasers will have the option to have their names imprinted on the cards. ???? Is anyone really interested in that?
Pete
On the brand new ‘Old Season Baseball Releases’, it is stated that these are ‘re-releases of previously issued sets… having the new pitching ratings.’ Does this mean all the other card numbers, etc., will be copies of the old released sets, or newly worked-up cards. More importantly, how many cards per team are being issued in these sets? Any extra players? I enjoy playing the 1962 season the best, as six teams are strong enough to win the pennant, and I have replayed the entire Senior Circuit three times, with a different team winning each time – LA, Pittsburgh, and St.Louis (using B.Shantz as a starter, mostly). I have often thought having an official Tim Harkness(1B-4??) or Minnie Minoso card might be a game changer. Once I got an aftermarket APBA 1962 set, but did not like what I thought was D.Groat’s lack of ’31’s’, R. Clemente’s TOO LOW Arm rating, and J. Lynch’s TOO HIGH Arm rating. I’m interested in that year’s set, but wondering if I would be getting anything other than what I already have – having the original, the re-release, and the computer versions. Anyone have any comments?
I have a medium collection left by my father of apba cards. Eg,one box in front of me is marked as 1929 /1930 /1938. I am looking to sell all I can create a complete list of all cards. T any buyers that are interested in the collection.
My father started collecting the cards from around 1950 to 1986 known as the Donald E Heavrin collolection.