Hi All,

I am going off on my own tangent her, as I love the 1950's cards. It is like a "Sophie's choice" to list my favorite ten, but here they are, with the most favored first:

1. 1954 US Navy Victories (artwork is stunning)
2. 1954 Scoop (Little gems, fun on both sides)
3. 1957 Space cards (I grew oup thinking I would be an
astronaut. Not with coke-bottle lenses dummy!)
4. 1951 Jets, Rockets & Spacemen (wonderful narrative)
5. 1950 Wild Man (a moral message, no less!)
6. 1949 Wild West (actually released in 1950; here's to
the frontier, wherever you find it!)
7. 1952 Wings (I was raised as an infant next to an
airfield)
8. 1955 Rails and Sails (The set I remember best)
9. 1954 World on Wheels (a borderless wonder)
10.1952 Look 'n See (The magic paper is fun)

I apologize to all the series I had to leave out of this list. Would love to hear yours!

Best in collecting, Bill Bengen

Great list Bill. Here's mine:

1. U.S. Navy Victories
2. Round Up - Great art on the front. Super fun backs.
2. Rails & Sails - I love railroads. Just wish I could get the six cards I need to finish my set. Another set with backs are as good as the fronts.
4. Freedom's War - I find the artwork cards fascinating though I'm sure lots of people think they are poorly done. Plus the set has a little bit of everything with both photo and artwork cards, people, medals, insignias, planes, and tanks.
5. Bring 'Em Back Alive - Many of the backs are very corny. They remind me of the Outer Limits cards except these aren't supposed to be funny.
6. Red Menace - It's worth owning the Extension Set too.
7. Jets, Rockets, Spacemen - I don't have a full set. Waaaaaaaaa. I do have the Extension Set.
8. Scoop
9. Wild Man
10. Wild West - I don't have this one either.

I always think Round Up should be a Bowman set rather than Topps. Rails & Sails too to a lesser extent. I like the Fleer Indian Trading Card backs a lot, but the fronts are unimpressive so this got left out of the top 10. I was trying to think of the first set to have really cool backs, that contain both information about the specific card and other tidbits. Uncle Sam maybe? Or is there another set I'm missing?

Alan

Great post Bill.

Here are my top 10(I collect them all)

1.1955 Barbers Tea--maybe the most popular non-sports set ever
2.1956 Jibco Tea-gotta love these tea sets.
3.1956 U.S. Presidents--collected as a 3-yr old.
4.1957 Hit Stars--Love the Music Cards
5.1957 Target Moon-awesome cards--all over Kansas City(?) airport enlarged
6.1958 Zorro-collected as a 5-yr old and watched the show
7.1957 Isolation Booth-collected as a 4-yr old
8.1959 Kane Disc Stars--music-one of my favorite themes
9.1958 TV Westerns--watched Gunsmoke and some of the others on reruns
10.1959 Nu-card-led by card #1 Paul anka psa 10!

Jim

1. 1954 US Navy Victories
2. 1949 Bowman Wild West
3. 1951 Bowman Jets, Rockets & Spacemen
4. 1951 Bowman Red Menace
5. 1954 Topps Scoop
6. 1952 Bowman U.S. Presidents
7. 1957 Topps Space Cards
8. 1950 Bowman Wild Man
9. 1956 Topps Round Up
10. 1954 Red Man Indian Chiefs

Bill---50's were when I first started collecting---wish I had all my old cards! My best 10 list:
Davy Crockett
Space/Target Moon (also with the glasses problem)
Flags of the World (Topps)
Look N See
Scoop
Novel Candy Boxes
Zorro
Round Up
Rails & Sails
Wings

Don made me realize I'd forgotten about Flags Of The World. I'd have to put this in 10th place now and bump Wild West out. Thanks Don.

Great thread. I love lists.

Alan

Somewhere in the past we asked for favorites for this era.

Can't remember how many responses were posted, but whatever it was,
it pales in comparison to what Bill is able to bring forth.

He can work with me anytime, getting people to contribute, I mean...

Good post, Bill........a real good post.

Hi all,

I received a nasty e-mail from my 1956 Flags of the World set this morning. Apparently it caught wind of the fact I excluded it from my list of Top 10 Favorite 1950's sets. It is warning me to stay out of my card room for a few days while it cools off. Even my claim that it narrowly missed the cut didn't mollify it.

Since I value my life, I will heed the warning. Cards can be very tempermental, as I am sure you are all aware. They can do a lot of damage when they get riled up. Those cardboard edges can cut deeply, and the corners can painfully probe sensitive spots. Not to mention blunt force trauma from the capsules, when they hurl themselves at my head. Perhaps grading has a downside I didn't contemplate.

Oh my gosh! I forgot my goldfish are in the card room! I imagine it's just a matter of time before I receive a ransom note about them, and I know what the payoff will be. Maybe I should just change my list now and save the pain.

Best in collecting, Bill Bengen

Whoops-wrong post

Like Bill B. I'm stuck in the 1950's. There are so many choices I wish we could list fifteen. I've scratched four from my original list. Anyway, here goes:
1. Davy Crockett - love that #1 card
2. Hit Stars - great assortment
3. Mother's Cookies Radio & Television Stars - tough to find
4. Mother's Cookies Movie Stars - tougher to find
5. Look 'n See - like the back stories
6. Bowman Magic 6 panel - this one took forever to complete
7. Roy Rogers Pop Outs - like the card concept
8. Space - always wanted to see outer space
9. Zorro - loved going 'phtt' 'phtt' 'phtt'
10. Roundup - completely believed the backs of these

Also, don't want to hijack a thread but get you list of favorite 1960 sets in before June 30th so Richard can tabulate. Here are mine,

1. Mars Attacks - an easy choice
2. Push/Pull - tough as they come
3. Laugh In - a unique set
4. Pirates Bold - the kid in me likes the gore
5. Good Guy Bad Guy - last set I collected as a kid - have zero in my collection
6. Beatles Plaks - extra tough to find, also zero in my collection
7. Sport Cars - simple, fun set
8. Battle - just started to appreciate these
9. Dopey Books - I can't explain why I like these
10. Yule Laff - lots of childhood memories

I know there a few odd choices and if I look at this list in a few weeks/months I'll change a few.

man you crack me up bill,
that was hella funny post about your neglected 1956 topps flags of the world psa set, if they take your gold fish hostage u gots to let us know haha
kind regards,
m
ps i have 8 gai packs of these 7 gai 7 1 gai 8 if interested please let me know as i'm selling off my 50s and trying to focus on a couple 60s psa sets

California newspapers this morning have announced the tragic death of Bill Bengen. According to police at the scene, Bill was found on the floor of his study, covered in "basebal cards" with flags on them. He had thousands of wounds all over his body which looked like paper cuts. An autopsy will be performed to determine the exact cause of death, but an officer who asked to remain anonymous, said that Bill might have choked to death on one card found lodged in his throat. The officer said the card had Iran printed on it, so Homeland Security has been called in to investigate whether there are national security concerns.

A card with United Nations written on it was found in tatters on Bill's chest, and it almost seemed like this card was destroyed trying to come to his defense. Other cards, including some ferocious looking ones with Wild Man on them and some gun-toting cards with Wild West on them seem to have stood by and done nothing. Several of the Wild Man cards were found with little signs next to them that said, "We don't deserve to be #5." However, no one at the scene has been able to divine any meaning from this.

Neighbors reported seeing lots of suspicious characters coming and going all the time, and often overhearing people inside the house cheering and screaming about something that sounded like "slab flipping". Detectives are investigating to see if any illegal trafficking or gambling was taking place. Judging by the hundreds of thousands of clear plastic containers found, it is theorized that Bill had connections to a shadowy organization known only as the PSA, which seems focused on the 1950s for some unknown reason.

I'd call it "taking literary license to a new level"

Alan, you almost had a real casualty on your hands, as my heart
was racing as I read your first line.

Take it easy on ole guys like myself.

==================================================

And to Bill and Alan.....stay healthy for many years

==================================================

by the way, I've been meaning to ask......has anyone read the
Mumford novel--- Hopalong Cassidy "takes Cards". I'd love for
someone to give a synopsis of that book.

my heart skipped a beat reading the first line, then once i realized the story was a goof i started cracking up, damn fine comic writing skills al. well done.
kind regards,
m
ps bill i think al is giving you a run for your money in comedy writing, i havn't read anything this funny since reading the book you know you're a slacker if... by matthew gallegly ok shameless plug for my first published book

.....have been greatly exaggerated. Thanks goodness!

I wanted you to know that my goldfish came through the ordeal OK, the SWAT team broke into the room and rescued them. Unfortunately, they shot a hole through my Rembrandt Look n See card. Just as well, he used to keep me up at night mumbling about Dutch Masters.

Nice piece, Alan, it gives one a weird feeling to read one's own obit.

Best in collecting,

Bill Bengen