Phillies/Eagles Oddballs - Fleer Big Signs
The Fleer "Big Signs" were released during the early 1970s - and are a favorite of vintage collectors. Originally sold nationally at drug stores (and other like-outlets) for less than a quarter, they are still a very reasonable buy on eBay or flea markets. Here is a quick guide of the series for Philly collectors:
"1968" NFL
Eagles, 1968 Fleer Big Sign
As noted by The Fleer Sticker Project, though referred to by it's copyright date year, this set of signs were released at least five years later. The set contains 26 (one for each team in existence at the time), 11.5"x8" signs - each with a blank back. The fronts included color paintings of players in uniform and team name/logo. At the top, center is a small perforated hole from which to hang the sign on your wall.
The Eagles poster features three unidentified players in-action, with a large eagle swooping down, talons extended in the background. At the top is "Philadelphia Eagles" in white text. It is interesting to note that the uniforms worn by the players are not true to the early 1970s release date. From 1969 - 1973, the team wore white helmets with green wings. It is likely that the painting used on the poster was created before that period.
1973 Major League Baseball
Phillies, 1973 Fleer Big Sign
The baseball version of the Fleer Big Signs were released in 1973. Like it's sister, NFL set this offering also contained one, 11.5"x8" card for each team (which was 24 in 1973) with a perforated hanging hole. Unlike the previous NFL release, this one depicts more subdued images - typically a solid color background with team name and logo.
The Phillies sign is pretty bland... It has a white background with a large script "P" logo. The remainder of the design includes "Philadelphia Phillies" in block text and a black/white action baseball action shot. I don't know why some signs have the black/white action drawings and some do not. Also, would have liked to have seen them use the full script logo instead of the block text team name.
1974 NFL
Eagles, 1974 Fleer Big Sign
The second edition of Fleer's NFL Big Signs looked more like the baseball signs from the year before - solid white background with colorized player drawing and team logo. And, again, the blank-backed signs measured 11.5"x8" with a centered perforated hole. Each sign is unique, but there are two distinct design features: ones that include a team helmet and those that do not.
The Eagles sign has a player in green jersey framed by a thin black "shield-shaped" line - three thin green lines diagonally line each side of the bottom of the shield. "Eagles" text logo is in large, black type across the top - overlapping the depicted player's helmet in the center. One of my favorite features of this sign is the green circle at bottom-center with two silver eagle wings outstretched to either side.