Phillies Oddballs
1969 Nabisco Team Flakes - Dick Allen
Last week, Dick Allen, who played nine seasons for the Phillies, was announced as a finalist on the 2015 Hall of Fame, "Golden Age" Veterans Committee ballot. Though far from guaranteed election, his mere presence on the ballot of ten is a step in the right direction for the former slugger. In honor of this accomplishment, the following post is about a rare Allen card...
Nabisco Team Flakes Full Panel - via Huggins and Scott
In 1969, the Nabisco Company offered a set of 24 "mini-posters" on the back of their "Team Flakes" cereal boxes. The posters were actually 2"x3" color cards featuring would-be Hall of Famers and assorted stars of the day. Issued in panels of eight, the individual cards were separated by a dotted line, and required hand-cutting. The fronts feature a color action photo of the player, surrounded by a yellow border. A black box at the bottom lists the player's name, position and team. Photos have been edited to remove team logos. Note: There are two border variations available - the "normal" one, and a wider one (as shown in the Clemente card below).
Clemente - Wide Border
As you may expect, condition is a real issue with these cards. It is not unusual to find them mis-cut, bent or scuffed from boxes rubbing together in shipping or on the shelf. Full panels and/or boxes are more valuable. Overall, it is a fairly difficult set to assemble, particularly in high-grade condition. Dick Allen is the only Phillie to be represented in the set. His card is fairly common - typically selling for $10 or less (ungraded).
See full set checklist (via Keyman Collectibles)