(LOT 879)
Extremely Rare 1958 Hires Root Beer 100% Complete 66-Card Set w/ALL Subjects Including Their Original Tabs!
Presented here is a near-impossible 100% complete 1958 Hires Root Beer 66-subject set with each card including their respective tabs! One of the more eclectic issues from the 1950's is the seldom surfacing Hires Root Beer cards that were inserted in Hires Root Beer soda cartons. The basic card was attached to a wedge-shaped tab that served the twofold purpose of offering a fan club membership as well as securing the card within the soda carton. Measuring approximately 2-5/16" wide by 7" tall (with the respective tabs), the 66-card set checklist numbers start at 10 and end at 76 (#69 was never issued), with one card inserted in a typical Root Beer six-pack.

As previously stated, the perforated tabs encouraged the purchaser to "Join the Hires Baseball Club Today" and for the most part, were typically removed, substantiating why this complete 66-card compilation is an excruciating task to assemble with all of the cards including their tabs! An interesting note is that this complete set originates from the Bruce Yeko collection with a significant number of the existing Hires Root Beer card sets including tabs traced back to Yeko.

The renowned Yeko was the inaugural "full-time" dealer who contacted Hires and purchased all the remaining cards, and unlike his purchases of other company regional issues, this gathering of Hires Root Beer cards was quite limited. Regarding this world-class compilation, its sheer existence with all 66 cards including their tabs is a miraculous occurrence, with a majority of the cards grading "Near-Mint" or better and some found in lesser grades. Highlights of this extraordinary lot are as follows with Hall of Famers noted:

10 Ashburn (EX, wrinkle), 13 Newcombe (EX/MT, loose perforation), 17 Doby (NM/MT), 23 Reese (NM/MT), 25 Mays/HOF (NM/MT, o/c), 34 Labine (NM), 36 Mazeroski/HOF (NM/MT), 41 Zimmer (NM), 42 Podres (NM), 44 Aaron/HOF (NM+), 46 Thomson (NM/MT), 55 Drysdale/HOF (EX/MT), 61 Snider/HOF (NM), and 67 Kluszewski (NM)

MIN BID $1,750

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