Topps unveils five subjects of 1961 Heritage cards for National Sports Collectors Convention VIP bags
By Chris Olds | Beckett Baseball Editor
As previously reported here, Topps will be bringing back the 1961 Heritage design for its set of VIP bag bonus cards for attendees of the National Sports Collectors Convention next month in Chicago.
But on Tuesday it confirmed the five men who will appear on the cards using the 1961 Topps All-Star design intended as a fantasy “continuation” of the set dubbed “National Heroes.”
They are:
Card No. 590 — Lou Gehrig, a New York Yankees legend.
Card No. 591 — Mickey Mantle, who came up short in his chase of Babe Ruth’s 60 homers that season.
Card No. 592 — Jackie Robinson, who was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1962
Card No. 593 — John F. Kennedy, who threw out the first pitch at Griffith Stadium that April.
Card No. 594 — Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris, who amazed the world with their chase of 61 homers in ’61.
Each VIP bag will include four cards out of the five, while SuperVIPs will receive two packs. For more information about the show, click the link above.
Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball magazine. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an email to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.
A rather curious choice of player selection, considering that The National is in Chicagoland.