This card is from a set thought to consist of about 2,000 different cards, encompassing the 1948, 1949 and 1950 seasons!  Since there is no text on the front or back of cards in this set, it has never been catalogued in Japanese Baseball Cards Checklist & Price Guide.  Furthermore, of the estimated 2,000 cards, only about 750 have been discovered to date.  In fact, we have seen this card only one other time in our nearly 35 years of buying, selling and auctioning Japanese baseball cards.

This card depicts Victor Starffin in his All Japan uniform holding a loving cup.  We are unaware of why he received this trophy.  The award may have been related to a Far East tournament.  In any case, the card features a rarely seen portrait of one of Japan’s most iconic pitchers.

The back of the card is blank except for Starffin’s 1948 team name (Kinsei Stars) and surname in Japanese, which was stamped on the back by the manufacturer.

Size:  Approximately 2” x 2 1/4"

Condition:  Nm-hand cut