In the late '40s, a number of small format (1 1/2" x 2 3/8") menko card sets were issued in uncut eight card panels (four rows, two columns). These cards are sometimes cruder in design than the more typical 1 3/4" x 2 3/4" menko of the era, but still hold considerable interest to baseball fans and Japanese art enthusiasts alike. Usually, the the eight card sets that contain baseball cards also have non-sports cards. Few uncut panels have survived, so the collector is often left with groupings of two or three cards, unsure as to whether he has all the baseball players from that set. Here are two related sets which we believe are not missing any baseball players. The sets are quite similar in style, except that one consists of red bordered cards, while the other set has blue bordered cards. Backs are quite similar, except the baseball player batting pose is different. The blue bordered set consists of HOFers Kaoru Betto, Michio Nishizawa, Takehiko Bessho, Makoto Kozuru, Fumio Fujimura and non-HOFer Takeshi Doigaki. The red bordered set contains HOFers Makoto Kozuru, Kaoru Betto, Tetsuharu Kawakami, Michio Nishizawa, Takehiko Bessho, Fumio Fujimura and non-HOFer Hideo Shimizu.
Size: Each card is 1 1/2" x 2 3/8".
Condition: Good to Ex. Average--G/Vg. Some cards have creasing.
Please visit us at the 27th National Sports Collectors Convention July 26-30, 2006
Anaheim Convention Center Booth #1502