Indian Fever
A collection of postcards, pinbacks, pennants and whatever else seemed like a good idea
1952 Num Num set
Click here to view a gallery of the 1952 Num Num set
I suppose my collection is fairly light in the card department compared with most baseball collections, but I hope the quality makes up for a lack of quantity.
Completing the 1952 Num Num set remains one of my most satisfying collecting achievements. Why?
- I love the set because it contains only Cleveland Indians.
- The cards were issued with potato chips, which I also happen to love.
- The set contains one of rarest and most underappreciated cards from the 1950s to present: No. 16, the Bob Kennedy card.
Make no mistake: '52 Num Nums don't show up all that often. Finding them in nice shape and with their original coupons is even tougher. Finding the Kennedy in any condition borders on impossible. At the bottom of every Num Num was a 1-inch, numbered tab that could be cut off and collected. When a collector had all 20 tabs, he could 
redeem it for an autographed baseball. It's believed that the Kennedy card was the "chase" card, that is, a card purposedly issued in limited number so as to cause customers to continue to "chase" it in hopes of qualifying for the redemption offer. The 2007 Standard Catalog of Baseball Cards lists the value of a Kennedy card, with tab, in near-mint condition at $1,600. The next Kennedy card I see with a tab will be my first. In nearly 30 years of collecting, I've seen only two and have met only four collectors who own a Kennedy. The Standard Catalog lists the value of a near-mint Kennedy without the tab at $1,250. My opinion is that both figures quoted are extremely low. I have a standing offer of $3,000 for a near-mint Kennedy card with its tab. Please contact me; I'll buy all that you have! (In fact, if you have a Kennedy with a tab in any condition but don't want to sell it, please contact me anyway. I'd just love to see one and know it exists.)
Another factor that makes completing the set extremely challenging is the fact that card Nos. 4, 8, 12 and 20 were
short-printed and are tougher to find. The set also has star power, including Hall of Famers Bob Lemon, Bob Feller, Larry Doby, Early Wynn and Al Lopez (25 percent of the set).
On a personal note, here's a bit of irony: For many years I was missing only the Kennedy card for a complete set (with tabs) before I purchased a complete set without tabs for the sole purpose of acquiring a Kennedy. Sadly, most of the cards were extremely overgraded by the seller -- although the Kennedy was/is quite nice -- and after reselling the other 19 cards, the Kennedy ended up costing ... well it cost a lot. The irony? Years before, when I was playing baseball in the minor leagues, I was traded from the Milwaukee Brewers to the San Francisco Giants during spring training in 1986. After what I thought was a solid two weeks of performance on my part, I was released on the last day of camp. Needless to say, I was shocked. The Giants' farm director? None other than Bob Kennedy.
Images of the fronts and backs of each card in the set are included in the gallery. Each card measures 3 3/8 by about 5.5 inches, except for the Kennedy. Because it has no tab, it measures 3 3/8 by about 4.5 inches.