1946 Negro Baseball yearbook (Jackie Robinson cover) The first appearance of an official "color line" in baseball dates back to 1868 when the National Association of Baseball Players voted unanimously to bar "any club which may be comprised of one or more colored persons." When baseball attained professional status the next season, pro teams were not bound by the amateur association's ruling, and during the late 19th century, black ballplayers appeared on integrated teams, and some black teams played in integrated leagues. But gradually, black players began to be excluded, and by the beginning of the twentieth century there were no black players in organized baseball. Black Americans, however, continued to play baseball. By necessity they played on all-black teams and eventually in all-negro leagues. In 1920, Rube Foster, the father of black baseball, founded the Negro National League. In 1933 a new Negro National League was formed and the Negro American League was chartered in 1937. During their existence, the Negro Leagues played eleven World Series and created their own All-Star Game that became the biggest black sports attraction in the country. The Negro Leagues showcased some of the greatest baseball talent of all time. In 1947, major league baseball's "color barrier" was broken when Branch Rickey signed Jackie Robinson to a Brooklyn Dodger contract. Almost daily during that baseball season, Robinson would receive hate mail and death threats from racist fans who wanted to keep baseball exclusively a white man's game. Incredibly and against all odds, Jackie Robinson was given the 1947 National League Rookie of the Year honors. He went on to have a Hall of Fame career with the Brooklyn Dodgers. This 1946 "Negro Baseball" yearbook, featuring Jackie Robinson on the cover, holds tremendous historical significance. Nineteen-forty six would be Robinson's last year in "Negro" baseball. Actually it wouldn't be much longer before the Negro Leagues disbanded altogether. Jackie Robinson paved the way for other black men to play in the major leagues; the demise of the Negro Leagues (following the 1948 season) was inevitable as the younger black players began to be signed by the white major league franchises. 1275.00 Sold

"Negro" Halloween card Outrageous ten-cent Halloween greeting card by Hallmark. The lively graphics, the rich colors, its minty condition, and the unabashed use of "ebonics" ("DOES AH WISH YO` ALL A HAPPY HALLOWEEN? WELL, SHO` NUFF!") make this a valuable memento for collectors of negro ephemera. 295.00 Buy Rent

"Negro" postcard two "Negro" children enjoying a huge slice of watermelon on this delightful vintage postcard 195.00 Buy Rent

1948 Leaf Jackie Robinson baseball card He made sports and civil rights history by breaking major league baseball's "color barrier" in 1947... Offered here is Jackie Robinson's rookie card, made by the Leaf Bubble Gum Company, graded "8" [near mint - mint] by PSA [Professional Sports Authenticators], the experts that authenticate and grade valuable sportscards. Only five "9"s exist and these are valued in the fifty thousand dollar range. It is hard to imagine how these little pieces of cardboard, which were bought, handled, collected and traded by kids have survived the decades in such fine condition. This beautiful card has vivid colors, excellent focus, snow-white borders, and four sharp corners. The back of the card reads..."First Negro player in modern organized baseball..." It is interesting to note that this particular series of baseball cards, the 1948 Leaf set, has been considered by connoisseurs a pop "art form" unto itself; an entire set of 1948 Leafs was on display at New York's Museum of Modern Art in the mid-nineties. 19995.00 Buy Rent

1962 Topps Willie Mays baseball card beautiful near mint+ example of card #300 in the 1962 Topps set, the "say hey!" kid, Willie Mays 995.00 Buy Rent

1963 Topps Peel-Offs Hank Aaron baseball card sticker In 1963, Topps included these "peel-off" stickers as inserts in their packs of baseball cards. Most kids would peel off the protective paper backing and stick these on their notebooks. That is why these have become rarities in their original unmolested condition. This specimen has somehow survived in near mint/mint condition [graded 8 by PSA]. Hank Aaron, of course, is the baseball hall-of-famer who broke Babe Ruth's all-time home run record in the 1970s and is considered by many the "true" home run king even though his record was broken by Barry Bonds in the modern [steroid] baseball era. 250.00 Buy Rent

1963 Topps Peel-Offs Willie Mays baseball card sticker In 1963, Topps included these "peel-off" stickers as inserts in their packs of baseball cards. Most kids would peel off the protective paper backing and stick these on their notebooks. That is why these have become rarities in their original unmolested condition. This Willie Mays specimen, a highlight of the set, has somehow survived in excellent/mint condition [graded 6 by PSA]. This example is the rarer blank-backed version. The more common variety has printed instructions on the back. 250.00 Buy Rent

1963 Topps POWER PLUS baseball card another awesome combo [combination] card from the 1963 Topps set - card #242 - Power Plus featuring Hank Aaron and Ernie Banks 395.00 Buy Rent

1964 Topps GIANT GUNNERS baseball card you gotta love the combo card!! 1964 Topps card #306 Giant Gunners with Willie Mays and Orlando Cepeda 295.00 Buy Rent

1964 Topps TOPS IN NL baseball card another great Topps combo [combination] card, card #423 in the 1964 set, with Hank Aaron of the Milwaukee Braves and Willie Mays of the San Francisco Giants; one of only a handful of cards to feature both diamond immortals together during their playing days 1195.00 Buy Rent

black Americana WE NEEDS? grocery list board vintage black Americana “WE NEEDS?” wooden grocery list board sign for the kitchen with Mammy or Aunt Jemima graphics 250.00 Buy Rent

CAKE WALK playing cards two decks of playing cards in decorative orange and black pedestal-style box with silhouetted image of a fashionably attired "Negro" couple doing the "Cake Walk" 295.00 Buy Rent

Chubby Checker "Limbo Party" LP record Chubby Checker "Limbo Party" LP record. Parkway SP 7020 in the rare Stereo format. Includes "Limbo Rock" and 11 more limbo and calypso songs. A must for your next limbo dance party! 150.00 Buy Rent

Joe Frazier vs. Muhammad Ali fight program (Leroy Niemann cover) 850.00 Buy Rent

racial equality blotter Interesting and important blotter distributed by the Committee on Racial Equality during the height of the civil rights movement in America using baseball metaphors to preach tolerance. The spokespeople here are the famous sportscaster Mel Allen (Jewish), Joe DiMaggio (Italian-American), Jackie Robinson (African-American), Sid Gordon and Bob Feller. I assume the piece was made sometime between 1947 (year of Jackie’s debut) and 1949 (Gordon’s last season with the Giants). 395.00 Buy Rent

Sonny Liston vs. Cassius Clay boxing program 850.00 Buy Rent

Willie Mays ALAGA SYRUP advertising sign A large 10" x 20" full color store advertising poster for Alaga Syrup that features a black & white photo of Willie Mays - the "say hey!" kid - proclaiming "Say hey! Love that real ribbon cane flavor". The heavy paper stock sign is in beautiful condition and is professionally matted and framed. 1500.00 Buy Rent

Willie Mays CHESTERFIELD cigarettes advertising sign A large 30" x 30" full color store advertising poster for Chesterfield cigarettes featuring a young Willie Mays - the "say hey!" kid - proclaiming "SAY HEY! THESE CHESTERFIELDS ARE GREAT" - and signed [printed facsimile signature] "Willie Mays N.Y. GIANTS' STAR". Madison Avenue clearly recognized the talented and charismatic Mays, along with Jackie Robinson, as the first highly marketable African-American athletes of their era. The heavy paper stock sign is in near mint condition and is professionally matted and framed. Very few of these are known to exist. 7500.00 Buy

"JET" Magazine (Martin Luther King, Jr. cover) the great civil rights leader, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Jan. 15, 1929 - April 4, 1968), is memorialized on the cover of this "JET" magazine 295.00 Buy Rent

"Negro" matchbook cover delightful matchbook cover advertising a motel in Honolulu with incredible graphics of a 'stereotypical' black man proclaiming "Man dat sho was good!" 195.00 Buy Rent

Beatles magazines, sports magazines, and Yoo Hoo! Multiple Items

kitchen countertop Multiple Items