This blog's type collection targets sets with at least one card numbered five from baseball's majors, minors, and foreign issues of the pre-1981 vintage era. Over 600 different sets fall into that camp! While Topps printed more than any other single company, many smaller makers also stand out. Johnston's Cookies printed one of the biggest in my collection, Hank Aaron's 1954 card from the season he wore uniform #5.
 |
| UER: 9 HRs & 61 RBIs for Eau Claire in 1952 |
It proved easiest to track overall type collection progress by decade, which also shows how total sets remained modest though the 1940s and then rose fast after WWII, echoing the growing buying power of children and baseball's own league expansion. Thanks to my 20+ year search, I own 90% of all qualifying vintage #5s.
Decade: # owned of # possible
- Pre-1920: 19 of 31
- 1920s: 28 of 39
- 1930s: 32 of 36
- 1940s: 28 of 32
- 1950s: 53 of 59
- 1960s: 105 of 118
- 1970s: 198 of 213
- Minor league: 148 of 152
- Total: 611 of 680 (90%)
This blog profiled hundreds of different sets so far, as linked from the type wantlist. It goes well over a book in total length and my work since 2019 includes more in-depth research into notable players, card businesses, and other holes in our hobby that I wanted to fill in. Find more of my card stuff on Bluesky @number5typecard and thanks for reading along, however long you've been doing so!
