BULLETIN

BULLETIN
PRESIDENT
TREASURER
Loren Moore
Jack Benbrook
POB 1181
1328 E. Rosser St.
Roseville, CA 95678 Prescott AZ 86301
877-752-6247
928-772-3763
MEM SECRETARY
EDITOR
Janet Johnk
Mike Prero
6 Truman Dr
12659 Eckard
Novato,CA 94947 Auburn,CA 95603
415-897-6724
530-885-3604
No. 265
September 2006
by
Mike Haywood
[Reprinted from RMS Bulletin, Jan/Feb 1996]
As a lifelong Washington Redskins fan, it was natural for me to collect Redskin covers when I began
collecting matchcovers two years ago. What fun it has been. Although I still need ten covers to finish my
run of the eight sets, I have really enjoyed this hobby and collecting these sets. Let me share these with
you.
The Redskins first set was produced in 1939, consisting of 20 different players and followed by three
additional sets for the next three years (1940-1942). In 1951 and 1952, sets were released. The final two
sets, “Famous Redskins, “ were issued in 1959 and 1960. The key cover in each of the sets is “Slingin‟
Sam Baugh,” the legendary Hall of Fame quarterback. He appears in each set except the final 1960 set.
Here‟s a short description and checklist of the players in the eight sets:
1939: Sponsored by Ross Jewelry, produced by Universal Match Corp. Lists home schedule on back.
Colors: gold with red lettering. Twenty different players‟ photos appear on the inside, with signature under
photo. Called “Autograph Set” for this reason. Players in set: Barber, Baugh, Bradley, Carroll, Erickson,
Farkas, Filchock, Flaherty, Irwin, Justice, Karcher, Krause, Malone, Masterson, Millner, Parks, Pinckert,
Slivinski, Stralka, Turner.
1940: Sponsored by Ross Jewelry, produced by Universal Match Corp. Lists home schedule on back.
Colors: gold with red lettering. Twenty different players‟ photos appear on the inside, with signature under
photo. Also called “Autograph Set.” Players in set: Barber, Baugh, Carroll, Edwards, Farkas, Farman,
Hoffman, Irwin, Malone, Masterson, Millner, Parks, Pinckert, Russell, Shugart, Slivinski, Stralka, Todd,
Young, Zimmerman.
1941: Sponsored by Home Laundry, produced by Maryland Match Co. The quality is much better in this
“Autograph Set” than the first two. Lists home schedule on back. Colors: dark brown with metallic gold
lettering. Same format, 20 players with signatures. Nice set. Players in set: Aldrich, Barber, Baugh,
Carroll, Davis, Farman, Farkas, Filchock, Flaherty, Masterson, McChesney, Millner, Moore, Seymour,
Shugart, Stralka, Titchenal, Todd, Young, Zimmerman.
No. 265
SIERRA-DIABLO BULLETIN-September 2006
Page 2
1942: Sponsored by Home Laundry, produced by Maryland Match Co. My personal favorite. Very
colorful. The logo jumps out at you. Colors: gold with deep burgundy lettering. Lists home schedule on
back. Same format, 20 players with signatures. The ultimate “Autograph Set.” Players in the set: Aldrich,
Baugh, Beinor, Carroll, Cifers, Davis, Edwards, Farman, Farkas, Flaherty, Kreuger, Masterson,
McChesney, Moore, Seymour, Shugart, Stralka, Todd, Wilkin, Young.
1951: Sponsored by Arcade Pontiac, produced by Universal. A very attractive design. Colors: gold and
black background, with burgundy, gold, and black lettering. Although inside cover says “one of twenty
different players,” only 17 exist. According to Bill Hubbard‟s Sports Matchcover Guide, three plates were
destroyed, as confirmed by a representative with Universal. Therefore, the set is considered complete with
17 covers. Players in set: Ball, Baugh, Berrang, Brown, DeMao, Drazenovich, Dudley, Gilmer, Goode,
Karras, Lipscomb, Niemi, Peebles, Quirk, Staton, Taylor, Tereshinski.
1952: Sponsored by Arcade Pontiac, produced by Universal. Almost identical in appearance to the 1951
“Autograph Set.” These two sets are often mistakenly listed as one set. The subtle difference is the gold
outline lettering behind “Arcade” is slightly wider on this set. Otherwise, it‟s the same appearance as the
1951 set. This set is considered complete at 19 covers. Players in set: Ball, Badaczewski, Baugh, DeMao,
Dowda, Drazenovich, Gilmer, Heath, Justice, Karras, LeBaron, Lipscomb, Niemi, Papit, Quirk, Ricca,
Taylor, Tereshinski, Todd.
1959: “Famous Redskins,” sponsored by 1st Federal Savings and Loan, produced by Universal. Colors:
white and black with burgundy and gold lettering. Twenty different players are featured, and their photos
are on the back with Redskin logo and “Famous Redskins.” A small bio appears inside the cover. Printed
on older gray back coated stock. No schedule. Players in the set: Bagaras, Battles, Baugh, Brito, Castiglia,
DeMao, Drazenovich, Dudley, Fiorentino, Irwin, LeBaron, Millner, Moore, Schrader, Smith, Sommer,
Tereshinski, Todd, Wilkin, Witucki.
1960: “Famous Redskins,” also sponsored by 1st
Federal Savings & Loan and produced by Universal.
Same style and coloring as the 1959 set. The only
difference in this set and the previous 1959 set is the
paper stock. This set was printed on white, thinner
shinekote stock. Players in the set: Anderson, Bossler,
Edwards, Guglielmi, Hartman, Hecker, James, Justice,
Krause, Lemek, Mont, Olszewski, Paluck, Peebles,
Russell, Schrader, Stevens, Sutton, Toneff, Torgeson.
I‟m still looking for 1939, Slivinski; 1940, Farkas,
Farman, Irwin, Millner; 1941, Davis, Farkas, Farman,
Masterson, Moore. Any help would be greatly
appreciated. I‟d trade or purchase. Thank you and
happy collecting.
Ed. These are really great sets. I think I only have two
complete ones and sporadic singles in the others...
sigh!
No. 265
SIERRA-DIABLO BULLETIN-September 2006
Page 3
Contours
These covers are sure to make anyone sit up and take notice. They‟re colorful—they‟re unusual—they‟re
part of the Golden Age of Matchcovers—and just like all the others...they don‟t make them anymore!
Contours appeared in 1951 as a trademarked cover from the Lion Match Company. Since then, They‟ve
become a sure favorite of collectors. Normally, these are 20-stick size, but, because they‟re die-cut, they‟re
not standard-shaped, as can be seem by the beauties pictured here. The logos, pictures, or text on Contours
extend beyond the normal sides of the cover to form a somewhat three-dimensional format designed to
catch the customer‟s eye...and do they ever! The standard length, though, means that they can still be
mounted on the usual slit, 20-stick album pages with no real problem.
Although similarly conceived covers were made by Lion in the 1970s and beyond, Lion no longer used
the tell-tale trademark, and these later covers lacked the beautiful art work, were thinner, and generally just
much cheaper looking. But, then, that‟s basically what happened to all the great covers of yester-year, if
they were to survive at all.
A number of conjunctives exist within the Contour category. There are Contours which are Features, knot
holes, a few odd-strikers, etc. The great majority of classic Contours are front-strikers, of course, although
there were some early reverse-strikers (“back-strikers”), as well (this isn‟t counting the more modern issues
which don‟t carry the Contour trademark).
There were 1,147 listed as of 1999, which is the latest number I have. John Clark, FL, reported having
916 in November 2000.
No. 265
SIERRA-DIABLO BULLETIN-September 2006
Page 4
The Empire State Building
The Empire State Building! It hasn‟t been the tallest building in the world for a good many years, now,
but none of the Johnny-come-latelys have the charisma, character, and history that this building can rightly
boast of. I mean, how many of those other structures can say they‟ve been climbed by King Kong?
Still one of the most famous architectural feats in the world, the Empire State Building was built in 19301931. It‟s located in central Manhattan, on 5th Ave., between 33rd St. and 34th St., on the site of the old
Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. It‟s about 1/4 mile high—1,250 ft! And, over the years, there has been a variety of
Empire State Building covers issued, both to commemorate the structure, itself, and from various
businesses and organizations located within its 102 floors. The site was first developed as the John
Thomson Farm, in the late 18th century. The building stands on a block once occupied by the original
Waldorf Hotel, a place frequented by The Four Hundred, the social elite of New York, in the late 19th
century.
The project was hurried to completion in order to take the title of "world's tallest building" from the
nearby Chrysler Building. The Empire State Building was officially opened on May 1, 1931, when
President Herbert Hoover pressed a button in Washington, D.C. that turned on the building's lights, 410
days after construction commenced. From its opening until the 1940s much of its office space went
unrented. This lack of inhabitants earned it the nickname "Empty State Building" in its early years.
More than thirty people have committed suicide from atop the building. The fence around the observatory
terrace was put up in 1947 after five people tried to jump over a three-week span. In 1979, Elvita Adams
jumped from the 86th floor, only to be blown back onto the 85th floor and left with only a broken hip. The
building was also the source of suicides in 2004 and 2006.
No. 265
SIERRA-DIABLO BULLETIN-September 2006
Page 5
When a Dollar Was a Dollar!
by
Mike Prero
Those were the good ol‟ days...doesn‟t matter what period of time you happen to be in, the “good ol‟
days” were always better. That was true in my grandfather‟s time, my father‟s time, and it‟s true now.
They were better in any number of ways: life was simpler; life was slower; life was more care free.
Looking back through matchcovers, one sees many examples of nostalgia from our past, but perhaps the
most obvious one is the prices of the past. You just can‟t help but let out an audible sigh when your eyes
settle on such sights as hotel rooms for $2, a 26 oz. stein of beer for 10¢, or 5¢ hamburgers!
Of course, money was harder to come by back then, but what the heck! The fewer dollars you earned
bought more, and what they bought was just downright more solid...none of this plastic stuff and built in
obsolescence. Even with my own few years here on earth, I can remember the really important
changes...5¢ candy bars and 10¢ Coca-Colas...and Topps baseball cards were 5¢ a pack! (and they had
gum in them!). People still saved pennies, instead of throwing them away or refusing to take them in
change. Houses went for what cars go for today...and postage!...Oh, postage was s-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o much
cheaper than it is today.
That‟s one of the good things about thumbing through your album pages every once and awhile; you get
to re-live the “good ol‟ days!”
No. 265
SIERRA-DIABLO BULLETIN-September 2006
Page 6
An American Tour:
8
Washington’s Grand Coulee Dam
The Grand Coulee Dam, located on the Columbia river in central Washington, is the largest concrete
structure in the United States. It forms the centerpiece of the Columbia Basin Project, a multipurpose
endeavor managed by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. In addition to producing up to 6.5 million
kilowatts of power, the dam irrigates over half a million acres of Columbia river basin farm land and
provides abundant wildlife and recreation areas.
The idea for damming the Columbia below the Grand Coulee was first proposed by Ephrata attorney
William M. Clapp in the spring of 1917. The idea gained rapid support from the citizens of Ephrata and
the surrounding area. Eventually the state government took an interest in the project as well.
Ironically, because of the Second World War and the importance of the Northwest's aluminum industry
to that effort, the production of electricity became the overriding priority for the dam. Irrigation was
deferred until later. During the war six Grand Coulee generators were brought on line as well as two
generators borrowed from the yet to be completed Shasta dam. After the war an emphasis was put back on
irrigation. Construction was resumed on the pumping plant in 1946. By 1951 the plant and its six 65,000
horsepower pumps were ready for operation. The
first water was delivered to the Banks Lake
equalizing reservoir above the dam that same year.
The first year only 66,000 acres were irrigated.
Since then this figure has steadily increased as more
canals, siphons, reservoirs and auxiliary pumping
plants have been added to the project.
No. 265
SIERRA-DIABLO BULLETIN-September 2006
Ads
LISTING OF ALL THE
OLDIES: See my web site for
categories and prices. Mike
Prero, http://matchpro.org
NAVY SHIP LISTINGS just
updated. 70 unlisted covers
added. Available as Works files
by e-mail only. Pre-War ($10),
Post-War ($15). Mike Prero,
rmsed@matchpro.org
Coming Up
KEYSTONE-LEHIGH
WEEKEND: October 26-28,
Holiday Inn, 230 Cherry St., US
Rt 10, Morgantown, PA 19543
(Exit 22) (610-286-3000).
Reservations NLT Sep. 30th
directly w/hotel. Ask for L-LV
rate. Friday night Halloween
Party w/costumes and prizes.
Two auctions-20 lots per
member. Send 2 lists with SASE
to D. Longenecker, 1007 Old
Philly Pike, Kempton, PA 19529
-9321 (610-756-4204)
bordlong@fast.net. Raffle+some
$50 prizes!
SOUTHERN SWAPFEST:
March 6-10, 2007. Holiday Inn,
Orlando area, FL. Contact
Zoraida Aponte, Res. Manager,
1-407-862-455,
Ext. 194.
Rooms: $79/$99. Auction, she
box trading, pool side picnic,
tour, banquet, and more! Check
out www.home.earthlink.net/
~gayliano13/
SIERRA-DIABLO SPRING
SWAPFEST: March 30-April 1,
2007, Roseville, CA. Featuring
heavy duty one-on-one trading.
Always fun...and profitable! Big
auction on Sunday. FMI: Loren
Moore, POB 1181, Roseville,
CA 95678 (877-752-6247)
(loren@bgsplacnco.com)
Readers Write
Kevin Fleming, CA: Since you
threw down the gauntlet [July
issue], I figured I would not
disappoint you with scans of a
couple of mileage tables on the
outside of covers. These are
both from my Route 66
collection and the 30-strike I
picked up myself about 10 years
ago from a long-extinct Peek‟s
(Pic‟s) Coffee Shop in Devore,
CA, between San Bernardino
and Cajon summit.
What I find
amusing is the
difference in
mileage
on
tables from/to
the same town.
In some cases
this
may
reflect
a
straightlining
o f
t h e
highway, but
in others, I
think it was
just
an
estimate.
Remember
those
little
things in Best
Westerns
where
you
could dial up
your next stop
and see how
Page 7
far it was to the Best Western
Trade Winds in Oklahoma City,
for example?”
The 20-strike has reverse print:
National Cafe, Open Day &
Night, Air conditioned, 118 E.
Second St. Hwy. 66 Winslow,
Ariz.”
Judi Wittwer, AZ: Re July‟s
Mileage charts article, I do not
have a 10s, but I do have two
midgets. Most are 20s. A few
30s &1 40s. I have a total of
128. And only three of them
have the chart on the outside,
Like you said most are front
striker. I do have a few reverse
strikers. I have a copy of a list
from the Match Corporation of
America from the salesman book
in 1961. 218 towns listed with a
No. 265
SIERRA-DIABLO BULLETIN-September 2006
Happy Birthday!
Crill, Cheryl...............................9-5
Prero, Mike................................9-7
Plunkett, Joan............................9-8
Woelfle, Bob............................9-10
Williams, Dorothy...................9-15
Nicholson, John.......................9-17
Walker, Blane..........................9-18
Dixon, Bill...............................9-20
Johnk, Duane...........................9-20
Grant, Alan..............................9-22
England, Bob...........................9-24
Proctor, Ed...............................9-26
Robles, R.E..............................9-26
Barksdale, Ron........................9-28
mileage chart. I also have a list
from a Monarch Match Co.
salesman‟s catalog dated 1960,
107 listed.
Ron Barksdale, CT: After
reading your article on
Ownames in the RMS Bulletin,
my interest has been restored in
collecting them. I have 159
different-most obtained thru a
large collection that I purchased
and thru trading with one
collector. (I have some dupes to
trade)
I noted several differences or
oddities from other matchcovers
that certainly make the
Ownames unique: As you noted,
all Owname covers are 30 strike
in size but were never issued (to
my knowledge) with 30
matches. I have several full
books showing 14 (noted in your
Nov/Dec 1995 No. 457 RMS
article) and 15 single combs—
more 14‟s than 15‟s. Next the
manumark is always located on
the inside of the back cover and
usually contains the U.S. PAT.
No1573747. I do have „different
manumarks: Te first shows 475
Broadway New York as their
address and has a TrademarkReg 4-29-1926. (an early date)
The second manumark shows
only the U.S. PAT. No 1573747
and nothing else to identify the
manufacturer. Finally the O-SOTITE cover has a kaddie for
gold tees, scorecard (inside back
cover), and pencil. The unique
part is that one of the tees is Red
and has a lead pencil point. This
is actually noted just above the
striker. As you pointed out,
these are touch to find today but
I‟m will to trade for them as
they are definitely different.
Ed. Thanks for the input, Ron.....
and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
September’s Smile
Page 8
Raulin Mendonca, CA:
Nobody knows what they are
worth. I have talked and emailed collectors and there is no
standard for value. Has anyone
ever attempted a book or guide
on MC values? It would be a tall
order, but then just another
opinion. Ed. Bill Retskin put out a
price guide in the late „80s-early „90s,
but no one pays any attention to it.
COMING
UP
Oct: “Camel 30 Singles”
Nov: “”San
Trolley Cars”
Francisco
Replace with advertising text
Jan: “Perkins Americana”
SIERRA-DIABLO...we’re
the hottest club in the
hobby! Company Name
The Sierra-Diablo Bulletin is a
monthly publication of the SierraDiablo Matchcover Club. Deadline
for all submissions is the 10th of
each month. Any information
herein may be reproduced with
appropriate credit line. Dues of
$10 (individual), $15 (family), $15
(Canada/Mexico) or $20 (outside
N. America) are payable to the
Sierra-Diablo Matchcover Club, c/
o Jack Benbrook, 1328 E. Rosser
St., Prescott, AZ 86301.
Visit theSierra-Diablo Web Site at:
http://www.matchcover.org/sierra
You can reach the Ed. on line at
RMSED@matchpro.org for help
with Bulletin/hobby questions,
concerns or problems.