Comments: From their induction in 2006 until 2012 I didn't know any baseball cards existed of the following negro leaguers - Effa Manley, Alex Pompez, Louis Santop , J.L. Wilkinson, or Sol White. Then in May, a PSA 10 1964-Date postcard of Alex Pompez showed up on eBay and I snatched it. I was aware of the issue, seen it many times, but didn't know it was updated with the inductees because nobody had listed them before on eBay. Or, for some reasons my searches didn't reveal them. True the player's portrait is in the plaque, and would be preferred on it's own, but its still better than no card at all.

UPDATE: The Helmar cards have always caught my eye.  I remember first seeing them many years ago and around the same time purchased a set of beer bottle caps for my other collection.  Some of the original art is amazing – beautiful tiny masterpieces.  I was in Chicago for the 2015 National (late-July) when I found this particular card on eBay.  According to the item description it was the first example publically offered and my goal was to be the first owner.  Previously, the spot was occupied with a 1964 HOF Yellow PSA 10 postcard – a placeholder until I found the ‘Right’ card.  It didn’t really fit my criteria for a portrait card, just a picture of the Hall Of Fame plaque featuring his bust.  Up until finding the Helmar card, I hadn’t found any other card issue, so it had to do.  This particular image of the Cuban Stars owner really pops with the bright background colors.  I was able to monitor the auction to the very end and placed a last second bid.  It was mine!  Just a few weeks earlier I won another art card of Frank Selee. I really enjoy them as an alternative to collecting the standard issues.  Helmar says, “We’ve hit a homer if it seems as if you are holding a vintage card in your hands”.  Totally, more like a grand slam!

From the auction listing:

This is a recent, hand-made art card by HELMAR. If you are unfamiliar with Helmar, please read the full description. You may enjoy our blog, helmarblog.com; our Facebook page, The Helmar Baseball Art Card Company; or our website, Helmarbrewing.com.

The Helmar T206 series is one of our boldest and most important projects. Each card is the same size as the original American Tobacco 1909-1911 T206 cards, though the Helmar T206s are thicker and sturdier. Each Helmar T206 is made from an original, exclusive painting. Cuban stars, Babe Ruth with the Red Sox, Negro Leaguers, and Ty Cobb shaking hands with Honus Wagner are some of the most popular Helmar T206s.We also spend a huge amount of time creating evocative, humorous, interesting backs. In creating these cards, we have a deep appreciation for the unknown artists who brought the original T206s to life. Will Helmar T206s ever get to 514-520 cards, the (controversial) number of 1909-1911 T206s? We hope so.

Helmar cards are printed on paper stock consistent with the most treasured card sets of the late 19th century, and early 20th century. Our cards are hand-distressed and treated, to give them a worn, well-loved look and feel, and a fresh, unique scent. We’ve hit a homer if it seems as if you are holding a vintage card in your hands.

All the original art is painted by our team. You won’t find it anywhere else. Our graphic artists choose the perfect poses and colors. We spend almost as much time creating the backs of the cards as the fronts. For our cards that display player information on the backs, our writers strive to create descriptions that transport you to the time of the player’s career. Everything we do is a time-gobbling labor of baseball-card love.

Helmar cards are not available in full sets. We generally offer a few different cards from each series each week. Since each card is handmade, no two look exactly the same. It might be two months, or more, before you see a particular card again. We have vowed not to sell more than six of each card per year. Checklists are available on our website.

Perhaps you’ve enjoyed some of our other projects, including cult favorite Helmar Big League Brew (winner of the Gold Medal at the 2005 World Beer Festival). Another popular project was making Helmar Potato Chips & Caramel Corn. Those snack products featured the well-known series of Helmar Famous Athletes trading cards (which are often found on eBay offered by other sellers).

Helmar is devoted to creating cards that echo a time when collecting wasn’t about the condition of the card, but about the essence of the player, his team, the era that the card represents, the beauty of the card, and what it all means to the collector. We hope that you win the Helmar cards that you will be bidding on. We believe that you will treasure them forever.

Charles Mandel, President
Helmar Brewing Co.