When the Beatles Got Their Own Trading Cards
You know you've made it in America when you get your image on a bubblegum card.
Topps got in on the game as all things Beatles were taking hold over the youth of the world in May 1964, issuing the first in a series of Fab-related trading cards. The original series featured a total of 60 black and white entries in the set, and sold for five cents a package.
Topps had been doing quite well selling baseball cards since 1950, and knew a golden opportunity was at hand. Card designer Sy Berger made the trek to England in early-1964 to meet with Beatles manager Brian Epstein to negotiate the deal. Berger, known as the father of the modern baseball card after designing Topps' first set at his kitchen table, reportedly closed the deal by speaking Yiddish to Epstein.
Three series of cards were issued between 1964 and 1965, with color photographs and information on the back eventually worked into the equation. One set of '64-era color cards listed John Lennon's favorite band as the Shirelles, and Paul McCartney's as Little Richard. George Harrison said he liked drive-in movies, while Ringo Starr preferred science fiction.
There were other sets of cards issued at various points in the '80s and '90s, but the original three series remain the most highly collectible for Beatles fans. They sometimes sell for hundreds of dollars in various eBay auctions.
Take a Look at Beatles Trading Cards