1950 Bread for Health

Nine vintage basketball trading cards featuring players from various teams, each with a brief biography and team name, arranged in a 3x3 grid on a black background.

In my opinion, this is easily the most underrated set in the vintage basketball hobby. It is the first true NBA set and extremely rare. Given its size and variety of teams represented, it should be considered the fourth true vintage basketball set (the others three being 1948 Bowman, 1957 Topps and 1961 Fleer).

There are 32 cards in the set from twelve different NBA teams. It is the first true NBA set as it came out after the Basketball Association of America merged with the National Basketball League on August 3, 1949. 

These are square, die-cut labels that functioned as seals on bread wrappers on the end of each National Baking Company bread loaf. Only issued during basketball season in limited regions, these cards are VERY thin and fragile.

They were issued during basketball season and only in limited regions. While all the bakeries who issued this set are unknown, they were distributed by Fisher's Bread (NY/NJ/PA region) or NBC Bread (Michigan region).

A collection of vintage basketball trading cards featuring famous players like Tony Lavelli, Ronald Liveystone, Morace McIntrye, Stan Miark, Paul Armstrong, Yince Kortla, Al Ceri, Bob Dayns, and Dere Edolman. Each card includes a portrait and a brief biography, with the phrase 'Bread for Health' at the bottom.

Hall of Famers In the Set

The set includes 9 Naismith Hall of Fame players:

  • Al Cervi*

  • Bob Davies

  • Joe Fulks

  • Harry Gallatin

  • Buddy Jeannette (misspelled Jeanette)

  • George Mikan

  • Andy Phillip

  • Arnie Risen

  • Dolph Schayes

*Al Cervi's only card

Collection of vintage basketball trading cards featuring famous players. Each card shows an illustrated portrait of a player in action or posed with a basketball, with descriptive text and a red banner at the bottom that reads 'BREAD for HEALTH'. The cards are arranged in three rows with three cards in the top and middle rows, and three cards in the bottom row.

Only Available In This Set

The set includes 11 players that do not have any other card: 

  • Ralph Beard

  • Vince Boryla

  • Al Cervi (HOFer)

  • Dike Eddleman (misspelled Eddelman)

  • Alex Groza*

  • Paul Hoffman**

  • Tony Lavelli

  • Ron Livingstone

  • Fred Scolari

  • Brady Walker

*Groza is football HOFer Lou Groza's brother

**Also available in the rare 1953-54 Gunther Beer set

A display of twelve basketball trading cards featuring players in colorful jerseys, arranged in a grid with three rows and four columns, each protected in plastic cases.

Bread For Health Checklist By Teams

Baltimore Bullets

Walt Budko

Paul Hoffmann

Buddy Jeannette (misspelled Jeanette)

Boston Celtics

Bob Kinney

Tony Lavelli

Brady Walker

Chicago Stags

Ralph Beard

Stan Miasek

Gene Vance

Max Zaslofsky

Fort Wayne Pistons

Paul Armstrong

Fraud Schaus

Indianapolis Olympians

Alex Groza

Bruce Hale

Minneapolis Lakers

Arnold Ferrin

George Mikan

New York Knicks

Vince Boryla

Harry Gallatin

Connie Simmons

Philadelphia Warriors

Joe Fulks

Ronald Livingstone

Andy Phillip

George Senesky

Rochester Royals

Bob Davies

Arnold Risen

Syracuse Nationals

Al Cervi

Adoph Schayes

Paul Seymour

Tri-Cities Blackhawks

Dike Eddleman (misspelled Eddelman)

Washington Capitols

Charles Gilmur (misspelled Gilmer)

Horace McKinney

Fred Scolari

Original Bread for Health Photos: Harry Gallatin, Arnie Risen and Vince Boryla

Original Bread for Health Photo:
George Mikan

Original Bread for Health Photo:
Al Cervi

Original Bread for Health Photo:
Bob Davies

Original Bread for Health Photo:
Horace “Bones” McKinney

1950 Bread for Health:
Exemplars

Paul Hoffman
Adolph “Dolph” Schayes
Andy Philip
Ralph Beard
Joe Fulks