1976 Crane Discs

There are thirty discs in the 1976 Crane Discs set. According to Beckett, a full set could be obtained via an offer on wrappers of Crane Potato Chips. The discs have no corners to ding, and apparently they were printed in ample numbers, because they are easy to find in high grades today.

The Crane Potato Chip Company was based in Decatur, Illinois, about halfway between Chicago and St. Louis. To please their customers in the region, the company included a disproportionate number of Chicago Bears and St. Louis Cardinals in the set: four of each. The majority of the rest of the players are also from teams in the Midwest. Most of the coastal NFL teams are not represented: there are no 49ers, Giants, Jets, Raiders, Dolphins, or Chargers in the set, but there are a couple of Los Angeles Rams.

I did a little web search, but I couldn't find an image of a Crane wrapper with an ad for the discs. I did, however, find a nice picture of an old clock with the Crane logo. I also found that the Crane Potato Chip Company was purchased by the Acton Corporation in 1976.