Every once in a blue moon, we get a piece we have never seen before. Offered is one such item: an unopened pack of Don Mattingly cigarettes. The pack features a photo of Mattingly as a member of the Yankees on the front, with his name printed in red below. A navy pinstripe design decorates the front and reverse, while the New York Yankees logo appears on four of the six sides. The name "Don Mattingly" is lettered in blue on a side panel. The Surgeon General's warning is printed on the opposite side panel. The reverse is lettered "Don Mattingly of the Yankees Is In A Class By Himself, and He May Still Get Better!" The cellophane wrapping remains sealed and there is a twenty-cent South Carolina tax stamp on the base. The notation "BC '87" appears on a side panel (we assume the "87" denotes the year). The lettering "Generic Price" encircles the pack along the top border. Since we have never seen this piece before, we have no knowledge as to who produced it or how it was distributed. According to our consignor, he remembers reading in a hobby publication during the late 1980s that a small number of examples were produced in either blue (like the offered piece) or red, but that production was halted almost immediately after it began. It's hard to believe the New York Yankees would allow the team's logo to appear on a pack of cigarettes, or that Don Mattingly gave his official endorsement. If so, this would be an unlicensed product probably produced by an individual as a novelty item, making it akin to a fantasy piece. Regardless of its history, it is certainly one of the rarest Don Mattingly items in the hobby and one that would make for a fantastic conversation piece.

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