BAB Souvenir Company.
BAB has always represented one of
the great mysteries of football sticker producers. Now, with the help of
a website visitor, Mark, this website is proud to exclusively reveal at
least part of the mystery.
Bernard Babani
began publishing technical books in 1942. In the late 1950s and
early 1960s
Clive Sinclair was an employee, and the author of some of their
books on transistors. The business became
Bernard Babani
(publishing) Limited which, as you can see from their website, is
still operating today. The company has operated out of offices at The
Grampians, Shepherds Bush Road, London since the 1960s. The business is
now run by Bernard's son, Michael.
For some, unknown, reason the company began publishing football
memorabilia under the name 'BAB Souvenir Company' in 1970 or 1971. I own
a poster with the title 'The Pictorial Map of Soccer', which includes
the company name and address, and a date of 1971 (poster designed by J.
Barnett). The name, as well as the mysterious 'Members of the BAB Group'
name, is also found on the index sheets for the Century of Sticker
Stamps.
I contacted Babani and asked about BAB. I received a reply which
stated 'BAB Souvenir Co was formed in about
1973/4 to produce and sell football souvenirs. It lasted about 18 months
and was then closed down'. Hmmm, I dispute the 1973/74 dates! To
a follow-up email I received the reply 'I
regret that I do not have any further information about BAB Souvenir Co,
nor any records, certainly no copies were kept of any of its products.
Sorry I can not be any more helpful.' It is frustrating to get so
close, but fall at the last hurdle. Anyway, thanks to Babani Publishing
for answering our emails.
Identification of BAB stickers has always been problematic. I'm not
even sure that all the stickers shown on this page were produced by BAB.
There is a further complication, in that an issue of some of these
stickers was once in a plastic holder which had the names 'Sparrow and
Barnet Ltd'. Could this be the same Barnett/Barnet from my poster?
Do you know anything else about this company? If so, please
email me. Untangling the mystery of the B.A.B. stickers is one of
the great journeys of this website. |
Team/club badge stickers (1970 to
1972)
BAB is attributed to a number of club badge stickers, though the
attribution is problematic as there is no evidence on the stickers that
they were made by BAB. |
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Soccer Dip shields.
Soccer Dip
was the name used by BAB for three stickers sold for 3p. We can guess
that the word 'Dip' referred to the lucky dip element of which stickers
you bought. The stickers come with either a white or a brown
backing paper, and many different design and colour variations, perhaps
suggesting many different sets, issues or years.
These stickers are slightly larger than the yellow-topped shields |
Straight sided badges.
This set is printed with brown backs or white backs, suggesting perhaps
that they were produced over a number of years. The white backs have 'FasPrint',
Fasson, Leiden, Holland discernible on the backing paper. The sides to
the shields are sharp, as opposed to the rounded sides set . There
appears to be a near-identical set to this set, but with a player image
in front of the club colours instead of the logo. |
Straight sided badges with players.
This set is near-identical to the previous, but with a player image in
front of the club colours instead of the logo. |
Round sided badges.
This set is printed with white backs, with 'FasPrint', Fasson, Leiden,
Holland discernible on the backing paper. The shield designs are
different from the straight-sided sets.
There are a number of colour variations in these stickers. I am not sure
whether these are re-issues or printing issues. |
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Sticker size: 70mm x 51mm |
Sticker size: 64mm x 47mm |
Sticker size: 64mm x 47mm |
Sticker size: 60mm x 45mm |
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Number in
set: 44 (that I know of). |
Number in set: Not sure! |
Number in set: Not sure! |
Number in set: 53 (that I know of) |
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Set gallery or Team badge master
gallery |
Set gallery
or Team badge master gallery |
Set gallery
or Team badge master gallery |
Set gallery or Team badge master
gallery |
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Set
checklist. |
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Set
checklist. |
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Straight sided badges with gold borders and
nicknames.
Very rare badges. |
Unknown.
These stickers look like BAB, but no other copies are known. Can
anyone help? |
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Set gallery
or Team badge master gallery |
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Player stickers (1970 to 1974)
BAB is attributed to a number of player stickers, though the attribution
is problematic as there is no evidence on the stickers that they were
made by BAB. |
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World Cup footballer circles.
Round stickers with the player's head, name and team name. Plain white
backs. The set clearly targets the 1970 World Cup so was produced
perhaps just before the tournament, say March 1970? |
Footballer
circles.
Round stickers with the player's head, name and team name. Plain white
backs. Same style as the international players, but players with
team name. |
Starburst player circles.
Round stickers with the player's head and
name.. The word "permanent" is in red on backs. This set is, apparently,
also available with the team name on the sticker. Quite rare! |
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Number in set: 24 (not sure!) |
Number in set: 24 (not sure!) |
Number in set: Not sure! |
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Set gallery |
Set gallery |
Set gallery |
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Player shields with team names. These are
very rare. They can be dated from Allan Clarke (left Leicester City in July 1969), and
Jimmy Greaves (left
Spurs in March 1970). This dates these earlier than other known BAB
stickers. |
Shooting Stars.
Shield-shaped
stickers with the player's head, name and team name in a yellow box.
Plain white backs.
There were updates to some stickers due to transfers. The editions can be dated from player transfers like Alan Birchenall
(featured in one set as a Crystal Palace player, and in another as a
Leicester City player - transferred in September 1971). Some stickers must have been added later e.g. Alun Evans of Aston Villa, the club he was
transferred to in June 1972. |
Player shields.
1970 to 1974. Garishly coloured shields with drawn player heads. Really
interesting set though. Are these really BAB? |
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Number in set: 60 (not sure!) |
Number in set: 60 (not sure!) |
Number in set: 60 (not sure!) |
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Set gallery |
Set gallery |
Set gallery |
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Century Series of Sticker Stamps
(1971) |
Century Series of
Sticker Stamps. BAB produced a number of these beautiful sheets,
copyright 1971. The sheets contained a 'century of' i.e. 100, stickers.
The football related ones I am aware of are:
1.
Soccer favourites
3.
Clubs, crests and colours.
The sheets were accompanied by 'Index sheets' which provide information
for the sticker/ stamps. Alan informs me that sheets for 'Flags' and
'Wild West characters' also exist.
I have dated Sheet 1 as October or November 1971 based on the inclusion
of transfers such as Keith Weller, Chelsea to Leicester City in
September 1971. Transfers such as Tommy Gemmell from Celtic to
Nottingham Forest or Alan Ball from Everton to Arsenal in December 1971
are not recorded.
Number in set: 100 per sheet.
Checklists: Soccer favourites -
Set checklist,
Team checklist |
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