Here is what the front and back look like, no matter which vintage (they were reissued and reinserted in 1971):
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRv-Ugv03r35dRUDTSGzJn-FvOSteevE1w0e3W9CDXKSQ0qEDDvJJ5C8LRUh_Lil6I_oHkm4Ysa3tNJuZ_zBwxXyVTrqL3pDgleecvAq56jgw7UMPLn-EeIwO4nwO7XniWph1kBShKfw/s320/scratch+off+front.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfghN5Z9BLtlzPyNcpc5BaTTAsOFSVvn9r8PRZiNdRN-KV98kjjXZ2gtC2zo3pgM_iVBKQgN88J9TJgJ6tfOvtWl4p0Vuxl_Dra3kETAY15ke0AsMb-RTiP4vh65GE6bdesGBDA-YGpQ/s320/scratch+off+reverse.jpg)
Folded, these measure 2 1/2" x 3 3/8". When opened they revealed a large panel with 44 black blocks that gave off a distinct optical illusion.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHbnRQHqzfmzqXqQgZu284e5NwKjBlEocGILnv2SdJmtrAInvIVSsBl1mEbi191USUQxcx2_BdUr52hn6Xz4KCfKMRbbvL1uatDwGE8wwjL9IoOONM1u_s2HfpyJDwfszF8VWZGrR5sA/s320/scratch+off+70+interior.jpg)
Notice the white interior color. In 1971 it turned crimson:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJdc0H7G0gWNS9ltO2C9vPlrKDTCYKuLJJJzbXTqJ8Go7g1HzkVgZB-CdTyX3xVzXFU1kJFPQBzTMEZKESkpBUaaiV9fM11itfeLfF0ztDQukgVgiZzBsBqy1b2nsB6LfRwE6A46Ar9A/s320/scratch+off+71+interior.jpg)
Each block had a baseball play printed under it such as "Single" or "Out" and you could keep score on the back. Oddly enough for me, my hybrid set is intact and I can't show a scratched card. Each team in MLB at the time had their own team captain and the set is loaded with hall-of-famers. We played this game for hours back in the day. The red is probably in shorter supply (I have 5 red and 19 white interiors in my randomly assembled set) but these are pretty easy to find and there is no real pricing difference.
There is a reference in an old wax pack article that mentions a rewrapped pack for the Scratch Offs, renamed “Pocket Sized Baseball Game”. Rewrapping insert cards was a Topps hallmark, helping to siphon off excess inventory from their warehouse and selling it to the public, but I have never been able to locate a copy or even a scan. It would have to be one of the rarer Topps wrappers out there if it exists and I have to think it would be in a test wrapper format. (NOTE 7/12/11: It is not a re-wrap but an entirely separate issue. Click here for details)
The uncut sheet shows off the three colors used for the fronts; this is likely from an Ebay auction last year:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJxYegzoU2Pl4frSXhtkPAIrxteVc3JwTIorw6WF8I1lgvWAFPOrkQUhuN8xfDU78_-1Pc-37Y7r0JnPhWxFTTxf83AQiaOMx5NgZGknSXUJyByb0EbTLJA8-dRnQFJMY32NVyTK3m5g/s320/scratch+off+uncut+sheet.bmp)
I would have thought the color distribution would even out at 8/8/8 but no it's 6/7/11.
In 1973/74 Topps issued another scratch off with the Action Emblem cards. These were tallboys (even tho' the Action Emblems were standard sized) and while they were the usual 2 1/2" wide, they were a whopping 4 11/16" tall. The scratch off material was different this time out and there were no team captains but the play was the same.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm0t6pwrN-SPqv_MXEQP4pjS20-0Gv5__JBt8zh6vH3pVgTiODd34pTRNEVznSo1Jr1JuYVbkxdDZBw-FK7rW4Qd8v7ig3_KaE8-6JV6ka5BT5LllkND6CVKKTshBY5U8N_xc4PlYR4Q/s320/scratch+off+74+front.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM-dYwaCEAMSRDfMnuIpDZu0TG4KDJwQu1uNIduEvmdjmEcpJ2oWnqCmoG42v1Mw2JgmZks_zo_HqkZkwCV9BVUYzky7ETjrDncIAAx5h-SDOaxBYBvJ4DhWKzhjKvy8Iunq9VvPwZHQ/s320/scratch+off+74+reverse.jpg)
In 1980, Topps issued another scratch off card, similar to 1974 but resemebling the 1970 version as well.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioTy_b-YhauKMSao86SUB01nOPd0u1uywPpLymohD60BzcVBgAzOJgGVQWzZxgiy00o4c4Eo-lfz1mTLBa60zPq7Qj3DM1ZWnCeejzCyQ-me3z4wZ5Gav8hCmhk8eQif2-yUr96HrMPg/s320/scratch+off+80+front.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJU4n2D_TIs2d3wk9q8lHa3jbBWp7LbukllgHZEDx-SAoyHsUckzlW9TnGc1-3KeuRLN_MK63Jm8dnBXVJR3vt6MRuDT2-YZLVCC_QNNoeCI7MFfljZg3zhbu4LPNaybbuQlIEFkxQpA/s320/scratch+off+80+reverse.jpg)
These were also 2 1/2" wide but a fraction shorter than in '74 at 4 1/2" high. Their distribution is a little murky but Bob Lemke of SCD thought they might have come in Jumbo Packs in 1980 (the back has a 1980 production code and the offer on the locker expires on 12/31/80) and Topps was selling cello packs with a couple of dozen cards or so packaged above a pack of stick chewing gum at the time, all overwrapped in an elongated wrapper. A look at the production codes shows a match with Major League Baseball Gum's 931 product code and the back of the scratch off card, so it's a good bet Mr. Lemke is correct:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLAZJwbBrJ76j4NutmJ6vrO6BnBAD3sKrD67ds_1YG8tcMnWh7H3SnZnFoNNAQudBzFl9iWhBpZiJwx2XZXeRlZSnpPBR_qqAStgEkEqXwKe51GCyzvB_eIiV0XRE0zASg8omjX7-2RA/s320/scratch+off+80+reverse+prod+code.jpg)
While it is technically a year past my arbitrary 1980 bright line, Topps resurrected a 108 card set with a twist in 1981 as it was issued over 36 three card panels, as shown in a recent Ebay auction:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkxGITG-5R07pSKCLQ43vdfdEHwB0nvcPcgfB3DsoI8cnUfP_f_5jsZcykJBfisRJKF5rZdveOidAADZ6YQKA7Z2e35DO3vvMXL1dW4NcgmkRAUDe8yWgW_CQPmZ7HnAUy2eFEWgR6_A/s320/scratch+off+81+panel+front.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUOJAAleXkGy9TgqEuQdPqPASdbZSoX42aD1O_8kWo5F3SYbAI_iX9WmZpzSBFBU7rosOSx-G5dYI2y_DXKQwj5oWT1BmkBMIleXF5-R2oQ6sLwfTD4hYRFTG3VFzzyR2_WjxMSMvIKA/s320/scratch+off+81+panel+reverse.jpg)
Before being ripped into its three component panels, this big boy measured in at 3 1/4" x 5 1/4". The set was marketed on its own and is one of the better 80's efforts from Topps.
4 comments:
I've been going nuts trying to figure out the difference between a '70 and '71 Scratch-Off for a while now, and was able to grab the card I needed off of eBay this morning. Thank you so much for shedding light on the mysterious world of the Topps Scratch-Offs!
Ah, the wonders of color scans! Glad I could help out.
That rare "Pocket Size Baseball Game" scratch-off pack just sold on ebay tonight (350475782624 - July 11, 2011). Check it out.
Cuno
nice, really people of 70's and 71's really gonna love this
scratch off poster
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