tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-272571979597324472024-03-27T19:17:43.525-04:00The Topps Archivestoppcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10698182920578539949noreply@blogger.comBlogger1068125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27257197959732447.post-66644368544594892692024-03-23T08:00:00.367-04:002024-03-23T08:00:00.138-04:00Don't Cello Me Short<p>Friend o'the Archive David Danberg posed a question to me recently about which specific packs could be found in which specific boxes of 1969 Topps <i>Baseball </i>cards. It's an interesting question because this is the year Topps sold both five and ten cent packs of cards; the former in traditional wax livery, the latter in a printed cello that was offered in seemingly in some kind of fairly widespread and lengthy test (at least as far as their test issues go).</p><p>To refresh our collective memories, these were those, wax first:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilH0TZPq7HcRcF9ts7IYw6KjzJHQPGmEJ6RBaZf7ojY9AaAI_favIQltm2jUNYyVAceS2VsE8N3ey7Yzk9WNPuk3fi052wobneRQj-Y4hkq9KftTxiVUHFiDhJVQwrKn916jOI4H_MD8TeQ5pJ_Rj6sjsh2Idee7jPZ3Y1z-1OCasnjH5OefMDdxUXoQ/s331/69%20baseball%20pack%20no%20series%20front.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="331" data-original-width="247" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilH0TZPq7HcRcF9ts7IYw6KjzJHQPGmEJ6RBaZf7ojY9AaAI_favIQltm2jUNYyVAceS2VsE8N3ey7Yzk9WNPuk3fi052wobneRQj-Y4hkq9KftTxiVUHFiDhJVQwrKn916jOI4H_MD8TeQ5pJ_Rj6sjsh2Idee7jPZ3Y1z-1OCasnjH5OefMDdxUXoQ/s320/69%20baseball%20pack%20no%20series%20front.jpg" width="239" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkX4s4Auv0-C9JDfYxrbL2svMdM7VB59kzZBgmqnMEiTeWU6jqRmdL2cQ1hLN01BaE2rtYwhnxOFLyj_wNZBCeyrGx2Bm4LAqsCdlHjFINF57UQ1vOkSpssTT9TMSbX6Wwr_53zuxyy5ROQl5QRNXreE_2zjEOGsWpOqoJvJFKOVdNb-8JgNCsDQ6plg/s339/69%20baseball%20pack%20no%20series%20reverse.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="245" data-original-width="339" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkX4s4Auv0-C9JDfYxrbL2svMdM7VB59kzZBgmqnMEiTeWU6jqRmdL2cQ1hLN01BaE2rtYwhnxOFLyj_wNZBCeyrGx2Bm4LAqsCdlHjFINF57UQ1vOkSpssTT9TMSbX6Wwr_53zuxyy5ROQl5QRNXreE_2zjEOGsWpOqoJvJFKOVdNb-8JgNCsDQ6plg/s320/69%20baseball%20pack%20no%20series%20reverse.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>You can see this nickel pack which I believe is from the first series, was produced in Brooklyn. This would change with the fifth series as the origin switched to Duryea. <div><br /></div><div>But Topps also issued 10 cent printed cello's, which are extremely hard to find today, all through the baseball season:<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0JzynUFKPLsNqS9AfEgXDc7wuSNpoqKOqDhZ5oLLa7cpRNb1JM7xTQwBHLNZg3G5Gz8258lUj0m0nOTGqZRAYmxxHDhO50gVrSWJ5up1b4PgGA-nBHScUi_0ZJ4Z78sF56n4ojsawqLPDzPud67NCGAMGJNiDcZczTSNNcJ-k6CyoNteqzYp-Prq5hw/s1658/69%20topps%20blue%20cello%20front%20HERITAGE.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1658" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0JzynUFKPLsNqS9AfEgXDc7wuSNpoqKOqDhZ5oLLa7cpRNb1JM7xTQwBHLNZg3G5Gz8258lUj0m0nOTGqZRAYmxxHDhO50gVrSWJ5up1b4PgGA-nBHScUi_0ZJ4Z78sF56n4ojsawqLPDzPud67NCGAMGJNiDcZczTSNNcJ-k6CyoNteqzYp-Prq5hw/s320/69%20topps%20blue%20cello%20front%20HERITAGE.jpg" width="232" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlUH6Lo0HVT3PWhE2zKpaK4jYfyFggB7jtbySyTJbEEv5NRudTv4NSXzmlYe0Fb-VZ7HXW8d5uylkwaw_drpLJJY_kMdIeowBVygVR8Uv_55iy91mIuBT4pDH5cyxJyQBkYoRmp3HT70iKjPczuHchBj0fZw6eeyJABxnVFhspQDwx-ZRsuMV0x62zTg/s1654/69%20topps%20blue%20cello%20reverse%20HERITAGE.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1222" data-original-width="1654" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlUH6Lo0HVT3PWhE2zKpaK4jYfyFggB7jtbySyTJbEEv5NRudTv4NSXzmlYe0Fb-VZ7HXW8d5uylkwaw_drpLJJY_kMdIeowBVygVR8Uv_55iy91mIuBT4pDH5cyxJyQBkYoRmp3HT70iKjPczuHchBj0fZw6eeyJABxnVFhspQDwx-ZRsuMV0x62zTg/s320/69%20topps%20blue%20cello%20reverse%20HERITAGE.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>Note the see-through quality of the front, especially within the white circle, where you can see the gum, and on the back, where a clear, little window shows off the bottom card which shows above and below as well. The yellow panel used on the wax pack to describe the Magic Magnet Set is white and semi-transparent here, then the art for it is rotated ninety degrees for some reason. As I said, they are tough packs to find and wrappers are even tougher as these tended to self-destruct upon opening. And just like the wax packs, these were also released series-by-series; this pack too is from the first. All printed cello's, no matter which series they held, show they were produced in Duryea. It's an interesting divide and it makes me think a lot of the testing of this pack (and new ten cent price point, albeit still at a penny per card) could have mostly occurred around the Topps complex there. </p><p>Topps being Topps though, they still issued a traditional clear (and gumless) cello pack in 1969. Here's some more first series action:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizgnfv5sVSYCx38M6_FXYdHgrnhEziYBvdIetHQ3ThCIWPX-ylp41ZSIKiblVlS8UWlZWnGRHqAtuB1luxHPQrtTMYDte-3-tkmz3g_BaaKhqbim4v-2I3wzo9Xzo-xGcfnIIhqgxHujsjU5R51Q9pomjCcqWk9b7BHuXJcjVmaurnpUdpDE6T2Sn4Bg/s650/69%20topps%20first%20series%20cello%20pack%20front%20REA.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="403" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizgnfv5sVSYCx38M6_FXYdHgrnhEziYBvdIetHQ3ThCIWPX-ylp41ZSIKiblVlS8UWlZWnGRHqAtuB1luxHPQrtTMYDte-3-tkmz3g_BaaKhqbim4v-2I3wzo9Xzo-xGcfnIIhqgxHujsjU5R51Q9pomjCcqWk9b7BHuXJcjVmaurnpUdpDE6T2Sn4Bg/w248-h400/69%20topps%20first%20series%20cello%20pack%20front%20REA.jpg" width="248" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwFwD_dtZAIEyopIn7s3D6HlAicDYhKjGsfZqXoIqdRP9a8JzBsBIUXM5b25EDyChRVrWacnPOsmczeK07Zo0P0u0_HVtifBtQrNpqIPbGhWfkvgJaY7BleCwwA2nEYXmIP2y5qtcgzw86cPQrPJP_nDa4rLopQm3TD7tqthxYC6UGe1fY4mj2B-kAtg/s650/69%20topps%20first%20series%20cello%20pack%20reverse%20REA.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="403" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwFwD_dtZAIEyopIn7s3D6HlAicDYhKjGsfZqXoIqdRP9a8JzBsBIUXM5b25EDyChRVrWacnPOsmczeK07Zo0P0u0_HVtifBtQrNpqIPbGhWfkvgJaY7BleCwwA2nEYXmIP2y5qtcgzw86cPQrPJP_nDa4rLopQm3TD7tqthxYC6UGe1fY4mj2B-kAtg/w248-h400/69%20topps%20first%20series%20cello%20pack%20reverse%20REA.jpg" width="248" /></a></div><p>There were at least three other distribution methods used as well, two of which I will get to shortly (there was also the self-explanatory vending release). 1969 was an immensely interesting year for Topps, as they had major league expansion to navigate, with the MLBPA's boycott of Topps photographers ending as well. There were also two miniaturized sets which used the card design, one standalone and one an insert, plus <i>Supers</i>, <i>Stamps </i>and <i>Deckle Photos</i> available at various points to tempt the tykes. Topps was flooding the market after making nice with the MLBPA, whew!</p><p>Right, so Mr, Danberg's question was related to the cello "wax" packs. One of the great things about Topps (and also quite frustrating at times) was their use of Commodity Codes for their products. This provided a way for them to track all the costs and profits associated with a particular project (usually a specific set, allowing that was not always the case) through its sales cycle, although some inside knowledge to navigate the system over several years sometimes (more on this below) was surely required. Friend o'the Archive Lonnie Cummins has been researching these codes for years and is still trying to decipher the part of the string that comes after the stock number.</p><p>The five cent wax packs had a first series commodity code of: 0-401, where the three digit stock number is 401. This ties to the five cent box's stock number of 1-401, so they are a match, of course:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqM5y2iu78BDtFip992XJQr6kUFaMhe3bjzOrpojJtrasZpLAGPMSIyn0MCUZAGbxMbiWoia-8-i5CzE2YdjTvakWQXKrmRcS5vuqHT478S4GQJ7ZvN1TGJ7YfnmamR2VmoJYEXIF6ZE_HK4Lmtr8TTue6AaS3d2ChvYHs2w6P3yOMS_dACnnmXj2xZA/s1535/69%20baseball%20five%20cent%20box.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="645" data-original-width="1535" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqM5y2iu78BDtFip992XJQr6kUFaMhe3bjzOrpojJtrasZpLAGPMSIyn0MCUZAGbxMbiWoia-8-i5CzE2YdjTvakWQXKrmRcS5vuqHT478S4GQJ7ZvN1TGJ7YfnmamR2VmoJYEXIF6ZE_HK4Lmtr8TTue6AaS3d2ChvYHs2w6P3yOMS_dACnnmXj2xZA/w640-h269/69%20baseball%20five%20cent%20box.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>Isn't that a great looking box?</p><p>The ten cent printed cello's code starts off as 0-301 but there's two possible boxes as this guy also was produced:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfdgLQ-b27T7KJvl_NpHJWqUkDnx-Jf22hd_xZXKiG1l41m-nOEhfO2VSw8lR9857Dq-RfDaP7YryvpszSwS2ZPP2wy0ITUKKQE6UGdstom-kK2b6WNiv3BKuGJCjTm_IbIi6s09Z-oWMySw_89Fz2_zE-adsTLnrg8xcgQRIFaknQWsWmWG15XIyGZA/s600/69%20clear%20cello%20box%20top%20heritage.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfdgLQ-b27T7KJvl_NpHJWqUkDnx-Jf22hd_xZXKiG1l41m-nOEhfO2VSw8lR9857Dq-RfDaP7YryvpszSwS2ZPP2wy0ITUKKQE6UGdstom-kK2b6WNiv3BKuGJCjTm_IbIi6s09Z-oWMySw_89Fz2_zE-adsTLnrg8xcgQRIFaknQWsWmWG15XIyGZA/w640-h640/69%20clear%20cello%20box%20top%20heritage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>It starts off with a 1-401 commodity code and while the clear cello's have no printed code, they tie in at 401 due to the lack of gum.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUhd8RjzjKr9rACJm5Bog9QDf05isPWjbNSRxT_yXA22yiLgsi68v8c9K3D0wtQwSpbWnBB8jLdgHoty9f6ip-FA2NpgbriZcF-Wms4YTHYkNR3BIDO-meFx2w7llfMezG5_KRmwMVZGSp_bJ2ktmar56BY-HfEAcSiI9UWqiVY1yk1X4PoUU6CiHj8g/s836/69%20clear%20cello%20box%20bottom%20heritage.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="836" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUhd8RjzjKr9rACJm5Bog9QDf05isPWjbNSRxT_yXA22yiLgsi68v8c9K3D0wtQwSpbWnBB8jLdgHoty9f6ip-FA2NpgbriZcF-Wms4YTHYkNR3BIDO-meFx2w7llfMezG5_KRmwMVZGSp_bJ2ktmar56BY-HfEAcSiI9UWqiVY1yk1X4PoUU6CiHj8g/w640-h460/69%20clear%20cello%20box%20bottom%20heritage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The last digit of the code is a 7 (for 1967), meaning Topps had been using this box for the two years prior to selling clear cello <i>Baseball </i>packs. This is one of the anomalies with the codes and I'm not sure if Topps just wrote the entire production of these boxes off to a specific 1967 budget or if they somehow amortized the cost. One thing is for sure, leftovers never got tossed, just re-used.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That leaves us with the ten cent box, which should follow the 301 stock number found on the printed cello wrappers:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwhrFh5KZGVwmbKUDuevxfjUr2bZXl6-jmkrPLm89xwZ4QfPAZf-qMV03DLE2pZeCpCp2G-349rgaIh-tqBLcKRYzubjqIkKYO79fzojWHzW5zdk5kPeS9i-Hya7M5NwQejaBYWDWRzsCS3dRSrQnAjt3yCAxzUYTS14WUS9MbAz4MXKmQFFF7Pf0DeQ/s634/69%20topps%2010%20card%20cello%20box%20john%20moran.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="336" data-original-width="634" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwhrFh5KZGVwmbKUDuevxfjUr2bZXl6-jmkrPLm89xwZ4QfPAZf-qMV03DLE2pZeCpCp2G-349rgaIh-tqBLcKRYzubjqIkKYO79fzojWHzW5zdk5kPeS9i-Hya7M5NwQejaBYWDWRzsCS3dRSrQnAjt3yCAxzUYTS14WUS9MbAz4MXKmQFFF7Pf0DeQ/w640-h340/69%20topps%2010%20card%20cello%20box%20john%20moran.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Courtesy John Moran)</span></p><p>David checked his collection for this box's stock number and it is, no surprise, 1-301. Game, set, match. Also, this six-pack of sorts was marketed in 1969, continuing a configuration that debuted in 1967:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAUiZhLuEhlotL6ujxxYiGgBm-abcdQwgGUx6g0s-QBEeNSP9XwCtG6evUbFOo6vJY4-n1b6g9A9risdJJKb_NDekm2Yeueblbf3paf7sT2Oo3-T2QDYzNpu6-vI_WvBLiG78JkhSzVTKxHKINkn3G-DYuWp-8W1JLqVQ6xBA_H_vhmd8yo-Mg0nnluQ/s1024/69%20topps%20baseball%20tray%206%20pack%20front%20macrob.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="493" data-original-width="1024" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAUiZhLuEhlotL6ujxxYiGgBm-abcdQwgGUx6g0s-QBEeNSP9XwCtG6evUbFOo6vJY4-n1b6g9A9risdJJKb_NDekm2Yeueblbf3paf7sT2Oo3-T2QDYzNpu6-vI_WvBLiG78JkhSzVTKxHKINkn3G-DYuWp-8W1JLqVQ6xBA_H_vhmd8yo-Mg0nnluQ/w640-h308/69%20topps%20baseball%20tray%206%20pack%20front%20macrob.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The back is quite busy and the commodity code is small and hard to see but it reads 1-401-30-01-8, so we have a cardboard tray that was also used for the 1968 marketing:</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv4nibC4H3ATPFuTuN4YPcAGR6K7hR-xi_N77WMW3L_D5tW1UFcszcJarGVWkzuQlh01aTsopThZlr_J_VQfFh6MT1XIJ3bNQxNWwTHpUYggfOVbkJ1xcpPRdT0UaefGWkgA_edANdTgiRWz8qYzExgJumJqg-I4vGLHKEiu5lZVH4XrPhjK_wmSpZcQ/s1022/69%20topps%20baseball%20tray%206%20pack%20reverse%20macrob.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="526" data-original-width="1022" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv4nibC4H3ATPFuTuN4YPcAGR6K7hR-xi_N77WMW3L_D5tW1UFcszcJarGVWkzuQlh01aTsopThZlr_J_VQfFh6MT1XIJ3bNQxNWwTHpUYggfOVbkJ1xcpPRdT0UaefGWkgA_edANdTgiRWz8qYzExgJumJqg-I4vGLHKEiu5lZVH4XrPhjK_wmSpZcQ/w640-h330/69%20topps%20baseball%20tray%206%20pack%20reverse%20macrob.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>There were also rak-paks:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLKA8wXmqY3pBinvjkszBwX2SEnrhPeObNYfTQr-NzkNYewiZW1u7lYXST_oWlhjqwAecMEdnAsmogU2sRbP58K5qQHUEhyphenhyphencOq1bx2cOkFvqFbDKpkFKRBCDci1tcryVHJCvJxnG8Ej7DcsvHZSGrgPPxfZTbw9reuA6cwB2IzkNEJ7uJ8CjQumtuZog/s1800/69%20topps%20baseball%20rak%20pak%20huggins%20and%20scott.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="731" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLKA8wXmqY3pBinvjkszBwX2SEnrhPeObNYfTQr-NzkNYewiZW1u7lYXST_oWlhjqwAecMEdnAsmogU2sRbP58K5qQHUEhyphenhyphencOq1bx2cOkFvqFbDKpkFKRBCDci1tcryVHJCvJxnG8Ej7DcsvHZSGrgPPxfZTbw9reuA6cwB2IzkNEJ7uJ8CjQumtuZog/w260-h640/69%20topps%20baseball%20rak%20pak%20huggins%20and%20scott.jpg" width="260" /></a></div><p>OK, now it gets a little weird. While Topps used to sell rak paks that contained three overwrapped cello packs and only changed that procedure in 1968, when the cards were bagged loose in each "cell" of the rak. The rak header card seen above, with a code of 1-081-93-03-7 debuted in 1968, <i>while they were debuting cello pack-free raks</i>! In 1967 it looked like this:</p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRnGl53F8TdkuK6ZXxx-eyLdZCafPB3uxFKJV6KgqaGgLPnm2BHkCdLDTNZ-LQXW8GXf-j5XThD_4RKzcKXaTh29q6yhbUhuHSBGf6reebsModnQUAjH-fIgLZ4GgNKsGie_qgIwpbHyd8QBpBcrL71hf2Rd3_McOe3l3F12LDeNDXSXvE0NkLRE0pbg/s860/67%20rak%20pak%20header%20obverse.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="606" data-original-width="860" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRnGl53F8TdkuK6ZXxx-eyLdZCafPB3uxFKJV6KgqaGgLPnm2BHkCdLDTNZ-LQXW8GXf-j5XThD_4RKzcKXaTh29q6yhbUhuHSBGf6reebsModnQUAjH-fIgLZ4GgNKsGie_qgIwpbHyd8QBpBcrL71hf2Rd3_McOe3l3F12LDeNDXSXvE0NkLRE0pbg/w400-h281/67%20rak%20pak%20header%20obverse.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div>While the code on that also ended with a 7, although the stock number was different. Se we'll call the "New Trading Cards" pack the "new" header and the one with the batter the "old"one. The 1967 <i>Football </i>raks used the "new" header" so they didn't carryover from <i>Baseball </i>that year. And the codes had only debuted in 1966 in general, as did the famous curved-t Topps logo. </div><div><br /></div><div>So what gives? Durned if I know. All I can tell you is after 1967, I consider this the best-looking regular-issue Topps set of the decade, which I realize may not reflect the hobby's opinion at large. Beyond that, in order: 1965, 1960, 1963, 1966, 1962, 1961, 1968 and 1964. Your experience may vary!</div><div><br /></div><div>P.S.-WTH, let's do the Fifties and Seventies as well, ranked best to worst by yours truly:</div><div><br /></div><div>1957, 1952, 1954, 1953, 1955, 1959, 1956, 1958.</div><div><br /></div><div>1971, 1972, 1970 (best reverse ever BTW), 1975, 1973, 1979, 1974, <a href="https://youtu.be/ScVbA7KJ7y0?si=vUZcPEYnUhcjQddr">three way tie for last</a>.</div>toppcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10698182920578539949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27257197959732447.post-89384049529155555022024-03-16T08:00:00.377-04:002024-03-18T10:39:54.072-04:00We Pass The Savings On To You<p>Friend o'the Archive Mike Savage recently sent along some significant lists of specials from Woody Gelman's Card Collectors Company, issued but a mere fifty years (!) ago. There is some excellent information contained in these flyers about a brace of test issues which feature some of the toughest items Topps ever put out and show how CCC was used as as one of their conduits for unsalable overstock.</p><p>Today let's take a look at Specials of the Month list #4, which came riding along with a more traditional CCC catalog in this handily postmarked envelope:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihhVH1PtlYT_B1LHmkkU1rPF9cW2_Etfxnt3O5kP23_WaLgZFpitUqnLo_U7OVgmcP1knyqOtLcJ6AvJGNxBpQs4Tf77ELtFdxZF9z46HZQo0haMN4XlTpHYLp0NRxlqtSpajZ_gtDG3MV7ML7na2cCeZxjXwMHbwKQNG6gm-GhfUQkN6PtFizRZkazA/s1354/ccc%20monthly%20specials%204%20envelopes%20mike%20savage%20detail.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="408" data-original-width="1354" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihhVH1PtlYT_B1LHmkkU1rPF9cW2_Etfxnt3O5kP23_WaLgZFpitUqnLo_U7OVgmcP1knyqOtLcJ6AvJGNxBpQs4Tf77ELtFdxZF9z46HZQo0haMN4XlTpHYLp0NRxlqtSpajZ_gtDG3MV7ML7na2cCeZxjXwMHbwKQNG6gm-GhfUQkN6PtFizRZkazA/w640-h192/ccc%20monthly%20specials%204%20envelopes%20mike%20savage%20detail.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>I don't have a copy to show from my collection but that would have been Catalog #26 in there, dated January 15, 1974. The list of specials is a wonder to behold:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEXBJpJGguSi1IRK9gKYmfiUptLfFt04I2CONf2tK3n1naQXCZZjwx_zZ1WMqKBo3z-NKzfeJzLG94RkB6gfcXUNsJOHlj6uc7J9egLG5NNXq6JmaP63SIAj-kiXgZplKaEC3X9XRhPey6dWvH66bXeV-xRL9EDZGCIzBwrdaFZ1jETFwYQJAr6qAbIw/s1958/CCC%20Monthly%20Specials%20No%204%20Mike%20Savage.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1958" data-original-width="1523" height="791" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEXBJpJGguSi1IRK9gKYmfiUptLfFt04I2CONf2tK3n1naQXCZZjwx_zZ1WMqKBo3z-NKzfeJzLG94RkB6gfcXUNsJOHlj6uc7J9egLG5NNXq6JmaP63SIAj-kiXgZplKaEC3X9XRhPey6dWvH66bXeV-xRL9EDZGCIzBwrdaFZ1jETFwYQJAr6qAbIw/w616-h791/CCC%20Monthly%20Specials%20No%204%20Mike%20Savage.jpg" width="616" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In order, from the top we get a series of older insert and oddball sets being bled off, plus some excess from Woody's personal stock of tobacco cards. The 1951 <i>Red Backs </i>were still being stocked, almost a quarter-century after their issue (<a href="https://www.thetoppsarchives.com/2011/08/they-waited-til-next-year.html">and 1952 reissue</a>)-impressive! The tobacco cards were from the T205 and T206 sets and would have been alien to most of the CCC audience. The 1959 Fleer <i>Ted Williams</i> set was not, as we have learned in the sixty-five years since it's issue, "very scarce" and in fact is quite common. Even the elusive card #68, which was pulled over a rights issue with Topps involving the use of Bucky Harris's image, has been graded in abundance over at PSA, with 1,140 slabbed and counting.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1969 <i>Super Baseball</i> was a set that was held in some abundance by CCC and hopefully this list got people ordering it because about fifteen months later, their warehouse would be substantially consumed in a fire, with the set's population being disproportionately wrecked. Those sets purchased from CCC after the fire would often come with singed edges! The 1968 and 1969 inserts were pure overstock and while it's not at all clear if the 1968 <i><a href="https://www.thetoppsarchives.com/2019/07/batter-up-up-and-away.html">Baseball Game</a></i> being offered was the boxed version, the "Batter Up" language suggests it could be. The 1964 <i>Giant Baseball</i> cards were massively overproduced as Topps issued them after the 1964 All-Star game to middling consumer interest. Those 1970 <i>Super Football</i> cards, while not as common as the '64 <i>Giants</i>, seem like they suffered from a lack of interest as well.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is all preamble though, as we get to the meat of the specials.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1973 <i>Baseball Team Checklists</i>? Those were the blue bordered ones that almost no one seems to recall getting in packs that year. Now, were they sourced loose or from the extremely scarce <strike>perforated</strike> mail-in premium sheet?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipssXtQgcEaK8VJoFOeqZYmsymIMlTdAaYh3b11OnBcsZt49aLzpKv5jrNZAatIJPOUX5f54mdK-eTZEcfOzdy_xDBG-JxHhoddu9aiPC3OMraDqirR0Ys92xGlx_NpIWJ9bhyphenhyphenwtagLnqQrhZCfw6m4mTJU50zqoPJo_BYjb7xYW65D7HPaHJBCVWkxw/s1515/73%20blue%20team%20checklist%20sheet%20eBay%202022.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="794" data-original-width="1515" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipssXtQgcEaK8VJoFOeqZYmsymIMlTdAaYh3b11OnBcsZt49aLzpKv5jrNZAatIJPOUX5f54mdK-eTZEcfOzdy_xDBG-JxHhoddu9aiPC3OMraDqirR0Ys92xGlx_NpIWJ9bhyphenhyphenwtagLnqQrhZCfw6m4mTJU50zqoPJo_BYjb7xYW65D7HPaHJBCVWkxw/w640-h336/73%20blue%20team%20checklist%20sheet%20eBay%202022.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Next up, the 1973 <i>Baseball Candy </i>lids. I find it hard to believe but I've never really posted about these, or <a href="https://www.thetoppsarchives.com/2018/06/tub-bub.html">the actual lids at least</a>. While surviving quantities are pretty high for a true test issue (I suspect regional tests vs. the old, semi-mythical Brooklyn candy store tests for these), they are somewhat tough, especially in nice shape. The little lift-up tab is usually found creased and bent and then the images are often horribly off-center. This one's not so bad actually:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv84HVSx7yqMykurf6pNXPKFh7l-NtruxGPXGmw1_SRFMTzvhSW1nho4ied_53qEUY0q9PTt34jyUXCkXd8nw55sdGn5zxYS8aiNDQr4qu2ChhNhtNw0H7xogWIGeRFLgjCTqWEwyq7dHDwBREDqpoduqDQoLuM-JfUdGvBYMLqN9e8LQ48ium2dLJ5g/s465/73candylidmayberryfront.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="465" data-original-width="417" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv84HVSx7yqMykurf6pNXPKFh7l-NtruxGPXGmw1_SRFMTzvhSW1nho4ied_53qEUY0q9PTt34jyUXCkXd8nw55sdGn5zxYS8aiNDQr4qu2ChhNhtNw0H7xogWIGeRFLgjCTqWEwyq7dHDwBREDqpoduqDQoLuM-JfUdGvBYMLqN9e8LQ48ium2dLJ5g/s320/73candylidmayberryfront.jpg" width="287" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Moving along, here you could have purchased the eight-card <i>'53 Reprint </i>"set" that Topps mysteriously produced in 1972, allegedly for a banquet or gathering of some sort. It's a bizarre set, with misidentifications and a bewildering assortment of players. Here's a proof sheet of the eight subjects from this difficult issue:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_f0WBOdZQUN3b4ioovIoX173xhK7-yT9cAo2bT9t41Y-Dez_0fUfwhvzpzaq5sUA6xZFOAo12hPXeLRB7Kfgq-puYgZL7EhtonJuZygicqf9wrSqpQtoIvEImX_ahFfU1lLf7kjrRHg64G6B5BaAM_JCEQ58vnnJGiX1P9s00a7_5waoazs01YzR1nA/s1900/72%20Topps%2053%20Reprint%20uncut%20panel%20with%20full%20set%20and%20color%20bars%20front%20rea.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1509" data-original-width="1900" height="508" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_f0WBOdZQUN3b4ioovIoX173xhK7-yT9cAo2bT9t41Y-Dez_0fUfwhvzpzaq5sUA6xZFOAo12hPXeLRB7Kfgq-puYgZL7EhtonJuZygicqf9wrSqpQtoIvEImX_ahFfU1lLf7kjrRHg64G6B5BaAM_JCEQ58vnnJGiX1P9s00a7_5waoazs01YzR1nA/w640-h508/72%20Topps%2053%20Reprint%20uncut%20panel%20with%20full%20set%20and%20color%20bars%20front%20rea.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>The 1973 "Baseball Cloth Sticker Sets" are the cloth versions of the 1973/74 <i>Action Emblems</i>, an abortive Topps attempt to circumvent the licensing of team logos from MLBPC. These are not well-known and I'm not sure if PSA even grades them. They seem to suffer from the adhesive being somewhat melty and gooey if not stored properly over the years:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9aDQcK7yWMHYksDSWe5f1D5u6W-NT2Y2zQwX_fASpoE5H81lOotpaD216S_dmyQQjvFqs5aOCJgD0rIqAUbAghABZveGP-QuR5-elTxkdrkZHdHMYeR5CQynGJnH4NdIf7ytGqopY9q-BlJjvSRrdsLXBJYOOdyaZ7tuLdBLiTVxZBv9QmL92IRGBOg/s562/73actionemblemcloth.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="562" data-original-width="399" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9aDQcK7yWMHYksDSWe5f1D5u6W-NT2Y2zQwX_fASpoE5H81lOotpaD216S_dmyQQjvFqs5aOCJgD0rIqAUbAghABZveGP-QuR5-elTxkdrkZHdHMYeR5CQynGJnH4NdIf7ytGqopY9q-BlJjvSRrdsLXBJYOOdyaZ7tuLdBLiTVxZBv9QmL92IRGBOg/w284-h400/73actionemblemcloth.jpg" width="284" /></a></div><br /><div>Toward the bottom we have two inexorably linked sets (due to a common player selection) from 1973, the uber-difficult <i>Baseball Comics</i> and <i>Baseball Pin-Ups. </i>I think they are also linked in a way to the <i>Action Emblems </i>in that they feature no logos. Either way, they are a really superb looking set:</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwsQlUDqpISvbrjolj3kjDQpUTO7LlgwKHTcnKI7Vtoi1oMtrQH36YyhulpPhcThhvxw05pF4bJApPW-hKOqxweD9cq3rq8-Su72j9j8WxkFvk0ngYEDI2o2DdbqqlBwi2qjHM8veCMJjttrJscQUw875l3GrdhwOhvOxflQCcwQOPWId4sE5M_3Z4Sg/s1092/73%20topps%20comics%20aaron.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="803" data-original-width="1092" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwsQlUDqpISvbrjolj3kjDQpUTO7LlgwKHTcnKI7Vtoi1oMtrQH36YyhulpPhcThhvxw05pF4bJApPW-hKOqxweD9cq3rq8-Su72j9j8WxkFvk0ngYEDI2o2DdbqqlBwi2qjHM8veCMJjttrJscQUw875l3GrdhwOhvOxflQCcwQOPWId4sE5M_3Z4Sg/w640-h470/73%20topps%20comics%20aaron.png" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;">I'm not sure why but the <i>Pin-Ups</i> are a little more available and survive at almost exactly a 2:1 ratio compared to the <i>Comics,</i> but make no mistake they are also extremely hard to find:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW4ZgKZMZFd_rmDdBUMavcpn4LTHEG7_rKPmhMkcNiHv3tXK9Dwix1JDzKHEnBlkPWMekh3DwP9GALeIVYnHhRFyuXgj7jlaRuhzo9HufdWk0nfBm5p914eylKxoGIsnKZmP8t5YvhX3hwslqKw03BR-w2bQsyEM3e5PlGojpafHkCtFBh2dPq8QMXLA/s460/73%20baseball%20pinups%20poster%20side.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="335" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW4ZgKZMZFd_rmDdBUMavcpn4LTHEG7_rKPmhMkcNiHv3tXK9Dwix1JDzKHEnBlkPWMekh3DwP9GALeIVYnHhRFyuXgj7jlaRuhzo9HufdWk0nfBm5p914eylKxoGIsnKZmP8t5YvhX3hwslqKw03BR-w2bQsyEM3e5PlGojpafHkCtFBh2dPq8QMXLA/w466-h640/73%20baseball%20pinups%20poster%20side.jpg" width="466" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Concluding today's look back in wonder, we have the 1972 <i>Cloth Baseball Stickers. </i>I think the reference to 55 being in the set is a typo, no one has seen more than the 33 known subjects in full, all neatly doubled in full array on this uncut sheet that displays portions of both slits. Some very tantalizing slivers can be seen too but I can't say undamaged stickers exist for these edge riders:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZHOJh4UKO72uXrJVTUAunM9S3eMLnkpeKw3eMwX4_Ot7Loc7x-pkNZfnmG9rS8PHrHClO7g3swAnr6JDwly66fmbgxVbKAYFZxJmj0HejV71hqe949jPgkmuvtFj-X1ZFXGOpGEqt7zmJ4kg053tLQW3CgmsAVSE0EL_ozfDFZbqPnw2LZsnI5Dhumg/s600/72ToppsClothSheet.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="436" data-original-width="600" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZHOJh4UKO72uXrJVTUAunM9S3eMLnkpeKw3eMwX4_Ot7Loc7x-pkNZfnmG9rS8PHrHClO7g3swAnr6JDwly66fmbgxVbKAYFZxJmj0HejV71hqe949jPgkmuvtFj-X1ZFXGOpGEqt7zmJ4kg053tLQW3CgmsAVSE0EL_ozfDFZbqPnw2LZsnI5Dhumg/w640-h466/72ToppsClothSheet.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">These are roughly as prevalent as the 1973 <i>Baseball Pin-Ups</i>, although it's worth noting those truncated stickers at the top of the sheet do turn up in their slightly decapitated form, as do all the others to a lessening degree. This seems to have been a materials test, which was continued in 1976 before Topps finally got the formula down for 1977.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Topps had a couple of other dealers who helped send this stuff out into the world, like Bill Haber, who was a Topps employee just like Gelman but preferred selling things directly at New York City area collectible shows, which were not exactly in abundance at the time. You really needed some expert timing to take advantage and realistically, it wasn't the average ten-year-old buying up all the test issues.</div>toppcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10698182920578539949noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27257197959732447.post-76082600265232259042024-03-09T08:00:00.141-05:002024-03-09T08:00:00.133-05:00All You Need Is Cash<p>Well, here's the last of the Topps Annual Reports that were dispatched to me last year by Friend o'the Archive David Eskenazi, covering 1983 (with a very interesting addendum).</p><p>1983 looked a lot like 1982, report-wise. The cover is minimalist, yet effective:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpgx456qlcyEx1wElZeJNRQhgMNOQ4DGHt7uS7TPm2XNmjDgxoEFwKHFeS0T9xb6uV0EqmQY2oJPrdcEJms0orjfbNYqynUZdD0Q6hi5kXqzdod1UlrYHQGrC8wdySrbhIa16PKoBzzMFmHUTqN0XnzIF9VUFHtWb9MEAKPTg-5d9-IQVJlhd4ssdShw/s1106/83%20Annual%20Report%20Cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1106" data-original-width="841" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpgx456qlcyEx1wElZeJNRQhgMNOQ4DGHt7uS7TPm2XNmjDgxoEFwKHFeS0T9xb6uV0EqmQY2oJPrdcEJms0orjfbNYqynUZdD0Q6hi5kXqzdod1UlrYHQGrC8wdySrbhIa16PKoBzzMFmHUTqN0XnzIF9VUFHtWb9MEAKPTg-5d9-IQVJlhd4ssdShw/w486-h640/83%20Annual%20Report%20Cover.jpg" width="486" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The Nature of Business Statement expanded by a paragraph from 1982:</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhKpqZXjjfwGPMafQJiTUEu7SjRGJxBPG_H3prB0hQvEWsYxS6Io-ZhaFialK0JXMcfhNCJyN5E0fShV6gZAeZUtsYiv3BpUyiNPipfBH6LEnXaLTxBJoNMTpaDCXhlOOVlsxgUMaBLmbSx0l7iiPuOjVg6epx5wwgw1rtx32FLR8L2_drUJlfnmtJcA/s565/83%20Annual%20Report%20Page%201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="262" data-original-width="565" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhKpqZXjjfwGPMafQJiTUEu7SjRGJxBPG_H3prB0hQvEWsYxS6Io-ZhaFialK0JXMcfhNCJyN5E0fShV6gZAeZUtsYiv3BpUyiNPipfBH6LEnXaLTxBJoNMTpaDCXhlOOVlsxgUMaBLmbSx0l7iiPuOjVg6epx5wwgw1rtx32FLR8L2_drUJlfnmtJcA/w640-h296/83%20Annual%20Report%20Page%201.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm not sure why these had to be so specific as the annual reports usually had enough detail to get the point of the various business ventures across. To wit, here is page one of the Shareholders letter, bearing a lot of good news:</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPXn-zebD5KBxrixTOzsqhywQMrlMCk1HXKSffxps3wCsG2ls26cSi_RjO_hOgD7yW8ppdL4zEbaNXEkcxFw_dKDPolgZdugmD96EbD0qIBlJANirffb4whXbvc7b8Pm0fN2MmT87klGvjcaNLnzbdShcrmMoaHNrhOoj4-yC1g5QheQzTgU6r6Nk2wA/s922/83%20Annual%20Report%20Page%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="922" data-original-width="762" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPXn-zebD5KBxrixTOzsqhywQMrlMCk1HXKSffxps3wCsG2ls26cSi_RjO_hOgD7yW8ppdL4zEbaNXEkcxFw_dKDPolgZdugmD96EbD0qIBlJANirffb4whXbvc7b8Pm0fN2MmT87klGvjcaNLnzbdShcrmMoaHNrhOoj4-yC1g5QheQzTgU6r6Nk2wA/w528-h640/83%20Annual%20Report%20Page%202.jpg" width="528" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Thanks to BFF o'the Archive Jeff Shepherd, we can see what the <i>Sweet 'N Low</i> sell sheet looked like:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirBhqqkD6nnVmAHieGogzr4LXDhJconb9V6E4Yo7TFdG42kc2p7zXcFD-_MpqJwgA96R0Z6GiPfiOjn_2MOssTalspo4Lv-dhyffPeI42g9QgX0ok3iTwbXUBmssxI0m-10XN4ImZVlZDAo87yjKO4Thpq-frSQyO4TUD8ItksSHsDcNlxsrYcSKH2eg/s1834/topps%20sweet%20n%20low%20sell%20sheet.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1834" data-original-width="1471" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirBhqqkD6nnVmAHieGogzr4LXDhJconb9V6E4Yo7TFdG42kc2p7zXcFD-_MpqJwgA96R0Z6GiPfiOjn_2MOssTalspo4Lv-dhyffPeI42g9QgX0ok3iTwbXUBmssxI0m-10XN4ImZVlZDAo87yjKO4Thpq-frSQyO4TUD8ItksSHsDcNlxsrYcSKH2eg/w514-h640/topps%20sweet%20n%20low%20sell%20sheet.jpg" width="514" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I'm not sure the product sold all that well as there seems to be a lack of surviving examples.</div><div>Otherwise, things were steadily moving onward and upward:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSELd6xi-70M57kU5JmhJQksR4GDTIFqOe8sdCN38OD8oG1yHVQtXTjRAFi-JuLoY08wxMaUuH01dnY4hnipjWQ4qlV0lmMdQDCrQX8iHdB3scIsWjLJsDy4gvPGe0eT4MCMCoeVICpcQhNH7BQfcUIAzL9m5adieCdiI5Aeze8cZ6rMpdXqRhz0Ulgg/s938/83%20Annual%20Report%20Page%206.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="938" data-original-width="752" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSELd6xi-70M57kU5JmhJQksR4GDTIFqOe8sdCN38OD8oG1yHVQtXTjRAFi-JuLoY08wxMaUuH01dnY4hnipjWQ4qlV0lmMdQDCrQX8iHdB3scIsWjLJsDy4gvPGe0eT4MCMCoeVICpcQhNH7BQfcUIAzL9m5adieCdiI5Aeze8cZ6rMpdXqRhz0Ulgg/w514-h640/83%20Annual%20Report%20Page%206.jpg" width="514" /></a></div><p>A number of accounting method changes litter the rest of the 1983 report, which is chock-a-block with tables. I'm not sure if those changes had anything to do with this...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE-6PIfXzDlAbrxbtJtCzjXe9elwDqYKXR40BdV8tKqsh5PJk_KRpYZZv5tbrkBg6_8ILqlKAk8mEsI0fnCRUTAXWPl-RSnv8jLf7saE6OCxSzqMZMNJBsGgL8Ivdwy4GBthnesMwYACZIQvMnPcMf21EzBCwVayrJZ1DjZ8VOWoww7wzgDJBbV0e3Ew/s1052/84%20Topps%20Special%20Meeting%20Cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1052" data-original-width="816" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE-6PIfXzDlAbrxbtJtCzjXe9elwDqYKXR40BdV8tKqsh5PJk_KRpYZZv5tbrkBg6_8ILqlKAk8mEsI0fnCRUTAXWPl-RSnv8jLf7saE6OCxSzqMZMNJBsGgL8Ivdwy4GBthnesMwYACZIQvMnPcMf21EzBCwVayrJZ1DjZ8VOWoww7wzgDJBbV0e3Ew/w496-h640/84%20Topps%20Special%20Meeting%20Cover.jpg" width="496" /></a></div><div><br /></div>...but check these figures out. You can see why the Board of Directors was in favor of the merger (with itself!), as it was gonna make most of 'em all a lot richer:<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3F95AXd-hRiJeF1RcPYSz2ZvpP7YwQQfV4nTOGc-0i_Zk4rdR5XGQ6xlODJH2GNUm15RL6lyTkL19okUbFyBWP68nmLabCo5JCUjXMFYsfx-ocMBLlG6_KnS_WAGHJSeBGSLsxpyNe2wYIJTf7Mm5tUnUPl7U08RBe7kAWdCsMJfcU8ka8kehRf2C7w/s832/84%20Topps%20Special%20Meeting%20Page%207%20extract.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="832" data-original-width="679" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3F95AXd-hRiJeF1RcPYSz2ZvpP7YwQQfV4nTOGc-0i_Zk4rdR5XGQ6xlODJH2GNUm15RL6lyTkL19okUbFyBWP68nmLabCo5JCUjXMFYsfx-ocMBLlG6_KnS_WAGHJSeBGSLsxpyNe2wYIJTf7Mm5tUnUPl7U08RBe7kAWdCsMJfcU8ka8kehRf2C7w/w522-h640/84%20Topps%20Special%20Meeting%20Page%207%20extract.jpg" width="522" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Driving all of this seems to be a surge in the common stock price, which really took off after a two-for-one split in April of 1983:</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga4YDwOaWL5U2uL_w9LQNkXtsZqq54ebMcUrBVMQCLZbDePwNq9N_HCxtjqgMQOilCtOpoAHWUCUuaOFc_nIKfecy6HEYPNIkHcX_QU6Xnj6XF2y0n44Snzjf4PkQ8AUJI9fVAMKz-5F1KRxMMjZhy-vLx2lYnxOD1PDuXI11s4cPepBUgUHRaIZxMYw/s688/84%20Topps%20Special%20Meeting%20Page%2010%20extract.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="688" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga4YDwOaWL5U2uL_w9LQNkXtsZqq54ebMcUrBVMQCLZbDePwNq9N_HCxtjqgMQOilCtOpoAHWUCUuaOFc_nIKfecy6HEYPNIkHcX_QU6Xnj6XF2y0n44Snzjf4PkQ8AUJI9fVAMKz-5F1KRxMMjZhy-vLx2lYnxOD1PDuXI11s4cPepBUgUHRaIZxMYw/w640-h434/84%20Topps%20Special%20Meeting%20Page%2010%20extract.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Here's some quick math on the shares going to the BOD, using a pricing of 25 dollars per share. Arthur T. Shorin's 850,000 shares would be worth a cool $21,250,000 once the deal closed. How about Sy Berger? His 250,000 shares would bring $6,250,000 and he wasn't even on the Board! And this is in 1984 dollars. Multiply it out to 2024 and it's almost three times as much. Whew! You can see why this notice ran almost 80 pages as there was a lot of verbiage about how wonderful the merger would be for all shareholders. You can also see how valuable Sy Berger was to Topps.</div><div><br /></div><div>Coming back to earth, we get a nice snapshot of the various Topps properties held at the time of the Special Meeting:</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMGZTyvptNdDDpQEfGxMbREz3UplI1fNdFnABaprMoRLJp9EEc8UcNa4tSYjUI_oFNzhp2Qz0b740cGEmXzITnrC_lPuyEgR46u3FPBDM5EMzDasSZBpokou3cqx8qkQWlmja7ZWH9m3uSYxb6uyM0MPDIfpcxr1sA61A4izpX3cQ8IJlfal5jUxE7pg/s681/84%20Topps%20Special%20Meeting%20Page%2023%20extract.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="681" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMGZTyvptNdDDpQEfGxMbREz3UplI1fNdFnABaprMoRLJp9EEc8UcNa4tSYjUI_oFNzhp2Qz0b740cGEmXzITnrC_lPuyEgR46u3FPBDM5EMzDasSZBpokou3cqx8qkQWlmja7ZWH9m3uSYxb6uyM0MPDIfpcxr1sA61A4izpX3cQ8IJlfal5jUxE7pg/w640-h338/84%20Topps%20Special%20Meeting%20Page%2023%20extract.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>Proxy Statement Note 3 mentions it cost Topps $414,000 a year to lease the Duryea Plant but that title would pass to Topps once the lease expired in 1986, assuming the remaining payments were made. In other words, Lease-to-Buy.</p><p>The 1980's were a heady time for Topps, although the bubble would eventually burst (sorry, had to do it.)</p></div>toppcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10698182920578539949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27257197959732447.post-25278964053515413022024-03-02T08:00:00.144-05:002024-03-07T07:45:20.415-05:00Gum Kind Of Wonderful<p>This will be the penultimate look at the four annual reports sent to me last year by Friend o'the Archive David Eskenazi. The numbers can get pretty tedious with these things so I'll focus more on developments at the company and its business this time out.</p><p>The fiscal year ending on February 27, 1982 was a good one for Topps and its investors, a very good one in fact, as competition from Fleer and Donruss focused a lot of media attention on baseball cards. The cover of the 1982 annual report continued the austere look of the past two years, although a significant upgrade in paper quality signaled prosperity was just around the bend:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbTf0zGTYYdNaN9PIK4XeqSwitmi6erHlvnYEbluofpghcZko2Xo3ScZHUbGI6NPNPUiXowSwpbRAMzpxH-SRr1yB-_A_CenYXeywkKzCuB1_XThiUuRtnQFTKGpMTvLuxO_g9Erl5rl7TUzH62Ax2FNIryPMw6q7xw8EyCJOkdNnhOihSZV1jLT364w/s1093/82%20Annual%20Report%20Cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1093" data-original-width="833" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbTf0zGTYYdNaN9PIK4XeqSwitmi6erHlvnYEbluofpghcZko2Xo3ScZHUbGI6NPNPUiXowSwpbRAMzpxH-SRr1yB-_A_CenYXeywkKzCuB1_XThiUuRtnQFTKGpMTvLuxO_g9Erl5rl7TUzH62Ax2FNIryPMw6q7xw8EyCJOkdNnhOihSZV1jLT364w/w488-h640/82%20Annual%20Report%20Cover.jpg" width="488" /></a></div><div><br /></div>For the second year in a row, Topps ran this little blurb on the table of contents page:<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicsP6nh8oi1Cs64H34vMetOxn590V7Rfas4ENAmLRowVT85SdosXEOxSQyvWPB63SUhXWAHlogIzV3lA-PvYt6rB_JQEATqBfnypCERjYwnPmpg4SehiHKkl7JuA8EWt5pRaU3exNLd64H1Hlx4QkZqrd4WVXaQWbuv3Bttn6YirZfFbctWfW8WMtwXA/s288/82%20Annual%20Report%20NOB.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="156" data-original-width="288" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicsP6nh8oi1Cs64H34vMetOxn590V7Rfas4ENAmLRowVT85SdosXEOxSQyvWPB63SUhXWAHlogIzV3lA-PvYt6rB_JQEATqBfnypCERjYwnPmpg4SehiHKkl7JuA8EWt5pRaU3exNLd64H1Hlx4QkZqrd4WVXaQWbuv3Bttn6YirZfFbctWfW8WMtwXA/s1600/82%20Annual%20Report%20NOB.jpg" width="288" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The technology described is non-specific but over the ensuing decades Topps would develop things for their own use then market them to the world at large as the nature oi their business evolved.</div><div><br /></div><div>The 1982 Shareholder's Letter had all sorts of good news to share. Sales had increased by seven percent over the year prior and there was a massive jump in working capital:</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz_bDph_0Rk_90FqbyqqoDou4ShwUfjyPFaNjvypB7mL0svBAW-8s4XkHVZwVvjMhgOjBmK1zLIl5XXJ-nUXDJZuroWiVc6bQoT8FO_rr1bwbozdSa47MXQrwJxXCGlELrlGeYwn0ru0-2v-lILWurIHPUf4X1633NRZtJGlsynWYZcXHC_MLRCzVxaQ/s1007/82%20Annual%20Report%20page%202.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="1007" data-original-width="777" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz_bDph_0Rk_90FqbyqqoDou4ShwUfjyPFaNjvypB7mL0svBAW-8s4XkHVZwVvjMhgOjBmK1zLIl5XXJ-nUXDJZuroWiVc6bQoT8FO_rr1bwbozdSa47MXQrwJxXCGlELrlGeYwn0ru0-2v-lILWurIHPUf4X1633NRZtJGlsynWYZcXHC_MLRCzVxaQ/w494-h640/82%20Annual%20Report%20page%202.jpg" width="494" /></a></div><div><br /></div>One of those new products mentioned would be the 1981 <i>Baseball Stickers</i>, which were followed by a gridiron version in the fall. Leading off page two we see the Fleer anti-trust suit against Topps had run its course and that Topps had ultimately prevailed, sort of. What this meant was that competitors could not sell their cards with confections in the packs. This may not seem like a big deal but I'm wondering if it meant companies like Fleer and Donruss lost access to the traditional tobacco/confectionery jobbers that distributed a large portion of their cards.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYUUFzn43iMPpLwHFhirBahH9GQmLplJLmTPUQNcw2LXeCJ-m-D0cdsESqJLkGiDObEqGk3hW6lkJ5hDTRaJ4Qhj1rQExMPGhib_xAOgZv4hyphenhyphenZDQFczKehyphenhyphenCnYriOXv0OzQEX6AYk9XNswW05ZVu5RFF-sav6_Z19QFTzo8QLPHycdHpFxOWdAWhLlhw/s788/82%20Annual%20Report%20page%203.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="715" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYUUFzn43iMPpLwHFhirBahH9GQmLplJLmTPUQNcw2LXeCJ-m-D0cdsESqJLkGiDObEqGk3hW6lkJ5hDTRaJ4Qhj1rQExMPGhib_xAOgZv4hyphenhyphenZDQFczKehyphenhyphenCnYriOXv0OzQEX6AYk9XNswW05ZVu5RFF-sav6_Z19QFTzo8QLPHycdHpFxOWdAWhLlhw/w580-h640/82%20Annual%20Report%20page%203.jpg" width="580" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Here's a little more on the Fleer suit and their unsuccessful appeal to SCOTUS:</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeyBB9-9VnHdVQo_D4TJNDFRx9NULfnDQfSU_b_XGuOE-LEWBDsKO2REqswIEHXyF5B0uJV81T9yynjG2i1eiJDQQFZO35Le2faz8Briwps-NSlH9pHMl1MHRZsTDHkM1fK4GcW7qZRRcHbd7vgXSLQzDs-lITWciP3QXcTXag8rAw1dheBsl8T04B-A/s646/82%20Annual%20Report%20page%2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="191" data-original-width="646" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeyBB9-9VnHdVQo_D4TJNDFRx9NULfnDQfSU_b_XGuOE-LEWBDsKO2REqswIEHXyF5B0uJV81T9yynjG2i1eiJDQQFZO35Le2faz8Briwps-NSlH9pHMl1MHRZsTDHkM1fK4GcW7qZRRcHbd7vgXSLQzDs-lITWciP3QXcTXag8rAw1dheBsl8T04B-A/w640-h190/82%20Annual%20Report%20page%2024.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Fleer responded by pulling the gum and adding stickers to their packs:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRoSqg_tSfe6X4x2j8nSbsYudlmKnnT_qSqorCp2KGGlTSoqL0BR0w3PGLgPUfTjf8Zf8DVmYbQZv76UXqX9iPRHQMB79sxNf7zEyWXXClb5kFQxMlygxCipHGr9wLL9958GhylGbQBsdMzTFFBjpY17BiuFNKBR2_8cw_dzBr7Z7TFo92udPYZdWuWA/s396/82%20Fleer%20Pack.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="396" data-original-width="290" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRoSqg_tSfe6X4x2j8nSbsYudlmKnnT_qSqorCp2KGGlTSoqL0BR0w3PGLgPUfTjf8Zf8DVmYbQZv76UXqX9iPRHQMB79sxNf7zEyWXXClb5kFQxMlygxCipHGr9wLL9958GhylGbQBsdMzTFFBjpY17BiuFNKBR2_8cw_dzBr7Z7TFo92udPYZdWuWA/w293-h400/82%20Fleer%20Pack.jpg" width="293" /></a></div><div><br /></div>While Donruss went with puzzles instead of the sticky stuff:<div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNvIclZXzcVg6AJQ0thd3COQrI5x6JGJUsSS1xaZJc_KVSCBGVXTnP6nV81GFlJm_2OBcZxmKG1WgtjUPkIuukUhzB3CpBlonv7m8CI0v2PNT6NbXIAS79xSCnzOugM2_SEsYODfbQj9ys1TG-BIkzh-tSs2Sk0dHOKBdXKBYoBifdly5BoLcvpGks1Q/s565/82%20Donruss%20Pack.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="565" data-original-width="407" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNvIclZXzcVg6AJQ0thd3COQrI5x6JGJUsSS1xaZJc_KVSCBGVXTnP6nV81GFlJm_2OBcZxmKG1WgtjUPkIuukUhzB3CpBlonv7m8CI0v2PNT6NbXIAS79xSCnzOugM2_SEsYODfbQj9ys1TG-BIkzh-tSs2Sk0dHOKBdXKBYoBifdly5BoLcvpGks1Q/w289-h400/82%20Donruss%20Pack.jpg" width="289" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Here's the crunched numbers-the cost of sales at 67.3 percent was, if I'm not mistaken, pretty swank:</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtkj4rMzSkOPVmRcG2NAs_56fvOahCKR2G5TnFcxqx97e-XVU2XDSltlb2Tj8ppD_nHh3fhd1eaePXkfjtEmRqZZvK56zZpz-C_QW5xVWq1sYoao0hFG00UrdWvZO8505RUvbJoxAJRAaqArQO-5P5ATXItoRh_wJX0Hq_2lta9_WG1DfEiR8TV6-DBw/s911/82%20Annual%20Report%20page%206.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="911" data-original-width="765" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtkj4rMzSkOPVmRcG2NAs_56fvOahCKR2G5TnFcxqx97e-XVU2XDSltlb2Tj8ppD_nHh3fhd1eaePXkfjtEmRqZZvK56zZpz-C_QW5xVWq1sYoao0hFG00UrdWvZO8505RUvbJoxAJRAaqArQO-5P5ATXItoRh_wJX0Hq_2lta9_WG1DfEiR8TV6-DBw/w538-h640/82%20Annual%20Report%20page%206.jpg" width="538" /></a></div><div><br /></div>$2.79 Million in net income was an excellent result. The explosion in popularity of baseball cards was real and Topps was positioned better than any other company to take advantage, as we will see next time out.</div></div>toppcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10698182920578539949noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27257197959732447.post-62180287886369672024-02-24T08:00:00.132-05:002024-02-24T08:00:00.132-05:00In Competition For the First Time<p>Continuing our look at the Topps Annual reports received from Friend o'the Archive David Eskenazi we come to the pivotal year of 1981. The specter of competition is imminent (their fiscal year ended just around the time the first wave of Fleer and Donruss cards started flooding stores) and there are some severe economic headwinds affecting the company but, as we shall see, the results were a little better than the dire financials from fiscal year 1979-80.</p><p>The cover was even sparser than the one from 1980 but they slightly upgraded to a semi-glossy stock for it, although the interior pages were still uncoated. This is all it showed:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGhRjDlgwxSv5Dd-k0sqqL00Sp4Xk9UuswZxrbleF4XGmo6JdTxPycvXOh7Iu_eeZ39514CALA7oDeE0mrJKPBVme3qw9pMyH5KMSDywFtfxoyqrMh1P_PNOEJ2L_YbtDCFd0zoYgJTXOGcjRUDgGdNqGzRMh7f90E2p4N2u1UMkVG2NPpUAC3L116Aw/s1000/81%20Topps%20Annual%20Report%20Cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="824" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGhRjDlgwxSv5Dd-k0sqqL00Sp4Xk9UuswZxrbleF4XGmo6JdTxPycvXOh7Iu_eeZ39514CALA7oDeE0mrJKPBVme3qw9pMyH5KMSDywFtfxoyqrMh1P_PNOEJ2L_YbtDCFd0zoYgJTXOGcjRUDgGdNqGzRMh7f90E2p4N2u1UMkVG2NPpUAC3L116Aw/w528-h640/81%20Topps%20Annual%20Report%20Cover.jpg" width="528" /></a></div><div><br /></div>It took some ten weeks after the end of the fiscal year for the report to be compiled, printed and distributed; these days the lag is closer to three or four weeks and it's all digital. This letter led things off and offered some semi-good news but dig those last two paragraphs:<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM6zlOu4BVA5Hxf2BuG7z9OGk_MyYcvmytkin3dhP3jGcd81B8bQlfC26iNrD5luBy5tMQi3mFHSiiZcKdWaQ3bJgtnz-KMl_SJi1EHf_Qi_3iZCoySi11oO1vO__dpWQBxLVihaVL-29Epk8ES-810SM194PZfypBcwgq6UStITrykGY-ZkuPKGs2zQ/s1067/81%20Topps%20Annual%20Report%20Page%201%20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="793" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM6zlOu4BVA5Hxf2BuG7z9OGk_MyYcvmytkin3dhP3jGcd81B8bQlfC26iNrD5luBy5tMQi3mFHSiiZcKdWaQ3bJgtnz-KMl_SJi1EHf_Qi_3iZCoySi11oO1vO__dpWQBxLVihaVL-29Epk8ES-810SM194PZfypBcwgq6UStITrykGY-ZkuPKGs2zQ/w476-h640/81%20Topps%20Annual%20Report%20Page%201%20.jpg" width="476" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The plant in Ireland was vexing Topps and we will revisit that in a minute. The news regarding the "baseball card litigation" continued on the next page and <a href="https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/FSupp/415/176/2248705/">we all know how that turned out</a>:</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgskUeF32tGQN6CIiyvVgmLEvnKNnbs1GoBMoc0MboRto3ruFkdAAGRyujWKsAORKyCkXTD_s-wmx6TxQpZC5smP_jLWzCcLYNY-5ARniTCjxrJo4BcHwucmQuBYypoGnCLOKR1IeqXVcqELtFobkZaMwXcO2fyE5oVORLNPh79WzDN2Rj0Gm8ejlemPg/s1038/81%20Topps%20Annual%20Report%20Page%202%20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1038" data-original-width="781" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgskUeF32tGQN6CIiyvVgmLEvnKNnbs1GoBMoc0MboRto3ruFkdAAGRyujWKsAORKyCkXTD_s-wmx6TxQpZC5smP_jLWzCcLYNY-5ARniTCjxrJo4BcHwucmQuBYypoGnCLOKR1IeqXVcqELtFobkZaMwXcO2fyE5oVORLNPh79WzDN2Rj0Gm8ejlemPg/w482-h640/81%20Topps%20Annual%20Report%20Page%202%20.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The history of litigation between Fleer and Topps was a lengthy one but Topps had bought out some 4,000 Fleer ballplayer contracts in 1966 after the sole count of a Federal Trade Commission complaint that went against them was overturned. In 1967, Marvin Miller, unimpressed with the grip of Topps on his constituency, tried to <a href="https://sabrbaseballcards.blog/2017/01/03/the-1967-68-player-boycott-of-topps/">steer the player's union to Fleer </a>but they were not (yet) interested and it's worth pointing out the terms were quite risky for them. By 1975 their outlook had changed significantly and as seen above, they made it to market with a set in 1981, as did Donruss. The market, and hobby, would never be the same.</div><div><br /></div><div>Here's some numbers to crunch on:</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdQODLSEwzchEFVezkqo2bdgPX-5QJf_ZTyFzdUUHgb5OlH4NbR9PaQfdNWwt74iaVPYgjByYFdV2pnmrlKt1iMjCZ6x6MxID_xp61BvHnKYGfCt5kw8Nl5tj90m_nOHqqxPKVeBKbOqlwPOnMl1JPmjxoVQS2PHAvaZ_hCoX8Yszq96SeyjZvL9z-EQ/s1024/81%20Topps%20Annual%20Report%20Page%209.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="697" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdQODLSEwzchEFVezkqo2bdgPX-5QJf_ZTyFzdUUHgb5OlH4NbR9PaQfdNWwt74iaVPYgjByYFdV2pnmrlKt1iMjCZ6x6MxID_xp61BvHnKYGfCt5kw8Nl5tj90m_nOHqqxPKVeBKbOqlwPOnMl1JPmjxoVQS2PHAvaZ_hCoX8Yszq96SeyjZvL9z-EQ/w436-h640/81%20Topps%20Annual%20Report%20Page%209.jpg" width="436" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Sales and profit were actually down form the year before but Topps was quite effectively controlling costs, as earnings per share turned positive again, although the planned sale of their Irish plant did not occur.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-3lapYmaO8XSQhyXo5DUVcPz1JJDl1GLuf_t1cXiJAj8hhfDYLFzQ6s1czaxaNJD7is6eTMFr8KY0ApNHjX49feEyI-KHqrsFOzTcOffPIX5wdwMwhK-xn-8do-UWYPaSCn63AtfsgKvj3G-XyHv7kO9WB_DUoynEwRG3SThxAB3jkF7wC2NSZBnZjA/s857/81%20Topps%20Annual%20Report%20Page%2014%20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="857" data-original-width="751" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-3lapYmaO8XSQhyXo5DUVcPz1JJDl1GLuf_t1cXiJAj8hhfDYLFzQ6s1czaxaNJD7is6eTMFr8KY0ApNHjX49feEyI-KHqrsFOzTcOffPIX5wdwMwhK-xn-8do-UWYPaSCn63AtfsgKvj3G-XyHv7kO9WB_DUoynEwRG3SThxAB3jkF7wC2NSZBnZjA/w560-h640/81%20Topps%20Annual%20Report%20Page%2014%20.jpg" width="560" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Here's some more on the Fleer litigation; it would seesaw back and forth for years; Topps was never shy about getting lawyers involved in their business disputes:</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqPNA5TPbaQvw-sJRvZ_bJZPVmaqEpT2TVCoxBTv_Rgj-GqQ63E9jN2FFBNukXemdiZYZXLE4hSBMIKu1acrbdzmxMhkYUPL3S6JeGFZJM9x13yw7MulKk6I6CfJt0mb7CpVSfo2FvULkNZ8S0LDO1Gyo985qWWU7iyxJWE6fEymvKny6iMCUk_qXJow/s1019/81%20Topps%20Annual%20Report%20Page%2022%20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1019" data-original-width="723" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqPNA5TPbaQvw-sJRvZ_bJZPVmaqEpT2TVCoxBTv_Rgj-GqQ63E9jN2FFBNukXemdiZYZXLE4hSBMIKu1acrbdzmxMhkYUPL3S6JeGFZJM9x13yw7MulKk6I6CfJt0mb7CpVSfo2FvULkNZ8S0LDO1Gyo985qWWU7iyxJWE6fEymvKny6iMCUk_qXJow/w454-h640/81%20Topps%20Annual%20Report%20Page%2022%20.jpg" width="454" /></a></div><p>Donruss really just piggybacked on Fleer but that's how the bubble gum crumbles! We'll take a look at how the competition affected the Topps bottom line next time out.</p></div>toppcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10698182920578539949noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27257197959732447.post-26362446992500507282024-02-17T08:00:00.251-05:002024-02-17T11:44:48.381-05:00Posterity For Austerity<p>Friend o'the Archive David Eskenazi, who has been sending me various care packages of Topps corporate goodies from time to time, recently sent another batch my way. This time, the fully stuffed mailer was loaded up with Topps Annual and Board Reports, covering the fiscal years 1980 to 1983, a very tumultuous time for the company and the hobby at large. I've looked at the 1973-1976 Annual Reports previously, and since I have none from 1977 to 1979, let's look at 1980 today. </p><p>For the fiscal year ending March 1, 1980 Topps laid a very giant egg! You can tell things were off just by looking at the cover:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNeEPcwUsJsLFyOSJzHRueGGOXSdsWaWybGZLpWlAmaKvWBwnk903jG9si3ehyphenhyphenWgFZ0jMJiMoWbuTeDtLa60UlgIV8DArLMksbaFA5p9x1ihW6Ih6vGTCVKBuROr5oQKuv0HBZsXBxBtCMB5bMHENcDm7JKZQJu1nyGxo1dq95z-Oy0Zsbza9u0ZtcXw/s1092/80%20Topps%20Annual%20Report%20Cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1092" data-original-width="830" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNeEPcwUsJsLFyOSJzHRueGGOXSdsWaWybGZLpWlAmaKvWBwnk903jG9si3ehyphenhyphenWgFZ0jMJiMoWbuTeDtLa60UlgIV8DArLMksbaFA5p9x1ihW6Ih6vGTCVKBuROr5oQKuv0HBZsXBxBtCMB5bMHENcDm7JKZQJu1nyGxo1dq95z-Oy0Zsbza9u0ZtcXw/w486-h640/80%20Topps%20Annual%20Report%20Cover.jpg" width="486" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Yeah, that's not good.....let's let Arthur and Joel Shorin explain:<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEismvzcNOuRX1F2IBLsqg1Srxkk_imaR8c2D7gLY1ZVdnIVbbl9of8ucageplcl9KJNwfjrhe8-GMmw-Q0u_HYRo3ROh8vXzq73e7nSa2DNSFpR5Xa8klwYKOJ35vLOZh6Q_8z_mIz_F8zoJxcWNlgdCpDjOkDEqj7EvLK2oWi4CK00S4UhfJofzVEwow/s1073/80%20Topps%20Annual%20Report%20Page%201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1073" data-original-width="825" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEismvzcNOuRX1F2IBLsqg1Srxkk_imaR8c2D7gLY1ZVdnIVbbl9of8ucageplcl9KJNwfjrhe8-GMmw-Q0u_HYRo3ROh8vXzq73e7nSa2DNSFpR5Xa8klwYKOJ35vLOZh6Q_8z_mIz_F8zoJxcWNlgdCpDjOkDEqj7EvLK2oWi4CK00S4UhfJofzVEwow/w492-h640/80%20Topps%20Annual%20Report%20Page%201.jpg" width="492" /></a></div><div><br /></div>That's an excellent soft-soap job, I must say. Lead with the bad news, then pile up some good news and sprinkle in some rosy projections!</div><div><br /></div><div>As mentioned, I don't have annual reports (yet) covering fiscal years 1977-1979 but the 1980 Summary of Sales and Earnings recaps those years as part of its look back. It's clear the prior years were all profitable, especially the one just prior:</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQeLGts_BmjVBSWIxNoIRYAB2yQzP24Gd0oAZePwCLC6EdYZq12tvKVL3m-Dh3wvSIt5F4qMyc4u7K0ldELVDDdx73-GJJPPot2wVcSwvVc7sjXWHmtDXo8bwFQoBPWHeolt9UAdlpfkfR9SdmT6Fo2F8-O4ZAccqV59DOM2-u1PzPv4mV7q_xiDPBzQ/s1069/80%20Topps%20Annual%20Report%20Page%203.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1069" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQeLGts_BmjVBSWIxNoIRYAB2yQzP24Gd0oAZePwCLC6EdYZq12tvKVL3m-Dh3wvSIt5F4qMyc4u7K0ldELVDDdx73-GJJPPot2wVcSwvVc7sjXWHmtDXo8bwFQoBPWHeolt9UAdlpfkfR9SdmT6Fo2F8-O4ZAccqV59DOM2-u1PzPv4mV7q_xiDPBzQ/w640-h460/80%20Topps%20Annual%20Report%20Page%203.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Things were not looking good for the stock price as 1980 dragged on-dig that downward trend! It looks like inflation took a big bite out of earnings:</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUWoFnEKEGpAHVGpgG45_NM-AV6xatD_zzHCGntttXnn74LXwRaIIJFoAwwRdSjYTeUDFJyjPugS-sZisQW_cmd5Con8E_A3lYBIlQP2s7Bydpd3FilQrlaaIR9zQtWssleSOdVswG3P0Y9ziXQSHM1bliz2DJj3NsCUo7POr5N1TDRfFDTh0AmQAbog/s1073/80%20Topps%20Annual%20Report%20Page%204.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1073" data-original-width="774" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUWoFnEKEGpAHVGpgG45_NM-AV6xatD_zzHCGntttXnn74LXwRaIIJFoAwwRdSjYTeUDFJyjPugS-sZisQW_cmd5Con8E_A3lYBIlQP2s7Bydpd3FilQrlaaIR9zQtWssleSOdVswG3P0Y9ziXQSHM1bliz2DJj3NsCUo7POr5N1TDRfFDTh0AmQAbog/w462-h640/80%20Topps%20Annual%20Report%20Page%204.jpg" width="462" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I might have to rethink my previous snarky comments about <i><a href="https://www.thetoppsarchives.com/2023/10/oh-fudge.html">Bubble Fudge</a></i>! Reading on we see the relationship between sales and operating expenses really affected things, which is no surprise. The Irish subsidiary mentioned below will loom larger as the Eighties progress but for now, all was hunky-dory across the pond:</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqSqauDjrWdYJQfti5wUbGZSZUajexzY_HryX1lwb_A_8cWkTvfgrRXyBDdvU0bxgC9fKQrVb3kZTuNFxpqrak9sOEmqcdHNRJFgjzHoBDZfnYJfnsr7mXqeLhyphenhyphenihlY2UD1S9YJgfDWYH-2vGUDdl6eTkwdjRhu02OcjkemY56AAeEanU5F-dZ3FMrSQ/s1061/80%20Topps%20Annual%20Report%20Page%205.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="777" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqSqauDjrWdYJQfti5wUbGZSZUajexzY_HryX1lwb_A_8cWkTvfgrRXyBDdvU0bxgC9fKQrVb3kZTuNFxpqrak9sOEmqcdHNRJFgjzHoBDZfnYJfnsr7mXqeLhyphenhyphenihlY2UD1S9YJgfDWYH-2vGUDdl6eTkwdjRhu02OcjkemY56AAeEanU5F-dZ3FMrSQ/w468-h640/80%20Topps%20Annual%20Report%20Page%205.jpg" width="468" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I'll spare you most of the tables, but this one caught my eye as it mentions inventories presently on premises at the end of the fiscal year. Let's look at these figures:</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdoTTITe4IuQ8hY5nhRrXtd3ywhT8_kLxHsnsIBQfm-gbc79J6HNmc5MitYQMqZaZfqPgfz0Fg4MI2xYVhfpRzR5Ko2gwe_dXic-9YpYSmsSUbRcUyqw0o6lOoc2ZWpYOFITTRGQbky2kxd1W0I3WowSY7aqBv9e_YmBV02V-JffJER5vCZ2te3lkuJw/s1064/80%20Topps%20Annual%20Report%20Page%2012.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="807" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdoTTITe4IuQ8hY5nhRrXtd3ywhT8_kLxHsnsIBQfm-gbc79J6HNmc5MitYQMqZaZfqPgfz0Fg4MI2xYVhfpRzR5Ko2gwe_dXic-9YpYSmsSUbRcUyqw0o6lOoc2ZWpYOFITTRGQbky2kxd1W0I3WowSY7aqBv9e_YmBV02V-JffJER5vCZ2te3lkuJw/w486-h640/80%20Topps%20Annual%20Report%20Page%2012.jpg" width="486" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Topps had a lot of raw materials on hand, given the amount of wax wrappers, cardboard and various confectionery ingredients required for manufacturing and production. I assume these figures relate to the wholesale prices of Finished Products and Work-in-Process, which was usually a tad under 60% of retail. There was, of course gum in the wax and cello packs, and also on its own, plus football and hockey cards, non-sports cards and other things like <i>Ring Pops</i>, foreign sales, and on and on. With no breakdowns by product line available, pricing all over the place and a far-flung enterprise, it's a WAG on what that inventory number truly represents in terms of actual products but it looks like there was about $5.5 Million in retail sitting in various Topps warehouses on March 1, 1980 using my admittedly amateurish calculations.</div><div><br /></div><div>If half of that was trading cards, then it's $2.75 Million in retail, or roughly $1.65 Million wholesale, or a whole lot of cases!</div><div><br /></div><div>Signing off on this mess, we see some old familiar names and some new ones, changing, as BOD's do, as the years pass:</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWyZnbaXE6y0nC1XSBymINSOqo9Ew7yIfQkS6kZZtYcAeyyZdkx-pTPmOmW7i_5JvKh_nnATCuc-W0O1RY9URAiSQUaQRD4DqBdLkTVJGgwZhxbedgiCIgYq-4n4JglUNAIWKBKxEQcuVSw5gkIyFIZrYUmq1cXOsgyII9ZFTOLLRmcQ4KMLWtz5-Z0w/s1069/80%20Topps%20Annual%20Report%20Page%2020.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1069" data-original-width="787" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWyZnbaXE6y0nC1XSBymINSOqo9Ew7yIfQkS6kZZtYcAeyyZdkx-pTPmOmW7i_5JvKh_nnATCuc-W0O1RY9URAiSQUaQRD4DqBdLkTVJGgwZhxbedgiCIgYq-4n4JglUNAIWKBKxEQcuVSw5gkIyFIZrYUmq1cXOsgyII9ZFTOLLRmcQ4KMLWtz5-Z0w/w472-h640/80%20Topps%20Annual%20Report%20Page%2020.jpg" width="472" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;">I'll get into the 1981 report next time out-things really start to get interesting in that one.</p></div>toppcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10698182920578539949noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27257197959732447.post-37774547137790971172024-02-10T08:00:00.316-05:002024-02-12T15:42:35.471-05:00Letters To Sy Over<p>I've recently been resuscitating a CD-R that was sent to me some time ago with thousands of scans covering Topps Vault items sold by them from 2007 to mid-2013 on eBay. Some of the files are corrupted at this point but I've managed to save about 70 percent of them. However, I cannot trace who sent me this wonderful time capsule so please ping me if it was you!</p><p>Some of the most esoteric items on the disc were letters sent to Sy Berger from 1993-95 thanking him for the $500 payments that secured each player's signed release for the Topps Archives (yessir) Official Reprint sets from 1994 and 1995, reprinting the originals from 40 years prior in each case. There's nothing earth-shattering here but the letters are all handwritten and highlight some long-lasting friendships that Sy had formed over the many decades he was the Sports Director at Topps.</p><p>Here's one from Andy Pafko dated March 28, 1994, referencing the 1994 Official Reprint of the 1954 <i>Baseball</i> set:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD9OCiKIarMoaiVLkHqxzwcPeh01edhRZZQ5pXmPZQ2ac7cYxg42hfjRlpnQB_om-DTBg5hhdNeJGL3oPXe63sH4uVqhGno0WD38UXbpazibgg0bBYDVp-JdxqA4BOdPE8EQDWm1QoeF3KOCtAvmRALYKGnGF_DlK5Zj0MHR_E6SQdQRDl1rPRez_A4A/s776/Andy%20Pafko%20Hand-Written%20Letter%20%5B46.88%208-12%5D.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="776" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD9OCiKIarMoaiVLkHqxzwcPeh01edhRZZQ5pXmPZQ2ac7cYxg42hfjRlpnQB_om-DTBg5hhdNeJGL3oPXe63sH4uVqhGno0WD38UXbpazibgg0bBYDVp-JdxqA4BOdPE8EQDWm1QoeF3KOCtAvmRALYKGnGF_DlK5Zj0MHR_E6SQdQRDl1rPRez_A4A/w640-h490/Andy%20Pafko%20Hand-Written%20Letter%20%5B46.88%208-12%5D.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Pafko would receive another $500 a year later for the 1955 Official Reprint set:</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnqHORK1BL3WXrkpzNJk7E4xzv433_S_EUdwtdRQqhInBNxQaZ_6reryHeb-Ub0dqdw-4aE4kMLtiSLd7zhLF16a3ORDHa-JS3KsAr429Yp7SauSL4EXJzrOh3bPzg-8HT52coWPU0sW8XlvH_ASeP67pfiI8h0AeJCZtJxQqX5jUyUJmqqOKNXWV6ZQ/s660/Andy%20Pafko%20Hand-Written%20Letter%20%5B38.55%208-12%5D.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="660" data-original-width="443" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnqHORK1BL3WXrkpzNJk7E4xzv433_S_EUdwtdRQqhInBNxQaZ_6reryHeb-Ub0dqdw-4aE4kMLtiSLd7zhLF16a3ORDHa-JS3KsAr429Yp7SauSL4EXJzrOh3bPzg-8HT52coWPU0sW8XlvH_ASeP67pfiI8h0AeJCZtJxQqX5jUyUJmqqOKNXWV6ZQ/w430-h640/Andy%20Pafko%20Hand-Written%20Letter%20%5B38.55%208-12%5D.JPG" width="430" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Don Mueller, who was nicknamed Mandrake the Magician for his uncanny ability to slap balls through the infield, sent this note on some really neat "Almost Original 16" stationery, which he must have saved from his playing days (did all ballplayers of a certain vintage get pads of these?). The inclusion of the logos for the Orioles (the relocated Browns from 1954) and old Athletics elephant (the style shown here debuted for the 1954 season during their last year in Philadelphia) logos may point to 1954 for the stationery, kind of ties things together nicely!.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgb3prgvMJXEK7UkopgFLGvoF02trbAI0jRfV9bIxbrvBtms6L-49d-3Qen1EkyH-2UFctMpwU_jWFdc0A9XIfXnGv4cr26wMI759ERQpeJIdbUzHLys084oxlcrP3NYDyupmVgwWpSO1igJ31DDwSaSEnekp7KWuK760qSRFfDPFZJer2-1H3FZiPTA/s758/Don%20Mueller%20Hand-Written%20Letter%20%5B28.55%208-12%5D.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="758" data-original-width="502" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgb3prgvMJXEK7UkopgFLGvoF02trbAI0jRfV9bIxbrvBtms6L-49d-3Qen1EkyH-2UFctMpwU_jWFdc0A9XIfXnGv4cr26wMI759ERQpeJIdbUzHLys084oxlcrP3NYDyupmVgwWpSO1igJ31DDwSaSEnekp7KWuK760qSRFfDPFZJer2-1H3FZiPTA/w424-h640/Don%20Mueller%20Hand-Written%20Letter%20%5B28.55%208-12%5D.JPG" width="424" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Ned Garver had some really sweet professionally designed stationery too:<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4UyTZzTM_jtC8xK2sS16TiD-V0iuaV3_KC3G2eFl5RPPOyKq7EWH_QEjNOHqe6cvJQAL8M-eG4j3UKw_kfQO15Ej3FnHEWmoU5xw8b6bRv-R4HTZ6Q-_L6x9cXHbKNYwh7z8_yMhlOsoAGlf09dWQ64hljuJb2CNWabSK83E9p1iG5vBFbQbcdo6xoA/s781/Ned%20Garver%20Hand-Written%20Letter%20%5B87.66%208-12%5D.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="781" data-original-width="601" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4UyTZzTM_jtC8xK2sS16TiD-V0iuaV3_KC3G2eFl5RPPOyKq7EWH_QEjNOHqe6cvJQAL8M-eG4j3UKw_kfQO15Ej3FnHEWmoU5xw8b6bRv-R4HTZ6Q-_L6x9cXHbKNYwh7z8_yMhlOsoAGlf09dWQ64hljuJb2CNWabSK83E9p1iG5vBFbQbcdo6xoA/w492-h640/Ned%20Garver%20Hand-Written%20Letter%20%5B87.66%208-12%5D.JPG" width="492" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Garver was handing over his check to a group founded by ex-Brown Chuck Stevens, who was the Secretary of the Association of Professional Ball Players of America (APBPA) from 1960 until 1998. APBPA offered financial and other assistance to down-on-their-luck ex-ballplayers. Stevens lived a long life and was the oldest living ex-major league player until his death on May 28, 2018.</div><div><br /></div><div>Gene Woodling wrote Sy in 1995 and intimates there were some freebie boxes going to the players:</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY4ulPU425jEPo64EuJlQEIG5Q97sExbYGRt9YRZRR77PJg1V8F_BueNIcYWEPZPjkue_-6Vuc-3SwAENxYdfx6ZMCF4ArYAG3Mtevxc33KyfmuBRAw3uscOdFAZSIpeAs2reP-RNcXzecr08KJmbviuSZ0oTLQ95d-3ySkY-P2duZPtNeAGfsT2aHyw/s701/Gene%20Woodling%20Hand-Written%20Letter%20%5B31.99%208-12%5D.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="701" data-original-width="470" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY4ulPU425jEPo64EuJlQEIG5Q97sExbYGRt9YRZRR77PJg1V8F_BueNIcYWEPZPjkue_-6Vuc-3SwAENxYdfx6ZMCF4ArYAG3Mtevxc33KyfmuBRAw3uscOdFAZSIpeAs2reP-RNcXzecr08KJmbviuSZ0oTLQ95d-3ySkY-P2duZPtNeAGfsT2aHyw/w430-h640/Gene%20Woodling%20Hand-Written%20Letter%20%5B31.99%208-12%5D.JPG" width="430" /></a></div><div><br /></div>We'll end this fun look at old stationery with Phil Cavarretta, writing on his wife's:</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiALnTEkI2fXQEOoIGdJMjne72Xe9hI-Lhq3rVkbOYU3Q7PRGHP2U2BsmCeCTXZS1CXNukW0KjquYS59bfmC76aNFkO2yjUTKZ9CUjnDkjxaqk8PBCF1lcfRIiCBSaioSJmhrS08vKXcrdEwMEnkKs0clJ588VPtAvWZvWvRW_4pthR7M_6UpAQyaMmaA/s549/Phil%20Cavarretta%20Hand-Written%20Letter%20%5B32.00%208-12%5D.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="549" data-original-width="397" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiALnTEkI2fXQEOoIGdJMjne72Xe9hI-Lhq3rVkbOYU3Q7PRGHP2U2BsmCeCTXZS1CXNukW0KjquYS59bfmC76aNFkO2yjUTKZ9CUjnDkjxaqk8PBCF1lcfRIiCBSaioSJmhrS08vKXcrdEwMEnkKs0clJ588VPtAvWZvWvRW_4pthR7M_6UpAQyaMmaA/w462-h640/Phil%20Cavarretta%20Hand-Written%20Letter%20%5B32.00%208-12%5D.JPG" width="462" /></a></div><div><br /></div>These half-dozen notes really showed the human side of these five ex-players and how people from one rare profession really form bonds like those from any other profession.</div><div><br /></div><div>And if you are doing the math, and assuming everybody got the same amount, then Topps had to pay out $124,500 for rights to the original subjects for the 1954 reprint (for 249 subjects as neither Ted Williams card was included thanks to his exclusive deal with Upper Deck at the time, and assuming the O'Brien's received $500 per O'Brien) and $103,000 for the original 1955 subjects rights. 1954 also saw eight additional (and quite) crummy fantasy "rookie cards" Topps added to the mix for no good reason at all, so you can tack on $4K for those.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Williams cards from 1954 could eventually be found in reprint form from both Upper Deck and Topps. Upper Deck, through some creative licensing arrangements, in their strangely titled but wonderfully executed three-card <i>1994 Upper Deck All-Time Heroes - 1994 Topps Archives 1954</i> set gave the world both reprinted Williams cards plus a fab ersatz Mantle. I never copped a Mick, so forgive the scans here:</div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTl9TZOtFupQXPBxaWfDqR34nQ-shjifBPo3q5y5AEqj5oo2xJI8rnvSpSSWxB8RLgZAly758RsDHpNyJW6X6O6h2xwevWFlkuz29_Ss2tTIksFGocctdsO7FKLLoJshzFFzD1v6cvV9aD_jlHPXRf-wjDUN8cMNtIVsMMsm4BXa-dX6ixM11FOe-95w/s349/UD%20Mick%20front.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="247" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTl9TZOtFupQXPBxaWfDqR34nQ-shjifBPo3q5y5AEqj5oo2xJI8rnvSpSSWxB8RLgZAly758RsDHpNyJW6X6O6h2xwevWFlkuz29_Ss2tTIksFGocctdsO7FKLLoJshzFFzD1v6cvV9aD_jlHPXRf-wjDUN8cMNtIVsMMsm4BXa-dX6ixM11FOe-95w/w283-h400/UD%20Mick%20front.jpg" width="283" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNAJQl4ZPtpPoyMSvfNeXVNOjXMT3EMOMfaeUpd_jV8Q5eaYARI55XV5YV4LIPkEWKG0pY1RkPTG7O4c9yosPQ3nTNuC2zRpV71ICAZSb8dUViGKNAfl4IbT-fvYjH2PVMm_C5lu0dK-tyFsvBmvYqlJ5Um34cUO-5KSWunV_gV06YE0L-6HMU6ymUxQ/s350/UD%20Mick%20reverse.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="248" data-original-width="350" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNAJQl4ZPtpPoyMSvfNeXVNOjXMT3EMOMfaeUpd_jV8Q5eaYARI55XV5YV4LIPkEWKG0pY1RkPTG7O4c9yosPQ3nTNuC2zRpV71ICAZSb8dUViGKNAfl4IbT-fvYjH2PVMm_C5lu0dK-tyFsvBmvYqlJ5Um34cUO-5KSWunV_gV06YE0L-6HMU6ymUxQ/w400-h284/UD%20Mick%20reverse.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div>However I do have Williams reprints, but only one is from Upper Deck. The other is from the 2001 <i>Topps Archives</i> set (nice ring to that!). Let's go in reverse order, Upper Deck first for #250 and embiggened to show details:<div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHuE8rQkXpLzAYfvnrj1xqNiNd5Gv-6RZ85UbZwQO7oT2dQYX0ZQl8uhojPOp1CpOxVK38OIoRaAIWBIRvAEyYMMKbEJ1llx9jc99Kf-lH623qBVkHLFEhbtN1VNkKepw9Z7eIoqMTZLEB6p1ZgsGUjQr5GImKqybHVQ9rZUQ5aCVMgZnXKVlqTxZ-3w/s1384/udtw250%20front.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1384" data-original-width="1011" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHuE8rQkXpLzAYfvnrj1xqNiNd5Gv-6RZ85UbZwQO7oT2dQYX0ZQl8uhojPOp1CpOxVK38OIoRaAIWBIRvAEyYMMKbEJ1llx9jc99Kf-lH623qBVkHLFEhbtN1VNkKepw9Z7eIoqMTZLEB6p1ZgsGUjQr5GImKqybHVQ9rZUQ5aCVMgZnXKVlqTxZ-3w/w469-h640/udtw250%20front.jpg" width="469" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Here's some mixed-up <i>indicia</i> for ya: </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisHGYPqJBuYFy8zD38UvZE5UBpLBQGqWo72NPDL5iUPFFzUwcO_SagMXhAUwTT4o1f2W1u9WOisZSnwDUoGorfqgYWDecv-QpH95LJUlDhcRzHdheCH9oXap8m_K_dJZx7MEu_l6aqQETh2McFoxqIlIgrfIlGNlguSebs68QzxhUyNZjAF3Yr3qrfbQ/s1403/udtw250%20reverse.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1007" data-original-width="1403" height="461" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisHGYPqJBuYFy8zD38UvZE5UBpLBQGqWo72NPDL5iUPFFzUwcO_SagMXhAUwTT4o1f2W1u9WOisZSnwDUoGorfqgYWDecv-QpH95LJUlDhcRzHdheCH9oXap8m_K_dJZx7MEu_l6aqQETh2McFoxqIlIgrfIlGNlguSebs68QzxhUyNZjAF3Yr3qrfbQ/w640-h461/udtw250%20reverse.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Note the obverse follows the Topps reprint set as it carries a top border. The 2001 Archives Ted Williams "Through the Years" cards on the other hand, did give us the original full-bleed top borders:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggiSfDb6TcPuorHjSzoSrdS2gHZVl3oANjkJ1O2uT7Uzl-FZYX1IbPCmqxSRJ4dNpJDzknJATgtlHxXtnZEnGFNTvF-xWzDGvZJChH9pfJ_Ob1G0wN6YWy0UaDl69p4yiEDOkYvtnPx1kf83dfv1ZtVyS4_E_eM3hbM1HkZoqUpghdh0si3wPsB8GDRQ/s1401/tatwfront.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1401" data-original-width="1002" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggiSfDb6TcPuorHjSzoSrdS2gHZVl3oANjkJ1O2uT7Uzl-FZYX1IbPCmqxSRJ4dNpJDzknJATgtlHxXtnZEnGFNTvF-xWzDGvZJChH9pfJ_Ob1G0wN6YWy0UaDl69p4yiEDOkYvtnPx1kf83dfv1ZtVyS4_E_eM3hbM1HkZoqUpghdh0si3wPsB8GDRQ/w458-h640/tatwfront.jpg" width="458" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Looks a lot better, right? However, Topps didn't use glossy white stock for the reverse and the result was decidedly murky:</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimoS6iq_wkz8XBsw-HvcMrTBgDyw7d08GmZSGYXt_1huNA9qAwI-_89I8tV2bASjG1qogyr0yrIST762YsS_S9Llnd6A-wXwGvV7-7tHl5fTw288W_dL6VQUUcwJeGM7a5jyP4-b9XT7nj20aN2bnHgO71OUwSRKdVz2HyS4K5xOcR5NqRlC2vffrY9Q/s1404/tatwreverse.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="994" data-original-width="1404" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimoS6iq_wkz8XBsw-HvcMrTBgDyw7d08GmZSGYXt_1huNA9qAwI-_89I8tV2bASjG1qogyr0yrIST762YsS_S9Llnd6A-wXwGvV7-7tHl5fTw288W_dL6VQUUcwJeGM7a5jyP4-b9XT7nj20aN2bnHgO71OUwSRKdVz2HyS4K5xOcR5NqRlC2vffrY9Q/w640-h454/tatwreverse.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So my 1954 Topps reprint set is a real Franken-set! </div><div><div><br /></div></div></div>toppcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10698182920578539949noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27257197959732447.post-36075129793356444432024-02-03T08:00:00.125-05:002024-02-03T08:00:00.246-05:00Get Your Scorecards Here!<p>I found an interesting item in the wilds of eBay recently, namely a tearsheet of a column Topps Creative Director Woody Gelman penned for a fledgling magazine called <i>Baseball Monthly. </i>As can be plainly seen, it was titled "the Hobbyist" and the idea was to have Woody show off some examples from his extensive collection of ephemera in future issues:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH0Sfgfr9nBWNyjGGhiNfnQ1foULfRML82NLATzTudQaDRqurH2RqLdpeMAf5oddD6iXph9Kfs2QOvWsejLDftmvrJzQFHy55SpdvUQ5VBukeh192UjklJdeoJ5agzyu4Yy0svRpi6nohjRdSJvxw6fRFNSgNEyCCYYXNjPuyI4ZX5_0GSE3sJbF4YwQ/s1517/Gelman%20Column%20Baseball%20Monthly%20Issue%201%201962.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1517" data-original-width="1110" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH0Sfgfr9nBWNyjGGhiNfnQ1foULfRML82NLATzTudQaDRqurH2RqLdpeMAf5oddD6iXph9Kfs2QOvWsejLDftmvrJzQFHy55SpdvUQ5VBukeh192UjklJdeoJ5agzyu4Yy0svRpi6nohjRdSJvxw6fRFNSgNEyCCYYXNjPuyI4ZX5_0GSE3sJbF4YwQ/w468-h640/Gelman%20Column%20Baseball%20Monthly%20Issue%201%201962.jpg" width="468" /></a></div><p>Some easy detective work revealed the magazine debuted in March of 1962 and lasted a whopping four issues. It was published by Major League Baseball Promotions Corp., which was the licensing arm of the then-20 major league teams. Woody is described as the Publisher of the <i>American Card Catalog</i>, which is technically correct, although it was as a co-publisher and I doubt those in the hobby back then thought of anyone but Jefferson Burdick in that role.</p><p>Here's the then-current 1960 <i>ACC'</i>s copyright page:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiaOEn0U_9ZUXCK0wAaFbm5sKOPnxbK9tgeK3YI5FM9AfDYiIcqciHhJ6VphuuuLhte0XinMi9EPQKtuIMnb1eSW6t-zysDdgFd1QN7TeCP__lhyphenhyphenJhpxGRzxRFh-4xOB1VWnqVavMP4shdcWvnQV_xMOskHisVtjykOOX2xM1RTQa_xI0wG8tKLg6r4g/s707/1960%20ACC%20Editors.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="707" data-original-width="463" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiaOEn0U_9ZUXCK0wAaFbm5sKOPnxbK9tgeK3YI5FM9AfDYiIcqciHhJ6VphuuuLhte0XinMi9EPQKtuIMnb1eSW6t-zysDdgFd1QN7TeCP__lhyphenhyphenJhpxGRzxRFh-4xOB1VWnqVavMP4shdcWvnQV_xMOskHisVtjykOOX2xM1RTQa_xI0wG8tKLg6r4g/w420-h640/1960%20ACC%20Editors.jpg" width="420" /></a></div><br /><p>Gelman would have had prior experience with producing publications (and indeed was <i>ACC</i> co-publisher in 1953 and when that edition was reprinted in 1956) and with Jefferson Burdick in New York mounting his collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, he was in close proximity. It's certainly possible Woody did a lot of the heavy lifting with the 1960 edition.</p><p>Woody did publish a book titled the <i>Baseball Card Checklist</i> and sold it through both his Card Collectors Company and early newsletter <i>The Card Collector</i>. Too bad the column's intro blurb gets the title of this very early guide wrong!</p><p>The column is innocuous to a fault, although Woody's certainly pushing the main Topps card line in his commentary. I find it intriguing he mentions old baseball programs as his Card Collectors Company sold very old ones off in their catalogs for a song. This was the scorecard pricing in the March 1962 CCC catalog, the very same month his column first appeared:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT5rMmRhoERHRrJeMteKOT-8ufljIt9BuSUuYZsJfiWEeNEHDtPjia2hETk8fTr7ehtZqc-5f52EBANiEF-ZxpOkO5uS5Pv0vlRi6nCyAnsZoux3_bXvbYoWFfirC40cYPlh7wY0xA6_f9_26yf2az-T0kNRvDpG3v9eSigWcd2422tKEDkiBW1F4mgg/s455/ccc%201962%20Programs.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="455" data-original-width="250" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT5rMmRhoERHRrJeMteKOT-8ufljIt9BuSUuYZsJfiWEeNEHDtPjia2hETk8fTr7ehtZqc-5f52EBANiEF-ZxpOkO5uS5Pv0vlRi6nCyAnsZoux3_bXvbYoWFfirC40cYPlh7wY0xA6_f9_26yf2az-T0kNRvDpG3v9eSigWcd2422tKEDkiBW1F4mgg/w220-h400/ccc%201962%20Programs.jpg" width="220" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A couple of years later he was blowing old football programs out at three for a dollar, but I digress. Woody was well-attuned to cross promotion using the old soft-sell!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'd love to find the other three columns he penned for this magazine. They managed April, May and June issues before biting the dust.</div>toppcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10698182920578539949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27257197959732447.post-36565375924697604872024-01-27T08:00:00.234-05:002024-01-27T08:00:00.132-05:00The Gang's (Almost) All Here<p>BFF o'the Archive Jeff Shepherd has sent along scans of a couple of exceptional Bazooka Joe and the Gang original art pieces for everybody's viewing pleasure. First up is Officer Bill, from an original character study on Bristol board, laid down by Wesley Morse:</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwTBDpYb7riAoPuJDLW3BNtRAnab_9o1Tp6reIfXrh5pf6JnCG6ec6EClXXJJueUUk-28s_y-v860hykBXYIWlbK2X2GEN40F-J0HPwKcJV7XzBLuP73aiEjaFUlADzruLP9eS_-AHTHcFWbap4dAYOfCou4787PkF46c-AxFKHVKTtfwfQYCHuVAu6Q/s2868/1954%20Wesley%20Morse%20Bazooka%20Joe%20Preliminary%20Art%20For%20Sarge%20Shep.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2868" data-original-width="2228" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwTBDpYb7riAoPuJDLW3BNtRAnab_9o1Tp6reIfXrh5pf6JnCG6ec6EClXXJJueUUk-28s_y-v860hykBXYIWlbK2X2GEN40F-J0HPwKcJV7XzBLuP73aiEjaFUlADzruLP9eS_-AHTHcFWbap4dAYOfCou4787PkF46c-AxFKHVKTtfwfQYCHuVAu6Q/w498-h640/1954%20Wesley%20Morse%20Bazooka%20Joe%20Preliminary%20Art%20For%20Sarge%20Shep.jpg" width="498" /></a></p><p>Wait, what?! There's no character named Officer Bill in the Bazooka Joe comics. There is however, Sarge, the gruff but friendly cop on the beat (often seen directing traffic by the school) in whatever burg the gang called home:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVf1iKEmgWZzpibEJli7buR1WZm-KIAdjPqG-jxh4fWq2wEfvs7UgIkB70EjNRcekJ4Mwyd6SG1CukQR_Z6uYjOYiEvWe1aOh7P9CZzxp8JeqMUHgVRalQuSywixa7pYd-VE__r6V5fdXl5v9hB7GWvc-6AoLipAiViLYQZ7x1SKzm-Z-QZdTI028iOQ/s1244/1954%20Bazooka%20Joe%20Comics%20Series%20Sarge.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="895" data-original-width="1244" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVf1iKEmgWZzpibEJli7buR1WZm-KIAdjPqG-jxh4fWq2wEfvs7UgIkB70EjNRcekJ4Mwyd6SG1CukQR_Z6uYjOYiEvWe1aOh7P9CZzxp8JeqMUHgVRalQuSywixa7pYd-VE__r6V5fdXl5v9hB7GWvc-6AoLipAiViLYQZ7x1SKzm-Z-QZdTI028iOQ/w640-h460/1954%20Bazooka%20Joe%20Comics%20Series%20Sarge.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>That was actually a Bazooka comic, as eight of the characters rated a solo look in the first series of one-cent tabs of the bubble gum in 1954. </p><p>I ran the art by Mark Newgarden, who is wise in such matters, and he indicated he has a handful of these studies in his archives: Wilbur, Toughy, Tex, Walkie Talkie (more on those in a minute) and of course, the eye-patched hero himself, good ol' Bazooka Joe:</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZv94bYhkdewISx4Jhjuk4yHBGCxSnrWzSmPEz2wQeLta9jqgawU0DIQ1zr4kjz6lHag8HZhFfY_eT-_0pnIf6hG0776JOBpChXObqZ7FLbYuIr0RH6TNZJOtvq-fvN_iLi-G0dq0VMYK6lqpi_mpbPOfBGf4jTDVugUMfUa1mphpt9aw1Y7TdFMBAeA/s1275/Circa%201954%20Bazooka%20Joe%20Wesley%20Morse%20Presentation%20Art%20-%20Mark%20Newgarden%20Owns%20via%20Shep.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1275" data-original-width="1030" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZv94bYhkdewISx4Jhjuk4yHBGCxSnrWzSmPEz2wQeLta9jqgawU0DIQ1zr4kjz6lHag8HZhFfY_eT-_0pnIf6hG0776JOBpChXObqZ7FLbYuIr0RH6TNZJOtvq-fvN_iLi-G0dq0VMYK6lqpi_mpbPOfBGf4jTDVugUMfUa1mphpt9aw1Y7TdFMBAeA/w518-h640/Circa%201954%20Bazooka%20Joe%20Wesley%20Morse%20Presentation%20Art%20-%20Mark%20Newgarden%20Owns%20via%20Shep.jpg" width="518" /></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That one is just about identical to the finished version of Joe, seen here in a scan, again courtesy of Shep:</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQcu3eBZV4uludFcdsv5f9a0Yub6mjuNsWU4o6ENHmjwqPeyn1dxHmQ36nmqYIYxlEkGLGDOFULtfddU0QvZqmc2BsyHZt7cfW3NbVMLoXM0mx9N-lzPsgN20hGt5knem6S8jhh1LKtmUwj73K1RDi0U-_0TdZ-aXD9kN03Msg7_uHV1fS6xy5zQfn6Q/s1231/1954%20Bazooka%20Joe%20Intro%20Comic%20300DPI.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="895" data-original-width="1231" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQcu3eBZV4uludFcdsv5f9a0Yub6mjuNsWU4o6ENHmjwqPeyn1dxHmQ36nmqYIYxlEkGLGDOFULtfddU0QvZqmc2BsyHZt7cfW3NbVMLoXM0mx9N-lzPsgN20hGt5knem6S8jhh1LKtmUwj73K1RDi0U-_0TdZ-aXD9kN03Msg7_uHV1fS6xy5zQfn6Q/w640-h466/1954%20Bazooka%20Joe%20Intro%20Comic%20300DPI.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As a capper, there also exists a piece of art that Mr. Newgarden advises hung in a Topps conference room for years and it is a beauty, although the whereabouts of the original are unknown at present (but it's still believed to exist):</div><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL33pgZVocnLtyflmUxBHOS46sPq7gM9QV3n5iy8QOnKnONBAVg9VP2hx8JRDLpBAFqc147S4lvX4tyoaALOvNK7L16sxyJN88WNaLtjfivsimE5kS9kt2szuubG48lnXM85LsK4MJk5aWNFi9eEjasXQ0kLEGRS0QDnXKSjaigOeQO3xSqjk-A46NdA/s705/1950's%20Bazooka%20Joe%20Gang%20-%20Source%20Unknown%20via%20Shep.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="188" data-original-width="705" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL33pgZVocnLtyflmUxBHOS46sPq7gM9QV3n5iy8QOnKnONBAVg9VP2hx8JRDLpBAFqc147S4lvX4tyoaALOvNK7L16sxyJN88WNaLtjfivsimE5kS9kt2szuubG48lnXM85LsK4MJk5aWNFi9eEjasXQ0kLEGRS0QDnXKSjaigOeQO3xSqjk-A46NdA/w640-h171/1950's%20Bazooka%20Joe%20Gang%20-%20Source%20Unknown%20via%20Shep.jpg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: left;">Seemingly a black-and-white stat (i.e. a photostat, a kind of early copying system that used a camera) with color added after reproduction, it depicts several characters that didn't last too long or ended up with new names. Let's go from left to right:</p><p style="text-align: left;">Bazooka Joe of course, comes first then we see his girlfriend Janet, Joe's kid brother Pesty, then sister L'il Pat, Toughy (formerly Butch, then later Tuffy), Wilbur, Mort, Tex (who seems redundant thanks to Pesty's presence), Bazooka Joe's Mom and Pop, Hungry Herman, Joe's dog Walkie Talkie and finally, Sarge.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Several recurring characters are not shown, even though they appeared with some consistency. There were, for example, at least two teachers who were semi-regulars, one a young blonde woman and the other a white-haired, stouter Mrs. Grundy type. Various parents, relatives, townsfolk and even passing hobos made appearances in the strip. </p><p style="text-align: left;">All these characters were around for years, even after Morse died in 1963, as Topps had a stash of comics in reserve they issued for almost two more decades, although by the mid-Seventies they began salting in more promo and prize comics before an early-Eighties redesign brought in new artists and some new characters as well (Metal Dude anybody?). But for literally hundreds, if not thousands, of adventures spanning a quarter-century, the original Bazooka Joe and his Gang were a familiar group to millions of penny-wielding kids.</p>toppcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10698182920578539949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27257197959732447.post-31815307571543121512024-01-20T08:00:00.169-05:002024-01-22T09:23:56.123-05:00Treading The (Card)boards<p>The various and myriad test issues spit out by Topps have always ignited collectors' passions and, as the years pass, done a number on many a bank account, mine included. What we tend to think of as a test issue really began in 1965-66 and seems to coincide with the move of production from Brooklyn to Duryea. Yes, there were tests before this (and probably far more than anyone will ever know) but the method of distribution seems to have been refined by the mid-Sixties into what amounts to a standardized countertop display featuring a blank, white box, with white wax packs within. These came with a large, colorful sticker affixed to the front that identified the set and often used the planned graphics for the full retail release. A smaller ingredients sticker was affixed to the reverse. Not all sets were tested this way but for anything that was a standard sized card, it was pretty much the norm, although some regional tests seem to have had more "finished" packaging (and wider distribution).</p><p>Test packs are seen sporadically and remain highly (and rightly) prized. Test wrappers are found with a little more regularity but an actual test box is a rare bird and, given the lack of any identifying markings in most cases, not something that would suggest to anyone it was worth keeping. Here then, is one for the 1975 <i>Shock Theater </i>test:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrzhPEs9vuqs_WV3qcfuriAlRAsDXBEAzCY6NKELk5yGFU2VZfjq9EofDw8wuPcd5zFRFdd3msWwbO0dP1AJxbqssFjRrJjUgtz0XzDhKby6YiYsBJPuh94m4iPWMsEoBxlFCavX0cjebxteoosGJWLhWk9ax9u4kwxUqjBBLSUAJVeIft83LfReHUPA/s507/75%20shock%20theater%20test%20box%20view%201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="443" data-original-width="507" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrzhPEs9vuqs_WV3qcfuriAlRAsDXBEAzCY6NKELk5yGFU2VZfjq9EofDw8wuPcd5zFRFdd3msWwbO0dP1AJxbqssFjRrJjUgtz0XzDhKby6YiYsBJPuh94m4iPWMsEoBxlFCavX0cjebxteoosGJWLhWk9ax9u4kwxUqjBBLSUAJVeIft83LfReHUPA/w400-h350/75%20shock%20theater%20test%20box%20view%201.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div>It's just a <a href="https://youtu.be/RNhpdjxHuw4?si=kORT9s95yCUkl-nr">mashed potato sandwich, with mayo on white</a>, especially when all closed up:<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYG6CFoFWjAaGIcnV2a6a5T1DeFRQyMdYPlUPaD1JkpOzAu3seNaeESsc0BMGU-obIiv-1_EvszcgxOnfnGAlo8VBGwuO1Y_dCOdEQ1ycd57D4zXnF2zh8IoczXiK4JRNUdXjHZgyAJbyLQEjTG0RpJXfsBGFiWi_vZdTD3mERvcvclCBuP1J7ba1YYg/s482/75%20shock%20theater%20test%20box%20view%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="380" data-original-width="482" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYG6CFoFWjAaGIcnV2a6a5T1DeFRQyMdYPlUPaD1JkpOzAu3seNaeESsc0BMGU-obIiv-1_EvszcgxOnfnGAlo8VBGwuO1Y_dCOdEQ1ycd57D4zXnF2zh8IoczXiK4JRNUdXjHZgyAJbyLQEjTG0RpJXfsBGFiWi_vZdTD3mERvcvclCBuP1J7ba1YYg/w400-h315/75%20shock%20theater%20test%20box%20view%202.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The test pack has fabulous graphics, which were used for the retail release (which was NOT in the U.S):</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKOF4PrT5U6supIPRLjQpBw3Q6AfALh4KQeyCnIewz_ipwMehM387t-wAylCMNapEfjzQ8lowVeDdqNDJIs6m7RPnezC30FPli3DlTLIKD0asYOgls1IKim-UlnkG9MBss5amGcw_6Ait4mfJGCvVCVPh6MMtCUXDwubaHdAtklNbrT2LdUMEYVVDvQA/s409/75%20shock%20theater%20test%20pack%20view%201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="409" data-original-width="296" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKOF4PrT5U6supIPRLjQpBw3Q6AfALh4KQeyCnIewz_ipwMehM387t-wAylCMNapEfjzQ8lowVeDdqNDJIs6m7RPnezC30FPli3DlTLIKD0asYOgls1IKim-UlnkG9MBss5amGcw_6Ait4mfJGCvVCVPh6MMtCUXDwubaHdAtklNbrT2LdUMEYVVDvQA/s320/75%20shock%20theater%20test%20pack%20view%201.jpg" width="232" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Here is the ingredients sticker, purple in this case:</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-JD4puRJD8mGY5MkrXxwCGh3PqP1PhY5xxae-nNBgDMWsJpYB-n0PYGotUWYnZwFN1U0oNZdbqUz-6pviddmYoCQUJgbD5t85ayfc4icLDdgq9tGt9iJDoA-h2g1JNgEYTvRFflUL_Jpi1nE_U06bNTlJsSE5RMVORmk1Bhs54ZgAk7bNRZX4IhTTow/s405/75%20shock%20theater%20test%20pack%20view%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="297" data-original-width="405" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-JD4puRJD8mGY5MkrXxwCGh3PqP1PhY5xxae-nNBgDMWsJpYB-n0PYGotUWYnZwFN1U0oNZdbqUz-6pviddmYoCQUJgbD5t85ayfc4icLDdgq9tGt9iJDoA-h2g1JNgEYTvRFflUL_Jpi1nE_U06bNTlJsSE5RMVORmk1Bhs54ZgAk7bNRZX4IhTTow/s320/75%20shock%20theater%20test%20pack%20view%202.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Friend o'the Archive Lonnie Cummins has done some magnificent work on this set and I'll link to a <a href="https://forum.vintagenonsports.com/post/topps-shock-theater-test-issue-11282009">Vintage Non-Sports Forum post </a>where he gets into all sorts of detail on it. Not to steal his thunder but his discovery that purple ingredients stickers were used for seven card test packs, and black ingredients stickers for three card test packs, is illuminating. I'm not positive but that seems to suggest a testing of two different price points. Rising prices were becoming a major concern following the 1973 oil crisis not just for Topps but pretty much everybody on the planet. I'm not sure where the pricing was displayed but at a guess it was just a sticker to be stuck to the box. The purple/black ingredients stickers require further research but Topps seems to have settled in on some kind of bright line with the colors used for these around this time.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The set was retail-released in 1976 in the U.K. as <i>Shock Theatre</i>, with most of the production handled in America, then shipped overseas, as Topps fully <a href="https://vintagefootball.cards/index_topps.html">devoured A&BC and rebranded in 1975</a>. Production was being set up at the time in Ireland for the U.K and Continent but it was a while before the plant got rolling and it seems the old A&BC facilities and local lithographers were no longer up to snuff, requiring imports of various card sets.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>toppcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10698182920578539949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27257197959732447.post-85537490826072827142024-01-13T08:00:00.206-05:002024-01-16T08:17:45.831-05:00The Mark Of Zorro<p>Wow, it's been close to a year since I visited the 1960 Venezuelan <i>Baseball Tattoo</i> issue. When last remarked upon here, the set was holding fast at nineteen confirmed subjects. Well late last year Friend o'the Archive and intrepid collector of these rare and delicate items, Rick Lyons, sent along a miscut image of Luis Arroyo, which holds a distinct clue to a twentieth subject. Take a look at this Luis Arroyo tattoo:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRAUq97w5IgMIjtj4GRUF4bzbS1MxVy7XgrYrdP8UBHU9i7X8-iYfoX_kb0FIT_W-YE_-_tw285QUP-UDN-uBRMocurR9KxaLQ8IgLTIDIQ-41E4-Ix4vhFr7jA1OrwP_EAcGA2169LORrd9D_w-dJLANDCn2A1bsVB3oUntLbpqkIWsAanrh93bROPg/s723/Arroyo%20Z%20Sliver%20Venezualan%20Tattoo.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="723" data-original-width="482" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRAUq97w5IgMIjtj4GRUF4bzbS1MxVy7XgrYrdP8UBHU9i7X8-iYfoX_kb0FIT_W-YE_-_tw285QUP-UDN-uBRMocurR9KxaLQ8IgLTIDIQ-41E4-Ix4vhFr7jA1OrwP_EAcGA2169LORrd9D_w-dJLANDCn2A1bsVB3oUntLbpqkIWsAanrh93bROPg/w266-h400/Arroyo%20Z%20Sliver%20Venezualan%20Tattoo.png" width="266" /></a></div><br /><p>That little sliver of a letter off to the left is a Z, which immediately brings to mind Zoilo Versalles, the eventual 1965 American League MVP. Like several other players in the set, Versalles was Cuban-born and, if confirmed, would continue the perplexing string of non-Venezuelan born players in the set. It's a pretty good bet that's him though.</p><p>Nicknamed "Zorro," Versalles does not appear in the 1960 <i>Baseball Tattoo</i> U.S. set. He debuted for Washington in 1959, after a brief, U.S.-based minor league career, which had followed a pair of top-flight amateur seasons as a teenager in Havana and some extremely brief pro appearances in the Cuban Winter League. He didn't earn a regular berth with the club (now the Minnesota Twins) until the 1961 American League expansion and, save for 1965, had a fairly pedestrian career in the big leagues. He did, however, have a monster season in the CWL in 1960, the last season for that league before it was shut down by the Castro government.</p><p>Let's add him to our running list of subjects as a hypothetical:</p><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><span>Bob Allison<br /></span></span><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><span>Ruben Amaro (Venezuelan only)<br /></span></span><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><span>Luis Arroyo (Venezuelan only)<br /></span></span><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><span>Bob Clemente (Venezuelan only)<br /></span></span><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><span>Rocky Colavito<br /></span></span><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><span>Don Drysdale<br /></span></span><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">Nellie Fox<br /></span><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">Tony Gonzales (Venezuelan only)<br /></span><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">Dick Groat<br /></span><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">Harmon Killebrew<br /></span><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">Frank Lary<br /></span><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">Juan Marichal (Venezuelan only)<br /></span><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">Ed Mathews<br /></span><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">Stan Musial<br /></span><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">Juan Pizzaro (Venezuelan only)<br /></span><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">Vic Power (Venezuelan only)<br /></span><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">Pedro Ramos (Venezuelan only)</span><br />Zoilo Versalles (Venezuelan only) <i>inferred not yet confirmed</i><br /><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">Gene Woodling<br /></span><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">Early Wynn</span></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A little bit after Rick sent along that scan, Lonnie Cummins, who is doing some heavy-lifting with his Topps research, figured out that the tattoos done in this style, namely the North American penny wraps with an interior image printed in vegetable dye, were designed and produced in iterations divisible by 8, which points to possible minimum tattoo total of 24, leaving our current surmised total of 20 a little short still. That denominator has been suggested for a while now but Lonnie's pretty much nailed it down with some recent findings about how the 1960 <i>Baseball and Superman Tattoos</i> were printed in the U.S. of A.</div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">With that, it seems at least four more subjects could and should be found, although given the scarcity of these, it's a bit of a tall order to think they will show up any time soon. Still, this is a set where the checklist was at one subject not all that long ago, then two more were found, before the revelations of the past couple of years came to light. Maybe one or two of those will actually be a Venezuelan player; certainly Luis Aparicio comes to mind as a likely subject from the country. </div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">However, it appears there needs to be a 1960 intersection with the major leagues to qualify as a subject (which makes sense with the art being provided by Topps) and the only other Venezuelan players to meet that criteria are Ramon (Ray) Monzant and Elio Chacon. Monzant appeared in a single game for the Giants in the latter stages of the 1960 season (after missing the 1959 season due to injury) and then disappeared from MLB (and organized ball) forever. Chacon seems a far better possibility as he debuted in '60 and appeared in 49 games for the Reds, which was after four seasons with Havana. Are Aparicio and Chacon out there along with two other subjects? </div>toppcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10698182920578539949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27257197959732447.post-7773942194643186682024-01-06T08:00:00.157-05:002024-01-06T16:41:18.043-05:00A May-September Marriage<p>Happy New Year folks! Today I want to dip into the recent past, <a href="https://www.thetoppsarchives.com/2023/12/tickled-pink.html">December 9th, 2023</a> to be exact, wherein I examined some of the subtleties of a 1959 Topps <i>Baseball </i>3rd series proof sheet. Friend o'the Archive Keith Olbermann recently posted some images of a 7th series proof sheet on Net54 Baseball and was kind enough to send me some higher-res scans. I don't want to usurp the <a href="https://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=332085&page=3">discussion on Net54</a> but do want to look at some of the production details, just like last time.</p><p>Here is the front side, with all 66 cards showing, including the Bob Gibson rookie and Roy Campanella's Symbol of Courage tribute card among its very colorful array:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisxKIQe8tJkuGRmtqX1Dihcz-NsQiLmPrTKd9w5Syc21tzfC-2L_aK42a5WYOErC8AmdVcJrz4-P2mgV5bcJJ6_b9dQk8Ei0EyoIX0i6U7fvL3sfIJhj7Ihlu5zKxvhvXtFxIDsIKAcRDYsRua0jjBfGcMs-KyY576tQuA32RNlw0ZW22JQ2zX6WGJ0A/s639/1959%207th%20Series%20Proof%20-%20Front%20%20-%201%20KO.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="497" data-original-width="639" height="498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisxKIQe8tJkuGRmtqX1Dihcz-NsQiLmPrTKd9w5Syc21tzfC-2L_aK42a5WYOErC8AmdVcJrz4-P2mgV5bcJJ6_b9dQk8Ei0EyoIX0i6U7fvL3sfIJhj7Ihlu5zKxvhvXtFxIDsIKAcRDYsRua0jjBfGcMs-KyY576tQuA32RNlw0ZW22JQ2zX6WGJ0A/w640-h498/1959%207th%20Series%20Proof%20-%20Front%20%20-%201%20KO.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>As with the 3rd series, there is production detail on the sheet itself:<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFcSdGH8WJm6lXoFqLOEkN5O7-OmLiN7KKq19pgQQAO_RJH6qE07plXdB0JWEQEzAp43rWCaVHh3SyIhUrpb1XtVuXbl-NVR7AbgCB5tVLtorrDOHPFfwXZVttDgkxLOrY7dtuznndZsWm5jB8FVcF_NR6SB-Q6D3ahqrCPdWtZsUbjgGnD8SBq0D9JQ/s3955/1959%207th%20Series%20Proof%20-%20Front%20Detail%20-%201%20KO.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2540" data-original-width="3955" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFcSdGH8WJm6lXoFqLOEkN5O7-OmLiN7KKq19pgQQAO_RJH6qE07plXdB0JWEQEzAp43rWCaVHh3SyIhUrpb1XtVuXbl-NVR7AbgCB5tVLtorrDOHPFfwXZVttDgkxLOrY7dtuznndZsWm5jB8FVcF_NR6SB-Q6D3ahqrCPdWtZsUbjgGnD8SBq0D9JQ/w640-h412/1959%207th%20Series%20Proof%20-%20Front%20Detail%20-%201%20KO.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>The reference number for the third series sheet was G-803 and we're all the way up to G-1174 here.</p><p>While it seems like the high numbers were issued just in August and September most years, their preparation clearly was undertaken in May, at least in 1959. Since the 3rd series was being prepped in March, it seems like a new series was being created every three weeks or so. With May seeing work this advanced on the high numbers, even allowing for final printing in say, June, there seems to be a bit of a lag built in. This surprised me as it may indicate sheets were stored onsite at Topps Warehouse/HQ in Brooklyn (or in another nearby warehouse of theirs) or even packed and held for a spell. There's a reason that gum tasted so stale even in a newly issued series!</p><p>Intriguingly, this sheet has the backs as well:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrxUdq-GbGt3t3ut299SN-KwTXpS8RobFL_0PeJ_lqhZlAKtAQKHXIJUwEfIkqfyacmyiD0l11aAjzwmN9pKjIcBwREOqwQC3UMoTRflwcoQuOIqcfsYC1MQJ6Hr_X9wVXf8MJ_zIImLQdvLs42nUwg9kEnunPlvvBHzoab-U7GbLPdqc7FYVuCQ5KMw/s5490/1959%207th%20Series%20Proof%20-%20Reverse%20%20-%201%20KO.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4129" data-original-width="5490" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrxUdq-GbGt3t3ut299SN-KwTXpS8RobFL_0PeJ_lqhZlAKtAQKHXIJUwEfIkqfyacmyiD0l11aAjzwmN9pKjIcBwREOqwQC3UMoTRflwcoQuOIqcfsYC1MQJ6Hr_X9wVXf8MJ_zIImLQdvLs42nUwg9kEnunPlvvBHzoab-U7GbLPdqc7FYVuCQ5KMw/w640-h482/1959%207th%20Series%20Proof%20-%20Reverse%20%20-%201%20KO.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>That looks really cool, I must say.</div><div><br /></div><div>Topps made an attempt in '59 to track some trades and options by adding a short statement to the text on the reverse. The earliest these appear is in the 4th series, referencing transactions from March. They disappear from the 5th and 6th series then reappear in the seventh series of high numbers. There's some subtleties to these, which I plan to examine quite soon but today I just want to look at card #541, which features Gary Thurman.</div><div><br /></div><div>Thurman's regular issue card has his May option described like so:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmOJMfu0tJAj05tDvWdKnqpKGj4SD3DlpyJDXvnSy7PrnGJ7kwKcPLDpkMbHVamMhcNBLKmXGszJrPH9Y9u9O_fCQdw8nstu1CqF-h5Gra11tKijwCoGNa2m3_A_tXPqXov6y2G2flNxiYChHJeWpHim3TE42E6fxqmlJv0l7R09e_HPmPotGK7kaWdg/s1309/thurman.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="941" data-original-width="1309" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmOJMfu0tJAj05tDvWdKnqpKGj4SD3DlpyJDXvnSy7PrnGJ7kwKcPLDpkMbHVamMhcNBLKmXGszJrPH9Y9u9O_fCQdw8nstu1CqF-h5Gra11tKijwCoGNa2m3_A_tXPqXov6y2G2flNxiYChHJeWpHim3TE42E6fxqmlJv0l7R09e_HPmPotGK7kaWdg/w640-h460/thurman.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>With the proof version looking like this:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmdWgBsl1VRSoFQw-qtZLY8IAB0AqO11SU4bWmQo2poCYsTDPzr3hh3gnh0BZrgYNHbzPvqPpP-uqL_yn6CPr0aw2NM4ecv1uREYq4UW6at0FR4qVrRLCo07b3ONvyDtIeDjtCqZq2ZvwEHfhi1yNNw5dg7KO52qR1o3r89KspAjt1DutT3048VgGJeg/s2597/1959%207th%20Series%20Proof%20-%20Reverse%20Detail%20Thurman%20Different%20Option%20Color%20and%20Typeface%20%20-%201%20KO.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1828" data-original-width="2597" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmdWgBsl1VRSoFQw-qtZLY8IAB0AqO11SU4bWmQo2poCYsTDPzr3hh3gnh0BZrgYNHbzPvqPpP-uqL_yn6CPr0aw2NM4ecv1uREYq4UW6at0FR4qVrRLCo07b3ONvyDtIeDjtCqZq2ZvwEHfhi1yNNw5dg7KO52qR1o3r89KspAjt1DutT3048VgGJeg/w640-h450/1959%207th%20Series%20Proof%20-%20Reverse%20Detail%20Thurman%20Different%20Option%20Color%20and%20Typeface%20%20-%201%20KO.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Clearly a work in progress. The typeface, font size, color and the use of quotes all differ from the issued version. Topps wisely abandoned such updates the following season. The proof stock is not nearly as white as the regular issue's, which is a little odd.</div><div><br /></div><div>Spoiler alert-Thurman did NOT regain his 1956 form (and he seems to have actually had a better year in 1957 if measured by WAR). His failure to replicate things may have been because, despite the birth date used by Topps, he was actually born in 1917 and in 1958 turned 41 midseason!</div><div><br /></div><div>Little details like this fascinate me and also lay bare the amount of work that went into issuing a set of <i>Baseball </i>cards. Work on their flagship set would begin annually after the end of the World Series and then the set would roar to life as Spring Training and the regular season got underway. It was an entirely mechanical process with many, many time-consuming steps along the way. And until the 1973 oil crisis or thereabouts, it worked out to a mere penny a card for the consumer!</div>toppcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10698182920578539949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27257197959732447.post-53562017138825609682023-12-30T08:00:00.305-05:002023-12-30T10:21:12.010-05:00English Language Barrier<p>I used to frequently travel to London on business and would often marvel at the differences in phrases and words used to describe things when compared to comparable US jargon. In England, you don't have a backyard, you have a garden. The Underground (<i>aka</i> the tube) is a subway in the U.S. and a subway there is a passage here. Crisps are chips and chips are fries, etc. So it's no surprise that the English licensee and trade partner of Topps, A&BC Chewing Gum, sometimes used different nomenclature than their U.S. counterpart for similar products.</p><p>Take, for example, this 1965-ish A&BC Picture Card Album scanned by Friend o'the Archive Lonnie Cummins, which housed a youngster's <i>Man from U.N.C.L.E. </i> card collection:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW0t-BseD4cGaSiwsw6zlGZ7hqvO8drkUKUlJtS5FCeDEMRaLETb3qA33GXw9id7WT6nBD7kMZuIpPbX1ePerwLfYVwAbYpq7tSzdADYi5mByEq2kHOvKjOkfntnHaG2f90mCr0kDAxT1Hfchlc3hrGdlP3LMQPK1H15cXsPDuq9y4Wm3ygbWDK-ei5w/s1101/A&BC%20Album%20Cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1033" data-original-width="1101" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW0t-BseD4cGaSiwsw6zlGZ7hqvO8drkUKUlJtS5FCeDEMRaLETb3qA33GXw9id7WT6nBD7kMZuIpPbX1ePerwLfYVwAbYpq7tSzdADYi5mByEq2kHOvKjOkfntnHaG2f90mCr0kDAxT1Hfchlc3hrGdlP3LMQPK1H15cXsPDuq9y4Wm3ygbWDK-ei5w/w640-h600/A&BC%20Album%20Cover.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Props to the kid, as he properly put the periods after each letter! A&BC (or, speaking of periods: A.& B.C.) was on board as well! Note how the album doesn't have a glossy cover, just a cheap pulp one like the rest of the kit. That album-mounting lad is a somewhat, albeit not exactly, familiar image, seen here around 1956 in the U.S.:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB91HnnZNw0ty3QL6saiKxR8xjmNy-NZQlJGkbH2Di2XzbFkvQFDWgqjm_b8ve7oWLMDrI9brbk7vI4FXIS_JMMqsOgAHBqqaWBvFdIl-Ftq8IRpOvEVjGa3q2w6-sxdS4c8DTXmftKL6qI9KsiTXZvjxmRvl3eBYSCBvX2IokWxLHWXIQVtB79m4bAg/s432/56%20tcg%20box%20lipset%20april%202011.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="290" data-original-width="432" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB91HnnZNw0ty3QL6saiKxR8xjmNy-NZQlJGkbH2Di2XzbFkvQFDWgqjm_b8ve7oWLMDrI9brbk7vI4FXIS_JMMqsOgAHBqqaWBvFdIl-Ftq8IRpOvEVjGa3q2w6-sxdS4c8DTXmftKL6qI9KsiTXZvjxmRvl3eBYSCBvX2IokWxLHWXIQVtB79m4bAg/w640-h430/56%20tcg%20box%20lipset%20april%202011.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And again a half-decade later, slightly livened up:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrB8uvZJIUMFqmVI10a8RiXZEedjHFDCa16hyphenhyphenISW5I1XZq1c9rIp0bfSRoJdPl8D4tvhgjLQYYt_amukBNp_Z6VLYY-Lp3LQ0qCBmoqVpXwkBesF1__jxB5vKngiHA7N0elP3JfqQasSN9xSxNK3gczt455-7iEuZysRtc4mTyrFftPahZkoIRKBZS9Q/s1280/Hobby%20Card%20Album%20Cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="748" data-original-width="1280" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrB8uvZJIUMFqmVI10a8RiXZEedjHFDCa16hyphenhyphenISW5I1XZq1c9rIp0bfSRoJdPl8D4tvhgjLQYYt_amukBNp_Z6VLYY-Lp3LQ0qCBmoqVpXwkBesF1__jxB5vKngiHA7N0elP3JfqQasSN9xSxNK3gczt455-7iEuZysRtc4mTyrFftPahZkoIRKBZS9Q/w640-h374/Hobby%20Card%20Album%20Cover.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;">A&BC did issue an album that matches the US one above, slick cover and all (every A&BC album scan is from Lonnie going forward):</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJrUxXmBylVHyM1EQWYR9qq-WSMYEsuMy-JwjidfnLarkijwi2EXsyE3A3hFqUuqTzZqHMkWkaVnBRaOXP1EDThyphenhyphen-Zz62CSF6LTTduqppNKtW4mSmkN4C3px89e4IZT5TXk0cpYyV2x74ZWoAuB9-tcj6KPPurdjygRSFfq19E25rXeZ-hTTtAyB1YUQ/s348/a%20and%20bc%20picture%20card%20album.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="261" data-original-width="348" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJrUxXmBylVHyM1EQWYR9qq-WSMYEsuMy-JwjidfnLarkijwi2EXsyE3A3hFqUuqTzZqHMkWkaVnBRaOXP1EDThyphenhyphen-Zz62CSF6LTTduqppNKtW4mSmkN4C3px89e4IZT5TXk0cpYyV2x74ZWoAuB9-tcj6KPPurdjygRSFfq19E25rXeZ-hTTtAyB1YUQ/w640-h480/a%20and%20bc%20picture%20card%20album.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;">So what was a "Picture Card" album in the U.K. was a "Hobby Card" in the U.S. of A. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;">The inside front cover was pretty informative. Footballers and Cricketers would be pretty much foreign phrases to most American kids in 1965! Heck, even soccer was not all that well known at the time.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHulFitPkL9YLiCWiOAgQShkYLTNAtUiWcJs3dKrxU6eswomlPQmz19iU25ox6p3Csxk022jWu6HpL4Kf4NpGfL71vsazoDq9MaGgzJkcywtY1RQJ85wIE8iKw9PFa5vnFKX_tiHh5RGRsN1N1DCq_m2thf4mQoYIhzqA2Hrvc-8aRR52wuOgwFmdQDA/s1258/A&BC%20Album%20Inside%20Front%20Cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1258" data-original-width="1194" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHulFitPkL9YLiCWiOAgQShkYLTNAtUiWcJs3dKrxU6eswomlPQmz19iU25ox6p3Csxk022jWu6HpL4Kf4NpGfL71vsazoDq9MaGgzJkcywtY1RQJ85wIE8iKw9PFa5vnFKX_tiHh5RGRsN1N1DCq_m2thf4mQoYIhzqA2Hrvc-8aRR52wuOgwFmdQDA/w608-h640/A&BC%20Album%20Inside%20Front%20Cover.jpg" width="608" /></a></div><br /><span style="text-align: left;">Here is a <i>Cricketer</i> example from 1959; A&BC issued another set in 1961 as well but for sheer poetry on a card, 1959 is the most <a href="https://allpoetry.com/Mcmxiv">Larkin-esque</a> for sure:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPPhN43ErqqxYMTGMk5wbyy3jped1-HX5YZ3lCQwk_WRcFchpIdZmyc8my4elK007-6QJmSwhI6w_xaETuFojWguCjICvQUmdC_KNgwlSM08M4EEoB2LWe4K6yrz-EXTCpF2tZLH92QpRvP0vlLTuY0ijXEnPC8ymggk4_vkOYHFmnolp2OLQm2vYpVg/s747/59%20a&bc%20cricketer%20front.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="747" data-original-width="530" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPPhN43ErqqxYMTGMk5wbyy3jped1-HX5YZ3lCQwk_WRcFchpIdZmyc8my4elK007-6QJmSwhI6w_xaETuFojWguCjICvQUmdC_KNgwlSM08M4EEoB2LWe4K6yrz-EXTCpF2tZLH92QpRvP0vlLTuY0ijXEnPC8ymggk4_vkOYHFmnolp2OLQm2vYpVg/w454-h640/59%20a&bc%20cricketer%20front.jpg" width="454" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>The counterpart to cricketer in the US is "baseball player" which seems easy enough but take a look at the back of this card as it's illustrative of just how different things can be across the pond:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh66GlTLahe2rFjKSTpboH-o19xafZWwy-KA38ZVxIJOXD0RzrOKS3W6T-yqVHZfcx70GQ6tfsnzWghdQdLUJHYPufYPk8oWRHDrV8yT-NID92muwZqRJwo6N-KzfM8ryNJ1yYN6wkfMAkw_u-3isYRmZV0vGkbXEsCVTS-kkP6UU8v_j434b94g6MxEA/s746/59%20a&bc%20cricketer%20reverse.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="530" data-original-width="746" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh66GlTLahe2rFjKSTpboH-o19xafZWwy-KA38ZVxIJOXD0RzrOKS3W6T-yqVHZfcx70GQ6tfsnzWghdQdLUJHYPufYPk8oWRHDrV8yT-NID92muwZqRJwo6N-KzfM8ryNJ1yYN6wkfMAkw_u-3isYRmZV0vGkbXEsCVTS-kkP6UU8v_j434b94g6MxEA/w640-h454/59%20a&bc%20cricketer%20reverse.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="text-align: left;">OK...England & Middlesex means he played for the National English team plus his "regular" club. And "over" is the delivery of six consecutive balls by the bowler. "Bowler" is kind of like a Pitcher, except everything they deliver would be a balk on a baseball diamond, sort of . A "maiden" is a positive measurement but can mean a couple of different things and "Baseball Annie" is NOT equivalent! A "Wicket"...oh forget it, just take a look <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_cricket_terms">here</a>, not that it will help much! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;">Did I mention the 1961 issue was to commemorate a "test series" and that they can run up to five days? Well, it's nice enough anyway:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQRpJoJsXGZD1axWv9iXwX0q01helz600oAcIr70HOylVL-y0nln_J4_b9iHDo7YtvB1Um9hJn9MVW81nHwDabVg8I9tOIvDioTWGPUzuG30wenjCTREBSpFdWcptHjMuhielSXlgIPhIOXN29_W56Tatw6CHX8kNjy_YJA5Cdk6MZ1gOeo-sh5ZqSGQ/s301/61%20a&bc%20cricketer%20test%20series%20front%20ebay.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="301" data-original-width="211" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQRpJoJsXGZD1axWv9iXwX0q01helz600oAcIr70HOylVL-y0nln_J4_b9iHDo7YtvB1Um9hJn9MVW81nHwDabVg8I9tOIvDioTWGPUzuG30wenjCTREBSpFdWcptHjMuhielSXlgIPhIOXN29_W56Tatw6CHX8kNjy_YJA5Cdk6MZ1gOeo-sh5ZqSGQ/w450-h640/61%20a&bc%20cricketer%20test%20series%20front%20ebay.jpg" width="450" /></a></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A&BC also offered "bespoke" albums for some sets, including one of their very earliest in 1954:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ZowF8h714sQdHo-96b71cwGTU8QT10lP-fTPiSJ5WxAuqOtIr9hNFr6o0wD73Lcmdf0O-LDWqdq55mHmL4YKSemkAY15N0r8rijCbeu0S4WYdZaooqqpp39OFIu18dTvdZl6RgyEMPnbdNyb4mbge7ZbHuWnmWe5YpuiTHgEf4eby5HIMqza6SL1jg/s397/all%20sports%20a%20and%20bc%20album%20lonnie.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="397" data-original-width="352" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ZowF8h714sQdHo-96b71cwGTU8QT10lP-fTPiSJ5WxAuqOtIr9hNFr6o0wD73Lcmdf0O-LDWqdq55mHmL4YKSemkAY15N0r8rijCbeu0S4WYdZaooqqpp39OFIu18dTvdZl6RgyEMPnbdNyb4mbge7ZbHuWnmWe5YpuiTHgEf4eby5HIMqza6SL1jg/w568-h640/all%20sports%20a%20and%20bc%20album%20lonnie.jpg" width="568" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>Flags Of The World </i>also saw one, I believe from 1959, when the set debuted in the United Kingdom, although I note it was reissued, with smaller dimensions, in 1963 so either year is possible:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_r6QWtj6tfBZkflwlp5fz1mUO7UYQtvUzBSekTJ75LX64kEOwRsQR1PSPgwGZikoXZOtMPS5gy0YzPrG1D0tTVieCHKnsOSFgeNPhF6gUXfhx4vUIwZcq1DBldUKK-LEZeJTYvMwHOhs7BIfp86yTAy20woihONAyAlnSHRVfrhV5UdxgtrhEw64Bsg/s351/a%20and%20bc%20flags%20album.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="259" data-original-width="351" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_r6QWtj6tfBZkflwlp5fz1mUO7UYQtvUzBSekTJ75LX64kEOwRsQR1PSPgwGZikoXZOtMPS5gy0YzPrG1D0tTVieCHKnsOSFgeNPhF6gUXfhx4vUIwZcq1DBldUKK-LEZeJTYvMwHOhs7BIfp86yTAy20woihONAyAlnSHRVfrhV5UdxgtrhEw64Bsg/w640-h472/a%20and%20bc%20flags%20album.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I suppose I shouldn't post this one but when you can get 7 cards for 6d (that's six pence, which we would call a penny in the states) it seems like a steal!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIlVlpjXOajO47DqsZhHKmNCyIXbPrBR6fmzAHswteZH0nM-ZFWVDWCu5-KO1I-IX6RKnyDrP8356eRGeOwmOCgHUpDoEuIlZk8JBL9s0C8QN5uqqcYwd7VBuyqYGysBO7V6FCTJ6Ps-jLjVAYcjarlinwdSJJth1wfqP7QJ0jDquVqvrwQWVMbZiRgg/s887/a%20and%20bc%20batman%20box.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="887" data-original-width="515" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIlVlpjXOajO47DqsZhHKmNCyIXbPrBR6fmzAHswteZH0nM-ZFWVDWCu5-KO1I-IX6RKnyDrP8356eRGeOwmOCgHUpDoEuIlZk8JBL9s0C8QN5uqqcYwd7VBuyqYGysBO7V6FCTJ6Ps-jLjVAYcjarlinwdSJJth1wfqP7QJ0jDquVqvrwQWVMbZiRgg/w372-h640/a%20and%20bc%20batman%20box.jpg" width="372" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Plus there was a cool looking album!<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinUbe1-BmOdz0tRs55V378k11DQ6BGFiA6Ys_WY6QQz-qjqcpXGOIxJfV3E07GU5smitNdAi5gC3Xjv6Xc4JJrKVvixKdzkPuPp-trAXzQxr_ZzpQTfYN5CYlvZiXZN3fwsfW_gbe9J6cnN_fdz_48PIlf3Yiu4vIlHdOtzXyMiYtYpURKVWI4LZB1Kg/s749/a%20and%20bc%20batman%20album%20front.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="749" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinUbe1-BmOdz0tRs55V378k11DQ6BGFiA6Ys_WY6QQz-qjqcpXGOIxJfV3E07GU5smitNdAi5gC3Xjv6Xc4JJrKVvixKdzkPuPp-trAXzQxr_ZzpQTfYN5CYlvZiXZN3fwsfW_gbe9J6cnN_fdz_48PIlf3Yiu4vIlHdOtzXyMiYtYpURKVWI4LZB1Kg/w640-h428/a%20and%20bc%20batman%20album%20front.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Well all this typing has made me hungry. I'm off to rustle up some biscuits, err.....cookies!</div></div>toppcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10698182920578539949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27257197959732447.post-25505260604527038822023-12-23T08:00:00.113-05:002023-12-23T10:24:28.809-05:00A Yaz By Any Other Name<p>Some nice prices were recently realized in a recent auction or two over at <a href="https://sports.ha.com/c/search-results.zx?N=55+790+231&Nf=&Ntk=SI_Titles&Nty=1&Ntt=Topps+3-D&limitTo=all&ic4=KeywordSearch-A-K-071316">Heritage</a> for a couple of prototypes that were created as the 1968 Topps<i> 3-D Baseball</i> set was being developed and, while I don't typically focus on values here (and also discussed some of these about three months ago), it seems instructive to do so here.</p><p>This example of the Brooks Robinson prototype, which has a tear at the bottom, is now in a PSA Authentic slab and went for a cool 60 Grand:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq2WKexpIzAomhL1QbOyqknSTiBJ3VgDMktkPvALB5JKkCf8iT2XL-C_ayLRcfe_6G-3uStgS2g4nqN4_vnPoLOonBjJd9EgphKjyjuIvXi8wg951nKwLSrfGfdrFsbOpCNV6heSBHpZSGIepcrzBGQKj_p63Kwgn4hx6AmVcsBgMth8nuzsStADjNUw/s363/67%203-D%20Prototypes%20Robby%20Yaz%20with%20backs%20Detail%20Robby%20Front.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="363" data-original-width="257" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq2WKexpIzAomhL1QbOyqknSTiBJ3VgDMktkPvALB5JKkCf8iT2XL-C_ayLRcfe_6G-3uStgS2g4nqN4_vnPoLOonBjJd9EgphKjyjuIvXi8wg951nKwLSrfGfdrFsbOpCNV6heSBHpZSGIepcrzBGQKj_p63Kwgn4hx6AmVcsBgMth8nuzsStADjNUw/w454-h640/67%203-D%20Prototypes%20Robby%20Yaz%20with%20backs%20Detail%20Robby%20Front.jpg" width="454" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmU4fAkQB1wA_vqA5I-cyagcpzUP2amzR6uspIqEToXwnUQ_qeNm5Xx5ut_QY0ircbt8pdce59aBBqAex8k63LPBbok7RkAQISQdMxHpYCwp4GpqQ3NQQLeI1ZvfaAj3HtyIigRYczxnYEJXeptjKrNGuBXag0zILbizRG0zZ86AXS7pSDAnh-Ivtrwg/s337/67%203-D%20Prototypes%20Robby%20Yaz%20with%20backs%20Detail%20Robby%20Reverse.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="337" data-original-width="235" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmU4fAkQB1wA_vqA5I-cyagcpzUP2amzR6uspIqEToXwnUQ_qeNm5Xx5ut_QY0ircbt8pdce59aBBqAex8k63LPBbok7RkAQISQdMxHpYCwp4GpqQ3NQQLeI1ZvfaAj3HtyIigRYczxnYEJXeptjKrNGuBXag0zILbizRG0zZ86AXS7pSDAnh-Ivtrwg/w446-h640/67%203-D%20Prototypes%20Robby%20Yaz%20with%20backs%20Detail%20Robby%20Reverse.jpg" width="446" /></a></div><br /><p>I believe that is a record for this card, where a mere handful exist, with a definite upward trendline on pricing. Also of note, was $21 K for this <i>nom-de plumed</i> Yaz in the same auction:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8-zxi5PGyXrsoIl4d5am5PtIAzmp5gHj1Ep1zCUOkFYVM7ufdqaA1-zvPjNurQ5Kd5-FHH8CopAQBWcZQcAZMaHWwOjfZZr92B2VUPsD019JsEvby1h_0xhgw025nst8HnWa3K4N7JYGiB3maFDK-o1xtT-1woQ4yPjxbVDxeZBaJ8WYdBPbohrWN9g/s358/67%203-D%20Prototypes%20Robby%20Yaz%20with%20backs%20Detail%20Yaz%20Front.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="358" data-original-width="264" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8-zxi5PGyXrsoIl4d5am5PtIAzmp5gHj1Ep1zCUOkFYVM7ufdqaA1-zvPjNurQ5Kd5-FHH8CopAQBWcZQcAZMaHWwOjfZZr92B2VUPsD019JsEvby1h_0xhgw025nst8HnWa3K4N7JYGiB3maFDK-o1xtT-1woQ4yPjxbVDxeZBaJ8WYdBPbohrWN9g/w472-h640/67%203-D%20Prototypes%20Robby%20Yaz%20with%20backs%20Detail%20Yaz%20Front.jpg" width="472" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEtMPZ54JmfZzcRItzBvIOR8Q8hNxCzoCgifu7WMdEJsIa_Oz0kGMVwv9lEoJqbEGv3h2bEz0FKQ00ZTBg_PB7f77-9-is-mCtwaPIHVHNYyjHFg2qHL-CFfIxu4TxGS45kIJkfByUcPRuP0HdK21JdUzvYEVSSMb88aWGsvt_Ri-ZYFrWVGDw0xyEgg/s285/67%203-D%20Prototypes%20Robby%20Yaz%20with%20backs%20Detail%20Yaz%20Reverse%20Xograph%20Label.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="143" data-original-width="285" height="321" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEtMPZ54JmfZzcRItzBvIOR8Q8hNxCzoCgifu7WMdEJsIa_Oz0kGMVwv9lEoJqbEGv3h2bEz0FKQ00ZTBg_PB7f77-9-is-mCtwaPIHVHNYyjHFg2qHL-CFfIxu4TxGS45kIJkfByUcPRuP0HdK21JdUzvYEVSSMb88aWGsvt_Ri-ZYFrWVGDw0xyEgg/w640-h321/67%203-D%20Prototypes%20Robby%20Yaz%20with%20backs%20Detail%20Yaz%20Reverse%20Xograph%20Label.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>It too now resides in an Authentic slab, SGC in flavor. That is likely the first recorded sale for this one. <div><br /></div><div>Meanwhile, the <a href="https://www.thetoppsarchives.com/2023/11/fertile-crescent.html">Roberto Clemente prototype</a> I discussed here only last month, went for a paltry $3,145.20:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjReMgDxhhEXVbyJ7ZPauh9P-zSL2Y3EBCH8JdpjIGNpd0XC0FBbYLWfXVuIUhqOfqQR5Bw-y7uxPocUEwbNxRtXRyYPzYT4NM9M6-l0AB3PQJtuYdfj56sB_HZHrHHBcTT517_QTtgvzhL8eozf-K41iTM3RVrWFTPo2s9tOi5Wa-BA4XjH5hh_-7jcQ/s2862/72%20clemente%20mockup%20front%20heritage.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2862" data-original-width="2087" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjReMgDxhhEXVbyJ7ZPauh9P-zSL2Y3EBCH8JdpjIGNpd0XC0FBbYLWfXVuIUhqOfqQR5Bw-y7uxPocUEwbNxRtXRyYPzYT4NM9M6-l0AB3PQJtuYdfj56sB_HZHrHHBcTT517_QTtgvzhL8eozf-K41iTM3RVrWFTPo2s9tOi5Wa-BA4XjH5hh_-7jcQ/w466-h640/72%20clemente%20mockup%20front%20heritage.jpg" width="466" /></a></div><br /><div>Granted, it was on illustration board and a mock-up vs. a mostly finished prototype, I think it went w-a-a-a-y cheap, especially considering Clemente's staying power in the hobby marketplace.</div><div><br /></div><div>The 1968 <i>3-D</i>'s clearly remain popular, whether they are are proofs, prototypes or actual issued cards. Whether or not the more esoteric mockups and the like from other sets will catch up remains to be seen but as prices move up for the <i>3-D'</i>s production materials, I suspect that will raise the price of other such items as well, at least for Hall-of-Famers.</div><div><br /></div><div>Happy Festivus!</div><div><br /></div>toppcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10698182920578539949noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27257197959732447.post-66674351399127692452023-12-16T08:00:00.110-05:002023-12-16T09:56:57.453-05:00Whoa, These Chains Of Love<p>I ran across a neat proof sheet the other day of sixty percent of the 1964 Topps <i>Beatles Plaks</i> set. You may or may not know about these as they were an obscure issue from day one. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7PwMr9jDD2c-mY2XNeuz6hN-UuMfJrWYB4OvOIMflzZSC680H2M8a_xZqYs-H_ca4IGrEr4caXNHoDUf1gZNa6NbrGaxwkXPseq3OGSdZyTywfZymJrdSYClGwbPYyZgG_UZ6sawOmi-LXY58gn95Mlk9J1xVv762Q9KRqngAl1CixA9gj2JtYn3Cyg/s1577/beatles%20plaks%20uncut%20partial%20proof.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1577" data-original-width="1196" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7PwMr9jDD2c-mY2XNeuz6hN-UuMfJrWYB4OvOIMflzZSC680H2M8a_xZqYs-H_ca4IGrEr4caXNHoDUf1gZNa6NbrGaxwkXPseq3OGSdZyTywfZymJrdSYClGwbPYyZgG_UZ6sawOmi-LXY58gn95Mlk9J1xVv762Q9KRqngAl1CixA9gj2JtYn3Cyg/w485-h640/beatles%20plaks%20uncut%20partial%20proof.jpg" width="485" /></a></div><br /><p>It looks like the cards would get a true wavy edge cut, like a handful of other Topps issues of this ilk had (including a smallish-sized <a href="https://www.thetoppsarchives.com/2020/04/wood-you-help.html">set or two made of actual wood)</a> but there was something even more detrimental involved.</p><p>Easily the toughest of all the Fab Four sets disgorged by Topps in 1964 and 1965, these somewhat sturdy cards had an interesting feature that allowed them to be connected one-to-another in order to form a chain of sorts. You can get the gist of things pretty quickly; check out the scored areas top and bottom:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbbLzxmDZJJGUXB3FmNZ4a-gIWaXnDUQii1OLaYTjd5SAUn9O-uTxi21SO0ltGj8xzoOitKXPmGzevN1wZlH6KscWcY_x04z3qnDE2aANHXSUsWBDqCYdG2fW5EoYdE2hIXaoOCAxXbUXF7OnWkkWs7Ibbw_5OpmW8re10GLXF-fTqnEg4iznmJwit1Q/s1410/64%20beatles%20plaks%20front.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="748" data-original-width="1410" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbbLzxmDZJJGUXB3FmNZ4a-gIWaXnDUQii1OLaYTjd5SAUn9O-uTxi21SO0ltGj8xzoOitKXPmGzevN1wZlH6KscWcY_x04z3qnDE2aANHXSUsWBDqCYdG2fW5EoYdE2hIXaoOCAxXbUXF7OnWkkWs7Ibbw_5OpmW8re10GLXF-fTqnEg4iznmJwit1Q/w640-h340/64%20beatles%20plaks%20front.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>So right away you can see wear to the little score lines at the bottom. Well, it actually gets worse-check out the instructions:<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkdiaPhSMHJsT7naf7UrDGRgYmoNSVl72nXU-CYX_DRJI0ngVq8UjfpyHiMvfNA-lcP8aYmNK93n9wVBVxGptk8Ql6pVZppDitXCOxQIhMg4iQcJ3Fmd-mYwxkCI1aLm5BViczwjr6lRRHm01xJkgEEfPTeZtMOvMkP_DuOkBCWI4ayZzCUPJZQ53okA/s1402/64%20beatles%20plaks%20reverse.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1402" data-original-width="752" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkdiaPhSMHJsT7naf7UrDGRgYmoNSVl72nXU-CYX_DRJI0ngVq8UjfpyHiMvfNA-lcP8aYmNK93n9wVBVxGptk8Ql6pVZppDitXCOxQIhMg4iQcJ3Fmd-mYwxkCI1aLm5BViczwjr6lRRHm01xJkgEEfPTeZtMOvMkP_DuOkBCWI4ayZzCUPJZQ53okA/w344-h640/64%20beatles%20plaks%20reverse.jpg" width="344" /></a></div><p>Yes, Topps wanted you to destroy the top portion of the card, so there's at least three things working against these condition-wise: size (a normal 2 1/2" on the short end but 4 11/16" on the long), scoring, and tearing! They also appear to have been limited release, so you've really got a fantabulous nexus of things going on here.</p><p>The retail box gives you an idea of the "post-mohel" scenario: </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8y8XnNfs15s0JGcajn9CtRXgYtsFDlFTPvZtB1ZKG2O65MG4ZrFl62GuAiQv30VFCBs0dsRNsy1k94D_iJd3QdeHQ2yk9dDlaYhzWwnSsM_QGXonzileT5hT0xofyM72wjTCGxHo0bAEbtz9zUXtl3Xlkp9K2l2lg9MB5NTaYAQ1EWdnGqWuQ16oRng/s918/topps%20beatles%20plaks%20box%20legendary.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="918" data-original-width="579" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8y8XnNfs15s0JGcajn9CtRXgYtsFDlFTPvZtB1ZKG2O65MG4ZrFl62GuAiQv30VFCBs0dsRNsy1k94D_iJd3QdeHQ2yk9dDlaYhzWwnSsM_QGXonzileT5hT0xofyM72wjTCGxHo0bAEbtz9zUXtl3Xlkp9K2l2lg9MB5NTaYAQ1EWdnGqWuQ16oRng/w404-h640/topps%20beatles%20plaks%20box%20legendary.jpeg" width="404" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Wrappers are tough to come by, even given the relatively tough cards:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlM2CtFXT2DK_c8ldTWlIpUjI-zPt99xcIhaUrHRRb8qeWjkEMB3pOOHjlQJnwL2hHZBtA_chMQxKyUUipWTrluq2G-zcJLF2F0C3qIzr3cb_zwsqAkDXbddQqKvycmk1WA2lUp_mc4FzW3BvLMxO1SL3JXthGMSIiON_dhFXroH5aqh_kv5CsJcc7Tw/s594/64%20beatles%20plaks%20wrapper.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="509" data-original-width="594" height="548" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlM2CtFXT2DK_c8ldTWlIpUjI-zPt99xcIhaUrHRRb8qeWjkEMB3pOOHjlQJnwL2hHZBtA_chMQxKyUUipWTrluq2G-zcJLF2F0C3qIzr3cb_zwsqAkDXbddQqKvycmk1WA2lUp_mc4FzW3BvLMxO1SL3JXthGMSIiON_dhFXroH5aqh_kv5CsJcc7Tw/w640-h548/64%20beatles%20plaks%20wrapper.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I find the cards to be the nicest of the five Beatles issues put out by Topps. They also licensed, but ultimately did not produce a set, for Yellow Submarine. Given the array of underground artists illustrating for them when the movie came out in 1968, that could have been a mod psychedelic wonder!<p><br /></p></div>toppcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10698182920578539949noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27257197959732447.post-29231456658649543712023-12-09T08:00:00.155-05:002023-12-15T12:15:20.611-05:00Tickled PinkFriend o'the Archive John Moran recently pushed some 1959 Topps <i>Baseball</i> partial proof sheet scans through to <a href="https://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=332085">Net54 Baseball</a>, where a clutch of dedicated sleuths are piecing together Topps press sheet arrays (i.e. the A &B slits) for the years covering 1956 to 1969 (and maybe a little bit on either side of that). I'm not here to steal their thunder but one of the scans posted there had some really interesting details that are not often seen on the partial proofs that have entered the hobby over the years:<div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq_JD8tBoMn-o0WifMY-o2DqINyAhCfQYqMtaucsKiS_KlUGKon83Ym0Eg8_f_EIl2prxr70WgVhtDg3P2LFU2f1YRhQ7RX6BPSWcHXHLFwD6GnGwR0hBqhbYgza_UOfs76te1jodDw9oc95MLEuyvjf7VXCl0zlCbL86G2nz6eBK44v5afqyfuR3qiQ/s887/59%20baeball%20proof%20lord%20baltimore%20board%20a%20john%20moran.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="660" data-original-width="887" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq_JD8tBoMn-o0WifMY-o2DqINyAhCfQYqMtaucsKiS_KlUGKon83Ym0Eg8_f_EIl2prxr70WgVhtDg3P2LFU2f1YRhQ7RX6BPSWcHXHLFwD6GnGwR0hBqhbYgza_UOfs76te1jodDw9oc95MLEuyvjf7VXCl0zlCbL86G2nz6eBK44v5afqyfuR3qiQ/w640-h476/59%20baeball%20proof%20lord%20baltimore%20board%20a%20john%20moran.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>You can plainly see this was a Lord Baltimore Press production. Also quite prominent are the color keys and some alignment crosses at left, center and right (The crosses are also visible at the bottom).</div><div><br /></div><div>I'll blow up the entire left side waste area above the cards and below the key to make the discussion easier:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA88nhcnOiAKVn1gLwnerIKw8aF-pIvW7k9uulD8DhDe7LxEy0hBtk7eRthJvSZU6btyv4C6l38cksMzrlFi6EqlKL0lzNzSvYKkrZt1zOj0hxXaRlEIuFmnGCXtevwl04oxV2tnbs8fB7Q9a_KpSpmZ-Y2WDqaoPckqhJY-8vpKKqR9yJ77U26AXRMA/s314/59%20baeball%20proof%20lord%20baltimore%20board%20a%20john%20moran%20detail%20b.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="40" data-original-width="314" height="82" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA88nhcnOiAKVn1gLwnerIKw8aF-pIvW7k9uulD8DhDe7LxEy0hBtk7eRthJvSZU6btyv4C6l38cksMzrlFi6EqlKL0lzNzSvYKkrZt1zOj0hxXaRlEIuFmnGCXtevwl04oxV2tnbs8fB7Q9a_KpSpmZ-Y2WDqaoPckqhJY-8vpKKqR9yJ77U26AXRMA/w640-h82/59%20baeball%20proof%20lord%20baltimore%20board%20a%20john%20moran%20detail%20b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I often talk about blocks of cards on a press sheet being arrayed in an ABA/BAB pattern across the two slits when an 88 card series was being printed. Each letter represent the same 44 card block on the slits, but the Board "A" reference is merely coincidental here (I think) as Topps also would prepare and proof their art work in batches of 44 (or 55, 22 or even 33), depending upon the configuration of the series being printed. I assume this is because each slit had at least one batch on it and they could move around the films shot by the printer or each accordingly. You can see the proof date, or at least the month (March) and what I assume is a batch order number (6-803) or some other such reference. It's not clear to me if that's a Topps notation or one from LBP but I suspect the latter.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The cards on the A Board run from nos. 201 to 285, entirely consistent with a 110 card first series, followed by two series of 88 cards each. It's a little weird that Carl Erskine's name does not appear on the proof. I know he voluntarily retired on June 15, 1959 so the printing predated that but occurred during spring training. Perhaps he was contemplating retirement before the start of the season and caused Topps some pause? Or it's just a goof-up. Here's the finished card:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPjU1rdKAwCmIZPeF8J1_j-IBrs5Un_kQqsOYUF2vmYhdpHLXh2wuoJt5QwLBXDg2GW_wYnxz8AvzzOCSIhdRzgr9niStD36Lj62IIWfEAjsZmvnT1tdi1WKb1MMrRqMoI1qW41l9eWR1SeFepfZL7dXuc5DPcuvjKL9qKzhsQP7UhRlmXUhmgdGq0mg/s975/59%20erskine.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="975" data-original-width="703" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPjU1rdKAwCmIZPeF8J1_j-IBrs5Un_kQqsOYUF2vmYhdpHLXh2wuoJt5QwLBXDg2GW_wYnxz8AvzzOCSIhdRzgr9niStD36Lj62IIWfEAjsZmvnT1tdi1WKb1MMrRqMoI1qW41l9eWR1SeFepfZL7dXuc5DPcuvjKL9qKzhsQP7UhRlmXUhmgdGq0mg/w462-h640/59%20erskine.jpg" width="462" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Board B would have had the other 44 cards from the series, including Fence Busters (with Ed Mathews and Hank Aaron), Early Wynn, a couple of team cards, a second year Maris and some not-so-hot rookie cards. Kind of a meh series overall, talent-wise, isn't it? In fact the whole set only has a couple of big name cards but it's a release that I've always liked the looks of thanks to the big blocks of color and well-designed backs.</div><div><br /></div><div>So a neat little bit of Topps printing history there-too bad there's no complete record but of course, what else would those of us who dig this stuff do if there was?</div><div><div><br /></div></div>toppcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10698182920578539949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27257197959732447.post-81164415669271898812023-12-02T08:00:00.239-05:002023-12-02T13:22:17.779-05:00In Like Flynn<p>I've briefly mentioned Art Flynn Associates a couple of times here, as they were one of the firms used to procure baseball player contracts for Bowman, possibly the only one. In particular I have written about <a href="https://www.thetoppsarchives.com/2020/02/mantle-pieces.html">Joan Crosby</a>, who covered Philadelphia and New York for the agency. Being a woman, she did not have locker room access, which was only something that came to pass in the 1970's but it didn't seem to hold her back in terms of signing up players. But baseball was far from Art Flynn's only area of endeavors as the firm represented a wide range of sports figures, covering an impressive array of athletic pursuits.</p><p><a href="https://loveofthegameauctions.com/">Love of the Game Auctions</a> recently offered a promotional flyer from the firm, which is a wonder of casual sexism and hero-worship well worth a gander. Here's one side:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvYgZvGlemgj7NK-xulP2y5CY61ZibiLqs4weeLTzE2D3MtZzy9hA1Be3Pbopws2OC0XuyIhFIi8tD5gkOsAQa6fI2VNwkyEjBmKl5YPZXw0vgsZIAuKaHoPnnOJEl0yB_le9gVMHhT5qBbI0OFF8phzpvkd4aMaRf4nNYdsO63arcuT4Rw5R3zMBd5w/s3500/art%20flynn%20associates%201950%20brochure%20unfolded%20view%202%20lotg.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2769" data-original-width="3500" height="506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvYgZvGlemgj7NK-xulP2y5CY61ZibiLqs4weeLTzE2D3MtZzy9hA1Be3Pbopws2OC0XuyIhFIi8tD5gkOsAQa6fI2VNwkyEjBmKl5YPZXw0vgsZIAuKaHoPnnOJEl0yB_le9gVMHhT5qBbI0OFF8phzpvkd4aMaRf4nNYdsO63arcuT4Rw5R3zMBd5w/w640-h506/art%20flynn%20associates%201950%20brochure%20unfolded%20view%202%20lotg.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The number of athletes who endorses cigarettes was probably still peaking toward an all-time high in 1947 when this flyer was prepared. Check out the upside-down group seen above:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCIAG3KiK-YtRq78ZoMt42gsVLriRi7zv1Z5SibLfoTptsJ-VwRGa-xew0fDILY-fi1HFvOsMuJa-_6blkOlki3zMQMKKeGtfHH-ObAeb2VmWW6XyXXsD8cfOfFVeW3Ew4GIs9mtzput4uw-IsTlwrANghIKxf43P98iPrMoAZWANGBjbLMiA6I9l5vw/s1211/art%20flynn%20associates%201950%20brochure%20unfolded%20view%202%20lotg%20detail%201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1211" data-original-width="735" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCIAG3KiK-YtRq78ZoMt42gsVLriRi7zv1Z5SibLfoTptsJ-VwRGa-xew0fDILY-fi1HFvOsMuJa-_6blkOlki3zMQMKKeGtfHH-ObAeb2VmWW6XyXXsD8cfOfFVeW3Ew4GIs9mtzput4uw-IsTlwrANghIKxf43P98iPrMoAZWANGBjbLMiA6I9l5vw/w388-h640/art%20flynn%20associates%201950%20brochure%20unfolded%20view%202%20lotg%20detail%201.jpg" width="388" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Starting in the upper left we have Bobby Riggs, seen here in one of the funniest moments in the hilarious history of the <i>Odd Couple</i>:</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SwFBsTpS8R0" width="320" youtube-src-id="SwFBsTpS8R0"></iframe></div><br />Riggs is followed, in a counterclockwise fashion by <a href="https://www.thetoppsarchives.com/2021/06/premium-power.html">Sid Luckman</a>, golfer Lloyd Mangrum (winner of the 1946 U.S. Open), Stan Musial, Ted Williams, Nat Holman (a famous basketball player then coach who would later be tainted, perhaps unfairly, by scandal), and swimmer Adolph Kiefer (who won a gold medal in the 100 meter backstroke at the 1936 Olympics). Kiefer's presence may have had more to do with his prominence as a businessman than athlete at this point, although he was possibly just as well known at the time as the man who taught Navy cadets how to swim properly during World War 2.</div><div><br /></div><div>Here's the ad as it appeared around the country:</div><div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOKPXWI4wKF57TtGFZdn8sERxS0bC4eix1I-GYRncYsZIWbicCsJD4IK44kctOwNZ78-_IOoN_sYcn7sj2FYbYltBf4_MwTI6OIn933InUUzZ0wUx73S4bez_usAd1hDul1RWl-agB6P52Y87OcGgAUXR_DTBTVKiY1E_S61OrJlCGTgzt6cxcSs01Dg/s724/abc%20ad.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="724" data-original-width="565" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOKPXWI4wKF57TtGFZdn8sERxS0bC4eix1I-GYRncYsZIWbicCsJD4IK44kctOwNZ78-_IOoN_sYcn7sj2FYbYltBf4_MwTI6OIn933InUUzZ0wUx73S4bez_usAd1hDul1RWl-agB6P52Y87OcGgAUXR_DTBTVKiY1E_S61OrJlCGTgzt6cxcSs01Dg/w500-h640/abc%20ad.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br /></div><div>The list of sports in the flyer was quite varied and in addition to the ones represented in the Chesterfield ad, there were folks from: speed skating, polo (!), badminton, table tennis, figure skating, bowling, billiards and boxing. They even threw in some theatrical types such as Bojangles Bill Robinson and Hoagy Carmichael. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaJslezTgPvkuwnW0sAO2dwOEQnQzsEfqW-keqf6x4q60Xv54c9mHdW354oTfvROzvFIy92SaURA9aGeXq_1OVUEma_yakAc9PfEI729ro7PXqdVdTVUibvbF3ALEq6b3QRstU6liletouocUSeH2cgG60O64vpO9vf70zNvMu5_ToCeAHguk5RSBuUA/s3500/art%20flynn%20associates%201950%20brochure%20unfolded%20view%201%20lotg.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2791" data-original-width="3500" height="510" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaJslezTgPvkuwnW0sAO2dwOEQnQzsEfqW-keqf6x4q60Xv54c9mHdW354oTfvROzvFIy92SaURA9aGeXq_1OVUEma_yakAc9PfEI729ro7PXqdVdTVUibvbF3ALEq6b3QRstU6liletouocUSeH2cgG60O64vpO9vf70zNvMu5_ToCeAHguk5RSBuUA/w640-h510/art%20flynn%20associates%201950%20brochure%20unfolded%20view%201%20lotg.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>Television had not yet supplanted radio, that was still a couple of years off, but it did get an oblique mention:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPH3DJKgwTRLVjJxgSDE86LBMW4d5vECqj8NP7JTk_gYiERJzt0jwvzcVQtCf0ljZhtCXYc06YgiZl0X_dwGpDXkRFt30NPxIuNx7910m1mHdlj0z8LcO0IWWA2aapQTWzR0WLIvO5k4v4Tj-vXFZdrsdpVgLgSS2c-XtKFGg5IzXu7yjiNsie8FQdvw/s1196/art%20flynn%20associates%201950%20brochure%20unfolded%20view%201%20lotg%20detail%201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="583" data-original-width="1196" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPH3DJKgwTRLVjJxgSDE86LBMW4d5vECqj8NP7JTk_gYiERJzt0jwvzcVQtCf0ljZhtCXYc06YgiZl0X_dwGpDXkRFt30NPxIuNx7910m1mHdlj0z8LcO0IWWA2aapQTWzR0WLIvO5k4v4Tj-vXFZdrsdpVgLgSS2c-XtKFGg5IzXu7yjiNsie8FQdvw/w640-h312/art%20flynn%20associates%201950%20brochure%20unfolded%20view%201%20lotg%20detail%201.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>"High-Hooper" refers to perhaps the preeminent service (Hooper) that was measuring radio ratings at the time, along with Crossley and Nielsen. The 1947-48 radio season would prove to be the highpoint in terms of advertising dollars spent on the medium before television use exploded.</p><p>Did I mention casual sexism and hero worship?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6BaTrEmXxXzFAj21yEYVc0lSEyyypXXV6OV4vmiocrYuLzg9e9O3cmwr6JJYqDY_UtsLh5XtxeT-ZFtWuRZwdVDxbkJ1jPTHEp3145aiYo34pd7-7Ol3JdoePrIhMslLturko3ImUmtcGHBkPqSTmWzYEmyK5Kn3myKkkR54MpHoVateaymaIsT2ygw/s1043/art%20flynn%20associates%201950%20brochure%20unfolded%20view%202%20lotg%20detail%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1043" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6BaTrEmXxXzFAj21yEYVc0lSEyyypXXV6OV4vmiocrYuLzg9e9O3cmwr6JJYqDY_UtsLh5XtxeT-ZFtWuRZwdVDxbkJ1jPTHEp3145aiYo34pd7-7Ol3JdoePrIhMslLturko3ImUmtcGHBkPqSTmWzYEmyK5Kn3myKkkR54MpHoVateaymaIsT2ygw/s16000/art%20flynn%20associates%201950%20brochure%20unfolded%20view%202%20lotg%20detail%202.jpg" /></a></div><p>The Lifebuoy, Gillette and Chesterfield ads are so prominent, I suspect Art Flynn was able to leverage their co-op advertising into a greatly reduced printing bill.</p><p>I'd be remiss if I didn't include one of the Gillette cartoons before I go:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp8kMmLekjTVUHB_SyoDIwpqSrPnjeq_BpagQCDOldysPtLuP4pOIBT0iqoQDta3evwZSLi-tQLex7BAB4yqhhAr5XbiV279xnrR_BYlxrKOAMZJMCjfqkvE2bjxMeTlvQiISrWq4wskrLKnSACi75V9zdhYvpwNCXwESuUHKvt275WZ-4i3HiwP30fg/s1248/art%20flynn%20associates%201950%20brochure%20unfolded%20view%201%20lotg%20detail%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1248" data-original-width="487" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp8kMmLekjTVUHB_SyoDIwpqSrPnjeq_BpagQCDOldysPtLuP4pOIBT0iqoQDta3evwZSLi-tQLex7BAB4yqhhAr5XbiV279xnrR_BYlxrKOAMZJMCjfqkvE2bjxMeTlvQiISrWq4wskrLKnSACi75V9zdhYvpwNCXwESuUHKvt275WZ-4i3HiwP30fg/s16000/art%20flynn%20associates%201950%20brochure%20unfolded%20view%201%20lotg%20detail%202.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p><a href="https://strippersguide.blogspot.com/2017/07/ink-slinger-profiles-by-alex-jay-frank.html">Frank Williams</a>, if you're wondering, was the editorial and sports cartoonist for the Detroit Free Press from 1943 to 1978. Ya gotta look sharp!</p></div>toppcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10698182920578539949noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27257197959732447.post-31133776806581160702023-11-25T08:00:00.189-05:002023-11-25T18:16:48.334-05:00What In The Sam Rosen Is Going On Here?<p>I was rolling through images on my hard drive the other day and pulled up a sell sheet from Sam Rosen (the antecedent, as a business, to Card Collectors Company and also the step-father to Woody Gelman) that had some curious series breakdowns for the the 1958 Topps <i>Baseball</i> set. The '58 set is a weird one as Topps was dealing not only with major league expansion to the west coast but also expansion of their signature annual set by 88 cards over the high of 407 cards they issued in 1957, tying it with 1952 as their most prolific at the time. Mix in their first All Star cards, the yanking of Ed Bouchee's card at #145, in-series checklists (ordered, for the most part, both numerically and alphabetically) and the much-ballyhooed signing of Stan Musial and it's clear Topps has a lot going on sixty five summers ago..</p><p>But I'm not sure what can explain the series pricing for the set sent out by Rosen in July that year:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt5RWo1NxFXXMs-YkMNqNoOByj2c4FjW70XADZYH1MmfnPWF5_hrCiKUPKHlvWy8sNNJtE1Fl7aAD-50i3yO_naS7C0_Aie5U27EYNaxbX-Boi8NO-QC4Ved5mR9X3InAwedZayLCEaugr_tXTykNZSXKUpw1y2Uzr0J-MIeG6wJmUNT5MCbUdqPbfdA/s944/1958%20selling%20page%20sam%20rosen%20detail.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="722" data-original-width="944" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt5RWo1NxFXXMs-YkMNqNoOByj2c4FjW70XADZYH1MmfnPWF5_hrCiKUPKHlvWy8sNNJtE1Fl7aAD-50i3yO_naS7C0_Aie5U27EYNaxbX-Boi8NO-QC4Ved5mR9X3InAwedZayLCEaugr_tXTykNZSXKUpw1y2Uzr0J-MIeG6wJmUNT5MCbUdqPbfdA/w640-h490/1958%20selling%20page%20sam%20rosen%20detail.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Rosen seems to be referencing single and double prints in his pricing but they seem way too neatly divided to really reference the vagaries of the usual 132 card A&B slit printing impressions for each specific tranche of cards.</div><div><br /></div><div>Compare the above to the way the numeric checklists lagged things vs. how the press sheets were run off for each series and you can see an interesting pattern pretty easily:</div><div><br /></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjknbiuUDhFGRkF2LyYEse_kfXg8KOxu08NAsUzVK6MQ4VmblTWV-SQ3GLWZv9CGq2diwDP5329f_uscFErYe5_9okFSuAi7L-yT1HQP-nKWNBGZ3EsoYjUrlMNbTvQ4r7fMYhog1KaxX9avbpGuYOrwG2DRe72qRaI4RkyoKcOMzTWbgfyk013e3YIOQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="169" data-original-width="348" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjknbiuUDhFGRkF2LyYEse_kfXg8KOxu08NAsUzVK6MQ4VmblTWV-SQ3GLWZv9CGq2diwDP5329f_uscFErYe5_9okFSuAi7L-yT1HQP-nKWNBGZ3EsoYjUrlMNbTvQ4r7fMYhog1KaxX9avbpGuYOrwG2DRe72qRaI4RkyoKcOMzTWbgfyk013e3YIOQ" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div>That was a fairly common structure with Topps for a spell, here with a 110 card first run, followed by three runs of 88 and what <a href="https://www.thetoppsarchives.com/2010/05/triple-your-pleasure-triple-your-fun.html">may have been intended as a final run of 66 </a>before the 55 high numbers got the green light. Yes, the 22 card lag over the four initial series is reflected in Rosen's pricing structure, which also suggests a 3:1 ratio as well, Extra Print vs. Short Print. But those 88 and 66 card series really imply the cards should have been printed in the same quantities. And the 110 card first series essentially has 44 overprints if things were handed the way I suspect they were. And what is going on with the first 88 cards, where the pricing structure is an imposing 4:1?! </div><div><br /></div><div>Well, for a long, long time it was thought the first series was more like a traditional high number series, where less cards were printed than in all other series but pricing and population trends over the last couple of decades suggest pretty much all cards in the set are equally available, in one of the smoothest distributions ever pulled off by Topps. They likely learned from it though, as the high numbers get tough again in 1959 and we start seeing semi-highs with some reduced numbers as well. But I wonder if this was the start of the idea the cards in the first series in 1958 were scarcer began?</div><div><br /></div><div>The one slit I have seen for series two has a classic set up, imagining 44 card blocks, of A B A, that suggests the other slit as B A B (noting Jim Bunning was slotted in to take the place of Bouchee as an off-the-cuff Double Print):</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhazp_A-_6MtVeHqetwFEERU6TsZSvkaHf6QwXZEjvtNfwxmNpRBMDk334s0eGPkBQrJQKY-cuqMOcBHfY-g9-m5fneN8ocJYUIdd1Yh6uzaRxGQFyQLMm0fze-ZiOwhMMXJh08FuRMrRc2jslWidUMOVV1eeqp4uUFZ37Oa1hTTlsDGpTvtE3qFgrZMQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="429" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhazp_A-_6MtVeHqetwFEERU6TsZSvkaHf6QwXZEjvtNfwxmNpRBMDk334s0eGPkBQrJQKY-cuqMOcBHfY-g9-m5fneN8ocJYUIdd1Yh6uzaRxGQFyQLMm0fze-ZiOwhMMXJh08FuRMrRc2jslWidUMOVV1eeqp4uUFZ37Oa1hTTlsDGpTvtE3qFgrZMQ=s16000" /></a></div><br />So either Rosen was pulling a fast one, made a mistake or got some bad intel from his stepson. It's certainly clear today that the precise divisions from San Rosen's price list exist. But it just seems odd, supremely so, that this was how Sam was selling the set in 1958.</div></div><p><br /></p>toppcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10698182920578539949noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27257197959732447.post-34140735590383020852023-11-18T08:00:00.118-05:002023-12-28T09:49:08.466-05:00Fertile Crescent<p>Way back in 2008, almost at the start of this blog, I posted a super short piece about some Topps mockup creations that had been featured in a Gavin Riley <i>Baseball Card News</i> article in the mid 80's. While I've posted at length about these and other mockups that have popped up in auctions over the years, one specific example has has stayed out of sight until recently and it features a huge name in Roberto Clemente.</p><p><a href="https://sports.ha.com/itm/baseball-cards/singles-1970-now-/unique-1972-topps-test-roberto-clemente-prototype/a/50065-80619.s?ic4=GalleryView-Thumbnail-071515">Heritage Auctions</a> had it on the block recently and it's thought to be a 1972-ish creation of the Topps New Product Department. Here it is:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuyqLK4pmlaJ__LqTYBIPwc9MAWT9vp7IU92HEbVzLO7Ul2ig6P9nL2n_iVBk8FhaPJ7kWKcXpQn7Y7hhY_PR3KbOGuGXasYiz5C0xrvV3UlGJDwipC6z7VYzX2nXSNprIiHnYBJ1xINHrxFyvfJxIRXOJekeNuVz0Gn57upFpR3WWIxUHhrG9DlH8IQ/s2862/72%20clemente%20mockup%20front%20heritage.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2862" data-original-width="2087" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuyqLK4pmlaJ__LqTYBIPwc9MAWT9vp7IU92HEbVzLO7Ul2ig6P9nL2n_iVBk8FhaPJ7kWKcXpQn7Y7hhY_PR3KbOGuGXasYiz5C0xrvV3UlGJDwipC6z7VYzX2nXSNprIiHnYBJ1xINHrxFyvfJxIRXOJekeNuVz0Gn57upFpR3WWIxUHhrG9DlH8IQ/w466-h640/72%20clemente%20mockup%20front%20heritage.jpg" width="466" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Some press-on letters, a pasted-up Pirates logo and some overlaying of of a border on an image of Clemente -<i>voila</i>! This is a nice one as such things go, many of these are not as neat and feature made up names, or those of Topps employees. The advanced look here - there's also a layer of what's described as "thin plastic (which is likely celluloid) - covering it makes me wonder if this made it through the review process a little farther than most.<div><br /></div><div>The Pittsburgh name at the top uses lettering reminiscent of the 1971-72 Topps <i>Basketball</i> set, although it's not as "mod" in appearance:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiguGiQxbyzOSY3rwf3U0nshpKrJcUYj-BcbHiwmNZWhL3HLv_oOEzDzsTcCqch-bhjGxLtvuETq5vyMA4AtiJhZohou3mDxpNDz4QhdU81jF4DDarftMdg4wIRSb5q51DeRhEFSurVtOBscLhohuGpNP62AApQu61gKw1FuwJp6gUYxjcX3yQw5AYx3g/s1048/71%20pittsburgh%20aba%20card.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1048" data-original-width="745" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiguGiQxbyzOSY3rwf3U0nshpKrJcUYj-BcbHiwmNZWhL3HLv_oOEzDzsTcCqch-bhjGxLtvuETq5vyMA4AtiJhZohou3mDxpNDz4QhdU81jF4DDarftMdg4wIRSb5q51DeRhEFSurVtOBscLhohuGpNP62AApQu61gKw1FuwJp6gUYxjcX3yQw5AYx3g/w454-h640/71%20pittsburgh%20aba%20card.jpg" width="454" /></a></div><br /><div><p>It's affixed to a fairly larger bit of illustration board which I've rotated ninety degrees for easier reading of the non-essential verbiage on the back:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXB7-3H62joFQDBtRRDaGrkHqsyVTdLc58N2cMdfYluoIWOjbquWYJSWk_LLttCQ6QOoy84zvYAt2KBZqhwujsYpbBqxJoaFPOOshE2QAHBqzBIKkxdIYwQmjHWXb2dieX3VZeVs2WspFT45rkAgz1TwlwckMhw0xb5Y16MKZ7dI0Ap_h_D9eHS7uQew/s2888/72%20clemente%20mockup%20front%20reverse.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2337" data-original-width="2888" height="518" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXB7-3H62joFQDBtRRDaGrkHqsyVTdLc58N2cMdfYluoIWOjbquWYJSWk_LLttCQ6QOoy84zvYAt2KBZqhwujsYpbBqxJoaFPOOshE2QAHBqzBIKkxdIYwQmjHWXb2dieX3VZeVs2WspFT45rkAgz1TwlwckMhw0xb5Y16MKZ7dI0Ap_h_D9eHS7uQew/w640-h518/72%20clemente%20mockup%20front%20reverse.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>I'm hopeful some more of these Clemente-styled mockups will be uncovered some day, I like the design!</p><p><br /></p></div>toppcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10698182920578539949noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27257197959732447.post-2015994090946282522023-11-11T08:00:00.149-05:002023-11-11T11:29:44.459-05:00Come Sail Your Ships Around Me<p>We're off to the high seas todays matey's, as we take a look at the waterborne portion of the 1955 <i>Topps Rails and Sails</i> set. As we all know, the style of paintings is a bit more in the tradition and style of nautical art and these more resemble pieces you might see in a museum or gallery, with full bleed borders aiding and abetting that look. As with the <i>Rails</i>, some <i>Sails</i> art has popped up over the years, here's one of the most famous subjects in the set, the SANTA MARIA:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgETnaRDLzsF8d6K8F9PUfP4I3L5mcDyHzPV-8DZPsWbFJFQEbbhyvWhbarTmGSgVWk7JiQGoIVlCtMeZbdCTWB7PN6ftGGL88pDNDASpKzJJ8SvhDBMlaEGXdiuBWovsS5x6HAr56eGOPZbFsre3C_PAPC5DChcHcBcfCdcVKmOrUFxJUJmM9iSVXlyg/s725/Rails%20and%20Sails%20Sails%20Original%20Art%201%20Detail%20Santa%20Maria%20Hertiage.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="725" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgETnaRDLzsF8d6K8F9PUfP4I3L5mcDyHzPV-8DZPsWbFJFQEbbhyvWhbarTmGSgVWk7JiQGoIVlCtMeZbdCTWB7PN6ftGGL88pDNDASpKzJJ8SvhDBMlaEGXdiuBWovsS5x6HAr56eGOPZbFsre3C_PAPC5DChcHcBcfCdcVKmOrUFxJUJmM9iSVXlyg/w640-h424/Rails%20and%20Sails%20Sails%20Original%20Art%201%20Detail%20Santa%20Maria%20Hertiage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>As with the Rails, the level of details can be stunning. Is that Cristopher Columbus near the bow? Here's the finished card:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOi5aR8LLGtPkhkAKvkmRliDph-dNOQ1412PniGZS6EmnHSRZyOMKWDBMpaSjA4-TRrT5HCyhh-I97o38gnJ33ot6HS_LpltBqQUMtEhXKDHJLmGYt5it1IGCLeOQ4exjA7yNrhJpvzm6QULWsZ5FNLk78V59zQGcTCReHVZrmU2j5furZdIn2eghimw/s1153/55%20raisl%20and%20sails%20santa%20maria%20front.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="798" data-original-width="1153" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOi5aR8LLGtPkhkAKvkmRliDph-dNOQ1412PniGZS6EmnHSRZyOMKWDBMpaSjA4-TRrT5HCyhh-I97o38gnJ33ot6HS_LpltBqQUMtEhXKDHJLmGYt5it1IGCLeOQ4exjA7yNrhJpvzm6QULWsZ5FNLk78V59zQGcTCReHVZrmU2j5furZdIn2eghimw/w640-h442/55%20raisl%20and%20sails%20santa%20maria%20front.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>It's a little darker than the original as Topps essentially muted the brightness of the artwork in production. The card back, to me at least, shows just how invested Topps was in the set, which was the last of their three great Giant Size transportation themed sets, namely <i>Wings</i> in 1952, <i>World on Wheels</i> in 1953-54 and then <i>Rails and Sails</i> in 1955. I can't prove it but suspect the latter two were designed as hopeful "Bowman killers" in a way. Check it out:<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9qvFw1vemHuBrBAuoC_JKByL3lEVnzLHgxmiwXKuIOlu0Mgx04piDjzEs_OJsUd0K1Rc3GfonyKkTtvjM0qRoyo3x_7SJMTTWbIiRwzEgAAju8ccWFpBnO1AD2L9W_kcRnIwCpMGE_coeujRs2qC5uFc6ehxHWyEjUrnBmqjJ7k6TvZRNB4CPUcCPwg/s1168/55%20rails%20and%20sails%20santa%20maria%20reverse.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="806" data-original-width="1168" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9qvFw1vemHuBrBAuoC_JKByL3lEVnzLHgxmiwXKuIOlu0Mgx04piDjzEs_OJsUd0K1Rc3GfonyKkTtvjM0qRoyo3x_7SJMTTWbIiRwzEgAAju8ccWFpBnO1AD2L9W_kcRnIwCpMGE_coeujRs2qC5uFc6ehxHWyEjUrnBmqjJ7k6TvZRNB4CPUcCPwg/w640-h442/55%20rails%20and%20sails%20santa%20maria%20reverse.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>There is a <i>lot</i> going on there! You get some useful information on flags used by vessels to communicate with each other at sea in the time before radio, a look at a lighthouse (the lighthouse tour was part of many of the <i>Sails </i>cards), some excellent text and a nice nautically-themed card number icon with an anchor and stock. Can you imagine taking on the open Atlantic in that tiny vessel during hurricane season?!</p><p>Here's another original illustration, it's subject is a bit more modern than the SANTA MARIA and that may reflect the fact it details a Submarine:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQIMazdkrCPmFUm6Z-MMkKrqnpCTHaO0HU4-GxK9VNU_Wub045jtwuf5zQVZamOUA_PovR39XlWpGdyI_VIHhyphenhyphenO2zRsf8iriBbwYFmGxCjq6gc94Hl9y1xv8Co43NG8WZwAMLmgeFnZrM1pN3XcUuQdXOgHmdkKXvBZpxQf56kZ0z86Dnua39F0XwBbQ/s703/Rails%20and%20Sails%20Sails%20Original%20Art%202%20detail%20Hertiage.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="489" data-original-width="703" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQIMazdkrCPmFUm6Z-MMkKrqnpCTHaO0HU4-GxK9VNU_Wub045jtwuf5zQVZamOUA_PovR39XlWpGdyI_VIHhyphenhyphenO2zRsf8iriBbwYFmGxCjq6gc94Hl9y1xv8Co43NG8WZwAMLmgeFnZrM1pN3XcUuQdXOgHmdkKXvBZpxQf56kZ0z86Dnua39F0XwBbQ/w640-h446/Rails%20and%20Sails%20Sails%20Original%20Art%202%20detail%20Hertiage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>The muted color palette has been tossed out for the original illustration and it's kind of James Bond-like in a way, but almost ten years earlier that the movies. Hold on though, the printed version has had the color tamped down:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN8PKu-wmuRSzC3qdrJ6qpCHQeaoSQQ2j9Ab-oBLSu_UdduPeU3vH7JMoBAkdQOu4q8Z3GXfstdX1QVx0DikaM5iPeV8OKCrSDuZYAcES1ZMWjUE1EqOgycEX179zK3JOikvNk_abdUw3QC-I0VjMaYjNxfOgXAtJWlIo8RH4wfWsP6a0iCKUA8aVWUQ/s1112/rails%20and%20sails%20no%20154%20front.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="775" data-original-width="1112" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN8PKu-wmuRSzC3qdrJ6qpCHQeaoSQQ2j9Ab-oBLSu_UdduPeU3vH7JMoBAkdQOu4q8Z3GXfstdX1QVx0DikaM5iPeV8OKCrSDuZYAcES1ZMWjUE1EqOgycEX179zK3JOikvNk_abdUw3QC-I0VjMaYjNxfOgXAtJWlIo8RH4wfWsP6a0iCKUA8aVWUQ/w640-h446/rails%20and%20sails%20no%20154%20front.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>This one has some Dutch Navy details that don't follow the modern theme of the card (none of the illustrations in either <i>Rails </i>or <i>Sails </i>really matched the fronts) and a neat Sea Myth offers some weirdness:</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGlQ6iSFx6s5fL5CxdzTx_0oHoVR-WsUJGH4759YPQv8jhr1Yl0GquPHkw_iql7E3odgrZgKDuaKLt2oR5oA-tKYZPLNF7TI3sWWH_-00nKP0lhZ9SVCByZ7pPv_XvbcU43GBqa2OyaFvgMfPOtOKnKD6WGiWXTMTxOjrtFtg9Rm0VNe7EmxPJlHQzBQ/s1122/rails%20and%20sails%20no%20154%20reverse.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="771" data-original-width="1122" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGlQ6iSFx6s5fL5CxdzTx_0oHoVR-WsUJGH4759YPQv8jhr1Yl0GquPHkw_iql7E3odgrZgKDuaKLt2oR5oA-tKYZPLNF7TI3sWWH_-00nKP0lhZ9SVCByZ7pPv_XvbcU43GBqa2OyaFvgMfPOtOKnKD6WGiWXTMTxOjrtFtg9Rm0VNe7EmxPJlHQzBQ/w640-h440/rails%20and%20sails%20no%20154%20reverse.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>There's even <i>more</i> to the set and I hope to get into that pretty soon sailors!</p></div>toppcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10698182920578539949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27257197959732447.post-47972262286244933882023-11-04T08:00:00.158-04:002023-11-04T08:00:00.145-04:00Tell Me How Long The Train's Been Gone<p>On the heels of last week's <i>Rails and Sails </i>post, I thought I would share some artwork scans from the set. Despite the mismatch of styles for <i>Rails </i>versus<i> Sails</i>, I consider this set to be the apotheosis of the Topps Giant Size Non-Sports cards. The artwork on the front of the cards is often stunning, always well-executed and there is a wide range of subjects in both look and time. Then there are the card backs, which were so well thought out and colorful for both modes of transportation. I imagine it was was fairly time-consuming set to create and may have been a little expensive as well, although if it was, had more to do with the backs than the fronts I'd say. The artwork was paid at per-the-piece rates of the day but some of the <i>Rails</i> copy (and/or possibly stock photographs used for the illustrations) came courtesy of American Car & Foundry and I suspect Topps may have had to pay for it. Not all of the <i>Rails</i> cards carried "Courtesy A.C.F. Industries Inc." <i>indicia </i>of course,<i> s</i>ome were from foreign railroads or, obviously, not manufactured by ACF.</p><p>The original art has bubbled up in a few batches over the years, mostly around 15-18 years ago with some "finds" larger than others. Today I want to ride the rails portion of the set and here's a great-looking original, which is the Casey Jones' Loco operated by the Illinois Central Railroad:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIhyOKLm5M9q5qoijhpic4jc_cjs9_fJZz90KZg1nxQqbTsAh9JInoYUbMg2QOd6yuasTfIGPqRaB_Bcv5Q83G1gexOEtp_NXGLZCmfZuepO1X9nwByO8iZ49X1H3Pqqbon8mEwR28td4dLtfSIt83ahd7JgNcJ6YT3kcWPyG3zvnZAT8YxQu7P5QegA/s211/Rails%20and%20Sails%20Casey%20Jones%20Loco%20Original%20Art%20no%2065.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="147" data-original-width="211" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIhyOKLm5M9q5qoijhpic4jc_cjs9_fJZz90KZg1nxQqbTsAh9JInoYUbMg2QOd6yuasTfIGPqRaB_Bcv5Q83G1gexOEtp_NXGLZCmfZuepO1X9nwByO8iZ49X1H3Pqqbon8mEwR28td4dLtfSIt83ahd7JgNcJ6YT3kcWPyG3zvnZAT8YxQu7P5QegA/w400-h279/Rails%20and%20Sails%20Casey%20Jones%20Loco%20Original%20Art%20no%2065.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Courtesy <a href="https://robertedwardauctions.com/auction/2005/spring/1489/1955-topps-rails-sails-original-card-artworks/">Robert Edward Auctions</a>)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Here's the finished card:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXs2WsmyRJN-3TyR-s4JrtonXsmEXHM8vdJEvuS4UdhsfPg6YutXstRsxNVUm_I-t1U5LryDHB0e1se-qgINRi7K7ZjA2FbiRLwJ2l9zqbSRqA8xHRE96C3NPKE8XRbyIabOxdCDRjSTlBAfE3dkXXKIsERbVc5EsU4YvDUIrlnr_A2BWokN6KH27eLQ/s1140/Rails%20and%20Sails%20Casey%20Jones%20no%2065%20front.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="802" data-original-width="1140" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXs2WsmyRJN-3TyR-s4JrtonXsmEXHM8vdJEvuS4UdhsfPg6YutXstRsxNVUm_I-t1U5LryDHB0e1se-qgINRi7K7ZjA2FbiRLwJ2l9zqbSRqA8xHRE96C3NPKE8XRbyIabOxdCDRjSTlBAfE3dkXXKIsERbVc5EsU4YvDUIrlnr_A2BWokN6KH27eLQ/w400-h281/Rails%20and%20Sails%20Casey%20Jones%20no%2065%20front.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>Sweet, right? Here's the reverse where you can see what I mean about the design:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXuog_nVaN6nZxgcGAQgHdzem92vu7IYd6eeUE-jTLw1AZXEP_2MEoEwhB0qofmDrbyb7_Dph2ZrQHao8YkubiNwlnJoWM4jfTgWX763DeCdcuJblgTuQserP-GfVzLQ9kbIf1WJluKftS9QTVXEHr2GrOyPE-Qd-mgj1WjSzjQYwRKy3gAnSPVp9R1Q/s1159/Rails%20and%20Sails%20Casey%20Jones%20no%2065%20reverse.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="797" data-original-width="1159" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXuog_nVaN6nZxgcGAQgHdzem92vu7IYd6eeUE-jTLw1AZXEP_2MEoEwhB0qofmDrbyb7_Dph2ZrQHao8YkubiNwlnJoWM4jfTgWX763DeCdcuJblgTuQserP-GfVzLQ9kbIf1WJluKftS9QTVXEHr2GrOyPE-Qd-mgj1WjSzjQYwRKy3gAnSPVp9R1Q/w400-h275/Rails%20and%20Sails%20Casey%20Jones%20no%2065%20reverse.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Beware of snake heads-yikes! And dig the rando locomotives and cars used for the main illustration running on the tracks along the bottom.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">For the record, here's how the ACF <i>indicia </i>looked:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvkYGOshLdDoS4qaWfB-JdGT-LU8_NeZFUPO-A0Gow9GTQ386jkYokEzygmMp3VyZuJDJyWYvYcEIT0eoxDly54ekEo11ckA_VLNsBCLNfCY1yy-S4wVcM6BWN2nj-aYBBf0tsC-hZiahWhyphenhypheniP5SHGyIjJVwsmHLY6jQ45enfG7UT1KJmF7Ka2bS83KA/s742/raisl%20and%20sails%20acf%20indicia.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="519" data-original-width="742" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvkYGOshLdDoS4qaWfB-JdGT-LU8_NeZFUPO-A0Gow9GTQ386jkYokEzygmMp3VyZuJDJyWYvYcEIT0eoxDly54ekEo11ckA_VLNsBCLNfCY1yy-S4wVcM6BWN2nj-aYBBf0tsC-hZiahWhyphenhypheniP5SHGyIjJVwsmHLY6jQ45enfG7UT1KJmF7Ka2bS83KA/w400-h280/raisl%20and%20sails%20acf%20indicia.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Here's a piece of art offered by Heritage sometime back, the level of detail is astounding:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaDICwzPIowqnWB9_cQiXby6mcN2N6zty8m8VX6pWNSVZfZsfXZj-ua8J3vx206MNlFSfaYD07gMpPSWzGrB-MDCsWTcB52M1SkCCm1T4RwlhX20hICzd6-x00aIqxmHuaoAOyAnFArjNAmuFjJBcNWw6RuAV3KiT8QIzVgS91PckqfmO8zyLDQAP8dA/s916/Rails%20and%20Sails%20Rails%20Original%20Art%202%20Hertiage%20etail.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="643" data-original-width="916" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaDICwzPIowqnWB9_cQiXby6mcN2N6zty8m8VX6pWNSVZfZsfXZj-ua8J3vx206MNlFSfaYD07gMpPSWzGrB-MDCsWTcB52M1SkCCm1T4RwlhX20hICzd6-x00aIqxmHuaoAOyAnFArjNAmuFjJBcNWw6RuAV3KiT8QIzVgS91PckqfmO8zyLDQAP8dA/w640-h450/Rails%20and%20Sails%20Rails%20Original%20Art%202%20Hertiage%20etail.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Card no. 109 for those keeping score at home:<br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgleKOUx05_VcaEf28rM6ugVrMtTY4xqXaPc5bslJn3OtXIUJP_XRbDhOByJjqpfBbr3J8pgQJC2CETX0KqyCD4vAFQwOXDcJh_RM10rZ8lwWkbUEXTRsBBZic7AyivcRUjoRSjhJzHi-I-_vL3kmHac9gSQ463Xv_7vFullHOrxQn1n2feUGVblCFaSA/s347/rails%20and%20sails%20no%20109.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="236" data-original-width="347" height="435" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgleKOUx05_VcaEf28rM6ugVrMtTY4xqXaPc5bslJn3OtXIUJP_XRbDhOByJjqpfBbr3J8pgQJC2CETX0KqyCD4vAFQwOXDcJh_RM10rZ8lwWkbUEXTRsBBZic7AyivcRUjoRSjhJzHi-I-_vL3kmHac9gSQ463Xv_7vFullHOrxQn1n2feUGVblCFaSA/w640-h435/rails%20and%20sails%20no%20109.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">And here's a true production piece:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipPQ-E6LHaBfp_Vcsc5LyX5COYym7EhMxdS6jnLTn4Kd1_54RAOvR_yIid1S5I-96gyFxeiA7UUomQXKMngDjh4FdEBpcWt1fSRKnwE6GCcEMVN_DywYiVWi_eHLCUSbx4DFdN3oL82ndoCjPpX6U2Qux7Xhz8VTk__DL84VPoYxg43EAw445if-gxyw/s1397/rails%20and%20sails%20original%20painting%20no%2033.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1397" data-original-width="1012" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipPQ-E6LHaBfp_Vcsc5LyX5COYym7EhMxdS6jnLTn4Kd1_54RAOvR_yIid1S5I-96gyFxeiA7UUomQXKMngDjh4FdEBpcWt1fSRKnwE6GCcEMVN_DywYiVWi_eHLCUSbx4DFdN3oL82ndoCjPpX6U2Qux7Xhz8VTk__DL84VPoYxg43EAw445if-gxyw/w464-h640/rails%20and%20sails%20original%20painting%20no%2033.JPG" width="464" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">It's not no. 48 though, as marked, but rather no. 33:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghD1EZkFF2APany2s32UzEXD_Kf3aZ8d4oHZ3qXGOps_4PJyWhGOyAY5PUQvPr2aA6Rg8IvLu-SuUdv9euJXbLC2xPvGhmAuzwZhI-kMiKvL5j7vCh4DMVSo1I_u1w4dFI3kYtpKm8xuCouDRJx7G0KUX7eGpVXflnvjso35rZY2sTn5De54P8qBD7hA/s1117/raisl%20and%20sails%2033.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="1117" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghD1EZkFF2APany2s32UzEXD_Kf3aZ8d4oHZ3qXGOps_4PJyWhGOyAY5PUQvPr2aA6Rg8IvLu-SuUdv9euJXbLC2xPvGhmAuzwZhI-kMiKvL5j7vCh4DMVSo1I_u1w4dFI3kYtpKm8xuCouDRJx7G0KUX7eGpVXflnvjso35rZY2sTn5De54P8qBD7hA/w400-h283/raisl%20and%20sails%2033.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The handwriting on the back seems to be instructing the illustrator on the various colors, indicating the source was a black and white photo; that's how things rolled back then!<div><br /></div><div>Back with some <i>Sails</i> art next time kids!</div>toppcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10698182920578539949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27257197959732447.post-28498603911220820692023-10-28T08:00:00.218-04:002023-10-28T08:00:00.144-04:00Ten-acity<p>I got a ping the other day from a collector named Max Brustmeyer who sent along an uncut half sheet scan from the 1955 Topps <i>Rails and Sails </i>set. In addition to being a useful thing in and of itself, the sheet had a surprise in store:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEuNbo63b8dOjkJ-4aWWtQykrJQjnxVzAxko4eSrHKxPQU0hYwAYH6rvY2Ol3sKeK8XNN4e7mbk1CttqocDgtWYBP8Y9eN8FxAJgGa7eo_99j90dZlNydRGnZE7kLOLdLS2YpZxCYO0apf7nvnsLgVKNpSBuzeihT8IrSYaVjsl-XUAgIK-gjt0tCTBw/s3456/55%20Rials%20and%20Sails%20100%20card%20sheet%20Max%20Pardi.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2494" data-original-width="3456" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEuNbo63b8dOjkJ-4aWWtQykrJQjnxVzAxko4eSrHKxPQU0hYwAYH6rvY2Ol3sKeK8XNN4e7mbk1CttqocDgtWYBP8Y9eN8FxAJgGa7eo_99j90dZlNydRGnZE7kLOLdLS2YpZxCYO0apf7nvnsLgVKNpSBuzeihT8IrSYaVjsl-XUAgIK-gjt0tCTBw/w640-h462/55%20Rials%20and%20Sails%20100%20card%20sheet%20Max%20Pardi.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Yes, it's a 10x10 sheet, so there's 100 cards on this slit. All well and good, but this is a 1955 set and Topps had, from what I know if it, moved to 110 card sheets the year prior, or perhaps I should say a <i>minimum </i>of 110 cards due to the nature of the flip-flops (a method used due to the full bleed tops of each card with <i>Rails and Sails</i> as well). Take a look at this 1954 <i>Baseball </i>sheet offered by Huggins & Scott some time ago now"</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcZNZfVd6BGiw5aQXZn-cXs0iUd5eJq1224dfymb2zfFouQFcPCFNDwU59VfLwTFz6uBO6-pzthUM858TrMoquCSI8cFXnESns5lEiuvuPbBETx79XhCJYb2occmsZvSiuzrEflG7NDbmlbBcFPsWap1TfRIkQ_k7wRB2ZZtM-aVh3214P-3atGXehGg/s2509/54%20topps%20uncut%20sheet%20front.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2509" data-original-width="1800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcZNZfVd6BGiw5aQXZn-cXs0iUd5eJq1224dfymb2zfFouQFcPCFNDwU59VfLwTFz6uBO6-pzthUM858TrMoquCSI8cFXnESns5lEiuvuPbBETx79XhCJYb2occmsZvSiuzrEflG7NDbmlbBcFPsWap1TfRIkQ_k7wRB2ZZtM-aVh3214P-3atGXehGg/w461-h640/54%20topps%20uncut%20sheet%20front.jpg" width="461" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you look at the very tippy-top of the sheet you can see a sliver of another row, which looks to replicate the second row.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfDfTmN_r6oDDczMjJ5QQRvYy6N01YZP_m7-yvJX5jv7WwwmEp1uZuMlCuw6CskP2InDpLRtwMdJEPQVa5_PUjYrL_eNdU0hgX7dj7ha0GocvihimqY62RnOXzhdkqAEFG2zldekW7YZM81sOl7JLp6BtuOvQgUw1ZUrvFyJdZMYuP8CUTQokan3fWAg/s1612/54%20topps%20uncut%20sheet%20front%20detail.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="1612" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfDfTmN_r6oDDczMjJ5QQRvYy6N01YZP_m7-yvJX5jv7WwwmEp1uZuMlCuw6CskP2InDpLRtwMdJEPQVa5_PUjYrL_eNdU0hgX7dj7ha0GocvihimqY62RnOXzhdkqAEFG2zldekW7YZM81sOl7JLp6BtuOvQgUw1ZUrvFyJdZMYuP8CUTQokan3fWAg/w640-h190/54%20topps%20uncut%20sheet%20front%20detail.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>So we have a 100 card sheet for <i>Rails and Sails</i> produced well after the (minimum) 110 card sheet containing 1954 <i>Baseball</i> was run. The 1954 <i>Baseball</i> cards were produced by the Lord Baltimore Press, who were the main printers for the company at the time. That brings up the question of who lithographed the <i>Rails and Sails</i> sheet. Was it Lord Baltimore, or perhaps Topps had found their way to Zabel Brothers of Philadelphia in 1955? </p><p>Another interesting thing is the "breakage" of the numbers included on the 1954 <i>Baseball </i>slit and the <i>Rails and Sails </i>slit. The numbering on the <i>Baseball </i>sheet covers numbers 126 to 150 and then skips to 176 to 250. The <i>Rails and Sails </i>sheet runs from 1 to 80 (<i>Rails</i>) then jumps to 131 to 150 <i>Sails</i>). The Baseball array is totally arbitrary in 1954 while <i>Rails and Sails</i> in '55 offers two areas of organization: the 4 x 5 block of <i>Sails</i> cards that is partially randomized with the top two rows containing nos. 141 to 150 and the bottom two with nos. 131 to 140, although they are scattered non-consecutively in each row. Below that we get six orderly rows of <i>Rails</i>, or I should say orderly columns as they all run consecutively through a five number top-to bottom sequence that reduces as it moves rightward when viewed from the front. Namely:</p><p>26-30<span> 19-24<span> </span><span> 13-18<span> </span><span> 7-12<span> </span><span> 1-6</span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span>Then the right half of the sheet goes back to fifty randomly arrayed cards covering nos. 31 to 80. Crazy! The wedging of the <i>Sails</i> in the upper left corner is odd as well, it seems like it would be easier, given their full bleed backs and sides on the reverse (which explains why half are upside down) to just extend them out to full rows:</span></span></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIM9AR9kkEGWouecs3hs4BTDO0qfgSTIsQ7EeRddUliUHgGDexyl-X6x0Ulc4YpeECWZNUgwBHPy87wr8UwzJ5dg_OvW3Vh1EWGSWE3vIaA86a1_m78Ea4_7t4GKc10A1WzOp9DJJUGXE8JAn-yqB50riiKi8qiouHVX3R_eccdIwqyZI7COcjNUrIPA/s746/topps%20sails%20reverse.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="746" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIM9AR9kkEGWouecs3hs4BTDO0qfgSTIsQ7EeRddUliUHgGDexyl-X6x0Ulc4YpeECWZNUgwBHPy87wr8UwzJ5dg_OvW3Vh1EWGSWE3vIaA86a1_m78Ea4_7t4GKc10A1WzOp9DJJUGXE8JAn-yqB50riiKi8qiouHVX3R_eccdIwqyZI7COcjNUrIPA/w400-h281/topps%20sails%20reverse.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The <i>Rails</i> had no such need for inversion, being uniform in color on the backs:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijk_fchHt9lLPnZx2MPtI8H6KKo_PxT4bNhCzK5eQmDz_ETSDA8ioU3VszR1Svrkuzs12hf_Oc6v6hFRIAnC6_lVhc1jnDUIw9oc6sDgI-s7MCAHYrYcylvTUyBRprVEjs48BwynHRdck4PFvWo6YhFBnqWQ0kNzqmTqNlH6rLVokvV_fH8kr-jqh9YQ/s749/topps%20rails%20reverse.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="749" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijk_fchHt9lLPnZx2MPtI8H6KKo_PxT4bNhCzK5eQmDz_ETSDA8ioU3VszR1Svrkuzs12hf_Oc6v6hFRIAnC6_lVhc1jnDUIw9oc6sDgI-s7MCAHYrYcylvTUyBRprVEjs48BwynHRdck4PFvWo6YhFBnqWQ0kNzqmTqNlH6rLVokvV_fH8kr-jqh9YQ/w400-h280/topps%20rails%20reverse.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I've mentioned before it seems like the <i>Sails</i> almost seem like an afterthought, or were originally meant to be a separate issue given how they differ in style so much from the <i>Rails</i>. Perhaps Topps was contracting some expenses in view of their pending offer for Bowman?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><p></p>toppcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10698182920578539949noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27257197959732447.post-55287994735790285692023-10-21T08:00:00.222-04:002023-10-21T08:00:00.139-04:00My God, It's Full Of Stars<p>I was recently sent a wonderful package of in-house Topps goodies by Friend o'the Archive David Eskenazi, which originated with longtime Topps photographer Doug McWilliams, who spent 1971-1994 snapping pictures for the company. Doug has donated most of his negatives and prints to the Baseball Hall of Fame and also sent David some corporate ephemera over the years as they are longtime friends. Short story long, David was kind enough to send me a few goodies, and I am honored to add them to the collection of curiosities deposited in the Main Topps Archives Research Center Vault!</p><p>I'll have a few posts about this trove as the rest of the year progresses but wanted to start out with what might be the grooviest looking thing I've ever seen, namely the 1971-72 Gift Catalog from which ballplayers could, in lieu of a cash royalty from Topps, select from a bevy of goods. And I mean bevy, as we shall see.</p><p>The cover gives a really good idea of where the graphics were going:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIHy9GGq8kwAzH5QhOB6bsIrhAASIB_6PElC9GHrClSSM7MNiEP_NXAuXA9Rf2Cf-7-oXSogcaFjEZpMs1cAuUP845QmVhAzJ1VgdK9_KYRAv6BDQ8Ls1bgFHxiWv7-MIInvcMB6CpO-LmqA8udQ-_toNva2INEevicp0dEwe59hyRWk3LAJ3BPticyA/s1011/71-72%20Topps%20Merch%20Catalog%20Cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="738" data-original-width="1011" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIHy9GGq8kwAzH5QhOB6bsIrhAASIB_6PElC9GHrClSSM7MNiEP_NXAuXA9Rf2Cf-7-oXSogcaFjEZpMs1cAuUP845QmVhAzJ1VgdK9_KYRAv6BDQ8Ls1bgFHxiWv7-MIInvcMB6CpO-LmqA8udQ-_toNva2INEevicp0dEwe59hyRWk3LAJ3BPticyA/w640-h468/71-72%20Topps%20Merch%20Catalog%20Cover.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Right away, Topps shared details on how everything would go down:</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6j3DC60t9CBr0C_N9yKbw3EEkiszZzq-KpIj4hwFYKz9YurJOgtViVDUT4Vi8w22EjRd5kgn9PoZgZ7Qz0sTusqFqBj9eoMojr9xXzyPYMhqqRU2_tqld8GVOicWV6Mi5glTiLFhTSadr8xwSyjDXmA6eAx1Y2GNO2X0piHD5RQcwkY3QvAqQcPeZbA/s996/71-72%20Topps%20Merch%20Catalog%20Interior%20Explanation%20page.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="744" data-original-width="996" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6j3DC60t9CBr0C_N9yKbw3EEkiszZzq-KpIj4hwFYKz9YurJOgtViVDUT4Vi8w22EjRd5kgn9PoZgZ7Qz0sTusqFqBj9eoMojr9xXzyPYMhqqRU2_tqld8GVOicWV6Mi5glTiLFhTSadr8xwSyjDXmA6eAx1Y2GNO2X0piHD5RQcwkY3QvAqQcPeZbA/w640-h478/71-72%20Topps%20Merch%20Catalog%20Interior%20Explanation%20page.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>We've seen some of this this explanation before, in the <a href="https://www.thetoppsarchives.com/2016/05/leisure-suits-them.html">1973-74 catalog</a> but that was a mere shell of what was about to be unleashed in the pages within this one. First though, dig the exposition from Topps as it turns out this was the first catalog to offer a Five Star gift option:<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihO1ZdsYy8dOj1rK58MmrczuVGhIjaKiRBg1fLY_E69-Wi6gKAq8JRKJgGd0mXaXTn4BCZwV26jn8Y4DyDNvfeHSUF4fm8JCCT9EgOmE07wdMEj-TOEqb_CJCvsZRwgWINc159QoecUhvwyy6ONKM5r2NGjGSb7YATV7MM4c0I6HUCTJvnLcHVR3KmRg/s413/71-72%20Topps%20Merch%20Catalog%20Interior%20Explanation%20page%20detail.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="413" data-original-width="322" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihO1ZdsYy8dOj1rK58MmrczuVGhIjaKiRBg1fLY_E69-Wi6gKAq8JRKJgGd0mXaXTn4BCZwV26jn8Y4DyDNvfeHSUF4fm8JCCT9EgOmE07wdMEj-TOEqb_CJCvsZRwgWINc159QoecUhvwyy6ONKM5r2NGjGSb7YATV7MM4c0I6HUCTJvnLcHVR3KmRg/w498-h640/71-72%20Topps%20Merch%20Catalog%20Interior%20Explanation%20page%20detail.jpg" width="498" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">They would toy with the symbols in later years but the idea was always the same, if you had the extension bonus option, you could get better swag. The extensions, so far as I can tell were made effective by having a Topps card issued in the prior year, although I'm not sure if that covered the multi-player rookie cards. Topps kept track of all this on <a href="https://www.thetoppsarchives.com/2019/04/enough-to-drive-you-battey.html">ledger cards</a> they maintained for each player in their <a href="https://www.thetoppsarchives.com/2023/03/nex-us.html">Premium Records Department</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Now, let's get our groove on and look at each of the offered categories! Lots of players were into Photography, back when you had to know what you were doing:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPzYra-jiBU1zez9IDffeb3_siOqHtzh4QP9QbeqRhwYJ5lxvRTUOe3g6OaaV2-II-XYOtaLtVkPCHpjjn0r7iW6FjdKGi3PmwlYANXLcQOwgraE0ofsT7wkw74aepFqGSQboxPGUfxRM5J5XPBUPRkHaxYVW6SsQ6Bt6iGJZCFN4HvE4vzM5_H8w5bA/s989/71-72%20Topps%20Merch%20Catalog%20Interior%20Photography%20Sample%20Page.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="739" data-original-width="989" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPzYra-jiBU1zez9IDffeb3_siOqHtzh4QP9QbeqRhwYJ5lxvRTUOe3g6OaaV2-II-XYOtaLtVkPCHpjjn0r7iW6FjdKGi3PmwlYANXLcQOwgraE0ofsT7wkw74aepFqGSQboxPGUfxRM5J5XPBUPRkHaxYVW6SsQ6Bt6iGJZCFN4HvE4vzM5_H8w5bA/w640-h478/71-72%20Topps%20Merch%20Catalog%20Interior%20Photography%20Sample%20Page.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">All that do develop the film-can you imagine?! Although Polaroid had the right idea (for a time).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Some players would furnish their houses:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Hv0tqpsUuvp1qoHur3RhfpNTEkU_XVmu5gNZfPJec6P1qGKIjU1W9NKYAwfzMNkP1vVwEor_liQwGTkMMRooTSX7WLx8PJqmwbMuNLgOrkfL4H5cYItCKglONa2tp-V19JyyOLTHm4oSYAElu8Fdadl9MAgKGoDMUjvs4L-XUJNNQDdtuxAKw5_Mjg/s979/71-72%20Topps%20Merch%20Catalog%20Interior%20Furniture%20Sample%20Page.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="745" data-original-width="979" height="488" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Hv0tqpsUuvp1qoHur3RhfpNTEkU_XVmu5gNZfPJec6P1qGKIjU1W9NKYAwfzMNkP1vVwEor_liQwGTkMMRooTSX7WLx8PJqmwbMuNLgOrkfL4H5cYItCKglONa2tp-V19JyyOLTHm4oSYAElu8Fdadl9MAgKGoDMUjvs4L-XUJNNQDdtuxAKw5_Mjg/w640-h488/71-72%20Topps%20Merch%20Catalog%20Interior%20Furniture%20Sample%20Page.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Furniture was a major category, with seventeen of the catalog's 64 pages devoted to it. If that didn't appeal to some folks, then they could opt for Housewares. This page had a two star option. vs. just the one star seen for the two tables above.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1mm2LLY55OX0JAp4JWyBKfzSOjOiAez7EOraKfZ5tZgD7IC8Cp9Jhn1HUBdiyko1uANKEtLJTxJd9OpmsH-aoxoqTtwUUwFKx_2pp6k1e8QmOGdbQ4YB-RqdifYnOVxd2uanI1l-vuYd9BUmkIkIhnc_INSVKAZbHeLtUXisOLj0ErXDzw9ZpzD-2xA/s987/71-72%20Topps%20Merch%20Catalog%20Interior%20Housewares%20Sample%20Page.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="733" data-original-width="987" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1mm2LLY55OX0JAp4JWyBKfzSOjOiAez7EOraKfZ5tZgD7IC8Cp9Jhn1HUBdiyko1uANKEtLJTxJd9OpmsH-aoxoqTtwUUwFKx_2pp6k1e8QmOGdbQ4YB-RqdifYnOVxd2uanI1l-vuYd9BUmkIkIhnc_INSVKAZbHeLtUXisOLj0ErXDzw9ZpzD-2xA/w640-h476/71-72%20Topps%20Merch%20Catalog%20Interior%20Housewares%20Sample%20Page.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifWWl9RKuUsaqUmuFZc-zxzgxH4sTn6EkYOSeWrDXXzLV99sU4NGoKNDom9Xu6sLqSwr1DlxgJ7h2fXQ9aWk8RtBADUNu38sImQjAWJ004rdJrwl-LQnpqgCxBMOHbp1aMTUeM97ToMfVLxofM9BcrWwXfIF0ELwVKWdj77QHModG1kyD0nhS51Jgufw/s989/71-72%20Topps%20Merch%20Catalog%20Interior%20Appliances%20Sample%20Page.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="733" data-original-width="989" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifWWl9RKuUsaqUmuFZc-zxzgxH4sTn6EkYOSeWrDXXzLV99sU4NGoKNDom9Xu6sLqSwr1DlxgJ7h2fXQ9aWk8RtBADUNu38sImQjAWJ004rdJrwl-LQnpqgCxBMOHbp1aMTUeM97ToMfVLxofM9BcrWwXfIF0ELwVKWdj77QHModG1kyD0nhS51Jgufw/w640-h474/71-72%20Topps%20Merch%20Catalog%20Interior%20Appliances%20Sample%20Page.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Look at that Five Star Washer! Players could bank their points, that would have taken three years to nab! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you liked to spend your time at home outside, Topps had you covered: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCx-iNxhvEN7rTzuqRks9iHtyn-gY3Mm4xfj1ylXulSBxuZCISfKROuvJQtjGg7eclkfzyRidjVgVZN6yF_j6q9aparCWgw6_lQWsZbxZvc69-pyjLBx4XTWDQPF_rNLPJvHBJr5O6amsB7d4Qpn4YTPKImgBBUPNvKkvKF2UA32NcUPRQMxG6krqeUQ/s985/71-72%20Topps%20Merch%20Catalog%20Interior%20Outdoor%20Furniture%20Sample%20Page.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="738" data-original-width="985" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCx-iNxhvEN7rTzuqRks9iHtyn-gY3Mm4xfj1ylXulSBxuZCISfKROuvJQtjGg7eclkfzyRidjVgVZN6yF_j6q9aparCWgw6_lQWsZbxZvc69-pyjLBx4XTWDQPF_rNLPJvHBJr5O6amsB7d4Qpn4YTPKImgBBUPNvKkvKF2UA32NcUPRQMxG6krqeUQ/w640-h480/71-72%20Topps%20Merch%20Catalog%20Interior%20Outdoor%20Furniture%20Sample%20Page.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That Weber grill on the right would still be in fine shape if it was taken care of, the older ones were tanks. Speaking of tanks, you could probably build one with some of these:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix0YCKeIAQA6PHNO8iMC-0QaUrXYyRBqFjS5W6yDWqyKdhPDVoptnQF22fLAhHXHrxfanh-K06yrS5wTrzvMhyZOzI7B-uykOkR1kXeuHb_76XYuwhj3tPnNghcy4bqy5RYLsVMueAhXeUU0K52iip36wguL3FF1mu-BpHdzWMqYJSDz4_TqZu4b1iQA/s972/71-72%20Topps%20Merch%20Catalog%20Interior%20Power%20Equipment%20Sample%20Page.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="739" data-original-width="972" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix0YCKeIAQA6PHNO8iMC-0QaUrXYyRBqFjS5W6yDWqyKdhPDVoptnQF22fLAhHXHrxfanh-K06yrS5wTrzvMhyZOzI7B-uykOkR1kXeuHb_76XYuwhj3tPnNghcy4bqy5RYLsVMueAhXeUU0K52iip36wguL3FF1mu-BpHdzWMqYJSDz4_TqZu4b1iQA/w640-h486/71-72%20Topps%20Merch%20Catalog%20Interior%20Power%20Equipment%20Sample%20Page.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Meanwhile, Electronics were still expensive and big, quite literally in fact:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTXjRbWNs7AyJRbxgMpzqZPCDkEhKUcAc4d7e4tc_5mIvip710E4yO7YXJFnQ_nsaNahcj792RA_f9ctm_R2V_ohYvJEA-dUwXZhNwc6vL-Z55LEgw-IKi1_PCQLx2pMq_QncV7Y3wvgkOFRb37bjszw-BzSxkQw6ImOH7EY6bc3f6jAOmgvBDsTPpPg/s975/71-72%20Topps%20Merch%20Catalog%20Interior%20Electronics%20Sample%20Page.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="735" data-original-width="975" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTXjRbWNs7AyJRbxgMpzqZPCDkEhKUcAc4d7e4tc_5mIvip710E4yO7YXJFnQ_nsaNahcj792RA_f9ctm_R2V_ohYvJEA-dUwXZhNwc6vL-Z55LEgw-IKi1_PCQLx2pMq_QncV7Y3wvgkOFRb37bjszw-BzSxkQw6ImOH7EY6bc3f6jAOmgvBDsTPpPg/w640-h482/71-72%20Topps%20Merch%20Catalog%20Interior%20Electronics%20Sample%20Page.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div style="text-align: left;"> And for the finely dressed man? Well, there was this:</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr9AHD-C6nu11JKy3DEAqSEOE6-MXzikDkartnCEklxb5p3lD__XJXDs-FmI4J96EAzl8VmDLzJTVLuuHtXLXH6Z_Ak9Izqn_MpVl4FOCnkPC1_zKtnoN4Z_EJRsF2VDqRIoB2wPRufSdu9iiuck4eUuvBxp4DMvKr-fmTSAwYCCI_FQ7D3eXwbyCz4A/s986/71-72%20Topps%20Merch%20Catalog%20Interior%20Fun%20and%20Fashion%20Sample%20Page.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="735" data-original-width="986" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr9AHD-C6nu11JKy3DEAqSEOE6-MXzikDkartnCEklxb5p3lD__XJXDs-FmI4J96EAzl8VmDLzJTVLuuHtXLXH6Z_Ak9Izqn_MpVl4FOCnkPC1_zKtnoN4Z_EJRsF2VDqRIoB2wPRufSdu9iiuck4eUuvBxp4DMvKr-fmTSAwYCCI_FQ7D3eXwbyCz4A/w640-h478/71-72%20Topps%20Merch%20Catalog%20Interior%20Fun%20and%20Fashion%20Sample%20Page.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Look, I came of age in the 1970's and it was really the last best time in some ways but I would very much like to expunge from my memory all manner of Leisure Suits and wide ties-yeeeesh!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />There's more to it and the whole thing is just a riot of contemporary color and hip design. This might also be the most extensive catalog they ever offered. I only have a handful to compare to but it seems like it's got the most stuff and I suspect after their March 1972 IPO they refined things a little as the one after this was not as robust in its offerings.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In addition to banking points for more expensive items, players could also exceed their "star limits" and pay Topps the difference if they went over the $250 and/or $75 thresholds. Looks like the boys from Brooklyn knew how to work all the ends of this deal!</div></div>toppcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10698182920578539949noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27257197959732447.post-17414462373403358032023-10-14T08:00:00.169-04:002023-10-17T08:52:58.963-04:00Howdy Pardner<p>A long, long time ago, 1993 to be exact, I first read about the possibility of a paper version of the five cent wrapper Topps used for <i>Round-Up</i>, their 80 card Western themed set from 1956. Chris Benjamin, in the set description contained in his <i>Sport Americana Price Guide to the Non-Sports Cards 1930-1960</i>, mentioned it along with a note that the five cent retail wrapper featured "fragile layered cellophane" in red, with accented blues and whites." It also mentions a five cent paper wrapper has been seen. I've had a <a href="https://www.thetoppsarchives.com/2011/12/paper-trail.html">crummy scan of the paper version</a> for years but a newer scan has popped up and it's got far better resolution than the old one:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1AAICrAOh8P8kFOnQmnP0X9fHw5Ptbs7ELWJTEsMG6Vy2dxlpv023GVJQrXx43xGNqXozyr08CkBe87bxarwp1Otg_YnCQKRxCx1hES5OOQg0_iID1SarG_FV01bHveQ_5CgHaF28mX4mOgnur10ZFezZMphzuJG4HGZCPpWdfZcgxpH2_ED5Vwnn4w/s1482/56%20round%20up%20apper%20wrapper%20ebay%202023%20obverse.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1369" data-original-width="1482" height="592" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1AAICrAOh8P8kFOnQmnP0X9fHw5Ptbs7ELWJTEsMG6Vy2dxlpv023GVJQrXx43xGNqXozyr08CkBe87bxarwp1Otg_YnCQKRxCx1hES5OOQg0_iID1SarG_FV01bHveQ_5CgHaF28mX4mOgnur10ZFezZMphzuJG4HGZCPpWdfZcgxpH2_ED5Vwnn4w/w640-h592/56%20round%20up%20apper%20wrapper%20ebay%202023%20obverse.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There's a scan of the back as well:</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK4TO6YaAH_WILNFqnxwOfWRHZpFTSukNCacl_D32Ov4mq8INcpixhPCvwtyJmH5kkVROK0wodQPjvWMxMki7UfT0gV7KRqSXqneJh9UHUKPb23MQ4kv_5GBZeqEhHkkkYLbijKRZii-IaQNbjzYNDnGQswIzvDvTdo3olpDmyiQk-9uW5q1U9qr8_Ew/s1482/56%20round%20up%20apper%20wrapper%20ebay%202023%20reverse.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="1482" height="590" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK4TO6YaAH_WILNFqnxwOfWRHZpFTSukNCacl_D32Ov4mq8INcpixhPCvwtyJmH5kkVROK0wodQPjvWMxMki7UfT0gV7KRqSXqneJh9UHUKPb23MQ4kv_5GBZeqEhHkkkYLbijKRZii-IaQNbjzYNDnGQswIzvDvTdo3olpDmyiQk-9uW5q1U9qr8_Ew/w640-h590/56%20round%20up%20apper%20wrapper%20ebay%202023%20reverse.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>As it turns out, it's the same wrapper in both my scans, old and new. I'm now leaning toward this being an internal production piece, or something like it, given the tape remnants and Benjamin's comments about a cello wrapper being used to market the set. I'm not sure how this paper version would have been used to retail the set by Topps as they needed sanitary packaging given the bubble gum that rode along. It makes some sense to me that they created it in order to envision how to manufacture the cello version. It's also worth noting Benjamin's comment on the paper wrapper appears to refer to a singular piece.</p><p>You cab kind of see the cello being stretched on this unopened nickel pack; those striations generally don't generally pop up on wax packs like that from what I've seen:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRL_MnV1C2J0IBjlgLQ60Lla81Sg5yeoOsI0GNQPKXbldhtAaFswHoPnQqW4pMKTBM1L7XG4mMicWHXeynWqhnfAdzzjLPHdNW9wuoHgJINDMWyvM8hmf-eGOA6IBChvFj75Uv8XpX-HD5Bf4jQo0pvssRZV5H1Us58T03Eb0zWFoJBXz1lGiRu7by2A/s864/56%20round%20up%20pack%20front%20possible%20cello.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="676" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRL_MnV1C2J0IBjlgLQ60Lla81Sg5yeoOsI0GNQPKXbldhtAaFswHoPnQqW4pMKTBM1L7XG4mMicWHXeynWqhnfAdzzjLPHdNW9wuoHgJINDMWyvM8hmf-eGOA6IBChvFj75Uv8XpX-HD5Bf4jQo0pvssRZV5H1Us58T03Eb0zWFoJBXz1lGiRu7by2A/w500-h640/56%20round%20up%20pack%20front%20possible%20cello.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ75rRoDJb_CI_ByrCMFcqRcKxOjq3RpV9HwrvkSOoeSiebaslkjs8Wx0Sn_Si_JOA4FL0zH4QwCr-5AJvp01bfXw4D2bIxG7yDwXA5ZAjx_V-D5MSDlI3OFbqGxGypez-sR4nmFpBvv_mMrEghEeIOwnU-iOxrSBomOkddk-aavsxhHzKQEgIYROVGw/s862/56%20round%20up%20pack%20reverse%20possible%20cello.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="862" data-original-width="697" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ75rRoDJb_CI_ByrCMFcqRcKxOjq3RpV9HwrvkSOoeSiebaslkjs8Wx0Sn_Si_JOA4FL0zH4QwCr-5AJvp01bfXw4D2bIxG7yDwXA5ZAjx_V-D5MSDlI3OFbqGxGypez-sR4nmFpBvv_mMrEghEeIOwnU-iOxrSBomOkddk-aavsxhHzKQEgIYROVGw/w518-h640/56%20round%20up%20pack%20reverse%20possible%20cello.jpg" width="518" /></a></div><br /><p>Ok, to confound things a little more, some of the five cent wrappers look like they could be wax:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisEHrnJSWE8CE2wb-J0j1CPyczhmtH4W_aarIj8FJ9v0d2R7MvDvZaYOp_6mm14RlMEcuz_hD1pRDljzMUsGdJ8MLqpNLgjPUzcKVnS3LbTEEN2VXnLZv160fM8gGiRQz_VhKJmti0u7jGrRmE-bxcpUbyXiYv0mNcUkjN_uxKDryvcE4xLHmtgWbKDw/s600/56%20round%20up%20pack%20front.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="389" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisEHrnJSWE8CE2wb-J0j1CPyczhmtH4W_aarIj8FJ9v0d2R7MvDvZaYOp_6mm14RlMEcuz_hD1pRDljzMUsGdJ8MLqpNLgjPUzcKVnS3LbTEEN2VXnLZv160fM8gGiRQz_VhKJmti0u7jGrRmE-bxcpUbyXiYv0mNcUkjN_uxKDryvcE4xLHmtgWbKDw/w414-h640/56%20round%20up%20pack%20front.jpg" width="414" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDtlPLKS0baGY7DKgy5MkSMgezGACNvkKGsN3Amf0mm0dnz5iOwvKnVwJ4oFRcacooouIr-ej5IlVxqrAraCEyq3PWcsKaZLwt2G2bqJu4P6bgIs0Est-fYQifPsxJ_dAq0SkrZhBVFxlH75NfD0Y_2tr27-c9xYe7ZZgUhtcMPz7DH3hO1mhfg0W5oQ/s600/56%20round%20up%20pack%20reverse.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="392" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDtlPLKS0baGY7DKgy5MkSMgezGACNvkKGsN3Amf0mm0dnz5iOwvKnVwJ4oFRcacooouIr-ej5IlVxqrAraCEyq3PWcsKaZLwt2G2bqJu4P6bgIs0Est-fYQifPsxJ_dAq0SkrZhBVFxlH75NfD0Y_2tr27-c9xYe7ZZgUhtcMPz7DH3hO1mhfg0W5oQ/w418-h640/56%20round%20up%20pack%20reverse.jpg" width="418" /></a></div></div><p>Topps has "gone cello" with other sets over the years where a traditional wax wrapper was used otherwise, so maybe that's what is going on here. No matter, it's intriguing and adds to the mystery a little.</p><p>Now, are there any other examples known of the paper wrapper out there? I suspect there would have bene more than one of these if used internally.</p><p>Meanwhile, check out this May 1957 newspaper ad showing how Topps burned off overstock of the set:</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigEx-6NlN1k87YmdDCVD_Uat-aXeOIvjIH2If0QmBnv2FW6Gzza5uwzN22nDOpzNcxuZTnKVC_CQdv1xcz4HLPTLoSOLUZTBh_A8LAbntqc9V57cdAvlMzAz1n-Bs7qen6bQoBreVuXwcu6lNpAWFeHkCk9D48ommrV6SjUTYgARzJhEMR7KNLxANfGA/s1080/How%20Many%20Non%20Gum%20and%20Non%20Topps%20Products%20Featured%20Topps%20Cards%20Images%20The_News_Messenger_Tue__May_21__1957_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="740" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigEx-6NlN1k87YmdDCVD_Uat-aXeOIvjIH2If0QmBnv2FW6Gzza5uwzN22nDOpzNcxuZTnKVC_CQdv1xcz4HLPTLoSOLUZTBh_A8LAbntqc9V57cdAvlMzAz1n-Bs7qen6bQoBreVuXwcu6lNpAWFeHkCk9D48ommrV6SjUTYgARzJhEMR7KNLxANfGA/w438-h640/How%20Many%20Non%20Gum%20and%20Non%20Topps%20Products%20Featured%20Topps%20Cards%20Images%20The_News_Messenger_Tue__May_21__1957_.jpg" width="438" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Looks like a penny pack was included with every 8-pack of wieners! Here's what the one-centers looked like-it's kind of weird that the overall motif of red wasn't carried over:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3EO0UHnMa0FPLuq8ejW12xX50NTv2WKSIzeskgVVDiItwr_eylwBIc99rtZemiJYDNuthjMSg9qa45Ql3HJoBMoDE5J57v2GCwgH8wHlb3JxKiCZbIlyWlF81QS6YV74dg8hesZZ11P-rXQcdSRkCuirU3bUfbUdbR_uKZdgTzuPkZ0ypV70k-523dA/s367/56%20round%20upone%20cent%20pack%20front%20bbce.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="268" data-original-width="367" height="469" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3EO0UHnMa0FPLuq8ejW12xX50NTv2WKSIzeskgVVDiItwr_eylwBIc99rtZemiJYDNuthjMSg9qa45Ql3HJoBMoDE5J57v2GCwgH8wHlb3JxKiCZbIlyWlF81QS6YV74dg8hesZZ11P-rXQcdSRkCuirU3bUfbUdbR_uKZdgTzuPkZ0ypV70k-523dA/w640-h469/56%20round%20upone%20cent%20pack%20front%20bbce.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Courtesy <a href="https://bbcexchange.com/">Baseball Card Exchange</a>)</span></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>Round-Up </i>may have been the last Giant Size set before Topps switched to the "standard" card size ushered in with <i>Elvis Presley</i>. I think either it or the 1956 <i>Football</i> set holds that distinction.</div><p></p>toppcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10698182920578539949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27257197959732447.post-46657275913897428122023-10-07T08:00:00.193-04:002023-10-07T08:00:00.136-04:00Oh, Fudge!<p>Gary Gerani has spent over half a century entertaining people. He's a well-known screenwriter in La La Land, an author and, to the point here, has created and/or contributed to hundreds of trading card and sticker sets. This envious career arc essentially started at Topps way back in 1972 when he joined the New Product Department under the tutelage of Len Brown and Woody Gelman. He's now started to write a series of books that will take a decade-by-decade look at his trading card endeavors and his first volume tackles the Seventies in highly amusing fashion.</p><p>So I was in the middle of reading his enjoyably flippant book, which is titled <a href="https://www.fantasticpress.store/product-page/the-card-king-chronicles-vol-1-the-70s">The Card King Chronicles Vol. 1,</a> when I happened upon a couple of paragraphs about a 1975 product called <i>Bubble Fudge</i>. It tickled a vague memory of seeing such a thing back in my reckless youth, although I'm pretty sure I never tried it, generally preferring my chocolate, then and now, in bar or better yet, ice cream form (chocolate chip to be exact). A little digging turned up a production piece for the outer wrapper and it is clearly part of the <i>Super Bazooka </i>line of softer gums Topps was somewhat urgently manufacturing at the time: </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPqw82iMUh7rmQSjA0mt-zzXd0YWqYC7vTAZ517frd339dl1KTufZVuroJhkccMtOHsDmzM7nIrPADNUN-Bn18rdB8vIuHhZcgtod4vF0YQ2RnJO4CkMiwyObRQIMxvbIEUTp0WAkrgpvbtMt44aKFvlt4J15JlP3416yf2iXmDBeCZz39vUDIbIZifQ/s1469/Bazooka%20Bubble%20Fudge.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1469" data-original-width="938" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPqw82iMUh7rmQSjA0mt-zzXd0YWqYC7vTAZ517frd339dl1KTufZVuroJhkccMtOHsDmzM7nIrPADNUN-Bn18rdB8vIuHhZcgtod4vF0YQ2RnJO4CkMiwyObRQIMxvbIEUTp0WAkrgpvbtMt44aKFvlt4J15JlP3416yf2iXmDBeCZz39vUDIbIZifQ/w408-h640/Bazooka%20Bubble%20Fudge.jpg" width="408" /></a></div><p>That line was started by Topps to counter the very real threat of <i>Bubble Yum</i>, which had been introduced by Life Savers earlier that year and was laying waste to <i>Bazooka's</i> market share. <i>Super Bazooka </i>launched with a product called <i>Smooooth N' Juicy</i> and Topps kept coming up with new twists for the line, one of which was <i>Bubble Fudge. </i>Five pieces look to have come overwrapped in that pack, as I found this out there in the wilds of <a href="https://pin.it/63byTzq">Pinterest</a>:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoQWeqRhrqmqTGlWxfMZ-tcgcWh9sWpt3wkUK3z3HtwRPN2rDkmCyuEandCjrKJ1nIP58ZClo5On3ay9LYxLxAc3ABkjNW43Ny2kkTZlhSCIvAAWTDzh4sqozbUVY7TyBiYRFwUaqzpJX2y0Sjxt-ZFRhUp1f_2wTpNLkVB6lg-0PlrqdTngI-fApA6g/s510/Bazooka%20Bubble%20Fudge%20promo%20shot.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="289" data-original-width="510" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoQWeqRhrqmqTGlWxfMZ-tcgcWh9sWpt3wkUK3z3HtwRPN2rDkmCyuEandCjrKJ1nIP58ZClo5On3ay9LYxLxAc3ABkjNW43Ny2kkTZlhSCIvAAWTDzh4sqozbUVY7TyBiYRFwUaqzpJX2y0Sjxt-ZFRhUp1f_2wTpNLkVB6lg-0PlrqdTngI-fApA6g/w400-h226/Bazooka%20Bubble%20Fudge%20promo%20shot.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That's clearly a promo shot but I can't say it made the product look appetizing. As it turns out, that image was either used in or created for a <a href="http://www.fuzzymemories.tv/m/v/2126/">1979 commercial </a>for the product, starring Johnny Bench. Despite the misgivings of Mr. Gerani, it seems like the flavor was around for a few years and it may still exist overseas.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">At the same time I was looking up <i>Bubble Fudge</i>, I found an eBay auction with a piece of <i>Hot Bazooka</i>, which, as it turns out, is a rare item. Alas, I was too late but did get a couple of images:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWvxoYPLUg-Gq8NQbVi382AY9j8umZtn5SYBFVP1m96KzvAn-Z4blZ8iy_EZgcya_tC2Pkj15EaC3rR5ThaW9o-yzah2TnZRnxVF36jCDChAPmhXJL7RGObgQrhuzxf_6dgOsnKOh6bOZW3iqowZmsafx_V6fd_9baIxfngf7Hk3_IPj7_t-4s-3_8Rg/s738/Bazooka%20Hot%20View%201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="738" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWvxoYPLUg-Gq8NQbVi382AY9j8umZtn5SYBFVP1m96KzvAn-Z4blZ8iy_EZgcya_tC2Pkj15EaC3rR5ThaW9o-yzah2TnZRnxVF36jCDChAPmhXJL7RGObgQrhuzxf_6dgOsnKOh6bOZW3iqowZmsafx_V6fd_9baIxfngf7Hk3_IPj7_t-4s-3_8Rg/w400-h253/Bazooka%20Hot%20View%201.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo-pcdhkm5-5jp50Xr3bJL4N-Hx-JqoODTGmxAv70H-Ga_xROjcALi842nVtmk66rxaY1nGek6a6tEkSoSCyzuuXhNKNoLJgaPlNxXX5ByBj8y1-F6ZxEdte_m8u9BpJzu-hedLhFq515HQHeEfNF7LOl87h1gqRhtRd72yKtI9LxmaRwZ4wuWJsyQQg/s738/Bazooka%20Hot%20View%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="738" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo-pcdhkm5-5jp50Xr3bJL4N-Hx-JqoODTGmxAv70H-Ga_xROjcALi842nVtmk66rxaY1nGek6a6tEkSoSCyzuuXhNKNoLJgaPlNxXX5ByBj8y1-F6ZxEdte_m8u9BpJzu-hedLhFq515HQHeEfNF7LOl87h1gqRhtRd72yKtI9LxmaRwZ4wuWJsyQQg/w400-h253/Bazooka%20Hot%20View%202.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I could not discern the last digit of the commodity code but a little goggling revealed this was a 1973 product. Jason Liebig, no surprise, over at his wonderful Collecting Candy blog has <a href="http://collectingcandy.com/wordpress/?p=11143">all the fiery details on this product</a>. Now, I need to go find me a <i>Hot Bazooka</i> wrapper....</div>toppcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10698182920578539949noreply@blogger.com1