Decades before Venmo, PayPal, Bitcoin, debit cards, electronic funds transfer and endless plastic gift cards, cash was king. In 1962, Topps gave collectors a way to fatten their wallets by offering a 96-player Baseball Bucks subset. The unnumbered ancillary set contained many Major League stars and fine representation of all 20 teams. Besides player portraits, Topps included … [Read more...] about 1962 Topps Baseball Bucks: Show Me The Money
Topps Baseball Cartoon Artwork – Part 3: Say What?
For this week’s final installment on Topps vintage cartoon artwork, I’ll show pieces that were used more than once, and others that probably shouldn’t have been used at all. I’ll conclude the 3-part series with a couple noteworthy cartoons and leave you with some mysteries to ponder. Oh yeah, and if you missed part 1 or part 2, feel free to read either or both before heading … [Read more...] about Topps Baseball Cartoon Artwork – Part 3: Say What?
Topps Baseball Cartoon Artwork – Part 2: Take Two
Last week I reviewed a sampling of the artistry, technique, layout and sizing of Topps original cartoons from the 1950’s into the 1970’s. That part 1 article shed light on how Topps produced comics on the backside of those vintage cards. Today in part 2 of a 3-part series, I’ll provide multiple examples of alterations Topps made before those cartoons went to press. I’ll also … [Read more...] about Topps Baseball Cartoon Artwork – Part 2: Take Two
Topps Baseball Cartoon Artwork – Part 1: Secrets Spilled
Like many, I grew up watching cartoons on TV for hours on end every Saturday morning. When programming eventually shifted to adult content, I marched from living room to bedroom and submersed myself into yet another batch of cartoons – the ones found on the backs of baseball cards. I’ve always been fascinated with the comic artwork and fun facts. Thanks to these, I learned … [Read more...] about Topps Baseball Cartoon Artwork – Part 1: Secrets Spilled
Game, Set, Match: 1968 Topps Playing Cards Are Stacked Deck of Shared Images
To make baseball card collecting even more fun in 1968, Topps slipped in a bonus for wax and cello pack breakers beginning in the third series. The Playing Cards insert subset, often referred to as 1968 Topps Game Cards, included 33 colorful star players, each with an offensive outcome that ranged from SINGLE to HOME RUN, STRIKE OUT to DOUBLE-PLAY. As more packs were … [Read more...] about Game, Set, Match: 1968 Topps Playing Cards Are Stacked Deck of Shared Images
Funny Business: Second Chance 1966 Topps Baseball Cartoons
Last August, I wrote an article revealing how Topps reused photos on 20% of their vintage baseball team cards. That dark secret lurked for over 60 years right under our noses. Today, I have yet another untold practice Topps deployed nearly six decades ago that will no doubt raise more eyebrows. Of the 598 cards in the 1966 Topps baseball set, 481 of those include a single … [Read more...] about Funny Business: Second Chance 1966 Topps Baseball Cartoons
1969 Topps Baseball Team Posters – Part 2: Giant Size! Assembly
As mentioned in Part 1, Topps cranked out 24 impressive large-scale baseball wall hangings for their 1969 team poster set, each with plenty of room to tackle 11 ballplayers from the different Major League Baseball clubs. While just about half the 264 faces that appear in the set were photos the collecting audience had not seen before, Topps deployed the remaining half on … [Read more...] about 1969 Topps Baseball Team Posters – Part 2: Giant Size! Assembly
1969 Topps Baseball Team Posters – Part 1: Big, Bold & Borrowed
Fielding 11 players on each of the 24 MLB teams on a hefty 12” x 20” canvas, Topps took wall art to a new level in 1969 with their colorful Baseball Team Posters set. Collectors lucky enough to come across these wax pack gems, which had limited distribution at best, surely enjoyed the teammates staring back at them. Check out the giant-sized slugger with huge guns touting the … [Read more...] about 1969 Topps Baseball Team Posters – Part 1: Big, Bold & Borrowed
1970 Topps Baseball Poster Set – Part 2: Production Insight Reveals Behind-The-Scenes Happenings
As I explained in yesterday’s part 1 article covering the first half of the 1970 Topps baseball poster set, my long-time baseball card collecting passion, coupled with operations experience at the Chicago Tribune printing plant, meshes well with understanding how Topps processed a variety of trading card products in their Duryea, PA factory and other locations. Today, I’ll … [Read more...] about 1970 Topps Baseball Poster Set – Part 2: Production Insight Reveals Behind-The-Scenes Happenings
1970 Topps Baseball Poster Set – Part 1: Production Tools and Tricks
Since 1990, I’ve worked at a major metropolitan newspaper, the Chicago Tribune. I’ve held a variety of operational positions and have had a hand in creating the “Daily Miracle”, a term we use freely inside our facility’s walls to describe the process of making and distributing a comprehensive printed product each day the last 176 years and counting. Over 34 years, I’ve … [Read more...] about 1970 Topps Baseball Poster Set – Part 1: Production Tools and Tricks