Release timing for early Topps Venezuelan cards

[Spike]

I'm researching a couple of questions about the 1959, 1960, and 1962 Venezuelan releases and appreciate any insight. (Already sent a private note to expert Josh A, since he created great references on the sets themselves.)

1. Do we know when first series cards for 1959, 1960, and 1962 sets went on sale locally? Given that American pro seasons started in April and Venezuelan pros started in October, I could see it being either one.

2. Do we know how long the cards remained on sale? (Of course, that could be "until they were gone," but there could've been actual dates attached.)

3. Do we know how long local printers waited until releasing their second series for 1959, 1960, and 1962? First series being #1-110, second being #111-198 (#200 for 1962, after the replacement of #196 and #197).

4. Has anyone written about Topps' own business in Venezuela, prior to and including the release of these sets?

Thanks for any help!

[toppcat]

Matt:

You always seem to have some good questions and I can answer #4 I think.

The first reference I can find to Topps in Venezuela has Joseph Shorin traveling there in August 1953, which I suspect was an exploratory trip and probably to find an business agent and establish relationships. The Shorin's may already have made contacts or at least been introduced there through what I perceive to be a loose Central American/Cuban/Puerto Rican network they were part of going back to the American Leaf Tobacco days but I am not sure about that playing a role in Venezuela.

Joe Shorin made another trip there in April of 1957 and that is probably the start of the process to produce and sell baseball cards there. Someone else must have followed through as Shorin would become sick (and not recover) not too long after that but he was President of Topps and may have been the one to sign contracts and agreements locally.

The whole Venezuelan project is interesting and frustrating ath the same time to me as there are a lot of questions that probably can never be answered fully.

[Spike]

Thanks, Dave, forgot about the tobacco connections through Topps' older incarnations. There's probably a larger business context to what they licensed or sold in the Caribbean that would make these pieces fit together better. It's not a puzzle easily assembled by working backwards from a catalog of baseball sets!

Others mentioned that high-series 1950s cards have turned up in Venezuela, hinting that Topps sent leftover stock there after American baseball seasons. If that's the case, it's also tempting as a reason for locals to only print and sell the early series, which wouldn't reach their own candy stores. Not the whole story, certainly, but at least possible.

[toppcat]

Others mentioned that high-series 1950s cards have turned up in Venezuela, hinting that Topps sent leftover stock there after American baseball seasons. If that's the case, it's also tempting as a reason for locals to only print and sell the early series, which wouldn't reach their own candy stores. Not the whole story, certainly, but at least possible.

Ya know, I never thought of that and it's a good point. In additon to Josh John Rumierz is the guy on these since he lived there for a while and he mentioned to me at the National he thought a couple of sets such as 60 or 62 could have been released over two years, thus saving printing of sets in 61 or 63. You could put out a first series in say the spring of one year, right around the end of the Caribbean World Series, and then in the fall issue series two in such a scenario. The six week series cycle Topps used in the US may not have applied in Venezuela.

[Orioles1954]

A couple of more questions...

1.) Were these cards printed by a vendor in Venezuela or were they shipped down?

2.) I've never seen a Topps Venezuelan wrapper. Were these issued as kits with an album (and possibly paste) or as a traditional pack?

[Spike]

1. My understanding's that a local printer did these sets. I've seen the name Benco, at least for 1962, and C. A. Lithoven for 1968: http://blog.deanscards.com/2011/02/venezuelan-topps-baseball-cards.html.

2. Packs of 4 cards, I think, and pre-printed albums starting in 1964. (Collectors might've created their own, of course.)

[Orioles1954]

Has a Topps Venezuelan wrapper or display box ever surfaced?