1990 Topps George Bush

[jakeinge]

Can anyone confirm that these have been found in wax, rack, or cello packs?

[ALR-bishop]

I have not heard of it ending up in retail sales

http://i1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj555/Bishop539/img081.jpg?t=1337195701

[glynparson]

was a story in scd in 1990 that one did indeed find its way into a pack, however they are not supposed to be available from anywhere other than the former president

[Gmrson]

Yep, in 1990 one was pulled from a pack in the Chicago area. I knew the dealer who bought it from the lady who pulled it at the time. He would frequently set up at the Detroit area shows.

[jakeinge]

was a story in scd in 1990 that one did indeed find its way into a pack, however they are not supposed to be available from anywhere other than the former president

These kinds of things fascinate me. If one found it's way into a pack, wouldn't one think that at least a FEW of them did? You've got to wonder if there aren't a few sitting amongst commons around the country.

[jhyde77]

It is fascinating. There is always more than one, unless it is intentional. Makes me wonder if there's one in some collector's common box. It is an easy card for a casual collector to overlook. It kind of makes me want to buy a case from a Chicago collector.

[ALR-bishop]

Kind of makes you want to go through every dealers' common box at the next National :)

[David W]

Kind of makes you want to go through every dealers' common box at the next National :)



LOL. If some did slip out in packs, there are probably a couple of them
at garage sales and flea markets for 10 cents each.... If you want to
sift through 10 million cards to find one.

[glynparson]

They supposedly gave Bush 100 copies. A sheet has 132 cards Topps had a file copy and the copy from the pack still leaves 30 possibly out there. More if they printed multiple sheets

[ALR-bishop]

I know SCD notes that Bush may have gotten 100 of the cards. While regular print sheets may involve 132 cards maybe not all Topps sheets were of that size. The Topps 1984 Encased "set" is 66 cards...see the Head in the Box thread. I suppose it may have been double printed. And the Topps 1973 Reprints for1953 was 8 cards. I think the 1977 Proof sheet with R Jackson as an Oriole is a smaller sheet too.

Topps did other 1 card issues....the 76 and 91 Joe Garogiola card, the 84 Darryl Palmer card, the Bowie Kuhn tribute card. I have no idea how many of each was produced, or the Bush card. The Palmer card seems to be the scarcest of the bunch. Garogiola used his as business cards, often signed, so they often show up. Surely Bush gave many away and when prices in auctions went up, more seemed to surface. I paid too much for mine :(

Cool hobby mystery

[steve B]

Yes, Topps has or had a smaller press usually used for making proofs. The proof sheet I have is much smaller than a regular sheet.

The 132 card sheets are actually half of what actually comes off the press. I've seen a complete 264 card double sheet. Pretty impressive.

A couple other odd sheets come to mind.
The K-Mart sheet from 82 that had the actual cards arranged in diagonal lines and "cards" with only portions of the design in between. 88 cards on a 132 card sheet. Which is especially odd since another 44 cards would fit. Also odd is that I've never seen one of the spaceholders on its own.

And I think 84? The year they offered a deal where you could send in wrappers and I think $1 and get ten cards of your choice. Meant to help people complete the set it ended up with loads of requests for star cards. (Surprise? Nah!) So Topps made up sheets with multiples of the most popular cards in groups of three or four. Sometimes an uncut strip of three turns up. I saw one complete sheet before it got cut up but couldn't afford it. I think it would have been around $500 back in 84-5.

Steve B

[ALR-bishop]

Good info as usual Steve

[Rich Klein]

IIRC

Those cards were actually issued at least three different years. I edited the Beckett blurb back in the days when I was alerted to the different years.

That is another reason you see more of those than other one shots

Rich

[ALR-bishop]

Rich---I think SCD lists it in 76 and 91, do you recall the other year of issue and any differences in the card. In 76 and 91 it was same front photo with different info on front and back about his job status. I have scans of the two I have but no ability to post them until next week