Topps Promtional Samples

[ALR-bishop]

For several years the SCD Standard Catalog of Baseball Cards has had a listing for these....as fakes. They involve pictures cut from Topps Surf books which are then pasted to cardboard with backs stamped as Topps Promotional Samples. They usually involve top stars and can be from any year covered by the Surf books. At one time they showed up a lot on ebay. Because they were listed in the Catalog I had to get some examples. The Catalog pictures a 62 Mantle


http://i1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj555/Bishop539/WhitenOldClothes832_zpsadf12fc0.jpg?t=1403537742
http://i1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj555/Bishop539/WhitenOldClothes833_zps72c6e632.jpg?t=1403537781

[brob28]

Interesting Al, I've seen the Mantle but that is the only one. Do you recall how many years the surf books cover?

[Exhibitman]

I actually saw a similar format fake Bowman card at Baltimore a few years ago. The dealer had a mixture of crap, mostly nonsport, with a few sports cards mixed in. He also had what appeared to my eye to be a fake Duke Kahanamoku Willard's card and a few other fake 1920s sports cards. I told him they were fakes but he could not have cared less...

[bigtrain]

Interesting Al, I've seen the Mantle but that is the only one. Do you recall how many years the surf books cover?

They made them for quite a while, I remember seeing Surf books into the late 80's.

[brewing]

I have a team specific Surf book that encompasses 1952-1987.

[brob28]

Brent - thank you for putting the answer to the inevitable question on the remaining card in your post-war rookie quest. I'm sure that's one helluva group of cards!

[BradH]

For those who are unfamiliar with the Surf books - they were made by Topps and sponsored by Surf laundry detergent. I'm not sure where or how they were distributed, but I'm guessing they were used as ballpark give-aways in the 1980s(?).

They measure about 6-1/2 by 9-1/2 and have thin glossy pages, with photos of all the cards made by Topps for that particular team each year from 1952 to the time of printing. Below are the 1986 (blue) and 1987 (red) Surf books for the Braves. I have other teams somewhere in my collection, but don't recall any going past 1987.

I always found it interesting that they put a little section of tidbits near the back of the book - the "Collectors' Corner" - which listed errors and even current "list price" for various cards.

At the very back of the book they had batting and pitching indexes with a career stat line for every player who'd been on the Topps cards for that particular team over the years.

[hcv123]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1960-Topps-Rare-Sample-Promo-Card-Johnny-Romano-Mini-Card-/111391699003?pt=US_Baseball&hash=item19ef76703b

he has a few of them up for sale!

[ALR-bishop]

Interesting Howard. Usually they are star cards. Why would someone use commons ? For credibility ? :rolleyes:

[hcv123]

I contacted him and told him they were "created". Good for him - he ended them.

I have stopped trying to figure out why people do many of the things they do that make no sense to me - it just disturbs my sanity further.

[ALR-bishop]

There was a discussion in an earlier thread about whether fakes themselves because of notoriety can obtain a collectible value. In addition to the the one I posted in this thread I have a couple of 89 Ripken fakes, one of the 59 Fleer Ted signs fakes and one of the Rose rookie fakes ( I keep the them all with my real ones in the corresponding sets with a label noting they are fakes)

[Rich Klein]

do you have the 82 Ripken RC Blank Back fake?

[ALR-bishop]

I do not, but someone posted pics of it in that prior thread

[SMPEP]

The part I love about this fake ... there is no such company as "The Topps Co".

Topps was a gum company back then. It was "Topps Chewing Gum, Inc." then.


This is still not as good as the "autographed" Mickey mantle obituary. I STILL regret not buyingthat when I saw it years ago. All-time best fake piece of memorabilia in my opinion (but still not worth the $20 final sales price!).

Cheers,
patrick

[hcv123]

of my decision not to collect autographs was sealed when a well know dealer friend showed me hats from that years national - one with an incredible Clemente signature and the other with an incredible Ruth signature. While I do have a small handful of signed items in my collection they were acquired because of what they were - despite the fact they were autographed.