Frequently off-center cards in Topps issues, e.g., 1972 Aaron in-action
 

Looking to complete a run of Hank Aaron cards, I find the 1972 Topps Aaron in-action card is often off-centered (a quick look on eBay shows nearly all high-graded PSA examples are OC or MC). I've also encountered other cards in different sets that seem to be frequently off-centered.

1) Is this due to the location of the card on the printer sheet? Or something else?

2) When did Topps get better quality control to avoid these OC issues? For instance, the 10 million mid-1980s cards I have in my collection all seem pretty well-centered (10 million may be a slight exaggeration)

3) How well do card values accurately reflect this, so that well-centered copies of a card that is usually off-centered carry a significant premium?

4) What are some of the hobby's most notoriously off-centered cards?

You are dead on about the '72 Aaron, that's why I recently picked up these two guys:

Attachment 195548

The corners are a bit iffy, but I wanted a centered version of this sucker, so I'm happy just to have them.

Some stupidly-tough-to-find-centered HOF'er cards from that era (that immediately come to mind) are 1969 Banks, 1969 Clemente, 1970 Aaron and 1971 Brock.

The '69 Brock is horrible and centered copies of that thing go for a ton.

1971 Topps Claude Raymond. All other Topps cards with centering issues get in line behind this one.

1968 Mays #50
Not much on the left side way too much on the right !

55 Clemente is tough to find centered. I had to pay a premium for mine and have seen others sell for significant premiums for the grade.

1970 All Stars
 

Way tough to find centered is the 1970 Topps All Stars Bench and Aaron.

For some cards it's the backs that can be impossible to find centered. For example, check out the '73 Topps Clemente or the '72 Topps Dr. J RC. I challenge someone to show me one of those cards with a nicely centered reverse. :)

The same could be said about the 68 Ryan. Hard enough to find with the front centered. I don't recall seeing any with the reverse dead centered, and quite often way off.

Maybe it is just me but I had a tough time finding a nice 67 Aaron that didn't look miscut 90/10 left to right.

Another one I am having an awful time finding is a nice 54 Banks that doesn't look miscut at the top

61 Mantle All Star
 

It might be just my personal experience, but i had trouble finding a centered 61 Mantle All Star.

Z

52 Topps are a nightmare to find centered. I've seen centered examples of cards go for double their book value, especially the high numbers where you'll see some pretty vicious bidding wars.

And then there are some cards in that set I've NEVER seen centered. Like Herm Wehmeier's.

Not just you. I paid a premium for a centered PSA 5 last year. Worth it...

Slow day John, so you decided to dig up old threads :)

Yeah sorry, sometimes I'm bad with interwebs-protocol. :mad:

I just bought an otherwise EX-MT one, and yup...can confirm what you say.

1957 Topps Al Kaline is frequently very thin on the right border.

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Seaver
 

'69 Seaver w/o tilt!

1965 Topps Charlie Smith.

I don’t know if they are tough to find, but I remember being at a National and a dealer had just gotten a bunch of vendor 1969’s and all of the Clemente cards were off center. He was mad about it and blowing them out for $3 each, so I picked one up for my set.

Any 1967 Topps card without at least subtle tilt.

1988 Vermont Mariners Ken Griffey Jr. :D

The '61 Topps Roger Maris #2. I guess you can find a centered copy online probably if you look for a PSA 8 or something, but at least for cards I've seen in person at shops and at shows - that thing is never centered. The one in my PC is about 20/80 L-R.

They do exist...