[Harford20]

In Summary

1970 MLB PhotoStamps

ALL 216 of the 1969 Variety/Type 1 (a & b) (1-7/8”x~3” (height was >15/16” & >3”) to the “cut lines) PhotoStamps cited above were REISSUED as 1970 Variety/Type 1 (a & b). They are indistinguishable from the 1969 printing (printed as the same 18 sheets of 12 players, on the same weight/color of paper) and may have been a “continued” printing although actual print schedule is not available. They were originally issued for Baseball's 1969 Centennial and then re-issued and sold throughout 1970. So, these 216 PhotoStamps should be listed in the SCD and Beckett’s as "1969-70."

The 1970 Variety/Type 2 set continues the 6 sheets of 12-player stamps with 2 exceptions. The last sheet only has 3 cards, and the 1970 All-Star Album (that held the 1970 Variety/Type 3) had an extra perforated sheet of 12 cards. The “perforated All-Star” starter set of photostamps were found as the centerfold of the “Official” 1970 Album. These “perfs” only came from this original ablum – not printed separately in any format. All 1970s are easy to tell apart when in sheet form but when cut out biggest difference is they do not have airbrushed logos.

Inexplicably, the 1970 Edition of the Sports Stars Album had spaces for 288 player PhotoStamps (seemingly logical at 12 players for each of the 24 teams), but this forced a choice from the available 303 PhotoStamps distributed in 1970. Following this format, the SCD indicates the players by team for 1970 and is an apparent non-differentiated mixture of the 3 types of PhotoStamps cited above. The Beckett Almanac chooses to list the 288 player alphabetically, also an apparent mixture of PhotoStamps.


OF NOTE:
The 12 players listed below are the ONLY players with MLB PhotoStamps in 3 DIFFERENT formats
1. The “dotted line” backs on off-white stock from 1969-70 Variety/Type 1
2. The “solid line” backs on whiter stock issued first, 1969 Variety/Type 2
3. The long “dashed line” backed tear-perforated PhotoStamps from the 1970 Album centerfold 1970 Variety/Type 3

Denny McLain, Hank Aaron, Frank Howard, Tom Seaver; Sam McDowell, Willie McCovey, John “Boog” Powell, Ernie Banks; Johnny Bench, Mel Stottlemyre, Harmon Killebrew & Bob Gibson



There you have it, “clear as mud”. You can easily see why there is often confusion and difficulty classifying these stamps.

Sorry about the small photos.

Dave