Printing press plates for cards

[Snapolit1]

What's up with these? Legit? I am guessing they are not legit, or have low demand, based on the relatively low prices people ask for them.

Here's one example:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-1-BABE-RUT...3D361938482720

[HOF Auto Rookies]

I believe those are from the Conlon set. Should be legit

[packs]

Shouldn't the image be reversed?

[JustinD]

most plates are far more inexpensive.

A reasonable price for those would be under 15 bucks.

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by packs

Shouldn't the image be reversed?

Really depends on how there were printed. They can be either way.

[JustinD]

Originally Posted by packs

Shouldn't the image be reversed?

Most would think that, but the answer is no.

this is a snipped quote explaining offset better than I can briefly:

"Most commercial printers nowadays use a technique called offset printing. Instead of the printing plate directly applying the ink to the paper, the plate transfers the ink to a rubber cylinder which in turn applies the ink to the paper. So instead of pressing the plate down on the paper to print the card, three cylinders roll along to do the printing. One cylinder has the print plates, one transfers the ink to the paper and a third pushes along the paper through the press. This method is the cheapest way to produce a large number of high quality images. The plate doesn't wear out as fast because it's not coming in contact with the paper and the rubber cylinder makes better contact with the paper than a metal cylinder ever would.

So why is the press plate not reversed? Well, it's true that when transferring the ink to the paper the image has to be reversed so it prints properly, but the image is reversed when the plate transfers the ink to the offset cylinder. If the image was reversed on the press plate it would be correct on the offset cylinder and when the ink transferred to the paper it would be reversed again."

Ben is correct also that some plates are still reversed if they use a direct printing process like direct litho. Most modern cards now are offset though for cost savings.

[Mark70Z]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

What's up with these? Legit? I am guessing they are not legit, or have low demand, based on the relatively low prices people ask for them.

I think it's legit. I don't think there is much demand for more of the modern printing plates, but I'm sure there are collectors who desire them. Also, I'm no expert, but there is also more than one printing plate per card.

Now, for more of the vintage variety I'd be interested in the printing plates. The only one's that I have seen are some examples from the '62 Topps set. It's likely most of them were just reused for multiple cards or simply trashed. Nowadays they are inserted in the packs.

[JustinD]

Originally Posted by Mark70Z

I think it's legit. I don't think there is much demand for more of the modern printing plates, but I'm sure there are collectors who desire them. Also, I'm no expert, but there is also more than one printing plate per card.

Now, for more of the vintage variety I'd be interested in the printing plates. The only one's that I have seen are some examples from the '62 Topps set. It's likely most of them were just reused for multiple cards or simply trashed. Nowadays they are inserted in the packs.

those 62's do seem to be the only ones that pop up for vintage.

I have a few and I am up in the air as to if they are real or not.

[Snapolit1]

Similar but I assume entirely different are the card negatives. Probstein must have some pipeline for those. . . . his list on and on . . . Wacky Packs, Babe Ruth, whatever you need.

http://stores.ebay.com/probstein123/...&_nkw=negative

[aelefson]

The 1962 ones are definitely real. In the early 1990s a dealer found nearly the entire set on aluminum plates. They offered most of them in SCD at the time. I think I bought a checklist or two as they were the cheapest. I do not have them any longer unfortunately.

Alan

[Mark70Z]

Originally Posted by JustinD

those 62's do seem to be the only ones that pop up for vintage.

I have a few and I am up in the air as to if they are real or not.

Like Alan stated the '62 Topps plates are definitely the real deal.

[Mark70Z]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

Similar but I assume entirely different are the card negatives. Probstein must have some pipeline for those. . . . his list on and on . . . Wacky Packs, Babe Ruth, whatever you need.

Steve,

Correct; the negative (color transparency) are used to make the card, but totally different than the printing plates.

I'm sure the majority, if not all, were from the Topps Vault. Also, I'm sure many are on consignment. In 1989 Topps started to open their "vault" and selling these type of items. There was a huge auction put on by Guernsey auction house that sold a ton of these type items. Topps has been selling the vault stuff ever since.

Now some of the items that are out there I'm sure were acquired by other means, like backdoored out, or dumpster divers, etc.

[JustinD]

Originally Posted by Mark70Z

Like Alan stated the '62 Topps plates are definitely the real deal.

Cool, I picked up a handful about 10 years ago on a whim.

Was not familiar with how they surfaced.

[Mark70Z]

Originally Posted by JustinD

Cool, I picked up a handful about 10 years ago on a whim.

Was not familiar with how they surfaced.

Would love to see your examples.

I haven't seen the Topps Brooks Robinson card #45 before so hoping that someday it will surface if not for sale, at least to see. I also hope that Topps may still have more examples, from different years, in their vault.

[JustinD]

Originally Posted by Mark70Z

Would love to see your examples.

I haven't seen the Topps Brooks Robinson card #45 before so hoping that someday it will surface if not for sale, at least to see. I also hope that Topps may still have more examples, from different years, in their vault.

I have only commons that I picked up to have as examples. I know I did do a run of one for display purposes years ago with a plate, green tint and regular issue. My organization skills are terrible but I will see if I can find a couple. I can guarantee I do not have Brooksy or any stars.

[Mark70Z]

Originally Posted by JustinD

I have only commons that I picked up to have as examples. I know I did do a run of one for display purposes years ago with a plate, green tint and regular issue. My organization skills are terrible but I will see if I can find a couple. I can guarantee I do not have Brooksy or any stars.

Thanks! It's alright that you don't have a Brooks; maybe someday I'll have an opportunity to view one since it has to be out there somewhere. If you find your examples I'd still like to view if you can locate. Think they are cool!

[JustinD]

Originally Posted by Mark70Z

Thanks! It's alright that you don't have a Brooks; maybe someday I'll have an opportunity to view one since it has to be out there somewhere. If you find your examples I'd still like to view if you can locate. Think they are cool!

I did find a Wally Post and part of the run I had. Strangely, I could not locate the easy regular issue, here it is next to a Vene and a green tint. Sorry for the crap photo, the aluminum is really hard to get a photo of.

[Mark70Z]

Originally Posted by JustinD

I did find a Wally Post and part of the run I had. Strangely, I could not locate the easy regular issue, here it is next to a Vene and a green tint. Sorry for the crap photo, the aluminum is really hard to get a photo of.

Justin,

Sure do appreciate the photo. That would make a cool display having the '62 regular issue, green tint, Venezuelan and the printing plate displayed together. Of coarse you may want to try and locate the progressive proofs, possibly a blank back and match print photo to round out the grouping! I have a few cards that I have several types that I'd like to display together some day.

[JustinD]

Originally Posted by Mark70Z

Justin,

Sure do appreciate the photo. That would make a cool display having the '62 regular issue, green tint, Venezuelan and the printing plate displayed together. Of coarse you may want to try and locate the progressive proofs, possibly a blank back and match print photo to round out the grouping! I have a few cards that I have several types that I'd like to display together some day.

Lol, I know I have a psa graded copy around here somewhere and an autoed version. Where is always the question in this house.

I tend to collect groupings like this when I pick up something that starts it like these plates.

[Leon]

It is always fun getting a group of cards that are in different stages of production, or have similar connections, as a display. It reminds me of some other proof and artist type cards like the LOC Goudey cards.......

Originally Posted by Mark70Z

Justin,

Sure do appreciate the photo. That would make a cool display having the '62 regular issue, green tint, Venezuelan and the printing plate displayed together. Of coarse you may want to try and locate the progressive proofs, possibly a blank back and match print photo to round out the grouping! I have a few cards that I have several types that I'd like to display together some day.

[Mark70Z]

Originally Posted by Leon

It is always fun getting a group of cards that are in different stages of production, or have similar connections, as a display. It reminds me of some other proof and artist type cards like the LOC Goudey cards.......

I think it's likely an easier process when you're basically a single player collector to find things over the years and put them together for display purposes. While this is not the best example I've attached the '72 Topps Boyhood Photo #498 of Brooks Robinson with some progressive proofs along with a blank back, regular issue Topps and an OPC. I have a signed example as well, but just can't locate at the moment.

[Tedw9]

Originally Posted by JustinD

I tend to collect groupings like this when I pick up something that starts it like these plates.

Me too, it's almost an obsession with my collection. I like to group things together, just appeals to me.

Here are a few pics of my '62 plates for 174b Carl Willey. I had a sixth one but sold it to a relative of his many years back.

[Mark70Z]

Originally Posted by Tedw9

Me too, it's almost an obsession with my collection. I like to group things together, just appeals to me.

Here are a few pics of my '62 plates for 174b Carl Willey. I had a sixth one but sold it to a relative of his many years back.

"Really" like the way you have the display set up. Any way to get a picture of how you have this whole players collection set up maybe a bit farther away? I see, I think, a transparency and the Topps file of items the player received as gifts. Some neat items you have there.

Also, I wish I knew more on the printing process (even though it's been explained to me before) since there are at least 6 plates for the same card. Plus they have the color separations, transparency, print photo, etc for each card produced?!?

[steve B]

Originally Posted by Mark70Z

"Really" like the way you have the display set up. Any way to get a picture of how you have this whole players collection set up maybe a bit farther away? I see, I think, a transparency and the Topps file of items the player received as gifts. Some neat items you have there.

Also, I wish I knew more on the printing process (even though it's been explained to me before) since there are at least 6 plates for the same card. Plus they have the color separations, transparency, print photo, etc for each card produced?!?

Modern stuff will typically only have four plates/colors. Topps did a few things a bit differently at times, and did a lot more proofing prototyping, etc than the place I worked. We pretty much did almost no proofing at all. Maybe a mockup to get customer approval, but I wasn't involved in the sales end at all.

I think Topps did so much because they needed a lot of approvals for the different sets.

Because they did so much, some of what they did is pretty foreign to me. For example I never saw one of the transparent overlay proofs until Topps vault started selling them.

I think once the proofing was over their production system was very close to what I'm familiar with.

Steve B

Steve B

[Mark70Z]

Originally Posted by steve B

Modern stuff will typically only have four plates/colors. Topps did a few things a bit differently at times, and did a lot more proofing prototyping, etc than the place I worked. We pretty much did almost no proofing at all. Maybe a mockup to get customer approval, but I wasn't involved in the sales end at all.

I think Topps did so much because they needed a lot of approvals for the different sets.

Because they did so much, some of what they did is pretty foreign to me. For example I never saw one of the transparent overlay proofs until Topps vault started selling them.

I think once the proofing was over their production system was very close to what I'm familiar with. Steve B

Steve...just so you know you were the one I was referring to when it came to going over the printing process in the past (I think it was in a thread referring to progressive proofs if I'm not mistaken). Anyway, if the modern cards have 4 plates, how many did the more vintage cards have? Was it one for each color? I've seen as many as 10 progressive proofs; does that mean they used 10 printing plates... We know in this example it's at least 6.

[Tedw9]

Originally Posted by Mark70Z

"Really" like the way you have the display set up. Any way to get a picture of how you have this whole players collection set up maybe a bit farther away? I see, I think, a transparency and the Topps file of items the player received as gifts. Some neat items you have there.

Also, I wish I knew more on the printing process (even though it's been explained to me before) since there are at least 6 plates for the same card. Plus they have the color separations, transparency, print photo, etc for each card produced?!?

Thanks. Here are pics, I apologize for so many, but it's a 6' case as you can see in the first pic. And I've got cards shoe horned onto that top shelf.

I have the Alan Hagar proof "price guide" from years ago that has some good information in it. I can post pics of pages if you're interested.

[JustinD]

Originally Posted by Mark70Z

Steve...just so you know you were the one I was referring to when it came to going over the printing process in the past (I think it was in a thread referring to progressive proofs if I'm not mistaken). Anyway, if the modern cards have 4 plates, how many did the more vintage cards have? Was it one for each color? I've seen as many as 10 progressive proofs; does that mean they used 10 printing plates... We know in this example it's at least 6.

Hi mark,

I think I get the question. Actually Ted's pic shows what looks like 5. The last one I am unsure as to what pass it is as it is so light. It's a bit of a mystery to me as to why there is 5 different in his collection as here is what I know about topps process. (I am a hack mind you, not an expert)

The vintage cards used a RGB 4 color process. This would be 4 passes of red, green, blue and black. Modern cards use a CMYK process, this is 4 passes of cyan, magenta, yellow and black.

This is how I understand it, if someone can correct me that's fine.

[steve B]

Originally Posted by Mark70Z

Steve...just so you know you were the one I was referring to when it came to going over the printing process in the past (I think it was in a thread referring to progressive proofs if I'm not mistaken). Anyway, if the modern cards have 4 plates, how many did the more vintage cards have? Was it one for each color? I've seen as many as 10 progressive proofs; does that mean they used 10 printing plates... We know in this example it's at least 6.

The overall process specifics have varied over the years.

As Justin pointed out some modern cards ( I'm using "modern" to apply to cards printed with a typically 4 color processs of some sort, which is mostly postwar) Will be either CMYK - or without fancy names, pink blue yellow black, Or RGB - red green blue black.

Some Topps cards even into the 70's and 80's appear to have areas of solid color that isn't an overlaid color. Plus they have gloss and occasionally an underlayer of white which could be taken as colors 5 and 6. (The underlayer is more noticeable when it's on the back which is a straight two color printing until they added color pictures to it)

Much older processes like the one for T206 would often use a lot more individual colors, typically for T206 it's around 8 depending on the card, at least 6, although I suspect there are very few that are only 6 with most being 8 or more. Some cigar box labels are 12+ colors.

Then there's sets done with processes that are variable in colors, quality, and type. Like 49 Leaf, where there's at least 3-4 identifiable runs using different colors, Pink vs red, and sometimes there's shading sometimes there isn't.

On the 1962 plates, since some cards were on a sheet multiple times there could be two plate pieces of the same card/color.

Steve B

[Tedw9]

I can't speak to all plates, but here is what I've read in the past about the '62 variations which may speak to the number I have.

1962 series 2 Topps was still selling well when series 3 was ready to be printed. They had the plates shipped to another printer (green tints?) so they could continue printing series 2 as well as start 3. On the way an unknown incident happened, a few plates were ruined and some people/poses were changed. Again, not sure why. This is the story I read some time back, I may have a screen shot saved or something. Maybe they made up extra plates for a few because the previous accident? I don't know, I'm just throwing out therioies.

[JustinD]

Originally Posted by Tedw9

I can't speak to all plates, but here is what I've read in the past about the '62 variations which may speak to the number I have.

1962 series 2 Topps was still selling well when series 3 was ready to be printed. They had the plates shipped to another printer (green tints?) so they could continue printing series 2 as well as start 3. On the way an unknown incident happened, a few plates were ruined and some people/poses were changed. Again, not sure why. This is the story I read some time back, I may have a screen shot saved or something. Maybe they made up extra plates for a few because the previous accident? I don't know, I'm just throwing out therioies.

That makes sense.

Thanks for the better reply Steve. Yes in my response I was using modern in reference to the "shiny" modern era and vintage to postwar on to shiny.

[JustinD]

Ted,

I have to ask, even halfway seriously, has your research lead you to what happened to the gap in Carl's teeth between 1962 and 1963?

[Tedw9]

Actually, I was friends with him so yes I do know. It was something he was very self conscious of and just had them fixed.

And he hated his 1958 rookie card.

[JustinD]

looking at that card I sympathize completely.

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by Tedw9

Me too, it's almost an obsession with my collection. I like to group things together, just appeals to me.

Here are a few pics of my '62 plates for 174b Carl Willey. I had a sixth one but sold it to a relative of his many years back.

Originally Posted by Tedw9

Thanks. Here are pics, I apologize for so many, but it's a 6' case as you can see in the first pic. And I've got cards shoe horned onto that top shelf.

I have the Alan Hagar proof "price guide" from years ago that has some good information in it. I can post pics of pages if you're interested.

Thank you for sharing the awesome Carl Willey collection.

Your display case looks great also. Someday I hope to get one and organize some of my stuff.

[Mark70Z]

Originally Posted by JustinD

Hi mark,

I think I get the question. Actually Ted's pic shows what looks like 5. The last one I am unsure as to what pass it is as it is so light.

This is how I understand it, if someone can correct me that's fine.

Justin,

You are correct that Ted pictured 5 plates, but he said he sold one of the plates which would have made 6 total. What I didnt consider, when I asked the question, was what Steve said about the number same player cards on a sheet. Therefore, if the card is on there more than once the number of plates would of course be more.

You mentioned you were a hack when it came to the printing process, but as you can see I haven't even reached the hack level.

[Mark70Z]

Originally Posted by Tedw9

Thanks. Here are pics, I apologize for so many, but it's a 6' case as you can see in the first pic. And I've got cards shoe horned onto that top shelf.

I have the Alan Hagar proof "price guide" from years ago that has some good information in it. I can post pics of pages if you're interested.

Just wanted to say thank you for posting the pictures of your Carl Willey collection; definely impressive. Sure does give me motivation to continue working on displaying the collection rather than just storing a collection.

On the proof price guide; I didn't even know one existed. How in the world does the fellow list proof items?

[JustinD]

Originally Posted by Mark70Z

Justin,

You are correct that Ted pictured 5 plates, but he said he sold one of the plates which would have made 6 total. What I didnt consider, when I asked the question, was what Steve said about the number same player cards on a sheet. Therefore, if the card is on there more than once the number of plates would of course be more.

You mentioned you were a hack when it came to the printing process, but as you can see I haven't even reached the hack level.

Lol.

My belief is if someone ever says they know everything then they certainly can't know anything.

[Leon]

Great pics, thanks for sharing!!

Originally Posted by Tedw9

Thanks. Here are pics, I apologize for so many, but it's a 6' case as you can see in the first pic. And I've got cards shoe horned onto that top shelf.

I have the Alan Hagar proof "price guide" from years ago that has some good information in it. I can post pics of pages if you're interested.

[steve B]

Originally Posted by Tedw9

I can't speak to all plates, but here is what I've read in the past about the '62 variations which may speak to the number I have.

1962 series 2 Topps was still selling well when series 3 was ready to be printed. They had the plates shipped to another printer (green tints?) so they could continue printing series 2 as well as start 3. On the way an unknown incident happened, a few plates were ruined and some people/poses were changed. Again, not sure why. This is the story I read some time back, I may have a screen shot saved or something. Maybe they made up extra plates for a few because the previous accident? I don't know, I'm just throwing out therioies.

I'd be really surprised if they shipped actual plates. They were printing cards on double sheets by then, two 132 card sheets side by side. So the plates were both thin aluminum and really large. Sure, they could be shipped, but it would be expensive and a nuisance.
And once they're mounted in the press they get used and worn, and the tensioning stretches them slightly. I've never heard of reusing them in a commercial press. We saved them for recycling, unless I used one for a dustpan(We never bought a dustpan, since we usually had a stack of plates.)

More likely candidates for shipping would be either the original art, which could have been comparatively small panels with the borders and pictures basically pasted to a bit of thicker cardboard.
Or the "masks" one for each color, and basically a huge negative. 62s may have been large negatives, but they're usually a special opaque paper with the negatives taped onto it and holes cut where they want the negative to show.
The woodgrain border would be why the 62s could have been a group of really large negatives.

The masks would have shipped pretty easily rolled up in a tube.

Steve B

[Tripredacus]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

What's up with these? Legit? I am guessing they are not legit, or have low demand, based on the relatively low prices people ask for them.

Here's one example:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-1-BABE-RUT...3D361938482720

Regarding this particular auction, this is one of perhaps 2 sellers that have been selling various front and back plates of 90s and early 2000s sets for years now. I say perhaps 2 because there is one ebay seller I used to buy Pacific hockey plates from a long time ago, but their account no longer exists, then they have a new ebay account now. I had posted about this on HobbyInsider with specifics, I will find that later and put it here. I do not recall if this cardmax1 is the new account or is a different seller.

The range of plates sold are always out of print or defunct manufacturers, or specifically from sets that are not popular. Things like Pacific hockey and football, Pro Line, Pro Set 1994 football, Conlon baseball (just the Babe Ruth set) and the like. Sometimes non-sports or other sports I am not familiar with.

The plates themselves are always normal, not reverse image. They have the rounded corners like you would see in plates released in retail Topps or Upper Deck products. They do not have anything on the back. And strangely, they are nearly all the "black" plate and not in the 4 colors that Topps, UD or Panini plates are released as.

So for myself, I am never quite certain how legit these are, other than I have not seen any duplicates appear. I do know that the Pacific plates for hockey only appeared after the Pacific bankruptcy auction, at the same time the back-stock of non-serial numbered Pacific cards came to Ebay. While those un-numbered cards disappeared quite fast, these random plates have been sold steadily for over 10 years now.

But it became interesting that in recent years it hasn't just been Pacific plates. The one or two sellers I know that sold these plates always had Pacific ones up until just recently, say 4 years ago when random football ones started being sold instead, and then 1-2 years ago the Conlon Babe Ruth plates appeared.

Nothing ever going for a large amount of money, but for myself it is the only reason I have the dozen or so I do have. They are cheap enough that at $1-5 if they aren't real it isn't a big loss. I think my average price paid for the ones I have is $3.

[Leon]

At some price point it seems almost everything is collectible. I confess I have bought a cut out before!! (as for the printing plates, I am not sure)

Originally Posted by Tripredacus

Regarding this particular auction, this is one of perhaps 2 sellers that have been selling various front and back plates of 90s and early 2000s sets for years now. I say perhaps 2 because there is one ebay seller I used to buy Pacific hockey plates from a long time ago, but their account no longer exists, then they have a new ebay account now. I had posted about this on HobbyInsider with specifics, I will find that later and put it here. I do not recall if this cardmax1 is the new account or is a different seller.

The range of plates sold are always out of print or defunct manufacturers, or specifically from sets that are not popular. Things like Pacific hockey and football, Pro Line, Pro Set 1994 football, Conlon baseball (just the Babe Ruth set) and the like. Sometimes non-sports or other sports I am not familiar with.

The plates themselves are always normal, not reverse image. They have the rounded corners like you would see in plates released in retail Topps or Upper Deck products. They do not have anything on the back. And strangely, they are nearly all the "black" plate and not in the 4 colors that Topps, UD or Panini plates are released as.

So for myself, I am never quite certain how legit these are, other than I have not seen any duplicates appear. I do know that the Pacific plates for hockey only appeared after the Pacific bankruptcy auction, at the same time the back-stock of non-serial numbered Pacific cards came to Ebay. While those un-numbered cards disappeared quite fast, these random plates have been sold steadily for over 10 years now.

But it became interesting that in recent years it hasn't just been Pacific plates. The one or two sellers I know that sold these plates always had Pacific ones up until just recently, say 4 years ago when random football ones started being sold instead, and then 1-2 years ago the Conlon Babe Ruth plates appeared.

Nothing ever going for a large amount of money, but for myself it is the only reason I have the dozen or so I do have. They are cheap enough that at $1-5 if they aren't real it isn't a big loss. I think my average price paid for the ones I have is $3.

[JustinD]

Originally Posted by Leon

At some price point it seems almost everything is collectible. I confess I have bought a cut out before!! (as for the printing plates, I am not sure)

I've gone opposite, never done a cut-out but have grabbed quite a few plates as I think they have a bit of historical significance as an item that created the card. I will not pay more than 20 bucks under usual circumstances and they are super affordable.

[Tripredacus]

Here is the information I posted a couple years ago on another forum. The "real names" are retained only for the reason that at the time, an Ebay seller had appeared on ebay selling the same types of these plates as a previous one, and it had turned out these people had different names but were in the same town. This was not to say that there were any complaints about the plates themselves or of the sellers. It was just an interesting discovery.

They show up in bunches, usually meaning one set at a time. The full set is not available and the cards are not all star players either. Both front and back plates have been known to appear during these flaps.

Sets of auctions I won from this seller

(nyccardvault)
1998 Pacific: July 2014
2003 Pacific: March 2014
2004 Pacific: November 2013
2001 Pacific: October 2013

Sets of auctions I won from another (gbahead)
1998 Pacific Omega: February 2010
1999 Dynagon Ice: January 2010
2001 Vanguard: September 2008

gbahead is aka Kevin Cheng from Forest Hills/Flushing NY.
nyccardvault is aka Law Kin is from Forest Hills, NY.

All the above information I got from my saved emails.

The sets listed are for hockey. To my recollection, gbahead only sold hockey plates. Nyccardvault had hockey, football and Babe Ruth Conlon plates. Also perhaps others like I mentioned, but I was not really tracking what they had.

EDIT: I put "real names" in quotes because these were the names shown on the paypal/ebay emails. Since there is no identity verification on Paypal, and both sellers were from the same town, it cannot be confirmed if these are truly their real names. They may well be correct, but history has shown that ebay sellers often do sometimes use fake names or aliases.

[Mark70Z]

Originally Posted by Leon

At some price point it seems almost everything is collectible. I confess I have bought a cut out before!! (as for the printing plates, I am not sure)

Attached is my one and only "relatively" vintage printing plate. I do have a few other modern ones from when I hit a dry spell in collecting.

Uh...oh. I've got a printing plate AND have purchased cutouts. I'm hopeless...

[steve B]

A couple plates, not lithography, but one of the forms of typography. Thick metal around 1/16 -1/8 mounted to a wood block. If I remember it right they're from McCarthy postcards.

Steve B

[JustinD]

Originally Posted by Tripredacus

Nothing ever going for a large amount of money, but for myself it is the only reason I have the dozen or so I do have. They are cheap enough that at $1-5 if they aren't real it isn't a big loss. I think my average price paid for the ones I have is $3.

I think you can put your concerns at ease as the cost to fake anything like this would far exceed the selling price they are getting. There are better chances in my mind of finding a UFO in my garage than these being fake.

Pacific and conlons and so little collected that it makes perfect sense that any plates would be a close out purchase.

[Mark70Z]

Originally Posted by steve B

A couple plates, not lithography, but one of the forms of typography. Thick metal around 1/16 -1/8 mounted to a wood block. If I remember it right they're from McCarthy postcards.

Steve B

Steve,

Those are very cool! Never seen this type of item for cards before. Thanks for sharing.

[Gary Dunaier]

I have a printing plate card of Don West from when he was a TNA Wrestling announcer.

You might remember Don West from his time as the over-the-top pitchman on Shop At Home's sports card shows, and I found it ironic that a guy who used to sell collectibles was now, himself, collectible.

[Tao_Moko]

Reviving this thread for some recent pickups.

[DHogan]