Sports Card Publications

[JollyElm]

I don't want to sound like I'm tooting my own horn, but I have probably become the world's foremost 'expert' on 1962 Topps Green Tints. Over the years I've logged countless hours researching the GT set, from the ever so slight differences in the cropping of the photographs to the specific woodgrain patterns used in that series. I can now say with complete certainty that there are precisely 88 cards in this subset and I have solved many of its mysteries, including the 'Reniff conundrum' and the 'checklist enigmas,' as I have humorously come to call them.

It's too much to go into here, and I'm honestly not even sure there are too many people who even care about this set of variations (based on the virtual zero interest in my many posts seeking GT traders in the B/S/T), but I want to publish my findings in a sports card publication for everybody's edification. This would include my breakdown of the woodgrain usage as well as an official checklist for the series.

Many people have seen screenshots of pages from my 'Official 1962 Topps Green Tints Guide' here and there in various threads regarding the GT's. It details the specific 'tells' of both version of the cards, making it simple as pie to instantly tell the difference between the two. I was in contact with PSA about it, sending them samples and what not, because I know they can use it due to the excessive number of cards mislabeled by their organization. They have shown great interest in the guide.

I was also exchanging e-mails with Tom Bartsch at SCD about my research and my guide, but I haven't heard from him in a very long time, so I assume that avenue has dried up. Does anyone know of any other publications that I could approach with this project? For vintage collectors, this is actually pretty damn cool, because I've cleared up the issues regarding the specifics of the set and I want to publish my results!!

Anyone have any advice and/or information for me??

Thanks!!

[ALR-bishop]

I told Bartsch that I thought it would a great item for SCD to publish, and a big aid to the grading companies. Don't give up on him. When Carlton was trying to get his Milton Bradley article published by SCD it seemed to take forever to get it scheduled

[DaClyde]

Start a blog. The sports card publications are all dead or dying. Don't waste the effort on a publisher trying to edit and control your work only for a couple dozen people to get to read it. That's my $0.02.

[toppcat]

Publish it yourself via lulu or Amazon. .Or maybe Lyman would want it for Old Cardboard if it's article length?

[brian1961]

Hey JollyElm,

My advice to you is to give Tom Bartsch a buzz at his office. His platter is awful full these days and your email may have accidentally dropped from his memory. He's a very nice family man and truly cares about the hobby.

Moreover, the print publications are not all dead. I don't consider a subscriber number just shy of ten thousand dead. True, it was once over twice that. By the same token, the amount of good threads here and the number of avid, serious respondents has dived a bit over the last few years. In no way is that Leon's fault; it is very much up to us to help the hobby continue to thrive.

That said, Tom Bartsch may be reached at 1-800-726-9966, extention 13815. I sincerely hope it goes well for you, bro.

How well I remember the spring of '62. Upon peeling open my first few second series Topps wax packs, the Babe Ruth Special cards were so cool, but I was hot about those green tints--"What's this ugly green? Hey, somebody messed up here. I don't like these cards." Make sure you put a loud, bratty whine in your voice when you say the first and last sentence of my brief vignette. Just as Curly remarked to Moe's insistence that he eat his spinach in the 1941 3 Stooges classic, "All the World's A Stooge".

---Brian Powell

[Rich Klein]

Moreover, the print publications are not all dead. I don't consider a subscriber number just shy of ten thousand dead. True, it was once over twice that. By the same token, the amount of good threads here and the number of avid, serious respondents has dived a bit over the last few years. In no way is that Leon's fault; it is very much up to us to help the hobby continue to thrive.

Actually SCD's subs base was nearly 40K at it's peak. Just an FYI