Topps uncut sheets
 

Can someone educate me. Did Topps have sheets with the order
of the players different on each sheet or all the same? If different, any idea
of how many different sheets with a certain player you would find?

For years 1974 on I think they would have lettered sheets like a,b,c,d. And the cards would be consistent on those sheets. At least that was my understanding, though I could be wrong. Before 74 with individual series, I am not sure although I believe topps was pretty consistent with keeping order in the sheets.

That's pretty much it. 74 through ? Not sure weren't lettered, but were 132 card sheets. Actually printed two sheets side by side, so there were probably two of each sheet. the 726 card sets all had one row doubleprinted on each sheet, so six sheets. Or three double width sheets.

They were consistent.

One interesting thing and one exception.
in 1983 they sold uncut sheets through retail chains like child world. I haven't seen a wrapped one in a long time, and hardly ever saw the wrapper for sale.

And in I think 1984 there was a mail in offer. Save some number of wrappers and send them in with some small payment and you could get any 10 cards you needed. Of course nearly everyone abused the system and ordered an assortment of stars or rookies. Topps made special sheets to handle the lopsided demand that had each high demand card in a group of three. They're very uncommon, I've seen one and I'm sure it was cut into blocks of three.

Steve B

Uncut sheets
 

Are you saying that there could be 4 different variations of order on where
a particular player is located on a sheet ?

From 74 till the mid 90's and maybe beyond I believe they're almost all the same layouts.

What I was explaining badly is that the sets don't fit the production sheets exactly.
660/132 =5 but the sheets direct from the press are 264 cards, so there's either an extra sheet OR they printed something else on the other sheet, or they printed 5 press sheets making it all work out evenly.

I'd forgotten about the 74 and 76 traded sets. It looks like there were different layouts used while those were being sent out. I found a picture of a 76 sheet with some of the traded cards on it and an odd layout.

Steve B

Uncut sheets
 

Thank you for your help

I bought 1985 sheets at a retail store.

Topps Sheets
 

Steve is correct. For some of the cards printed in later years, the sheet code (ie A-F) was printed on the reverse of the card. If alterations were made to the original sheet, Topps would include an "*" next to the letter as in the attached. I am not sure when Topps went from the typical copyright code to adding sheet codes as well as copyright data.


Z Wheat