1969 Topps Deckle Edge Brooks Robinson Proof?
 

Came across this card in a collection I recently bought. It appears to be a 1969 Topps Deckle Edge Brooks Robinson card but has the name in black, not blue, and is blank backed. Were there proofs of this issue? Thanks

the deckle edge is wrong also.

I believe it is an OPC Deckle but I could be wrong.

Alan

Yes, it is a a 1969 OPC Deckle Edge.

OPC deckles have a different deckle cut then the regular Topps and black dignities. A proof would have square corners.

Thanks to all for the info. Sorry about posting in wrong forum. Guess Leon moved it to the right section.

There are Topps 1969 Deckle proof sheets. They feature 9 players only one of which, Yastremski, appears in the set. They indicate Topps considered blue, red and black autos. Interestingly, the players on the 3 different proof sheets are not all in the same places

https://hosting.photobucket.com/albu...080&fit=bounds
https://hosting.photobucket.com/albu...080&fit=bounds
https://hosting.photobucket.com/albu...080&fit=bounds

Has anyone ever seen a 1969 Topps Deckle edge blank backed, no deckle and cut like a 1968 Topps Game card (very round corners)

Have not seen round corners on a 69 deckle but I would imagine it is easy to round of corners on a square proof.

These aren't merely rounded off corners the cards match 1968 Game exactly. I literally over-layed one on the other.

Pretty cool round corner (oxymoron) 1969 “ deckle”.

Can't find any references to such a card anywhere. Anyone???

Interesting. Is the Wilhelm printed on the same stock as the game cards? I recall that the deckles were stiffer/thicker. Is the Wilhelm the only one you have? Curiously he is one of the two swapped-out subjects in the set.

The Boog Powell is in the picture as well, you may have to scroll right to see it. Good call on the stock, I hadn't thought about that. They are blank backs and definitely a match for the game card stock NOT deckle edge stock. Curiouser and curiouser.

Oops, you're right it was there all along. I see that both of yours are cropped slightly tighter than the deckles as released--the faux sigs stretch beyond the photo.

I wonder if Topps was testing whether to issue the '69s on the same stock as the '68 game cards (doubtful IMO) or perhaps just seeing how well the photos looked when printed on glossy paper. The company was either fond of that stock or had purchased a surplus, as it used it again with the 1971 Football game cards. Given that there are a variety of test variations or proofs known for what became the '69 deckles, it seems possible that Topps tried playing around with different styles. Do we know if the proof sheets are printed on the thicker deckle stock or the flimsier game stock?

I have the 3 design sheets I posted above in this thread. They are on the same or similar stock as the regular issue cards. I have seen square/undeckled graded versions of cards from those sheets.

Because only the Yastremski on those sheets appear in the set, I think they are more design or prototype sheets rather than proof sheets. I think another example of design or prototype cards are the Topps 1984 Encased or Head within the Box cards, which also differ from the issued cards.

Any thoughts on the cards I posted Al?

Scott--have not seen aything like the Wilhelm or Powell. The blue fascimile autos on them are like the blue test autos on the Deckle prototype sheet I posted. Maybe there was some design testing for both the Game and Deckle issues

Richie Allen is known with rounded corners as well.

It's shown in a blog post I did on the Deckles but also attached (with some other Allen proofs shown): https://www.thetoppsarchives.com/202...kle-faced.html

Note to self....yet again...always check Dave's Blog when you have a Topps question

Amazing Dave, any idea what they were? The best thought I've heard is they were an internal item they were playing with and used the die from the 1968 game to cut them (and the same stock) and then they decided to go a different. Basically an unreleased test run as opposed to what we think of as a test issue.

Yes, I tend to agree Scott. They did all sorts of internal things before any actual testing began. I have started to think of NPD as a big testing lab and things like this are part of the lab's output. The stuff that pops up is maybe 5% of what they worked on and probably less. Lots of the mockups just used existing materials and sets on hand. A real run it up the flagpole and see who salutes approach!