1972 Topps Information/Images Needed
 

On to one of the all-time classics, and we're getting back far enough to where information needed will exceed the amount actually available, I think.

1. Printing Sheet Images:

Series 2 - I have a frankenstein slit with Jim Brewer in the upper left; could use an authentic; also need whatever its counterpart is with the other 66 cards. It'd be the one with all the In Action cards

Series 3 - Need the slit WITHOUT Tommy John in the upper left

Series 6 - I have a frankenstein with Willie Crawford in the upper left - could use a real one and also need it's opposite, the one with the In Action cards.

2. I need larger, clear images of the wax wrappers with the lollipop candy and each of the ones with some sort of pennant advertised on the side.

3. I have an image of a wax box with a "series 5" sticker - it's the only one I've seen marked in this way. Were all boxes marked on the outside with stickers or was it selective/random?

4. Cello case image/information needed.

5. Rack case and box image/information needed.

6. Grocery pack case and display tray image/information needed. Also, and image of the grocery pack reverse showing whatever ads are on the back of the cardboard tray.

7. Vending case image needed.

Thank you!

Ugh, the 1972 pattern of three rows repeating is the worst ever.

As I move into the sale-by-series era (an era that had passed before I ever bought a pack of cards) I need to try to get a better handle on some things.

I have found several 1972 racks - including the one here - that feature cards from different series.

So, apparently sale-by-series was not an absolute.

Did all series following series 1 contain a mix? Were wax packs, perhaps, 'pure' by series, and did only racks or others contain a mix? It would ad to the scarcity explanation of high series if even high series packs were watered down with earlier series cards.

Is there any rule of thumb other, perhaps, than to say something like - while cards were marketed by series, each year some packs wound up containing a mix as Topps tried to get rid of earlier series cards?

Series 1 full 264 card sheet. This is how production sheets were made. Then they were cut into 132 card halves, then 66 card quarter sheets.

Series 2 right 132 card sheet.

Series 3 left half 66 card proof sheet. I then pasted together what the full left half would look like.

Series 4 full 264 card sheet

Series 6 left and right sides

Grocery Tray, believe this was sold by BBCEX. Not mine and don't have copy of the back.

Question #3, pretty sure random

Finally, My experience is later series raks (starting with series 3?) had 2 sections from one series and then the section farthest away from the header contained cards from the next series.

John

Going strictly from memory, I second the observation that the later series rack packs had two blisters of one series and the third one featured the next series. I'll go further and state that a possible reason for the notable scarcity of the final series (series 6, I believe) is that I can remember the high number cards being ONLY available as the third capsule of series 5 rack packs. I do NOT recall ever seeing 1972 high number cards in either a wax pack or a cello. Note that I lived in New York City, so we pretty much always got full distribution of high number cards. Is it possible that high numbers for 1972 were exclusive to one-third of late summer rack packs?:confused:

I probably bought more cards as a Nassau County (Long Island) kid in 1971 and 1972 than any other years and it was always a mix of vending, wax, cello and raks for me, but never trays (never saw 'em). I definitely had high numbers in both years as a wee lad. I will say that when I was a part time dealer in the late 80's in the same general geographic area, the 72 highs were regarded among my fellow dealers as the toughest of the 1970-73's. So maybe they were just not as robustly distributed as in prior years?

I bought a high series set from Fritsch in the early 90’s. Def. came from wax packs as a dozen or so cards had gum stains on the back

(As a psychopathically unhinged lover of the 1972 Topps set) I'm probably just stating an obvious tidbit, but the lower right areas of the full sheets were where the groupings of awesome (non-awesome to others :D) 'In Action' cards from each series were found.

Page is live:

https://mrpekrul.wixsite.com/narcissism/1972

Now that I've reached the era of issuance by series, I'm breaking the set down and treating each series individually.

Thanks as always to those who contributed information and images.

Remaining needs are:

1) Good images of wax wrappers with the lollipop thing as well as each pennant offer. Also any information/images on the pennants themselves.

2) Grocery display tray and case information/images

3) Cello case information/images

4) Rack box/case information/images

5) Vending case images

Codes:

Wax Case: 406
Wax Box: 1-401-37-01-2
Wax Wrapper (all): 0-401-90-01-2

Grocery Pack: ?
Grocery Tray: ?
Grocery Case: ?


Cello Case: ?
Cello Box: ?
Cello Pack: 1-368-15-01-2

Rack Case: ?
Rack Box: ?
Rack Pack: 1-991-93-01-0

Vending Case: ?
Vending Box: 1-081-69-01-7

Cello packs contained 27 cards not 30

Gotcha - correction being made!