1956 topps questions
 

I'm almost embarrassed to ask. I love the set so much that I should know already. However, I am not one to go for "master sets" so I am not informed on the variations. I am upgrading some cards right now and have two questions:

(I did try to do some research but got some conflicting info, so I figured I would ask some collectors who might know better)

What is the "white back vs. grey back" issue? Is one more expensive, and why?

Secondly, some team cards have the year number on the front. For example, I have a Braves team card with the year and a white back. Is that a good thing or pretty common?

Thank you in advance!

The white vs. grey affects the first two series. In the first series, white is more common. In the second, white is more difficult. A handful of cards in series 2 carry gigantic premiums with white backs, regardless that it doesn't really make any sense for these cards to be any more difficult relatively to other white backs than any S2 gray back compared to other gray backs.

There are 5 combinations of each team card in the first series.

There are a number of variations with the pictures cropped slightly differently, evidently from redesigns of the cards/sheets for some unclear reason.

On top, there are a number of cards that one could argue are variations or are recurring print defects that weren't intentionally changed. Stat boxes obscured during part of the print runs, color lines above titling boxes on the front, different sized name boxes, etc.

Greg, Thanks for the info. That is a lot to digest.

This is the card in question. Can you tell me what you see on this one?

There's five versions of each team card in series 1.

Name at left, grey
Name at center, grey
Name at left, white
Name at center, white
Name with 1955 date, white

None of the 5 are difficult and you can readily find them all. Yours is the last type, as the 1955 version doesn't have a grey back.

Series 2 team cards come with just the two stocks.

188 White Sox, 213 Tigers, 236 Athletics, 251 Yankees have 2 different cropping variations of the picture.

I started collecting 56 topps about 10 years and at the time, there was no difference in values for white or grey backs. This seems like something that has just popped up in the last few years. Is there a source for the theory of one colour being more scarce than the other?

The PSA population report backs up the observations. White is more common in series 1, scarcer in series 2. https://www.psacard.com/pop/baseball...56/topps/49737. More people might be paying attention, values on a select few S2 white backs are definitely up over the general trendline, but this has been known for a long time.

Thank you so much for taking the time to post that!
I have had 56s since the mid-80s and have not noticed the team name being in the middle vs. the left. Wow.
I get it now, and essentially, there are differences, but not much price difference.
This board is the best!

If you want to see some variants for 1956 that could drive you nuts see this site/link and type in 1956. See the photos of variants and then hit the list of variations. I think I have all the cropping differences shown and the listed variations including the team cards, but have not done the whole set in white and grey backs. While the diffrencials are not great, most of the big ticket items are in the mixed back cards

http://baseballcardvariationsguidebo...wordpress.com/