I've been on record regarding the highs and don't buy the garbage scow story for a second. If the cards were, in fact, destroyed, they most likely were tossed in the furnace at Bush Terminal as Topps would not have spent the money if they could have just lit them up. I realize they had access to a dock at the facility but Bush Terminal had its own trash and garbage disposal facility as it was essentially a self-contained industrial facility (originally a self contained military facility).
My belief is they printed the highs in the same or slightly lesser quantities as the semi-highs and then slowly sold off excess product and returns in other countries before the remainder went off to Card Collectors Company in the mid to late 50's. CCC in their March 1968 catalog still had complete high number runs for $90 and sold singles for a buck when first series cards went for 20 cents and semi highs for .15. Regular cards were 12 cents otherwise. Personally, I'd say Topps was on a commission basis with CCC and it was in their interest to keep the high number market inflated. Just a theory but I don't believe the garbage scow story and Sy Berger told a lot of whoppers about Topps over the years.
It's interesting to me that the highs on the PSA pop report only seem to be about 25% scarcer than the semi-highs. I doubt the ratio is that exact but the semi's and the highs are not all that far apart in terms of availability. Let's face it, the highs are not that scarce.
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