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davidcyclebackThey're called salesman samples and you can find them for old Topps and Bowman cards. The card salesman took them around to stores when trying to convince them to buy the product. The salesman samples are genuine uncut panels of the finished cards with a paper advertisement pasted to the back.
The eBay prices were indeed low. The salesman samples are scarce but you see will see them on the market again-- and you'll will know what they are. As expected, the ones with big stars are worth the most, and all common player versions worth less. I didn't see Willie Mays or Mickey Mantle on the eBay salesman samples I clicked on, so you shouldn't feel too bad.
Below links to pics of two Topps salesman samples with stars. These might be worth in the $500-$700 value range, due to the big time stars, strong condition and that one is unusually large. Also, they show you that the panels come in in different sizes and shapes, with the 3x1 (vertical or horizontal) being the most common.
http://www.cycleback.com/salesmansamples.html