I am working on putting together a set of these variations, at the moment, I'm about half way there. I would be interested in hearing from anybody who has an interest in pre 1993 Topps baseball variations.
Email me at
doug.goodman@earthlink.net
Sorry for the long post,
Doug
The following is not mine. I "borrowed" it from an ebay listing a couple of years ago. I do not know the author and apologize for posting his, what I believe to be excellent work, without giving credit. As I have worked on putting my set together, the information below all seems to be true :
For those dedicated collectors working to complete their MASTER SET of 1982 Topps BLACKLESS cards, I am including a complete CHECKLIST of all 400 different cards in a set below. To the best of my knowledge, not one single collector has yet managed to put together a complete set of all 400 cards!
In each of the BLACKLESS VARIATIONS for a specific 1982 Topps card number the black ink features present on the front of the NORMALLY PRINTED VERSION of that card number are missing or reduced to substantially nothing more than grayish wisps.
As is the case for the card covered by this auction, in each BLACKLESS VARIATION of a player's REGULAR CARD number in the 1982 Topps set, missing or substantially reduced to nothing more than grayish wisps are BOTH the FACSIMILE PLAYER'S AUTOGRAPH and the NARROW BLACK BORDERLINE present around the player's photograph on the front of the common NORMALLY PRINTED VERSION of the card number.
396 of the 792 card numbers in the 1982 Topps set exist as Blackless Variations. Four of these numbers exist as two different Blackless varieties each, making a COMPLETE SET of 82T Blackless 400 different cards. From what I have been to determine, no single collector has been able to put together all 400 cards. Published and other information indicate that ONLY ABOUT 10 TO 100 OR LESS of EACH of the 396 card numbers were produced in Blackless Variation form (with the KEN FORSCH RED-STRIP-ON-CAP version apparently being the RAREST OF ALL and THE KEY CARD in a TRULY COMPLETE BLACKLESS MASTER SET). The experience of collectors most knowledgeable about these variations (including myself) suggests that what are known as "B" and "C" Blackless cards are generally tougher-to-find (that is, SHORT PRINTS) than most of what are known as "A" Blackless. It appears likely that many "B" and "C" Blackless were issued by Topps in quantities of less than 50 each, with some probably being issued with less than 20 each. The card being offered through this auction is an "A" Blackless.
The 400 different Blackless Variations were printed by Topps on three differently coded sheets, with 132 card numbers per each letter-coded sheet. To determine the sheet from which a respective Blackless Variation comes, look for the small letter "A". "B" or "C" next to an asterisk near the bottom of the card. "A" and "B" Blackless Variations showed up in packs distributed by Topps mostly on Long Island (New York) and in New Jersey. "C" Blackless are reported to have been distributed by Topps only in the vicinity of Detroit, Michigan.
When bidding on 1982 Blackless Variations, please be certain to keep in mind that the "B" and "C" Blackless were issued in significantly lower amounts than the "A" Blackless and that the market prices for "B" and "C" SHORT PRINT cards are proving to be considerably higher than for the "A" Blackless. Therefore, expect to pay substantially more for "B" and "C" Blackless. Also, it should be noted that high grade "B" and "C" Blackless are disproportionately harder to find. Apparently, for many "B" and "C" Blackless numbers, the card typically comes with major off-center, skewed cutting, and/or other grade problems. Not a single high grade card may exist for many "B" and "C" card numbers. Collectors of Blackless, especially collectors trying to complete a Blackless set, therefore should not be picky about grading. Just finding all of the cards -- in ANY condition and at ANY price -- needed to complete the 400-card Blackless set is one of the hardest things for a card collector to accomplish. In fact, so far as I have been able to determine, NOT one single collector has yet been able to put together a COMPLETE 400-CARD 1982 BLACKLESS set. And also be certain to disregard the prices for 1982 Blackless given in standard baseball card catalogs. Overall the listed prices in those catalogs are far below what Blackless -- especially the "B" and "C" short prints -- actually sell for in the marketplace.
PSA-MISLABELING-BLACKLESS ADDENDUM
Unfortunately PSA has mislabeled as "BLACKLESS" many examples of the very common, black-feature-including versions of a number of 1982 Topps cards. Someone at PSA apparently goofed big time. Even more unfortunate is that a number of these PSA-mislabeled almost worthless cards are showing up in auctions on eBay by other sellers as being "BLACKLESS" at prices no knowledgeable collector would pay for what actually are just PSA-mislabeled very common cards.
Even now, as I prepare this auction for placement on eBay, I see that another seller has up for bid auctions for five PSA-mislabeled as "BLACKLESS" but in reality are the very common black-feature-including versions. Do a SEARCH on eBay and see this for yourself. These PSA-mislabeled 1982 Topps cards which are NOT "BLACKLESS" include: #81 JIM PALMER PSA 9, #781 PETE ROSE PSA 9, #339 SCHMIDT PSA 10, #101 SCHMIDT PSA 9. and #781 PETE ROSE PSA 9. Those cards are a mixture of IN ACTION and ALL STAR cards. Please check the scans in those auctions for yourself: you'll quickly see how each of the IN ACTION cards in those auctions contain the BLACK INK feature of the narrow borderline around the player's photograph and how the SCHMIDT ALL STAR card contains this narrow borderline AND the name "MIKE SCHMIDT" print-lettered in BLACK on the bottom of the card! Those cards are OBVIOUSLY NOT "BLACKLESS".
Anyone who understands what a TRUE Blackless Variation looks like will quickly recognize that the cards which is being offered in those other auctions are in fact the COMMON REGULAR VERSION and NOT the VERY RARE BLACKLESS VARIATION. To be an authentic Blackless Variation a card MUST be missing or have reduced to almost nothing all of the BLACK INK features on the front of the card. On each of the IN ACTION cards, the VERY NARROW BLACK BORDERLINE around the player's photograph is PRESENT in the COMMON NORMALLY PRINTED VERSION, but this BORDERLINE is missing or reduced to substantially no more than a grayish wisp in the BLACKLESS VARIATION. And BOTH the BORDERLINE and the PRINTED-LETTER NAME of the player are missing in all BLACKLESS VARIATIONS of the ALL STAR cards.
PSA goofed big time! Be careful that you do not become one of the victims of that PSA goof!
CHECKLIST of ALL 400 DIFFERENT CARDS in a COMPLETE SET of 1982 TOPPS BLACKLESS
(I am not posting the list due to it's length, email me and I will send it to you)