1966 Topps Series Release Dates ... Approx?

[obcbeatle]

Anybody know the approx. timeline for release of the 1966 Topps cards e.g. Series one released in April, Series two released in May, etc? I'm trying to reconstruct a timeline for when I opened packs ... by series ... in 1966. Obviously I have way to much time on my hands right now :-) This all came about today when I was thumbing thru my almost complete 66T set in binder ... and was able to identify cards that I'm sure I bought in 1966 (I wrote on some of them ... I was 8 years old). I'm still working on this set :-) I think I bought maybe (15) packs in 1966 based on the # of cards I'm pretty sure I pulled. I bought a bunch of 66T's in the 1980's at card shows in Atlanta when I was trying to complete the set. Then joined OBC and they've been helping me along the way. I'm down to 8 cards, mostly the high #'s. I'll eventually scan all the cards I think are original to my purchases in 1966. Pretty cool how I formed an image of many of those cards over 50 years ago and I can still identify those cards as cards I pulled from packs (Del Crandall for instance ... as an 8 year old I couldn't figure out why an old, old man was playing baseball ... check out his 66T card! :-). Anyway ... if anyone knows about when each series was released in 1966, that would be cool to know. Thank you.

[ALBB]

yea, thats interesting..on the back of some 1960s Topps cards ,there are sometimes clues -

" he retired on May 14 ", " optioned to Tidewater on June 3, " traded to... etc..

[BillP]

hi i know i bought 6th series cards in late august, but my store never had the 7th series. by then we had philly fb cards.

[obcbeatle]

Thanks for the replies. I'll check the backs of some of those cards. I was looking at my 67T binder too and noticed last night that I bought a pack of 67T's in the 7th series! And quite a few 67T's in the 6th series. So that year I must have been buying packs in August/September? I do remember the fb cards coming out in the Fall at my local 5 and 10 and the bbc boxes either drying up or being removed by the owner. I wonder if Philly FB cards were just a Philadelphia market? I'd never heard of those fb cards till a few years ago.

[ALBB]

here is a pic of back of 67T Hi # Piersall..it .makes note that he retired May 8,...so Topps was printing 7 th series cards past that date

[bb66]

I have wondered about the same info--when series were released. I recently found a couple of old Christmas pictures(from 1966)of my brother and I opening packages from under the tree.Strewn all around us are Topps baseball card wrappers! I counted at least ten seperate wrappers. I can see at least two seperate stacks of cards we made. One had a 7th series #586 Claude Raymond on top. The other stack had a 6th Series John O'Donoghue on top. My parents had bought cards from two different late series and probably put them in our stockings!!! Wow I sure wish I had the original cards from that day.

[jmoran19]

Originally Posted by bb66

I have wondered about the same info--when series were released. I recently found a couple of old Christmas pictures(from 1966)of my brother and I opening packages from under the tree.Strewn all around us are Topps baseball card wrappers! I counted at least ten seperate wrappers. I can see at least two seperate stacks of cards we made. One had a 7th series #586 Claude Raymond on top. The other stack had a 6th Series John O'Donoghue on top. My parents had bought cards from two different late series and probably put them in our stockings!!! Wow I sure wish I had the original cards from that day.

We’ll need you to post these pictures 😀

[JollyElm]

Your reference to Del Crandall was hilarious. It made me think of the 1966 Johnny Keane manager card. He looks absolutely ancient, but if the photo was taken during the 1965 season, he was only 53 years old...53!!!!!!!

s-l1600-5.jpg

[cannonballsun]

Originally Posted by obcbeatle

Thanks for the replies. I'll check the backs of some of those cards. I was looking at my 67T binder too and noticed last night that I bought a pack of 67T's in the 7th series! And quite a few 67T's in the 6th series. So that year I must have been buying packs in August/September? I do remember the fb cards coming out in the Fall at my local 5 and 10 and the bbc boxes either drying up or being removed by the owner. I wonder if Philly FB cards were just a Philadelphia market? I'd never heard of those fb cards till a few years ago.

I know we had the Philly cards in New Orleans. Pretty sure they were nationwide. I don't remember seeing AFL cards in New Orleans from the years 1962 to 1967, or maybe they were there and I just wasn't interested. I was a pretty big NFL snob, back in those days. AFL ! Yuck !

[ALBB]

Wow,..That Keene card ..holy crap

Imagine opening a pack with him, Crandell, a team card, a checklist card,and another no hat wearing bald guy !!

[bb66]

Haha Albert that would have been bad. We had the Philadelphia football cards in Knoxville,Tn. I bought them in 64',65'&66'.

[obcbeatle]

So below is the 66T Crandall I pulled from a pack in 1966. Not as extreme as the Keane, but to this 8 year old, Crandall looked older then my grandfather :-) Ironically, as I grew older I became a big Del Crandall fan since I am a big Braves and Giants fan and Crandall played for both teams (if only briefly for the Giants). Crandall was a big part of the 1957 champion Braves, and pennant winners too in 1958. He was a very good defensive catcher. In Strat-O-Matic he is almost always a "1" defensively :-) I guess he just didn't age well. And I guess I shouldn't talk :-)

(how come my image below isn't rotated correctly)?

66t_crandall.jpg

[bb66]

I decided to look at the backs of the 1966 Topps High-Numbered cards for any interesting dates or clues to production deadlines or anything else. Opening day that year was April 12.Several players were mentioned with late April dates:#529-Elia optioned April 29th,#531-Cunningham released April 25th,& #559-Pena optioned April 28th.Four players(cards)were mentioned for changes in the month of May-#561,584,589,&597.These four-Coleman,Fernandez,Klimchock,&Salmon were either sold,optioned,or released.Two other players were interesting because exact May dates were listed. These were the latest two dates specifically listed on 1966 high-number cards.Card #539-Astros Rookie Stars lists Carroll Sembera as being optioned to Oklahoma City May 9,1966.Card #544-Cards Rookie Stars has George Kernek optioned to Tulsa on May 9,1966.

jmoran19--I will get those two pictures from my brother as soon as I can and post them.Besides the baseball cards laying around us there was some matchbox cars and their boxes,too. Lucky kids!!!!

[toppcat]

Originally Posted by bb66

I decided to look at the backs of the 1966 Topps High-Numbered cards for any interesting dates or clues to production deadlines or anything else. Opening day that year was April 12.Several players were mentioned with late April dates:#529-Elia optioned April 29th,#531-Cunningham released April 25th,& #559-Pena optioned April 28th.Four players(cards)were mentioned for changes in the month of May-#561,584,589,&597.These four-Coleman,Fernandez,Klimchock,&Salmon were either sold,optioned,or released.Two other players were interesting because exact May dates were listed. These were the latest two dates specifically listed on 1966 high-number cards.Card #539-Astros Rookie Stars lists Carroll Sembera as being optioned to Oklahoma City May 9,1966.Card #544-Cards Rookie Stars has George Kernek optioned to Tulsa on May 9,1966.

Text on the reverse was easier to change than pictures but reverses were printed first so I would think the print dates were somewhat close to the May dates for the high numbers. I would say July is the most likely print month for those as you had to get everything composed, proofed, printed, delivered to Topps, cut and packaged, sold to the jobbers and direct accounts then shipped in time for an August rollout. I think in the mid 60's the series still fanned out from Duryea and possibly a couple of other distribution centers, so a slightly slow roll out nationwide.

[cesarcap]

This is off topic slightly but I found it hard to put the 66's together versus the 67's. Financially yeah, 67's are PAINFUL. But there are fewer collectors chasing this set it seems to me, and perhaps fewer dealers, net54 and ebay listings? But for me, it also SEEMS like as soon as I do finish a set, everyone lists the set I just completed.

[Chicosbailbonds]

I would think they would come out around March 1 and each series would be 4 weeks. The 6th series would come out around August and the 7th Series Labor Day. There is only so much retail space with the football cards coming out also, so they may have made just enough to stock a store once and the football cards would replace them, thus “holding” the spot, not to lose it to other candy,

[toppcat]

Hopefully the formatting holds and this makes sense-here is a matrix of the Topps Series Vs. Checklists you may find interesting:

SERIES/ PRESS RUN/ LIST SAYS/ DIFF. / LIST NO.
1958
1 1 - 110 1-88 22 N/A
2 111 - 198 89-176 22 N/A
3 199 - 286 177-264 22 N/A
4 287 - 374 265-352 22 N/A
5 375 - 440 352-440 0 N/A
6 441 - 495 441-495 0 N/A

1959
1 1 - 110 1-88 22 N/A
2 111 - 198 89-176 22 N/A
3 199 - 286 177-264 22 N/A
4 287 - 374 265-352 22 N/A
5 375 - 440 353-429 11 N/A
6 441 - 506 430-495 11 N/A
7 507 - 572 496-572 0 N/A

1960
1 1 - 110 1-88 22 N/A
2 111 - 198 89-176 22 N/A
3 199 - 286 177-264 22 N/A
4 287 - 374 265-352 22 N/A
5 375 - 440 353-429 11 N/A
6 441 - 506 430-495 11 N/A
7 507 - 572 496-572 0 N/A

1961
1 1 - 109 1-88 21 17
2 110 196 89-176 20 98
3 197 283 177-264 19 189
4 284 370 265-352 18 273
5 371 446 353-429 17 361
6 447 522 430-506 16 437
7 523 589 507-587 0 516

1962
1 1 - 109 1-88 21 22
2 110 - 196 89-176 20 98
3 197 - 283 177-264 19 192
4 284 - 370 265-352 18 277
5 371 - 446 353-429 17 367
6 447 - 522 430-506 16 441
7 523 - 598 507-598 0 516

1963
1 1 - 109 1-88 21 79
2 110 - 196 89-176 20 102
3 197 - 283 177-264 19 191
4 284 - 370 265-352 18 274
5 371 - 446 353-429 17 362
6 447 - 522 430-506 16 431
7 523 - 576 507-576 0 509

1964
1 1 - 109 1-88 21 76
2 110 - 196 89-176 20 102
3 197 - 283 177-264 19 188
4 284 - 370 265-352 18 274
5 371 - 446 353-429 17 362
6 447 - 522 430-506 16 438
7 523 - 587 507-587 0 517

1965
1 1 - 109 1-88 21 79
2 110 - 196 89-176 20 104
3 197 - 283 177-264 19 189
4 284 - 370 265-352 18 273
5 371 - 446 353-429 17 361
6 447 - 522 430-506 16 443
7 523 - 598 507-598 0 508

1966
1 1 - 109 1-88 21 34
2 110 - 196 89-176 20 101
3 197 - 283 177-264 19 183
4 284 - 370 265-352 18 279
5 371 - 446 353-429 17 363
6 447 - 522 430-506 16 444
7 523 - 598 507-598 0 517


1967
1 1 109 1-109 0 62
2 110 196 110-196 0 103
3 197 283 197-283 0 191
4 284 370 284-370 0 278
5 371 457 371-457 0 361
6 458 533 458-533 0 454
7 534 609 534-609 0 531

1968
1 1 109 1-109 0 67
2 110 196 110-196 0 107
3 197 283 197-283 0 192
4 284 370 284-370 0 278
5 371 457 371-457 0 356
6 458 533 458-533 0 454
7 534 598 534-598 0 518

1969
1 1 109 1-109 0 57
2 110 218 110-218 0 107
3 219 327 219-327 0 214
4 328 425 328-425 0 314
5 426 512 426-512 0 412
6 513 588 513-588 0 504
7 589 664 589-664 0 582


1970
1 1 132 1-132 0 9
2 133 263 133-263 0 128
3 264 372 264-372 0 244
4 373 459 373-459 0 343
5 460 546 460-546 0 432
6 547 633 547-633 0 542
7 634 720 634-720 0 588

1971
1 1 132 1-132 0 54
2 133 263 133-263 0 123
3 264 393 264-393 0 206
4 394 523 394-523 0 369
5 524 643 524-643 0 499
6 644 752 644-752 0 619



1972
1 1 132 1-132 0 4
2 133 263 133-263 0 103
3 264 394 264-394 0 251
4 395 525 393-525 0 378
5 526 656 526-656 0 478
6 657 787 657-787 0 604

[ALBB]

not quite understanding that ?

Please just break it down using one line..lets say 66T 7 series..523-598...what are the other numbers on that line ?? Is that the # of the checklist card ?

[Blackie]

Great reading!! Thank you. Working on this set... anyone have cards to trade etc... lmk

[obcbeatle]

SNIP
1966
1 1 - 109 1-88 21 34
2 110 - 196 89-176 20 101
3 197 - 283 177-264 19 183
4 284 - 370 265-352 18 279
5 371 - 446 353-429 17 363
6 447 - 522 430-506 16 444
7 523 - 598 507-598 0 517
SNIP

I'll go out on a limb here :-)

1966
Series 1 was cards 1 - 109, Checklist said 1-88, that's a difference of 21 cards, I have no clue what 34 means :-) March/April release?
2 110 - 196 89-176 20 101 April/May release?
3 197 - 283 177-264 19 183 May/June release?
4 284 - 370 265-352 18 279 June/July release?
5 371 - 446 353-429 17 363 July/August release?
6 447 - 522 430-506 16 444 August/Sept. release?
7 523 - 598 507-598 0 517 Sept. release?

I'm obviously grasping at straws here :-) Seems like one of the Summer series releases would have been a TON of cards for that series as I always seemed to get a bunch of dupes in the Summer :-) For example, in 1968 I had a lot of dupes for a specific series, even of stars and hofers in that series. But probably more likely I just bought more cards in that series, hence I had fewer dupes in other series. Which kind of relates to my original question of trying to determine when I might have bought cards for each series (like a monthly timeline), then scan the cards I pulled and figure out when that year I pulled them. Again, I probably have way too much time on my hands right now :-)

[mikemb]

[QUOTE=obcbeatle;1970155]SNIP
1966
1 1 - 109 1-88 21 34
2 110 - 196 89-176 20 101
3 197 - 283 177-264 19 183
4 284 - 370 265-352 18 279
5 371 - 446 353-429 17 363
6 447 - 522 430-506 16 444
7 523 - 598 507-598 0 517
SNIP

I'll go out on a limb here :-)

1966
Series 1 was cards 1 - 109, Checklist said 1-88, that's a difference of 21 cards, I have no clue what 34 means :-) /QUOTE]

The 34 is the number of the 1st series checklist.

Mike

[bb66]

The last number in each column is the checklist card number.#34 Checklist 1

[bb66]

Sorry Mike you got that!!!! That is some real good info. My brother and I had no clue how Topps kept luring us on with cards from the next series showing up. We didn't get the series concept at all.

[toppcat]

It's a little grainy as I saved a Spreadsheet as a JPG but this is easier to read. You can see a few things:

1) 1958 set was going to end at 440, then they signed Stan Musial. That'st my theory at least: http://www.thetoppsarchives.com/2010...ing-slots.html

2) From 1958-66 I think the press runs are one less than the number of series. Looks like they printed 88 extras in 1958 before adding the final series. So in 1959 they had 110 extra cards across six press runs, which presented as seven series on the checklist cards. I'd need to see a lot of uncut sheets to prove this out, it's just a theory. UPDATE 4/13: Or you could just keep the lag at (usually) 22 cards. I should have added "possibly" in the first sentence.

3) Then there were 111 extras from 1961-66 where I think a checklist card is increasing the count by 1. Note the ratcheting down by one number per series on the differential between the likely press run and the series shown on the checklist.

4) In 1967 it looks like they ended up actually printing seven series across seven press runs. This occurred through 1970.

5) For 1971-72 it's looking like six press runs across six series.

Appreciate any thoughts or competing theories. You would need to see each sheet for each press run each year to fully check this all out.

[bb66]

Originally Posted by Chicosbailbonds

I would think they would come out around March 1 and each series would be 4 weeks. The 6th series would come out around August and the 7th Series Labor Day. There is only so much retail space with the football cards coming out also, so they may have made just enough to stock a store once and the football cards would replace them, thus “holding” the spot, not to lose it to other candy,

It sure seems likely you are right on the timing . I'm glad to see this info on each year and series. I sure appreciate all the good info and thoughts.

[toppcat]

Originally Posted by Chicosbailbonds

I would think they would come out around March 1 and each series would be 4 weeks. The 6th series would come out around August and the 7th Series Labor Day. There is only so much retail space with the football cards coming out also, so they may have made just enough to stock a store once and the football cards would replace them, thus “holding” the spot, not to lose it to other candy,

Sounds about right-when there were high numbers, I think the target was right around Labor Day. I do recall being able to buy baseball and football at the same time when school started each year. FB cards were the big thing at that time of year where BB was big in the spring at school.

[BillP]

Originally Posted by cannonballsun

I know we had the Philly cards in New Orleans. Pretty sure they were nationwide. I don't remember seeing AFL cards in New Orleans from the years 1962 to 1967, or maybe they were there and I just wasn't interested. I was a pretty big NFL snob, back in those days. AFL ! Yuck !

Hi depending on the store in Lakeville/Middleboro Massachusetts you could get Philly FB (local mom & pop) or Topps (bigger chain grocery stores). The Mom & POP tended to have all sorts of stuff BB, FB, and non sports. The larger chain had Rack Packs (bb) and packs with candy in the register checkout. This was 1965-68.

[obcbeatle]

Originally Posted by toppcat

It's a little grainy as I saved a Spreadsheet as a JPG but this is easier to read. You can see a few things:

1) 1958 set was going to end at 440, then they signed Stan Musial. That'st my theory at least: http://www.thetoppsarchives.com/2010...ing-slots.html

2) From 1958-66 I think the press runs are one less than the number of series. Looks like they printed 88 extras in 1958 before adding the final series. So in 1959 they had 110 extra cards across six press runs, which presented as seven series on the checklist cards. I'd need to see a lot of uncut sheets to prove this out, it's just a theory.

3) Then there were 111 extras from 1961-66 where I think a checklist card is increasing the count by 1. Note the ratcheting down by one number per series on the differential between the likely press run and the series shown on the checklists.

4) In 1967 it looks like they ended up actually printing seven series across seven press runs. This occurred through 1970.

5) For 1971-72 it's looking like six press runs across six series.

Appreciate any thoughts or competing theories. You would need to see each sheet for each press run each year to fully check this all out.

Sorry, I'm still confused. Is a press run the number of cards Topps printed within a series? Example, in 1966 Topps printed 109 cards in the first series but card number 34 checklist lists only 88 cards. If true, why did the checklist not list cards 1-109? I don't understand the discrepancy. Sorry, I'm kinda' slow :-) Understanding the Topps printing process and uncut sheets has always been a problem for me. I need pictures :-) Thanks for all the replies so far, and for the Topps printing process data. I will continue to try to compute it within my "feeble math" brain :-)

[obcbeatle]

SNIP
2) From 1958-66 I think the press runs are one less than the number of series.
SNIP

Sorry, I forgot to ask, what does this mean? All the press runs in your data show equal number of series. Again, sorry for my confusion :-)

[obcbeatle]

Hmm, so maybe, in 1966 Topps printed cards #1-109 (Willie Mays to Ralph Terry) approximately from early March to sometime in April? That constitutes the real Series 1. Then the next print run (sheet?) was card #110-196 (Ernie Banks to Don Pavletich) approx. from April into May, the real Series 2. And so forth?

[obcbeatle]

Originally Posted by cesarcap

This is off topic slightly but I found it hard to put the 66's together versus the 67's. Financially yeah, 67's are PAINFUL. But there are fewer collectors chasing this set it seems to me, and perhaps fewer dealers, net54 and ebay listings? But for me, it also SEEMS like as soon as I do finish a set, everyone lists the set I just completed.

I feel your pain. 66 has taken me just as long as 67. Both are still unfinished and I started them both the year they were released. They are both painful. But both of those sets represent my childhood and the beginning of my baseball card collecting habit. Many of the the player photo's in those two sets are still ingrained in my memory and I can still see myself sitting on the floor of my house in SF (over 50 years ago!) sorting through those cards inside a "Keds" shoe box :-) I'm still trying to hang on to those memories!

[toppcat]

My third point could also just mean they advanced each series by (usually) 22 cards as a preview of the next series. I don't have enough sheet scans to check this properly. I'm amending my item 2 above to avoid further confusion. Like I said, these are theories until proven out.

Here's a second series 1958 half sheet (with the extra Bunning that replaced Bouchee as a bonus) and it looks like 88 subjects with 44 DP's. If this is the "A" sheet for the series then the "B" sheet would run the opposite (the DP from the first sheet are SP on the other, and vice-versa). So if you did 110 cards in the first series press run and your checklist goes to 88, you are 22 cards ahead of the game for series 2.

It would be great if we could get sheet scans going in this thread. A lot of us are quarantined, right? Plenty of time to comb your scans! You need 132 card half sheets to assess.

[toppcat]

Originally Posted by obcbeatle

Sorry, I'm still confused. Is a press run the number of cards Topps printed within a series? Example, in 1966 Topps printed 109 cards in the first series but card number 34 checklist lists only 88 cards. If true, why did the checklist not list cards 1-109? I don't understand the discrepancy. Sorry, I'm kinda' slow :-) Understanding the Topps printing process and uncut sheets has always been a problem for me. I need pictures :-) Thanks for all the replies so far, and for the Topps printing process data. I will continue to try to compute it within my "feeble math" brain :-)

I updated my #2 items to clarify a little since I am as math addled as the next guy (and then some), believe me. The idea was Topps could preview the next series by printing 110 series 1 cards but showing 88 on the checklist. So 22 cards from series 2 "ride along", and you can entice the kiddies to start on the next series this way.

[toppcat]

Originally Posted by obcbeatle

SNIP
2) From 1958-66 I think the press runs are one less than the number of series.
SNIP

Sorry, I forgot to ask, what does this mean? All the press runs in your data show equal number of series. Again, sorry for my confusion :-)

See above, I mangled this one and have updated.

[jchcollins]

Originally Posted by JollyElm

Your reference to Del Crandall was hilarious. It made me think of the 1966 Johnny Keane manager card. He looks absolutely ancient, but if the photo was taken during the 1965 season, he was only 53 years old...53!!!!!!!

Attachment 393679

The '62 Topps Gil Hodges is another one. Dude looks like he's 70...he was actually 37 or 38.

[obcbeatle]

Originally Posted by toppcat

I updated my #2 items to clarify a little since I am as math addled as the next guy (and then some), believe me. The idea was Topps could preview the next series by printing 110 series 1 cards but showing 88 on the checklist. So 22 cards from series 2 "ride along", and you can entice the kiddies to start on the next series this way.

Ahh, thank you Dave. Now I think I get it :-) So I'm guessing if I were to find an uncut sheet (Googling now) I'd find a 66T sheet with cards #1-109 on that sheet? I guess you have to be a set collector to care about this stuff :-)

[obcbeatle]

So is this reasonably accurate for 1966 Topps?:

Series 1 (print run #1 - 109) - March 1 (approx. date released)
Series 2 - (print run #110 - 196) April 1
Series 3 - (print run #197 - 283) May 1
Series 4 - (print run #284 - 370) June 1
Series 5 - (print run #371 - 446) July 1
Series 6 - (print run #447 - 522) August 1
Series 7 - (print run #523 - 598) Sept. 1

[bb66]

Originally Posted by obcbeatle

So is this reasonably accurate for 1966 Topps?:

Series 1 (print run #1 - 109) - March 1 (approx. date released)
Series 2 - (print run #110 - 196) April 1
Series 3 - (print run #197 - 283) May 1
Series 4 - (print run #284 - 370) June 1
Series 5 - (print run #371 - 446) July 1
Series 6 - (print run #447 - 522) August 1
Series 7 - (print run #523 - 598) Sept. 1

Jerry--I believe you have it now. They created the "extras" on each sheet(print run) to keep kids buying into the next Series. The second checklist was included on that first sheet along with the 21 cards. We just kept buying and chasing.

[toppcat]

Originally Posted by obcbeatle

Ahh, thank you Dave. Now I think I get it :-) So I'm guessing if I were to find an uncut sheet (Googling now) I'd find a 66T sheet with cards #1-109 on that sheet? I guess you have to be a set collector to care about this stuff :-)

Look what I found (2nd press run):

[JollyElm]

Here's a 1972 first series sheet image I downloaded a while ago...

1972-Topps-Uncut-Sheet9.jpg

[jmoran19]

Originally Posted by obcbeatle

Ahh, thank you Dave. Now I think I get it :-) So I'm guessing if I were to find an uncut sheet (Googling now) I'd find a 66T sheet with cards #1-109 on that sheet? I guess you have to be a set collector to care about this stuff :-)

I have pics of both sides of series 1 for 1966. Will find and post. From memory 4 rows are printed three times across the 264 card sheet and 6 rows are printed twice. This is standard for 109/110 card series.

John

[jmoran19]

Here you go, triple prints are the rows with Mickey Mantle, Pete Rose, Sandy Koufax and Catfish Hunter.

The first series CL was also TP (rows 5 and 8 on first pic), this is why the series is 109 instead of 110 cards

[obcbeatle]

Thank you, thank you ... for all the replies! Finally all this is starting to make sense! The pictures help too :-) Much appreciated!

[bb66]

Dave and John ---thanks so much for those 1966 sheet pictures!! That is awesome. Very interesting. If anyone has others--please put them up. Thanks again guys!

[obcbeatle]

Just resurrecting this thread to ask a related question re: Topps releasing of post war cards. And I realize this is probably a simple question, but at my age I sometimes need reminding Did Topps intentionally print more commons than stars during all of their series print runs from say 1965-1973? Thus confirming why I always pulled more commons than stars from packs? And I presume they still do for base sets? If so, has anyone ever figured out a ratio for the number of stars vs. number of commons usually pulled from packs/boxes/cases? It is pretty obvious I used to be a set collector , but that has slowly changed over time. I'm enjoying my collection more now than I used to since I'm not always chasing commons to complete a set I'm afraid vintage set collecting is on the wane for a lot of folks due to the current prices. A sad day indeed

[ALR-bishop]

I have all the Topps sets, 48 and 51 to 2024. In
my experience if you buy sets, packs or lots there are always a heck of a lot more commons than stars, major or minor. Other opinions may differ

[obcbeatle]

Perhaps I should re-phrase, did Topps intentionally print fewer stars, to keep kids buying?

[G1911]

Originally Posted by obcbeatle

Perhaps I should re-phrase, did Topps intentionally print fewer stars, to keep kids buying?

No. The sheet layouts for many, even most, Topps vintage releases are on these boards. We can see this is clearly not true.

[obcbeatle]

Thank you, I still have problems wrapping my head around how Topps used sheets in series , and their whole printing process , but it sounds like they ONLY used sheets when printing? And didn't make any effort to say print more of one sheet than another? Is there a website that shows all the 1966 series sheets ? Thank you!

[ALBB]

Originally Posted by obcbeatle

Perhaps I should re-phrase, did Topps intentionally print fewer stars, to keep kids buying?

Way back when I started collecting...I always believed they printed less cards of the stars ! LOL