1973 Team Checklists

[1963Topps Set]

When I was working on the 1973 Topps set, I was made aware of these checklist cards. I don't recall them when I collected the cards in 1973. Are these regional? How rare are they? I managed to get them all and unchecked, but I had to get them individually. Thanks, Tom

[bobsbbcards]

If I remember correctly, they were included in packs in the high-numbered series. If I remember incorrectly, you had to make them yourself.

[Cliff Bowman]

Like the more plentiful 1974 Topps team checklists, each of the 1973 Topps team checklists has two variations, either one * or two ** in the copyright line on the back. I have seen complete uncut sheets of the 1973 Topps team checklists on eBay, but I have never seen anything on the sheets being available as a mail in offer like the 1975 through 1982 Topps team checklists.

[Tomman1961]

Tom:
In NJ in 1973 I never came across these checklist cards. I think the person to ask is al-bishop. On this forum. In 1974 the team checklist cards were readily available in NJ.

[ALR-bishop]

Bob is right, he and I made them in his basement. He was pretty young back then. Then we made up a story about them being inserts in high series packs and available on an uncut sheet by mail...which SCD believed and included in their catalog. We did not want people to know we made them because they ended up looking so dumb

[Cliff Bowman]

I'll bet the two of you made those damned 85 minis and 82 blackless, too.

[jakeinge]

Originally Posted by 1963Topps Set

When I was working on the 1973 Topps set, I was made aware of these checklist cards. I don't recall them when I collected the cards in 1973. Are these regional? How rare are they? I managed to get them all and unchecked, but I had to get them individually. Thanks, Tom

I can tell everyone that in the last 2 years I've seen 2 different people here in Minnesota who bought 1973 Topps packs as kid and they both had a TON of these checklist cards. They were definitely inserted into packs here in Minnesota. If I had to guess, I'd say that they were either inserted in only entire set packs or certain series.

[Zach Wheat]

Originally Posted by Cliff Bowman

Like the more plentiful 1974 Topps team checklists, each of the 1973 Topps team checklists has two variations, either one * or two ** in the copyright line on the back. I have seen complete uncut sheets of the 1973 Topps team checklists on eBay, but I have never seen anything on the sheets being available as a mail in offer like the 1975 through 1982 Topps team checklists.

Cliff,

Were the * and ** checklists the exact same? Did they have any variations between the checklists other than the *? Usually the asterisk represents what print run the sheet came from.....so if the checklist came from A* that usually means the card came from the A sheet prior to making any changes on the sheet.

The next print run as indicated by a ** usually means something was changed on the sheet (not necessarily the card), including replacement of one player with another on the sheet.....so I was curious.


Regards,

[Cliff Bowman]

Originally Posted by Zach Wheat

Cliff,

Were the * and ** checklists the exact same? Did they have any variations between the checklists other than the *? Usually the asterisk represents what print run the sheet came from.....so if the checklist came from A* that usually means the card came from the A sheet prior to making any changes on the sheet.

The next print run as indicated by a ** usually means something was changed on the sheet (not necessarily the card), including replacement of one player with another on the sheet.....so I was curious.


Regards,

I never noticed any difference between the one asterisk and two asterisk 1973 or 1974 Team Checklist Cards other than the asterisks themselves. I know that when I decided to get all 96 different cards from both years I wound up with several duplicates because the sellers on eBay wouldn't put up back scans and wouldn't answer questions, so I would buy them with my fingers crossed. I remember that the last 1973 I needed was the Pirates and the last 1974 I needed was the Expos, but I don't remember if they were * or **.

[ALR-bishop]

Cliff and Zach...you two need some G**d d**m help. You both are in deep sh*t if you are fixated on his cr*p

[steve B]

Originally Posted by Zach Wheat

Cliff,

Were the * and ** checklists the exact same? Did they have any variations between the checklists other than the *? Usually the asterisk represents what print run the sheet came from.....so if the checklist came from A* that usually means the card came from the A sheet prior to making any changes on the sheet.

The next print run as indicated by a ** usually means something was changed on the sheet (not necessarily the card), including replacement of one player with another on the sheet.....so I was curious.


Regards,

With Topps it's a bit of a mystery. I don't think it's a first/second run thing, because it's found on a lot of Topps cards from that era. I think it may indicate which side of the two sheet wide press sheet the cards were on if the cards were from a set that had the same layout on both sides.
Except.............

It's not a variation on some sets where it should be.

Either way there should be half of each set that are marginally harder with one or the other, since only 5 1/2 sets fit on a 132 card sheet.

Some of the individual positions may be identifiable, but I haven't had enough of them to find any differences.

Steve B

[Zach Wheat]

Originally Posted by alr-bishop

cliff and zach...you two need some g**d d**m help. You both are in deep sh*t if you are fixated on his cr*p

z

[begsu1013]

pack inserted and tough to find in decent condition. they definitely sell for premiums in 8+

[Gmrson]

Taking the way back machine in my mind to the 1980's, I recall being told they were in the "all one series" packs. I opened a couple high # packs back then but the checklists were not in those. It does seem logical that a checklist listing the whole series numbers would be in those packs.

Also regarding the possibility of short prints, didn't another thread discuss that sheets were 264 cards cut to 132? So that could make them all the teams even?

Interesting discussion!

[nolemmings]

They were not in the all series packs. I compiled just short of three full sets in 1973 from all series packs and never saw a team checklist--didn't even know they existed until a couple/few years later.

EDITED TO ADD: I should say they were not in the all series packs as distributed where I grew up. I suppose that they could have been inserted in those packs elsewhere, with either that or my area being a test market. There were multiple wrappers for the all series cards, with the same front design but different back "offers"--I suppose it's possible that these were packaged and distributed differently.

Also--maybe the asterisks differentiate the checklists that were pack inserted from those that were acquired though the mail-in offer.

[steve B]

Originally Posted by Gmrson

Taking the way back machine in my mind to the 1980's, I recall being told they were in the "all one series" packs. I opened a couple high # packs back then but the checklists were not in those. It does seem logical that a checklist listing the whole series numbers would be in those packs.

Also regarding the possibility of short prints, didn't another thread discuss that sheets were 264 cards cut to 132? So that could make them all the teams even?

Interesting discussion!

Yep, they could have done 11 sets on the big 264 sheet. Or some other arrangement. The 74 mail in panels won't fit a normal sheet, and Topps has done some odd sheets over the years, although the examples I can think of are much newer. (The K mart set and the special stars sheets from the 83? Mail in offer)

Steve B

[steve B]

Originally Posted by nolemmings

Also--maybe the asterisks differentiate the checklists that were pack inserted from those that were acquired though the mail-in offer.

Could be, but that would be different than all their other sets.
But it IS Topps......

Steve B

[Cliff Bowman]

Originally Posted by steve B

With Topps it's a bit of a mystery. I don't think it's a first/second run thing, because it's found on a lot of Topps cards from that era. I think it may indicate which side of the two sheet wide press sheet the cards were on if the cards were from a set that had the same layout on both sides.
Except.............

It's not a variation on some sets where it should be.

Either way there should be half of each set that are marginally harder with one or the other, since only 5 1/2 sets fit on a 132 card sheet.

Some of the individual positions may be identifiable, but I haven't had enough of them to find any differences.

Steve B

I agree with this theory. The 1977 Topps Cloth cards were printed the same way, each one can be found with either * or ** in the copyright line.