Questions for Any Topps Printing Experts Out There...

[toppcat]

The checklists didn't match the print runs and lagged what was actually printed. As an example, Topps would print 110 cards in the first series but only show 1-88 on the 1st series checklist. Then each successive print run would be 88 in number but Topps would always be 22 cards ahead of what was on the checklists by doing this. There were variations on this theme but from 1961 to 1968 and in a lesser way from 1969-71 this was the practice. They did this in a slightly different way from 1957-60 but that was the marketing plan. It was a sneaky way to seed some cards from the next series and keep the kiddies buying. I think this is why a lot of packs are said to be combined 1st and 2nd series packs or combined 3rd and 4th packs for example but in reality they are just from the same run. That's why the next series checklist was always in the prior series run-kids would be able to see they had cards from it already and keep buying. Things would just true up in the high numbers each year.

I have more details on 1962 green prints somewhere but it will take a little while to find it. The printer was likely in Rochester, NY which is interesting because I think they might have made the 1956 Baseball Buttons in that city as well.