1985 Topps Mini & 1991 Desert Shield

[ALR-bishop]

Never distributed Dan. Unissued test set. Only 132 cards involved. I finished the set in blank backs and regular backs, and have about 1/2 the set in red back only. They can also be found with smeared backs. The blank backs can be white or tan and are much scarcer than the regular backs, which are also scarce. SCD and Lemke once estimated less than 100 of each of each card exists, with about 30 % or less blank backed. Not sure if those numbers re right but they are a tough issue. Likely someone got ahold of the unissued cards or uncut sheets. I have a couple of uncut panels. PSA grades them as regular or blank backed. Because many were cut from sheets they often have very tiny wrinkles that are not obvious in most scans.

Will double check but pretty sure no O'Brien

Bob F (Bobsbbcards) has his set on the Regisrty

[slidekellyslide]

Thanks Al, I had no idea there was even plans for a mini set in 85. Would have been cool if they’d distributed the set.

[bswhiten]

http://www.milehighcardco.com/LotDet...entoryid=95497

A nice looking 85 mini set just sold on Mile High…

[Zach Wheat]

Resurrecting the old 85 Topps mini thread as I am adding additional info.

This set has been listed as one of the top 10 rarest Topps sets. Alan Hager, who was influential in the creation of the grading scale pre-PSA (ala AccuGrade and ASA) was the one of the dealers that bought 60 of the 110 sheets that were "discovered" by OPC's garbage scrappers. The sheets were in varying stages of printing, including smeared ink, wrinkles on the sheets, partially printed backs and they were printed on different stocks of cardboard. All of the cards are thought to be hand cut and said to originate from the original find of 110 sheets.

I suspect Alan bought the white/tan and normal stat back sheets as he did not have any of the red stat back sheets when I talked to him at varying dates from his acquisition. Perhaps another dealer bought the red stat back sheets prior to Alan purchasing his stock. He mentions that the rarest back came from his sheets - and he purchased 10 sheets of white back cards and 5 sheets of tan back cards with the remainder being normal stat backs.

Ben good acquisition - the Ryan is a nice looking card and one of the most expensive cards in the set.

[bswhiten]

There is a great article that Kevin Glew wrote on the set that was recently published by Beckett Vintage Collector. Multiple folks that are members of Net54 were interviewed - Al, Bob, Christian, and myself