Topps 1985 Minis

[4reals]

Al - there's a guy on ebay that goes by the handle gotjacollectibles. I purchased mine off of him about five years ago. He still has some tan backs listed. I'm currently working with another guy on obtaining some test issues and error cards and he has a few minis with stat backs and blank backs but he too had never heard of the red-ink only backs. He said he had purchased his minis off of gotjacollectibles in the late 90's. He said gotja got the sheets from the Topps Guernsey Auction in 1989 and that he had the sheets professionally cut himself. I contacted gotja through ebay and he said he doesn't have any red-ink only backs either.

[ALR-bishop]

Funny how you can learn new stuff everyday about even about a 25 year old issue. I guess I will stand pat on the two sets I have and keep a look out for anymore reds. I feel going after the tans now would be a slog

Al

[4reals]

I followed up with Alan again (gotja) and he checked the Guernsey Auction catalog and said no red-ink back minis were sold that day. Where the heck did you find yours?

[ALR-bishop]

Ebay. Can not remember if it was a Canadian or New York seller. It could be it was a one run color proof sheet. I also have one or two cards with only red and green swirls on the back. I will post one if I get a chance today

[4reals]

Yeah, it might be...I look forward the scan, thanks!

[ALR-bishop]

[4reals]

Thank you for sharing. Interesting, very interesting.

[Zach Wheat]

Originally Posted by ALR-bishop

Ebay. Can not remember if it was a Canadian or New York seller. It could be it was a one run color proof sheet. I also have one or two cards with only red and green swirls on the back. I will post one if I get a chance today

One of the sellers promoting 1985 mini's indicates that he has correspondence from Topps which, in part confirms that more than 130 sets were issued. By his accounting Topps hired O-Pee-Chee to make the mini-test set. OPC then sold among other things, 210 sheets to a scrapper, which then sold 110 of the 132-card "sets" to a Long Island dealer. The dealer then cut the sheets in to cards.

By the dealers account, the sheets may have included 3 color progressive proofs, later shown to exist - which presumably may be where your red backs came from, Al. Of course this is just conjecture, but it certainly sounds plausible.

He also indicates that the cards were printed on normal OPC "white" stock or regular Topps cardboard stock - possibly explaining the 2 types of blank backs (tan & gray cardboard). Other accounts in a previous thread indicate some of the sheets were thrown away and retrieved from dumpsters due to smeared ink, etc.

[ALR-bishop]

Great info Zach. I guess you and I will never be 100 percent sure of all the facts, but everything you have passed on is consistent with my experience in collecting them

[NotoriousBOB]

I know I have at least one Julio Franco 1985 Topps mini. Hmmm...now I am going to have to check out the back to see what I have. Thanks for the info.