1961 topps with green inside baseball

[ALR-bishop]

I think this defect occurs in many 1961 Topps cards. Whoever sold PSA on listing the Fairly as a variation in the Registry master list was a good salesman. But once it is added to a master set list, if you collect such sets, you almost have to have one . I admit to getting one of the Fairlys. :-(

The amount of green can vary significantly. A friend has a Fairly in which the entire bottom of the ball is green. Once it becomes obvious how many cards have the defect the initial high prices should drop considerably

[savedfrommyspokes]

I have owned at least 4 different variations of the green in the circle(and have seen additional variations to this card)....would these 61 Topps cards with the green in the ball be considered "uncorrected" print variations, or did Topps actually take the time and "correct" this seemingly insignificant "error"?

Either way, I am not complaining as I sold my 4th copy of the Fairly card for $200 recently. A 501 card recently sold for around $25-30

Here are scans of the three "different" Fairly backs that I have.

[ALR-bishop]

Saved--the middle one is a good one, but PSA has been putting labels on any Fairly card with the slightest smudge in the circle. Don't know what they will do if everyone starts turning in all the other cards with this defect. I think they were all just print defects of varying degrees with some of the green ink sloshing over on the plates. I don't they they intended it or corrected it.

On the other hand I guess it is as " prominent" as a missing part of the R on the back of the 57 Bakep " variation", which is, I think, just another unintended print defect. Only difference between these green smudges and the 57 Bakep, the 58 Herrer or the 52 Campos black or partial black star may be the fact they are apparently much more common that the latter

[steve B]

Those don't look much like overinked cards. Especially the middle one. It's just too neat of a curve. The other two don't look overinked, but don't look like much either.

One way of correcting this sort of thing is by using a special writing thing that's sort of like a limestone crayon. It can be used to erase stuff from the plate or fill scratches and other damage.

I'd guess the two on the sides are incomplete repairs. It's just a bit hard to tell with so little there.

Steve B

Originally Posted by ALR-bishop

Saved--the middle one is a good one, but PSA has been putting labels on any Fairly card with the slightest smudge in the circle. Don't know what they will do if everyone starts turning in all the other cards with this defect. I think they were all just print defects of varying degrees with some of the green ink sloshing over on the plates. I don't they they intended it or corrected it.

On the other hand I guess it is as " prominent" as a missing part of the R on the back of the 57 Bakep " variation", which is, I think, just another unintended print defect. Only difference between these green smudges and the 57 Bakep, the 58 Herrer or the 52 Campos black or partial black star may be the fact they are apparently much more common that the latter

[zachclose21]

Here is a photo of the bob turley

Thanks for all the response it has been a huge help

[ALR-bishop]

I would always defer to Steve on printing issues, but whatever the defect is, it appears on a good many of the 61 cards.

[savedfrommyspokes]

Originally Posted by ALR-bishop

Saved--the middle one is a good one, but PSA has been putting labels on any Fairly card with the slightest smudge in the circle. Don't know what they will do if everyone starts turning in all the other cards with this defect. I think they were all just print defects of varying degrees with some of the green ink sloshing over on the plates. I don't they they intended it or corrected it.

On the other hand I guess it is as " prominent" as a missing part of the R on the back of the 57 Bakep " variation", which is, I think, just another unintended print defect. Only difference between these green smudges and the 57 Bakep, the 58 Herrer or the 52 Campos black or partial black star may be the fact they are apparently much more common that the latter

Al- I randomly ended up with 3 of the 4 Fairlys in lots I purchased...I may have gone through 15 total 492 cards to find the 3. If this is indeed an accurate representation of the population of these "green in the ball" cards, then 1 out of 5 does not seem like a very rare defect. The fourth I found at a shop in MI while looking specifically for variations.


Here is a 447 card I found earlier today, I call it the "green everywhere" defect/variation

[Cliff Bowman]

Found another...

[ALR-bishop]

Saved--I like that title...and the card

Cliff-- you should send all your greenies to PSA . Having done the Fairlty, they would appear to be in a corner. :-)

[savedfrommyspokes]

Thanks Al, found yet another 447, this one does not have so much green

[savedfrommyspokes]

Found another one also: