Topps 1968 Milton Bradley set

[goheels]

Here is the "blue" Carew next to my PSA 9. The 9 is the only one graded as mint. There is an absence of some yellow. The tone of the grass is different as is the burlap border.

[goheels]

Welcome to the discussion, Richard. I use your variation list every time I go to a show and I deeply appreciate the work you have done in listing variations.

The Cox YT was listed first as a "variation" in 1983 Sport Americana Price Guide #5, and the Brinkman YT in 1987 (volume 9). Denny Eckes first noted the Brinkman and I bought my first MB Brinkman from him in 1986.

All Milton Bradley 68 cards are yellow backs and vice versa. This includes the Cox/Brinkman. They were only produced in the game but have become widely dispersed as many of the MB collectors on this board will attest.

To be consistent, PSA should list all 77 MB baseball cards as variations or none. There is nothing different about the Cox and Brinkman except they were obvious from the team letter CORRECTIONS, hence their inclusion in the guidebooks, still 15 plus years after they came out.

The MBs do belong in some kind of master set. It is possible that PSA may recognize a third category down the road--the regular set; the master set with the checklist variations, and cards #10 and 400; and a super set that would include the latter plus the 77 MBs.

This would be consistent with how they dealt with the 1962 green tint cards. PSA lists the regular set, the master set with variations, and a super set with all the green tints.

The very strange cards I listed tonight are bizarre. I didn't mean to confuse anybody.

As to the value, it is based on supply and demand. The prices on these cards are going up. A PSA 10 Brinkman sold for almost 4000 recently, a PSA Ryan 7.5 for 3200+, and a PSA 9 Gaylord Perry for 500 last week with spirited bidding.

Not enough sales information yet for a price guide.

I lost a bid for a PSA 9 Ted Savage a few months ago to a fellow MB collector. It went for over 200, with several individuals bidding over 150. A PSA Savage is a common that usually sells for 20-25.

[ALR-bishop]

Carlton those card oddities are great

Richard-- I agree with Carlton, there are no Cox or Brinkman variations to the regular 68 set, just the MB versions. And the MB set should in it's entirety be viewed as a variation to the regular 68 set. PSA , unlike SCD, was a long time recognizing the 62 greenies as variations, but the separate printing of them is similar to the MB separate printing

[4reals]

Originally Posted by ALR-bishop

Carlton those card oddities are great

I agree, great variations Carlton, very cool!

[savedfrommyspokes]

Richard, a thank you from me also for your list of variations.....between you, Carlton and several others here on net54, all of you have helped my variation collection flourish.

I have not openly sold a BB MB card in years, as before I started this set myself, Carlton was the recipient of my BB MB cards. However, I have sold some of the MB FB cards over the years...my recollection is that they have basically sold for twice what the same regular issue card would have sold for. The cards I sold were all ungraded, so there were no pops to worry about.

Here are some of the closed sales on ebay for 67 MB football:

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_saca...H_Sold=1&rt=nc

For 68 MB baseball:

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw...adley&_sacat=0

[ALR-bishop]

I just finished updating my 1959 and 1960 sets to include cards 199-286 (1959) and cards 375- 440( 1960) in both gray and white back. Have not decided whether to do the same for 1953 ( 86-165 ), 1956 ( 1-180)....let alone 1952 (131-190)and 1954 ( 1-50)

I guess if SCD did not list the MBs as a separate set, but instead treated them like the above back differences, or the 62 greenie fronts, they would list the Cox and Brinkman cards as variations, like they do now, but drop the separate listing for the set and just note, like they do for the above set, that certain cards in the set can be found with different backs

But if they did that, they would have to contend with the different backs in the latter series. That would get pretty complicated. If the MBs are added to a master set list for 1968, would that mean you would have to list the alternate latter series backs as well

I think the 1991 Topps sets can be finished with 3 or 4 different backs. Including the Desert Shield set it would seem to have more variant cards than any other Topps set

[steve B]

1991 backs.

Dark logo - not the full set. Only certain sheets
------------------------------------
no reaction to UV
Glows reddish orange
Regular logo - Full set
---------------------------------
No reaction to UV
Glows reddish orange


Misc backs - Not enough info to be sure how many there are.
----------------------------
Cardstock reacts to UV, typically a light bluish glow. - Possibly different cardstock, possibly a bad batch of paper, or contamination from something.

Ink reacts as a very dark red. - Requires a fairly powerful UV light to make it easily visible

Other contrast differences that are really hard to pin down. Most I attribute to plate wear or different levels of inking.


There are front UV differences as well. But I haven't studied them enough to say anything more than they exist. Like some have a clearcoat that reacts a very light green to UV.

So four backs for sure, possibly eight if the reactive paper comes all four ways, and up to 12 if the dark red comes with reactive paper and light or dark logos.

The desert shield should only come one way. But..........It's Topps so maybe not. (I only have a few, 3? 5? I forget)

Steve B

[brightair]

Goheels for the comment, I had no idea that there really were others who were seriously interested in variations when I was working on compiling my lists (which change often, usually as a result of net54 discussions). Now I've learned there are others out there even more compelled than I by these oddities. What fun, we are not alone!

I hope to continue refining and completing these lists, and with the help of this board, should eventually have a helpful guide, at least for the novice.

Thanks also for the info. Now if I get it right, there are both white and yellow team Cox and Brinkman regulars and just yellow team MBs, is that correct?

Further, as one who collects much lower grades than many who post here, I'm curious what people guess average going prices would be for raw MB commons, say in around ex shape. I've the chance to buy a small lot of MB commons and wonder what would be fair - $5@, $10@ or what? I only have a 2011 guide and online info is skimpy and erratic.

I would love to make progress with this set!

Any help appreciated!

brightair
Richard D

[brightair]

Al - ok, if you are right, then my SC which lists both variations for Cox and Brinkman in the regular set, must be including the yellow team MB variations as part of the regular set, if only doing so for just these cards.

This is confusing, because then they go on to list the MB subset with Cox and Brinkman yellow team cards, as if now there is a third variation of these players' cards (and I am not counting the blue circles pictured above).

But if I am understanding you correctly, it is now making some sense.

Thanks again!