1954 Topps Canadian Gray Backs

[flkersn]

Originally Posted by ALR-bishop

By the way, Bill. The pack I have with my set ( posted above) is a Canada issued pack. If one knew for a fact that it contained 4 grey back cards in decent condition would the contents of the cards inside be potentially more valuable than the unopened pack itself ?

For me personally, no. I always think the mystery of what might be inside is more valuable than the actual contents, whatever they may be.

Great question, Al. And perhaps not as obvious as it seems.

It is clear (to me) that Topps front-loaded the 1954 set. While the three most expensive cards today are post-#50, in 1953/4 Aaron, Banks, and Kaline were...rookies.

Looking at it through the eyes of 1954 players, almost all the all-stars and future HOFers were in the first 50 cards. Mays is the obvious exception, and maybe Doby, Sievers, Hodges.... But clearly the first 50 contain a higher percentage of stars.

To me, that could mean that Topps had an intention to print and distribute just the first 50 directly in Canada and they wanted to include the big boys so as not to cheat their customers. (Again, Mays an obvious outlier.)

So, that being the case, then a "printed in Canada" pack could just contain one of the first 50 cards.

And, that being the case, you would have a lower chance of getting a "common" than usual.

And finally, to get to your question, I think that there is a decent chance that the individual cards could be more valuable than the pack (assuming the value of a pack to be around $2500--the opening bid in the LOTG auction, and the cards graded NM or better). And if all "printed in Canada" pack cards were on gray stock, what I propose would be true in SPADES.

Bill