Random Topps questions...

[toppcat]

I'll give it the ol' college try...

Stecher-Traung may not be the correct firm as it turns out for 1962, Other possibilities are here but my understanding is the second series "do over" run was from upstate NY. Great Lakes Press may have been the printer for these. S-T apparently printed some of the 1952's though! http://www.thetoppsarchives.com/2019...hographic.html

Duryea was up and running by Feb. 1966 and the baseball cards that year seem to be the first thing they produced. They started showing Duryea on some, but not all products in mid-1969. Not sure when that ended, if it ever did but most non-confectionary products for a long time were shown with Brooklyn as mfgr (I suspect for non-card items like toys and pins). There may have been tax implications with Brooklyn vs. Duryea but not 100% sure.

Topps did not print cards in Brooklyn after Duryea opened but they did keep their executive offices there until those moved to Manhattan around 1994 or so. They had around 125 people in Brooklyn still after the Duryea move, many of them executives. What moved to Duryea was production.

Some Zabel printing info exists but not much. Hard to tell what was printed where otherwise and don't forget, card backs were printed first then sent to the printer that was doing the fronts. After that the sheets were sent to Topps for cutting and packing.

The whole process was very convoluted and if you factor in design, testing, proofing, etc, it's almost dizzying. But definitely interesting!

[jchcollins]

Thanks Dave. Very interesting indeed. I had known the answers to some of these before but just couldn't recall. I have since seen where a Topps Comic Cover Stickers wrapper from 1969 says Duryea, as well as later series baseball wrappers - some say "B'KLYN" and some say Duryea. Thanks for the heads up too about the alternate manufacturer possibility for the green tints. I know it doesn't matter, but it just adds to the intrigue I guess to know.

[Zach Wheat]

Originally Posted by toppcat

I'll give it the ol' college try...

.... and don't forget, card backs were printed first then sent to the printer that was doing the fronts. After that the sheets were sent to Topps for cutting and packing.

The whole process was very convoluted and if you factor in design, testing, proofing, etc, it's almost dizzying. But definitely interesting!

I am surprised more wrong back cards don't pop up. Good info