Another theaory on why High Number series are rare

[skil55voy]

I can't speak to any of the cards before 1962. I started collecting in 1962 and I nearly completed the set from packs. I was living in Detroit at the time. (I was missing 10 or so cards which I picked up years later on at shows) I had the green tints and alternate poses. (Wally Moon etc..) In 1963 I never saw any series cards after the 4th Series in stores. In 1964 nothing after the 5th series. I collected an entire set in 1965 with the 7th series showing up in the stores in the middle of August. In 1966 nothing after the 6th series. (Sent a dollar to Topps and bought 10 cards in the 7th Series ordering by number) In 1967 once we got past the 5th series, cards were hard to find. I had partial series 6th and 7th series cards. (Had a Seaver rookie but no Carew) In 1968 I finished the set in August as well as 1969. 70,71,72 much the same as the early 60's. (I sent away to Topps for the final series in 70 and 71.) That all being said......
The owner of the local market where I bought most of my packs explained that he only got what he got from the wholesaler. If the wholesaler didn't order he didn't get. If the wholesaler didn't sell all of cards to local stores he may not order any more if he got orders later in the summer he would send what he had. ( I remember opening packs in late August in 1966 and 1970 and getting 4th or 5th series cards. ) The wholesalers basically controlled distribution.

[steve B]

The place to look isn't at what the kids were buying - Retailer to consumer.
But at the wholesaler to retailer business.

Any retailer, and the corner store people have been pretty sharp forever, would have to believe they would sell through the last series. If not, they wouldn't order them,in favor of something else. And with a need to preorder, the wholesalers salesmen would have been pushing football or something else in late summer to early fall. Then maybe hockey in some areas.


That lasted into the late 70's. Star Wars cards were very popular. First the blue and red sets, then the green and yellow ones. And there I figured it ended.
Until a friend from the other end of town asked if I had any of the orange ones.... In our town of about 50,000, only one store had them, and they sold out pretty quickly. I got a few, but only managed a couple trips up there.
Meanwhile all the small stores near me still had both the green and yellow series. and had them for a long time.

[Zach Wheat]

This is more of an offshoot to the original posters point; however, in the late 60's and 70's Topps selected star players for cards that were numbered at 100, 200, 300 etc/. with minor stars numbered at the 50, 150, 250, 350 positions. Not sure when this practice started or ended, but I remember it occurring.

[waxman27]

I think that Topps held out some of the big stars of the day until the high series, specifically in 1970 and 1971.

I agree with the above post regarding Bench and Robinson in the 1970 Series 7.

The 1970 AL MVP Boog Powell was in the high series in 1971, card #700.

Was Ryan a star after the 1969 World Series? He is in the last series, but only #712 not #700.

[Volod]

Originally Posted by steve B

The place to look isn't at what the kids were buying - Retailer to consumer.
But at the wholesaler to retailer business.

Any retailer, and the corner store people have been pretty sharp forever, would have to believe they would sell through the last series. If not, they wouldn't order them,in favor of something else. And with a need to preorder, the wholesalers salesmen would have been pushing football or something else in late summer to early fall. Then maybe hockey in some areas.

I dunno, Steve - My old man was a retailer in the 1960's and reasonably sharp, I suppose, and his corner store carried a large selection of cards, but the storeroom was relatively small. Since I worked there after school, I can recall many discussions he had with wholesalers about ordering stuff. The salesman would try to push new cards and my father would yell he had unopened boxes of earlier series that had to be returned because he couldn't move them. I recall him getting especially annoyed when the wholesaler once refused to extend a return credit because the merchandise was past its return date. I had to haul a couple of large cases of 1961 baseball cards out back to a dumpster because the storeroom needed more room. Painful memory now.

[Zach Wheat]

Originally Posted by Volod

....I had to haul a couple of large cases of 1961 baseball cards out back to a dumpster because the storeroom needed more room. Painful memory now.

What memories!

[steve B]

Originally Posted by Volod

I dunno, Steve - My old man was a retailer in the 1960's and reasonably sharp, I suppose, and his corner store carried a large selection of cards, but the storeroom was relatively small. Since I worked there after school, I can recall many discussions he had with wholesalers about ordering stuff. The salesman would try to push new cards and my father would yell he had unopened boxes of earlier series that had to be returned because he couldn't move them. I recall him getting especially annoyed when the wholesaler once refused to extend a return credit because the merchandise was past its return date. I had to haul a couple of large cases of 1961 baseball cards out back to a dumpster because the storeroom needed more room. Painful memory now.

That's pretty much what I was thinking, the wholesaler would get pushed by Topps and would push the retailer, who wasn't buying if they still had earlier series.

Damn, cases of 61..... If anyone knew.

[jingram058]

I agree totally with wholesaler to retailer as stated above. However, that said, with my parents' help, I did build complete 1967 and 1968 Topps sets in their entirety, by the checklists, with many, many dupes, from 5 cent wax packs bought mainly at TG&Y and Kroger.

[jchcollins]

Although not nearly as difficult as other high number series either before, (1952) or in the years that followed - I always found it interesting that Topps stuck Willie Mays, Yogi Berra, and Duke Snider (all in NY and huge at the time) in the last series in 1955. Hodges and Rizzuto aren't low numbers either.

[rats60]

I agree with the above. I think it was totally driven by distribution and sales. High series cards were printed in larger numbers when released earlier in the year. 1965 was my first year and we got lots of all series cards. In 1967 we didn't get 7th series but had a ton of 6th series. In 1968-69 we had 7th series in August. In 1970 I asked for cards for my mid-August birthday party and only got 4th series. I didn't find 5th series until September when a kid at school let me know they were in the vending machine at K-Mart and I was still hunting 7th series too.

I don't think player selection had anything to do with sales. We just wanted cards and there were still stars in each series. In the 60s, only 3 players brought a premium, Mantle, Mays and Koufax. If Topps was concerned about player selection, why were all 3 in the 1st series in 1966? Wouldn't they be concerned that later series wouldn't sell?

Then look at 1970. Aaron in the 5th series, Mays and Rose in the 6th and the two best players on the two best teams, Johnny Bench and Frank Robinson in the 7th series. Why didn't Topps print that last series heavy instead of short printing it?