1955-1970 Topps Virtual Series Sheets

[Kevvyg1026]

Saw this for sale recently, so the 1958 series 4 slits are now known, Series 4 has 88 cards, so there are 8 rows printed 3x each across the sheet. Series 4 printng has cards 287 to 374.

1958_4a.jpg

[Cliff Bowman]

Here is a 1955 Topps Slit that was reconstucted by a board member a few years back. While the other known 1955 Topps 1st Series Slit makes sense with the pattern of fifty different cards with forty printed 2x and ten printed 3x, this Slit makes no sense and has cards printed all over with no patterns other than the Diering horizontal row being printed twice. I am baffled how the 1955 Topps set was printed by each Series and the quantities of each card.

[toppcat]

At a guess, things like the "double Spahn" above Jackie could have been due to a player exclusive to Bowman being pulled last second. This is also the sheet the Baseball Stamps were culled from.

[deweyinthehall]

For a long time we've had a less-than-perfect image of one of the '67 high number slits. Detective work done by others on these boards has now allowed us to create a faux version of the other slit. In mocking up this faux version I went ahead and put one together of the "known" slit to give us the chance to see both side by side as they may have appeared originally on the full sheet layout. Sizing issues with the images used for this have led to some issues impacting the alignment of these cards.

Still, an interesting image - 6 rows X3, 1 row X4 and 1 row X5.

[deweyinthehall]

FYI I tried uploading a larger version without success...

[Cliff Bowman]

Fantastic! This is only my opinion but I have no doubt that someone at Topps screwed up by repeating the Pinson row and the Red Sox Rookie Stars row twice on the first slit but they decided to just run with it anyway rather than take the time and money required to fix it. I believe the first two rows on the first slit were supposed to be either the Ferrara row and the NL Rookie Stars row or the NL Rookie Stars row and the Colavito row.

[toppcat]

Originally Posted by Cliff Bowman

Fantastic! This is only my opinion but I have no doubt that someone at Topps screwed up by repeating the Pinson row and the Red Sox Rookie Stars row twice on the first slit but they decided to just run with it anyway rather than take the time and money required to fix it. I believe the first two rows on the first slit were supposed to be either the Ferrara row and the NL Rookie Stars row or the NL Rookie Stars row and the Colavito row.

Yes, or something got damaged with no time to fix the row up again. The row with the Seaver rookie and the ten other "SP" running along the bottom of one slit is interesting as well-what happened there, some mangling during cutting? The 11 in that row are the toughies (relatively) in the highs.

[Cliff Bowman]

I was able to make them a little bigger. Here is Slit A.

[Cliff Bowman]

Here is a little bigger Slit B.

[stlcardsfan]

Great seeing these side by side, thanks Cliff. Explains a lot after building that set!

[Cliff Bowman]

Kevin found this recently from Heritage Auctions, it looks like we got everything right but it feels like we did all of that work for nothing for however long it was on that sheet. It's a shame it wasn't the 1966 6th Series.

[stevepoland]

Anyone have a series 5 sheet of '67?

[jmoran19]

series 5 for 1967

[Cliff Bowman]

Originally Posted by jmoran19

series 5 for 1967

Nice! What’s bizarre about that series is that many sellers on eBay and even Dean’s Cards have 44 of the 88 cards listed as double prints which of course they’re not. Trading Card Database (TCDB) also had 44 of them listed as DP’s a couple of years ago so I used my privileges and removed all of the DP designations from the 44 cards and a few hours later I was contacted by an administrator/mod and asked why I did that, I explained that the 1967 5th Series is 88 cards with each printed evenly 3x over the two Slits with no SP’s or DP’s. They must have believed me because it was never changed back.

[deweyinthehall]

A composite faux slit from the semi-hi series from '62.

As usual, owing to irregularities in size and tilt of available images and because of the wood borders, it's probably best to not zoom in too closely - as Dr. Zeus said to Taylor, you may not like what you find (it ain't pretty).

[Cliff Bowman]

Originally Posted by deweyinthehall

A composite faux slit from the semi-hi series from '62.

As usual, owing to irregularities in size and tilt of available images and because of the wood borders, it's probably best to not zoom in too closely - as Dr. Zeus said to Taylor, you may not like what you find (it ain't pretty).

It looks beautiful to me ! It's been so long since we did that one I forgot which rows are 3x and which ones are 4x. I'm sure Kevin knows. ETA: The McLish row and the Bunning row are 3x, I will have to determine the other two 3x rows.

[deweyinthehall]

Frankensteined together by detective work done by others:

[Cliff Bowman]

Originally Posted by deweyinthehall

Frankensteined together by detective work done by others:

Beautiful work as always! The 1966 Topps 4th Series might not be interesting to some because it’s an 88 card series with no SP’s but this was the longest and most difficult one that Kevin and I have completed so far, that is unless we ever finish the 1969 Topps 3rd Series.

[Kevvyg1026]

Such confidence, but I expect the 1966 series 6 and the 1965 series 6 to keep us occupied until the end of my collecting days. LOL

Originally Posted by Cliff Bowman

Beautiful work as always! The 1966 Topps 4th Series might not be interesting to some because it’s an 88 card series with no SP’s but this was the longest and most difficult one that Kevin and I have completed so far, that is unless we ever finish the 1969 Topps 3rd Series.

[Cliff Bowman]

Just wanted to add a few that we completed but haven't been put on this thread. First is 1963 Topps 7th Series.

[Kevvyg1026]

As Cliff pointed out in a recent post, that 110 card partial slit is missing the bottom two rows. Here is the other slit, confirming that.

1962t-3rd-uncut-1a.jpg

[Kevvyg1026]

I do not have a completed 1962 series 4 slit, although I believe there is sufficient info to complete it.

[jmoran19]

Originally Posted by Kevvyg1026

I do not have a completed 1962 series 4 slit, although I believe there is sufficient info to complete it.

Here you go

[Cliff Bowman]

Here is the 1970 7th Series B Slit that was put together a couple of months ago.

[quitcrab]

1966

[Cliff Bowman]

Originally Posted by quitcrab

1966

If that was a 6th Series Slit I would have sold something and PayPal'd you $100 out of eternal gratitude.

[deweyinthehall]

Originally Posted by Cliff Bowman

If that was a 6th Series Slit I would have sold something and PayPal'd you $100 out of eternal gratitude.

Seriously...I was a half second from jumping out of my chair when I saw that...

[stevepoland]

Does anyone have this?

PS no one has created a website with all the sheets easily searchable/viewable, right 🤣 Searching this forum is something else 🤣

Thank you for the great work everyone has done 🙏🏻

[Cliff Bowman]

Here is a 1967 6th Series virtual slit that hasn't been shown on this thread.

[jmoran19]

Originally Posted by stevepoland

Does anyone have this?

PS no one has created a website with all the sheets easily searchable/viewable, right �� Searching this forum is something else ��

Thank you for the great work everyone has done ����

Member here has created a site that contains uncut sheets

https://mrpekrul.wixsite.com/narciss...ps-set-history

[stevepoland]

Everyone may have this, but it was just posted on Facebook.

[Cliff Bowman]

I think this is the last completed virtual sheet to not be posted on this thread, the 1969 3rd Series. The Hunter, Harrelson, Ricketts, and Cottier rows are 3x, the other 6 rows are 2x. The Reggie Jackson rookie is a 3x. Unfortunately this will probably be the last reconstructed sheet that will be completed, the remaining ones like 1965 6th Series and 1966 6th Series are pipe dreams at this point.

[deweyinthehall]

One of the two 7th series slits - identical to the other slit given 66 cards in the series (65 +1 reprint of the checklist)...

[obcbeatle]

Originally Posted by Cliff Bowman

I think this is the last completed virtual sheet to not be posted on this thread, the 1969 3rd Series. The Hunter, Harrelson, Ricketts, and Cottier rows are 3x, the other 6 rows are 2x. The Reggie Jackson rookie is a 3x. Unfortunately this will probably be the last reconstructed sheet that will be completed, the remaining ones like 1965 6th Series and 1966 6th Series are pipe dreams at this point.

Love this thread, is the reason that the 1965 & 1966 6th Series are pipe dreams because, those 2 series were short print series, and there are few examples of MC/OC cards in the wild ? If so, why on earth would Topps suddenly be able to correct their MC/OC card production problem for just those 2 series, after years of printing MC/OC cards, before & after 1965/1966?

[Cliff Bowman]

Originally Posted by obcbeatle

Love this thread, is the reason that the 1965 & 1966 6th Series are pipe dreams because, those 2 series were short print series, and there are few examples of MC/OC cards in the wild ? If so, why on earth would Topps suddenly be able to correct their MC/OC card production problem for just those 2 series, after years of printing MC/OC cards, before & after 1965/1966?

I would love to do either 6th Series from 1965 and 1966 but there are just not enough miscuts available to advance any further than we have. 1965 6th Series has some wrong backs, vertical miscuts, and horizontal miscuts but we have hit a dead end and a new one pops up maybe once every three months. 1966 6th Series has some vertical miscuts but there are no wrong backs and almost no horizontal miscuts. I can’t remember the last time a new 1966 6th Series miscut even showed up.

[Cliff Bowman]

Originally Posted by deweyinthehall

One of the two 7th series slits - identical to the other slit given 66 cards in the series (65 +1 reprint of the checklist)...

Wow, that was quick! Looks great. There are a few series with partial or near complete sheets that Kevin and I were able to reconstruct to full slits and hopefully turn them into virtual sheets. This is a near complete 1961 7th Series sheet missing the first card on every row along with a few others that we were able to place correctly.

[obcbeatle]

Thanks for the reply Cliff, and thanks for all your hard work, plus all the others, who have worked on these sheets/slits!

[deweyinthehall]

Here is a reconstruction of one of the 1st series slits from 1961, based upon the detective work of other esteemed members of these boards.

[Cliff Bowman]

Originally Posted by deweyinthehall

Here is a reconstruction of one of the 1st series slits from 1961, based upon the detective work of other esteemed members of these boards.

Looks great as always! The S Miller, Piche, Romano, and Kindall rows are 3x and the other six rows are 2x. I can't confirm it but I am very confident the other slit goes:

Lopez
Kirkland
Romano
Kindall
O'Dell
S Miller
Piche
C Boyer
Maye
Killebrew
Romano
Kindall

[Cliff Bowman]

I found this on WorthPoint, it's the second time an original sheet has come up after Kevin and I have rebuilt one. I spotted an error on the sheet we reconstructed, Marv Breeding and World Series Game #2 in the green row should be flipped. At least it's the other slit with a different order of rows.

[deweyinthehall]

Viola...all is as it should be.

[Cliff Bowman]

Originally Posted by deweyinthehall

Viola...all is as it should be.

You are the man!

[deweyinthehall]

Just let me know when Worthpoint spits out a 1966 6th series slit....

[Kevvyg1026]

or a 1965 6th series.

[deweyinthehall]

Thanks again to the diligent work of others, we can put another older Topps series arrangement to bed. Because it contains 88 cards, it is possible to say with high confidence that we know both slit arrangements because 88 card full sheets are known to always follow the ABCDEFGHABCD and EFGHABCDEFGH pattern.

[Cliff Bowman]

Wow, that was quick! The recent thread on the 1957 4th Series that had a couple of panels from the 3rd Series gave me the idea of reconstructing the 3rd Series slits. I don’t know if Sports Collectors Digest was able to recreate the 1957 3rd Series sheet like they did with the 2nd and 4th Series for their 1999 cover story of the Alan Rosen 1957 Topps sheets find. It didn’t take Kevin and I too long to do this one compared to most other series. We just finished the 1958 3rd Series that we have been working on and off on for over a year.

[Kevvyg1026]

I saw this on ebay, a proof sheet for series 4 from 1961. Cliff and I will be working on the remaining 44 cards from this series, unless someone has an image of a slit from the series (wishful thinking???).


61 4 proof sheet-min.jpg


BTW, based on this miscut, the series 5 checklist which will appear on this sheet should be the one without the ad for the MVP cards.

1961_361_ad_marichal-min.jpg

[ncal88]

Has anyone started work on the 1958 Series 1 sheet?

I’m working on building the master set and the yellow variations have intrigued me.

I have found some successful pairings from miscuts I can post if anyone else is interested in working on it with me.

[Cliff Bowman]

Originally Posted by ncal88

Has anyone started work on the 1958 Series 1 sheet?

I’m working on building the master set and the yellow variations have intrigued me.

I have found some successful pairings from miscuts I can post if anyone else is interested in working on it with me.

Funny you should ask, Kevin and I have figured out the three missing rows of 33 cards but we cannot figure out for the life of us how the slits go. There are so many row changes that there is no way they could do all of them over two slits, we suspect Topps made at least at least four slits. The other 77 cards were known through partial sheets.

[toppcat]

Originally Posted by ncal88

Has anyone started work on the 1958 Series 1 sheet?

I’m working on building the master set and the yellow variations have intrigued me.

I have found some successful pairings from miscuts I can post if anyone else is interested in working on it with me.

There's all sorts of weirdness in 1958, capped by the four high numbers being (partially) pulled to allow for the Triple Printing of the Mantle and Musial AS cards. I've sometimes wondered if they had some sort of progressive printing in '58, where some cards from the current series would be subbed out for others from the next as printing went on through each series. I'm not talking about the checklist and series lagging stuff they pulled in the sixties but true sub-outs and new press runs.

And I'm not sure if this helps or not but Sam Rosen, who was Woody Gelman's stepfather and surely had the SP/DP info to pass to him, had this unique pricing breakdown in his July 1958 sales list: