1969 and 1970 MLB Photostamps Info

[a761506]

Wow, I thought I knew this issue pretty well, but learned something new here... never knew about the back variations.

I had always known that the Standard Catalog had them listed incorrectly when it has all the players listed by team as opposed to by Series, which is how they were issued...

I have always thought that PSA doesn't know anything about them either, as they seemed to just arbitrarily assign the year as 1969 or 1970 to the ones which have always been known as the 1969 issue. I had always thought there was no such thing as a 1970 Clemente, even though PSA has graded 15 of them as such. Now, knowing of the reprinting, there technically is a 1970 issue, although, since they can't tell them apart, they really should just consider all cards from sheets labeled Series 1-18 as 1969, and all 75 cards from Series 19-25 sheets as 1970. I have always thought that those 75 cards are much tougher than the 1969 cards.

Looking at the PSA pop. report, of the 137 total graded under 1970, only 65 of them can actually be determined to be from 1970.

[sschauer]

Wanted to bring this back to light for a minute as I think I might finally have a small grasp on these. In particular the 1969 var 2 they were issued in a different booklet 4 different ones the description lists 48 in each booklet which leaves 24 shy for real 69 set found these photos from a old ebay auction so not the best pictures. I wondered does anyone own these and have better pictures and could verify the exact ones in var 2. They were separated by league and the division so

SERIES 1 AL Oakland, Minnesota, Chicago, Kansas City, Seattle, California
SERIES 2 AL Baltimore, Boston, Detroit, Washington, New York, Cleveland
SERIES 3 NL Atlanta, San Francisco, Cincinnati, Los Angeles, Houston, San Diego
SERIES 4 NL Chicago, Pittsburgh, New York, St Louis, Philadelphia, Montreal

sschauer - yes, the variation 2/type 2 stamps were created for and included in the 4 division mini-albums, and I've been able to confirm that there were indeed only 192 "type 2" stamps (48 x 4 booklets). 12 ALers and 12 NLers don't exist as "type 2" (whiter stock and solid line on the back). I've identified most of the missing 24, and hope to know all of them soon. I'll post my findings as soon as I can.

[Harford20]

PART 1
I am bringing forward a very old thread as my father and I have been trying to “clarify” all the data regarding the MLB photostamps that were released in 1969 and 1970. Much of this work and our inspiration came from Net54 member Karl Mattson, but to our knowledge is more accurate than any other data on this topic that we have found. I have broken this into two reports, the “1969” (or so-called 1969) and the “1970” just to try to remain readable.

1969 MLB PhotoStamps -- (408 possible):
Variety/Type 1 with backs a&b = 216
Variety/Type 2 = 192

1969 Variety 1 (aka. Type 1) with backs a&b – (just for the sake of clarity, I have given an “a” and “b” designation to the differing back variations). This set of 216 hand-cut stamps with dotted line backs (the 1-7/8”x~3” (height was >15/16” & >3”) to the “cut lines) were on 18 sheets -- AL. 1-9 and NL 1-9 printed on off-white stock, with some having "Official Album" verbiage (the “b” back) on backs but no players exist with both "Official Album" AND Regular Backs. These are listed in the Sports Collectors Digest Standard Catalog (SCD) by sheet and in the Beckett Almanac (Beckett’s) listing has the 216 players listed alphabetically in groups of 9 players undivided by team name (team designation is cited in the general verbiage).

[Harford20]

PART 2
1969 Variety 2 (aka. Type 2) – The Variety/Type 2 set was first issued early in 1969 in 4 booklets each containing 48 -- 1-7/8” by 3" PhotoStamps (4 to a ½ page – totaling 192). When affixed in the albums the players would correspond to each division -- NL West & East, and AL West& East. The back had a “shortened solid” line separating the gluing instructions and is printed on slicker, whiter stock. This “solid line” variety is more scarce, particularly in both AL booklets, as well as the NL West booklet.

192 hand-cut cards with short solid line (between glue instructions) backs (the stamps were 1-7/8”x 3” to the back side “cut lines). These 192 photostamps were issued in early 1969 in 4 booklets of 48 stamps (printed on slicker, whiter stock of less weight than the Type 1) in the team arrangement below:

SERIES 1 AL Oakland, Minnesota, Chicago, Kansas City, Seattle, California = 48 stamps
SERIES 2 AL Baltimore, Boston, Detroit, Washington, New York, Cleveland = 48 stamps
SERIES 3 NL Atlanta, San Francisco, Cincinnati, Los Angeles, Houston, San Diego = 48 stamps
SERIES 4 NL Chicago, Pittsburgh, New York, St Louis, Philadelphia, Montreal = 48 stamps

[Harford20]

You will quickly notice two things about these 1969 Type 2 card fronts. First, if you compare the Clemente fronts from the 12-player sheet in the Type 1 section and the 8-player sheet above, you will see they look identical. The only difference comes in the paper weight and whiter stock color, OR when you see the stamp back. Second, on a stamp like the PSA 1969 MLB stamp of Hank Aaron above, the “yellow” header is always present in these 12-player sheets, but there is no yellow on any 8-player sheet so for stamps in the Aaron position on the 12-player sheets, both the fronts AND backs are different between the Type 1 and Type 2 in 1969.

These are not specifically noted in either the SCD or the Beckett’s. The following 24 players (alphabetically) of the above cited group (Type 1) of 216 were NOT issued in the earlier "Type 2" group:

*1969 Variation Player Differences -- Present ONLY in Type 1 stamps/ Absent in Type 2:
AL
Andy Etchebarren - Orioles
Bob Allison - Twins
Bob Rogers - Angels
Chico Salmon - Pilots
Ed Stroud - Senators
John Donaldson - A's
Jose Santiago - Red Sox
Ken Berry - White Sox
Larry Brown - Indians
Mickey Stanley - Tigers
Steve Hamilton - Yankees
Steve Whitaker - Royals
NL
Bob Aspromonte - Braves
Bill Hands - Cubs
Tony Cloninger - Reds
Jesus Alou - Astros
Len Gabrielson - Dodgers
Jim Fairey - Expos
Bud Harrelson - Mets
Rick Wise - Phillies
Jerry May - Pirates
Dick Selma - Padres
Mike McCormick - Giants
Dal Maxville - Cardinals



In Summary:

1969 MLB PhotoStamps

While the Variety /Type 1 set was issued for baseball's 1969 Centennial is well cataloged, there is a variation to it. We believe that the 4 booklets each containing 48 stamps corresponding to each division NLwest, east, AL west, east, listed at Variety/Type 2, actually were released early in 1969 with only the 192 player stamps available. Then the Variety /Type 1 stamps (216) were re-released later on in the year in the traditional 18 sheets of 12. This made for the addition of 24 extra players for the second set.

Variety/Type 1 (a & b) were issued on18 sheets (A.L. 1-9 and N.L 1-9) of 12 random players each (Note: the actual AL & NL Albums were formatted for 9 players for each of 24 teams = 216 total). This printing has a “dotted” line on the back separating the gluing instructions replacing the “shortened solid” line on the back of the earlier photostamp, and is printed on off-white stock. The Type 1b stamps have additional language on the backs about pasting the stamps in the Official Album, but the players whose stamps have that language ALWAYS have that language -- It's not a variation. And, no players exist with both with both back types.

The variation between the two printings is mainly on the back and the total number of players. The photos are identical although on many you may find they are cropped a hair different (or have the yellow border as noted in the Aaron above). The Variety/Type 2 (first print run) stamps are much scarcer and have a solid line on the back while the Variety /Type 1 set (second print run) carries a dotted line.

Neither variety of 1969 PhotoStamps is tear-perforated.

[Harford20]

As the 1970 MLB Photostamps are even less well described, I will break down these variations similar to the 1969 MLB variations for clarity only. These are not described this way in any documentation (i.e. SCD, Becketts), but we feel it is difficult to describe the information without this separation.

1970 MLB PhotoStamps -- (303 possible -- 87 unique to 1970):
Variety/Type 1 with backs a&b = 216
Variety/Type 2 = 75
Variety/Type 3 =12

1970 Variety/Type 1 a&b -- 216 hand-cut with dotted line backs, some have "Official Album" verbiage on backs but no players exist with both back types. This is an IDENTICAL Re-issue (continued issue?) of the 1969 216 PhotoStamps (1-7/8”x~3” (height was >15/16”& >3”) to the “cut lines). As noted above in the 1969 discussion, the original 216 stamps were on 18 sheets (AL. 1-9 and NL 1-9) of 12 PhotoStamps each (not grouped by team or listed alphabetically) though they were issued with two types of backs and possibly some variance in card stock.
Due to these 1970 Variety/Type 1 a&b cards being identical to the 1969 version, many refer to
ALL these photostamps as 1969/1970 versions (as we did above in the 1969 section)

Note: The photo examples here are the same as in the 1969 Variety/Type 1 above

1970 Variety/Type 2 -- 75 hand-cut with long dashes on backs, cap logos are NOT airbrushed and players are not included in any previous 1969 set. These stamps, unique to 1970 are listed below. These players were NOT in the 1969/1970 set of 216, their cap logos ARE visible (NOT airbrushed), and their backs have long dash marks (NOT dotted or solid lines) separating the gluing instructions (see scan). These PhotoStamps are printed on paper lighter in color and marginally lighter weight. These came on 7 sheets (6 had 12 players, a 7th had only 3 players).

The SCD for the 1970 MLB Photostamps lists 288 of the total 291 players by team (the 3 players on the final sheet #25 are not included). The Beckett’s listing has the 288 players listed alphabetically in groups of 12 players undivided by team name (team designation is cited in the general verbiage).