Excellent Article on Topps USA Test Hockey Cards

[samosa4u]

http://www.thetoppsarchives.com/2016...en-ricker.html

I came across this very well written article on the Topps Archives. It was posted on the 23rd of July of 2016.

It is a fact that these cards were released in 1967. Furthermore, I did manage to get a picture of the bottom of the Topps Test box which has the code:


Courtesy of Bobby Burrell

Almost every hockey card collector out there thinks that these test cards were released at the same time as the Canadian issue (printed by O-Pee-Chee). Furthermore, PSA has put 1966 on their labels as the date of issue. None of this is true. If PSA corrected this error, then the value of the test Bobby Orr card will plummet! This will obviously be very bad for some people, as they have spent thousands and thousands of their hard-earned dollars on this particular card.

Now I'm not angry at PSA for making this error, because I don't think their research department has ever been given this information. If someone takes the time to reach out to PSA, and spends months and months going back and forth with them, then they just might do it! I have gotten them to change the dates of a few soccer issues, but again, it was a very long and tiring process.

Enjoy the above article, and if you have any questions, then post them here and we all can start an interesting discussion.

[Tomi]

The Orr card will not plummet in any way. Many of us knew this long before the article and still treat the card the same.

[samosa4u]

Originally Posted by Tomi

The Orr card will not plummet in any way. Many of us knew this long before the article and still treat the card the same.

If you look at all the major sellers, whether it's Heritage, PWCC, Prob, etc., you will see that they described the Topps Test Orr as being his "rookie" from "1966." Now are you telling me that if they were to put "1967" and "second-year card" in their descriptions that it would not have any affect on its value? I think it will take a serious beating.

Let's compare the following cards price-wise:

- 1951 Parkhurst G. Howe vs. 1952 Parkhurst G. Howe

- 1951 Parkhurst M. Richard vs. 1952 Parkhurst M. Richard

- 1966 Topps B. Orr vs. 1967 Topps B. Orr

- 1979 O-Pee-Chee W. Gretzky vs. 1980 O-Pee-Chee W. Gretzky

As you can see, there is a huge difference between rookies and second-year cards.

As for the second part of your paragraph - I don't know. I mean, sure, maybe there are a few of you hockey experts that were aware of this information, however, I still feel that majority of collectors think these test cards were released at the same time as the Canadian issue. And again, it doesn't help when you have PSA, the most popular grading company out there, labeling these cards as being from 1966.

[Tomi]

Originally Posted by samosa4u

If you look at all the major sellers, whether it's Heritage, PWCC, Prob, etc., you will see that they described the Topps Test Orr as being his "rookie" from "1966." Now are you telling me that if they were to put "1967" and "second-year card" in their descriptions that it would not have any affect on its value? I think it will take a serious beating.

Let's compare the following cards price-wise:

- 1951 Parkhurst G. Howe vs. 1952 Parkhurst G. Howe

- 1951 Parkhurst M. Richard vs. 1952 Parkhurst M. Richard

- 1966 Topps B. Orr vs. 1967 Topps B. Orr

- 1979 O-Pee-Chee W. Gretzky vs. 1980 O-Pee-Chee W. Gretzky

As you can see, there is a huge difference between rookies and second-year cards.

As for the second part of your paragraph - I don't know. I mean, sure, maybe there are a few of you hockey experts that were aware of this information, however, I still feel that majority of collectors think these test cards were released at the same time as the Canadian issue. And again, it doesn't help when you have PSA, the most popular grading company out there, labeling these cards as being from 1966.

No effect whatsoever. Like I said many of us already know and it hasn't changed anything.

[steve B]

The hockey season being spread across two calendar years makes the year of issue sort of pointless. While Topps labeled it as being a 1967 product, that could still be anywhere from January till whenever the season ended.

Unless there's some indication they did the test set during the 67-68 season, but why would they test last years design when they had a regular 67-8 set being issued.