It’s always seemed odd to me that 1969 Topps Decals are so inexpensive. The 48-color set, printed on thin cellophane and measuring just 1½” by 1½”, was inserted into packs of the regular 1969 Topps Baseball issue. Despite featuring stars like Reggie Jackson and Willie Mays, there have only been a handful of four-figure individual card sales from the set—ever.
The priciest sale, according to Card Ladder, occured just a few weeks ago on eBay when on October 1st, a PSA 10-graded Reggie Jackson, from the Dmitri Young Collection sold for a best offer price of $2,000.
Recently, though, I came across something that might help explain it. While flipping through Mastro’s November 2001 auction catalog, I found a fascinating listing: a 1969 Topps Decal Factory Partial Roll containing 3,200 decals, including 12 of the 48 different subjects.
The lot description referenced two even larger sales earlier that year; 10,000-count factory rolls auctioned by MastroNet in March 2001.
Partial uncut roll of 3,200+ 1969 Topps Mini Decals. Included are 12 of the 48 different decals which comprise the complete the set. Thus, four different rolls, each representing 12 different players, would be required to allow for complete sets. This partial uncut roll has approximately 267 of each of the following 12 players: Hank Aaron, Willie McCovey, Fergie Jenkins, Luis Aparicio, Tim McCarver, Richie Allen, Frank Howard, Tom Haller, Rick Monday, Tommy Helms, Don Mincher and Jim Fregosi. Decals are in Nr/Mt-Mt condition. The 1969 Topps Decal insert issue was manufactured in the U.K. as is printed on the front each decal. If unrolled the decals on this roll would span approximately 155 yards. The Standard Catalog book value of the decals on this roll is in excess of $27,000. MastroNet’s March 2001 auction included two different 10,000 count 1969 Topps Decal factory rolls (one with Mays, the other with Jackson) which sold for $30,203 and $33,224 respectively. This partial roll of “only” 3200 decals is a little more manageable but probably still represents a lifetime supply for any collector or dealer.
Thanks to scans shared by Collexicon, we know the two massive rolls were actually sold by Robert Edward Auctions, then a division of MastroNet Inc.
What happened to those rolls is unclear. Were they cut up and distributed into the hobby, inflating the population counts at PSA (almost 11k) and SGC (a little over 1,300)? Were more rolls (or cut decals) uncovered later, separate from the original pack-inserts? Or is it simply that collectors haven’t embraced decals with the same enthusiasm as base cards?
Whatever the reason, 1969 Topps Decals remain one of the more curious vintage inserts; colorful, fragile, historically interesting, and, conveintly for some of us, still affordable.
Happy collecting!
Be First to Comment