Cracking the Code: How to Decipher Vintage Topps Case Stamps

A couple of weeks ago, I shared a few tweets and an update in Newsletter #29, highlighting some cool empty cases that Collect Auctions sold in their March 2023 Spring Auction. The Topps Archives, an extraordinary hobby blog, also featured some of these cases in a pair of articles titled “Shipping Out” and “Highly Anticipated.” … Read more

Uncovering Topps’ X-Out Box Practices: A Look at a 1982 Cello Case with Original Purchase Receipt

In the world of vintage sports card collecting, Topps is THE brand. For decades, the company has produced some of the industry’s most iconic and sought-after cards. Among these treasures is the 1982 Topps Baseball set, which includes the rookie card for Cal Ripken Jr. And, recently, collectors have been buzzing about the sale of … Read more

Star Card Placement in Topps Baseball Rack Packs Between 1975 and 1982

There’s a lot of fraud in the modern sports card market, particularly in vintage unopened products. One of the significant frauds has been folks who modify rack packs and replace cards with stars cards on the front or back. So I thought I would share some information about which panel the stars should be in … Read more

Random Variations in How Topps Packaged and Distributed Vintage Cards

Historically, quality control was never a forte of the Topps company. And people with a background in printing will tell you that throwing material away is equivalent to throwing money away. Therefore, when it comes to vintage unopened, there are a lot of examples, and random variations, to the way Topps packaged and distributed cards … Read more

Good Luck Finding These 3 Vintage Sports Cards

The other day a collector emailed me a story he had written for Sports Collectors Digest many years ago about a few cards that are (almost) impossible to find. He thought I’d be particularly interested in the story about the 1954 Bowman #66 Ted Williams card that was yanked from production and replaced with teammate … Read more

A Few Ways Topps Distributed Uncut Sheets Directly To Customers

I love uncut sheets of sports cards. They make excellent display pieces, and they’re often scarce, they provide set education, finish “master” collections, and provide hobby integrity. So despite the storage problem, they continue to be popular collectibles. But how did these sheets make their way to the market if cards were meant to be … Read more

10 Random Post War Baseball Card Facts

The sports card hobby is full of interesting quirks and tidbits. Perhaps some of these factoids will make for longer, dedicated blog posts in the future, but in the meantime, here are ten random (and short) post-war baseball card facts. 1 Topps released cards in dedicated series through 1973, usually releasing a new series every … Read more