The Post War Cards Newsletter #100
More 1954 Topps File Copies Surface From The Vault
This is the final week of the Inaugural Rabbit Hole Auction, as it closes on Sunday, October 19th, so Register Now if you haven’t done so already, and Get Your Bids In!
⚾️ More 1954 Topps File Copies Surface From The Vault
I’ve long been a fan of Topps File Copy sets, sometimes called Gelman Catalogs, named for Woody Gelman, who led Topps’ Product Development Department and saved two copies of each card, pasting them into albums. I covered a batch of late-’50s Topps Vault File Copy Football Cards in NL #24 and a slabbed 1954 Topps Andy Carey example in NL #25. I’m also updating and republishing a four-part series on these items from my blog archives over the next few weeks. For now, though, I wanted to highlight two more 1954 Topps sales that recently popped up on eBay.
First, on August 30th, a copy of Ed Mathews’ card #30, which was used to highlight the back of the card in a Gelman album (with a stain on the front), sold for $150, a solid discount from the list price of $309.39.
And second, on September 8th, a copy of Ed Lopat’s card #5, which was used to highlight the front of the card (with a stain on the back), sold for $95 and included the Topps Vault COA.
If someone is trying to complete a 1954 Topps Vault File copy graded run, good luck to them! I suspect that many of these hit the market around May/June 2007 when the ‘57s did. I do know that Guernsey’s didn’t sell the 54 Topps files in the 1989 Topps Auction. A few other 1954 Topps Vault File Copy cards I’ve seen include Yogi Berra, Monte Irvin, and Phil Rizzuto (all 2/2 - glue on the front copies).
🤹♂️ Oddball Archive Updates
Each week, I’m adding more quirky, creative, and under-the-radar sets to The Oddball Archive. Here are the latest ones I’ve documented, proof that some of the hobby’s best stories live outside the mainstream.