The Post War Cards Newsletter #44
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👓 1968 Topps 3-D Proof/Test Issues
Jason Simonds is a consignment director for Heritage Auctions in New York City. About two weeks ago, he shared a pair of cards that recently came across his desk.
Simonds wrote, "The 1968 Topps 3-D set is already a rare issue- the innovative design creates an illusion in the background that was decades ahead of its time. Always a popular issue. Here are two unicorns, two proof/test issues that never made it to production. A Brooks Robinson and Carl Yastrzemski test issue. The Yaz has never been seen before and is strangely attributed to an unknown player "M. Clough". These mystery cards were pulled at some point during production and have been in a private collection since. These are on their way to @psacard for authentication and will be in our September Catalog sale."
PSA says, "The 12-card, 3-D set is considered one of the hobby's rarest and most coveted test issues." So, auction results can be pretty wild. Robert Edward Auctions (REA) sold a PSA 10 Clemente (75 total graded, six PSA 10s) for $102k in their Fall 2022 auction, and it had the same "This is an experimental XOGRAPH" text on the back as the Yastrzemski. REA also sold one of, at the time, three known Brooks Robinson prototype cards for $36k in May 2018.
It sure will be interesting to see what these cards sell for.
🗞️ In The News
Robert Edward Auctions: REA Acquires Huggins & Scott Auctions
Sports Collectors Daily: Accused Burglar in Theft of Berra Rings, Other Memorabilia Pleads Guilty | “Cheesebox” 1952 Topps Mantle Brings $186,000
ESPN: Mint 1970 Pete Maravich' tall boy' basketball card nets $552K
PR Newswire: eBay Expands Vault Offering for Collectors with New Submission Service for Trading Cards
CNBC: Fanatics to launch live events business as it seeks to create a sports version of Comic-Con
Sports Collectors Digest: PSA opens new grading facility in Japan
MetroWest Daily News: Natick sports memorabilia shop burglarized, more than $20K in collectibles stolen
CNBC: MLB All-Star Game, baseball cards, are first big test of Fanatics livestream shopping experience
4WWL: Signed Mickey Mantle, Babe Ruth baseball cards stolen, possibly in New Orleans
📰 Mr. Mint’s 10 Self-Named Finds and Advertising
Perhaps you’ve heard of Mr. Mint, Alan Rosen, one of the hobby’s first and most famous (maybe infamous) sports card dealers. If not, you’ve probably heard about a massive find of high-number 1952 Topps baseball cards years ago or someone purchasing over 500 1954 and 1955 Topps and Bowman unopened boxes in Paris, Tennessee. He was behind both of those >$400k finds.
But did you know he used to advertise ten distinct and significant “finds” to prop up his brand? He used them as a marketing technique at the top of most of his magazine ads, like this one from the March 1994 Sports Collectors Digest Sports Card Price Guide Monthly Magazine.
He really was one of the hobby’s greatest “buying machines.” But I wish we had more photos of what these collections looked like!
Rosen often shared his press credentials and show calendar in his ads so people would bring even more deals to him.
And if you’re interested in the Insider’s Guide to Investing in Baseball Cards and Collectibles shown above, I wrote about it on the blog; it parallels today’s market quite well.
⌨️ On The PostWarCards Blog
July 10th, 2023: 1977 Star Wars Trading Card Wrappers: A Comprehensive Guide to International Variations
July 11th, 2023: A Fascinating Letter from Sy Berger to Fred Corcoran Extending Ted Williams’ Contract with Topps
July 17th, 2023: The 1991 Score Exclusive Mickey Mantle Card Promotion
July 18th, 2023: A High-Grade Collector’s Nightmare: The 1971-72 Topps Basketball Stickers
⚾️ 1989, 1990, and 1991 Alternative Wraps
Please don’t call it a cello pack because, in 1989, 1990, and 1991, Topps issued alternative wrappers to their baseball wax packs. They had the same cost, cards per pack, and packs per box as the standard wax pack but in a cello-like wrapper. Some collectors posit that Topps sold these alternative wrapped packs in price clubs.
But these aren’t cello packs because there was a separate cello product each of these years; in 1989, cello packs had 29 cards per pack; in 1990, they had 31 cards per pack; and in 1991, cellos had 34 cards per pack.
Also, isn’t it interesting that Topps went from 15 cards in a pack in 1989 to 16 in 1990 and then back to 15 again in 1991?