Posted By:
SteveThose are not legit cards. From what I have read, someone cut out the pictures from a book and pasted them to a cardboard backing. The SCD catalog covers them and this is what it has to say about them.
"These mini sample cards are fantasy items created in the late 1990's to defraud collectors. Often sold grouped in an older frame or otherwise made to look old, they are pictures which have been cut out of the "Topps Baseball Cards" books or the team issued Surf books which reproduced Topps cards in about 1-1/4" x 1-3/4" format. The color glossy pictures were then glued to a cardboard back which has been rubber stamped "PROMOTIONAL /SAMPLE/THE TOPPS CO/BROOKLYN, NY". There were no legitimate miniature Topps promotional or sample cards produced."
Topps did produce salesman samples to show retailers what the upcomming set would look like, but they were full size, usually a 3 card panel with regular series pictures on front and a card back sample on back for one card. The other 2/3 of the back would be an advertisement trying to get the retailer to place an order. I can post a pic of one if you need.
I hope this information helps.
Edited to add my name to post