[toppcat]

Now, for an attempt at a rarity list, at least for Topps, through 1980. I'm sure there will be debate over this!

Sets Issued at Retail (US only):
1955 Hocus Focus small
1951 Major League All Stars
1967 Stand Up
1968 Plaks Checklist
1949 Bazooka Know Your Sports
197? Pocket Size Baseball Game
1974 Deckle White/Glossy
1970 Candy Lid
1973/74 Action Emblems Cardboard (stickers are more plentiful)
1973 Comics
1973 Pinups
1968 Plaks


Individual Cards:
1968 Plak Mays
1968 3-D Easel (I've seen three)
1951 Major League All Stars Konstanty, Roberts, Stanky
1955 Hocus Focus (any above #96, which only came in small)
1966 Punchout (any)
1968 Plak Checklist (any)
1956 Pins trio of toughies (which is scarcest?)
1963 Famous American Stamps (Stamp Gum) Ruth, Gehrig
1971 Glossy High Numbers (any)
1952 Mid Series Gray Backs (any)
1964 Banquet (supply has loosened a little though)
1968 Who Am I? uncoated reissue Ruth
1975 Sports Club Garvey

Proofs/In House Mockups:
1967 Pinup Stickler (1 known-Clemente)
1960 "Trio" (although other year's error proofs are rare too)
1975 Giant Baseball
1968 3-D Changed/Unissued
1968 3-D Easel (I've seen three)
197? Puffy Stickers
1971 Rookie All Star (10 known, although I think these were display pieces)
1951 Major League All Stars trio
1980 Coin
1966 Punchout (small chance it was actually tested at retail)
1957 Paper
1966 Paper
1967 Paper
1968 Paper
1967 Stand Up thin
1970 Cloth (66 possible, ~40 known, not sure if any dupes exist)
1955 Stamp (40 possible, at least one dupe)
1961 Dice Game
1968 Discs
1967 Discs//1967 SF Giants Discs
1968 Deckle (which color autograph is toughest?)
1972 Candy Lids
197? Topps Superstar Stickers
1980 Topps Pepsi
1972 Cloth
1976 Cloth (4 different textures, which is toughest?)

If they exist, the missing trio of 1967 Punchout subjects/lineups would make the list, as would the instruction card from the 1966 version (at least one known). Also, do you count 1971 Topps Winners, inserted in special 1972 packs only given to contest winners? 1969 Bowie Kuhn? 1953 Reprints from 1972?

As for items once thought scarce but which are not:
1952 High Numbers
1972 Player Posters
1977 Burger King Piniella
1967 Punchout
1968 Action All Stars
1971 Greatest Moments
1969 Super