Rare 1956 Topps Uncut “Sheet” with Mantle and Mays

[Cliff Bowman]

Kevin (Kevvyg1026) told me that the Slits must have 11 cards on each row so apparently the Slits must go like this 1956 3rd Series sheet, the last 3 cards in each row are double prints, so now the question is which 3 columns are repeated and do both Slits have the same exact 30 cards as double prints or does each Slit have 30 different cards double printed?

[Kevvyg1026]

My impression is that the 1956 cards were oversized and that the slits had 110 cards (10 x 11) each. there is one complete series 1 slit which bears this out.

I have seen a slit for the 3rd series and the 4th series. Both series were 80 unique cards, with 110 card slits, and had a pattern of 10 rows by 11 columns (in a horizontal layout). Columns 2, 3, 4 were repeated at the right side

56 Topps 4th Series Sheet Front.jpg

56 Topps 3rd Series Sheet Front.jpg

1956_sheet_series_1_full.jpg

[bnorth]

Eddie Mathews

If someone can explain the white on the blanket and Eddie having a blue shirt I am all ears.

[raulus]

Originally Posted by bnorth

Eddie Mathews

If someone can explain the white on the blanket and Eddie having a blue shirt I am all ears.

Good question. Although I own this piece now, I know very little about the process that created this piece. Assuming, of course, that it's legit, and not just a fantasy piece or fabrication produced to separate me from my money.

Noodling over this a bit, I noticed that a few of the white areas have the same blue tint. The uniforms of the players on the right side. The white border. All have a similar blue tint.

Not sure how it got to be that way, but it does seem like most of the white bits on this piece have a similar blue tint to them. Although truth be told, the blue on Eddie's shirt does seem to be a stronger blue than the rest.

Edited to add: Looks like the shirts for several other cards have similar issues. Sammy White, Johnny Logan, and Frank Torre, for example. Looks like a lot of them have the same issue.

[Cliff Bowman]

For those that think this is fake, HOW did they do it and WHY would they do it? Did they have access to a genuine 1956 Topps 2nd Series double sheet containing both Slits and make a huge reverse copy of it somehow?

[G1911]

Originally Posted by Cliff Bowman

For those that think this is fake, HOW did they do it and WHY would they do it? Did they have access to a genuine 1956 Topps 2nd Series double sheet containing both Slits and make a huge reverse copy of it somehow?

I don't think any of us are arguing it is positively fake; there is just uncertainty. Post 3 handles the technical aspect well. The other things that make me suspicious are the incredibly vague 'authentication' claim and the more academic challenge of how we authenticate something that is otherwise unknown. Unlike an uncut sheet, we can't compare to actual cards. I have more faith in our printing experts analysis than I do a claim by a vested interest party.

If fake, I would expect it to be modeled off a real sheet. My photo archives only has series 1/3/4 sheets but I'm not sure a series 2 sheet is a secret or something or actually unknown. We've known the single vs. double prints for a long time and I believe that information has been posted to this board before.

As for why someone would fake Mays and Mantle items like this, $$$$. The seller is presumably disappointed in the minimum bid sale whether real or fake.

Again, I hope it is real because unique items are super cool. I'm not sold it is real on an evidentiary basis.

[Cliff Bowman]

I personally don’t care either way if it’s fake or not I’m just glad that we will now be able to make a virtual sheet of the Series and we know exactly how both Slits go. Now watch JMoran pull out a scan of a 1956 Topps 2nd Series Slit .

[steve B]

Originally Posted by Cliff Bowman

For those that think this is fake, HOW did they do it and WHY would they do it? Did they have access to a genuine 1956 Topps 2nd Series double sheet containing both Slits and make a huge reverse copy of it somehow?

The why is simple.

The how is another question altogether.
I have doubts about the images being all that accurate, and they should be very accurate.
It should be possible to print onto an offset blanket instead of paper. Or as I mentioned run a blanket through multiple color passes.

I know the guys I worked with faked a couple concert tickets on the little press, well enough to pass at the turnstiles. (genuine asshole move, they made multiple pairs and traded /sold them to different scalpers. Like 10 people all showed up for the same seats.) but that was tiny, I think it's max paper size was 8 1/2x 11.

Hiding a big thing like this would be much more challenging. Unless the boss was in on making it or maybe a small shop owner who had a good sized press. *
I'm not sure if the new digital direct to press machines do multiple colors at once.

The catch to any of that as you say is that whoever did it got all the cards right and in the right places. And that's not especially common knowledge.

*A super unlikely method would be using adhesives and removing paper in multiple layers. I made a 78 Topps suncatcher like that using packing tape, but again, a full 56 sheet or even just the cards would be worth much more.

[ALR-bishop]

Great hobby mystery whatever it is or is not

[JustinD]

Well, it really doesn't matter but I still think it's a cool piece and I doubt it's a fake. I am also usually the most doubtful about these things and am somewhat enjoying having a different outlook for once, lol.

It's just so hard to verify a complete unicorn.

[cornhusker]

Originally Posted by bnorth

Eddie Mathews

If someone can explain the white on the blanket and Eddie having a blue shirt I am all ears.

I suspect that printing blankets are usually pale blue, the card stock usually white, and the color white often not used. To achieve white, one would allow the white stock to show thu. Even with Grey backs there was probably a white layer added to the print side of the cardboard prior to image printing.
It would be cool if there were some sort of vintage topps mfg video showing the process. Maybe they have some laying around in the vault

[steve B]

The printing blankets on our presses were green.

White is generally not used except if you want a consistent background or to brighten the colors.

50's Topps I think are layered, with a layer of white stock glued to the very rough cardstock. This was done for years. I'm not sure if it was done before or after printing, since I have some 60's "proofs" on nice paper stock.
Of course, Topps being Topps the 68-70 cards often come with an actual white layer on the back.

The M Eddies cap looks very different as well.

[Cliff Bowman]

After doing a quantities seach on eBay it is obvious that columns 1-3 were double printed on the right end of one Slit and columns 5-7 were double printed on the right end of the other Slit. I'm sure this was done purposely because Mays, Killebrew, Hodges, Berra, and Mathews are in columns 1-3 and Mantle, Campanella, and Ashburn are in columns 5-7. I don't have the complete layout of the sheet yet but I do know the 10 cards in the Short Print 4th column are Roselii, Dodgers Team, Carroll, Torre, Kaiser, Owens, Nationals Team. Pepper, Brady, and Pirates Team. Just to give an example of the disparity of the DP's vs the SP's the first three cards in one row of current eBay quantities are Leroy Powell 303 cards, Gene Woodling 228 cards, Dick Brodowski 324 cards, Jim Brady 73 cards. Brady is in the Short Print column 4. The 10 cards in the Short Print column 8 are yet to be determined.

[king11]

I found a miscut of 159-Courtney (8th column, bottom row) that has 164-Killebrew (1st column, bottom row) to the right side. This would seem to bolster Cliff's suggestion that at least one of the sheets repeated columns 1, 2, and 3 as the rightmost columns.

[king11]

I also believe, from looking at the images of the blanket, that the eighth column is probably:

127-Jones, Willie
176-Kellner, Alex
147-Torgeson, Earl
154-Pope, Dave
122-Nixon, Willard
106-Astroth, Joe
167-Dorish, Harry
179-Chiti, Harry
161-DeMaestri, Joe
159-Courtney, Clint

I have found miscuts that show: (a) 147-Torgeson over 154-Pope; (b) 179-Chiti over 161-DeMaestri; and (c) 159-Courtney as the bottom row.

[Cliff Bowman]

Originally Posted by king11

I also believe, from looking at the images of the blanket, that the eighth column is probably:

127-Jones, Willie
176-Kellner, Alex
147-Torgeson, Earl
154-Pope, Dave
122-Nixon, Willard
106-Astroth, Joe
167-Dorish, Harry
179-Chiti, Harry
161-DeMaestri, Joe
159-Courtney, Clint

I have found miscuts that show: (a) 147-Torgeson over 154-Pope; (b) 161-DeMaestri over 159-Courtney; and (c) 159-Courtney as the bottom row.

Your eyes are better than mine .

[king11]

I am not 100% sure on the order of the eighth column - I used the remaining cards in the 101-180 series and matched them with the images as best as I could. I think it's probably right, but I'm still looking for miscuts to verify it.

Here are the photos for the miscuts (that I mentioned previously) that I've found in the eighth column:

[raulus]

I received a request for some close-ups of the left side, aka the “dark side”.

Fair warning: it gets really dim on this side, and not just because there’s some weird glare going on. The last 2.5 rows are incredibly hard to make out, particularly for the top half. It gets a little better towards the bottom, so hopefully these help.

And if I get lucky, maybe they’ll even be right side up this time!