nonvintage question-- 1961topps

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Posted By: Todd (nolemmings)

I've got a question that's been bugging me for some time--hoping a '61 Topps collector can help me.
The 1961 high series has 65 cards. There were 66 cards to a sheet. Doesn't one of the cards in the series have to be double printed? I have collected this set for years and never seen one of the high numbers as especially more available than the rest. Any insight would be appreciated.
Regards.........Todd

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Posted By: David

Todd, I'm no 1961 Topps expert and your theory of a double print may be right. However, I've seen a lot of sheets, new and old, and the printers did not neccesarily fill the sheets to maximum with cards. Meaning it's possible that, though the sheet size was 66 cards, they may have only had 65 cards .... Your best bet would be to ask around with veteran 61 Topps dealers and collectors and see if there is opinion that a particular card is especially tough to find.

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Posted By: David

Obviously, my last sentence was patially backward. I should have said 'especially easy to find.'

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Posted By: TBob

I thought Topps did not issue cards #587 and #588 in the '61 set, with Spahn at #589 being the last card and thus only 64 high number cards.

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Posted By: John

the high numbers are from #523-589 which would mean 67 cards but 2 were never printed so he is right when he said 65

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Posted By: Anonymous

I did not know that sheets were not "filled up". I was of the belief that after the cards were cut, machines took over and sorted the cards into stacks that were then routed to be wrapped. How would anyone know to take out the unused, blank space?- surely the blank "cards" would not be inserted in packs. Also, why would Topps basically waste that stock when it would be fairly easy to just slap another image on it?
I'd be intersted to know if anyone has seen a full sheet that had unused space on it.
Regards..........Todd

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Posted By: Todd (nolemmings)

forgot to id myself in that last post--also, I see where David says he has seen sheets with unused space. Any Topps sheets David?

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Posted By: Wayne Grove

I have not seen a '61 Topps High Series sheet but have seen other series' sheets from '61 & '62. Based on these sheets I'll give this theory. Again, mo proof other than what has been done on other Topps sheets. First, most of the Topps sheets from 1960 thru at least 1971 were printed on sheets that had 132 cards per sheet, not 66. Therefore if that is the case with '61 high series cards were double printed on a single sheet (thus no real double prints-all printed same number of times. Since there are 65 cards in the series that leaves 2 cards unaccounted for. It is my guess (since I haven't seen an uncut sheet or if I have I've forgotten about it) that the 2 unaccounted for cards on the sheet would be of card #516 which is the 7th Series checklist card. This is based on the fact that I do remember getting the 7th series checklist card in 7th series packs(as well as 6th series packs)when I opened these as a kid in 1961. This is also how many of Topps Checklist variations came to be, they were printed on sheets in 2 different series.