Numbers Question

[Archive]

Posted By: Texas Ted

I have always been fascinated by numerical issues and wonder if anybody has ever seen any information about specific card set statistics. It would be very interesting to know how many of each card were printed, and then an estimate of how many have survived. My guess is that nothing survives from the very early years, but there could be some archival information around for the early to mid 1900s about how many cards were printed, distributed, and maybe even destroyed. I know there is some knowledge about short prints and double prints also, but is there anything about total numbers printed?

Then the really interesting second half is how many of those cards have survived. Besides fires, floods, tornadoes and other natural disasters you have mom cleaning up after kids leave for college, paper drives during the war years, and all kinds of other reasons for cards being destroyed. I just think it would be cool to know what percentage of the original printing still exists.

Probably only other numbers geeks are still reading now, but I also thought the ideal job would be the chief statistician for Major League Baseball.

Texas Ted
Starting my third attempt at a second childhood.