1972 rack pack question
 

I do not collect nor follow rack packs from back in the day, but thought that they included only cards from the same series or in two consecutive series--at least the pre-1973 Topps cards. I see where REA has a 1972 rack showing cards from the 1st Series (Yaz) and 3rd Series (Clemente; Mets Team on back). Was this the typical distribution of rack pack cards that year and/or others? Just curious.

https://createauctioncdn.azureedge.n...0_1_259512.jpg

I personally would be leery of it, but these are discussed all of the time on the CU Forum and they often said that leftover cards from earlier Series cards were sometimes used in Rack Packs. Hand is also a 3rd Series card. What are the other two cards on the back?

Thanks for the info. Dave Duncan and Mickey Rivers are on the back. It looks like maybe Yaz is the outlier. Since it's already going to cost the winner over 8K after vig and tax and the auction just opened yesterday, I figure those in the know are likely not worried. What you say about the leftovers makes sense, I just didn't recall seeing evidence of it and it does beg the question left over from what? Topps already had surplus series 1 when the third series was produced? Did they purposely hold back some of the star players as enticements in later racks? Again I'm just trying to figure out their practice, not trying to make waves for anybody.

If Steve at BCE authenticated it, it's most likely the real deal. But I would agree that's strange.

The first pocket is all series 1. Yaz just happens to be the top card...that rack looks good and appropriately aged...

Thank you. Is there an explanation as to why first and third series cards were packaged together in this way? Were first and second series cards also offered together in racks?

I made sets from rack packs in 1972 and can attest that the first series racks had one pane of series 2. That practice continued for later series.

There's a facebook group called "Vintage wax and packs" where the experts know more about these kind of details than they do about their own kids, so you'd likely be able to learn more there too.