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Old 03-16-2013, 10:15 AM
goheels goheels is offline
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Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Durham NC
Posts: 86
Default 1968 back comparisons

I hope these four pictures will explain some differences. Very little has been written about these obscure and rare Milton Bradley cards. The lack of info to date stems from three things: rarity; lack of cataloging; and limited info about 1968 backs in the regular sets. To be fair, the colors are subtle and the shadings are very similar. The simplistic and inaccurate response is to say, "well they all look a little yellow."

In the bottom scan, the Dick Lines cards come from the 68 4th series. In 1968 Topps used two types of stock, the typical light gold used in series 1-7, seen on the left, and also a sunflower color seen on the right, only in series 4-6. This lighter sunflower color is closer to the yellow stock used in the MB cards, but still darker and more orange/gold than yellow to the naked eye. I have boxes of 68s and in those 4-6 series it is a 50/50 split between stock backs. Like the 1956 Topps white/gray backs, there is no different value for scarcity.

In the fourth picture, look closely at the two ovals containing the bio above and the cartoon below. The sunflower stock oval on the right has a white bleached background. The standard golden Lines card has the dingy gray cardboard color seen in all 7 series. The card on the right is not an MB but on ebay some of these cards have been sold as "yellow backs". Incorrect.

The first set of photos compares a Merritt MB with the Lines sunflower stock card. Notice that the MB has the usual gray oval background, not the bleached white.

The second back photo shows two Merritt MBs flanking a regular Merritt. The picture doesn't show it well, but all three cartoons have the gray color, not the bleached white. The MBs are of slightly different shadings, but clearly are both more yellow and not gold.

The third front scan shows the same MBs flanking the regular. Note that the colors are a little more vivid. This isn't the distinguishing mark, but if you have a better condition MB (good luck finding in EX or above, most were handled roughly by 10 year olds in a game) the color strike is much deeper. You can only appreciate this in person, and scans don't really convey that. At your next show look at the graded Cox/Brinkmans and you will see a deeper, sharper picture than the regular card of comparable grade.

The only cards in the first two series that have a yellow back are the 77 MBs, 44 from the first series and 33 from the second.

Another place that shows some pretty clear pictures of Cox and Brinkman cards is the Huggins and Scott website. They have sold several Win a Card games over the years and the closeup pictures are good. Same goes for their current auction, which has a full 77 baseball card set up for sale in April. You can't tell MBs from the front, other than the Cox/Brinkman with the yellow team letters or an off-centered card with a football/hot rod white border, but on a good scan you might appreciate the richness of the picture.

To answer Al's question, I don't think that the MB cards are part of the 1968 Topps master set, because you couldn't get them in a wax pack or vending set, only in a rare game. You could get variations like the #10 Lonborg/Lonberg or a #400 WL McCormick like any other card in a pack or vending. I wouldn't consider the 1967 Maris Yankees card part of a 67 master set for that reason; it was a proof card and not issued in the set. The Topps MBs are not proof cards, just an obscure and poorly appreciated set in its own right.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg Merritt Lines comparison.jpg (75.6 KB, 221 views)
File Type: jpg Merritt 3 back comparison.jpg (74.2 KB, 220 views)
File Type: jpg Merritt front comparison.jpg (76.1 KB, 220 views)
File Type: jpg Lines back comparison.jpg (76.0 KB, 221 views)
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