Advice on Topps 51 Red & Blue Backs

VMFA115

I am investigating my ‘closet of crap’ that contains all of my card collecting stuff from the late 40’s through about 1962 when I finished High School (and further back in the closet, stuff from the later 70’s on from collecting with my children.
OK, enough with the history. I just pulled out of the front footlocker an actual cigar box with about 100-150 of the Topps 51 Red and Blue backs.

They are actually in good shape (as I remember I was never impressed with them so didn’t ‘play’ with them). I am considering sending them in to be graded but between urban legends and reality I am not sure what to do; they are still in the original two card strips.

1. It is my understanding (or Urban Legend) that they should be hand-torn to separate them (a process that I am not comfortable with). If they are cut apart with scissors or knife they will be considered trimmed. I will ask PSA but would also like the knowledgeable here to advise me what to do???

2. It is also my understanding that I can avoid the whole problem by submitting them intact as two card strips and PSA will grade and then encapsulate them as two cards in one slab. Does this mean they will give two separate grades and ID numbers so they could be entered into a registry???

In advance thank you for you help.

Dave C.

mikeschmidt

Dave-

Two responses:

A) You can send in the cards in the panel form. They grade a single grade for the panel - and there are separate registeries for these sets in the panel form.

If you carefully separate the nubs of the cards with a sharp knife, it won't be considered trimmed. It would be if you completely removed the nubs from where they are connected - but as long as there is somewhat natural looking nub on each separated card, you should be fine.

In terms of what you should do - that's up to you. Tha panels are definitely much, much rarer. That said, since the singles are generally easier to find, more people collect them that way. Good luck either way. Ron Hobbs might have some specific advice for you; I know he has some really nice panel sets from this issue.

~ms

Fuzz

Dave,
MS has hit the nail on the head to say the least.
There was a large Philly find probably 20 years ago of cases and cases of red backs with some blue backs. ALL of these were in the single card format, two cards to a pack for one cent. these packs are still common even after all these years and only now draw a good price due to the possibility of gradeable cards. I belive that the last theory was that the two card panels were inserted as a stiffener for team cards, Connie Macks, etc. in the large five cent format. If that is true then the panels should be in the same very low numbers that the other issues are found.
To date this has been correct if you look are the pop reports. The panels are worth high premiums (single grades like MS points out and they are indeed seperate on the registry. I do not believe that I have ever seen or heard of Blue back panels and don't remember them being listed. Grade the panels. If you want the individual set, some the panels would be a great source of funds for a set. And I believe that there is even a special now that will work for them. Think you hit a diamond in the 'c of c'.
Fuzz

gstarling

if you're interested in selling any red backs, i'm trying to build the set.

gstarling@gmail.com