Why does this say "Hand Cut"?

frankhardy

I have a 1974 Topps Deckle Edge Lou Brock and am trying to finish the Cardinals teams set. I am missing the Simmons and the Gibson.

Here is the Simmons. It is a proof graded by BVG. Why does it say hand cut? No jokes about it being trimmed! I did not know that proofs were hand cut. Are all proofs that way? My Brock doesn't look like it? What am I missing here?

1974 Topps Deckle Edge Simmons

bobsbbcards

I think hand cut is a generic term to mean "probably left the factory in sheet form and cut either by hand or professionally." Most proof cards (older ones especially) would qualify as hand cut. Newer proof cards that were used as advertising pieces for dealers were probably cut at the factory and wouldn't be referred to as hand cut.

bishop

I have completed this set in proof form and Deckle form and agree with Bob. I think the proofs were cut from a sheet and then just not deckled. I also have progressive proof "sets" to a couple of cards in the set with varrying degrees of printing on the back and ranging from sqaure cut to final deckle cut

frankhardy

Bishop,

Didn't I get the Brock from you, along with a few other things like a SCD catalog? This was a couple of years ago, I think. I don't know what I ever did without one. By the way, do you have an extra Gibson?

Back to the proofs - were hand cut after they left Topps? In other word, when they left the factory, they were in sheet form, or were they cut at the factory and just not deckled?

bishop

I remember sending the Catalog and the Brock. The Catalog is a good one. Not sure who has responsibility for it now that Lemke appears to have left SCD. The 2007, which I think Lemke did, is out.

I will check for the Simmons and Gibson. I do have some duplicates.

I think Bob is right, as usual, that uncut sheets made their way out into the market and were either cut by individuals or cut by people in the hobby with some experience at it. I suppose Topps could have had some cut and in inventory but not yet deckled when distribution on the set stopped. The proof set I put together is fairly uniform in size, has fully finished backs, and are all a little bigger than the deckled cards. But some of my proofs, like my deckles are white back, and some gray backs. Whitebacks seem noticeably scarcer

frankhardy

Thanks. If you have any dups of those two please let me know.