Do prototypes/proofs of proposed Topps designs (that didn't make the final design for the year) exis

Estil

Now, I sometimes see on Ebay what are called "proof" or "prototypes" of Topps baseball cards (50s-70s) but they usually are just ones of the already final design for that year. Not that there's anything wrong with that mind you, but I would be more interested in knowing if there exist proofs/prototypes of designs that were proposed but didn't make the final cut. That is, I'm operating under the presumption that Topps looked at several different designs at the beginning of each baseball season and then chose one to use for that year's set. Well, what ever happend to those proposed but didn't make it designs? Do any records of any kind exist of them? How did Topps create the designs for the sets back then? For example, what inspired them to do black borders for 1971? Or colorful borders for 1975? Or the burlap sack borders for 1968? And so on?

Stone193

Yes they do Estil - for both sport and non-sport.

They come up all the time at the Toppsvault.

mike

edit: I see all the time proofs for cards of players that didn't even make the set for that year e.g.

jmoran19

frankhardy

I like that Clemente! If they would change the font for the team name, I would like something like that for a future design.

11235813

The designs for the two basketball cards are nice too....arguably better than the ones they chose for 69-70 & 70-71.

Davemri

I love that Wilt...I love the woodgrain borders... Much better than either the 69 or 70s IMO..

ICE9

JMoran - very cool picture - thanks for posting. Where can I find the complete article?

Here are some photos from the 80-81 Topps hockey set that were changed before Topps went to production:





The famous proof's that come to mind: Maris (Yankees) '67 proof, the Reggie Jackson (Orioles) '77 proof and the Namath card from 1974.

Also, there was a very interesting article in the September 2000 issue of Beckett (#186) that focused on the 1971 Topps baseball set. It included an indepth interview with several Topps employees including the art designer.

Mike

Stingray

Does anyone have a picture of the 68 Topps test basketball set??

Estil

<< <i> >>



Where did this come from? Can you scan the article too?

RedHeart54

<< <i>Here are some photos from the 80-81 Topps hockey set that were changed before Topps went to production: >>



ICE9, that Gretzky was the first thing I thought about when I read this thread.

Too cool.

jmoran19

I saved the photo from a posting on the network 54 board, the poster said it came from a BCD (assuming baseball card digest) many years ago, part of Gavin Riley's collection.

I'll post a photo of some 68 basketball test cards later. I have one in my collection (Jim King)

ICE9

Thanks Red Heart.

Here is the Maris card (not mine - scan borrowed from eBay)



Mike

ICE9

Found it! Here is the unissued '74 Namath proof...



Mike

metalmike

http://consummatecardcollector.com/14.html

metalmike

Also try sportscardproofs.com it's down right now but a cool site. try using a internet archive site if is not up. Mike

metalmike

http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQfgtpZ1QQfrppZ25QQsassZgwynnQ2dfan

metalmike

http://www.topps-heritage.com/topps_proofs.html

metalmike

Topps Proofs and other Sportscard Proofs
What exactly are proof cards?

Basically, a proof is created by a sports card company as a trial run to test, compare, and review card designs, photographs, new technology, color, and overall look and feel of the card before releasing it to the public.

A true proof card is not created for release to the general public, but instead are intended to be used only internally by the card company. Proof cards can be found in many various formats, depending on what the company is specifically wanting to review or test about the new card design. Some proof cards have blank backs with no printing, and others may have blank fronts.

Some sportscard proofs may have only one or two colors on the front. In this case, companies use what are known as "progressive proofs" to look for imbalances in color. A proofs might sometimes be printed on different card stock that the final product that is released to the public, and it may also have layers of acetate plastic that each contain one color, and when layered on top of each other it gives the appearance of what the final result will look like when the card is finished.

Most collectors of sportscard and trading card proofs are more interested in pre-1990 examples, because the technology used to create cards around that time really began to change a lot. Most card manufacturers began using computer design to create cards and no longer did they need to create the traditional acetate and "progressive proof" sets. Also in the mid 1990s, some card manufacturers began to create "artist's proof" and "printers proof" insert cards that were randomly inserted into unopened packs. These cards were created specifically for retail sale to the public, and are not actually "proof cards" at all but rather more of a "parallel set" because as we know, true proof cards were not originally meant to be available to the public.

Topps Proofs Become Available to the Public
It was in August 1989 that the Topps Company and Guernsey's auction house got together to hold an auction of items straight out of the legendary Topps Vault. This was a monumental auction in the trading card hobby history. For the first time original vintage Topps proof cards, uncut Topps proof sheets, and other very rare and one-of-a-kind items that were previously not available to collectors, were now offered for sale. Even today, card collectors can find Topps proofs for sale that originally were introduced to the market thanks to the 1989 Topps auction. Most of the auctioned items still include the accompanying letters that Topps/Guernsey's issued in the 1989 auction.

Topps once again opened it's legendary "vault" in the last few years to sell proofs, original art, and other rare items to the public. Sports collectors grabbed up the key items that featured rookies and star players. Many of these one-of-a-kind items sell for thousands of dollars. Click Here to view the Topps Vault on eBay.

Why Collect Topps Proofs?
If you're going to collect proof cards from other companies besides just Topps, then you'll need to learn exactly how to tell the difference between a legitimate proof card and a regular card that is simply being described as a proof so the seller can get a higher price for it. There are several tricks that unethical sellers try to use to fool unsuspecting collectors. For example, some sellers use a regular blank-back card that they found in a normal retail pack of cards, and simply call it a blank-backed proof card. Another scheme is to take a regular uncut sheet of cards and cut it into smaller panels of two to nine cards, and it a "proof sheet." One of the easiest ways an unscrupulous seller rips collectors off is to simply photocopy a regular card in black and white, and then claim it is some sort of special uncolored proof. I've seen this done recently with the 1989 Fleer Billy Ripken errors. The important thing for collectors to remember is that they must know the history (provenance) of the proof cards they purchase. Some proof cards are impossible to differentiate from their regularly issued cards, so in that case provenance and/or letters of authenticity are extremely important.

Some of the most expensive, rare and sought after proof cards in existence are "unissued proofs." An unissued proof card is basically a card that was created to possibly be included in a set, but was changed before the final retail product was distributed, if the set was issued at all. One of the most famous unissued proofs is the 1977 Topps Reggie Jackson card that shows him in an Orioles uniform as opposed to the regular issued card that pictured him in an airbrushed New York Yankees uniform and could be found in packs. Keith Olbermann paid over $6000 at auction on eBay for one of the Reggie proofs in 2004. As with the Reggie Jackson example, unissued proofs might show players in an old uniform as a member of a team he was formerly on, while the actual card issued to the public might shows him in a new uniform playing for a new team. Other types of unissued proof cards may show completely different photos, different border colors, and sometimes players who didn't even make the final set at because the card company decided otherwise.

Estil

I don't suppose any new info on "proposed but unused card designs" has come out since has it? I just think it's fascinating to wonder "what might have been" had Topps chose a different design for certain years instead of the one that ultimately was chosen.

Estil

bump

bishop

I think of prototypes as an early design for a set that gets changed in some way prior to a final proof of a set before production. Both are usually blank backed. It is easy to know if you have a prototype because it it is similar but differs from the final product. For final proofs I think it is often hard to distinguish them from a blank back error that occurs in the printing process

Here are some prototype sheets of 1984 Topps Encased and 1969 Deckles:








Here are some blank back proof sheets

bishop

Here is 2nd Deckle and 3d prototype sheets

Estil

In light of the recent 1992 Ultra presentation board/prototype news I thought I'd bump this topic in case anyone else has anymore info on other proposed designs that didn't make the final cut.

craig44

Proofs also exist from the 1956 bowman set that never was produced.

Estil

Wow; there's all kinds of "what might have beens" here; enjoy!

http://toppsarchives.blogspot.com/search/label/Mockups

bishop

That blog is a tremendous resource maintained by Dave Hornish. Dave posts as Topcat on 54 . I think he may still post here ovcassiomaly. That site is a must for any avid Topps collector