Resurrected 2001 Topps Heritage Light backs - 220 card set

parkerj · July 4, 2011 10:33AM

For those that know me, you will not be surprised that I have over the years handled thousands and thousands of 2001 topps heritage baseball cards. What has up until now been fairly undocumented is the existence of a much lighter card stock variation for about half of the set. These cards are noticeably lighter when viewed side by side with their grayer counterparts. I started noticing these many years ago, and many of my longtime 2001 heritage connections are also very aware of their existence. What is not clear is whether this was intentional by Topps. Consider that the original 1952 set did have back color (white vs. gray) variations on several of the middle series so its possible it was intentional. If accidental, and just a stock-variation, it seems we'd see this variation on EVERY sheet, and every card. What I did notice over the years was that only some of the cards were available in light backs.

To get an exact idea of what may be happening you have to consider how the 2001 set was printed. At that time Topps printed them in 110 card sheets. About 3-4 years ago an uncut sheet of black backs 1-80 was offered on ebay (sorry didn't lift a pic). This sheet unlocks many interesting tidbits on this set. It showed that the low# cards were printed along with the 10 black-back cards from the middle grouping as well as two rows of checklists (1 row of checklist 1, 1 row of checlist #2). So that 110 card sheet had 80 black backs, 20 checklists, and the 10 mid series black backs. Basically they used this sheet to do all the black-back printing, and it tells why they bothered to make 10 random cards in the main series black backs, when this was not what was done in 1952. It also indicates these 10 mid-series black backs are just as short-printed as the low # 1-80 cards. Finally it tells us why we get so many darned checklists when ripping this product.

Based on this, here is my breakdown of the various sheets that were used to print this set:

Sheet #1: cards 1-80 in black, 10 each of checklist 1, 10 of checklist #2, and 10 mid series black backs (only printed in black): 103 159 171 176 179 188 201 212 224 241 - available in regular or light stock
Sheet #2: cards 1-80 in red, not sure of other 30 cards, but my guess would be the inserts - only in regular stock
Sheet #3: 110 cards from 81-310 ( see the numbers below ) this sheet is available in light stock or regular stock
Sheet #4: the "other" red back 110 cards from 81-310 - only available in regular stock
Sheet #5: sp's 311-407 plus 13 other cards (maybe some inserts, maybe double prints hi#s but my guess is nap's which are very tough indeed) - regular stock only

The key here is that the base cards are from 81-310, which is 230 cards. If you remove the 10 mid-series black-back cards from the base set, you are left with a perfect set of 220 red-back base cards, which are split across two sheets.

As it turns out, there are light back variations of exactly half of the base 220 cards....as well as the black back low# sheet (which also has the 10 mid series blacks). No other cards are found with the light backs - not the low# red backs, inserts, nor the hi# SP's.

So a complete set of light backs in 2001 comprises:

1-80 black back
checklist 1 & 2
10 mid series blacks: 103 159 171 176 179 188 201 212 224 241

And these 110 base set light backs:

82 84 85 86 88 90 91 92 94 95
97 101 102 104 106 116 117 120 121 124
126 127 128 129 130 131 132 134 141 142
148 151 152 161 162 163 164 166 170 173
175 177 180 181 182 183 184 190 191 193
196 199 203 204 215 217 218 219 220 222
227 232 233 234 235 237 239 240 242 243
247 248 249 253 254 255 256 261 262 263
268 269 270 271 272 273 274 276 277 278
280 281 282 285 287 288 289 291 292 294
295 296 298 299 300 301 303 304 305 309

I finally picked up my final mid series red back so that i could confirm this list now as 100% accurate. I have many dupes of these cards that i have always kept over the years.

I still have not picked up all the lo# black backs in light variation - they are indeed very tough to find - but i do have about 30 with the two checklists as well.

If you have any lo# blackbacks that appear lighter, please let me know!

- jim

Edited for clarity

TNP777 · July 4, 2011 10:51AM

I've heard rumblings about the light back set from others. Thanks for the write up, Jim - very informative.

PM sent.

ThoseBackPages · July 4, 2011 11:08AM

is scanned proof possible to show us the difference?

parkerj · July 4, 2011 12:12PM

Ok, Just to clarify,

The truly complete 2001 lightback set would be 202 cards.

Two sheets were printed with lighter stock. Maybe topps did this on purpose, or maybe it was just accidental.

110 base cards

And these that were all printed on the same sheet:
cards 1-80 in black back
2 checklists
the 10 mid-series black backs.

The difference may appear subtle in the scan, but in person they are obvious.

pictures:

Walt · July 4, 2011 12:53PM

This is great info, I sold off my 2001 heritage a long time ago but right before this I was able to go through and pull out light backs. There were not a whole
lot of them, so they are rare. I would imagine that these hit maybe later in the run or maybe early. I bought both hobby and late retail back then. Of course
only heritage nuts like us would really be able to explain this. Jim is and has been one of the greats in topps heritage land. The knowledge on here in regards
to heritage is second to none. Something we can all be proud of. There are guys who knows chromes, there are guys who know the toppers, and there are guys
who know the variations. Why would anyone go anywhere else for that info? Heck we know more than topps!

This is info I knew existed but Jim kept a tight lid in this, it is nice that he has finally put the set together and can now fill the rest of us in. I still would like to bust
a few 2001 boxes sometime.

Happy 4th to all!

Waalt

parkerj · July 4, 2011 10:26PM

Thanks Walt, it is a great community here. I don't really frequent any other boards, but feel free to spread the word. I think most who collected these back in 2001 knew about these. I didn't collect back in 2001, so i can't comment, but I've ripped about 3 or 4 2001 boxes and never pulled these from boxes. Also, when I've picked up sets or lots from folks, there are never a large amount of these included, so even if you ripped boxes that had these, they are rare. I'd say most collections that have some present (again, the large majority have none present) are around 1% lightbacks. I have less than a monster box left of 2001 base cards, but I've handled probably about 20,000 base cards from 2001 over the years. I have about a 2 row shoebox of these lightbacks (~1000 cards).

bishop · July 4, 2011 10:49PM

Jim---very interesting Thanks for sharing

Basilone · July 4, 2011 11:18PM

Nice job Jim! Thanks for the info!

parkerj · July 4, 2011 11:26PM

By the way, I am still missing light back 179 and 241 as well as about half the low #s (1-80). Again, that is a very tough sheet to find in light backs because that sheet was short-printed. But only short printed in half with the corresponding red sheet. More info to follow on the sheet printings, but I think i have it mostly sussed out.

jmmiller777 · July 18, 2011 5:55AM

Good job Jim, I'll have to look thru them again.Thanks...

EAsports · July 18, 2011 8:15AM

I've got a couple thousand 2001 Heritage. Before I start digging, what's the "market rate" for the light backs?

mcadams · July 18, 2011 9:38AM

I would wait until the SCC recognizes the backs and thus makes them eligible for the registry.

jacksoncoupage · July 18, 2011 10:05AM

Can anyone tell me if there is a version of Roger Cedeno's card that has the stars/Heritage logo under his stats on back? All the copies I have looked at are missing them.

parkerj · July 18, 2011 11:17AM

I personally have never seen one that has the stars and "Topps Baseball" statement present. I really doubt there is one.

As for market rate on these, i doubt anyone is selling them at a premium, at least i haven't heard of anyone really noting them as unique before now. I haven't sold any (only accumulated) so i wouldn't venture a guess.

parkerj · February 25, 2014 2:06AM

thought i would resurrect this thread since its nearly heritage time again.

Walt · February 25, 2014 2:25AM

<< <i>thought i would resurrect this thread since its nearly heritage time again. >>

the sad fact is that no one from topps would ever confirm this info and everyone is else is too dumb to make sense of it. Maybe in another 20 years this will be appreciated.

W

parkerj · February 25, 2014 3:17AM

Walt, are you saying my post is to incoherent, or that our fellow heritage brethren here are not capable of caring or understanding?

I could fix one of those problems....

CDsNuts · February 25, 2014 9:47AM

the sad fact is that no one from topps would ever confirm this info and everyone is else is too dumb to make sense of it.

Have you considered that nobody besides a handful of people actually care? I like Heritage as much as the next guy, but it personally doesn't matter to me that some of the cards were printed on a slightly different stock. Do you care that a small run of 1995 Bowman's Best Refractors were made without the word 'refractor' on the back? I would say that's a more blatant printing variation in what was once a very well collected set, but very few people in the hobby actually know or care to know. I think that is the case here as well.

parkerj · February 25, 2014 10:15AM

Lee,
I am fine if no one else cares. I was happy to discover this and its an interesting tidbit, but perhaps to only a few.

Ilovecards · February 25, 2014 10:17AM

<< <i>the sad fact is that no one from topps would ever confirm this info and everyone is else is too dumb to make sense of it.

Have you considered that nobody besides a handful of people actually care? I like Heritage as much as the next guy, but it personally doesn't matter to me that some of the cards were printed on a slightly different stock. Do you care that a small run of 1995 Bowman's Best Refractors were made without the word 'refractor' on the back? I would say that's a more blatant printing variation in what was once a very well collected set, but very few people in the hobby actually know or care to know. I think that is the case here as well. >>

you probably right

CDsNuts · February 25, 2014 10:35AM

Lee,
I am fine if no one else cares. I was happy to discover this and its an interesting tidbit, but perhaps to only a few.

I completely get it, I've collected my share of random variations that the market never really recognized. I was more responding to Walt's 'everyone is too dumb to make sense of it' comment. I don't think it's stupidty or ignorance that has led the hobby to not recognize these variations, I think it's apathy more than anything else.

Honestly, it's better for you guys because they don't sell for a premium right now. Maybe one day the hobby does recognize them and they actually turn out to be something (think '82 Topps blackless or 80 Topps yellow name).

Lee

*Resurrected* 2001 Topps Heritage Light backs - 220 card set

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Resurrected 2001 Topps Heritage Light backs - 220 card set