Expert question on 1987 Topps Stickers & hardback test

gwohlenb

I have 2 PSA certified 1987 Topps Stickers cards that are #292 N. Allen / #131 B. Bonds.



One is marked by PSA as a hardback test. The other is marked by PSA as just the players' names.



My concern is that the non-hardback-test card is missing the MADE IN ITALY indication on the back bottom center (near the Topps copyright). I thought all these cards were made by Panini and therefore always had the MADE IN ITALY marking.



Can someone clarify if this is non-hardback-test cert is a legitimate variant or whether it was mis-certified in some manner? I have already contacted PSA research and they are not 100% sure.



Thank you.

DanBessette

So which is it? Topps or Panini??

bishop

I have a set of the 1987 hard back stickers ( Topps) and the regular stickers ( Panini for Topps). This is what the SCD Catalog said ( 20th edition) about the hardbacks

"In addition to it's regular issue of Panini produce paper backed stickers, Topps in 1987 produced a very limited edition of the same issue with hard cardboard backs. The Topps hardback version is virtually identical to the more common Panini edition except for the copyright line on the back. Production of the hard back version was reported to be 1/10 of 1 % of the Panini version"

None of my hardbacks say made in Italy

baz518

Originally posted by: DanBessette

So which is it? Topps or Panini??

Almost all of Topps stickers in the 80s were produced by Panini, licensed by Topps... at least for baseball and football through 87.

gwohlenb

It's slabbed so I can't tell for sure but I thought all the paper backed stickers were Panini (MADE IN ITALY). But are there both Panini and Topps versions of the paper backs?

gwohlenb

Bottom line: should a Topps 1987 paper backed sticker have MADE IN ITALY on it or not?

bishop

Hard backs by Topps, limited...no Italy. Paperbacks by Panini...Italy. Two sets, one Topps other Panini made for Topps

baz518

My understanding is that only the regular issued stickers say 'Made in Italy' on the back. The reason for the test issue was that starting in 88, Panini would have been required to have their own license with MLB/MLBPA to be able to produce the stickers... since that wasn't happening, Topps did the test issue in late 87 to test their production of the stickers. Since they were producing these (and all stickers going forward), they made the switch to the heavier card stock backs and the copyright no longer said 'Made in Italy'. The heavier card stock was being tested in preparation for including the 'Super Star' cards on the sticker back... they essentially were trying to turn the sticker back (normally trash) into a collectible, you could collect the sticker album and the set of 'Super Star' cards.

bishop

Right, in 88 Topps put out a sticker set of 313 but you pealed them off a 67 hard "sticker" card set. I ended up with one set of each, even though the set of stickers actually also included the sticker cards as backs

gwohlenb

Thank you for the insights guys, I appreciate it.