1966 Topps

The 1966 Topps Dick Ellsworth Card – Baseball’s Biggest Card Blunder?

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Perhaps the biggest mistake a card company can make is depicting the wrong player, but is the 1966 Topps Dick Ellsworth card the worst example? This card mistakenly pictures a teammate who had been deceased for 2 1/2 years.

In 1966, Topps made its most embarrassing blunder by mistakenly picturing Chicago Cubs pitcher Dick Ellsworth’s former teammate, Ken Hubbs, who had tragically died 2½ years earlier in a plane crash. Hubbs, a rookie Gold Glove winner and Rookie of the Year in 1962, perished at 22 while trying to overcome his fear of flying in February 1964.

I can’t imagine Ellsworth, who played for 13 seasons and has Topps cards issued every year between 1960 and 1971, is a big fan of this one. And Topps should have caught it; Ellsworth was a lefty, and the image of Hubbs on Ellsworth’s 1966 Topps card was a carryover of Hubbs from inside the little circle of his 1963 Topps card.

1966 Topps Baseball Uncut Blank-Back Proof Sheet

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Here’s a great item from the days of auction past: a 1966 Topps baseball full uncut blank-back proof sheet featuring 11 Hall of Famers.

Mastro offered this one in their May 2008 Sports & Americana auction catalog and included the following description:

An incredible eye-catcher, this very scarce uncut sheet offers unrivaled star power! With its content derived from the issue’s 2nd Series, the 132-card proof sheet’s roster is filled with Hall of Famers, including Alston, Banks (2), Brock (2), Cepeda, Ford (2), Killebrew, Morgan and the rookie card of Palmer. Measuring approximately 28″ x 43″ the blank-backed item’s fully printed obverse depictions are arranged in an 11-card-by-12-card configuration. The sheet presents about EX display quality, and reflects inevitable, scattered surface wrinkling (affecting many individual subjects, including one Brock, one Banks and the Killebrew designs) and marginal faults incurred during factory handling and rolled storage.

REA sold a proof sheet with the same card layout in the Spring of 2021 for $2,880. After reading about the condition and inspecting the paper loss and borders, it’s likely the same sheet Mastro had offered 13 years earlier.

Check out The Uncut Sheet Archive for more!

24 GAI-Graded 1966 Topps Lost in Space Wax Packs

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Another incredible Carpet o’ Wax Packs from Mastro’s April 2004 catalog of incredible non-sport material. This time, 24 GAI-Graded 1966 Topps Lost in Space Wax Packs.

The lot came with the wax box, too.

Here’s the lot’s full description:

A 24-Count display box of Topps’ Lost In Space cards is presented, and all of its original, tightly sealed packs have been graded and encapsulated by Global Authentication. Still enjoying a cult following of devoted fans almost 40 years after the show first aired on prime time television, this issue is a perennial favorite among non-sport collectors. The set traced the Space Family Robinson’s exploits, as shown in black-and-white photographic format, in a very desirable 55-card set. A tough issue, with sporadic distribution at the time of release that’s had a pronounced “ripple effect” on the modern hobby’s supply, demand for this set has always been quite strong. As a complete, unopened box, availability of Lost In Space is an almost unheard-of event, and one that almost demands a special news release! This 8″ × 3-3/4″ x 1-7/8″ display box boasts nearly impeccable condition. It presents at the Near Mint level, with a crisp, dark blue color scheme and bright graphics that have successfully avoided the rigors of handling. The superlative array of 5¢ wax packs reveals sharp, untouched character throughout. The packs’ grades include: Graded GAl Gem Mint 9.5: 1 pack; GAI Mint 9: 3 packs; GAI NM-MT+ 8.5: 10 packs; GAI NM-MT 8: 6 packs; GAI NM+ 7.5: 4 packs. This very rare box and its exceptional contents deliver pure Lost In Space nostalgia in its finest, most highly prized form!

The minimum bid was $1,000. Unfortunately, I don’t know what it sold for. However, it looks like Robert Edwards Auctions re-sold the exact same lot in their Fall 2022 auction for $8,700.

That $8,700 price seems like a bit of a steal. Since then, REA has sold a pair of PSA 8-graded individual wax packs for $900 and $840.

Check out The Unopened Archive for more!