Uncut Sheet

Uncut Treasures: Rediscovering Rare Sheets From a 1982 Baseball Cards Magazine Ad

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I ran across an advertisement from Stephan R. Juskewycz in the Spring 1982 issue of Baseball Cards Magazine offering some cool and scarce uncut sheets, so I tried to find them and tracked down six of seven.

1981 Donruss Baseball Uncut Sheet

These are probably the most common sheets on Juskewycz’s list, and they were also the cheapest in 1982. Here’s an example of one of the sheets.

1981 Granny Goose Uncut Sheet

The advertisement initially motivated me to write a dedicated piece on the 1981 Granny Goose set, but this was the one uncut sheet I couldn’t track down!

1977 Burger King Yankees Uncut Sheet

The advertisement said it was a sheet for a single set, and I found that REA sold a lot of 10 progressive proof uncut sheets back in 2008 for $588.

Heritage also sold this complete one in October 2024, along with a 1983 Topps Gaylord Perry Peanut Farm uncut sheet for $750.

1977 Cloth Stickers Uncut Sheet

REA sold this sheet with two complete sets for $630 in the fall of 2019.

1977 Cloth Stickers Puzzle Cards Uncut Sheet

REA failed to sell this example in the fall of 2018 when its reserve was $300.

1971 Topps Coin Proofs Uncut Sheet

Lelands offered this example in 2004, but the sheet failed to meet its reserve.

1969 Topps Uncut Proof Sheet of 9 1969 Deckle Edge Cards

I wrote about this sheet back in August 2024.

Happy collecting!

PS, check out The Uncut Sheet Archive if you’re into this hobby niche.

Rarity and Intrigue: The 1954 Bowman Metal Printers Sheet with Mickey Mantle and Ted Williams

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Here’s an item you don’t see every day: a 1954 Bowman baseball metal printers sheet with Mickey Mantle and, next to him, one of the set’s rarities, Ted Williams! But guess what? It’s got a twin, but I don’t know where either is anymore!

The unique sheet was lot 152 in the 1995 National Sports Collectors Convention Auction, presented by Bill Mastro as “The Best of Yesterday.”

They included a slightly larger photo of the Mantle and Williams cards, too.

Here’s the lots complete description:

1954 BOWMAN BASEBALL METAL PRINTERS SHEET WITH #66 TED WILLIAMS
26 inches by 36 inches metal printers sheet with 32 cards on it (8 across, 4 down) in the upper left corner is Mickey Mantle and immediately to his right is the rarest of all Bowman baseball cards -#66 Ted Williams, many years ago two of these exact sheets turned up, one of which now resides in the Halper collection, the offered sheet has numerous holes and spotting and although it lacks visual appeal it more than makes up for its condition defects with its extreme rarity, framed properly would surely add to its attractiveness, very good condition. MINIMUM BID: 900.00

It’s interesting that Bowman would have made two of these sheets; maybe they weren’t identical. Also, if you weren’t aware, according to BaseballCardPedia, “In 1954, Topps signed an exclusive contract with Ted Williams, which forced Bowman to pull card #66 of Williams from its set. Bowman replaced #66 with a card of Jimmy Piersall who was also featured on card #210.”

Interestingly, I haven’t been able to track down any “regular” 32-card 1954 Bowman baseball uncut sheets, just this absolutely incredible proof sheet from portland_uncut_sheets on Instagram.

But I did find that Heritage sold a 4-card uncut panel featuring Mantle, Wiliams, Mueller, and Gilliam in the same layout as the metal sheet. It sold for $13,145 in May 2016.

Robert Edward Auctions then re-sold the same sheet for just $6k in the fall of 2018. They highlighted that it was cut down from a larger 32-card production sheet

It doesn’t look like a salesman sample; those had a diamond/square sticker on the back, and the 4-card panel shows no evidence of sticker removal. Of course, it could have been intended as a sample but never used as one. Here’s an example of the back of a 1954 Bowman Salesemen’s Sample:

Happy collecting! And check out more uncut sheets on the archive!

A Look Back at the 1952 Topps Partial Uncut Sheet Auctioned at the 1992 National

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Superior Galleries auctioned off this awesome 1952 Topps partial uncut sheet of 12 triple-printed cards via the 13th National Sports Collectors Convention Auction in July 1992. I’d love to find a copy in color!

First, here’s the sheet’s complete description:

1952 Topps Partial Uncut Sheet of 12 Cards. This unique sheet has a triple-printed image on each card. Extremely difficult uncut sheet to acquire. Contains the following triple-printed cards: Johnny Mize, Jackie Jenson. This sheet must be seen to be appreciated. A great item for you uncut sheet collectors. Overall Excellent condition with some creases and some partial cards. Estimated Value $1200-2000.

There are a few of these in the hobby; in November 2013, Heritage sold this 9-card example for $1,673 (the back was also multi-printed).

Then, a few years later, in August 2015, they sold these multi-printed panels for $334 (which today feels like a robbery by the buyer!)

And in the spring of 2020, REA sold this double print error uncut panel for $1,680.

How many of these came from the same printing? I have no idea! But to learn more about 1952 Topps uncut sheets, I highly recommend the article What In The Wide World Of Sports Is Going On Here? by The Topps Archives.

Also, check out The Uncut Sheet Archive for more items like these, and happy collecting!

An Eye-Catching 1959 Topps Baseball Uncut Sheet

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Here’s a really cool item that I ran across in Mastro’s March 2000 catalog: a 66-card uncut sheet of 1959 Topps Baseball cards, including Hank Aaron, Orlando Cepeda, Frank and Brooks Robinson, White Ford, and Don Drysdale!

Here’s the complete auction description:

An uncut sheet of 66 cards including Hank Aaron, Orlando Cepeda, Frank and Brooks Robinson, Whitey Ford, Don Drysdale and three multiple player cards. Of course, uncut sheets of early Topps cards are rarely seen, and are highly valued in conditions amenable to framing. The bright colors on this sheet here make it particularly eye-catching and tend to make the moderate stains inconspicuous that affect the top row of cards (including Aaron). As one might expect, the sheet has several creases, most visble across cards of Orlando Cepeda and Clem Labine, and across Moe Drabowski and Bill Mazeroski. The four corners have creases and wear, and a tear cuts into the Smoky Burgess card. Overall, the sharp photography and spyglass design serve to make this Very Good condition uncut sheet a very attractive candidate for framing and proud display
Minimum Bid $400

I don’t think any of the following is the exact same 66-card partial sheet that Mastro sold, but Huggins and Scott sold one with the same format in May 2017 for $450 and another in November 2017 for $750.

And REA sold this one in the Spring of 2021 for $630.

REA also sold this 5th Series 1959 Topps production sheet in the Spring of 2014 for $10,073. Notice the 66-card series was repeated twice; it’s believed the other half of a full 264-card sheet would be identical to this 1st slit.

For more, there’s a great thread on the Net54 Forums on 1959 Topps Uncut Sheets. And don’t forget to check out The Uncut Sheet Archive, too!

Happy collecting!

A Scarce Early Process Proof 1962 Topps Baseball Uncut Sheet

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It may be because I recently published The Uncut Sheet Archive, but I’ve been seeing a lot of awesome uncut sheets lately while perusing old catalogs lately, like this 1962 Topps uncut proof!

Ron Oser Entperises offered it in their April 2001 catalog and included the following description:

With 43 cards appearing on a 21″ x 28″ blank backed partial process proof sheet. Includes: Bunning, Snider, Kaline AS, Aparicio, Ford AS, Zimmer, etc. Only includes the actual photos used for the cards without the baseball card information. There is some moisture damage around the edge on the front with heavier damage on the reverse. Of the stars only the Bunning is affected. Minor creasing is also apparent.

Here’s an example of the final 1962 Topps Snider (top right corner of the sheet) and Ford All-Star cards for comparison (bottom row, third over).

There are quite a few production proof sheets in the archives of the major auction houses, but just a handful are actual photo-based. For example, REA sold this one, which included a handful of photos from the 1959 Topps set. It sold for $1,860 in the summer of 2019.

On the football card side of the house, Heritage sold this 1962 Topps Football Player Portraits Uncut Proof Sheet with 44 Players, including the Tarkenton Rookie, for $1,920 in December 2024.

Happy collecting!

Check out The Uncut Sheet Archive for more!

Hobby History from a Classic 1930s Propaganda Set: The 1933 Goudey R174 World War Gum Uncut Proof Sheet

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Mastro offered this incredible uncut sheet of 1/4 of the complete set of 1933 Goudey World War Gum cards in their November 2000 catalog; Heritage Auctions recently re-sold the sheet for $492 in October 2024.

Here’s Mastro’s complete item description:

Offered is an uncut sheet of “World War Gum’ another of the classic propaganda sets of the 1930’s. This one is a Goudey product, employing black-and-white photographs with succinct captions and orange borders to convey its military messages. It is no ordinary group of R174’s, however, this is a full sheet of 24 images (1/4 of a complete set) that were apparently used in the late proof stages of the series’ design. Twenty-four cards are presented here in a 4″ x 6″ layout, on a blank-backed card stock sheet. Other features of this specialprinting are exceptionally-vivid reddish-colored card edges and the presence of a striking depth to the subject photography. The sheet has a large (greater than one inch) selvage area upon which cutting proportions and manufacturer numbering appears. Small punch-holes at the north and south positions were, evidently, a means to secure the sheet for handiwork, or to verify alignment. Technically-figured grading places conditionof the 14″ x 16-3/4” sheet at Excellent, with three distinct edge faults that do not affect the card designs. If the item were framed and matted to present the center subjects, the result would be a crisp Near Mint to Mint appearance. This is a one-of-a-kind mid-production piece that reflects cartophilic history as well as visual splendor.

Heritage didn’t add much to their description, saying:

1933 R174 Goudey “World War Gum” Uncut Proof Sheet. This uncut proof sheet of 24 blank back cards from the 1933 R174 Goudey “World War Gum” series is a remarkable piece of historical memorabilia. Featuring black and white photos of scenes from World War I, the sheet offers a unique glimpse into the past, reflecting the cultural impact of the war and the era’s collectible cards. The presence of holes at the top and bottom, used by Goudey for holding the sheets in place, adds authenticity, making it a prized item ready for framing and display. Measures 14″ x 16 13/16.”

But Heritage did include a scan of the back.

Check out The Uncut Sheet Archive for more!

Unveiling a Rarity: A 1937 Goudey Thum Movies Uncut Sheet

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Here’s an incredible item I can’t remember seeing before: a 1937 Goudey Thum Movies Uncut Seet featuring 300 individual views.

Richard Wolffers Auctions, Inc. offered this sheet in their December 1994 catalog. They noted a few faults, including a few sealed tears with tape, so they offered it as a VG item. The estimated value was $5000-6000.

I can’t really make out any players on the sheet, and I’ve never seen the inside of any booklets, and while there is a 1938 Goudey Big League Baseball Movies set (R326) with the same dimensions, I’ll take the catalog’s word that these are the photos from the 1937 set (R342). Let me know if you can confirm!

Check out The Uncut Sheet Archive for more!