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Great Article by Joe Posnanski on Topps Cards Numbering System & the HOF

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dano7

Well-known member
Aug 7, 2008
13,325
3,849
Roanoke, VA
Nice article and I'm glad he did his list. I noticed the 50 and 00 cards being the stars each season when I was collecting as a kid, completing my first set in 1961.
DANNY
 

TNP777

New member
Aug 7, 2008
3,528
1
the 209
before I read the article, I'm going to guess he talks about this:

hundreds (100, 200, 300, etc) = superstars
fifties (50, 150, 250, etc) = high profile stars
tens = pretty darn good players, some stars, all-stars that aren't major or superstars
fives = good everyday players
everything else = common players

now I'll go read and see if I'm an idiot.
 

cjedmonton

Well-known member
Sep 20, 2009
1,890
313
Great White North
Posnanski is a living legend as far as baseball writers go. Always entertaining, always insightful.

Like countless others, I also noticed this trend not long after I started collecting (mid-70s). I think it`s also interesting to see how many established superstars were given completely random numbers not ending in 0 or 5 for their regular Topps card (at least pre-1970).
 
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oiccup41

Member
Aug 27, 2010
707
3
Maine
That was great, I always thought doing something similar when I was young. Although not nearly as in depth as he is.
 

predatorkj

Active member
Aug 7, 2008
11,871
2
Anyone trying to put a set together of any vintage topps stuff notices this but I've never heard it talked about. Kinda odd to never hear it brought up. As for the newer sets, I wouldn't know because I am lazy and just buy a factory set.
 

Mighty Bombjack

Active member
Aug 7, 2008
6,115
12
Good read, thanks for posting it.

He mentions that Topps messed with the numbering system in the 90s and mid 00s. Well, it's not that they officially messed with it so much as that they started having crazy turnover in the baseball editor department, and the post was often filled hastily and after checklist deadlines. I know because I personally set the checklists for 2002 and 2003 Topps (both under great time contraint), and no one told me to do anything like this with the numbering. I randomized it using excel, and then haphazardly put some of the better (and favorable to me) players in the number slots mentioned, only because I had collected as a child and was aware of this system.

You guys wouldn't believe some of the jabronis working in the Sports Marketing department at Topps. Fantastic people to talk sports and party with, but not always the sharpest tools in the shed.
 

Ghumbs

Member
Oct 3, 2011
992
0
Seattle, WA
Very cool blog post. I wish I had the data in front of me because his equation makes no sense. He should just add the points...forget about multiplying by how many Topps "Prime" cards they have.
 

carrsallstars

Member
Sep 16, 2009
846
0
Good read, thanks for posting it.

He mentions that Topps messed with the numbering system in the 90s and mid 00s. Well, it's not that they officially messed with it so much as that they started having crazy turnover in the baseball editor department, and the post was often filled hastily and after checklist deadlines. I know because I personally set the checklists for 2002 and 2003 Topps (both under great time contraint), and no one told me to do anything like this with the numbering. I randomized it using excel, and then haphazardly put some of the better (and favorable to me) players in the number slots mentioned, only because I had collected as a child and was aware of this system.

You guys wouldn't believe some of the jabronis working in the Sports Marketing department at Topps. Fantastic people to talk sports and party with, but not always the sharpest tools in the shed.

Nice. Cool insights here.
 

Dilferules

Well-known member
Aug 10, 2012
1,948
1,746
Auburn, WA
Anyone trying to put a set together of any vintage topps stuff notices this but I've never heard it talked about. Kinda odd to never hear it brought up. As for the newer sets, I wouldn't know because I am lazy and just buy a factory set.

I remember this being brought up in Beckett when I was a kid, late 80's-early 90's. They didn't go way in depth with it but the 00, 50, 10, 5 tiering was mentioned. It's kind of all over the place nowadays but the 00's are usually big stars.
 

RZimm11

New member
Feb 4, 2009
2,652
0
Thought this was common knowledge back then. We always bought the new sets looking for who was #100,250,etc.

I know it's more random than it used to be, but I still look at who they put for the 100s every year.

Sent from my GSIII using Freedom Card Board moblie app.
 

predatorkj

Active member
Aug 7, 2008
11,871
2
I remember this being brought up in Beckett when I was a kid, late 80's-early 90's. They didn't go way in depth with it but the 00, 50, 10, 5 tiering was mentioned. It's kind of all over the place nowadays but the 00's are usually big stars.


I've got sets from 1968 up till now going. Most of the newer stuff is complete(1984-now) or straight up factory. But with the 70's stuff and the little bit of early 80's I'm missing, as I have dug through monster boxes, I have always found the numbers I am missing match those quoted above. And since I put the sets together by hand, you start noticing all the stars are missing. Eventually I run across a box where the stars haven't been cherry picked and make the set. But after the first few sets got going, I started looking at my checklists and see its always the same types of numbers missing. And it blows because you know each one of those cards is a star that's going to run you a little more to finish.
 

gt2590

Super Moderator
Aug 17, 2008
38,657
3,246
Near Philly
Cool article about HOF and Topps numbering system...

Saw this linked on "Sweet Spot" and thought it was too cool not to share here.

The writer, former Reds columnist Joe Posnanski, used the Topps numbering system, which favored Superstars, to determine a players greatness, popularity and Validity of making it to Cooperstown. Pretty cool idea and well researched.

Joe Blogs: The Topps Numbering System

Some insightful Comments shown below too...
 

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