Possibly a stupid question (RE: Topps Traded sets)

I decided a few weeks ago to go back and pick all Topps sets from my year of birth to now, including the traded sets. With that said, were there any years where a traded set wasnt produced? For some reason I have not seen a 1996 anywhere so I wasnt sure. I figure there may be a set collector or two here able to help

Thanks in advance!

I'm not positive, but I'm pretty sure there were a couple years in the 2000s that they have not produced this set (I think 04 or 05 might have been the first year of this but I'm not sure). Good luck finding them all!

Everything you ever wanted to know......and more:

Topps recently announced plans for the 2004 version of Topps Traded & Rookies, which will be issued in packs along with the Topps Chrome version (8 regular and 2 Chrome cards per pack). The cards are due for an Oct. 18 release with a $3 suggested retail price per pack.

Among the "traded" portion of this year’s set, which will include 65 veteran players, are cards of Nomar Garciaparra with the Chicago Cubs and Alex Rodriguez with the Yankees. Also included in the 220-card base set (down from 275 cards the past two years) will be 20 top picks from the 2004 amateur draft, plus 20 prospects, 110 rookies and five managers.

Each 24-pack box will include one autographed or relic card. Autographed inserts will include three different 1-of-1 "Signature Cuts" cards with cut signatures from Babe Ruth, Roger Maris and Johnny Mize.

Other interesting inserts include "Transactions Dual" relic cards, featuring players such as Alex Rodriguez and Curt Schilling along with pieces of game-worn jerseys from both their old and new teams; plus Hall of Fame relic cards that include a card picturing both Paul Molitor and Dennis Eckersley with relic pieces from both.

"Traded" cards actually have a very long history -- dating back to the earliest tobacco cards, which were often updated with new team information when necessary.

In 1972, Topps included a seven-card subset of traded players (with the "Traded" designation prominent across the front of the card) as part of its final series of the year. Players in that first "Traded" subset included Steve Carlton and Joe Morgan.

When Topps switched to printing its entire 660-card set at once in 1974, rather than in series like in previous years, the company added in a 44-card series of Traded cards with late-season packs. The 44 cards mirrored the numbering of the players’ regular cards, but with a "T" after the number. For instance, Juan Marichal is card number 330 in the regular set, but 330T in the Traded set.

The Traded cards were not very attractive -- with many airbrushed photos (crudely hand-painted team logos over the actual photo), the word "TRADED" printed far too boldly across the fronts and faux newspaper-style backs.

Another 44-card late-season Traded series in much the same style appeared in 1976, but that would prove to be the last Traded series until Topps remade the concept in 1981 with its 132-card boxed set -- which was indeed numbered as a continuation of its regular set that year and included rookies along with the traded players.

Topps continued to issue 132-card boxed Traded sets through 1994, but after 1981 the cards were numbered as a separate set, 1T-132T. The 1994 set also included an eight-card Topps Finest insert series.

Since the series started, the rookie players have been the real driving force behind the Topps Traded sets.

Thanks for that info...for me then after reading that and looking aorund, the three years I cant find any real info on are 1996, 1997 and 1998. It doesnt appear sets were made that year, but I could just be someone that doesnt use his Google well.

Interesting on those 70's TRADED sets as I was considering going back year by year once I get the sets I wanted to collect, and that would of course lead me back into the 70s

Anyone know more about 96-98?

In 2002, due to a total production screw-up, the veterans in the traded set were shortprinted, and the rookies were double-printed (was supposed to be the other way around). Makes for an interesting set build, to be sure.

While all of this is fantastic information (and I mean it), to answer the original question (and to confirm in case you've really been looking)...

No, there were no Topps Traded sets for 1996, 1997, and 1998.