1st Series Original Sheet Mystery

[slayskool]

First off, I would love to upload photos of this sheet in Eric Roberts' collection, but I have no idea how to upload photos.  Any help?

The sheet was brought to my attention by Phil Carpenter.  The sheet is in Eric Roberts' amazing sheet collection.  Per Phil Carpenter:

[T]he attached sheet images from Eric's collection;these are not from the Topps Vault. Notice the sheet code on the side, the note by the removed Band Ache image and the substitution of Bald and Taster's Choke on the series 1 sheet; why this sheet never made the light of day is unknown, but this is very interesting. Feel free to post this shit on the talk groups etc. Spread the word, just say that they came from Eric's amazing sheet collection.

[Fanatical_and_Sickly]

A negative image of the Bald/Choke Series 1 sheet was auctioned off by Toppsvault just over 3 years ago and I made quite a few postings about it at that time and a few times since.
They used the sheet as the starting point of the mail-away poster. I believe the original mail away would have had Bald and Choke, but then topps changed their mind and substituted a bunch of 2nd series stickers as more and more C&D's showed up.
I've added the image to this post below - I tweaked it to make is a "positive" and added small images of Choke and Bald to show that the borders matched the covered up cards.

If Eric actually has a copy of the real sheet that would be amazing.

to post a picture, just click on the additional options button at the bottom - it'll reveal how to attach a pic. Very similar to Greg's forum.

[bandaches]

First off, I would love to upload photos of this sheet in Eric Roberts' collection, but I have no idea how to upload photos.  Any help?

The sheet was brought to my attention by Phil Carpenter.  The sheet is in Eric Roberts' amazing sheet collection.  Per Phil Carpenter:

[T]he attached sheet images from Eric's collection;these are not from the Topps Vault. Notice the sheet code on the side, the note by the removed Band Ache image and the substitution of Bald and Taster's Choke on the series 1 sheet; why this sheet never made the light of day is unknown, but this is very interesting. Feel free to post this shit on the talk groups etc. Spread the word, just say that they came from Eric's amazing sheet collection.

I would love to see this.  Is Eric's sheet collection published on the net somewhere?

[slayskool]

I would love to see this.  Is Eric's sheet collection published on the net somewhere?

[slayskool]

2nd pic

[slayskool]

3rd pic

[bandaches]

3rd pic

do you happen to have a pic of the whole sheet?

[Sunstroke]

Wow! An intense piece of the puzzle!!!

[slayskool]

do you happen to have a pic of the whole sheet?

Nyet.  Nine.  Oxi. 

[Fanatical_and_Sickly]

nice!
just missing the Liptorn that replaced Bandache.

[HeadAndBoulders]

nice!
just missing the Liptorn that replaced Bandache.

I dont really understamnd.  Were they going to change the 1st series and add those two titles at some point?

[slayskool]

I dont really understamnd.  Were they going to change the 1st series and add those two titles at some point?

Sure looks that way as evidenced by the code (the "02" indicates a second setting of the same sheet).  It also makes sense because Taster's Choke and Bald were possible substitutions for the 2nd Series (as noted on the proof sheet pictured in the Gallery), so they were created early in the game.  Topps probably just decided NOT to run the sheet and just go with the second series.

[HeadAndBoulders]

Sure looks that way as evidenced by the code (the "02" indicates a second setting of the same sheet).  It also makes sense because Taster's Choke and Bald were possible substitutions for the 2nd Series (as noted on the proof sheet pictured in the Gallery), so they were created early in the game.  Topps probably just decided NOT to run the sheet and just go with the second series.

Thats very interesting.

[Fanatical_and_Sickly]

do you happen to have a pic of the whole sheet?

that first pic basically is the whole sheet, if I'm not mistaken? All 7 rows and all 11 columns.

[Fanatical_and_Sickly]

Sure looks that way as evidenced by the code (the "02" indicates a second setting of the same sheet).  It also makes sense because Taster's Choke and Bald were possible substitutions for the 2nd Series (as noted on the proof sheet pictured in the Gallery), so they were created early in the game.  Topps probably just decided NOT to run the sheet and just go with the second series.

too bad that's not the actual sheet with Taster's and Bald on it. The negative image that I posted indicates a real sheet was produced. Would love to see the real deal.

[Fanatical_and_Sickly]

Sure looks that way as evidenced by the code (the "02" indicates a second setting of the same sheet).  It also makes sense because Taster's Choke and Bald were possible substitutions for the 2nd Series (as noted on the proof sheet pictured in the Gallery), so they were created early in the game.  Topps probably just decided NOT to run the sheet and just go with the second series.

my theory is that this is, and always was, the mail away poster and nothing more.
The wrapper ads say "The Original 1st Series Wacky Packages reproduced".
My thinking is that only two cards had been C&D'd when they first came up with the idea of a reprint poster. Only Skimpy and Bandaches had been pulled and so they revised the sheet for the poster. Still basically the first series, plus a couple of new ones.
Then Maddie Boy and Quacker sent C&D's, and suddenly there were 5 more holes to fill. With 8 total spots, it suddenly made more sense to fill in with series 2 cards.

Wow. Can you imagine if Taster's and Bald were only available on the reprint poster???

[slayskool]

my theory is that this is, and always was, the mail away poster and nothing more.
The wrapper ads say "The Original 1st Series Wacky Packages reproduced".
My thinking is that only two cards had been C&D'd when they first came up with the idea of a reprint poster. Only Skimpy and Bandaches had been pulled and so they revised the sheet for the poster. Still basically the first series, plus a couple of new ones.
Then Maddie Boy and Quacker sent C&D's, and suddenly there were 5 more holes to fill. With 8 total spots, it suddenly made more sense to fill in with series 2 cards.

Wow. Can you imagine if Taster's and Bald were only available on the reprint poster???

The only reason I don't think this was intended for the poster is because of the code number.  The code number is definitely there for another printer reset.

[Dr Popper]

The only reason I don't think this was intended for the poster is because of the code number.  The code number is definitely there for another printer reset.

What do you mean by "printer reset"?  The posters would have to be printed as well, so how does that affect the coding?

[slayskool]

What do you mean by "printer reset"?  The posters would have to be printed as well, so how does that affect the coding?

I would guess the posters would be assigned a different project code.  The "422" designation was meant for Wackys Series 1.

[Fanatical_and_Sickly]

I would guess the posters would be assigned a different project code.  The "422" designation was meant for Wackys Series 1.

that's certainly true of the later series, but something very different seems to have gone on with the 1st series with respect to the reprint for the mail in poster.
Here's a link to the proof sheet of the poster set from toppsvault - and it has the original 1st series designator of 422, press setting of -01-, even though it's clearly not the first set up for 1st series as it has all the swaps.
It seems topps revised the sheet to version -02- for Bald and Choke, but then after deciding to substitute using only series 2 cards into the sheet, they reverted back to version -01-

I'd still love to see a real version -02-. All we have are Eric's paste up planning version and the negative image of the actual sheet from toppsvault

http://www.wackypackages.org/auctionsarchive/sheet_poster_testpack_like_mystery_2123160312.htm

[bandaches]

that's certainly true of the later series, but something very different seems to have gone on with the 1st series with respect to the reprint for the mail in poster.
Here's a link to the proof sheet of the poster set from toppsvault - and it has the original 1st series designator of 422, press setting of -01-, even though it's clearly not the first set up for 1st series as it has all the swaps.
It seems topps revised the sheet to version -02- for Bald and Choke, but then after deciding to substitute using only series 2 cards into the sheet, they reverted back to version -01-

I'd still love to see a real version -02-. All we have are Eric's paste up planning version and the negative image of the actual sheet from toppsvault

http://www.wackypackages.org/auctionsarchive/sheet_poster_testpack_like_mystery_2123160312.htm

So when was Taster's Choke painted?  After the diecuts but along with series 2?  It is not Saunders work so it couldn't have been painted when all of the first series titles were painted.

[Fanatical_and_Sickly]

So when was Taster's Choke painted?  After the diecuts but along with series 2?  It is not Saunders work so it couldn't have been painted when all of the first series titles were painted.

like you say, it must have been painted along with all of series 2 art and that's why they appear on that upper row of excess wackys on the series 2 proof sheet.

my guess is they overproduced art for the first few series, art that could then be used for C&D replacements or other reasons for removal. That proof of series 2 had 7 excess cards. The proof of series 4 had 2 excess cards. (hopefully there's a series 3 proof out there that will surface some day, so we can see what the excess were from that set). I think by series 5 topps ran out of the luxury of producing excess art, as those later proofs had nothing extra on them.

[slayskool]

So when was Taster's Choke painted?  After the diecuts but along with series 2?  It is not Saunders work so it couldn't have been painted when all of the first series titles were painted.

Taster's Choke is on the 2nd Series Proof Sheet dated 4-12-73 so it HAD to be painted in early 1973 if not late 1972.

[slayskool]

my theory is that this is, and always was, the mail away poster and nothing more.
The wrapper ads say "The Original 1st Series Wacky Packages reproduced".
My thinking is that only two cards had been C&D'd when they first came up with the idea of a reprint poster. Only Skimpy and Bandaches had been pulled and so they revised the sheet for the poster. Still basically the first series, plus a couple of new ones.
Then Maddie Boy and Quacker sent C&D's, and suddenly there were 5 more holes to fill. With 8 total spots, it suddenly made more sense to fill in with series 2 cards.

Wow. Can you imagine if Taster's and Bald were only available on the reprint poster???

Also, the uncut sheet has "revised serie(sic) 1" on it.