Another one of my favorite Topps test issues !!!
In 1968, trying to catch the fancy of young collectors, Topps issued a set of
"Baseball Action Stickers", also called "Action All-Stars Stickers".
1968 was a huge year for Topps with their test/oddball issues of
Game cards, Player Posters, 3-D cards, Plaks, Discs and Punchouts.
Topps 1968 "Baseball Action Stickers" consisted of (16) 3-part sticker panel
strips containing removable, die-cut stickers. They were PACKED !!! Mantle,
Mays, Aaron, Clemente, Seaver, Yastrzemski ...
There are (16) different three-panel stickers in the set but only 12
contain totally different panels. Stickers #13 thru #16 re-used panels
from the first 12 strips.
Each (15 3/4" by 3 1/4") strip had (3) 3-1/4 x 5-1/4 inch panels,
perforated at the joints for separation. Each strip featured a large image of a star player
in the center, with smaller pictures of three players on top & bottom panels.
The large sticker and some of the others had facsimile autographs
The peel-able back was blank-backed.
The strip was folded along 2 perforations and placed in it's pack.
Sold in 1-sticker packs in 1968 with 12 packs/box; at ten cents a pack, sets could be put together
for just $1.60. Today, if you could find them, a mid four figures or more would be needed to build a set.
Today a complete 3-panel sticker with Mantle in the center commands up to $2,000 alone.
Complete strips with the 3-panels still attached are so scarce and fragile AND EXPENSIVE
that collectors usually collect individual panels and the grading companies including PSA
grade the individual panels.
The single panels themselves are quite scarce and in the 23 years PSA has been
around they have graded just over 200 TOTAL, less than 9 per year !!!
The pop report is on the average of only 4 to 5 of each individual panel !!!
Compare that to PSA has graded over a thousand 1952 Topps Mickey Mantles !!!
Vintage Topps collectors understand supply and demand and just how cool
these are !
Proof sheets, usually from Topps Vault, have shown up.
This sheet is missing the facsimile autographs.
Click for complete
1968 Topps Action All-Star Stickers baseball cards Checklist and Prices
Note: You may be on that page right now.
Another interesting issue
1960 Pirates Tag-Ons Baseball Stickers
Click for larger image of proof sheet