1988 Topps Stickers Football Forum

Not really sure why since they are too expensive IMO to purchase cards like this, but I was checking out the 1988 Topps Sticker set on COMC to see if they had the variations I am missing, and I noticed that they had the set broken into 3 categories.

The first (Base) is obvious, as is the second (No Sticker), which is what we have listed as "Sticker Backs".  However, COMC also lists 35 different cards (51 if you include sold out) as "Proofs".  There isn't any such designation in the TCDB, and looking at the pics on COMC, I don't see any difference between the images of what they're calling a "Proof" and the base cards.  

Does anyone know what these are?  What's the difference between the base and the "Proofs"?  Is there a complete set of Proofs out there with all the same variations of front/back (God, I hope not...I thought I was nearly done with a Browns master set for these cards)?

Glenn

As I understand it, a proof is an early copy of a card that the artists develop to show Topps executives or the NFL or whoever what the design is going to look like so they can make some early changes.  I think every card has a proof stage but they usually aren't sold. 

I'm assuming that's what these stickers are, although I don't know for sure, but it's possible that they're not even different at all from the final product and therefore wouldn't have a page on TCDB that's separate from the regular stickers.  Proofs are usually clearly different in my experience, usually missing color or a back design or something like that, but not always.  

I looked at a couple on COMC and I didn't see any differences between the proofs and final versions so the differences might be subtle if there are any.

The only difference I can see are that the double stickers on the back aren't scored down the middle for separate removal.

So they missed the scoring process and people are trying to sell them as "proofs"?

I though this has been brought up before and put to bed.  My understanding is and I may be wrong.  I though it came down from Admin.

1. Base set of stickers with all the back Var we found and verified for sure.  A lot of time from many members to do this set. There have been Var that appears that the sticker was removed and replaced with another sticker that members wanted to add.  There was a few on COMC at the time and was removed when told that you could see the stickers were not on correctly.  I asked them to remove or verify several of them.  They removed them.

2.  Set of all the backs with no stickers on them.   This set was added as they were printed on the card stock.    Approved by Admin.     I may be wrong but to me the only way to get them was to remove the stickers from the front.   I never got an answer when I ask the question if they were sold with a blank back.

3.  The so called "Proofs" were missing a step in the process from everything that has been looked into.     As there is no real way to figure out if they are really proofs or just someone who is selling them as proofs.  Again, I though COMC reply about this was that was the way of showing that there was a different between the stickers.

Way too many people are selling processing/printing errors as rare and valuable cards.

Great info, thanks!

The only Topps Sticker variations I know of:

-- 1987 baseball had a hard back test issue
-- 1982 and 1985 football had "coming soon" stickers in card packs to promote the sticker yearbook (1982, 1985)
-- 1982 baseball had "coming soon" stickers in card packs to promote the sticker yearbook