1972 Topps Baseball Forum

I've been slowly putting together a complete master set (Error/Variations included) of the 1972 Topps set. And I'm beginning to wonder if a yellow Hickman variation card truly exist. I've actually purchased a couple of cards that I thought we're yellow variations, but I noticed both cards had pixels in the top part of the C & S of the card, where as the true yellow parts of the letters had none. So I don't consider those cards to be truly yellow, or are they?  I considered both cards to be yellowish. There is currently (5/17) a card on EBAY listed as a Yellow variation card priced at $85. I reached out to the seller, and he to said he could see pixels (using magnification) in the top parts of the C & S. 

So I did some researching online and seen that a total of 264 Hickman cards have been graded via PSA,SGC,Beckett, yet not a single one was listed as yellow, all we're green. Beckett doesn't even identify a Yellow Hickman existing. Which of course isn't an end all, considering they also don't recognize card #378 existing as having a variation. For the record I own both versions of card #378 (star version, asterick version).  

I also noticed that 190 members here say they own a "yellow variation" Hickman card. I'm just curious, have any of you tried to get it graded to authenticate it as a yellow variation? Me personally if I thought I had a true yellow, I would try to get it graded knowing it would be the only one in the world graded, I would want it authenticated, to know I truly owned a rare card. And that I truly have completed a master set. Any thoughts or opinions are welcomed. Thanks for your time.

I still need the yellow Hickman for my master set as well. Scanning the list of those that have it, there are several trusted members there that know what they are holding onto. I also see under FS/T another trusted member. I find it hard to believe that there isn't a "true yellow" as this VAR has been known since they were issued in packs. Which just makes me wonder that the "pixels" they see is just a product of the printing processes of the time. 

Here is a link to my yellow copy next to the green copy:

https://postimg.cc/21Q0XDpQ

I'm not really into grading, so honestly don't care.  Side by side, you can certainly see the difference and one is definitely yellow whereas the other is green.  The biggest key for me was the stars on either side of the team name are also yellow.

I would say the pixelating you are referring to is just a sign of the times and something they corrected when they corrected the color.  Mine has some issues above the B and the S (not the C and the S you mentioned), but I wouldn't say that is any sort of an issue that would be unexpected at the time.  You can also see a lot of "fish eye" imperfections in both cards, which are pretty common for the era.

I hope that helps.

I'd love to see the entire 'yellow card'. Is the green in the stands and grass at bottom faded? The sky looks washed out in your version.

You're correct; there's no green visible anywhere in his photo. Many of the examples I've seen of yelllow vs green; the "blue" areas are "faded". 

Yes, you could say that the green is "faded" on this card and any of the other examples of the yellow errors.  However, more than faded what it looks like is that there are a group of cards that missed the cyan sheet, so that the blue didn't combine with the yellow to make the green.  Similar to the blackless cards from 1982 and a number of other errors over the years.

Not sure if this is obvious, but wouldn't the 2021 Heritage errors of this type be an indication that they are true errors in 1972 and not just fading, etc.?

Or..... why are we debating something that has been known and accepted in the hobby for 50 years now?

For anyone who wants to throw darts, I say that tongue-in-cheek. But at the same time...

Griffey423, the Hickman card you have is how I envisioned a yellow version looking, especially with the stars being yellow. The 2 I bought in the past (1 being listed as a yellow variation) both had more of a Lime green color when viewed up close in person. Even the inside of the stars was more of a lime green color. I just didn't feel they we're legit. Fortunately the more expensive one had a 14 day return on it, so I was able to get my money back. The other cost me only $3.00 so no harm there. 

I really appreciate you guys taking the time to put in your input. Even though I've been collecting for 52 years, one thing I've learned from this hobby, there is always someone out there who has more knowledge than I do. It's always a learning process, especially when it comes to vintage cards. Thanks again.

My Hickman's... definitely full yellow v the yellow/green. 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/9yt6o4bkjxfgyeg/20230518_063827.jpg?dl=0