Signs That Your Bobby Orr 1966-67 Topps #35 Rookie Card Is A Fake Or Reprint

To many hockey collectors, the Bobby Orr 1966-67 Topps #35 rookie card is the holy grail.  Adding one to your collection can cost a pretty penny.  Especially wanting an example that’s in decent condition.  Its a decision that can cost thousands.

Along with Wayne Gretzky’s 1979-80 O-Pee-Chee #18 RC, Bobby Orr’s 1966-67 Topps #35 rookie card is one of the most counterfeited pieces of cardboard in the hobby.  Some of these counterfeits and reprints are very convincing.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind if you’re thinking about purchasing a Bobby Orr 1966-67 Topps #35 rookie card:

• Locate Bobby Orr’s name on the card’s front.  If you see small red dots within the yellow text that’s a sign its not authentic.
• Take a look at the back of the card.  On a large number of counterfeits/reprints there is a small circle on the grid line right beneath the “1965-66” text.  Not every counterfeit/reprint contains this feature, but a good portion do.
• Extremely dark/light colors on the front, with a much brighter (sometimes white) back are signs of a counterfeit/reprint.
• Mint condition – this card is notorious for having major condition issues.  The centering is usually off, and chipping can be a big problem due to the wood-grain border.  Finding an authentic example in nice condition is incredibly difficult.  If its too good to be true, it probably is.
• If possible, take a common Boston Bruins card from the 1966-67 Topps set and compare it to the Bobby Orr rookie you’re looking at.  The card stock and printing techniques should be very similar.  Special attention wasn’t paid to Bobby Orr’s rookie card during the printing process.  It was treated like all of the others.

Authentic front

Authentic back

Counterfeit/reprint front

Counterfeit/reprint back

Card of the Day: Jennifer England / Lisa Gleave 2012 Benchwarmer Holiday Naughty Or Nice Dual Auto

Word has it they got one look at your yule log and started laughing all the way 🙂  Merry Christmas!

The Playground or Out-Door Games for Boys

In 1953 Congress officially declared Alexander Cartwright the inventor of the modern game of baseball.  Before that, a heated battle went on debating whether Cartwright or Abner Doubleday was the true inventor.  To this day scholars still debate over it, but Cartwright is recognized as the true inventor of the modern game.  One of the pieces of evidence used in the investigation to help declare Cartwright the true inventor was a book published in 1866 titled The Playground or Out-Door Games for Boys.  Inside it describes various activities for children to participate in so they could get some outside activity.  One of these activities is the game of Base-Ball.  It takes you through the basic rules of the game and teaches you everything from how the bases work to how you should use the bat.

This sure isn’t something you see everyday.  Recently a copied surfaced on eBay and the seller was asking $3,500.00 for it.  I think its really interesting to see the game of baseball referenced in such an old book.  Believe it or not, but the world “baseball” was used in a book published in the 18th century, many years before the one pictured below.  Good luck finding either.  Both are extremely rare and expensive.

When this book was published, Connie Mack was only 4 years old.  For a true baseball fan, this book would make one cool collectible.