Deckle Edge Insert Set

Inserted into packs of 1969 Topps baseball cards beginning with the set's third series and continuing into the fourth series, the 33-card Topps Deckle Edge set gets its name from the unique scalloped borders found on each card.  The inserts were advertised as "A Real Autographed Photo in Each Pack" on the front of five cent wrappers.  Topps uses "real" somewhat misleadingly here as the blue autographs on each card are facsimiles.  There are actually 35 different cards available as Topps replaced Hoyt Wilhelm and Rusty Staub with Jim Wynn and Joe Foy in subsequent printings.  The checklist was originally constructed alphabetical by team, American League teams first.  When the expansion Royals dealt Wilhelm to the Angels in December 1968, followed by Staub's acquisition by the Expos from the Astros in January 1969, Topps pulled them both and replaced them in the set with Wynn (Astros) and Foy (Royals) so those teams would have correct representation.

As always, The Topps Archives provided a wonderful source for this information, especially this post detailing the rationale behind the set's checklist.  All articles tagged to 1969 Topps Deckle Baseball from The Topps Archives can be found here.

I bought a complete 35-card set from eBay seller alangd from Imperial, Missouri in November 2022.  All 35 cards came meticulously packaged in snap down cases, and I've since freed them and added the cards to nine-pocket pages in the back of our 1969 Topps set binder.  Clicking on each card below will take you to the post for the player's card in the flagship set.

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#2

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#11a

#11b

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Checklist

1 Brooks Robinson - Baltimore Orioles
2 Boog Powell - Baltimore Orioles
3 Ken Harrelson - Boston Red Sox
4 Carl Yastrzemski - Boston Red Sox
5 Jim Fregosi - California Angels
6 Luis Aparicio - Chicago White Sox
7 Luis Tiant - Cleveland Indians
8 Denny McLain - Detroit Tigers
9 Willie Horton - Detroit Tigers
10 Bill Freehan - Detroit Tigers
11a Hoyt Wilhelm - Kansas City Royals
11b Jim Wynn - Houston Astros
12 Rod Carew - Minnesota Twins
13 Mel Stottlemyre - New York Yankees
14 Rick Monday - Oakland Athletics
15 Tommy Davis - Seattle Pilots
16 Frank Howard - Washington Senators
17 Felipe Alou - Atlanta Braves

37 Frank Malzone - Boston Red Sox
18 Don Kessinger - Chicago Cubs
19 Ron Santo - Chicago Cubs
20 Tommy Helms - Cincinnati Reds
21 Pete Rose - Cincinnati Reds
22a Rusy Staub - Houston Astros
22b Joe Foy - Kansas City Royals
23 Tom Haller - Los Angeles Dodgers
24 Maury Wills - Montreal Expos
25 Jerry Koosman - New York Mets
26 Richie Allen - Philadelphia Phillies
27 Bob Clemente - Pittsburgh Pirates
28 Curt Flood - St. Louis Cardinals
29 Bob Gibson - St. Louis Cardinals
30 Al Ferrara - San Diego Padres
31 Willie McCovey - San Francisco Giants
32 Juan Marichal - San Francisco Giants
33 Willie Mays - San Francisco Giants

Originally published December 23, 2022