progressive proof
noun
Definition of progressive proof
: a proof of a set made from plates for color printing showing each color separately and then the colors combined with one color being added at a time in the order in which they are to print
From the invention of the printing process in 1439 by Johannes Gutenberg proofing has been a system by which a final product is reviewed in steps before final production. Over the next 300+ years the process developed into the first overlay system in the 1940’s in which each of the process colors was printed separately and combined to show the final color image.
Jump ahead to The Topps Company and their first major baseball card set in 1952. As recently as a few years ago, a 1952 progressive proof of Dom DiMaggio came onto the market.
Thursday August 17th to Sunday August 20th 1989 opened the doors of the Topps Archives to the public for the very first time. At an auction in New York City at the Hunter College Sports complex, Topps along with auction house Guernsey’s held a 2 day auction in which thousands of original items from the companies long history went up for auction.
Amongst the lots were hundreds of uncut proof and 1 of a kind progressive proof sheets. A major portion of those sheets are now part of this collection being sold by us over the coming months and years. As far as we know there is only one of each of these progressive proof sets known.