Adding New Elements to Card Printing —Cagle

STRINE PRINTING had always been something of a mystery. For years, the company had avoided publicity, preferring to keep a low profile. So when the assignment to profile the pride of York, PA, came along, I fought to hide a smile. All I knew about Strine was that it prints Topps trading cards.

Since a majority of my own 30-year collection was likely pressed at Strine, I knew a tour was in order. Dave Kornbau, vice president of operations, provided an extended stayover in the card division and related his own role in some of the most ballyhooed, valuable and highly desirable cards printed since the 1952 Mickey Mantle rookie. They are commonly known as memorabilia cards—where every piece of equipment or uniform imaginable is incorporated into the card itself (see the cover article on page 22).