That’s exactly why they ones that survive, especially those in excellent condition, are worth so much..it’s because the vast majority were torn, bent, and tossed away.. as a kid..we’d flip, and trade them..I could probably have put both my daughters through college if I’d kept all my cards..
My Dad knew a guy who worked for Topps. In the early ‘60s he used to bring home sheets of uncut baseball cards. Naturally, me and my brother would proceed to sit down at the dining room table with scissors and try to cut them as rectangularly as possible, with not a lot of success.