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Pack Bidder Alert: 1980/'81 Topps basketball wax tray--is it legit or counterfeit?

1980/'81 Topps basketball wax tray currently on ebay with (buy it now) for $350 or best offer--item#220583462542.
image
At first glance this appears to be an exceeding rare, highly collectible, legit tray. But the area of the green oval raises two red flags so might we take a closer look. The wrapper reads that this tray contains three .20 cent packs however beginning in 1980 Topps upped the price of wax packs from all sports to .25 cents. 1979 was the last year Topps produced .20 cent wax packs.

A second red flag is the inordinate amount of slack in the cellophane which is easily seen in the green oval area. This excessive slack occured when someone successfully opened the seal at either end of a legit 1979 Topps (baseball) tray and carefully slid out the three wax packs and replaced them with three resealed '80/'81 Topps basketball wax packs. The tray's compromised seal was then resealed using either the "heat" or "adhesive" technique. (no reverse picture of the tray was provided in the listing).

This process created slack because '79 baseball wax packs contain 12 cards whereas '80/'81 basketball wax packs are noticeably thinner containing only 8 cards. So when the thinner packs were substituted this created a void within the tray.

This is a very difficult process to successfully accomplish but there are people out there who are experienced at counterfeiting wax trays--especially '79 Topps Hockey trays due to their value. A well known counterfeiting team operating out of North Carolina is believed to be responsible for counterfeiting numerous '79 Topps Hockey trays over the years using the very same technique I described above.

For the benefit of fellow board members I did email the good folks at PSA yesterday and they immediately emailed me back confirming that Topps (did not) produce any '80/'81 basketball wax trays. They added, "this is a known fact". They further added, "they still keep popping up but they are not real."

So be careful out there when buying high-end trays--especially '79 topps hockey trays.

**For the record I am making no accusations regarding whether or not the seller of this tray is aware of its nature. He is currently selling many other high-end vintage packs, several of which are in PSA holders, which would lead me to believe he is not aware of the character of this tray.
"You tell 'em I'm coming...and hell's coming with me"--Wyatt Earp
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Comments

  • awesome work! Keep up the info!
  • flatfoot816flatfoot816 Posts: 2,194 ✭✭✭
    I am not offering an opinion on the wax tray for sale...but note the following---


    January 17, 2005


    Baseball Card Exchange
    400 Fisher Street
    Suite J
    Munster, Indiana 46321
    Attn: Steve Hart

    Re: Items Ordered from Web Site

    Dear Steve:

    I am enclosing a check in the amount of $ 485.00 for payment on the following items:

    1. (1) 1979/80 Topps Hockey Wax Tray
    2. (1) 1980 Basketball Wax Tray

    ****************************************************************************************************************

    This was the letter that I sent to Steve in Jan. '05. As you can see, I did order a '79/80 basketball wax tray, which is gorgeous-- I still have it.

    Not sure who you spoke to at PSA, but clearly they made a mistake. It woud make no sense for them to make wax trays in 1980 for every sport but basketball. AS we know if Steve sold it, it existed.

  • spazzyspazzy Posts: 592 ✭✭
    Summerof68,

    I totally agree. I have been saying for years that there are phoney and altered wax trays out there. I have found them in 1975 BB and 1979 Topps Hockey. The ones that I have seen have a strange brown tone at the end of one of the crimps and or the cello always seems to have a tiny tear always described as fraigle.
    It is with that in mind that I Only purchase rack cases from legit sources . I am so afraid out there of raw unopened cello and racks. They may be good but are already searched for pack rotation. Its my money and my trust group of collectors is very small.
    You have done a wonderful job finding these auctions to save us money.....Tom
  • Let the controvery begin...

    I knew that when I posted this topic it would upset anyone out there who has an '80/'81 Topps basketball wax tray in their collection.

    For this very reason I made sure to contact PSA prior to writing this post. If there was any gray area in their answer I would not have written the topic--but they were absolute in their reply.

    What might of been considered gospel back in 2005 might have changed by 2010.

    You mentioned Topps produced wax trays for all sports in 1980 but I have never seen a 1980 Topps football wax tray, why? Firstly because Topps never made them and because 1980 Topps football wax packs have little value so it is not worth the effort of a counterfeiter to produce such a tray.

    Nevertheless I will stand behind my observations with regards to the tray currently on ebay and I will believe what was told to me by PSA until someone at PSA tells me different.

    Might I add it is always good butting heads with flatfoot. Controvery is good and whatever the outcome of this thread the bottom line is that hopefully knowledge will be gained. And in this hobby knowledge means wiser choices and lessens our chances of being victims of fraud. That in a nutshell is what my posts are intended to do!
    "You tell 'em I'm coming...and hell's coming with me"--Wyatt Earp
  • leathtechleathtech Posts: 3,191
    Just a question... why would psa be the go to person on this for your question - they don't even grade wax tray's correct???? I think I'd trust Steve's opinion on them - did you contact Steve @ BBCE?
    image
  • grote15grote15 Posts: 29,477 ✭✭✭✭✭
    To my knowledge, the only authentic wax trays that Topps produced in 1980 were baseball trays, which were the last wax trays that Topps produced.


    Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
  • Leathtech,

    Steve Hart was in fact the person I contacted yesterday. Since he is employed by PSA to authenticate their packs I referred to Steve as the "good folks at PSA". I contacted Steve and told him about the '80/'81 Topps basketball wax tray on ebay and told him I was going to bring it to the attention of PSA board members.

    I added that I was confident that Topps stopped producing wax trays during the 1980 baseball season and that no '80/'81 Topps basketball trays were ever produced and that I wanted his opinion prior to my posting the thread.

    Here is the exact body of his email reply:

    4/5/2010 11:05:40

    Topps did not produce any 1980/81 Topps basketball wax trays. That is known, even though they still pop up and are not real!

    Steve Hart
    Baseball Card Exchange, Inc.
    21686 East Lincoln Highway Unit C
    Lynwood, Il 60411
    800-598-8656

    --------------

    When I posted this topic this morning in no way did I anticipate such "twist"as with flatfoot's reply--especially given Hart's email response. And I most assuredly had no intention of putting Steve in an awkward position. But things have definitely become more interesting and I'm curious as to how this pans out.

    "You tell 'em I'm coming...and hell's coming with me"--Wyatt Earp
  • elsnortoelsnorto Posts: 2,013
    I have an old Mark Murphy unopened guide around and it says no trays for 80/81 BKB either.

    image

    Snorto~
  • RipublicaninMassRipublicaninMass Posts: 10,051 ✭✭✭


    << <i>I have an old Mark Murphy unopened guide around and it says no trays for 80/81 BKB either.

    image

    Snorto~ >>



    any mention of X-mas rack packs in there image
  • elsnortoelsnorto Posts: 2,013


    << <i>any mention of X-mas rack packs in there image >>



    Hatter.

    Heh. No mention... the copyright in the guide is 1996. Was that before or after the Christmas Racks fiasco?

    Snorto~
  • Only 1980 Baseball Tray was made mention



    And another

    Love the trays wish I could have afforded to keep collecting them.

    FWIW awhile back I bought 2 fake 1977 Football wax trays from snappledrinker on ebay. He claimed he got them from Topps in 1977. I'm crazy etc. Wrong price point, numbers on back on both melted off, seals didn't line up.....
    imageimageimage
  • Thanks ripkencollector for the very informative article. Most pertinent to our discussion is the following passage from that article:

    "The last time Topps made a tray with a backboard and cello wrapping was for 1980 baseball. Toward the end of the 1980 baseball production process, Topps shifted to a cello sleeve and that was used until 1985.

    If you see any cardboard trays on the market after 1980 baseball, (like 1980 Basketball or Hockey), please re-read above."

    --------------

    The second paragraph from this passage is the author's polite way of saying that it you come across a 1980/81 basketball wax tray it is counterfeit!!!

    "You tell 'em I'm coming...and hell's coming with me"--Wyatt Earp
  • I may be mis-reading something here, but the item on ebay is an 80/81, and according to flatfoot the item he purchased is a 79/80.


  • << <i>I may be mis-reading something here, but the item on ebay is an 80/81, and according to flatfoot the item he purchased is a 79/80. >>



    Hockey 79/80
    Basketball 80

    Unsure if that's 79/80 or 80/81
    imageimageimage
  • He says 79/80 in the sentence underneath.
  • DboneesqDboneesq Posts: 18,220 ✭✭


    << <i>I may be mis-reading something here, but the item on ebay is an 80/81, and according to flatfoot the item he purchased is a 79/80. >>



    I read it the same way. Seems like Summer and Manny are talking about two different years.

    Summer ... thanks once again for your great investigative work.
    STAY HEALTHY!

    Doug

    Liquidating my collection for the 3rd and final time. Time for others to enjoy what I have enjoyed over the last several decades. Money could be put to better use.
  • Thanks hhmag20 for bringing this to light.

    I only saw manny's mention of the ('80 basketball tray). And when he added that whoever I had spoken to at PSA was "clearly mistaken" I naturally assumed flatfoot was referring to a '80/'81 tray which was the topic in my post.

    If manny was referring to a '79/'80 Topps basketball wax tray then his reply to my post would have been totally irrelevent and why even bring up his purchase from Steve showing the specifics of the purchase?

    So for now I'm going to assume the best and that Manny mistook his '79/80 Topps basketball tray as being of the same type as the '80/'81 tray that my post spoke of.

    This would remove Steve from any awkward situation and I would feel better for posting this topic.

    "You tell 'em I'm coming...and hell's coming with me"--Wyatt Earp
  • RedHeart54RedHeart54 Posts: 2,267 ✭✭✭
    I was taken on this one several years ago. 1980 Topps hockey. Thought it was so rare that only two had ever been offered on ebay. HA!

    image

    image
  • RedHeart54RedHeart54 Posts: 2,267 ✭✭✭
    Incidentally, the fact that the 1980 basketball and hockey trays were resealed makes me nervous about all of my other wax trays. I have a lot of the desirable trays (e.g. '75 baseball, '76 football, '79 hockey) and hope to God they are legit considering what I paid. The problem is PSA does not grade these and GAI isn't trustworthy. (I know for a fact that there used to be a GAI 1980 basketball on ebay. I check wax trays all the time.)

    Many people (like ME) bought these thinking they were impossible to reseal what with the brittle, aged cellophane. Live and learn. Live and learn.
  • Those numbers on the locker on the back of RedHeart54's tray is what I was referring to earlier that were melted off on my fakes.

    imageimageimage
  • leathtechleathtech Posts: 3,191


    << <i>Leathtech,

    Steve Hart was in fact the person I contacted yesterday. Since he is employed by PSA to authenticate their packs I referred to Steve as the "good folks at PSA". I contacted Steve and told him about the '80/'81 Topps basketball wax tray on ebay and told him I was going to bring it to the attention of PSA board members.

    I added that I was confident that Topps stopped producing wax trays during the 1980 baseball season and that no '80/'81 Topps basketball trays were ever produced and that I wanted his opinion prior to my posting the thread.

    Here is the exact body of his email reply:

    4/5/2010 11:05:40

    Topps did not produce any 1980/81 Topps basketball wax trays. That is known, even though they still pop up and are not real!

    Steve Hart
    Baseball Card Exchange, Inc.
    21686 East Lincoln Highway Unit C
    Lynwood, Il 60411
    800-598-8656

    --------------

    When I posted this topic this morning in no way did I anticipate such "twist"as with flatfoot's reply--especially given Hart's email response. And I most assuredly had no intention of putting Steve in an awkward position. But things have definitely become more interesting and I'm curious as to how this pans out. >>



    thanks for clearing that up... I also was confused by Flatfoots post about buying from the BBCE so I did not understand what was going on... Nice work once again - being a collector of graded packs enjoy seeing what fraud you have found!
    image
  • Redheart & ripkencollector,

    It disturbs me that both of you were taken by tray counterfeiters. It is because the cellophane on these trays is so brittle that collectors falsely assume it impossible for someone to successfully open a seal, slide out the packs and reinsert different packs in their place. But obviously it does happen and there are those out there who do it well.

    In the last seven years I have only seen one '69 topps football wax tray & only one '70 topps baseball wax tray come up for sale on ebay. Due to their scarcity I immediately had suspicions concerning both trays. And in both cases the sellers pulled the trays within a day or so of listing them. I always had the feeling the sellers eagerly accepted an offer outside of ebay and was happy to move them without the chance of reprisal from ebay.

    It is for these reasons coupled with the bad experiences such as those offered here by Redheart & Ripkencollector that I too wish PSA would slab wax trays. It's a service that really needs to be offered.
    "You tell 'em I'm coming...and hell's coming with me"--Wyatt Earp
  • flatfoot816flatfoot816 Posts: 2,194 ✭✭✭
    Well then I guess I ought to contact Steve with regard to a refund for the '80/81 wax tray I bought from him. I'll let you know what he says.

    If in fact he did tell Summer that there were no such trays he should have no problem with the refund and frankly an explanation on why he now thinks there were no legit ones made...when he was selling them in '05. Same for the hockey pack.

    It was a '80/81 wax tray for basketball and '79/80 for hockey.
  • Manny,

    After reading your reply I called Steve to get an update. He said he hadn't yet read the thread I posted last night but he had just heard from you and he was giving you a refund on your '80/'81 topps basketball wax tray.

    Steve told me that the reason he had that particular pack on his website at that time was because in 2005 the question as to whether Topps produced such trays was still questionable. But since that time it has been determined that Topps did not produce such trays.

    As I mentioned last night "what might be the gospel in '05 might not be the gospel in '10" and this turned out to be the case.

    And like I said the purpose of my topics are for us all to share & gain knowledge so that we are wiser buyers of unopened material. And in the case of Flatfoot he directly profited from it due to his refund!
    "You tell 'em I'm coming...and hell's coming with me"--Wyatt Earp
  • flatfoot816flatfoot816 Posts: 2,194 ✭✭✭
    well I guess this settles it.....the following is from Steve...as stand up a guy as there is of course--

    **********************************************

    Manny,
    Yes, I did sell you one of each in 2005. Back then, I didn’t have the complete story from Topps as I do today. I in no way tried to deceive you, just wasn't exactly sure. I would gladly refund you for the 80/81 basketball tray. The 79/80 hockey trays are still unknown as to the real status. I will try to find out more, but that’s the same answer I get from the hockey experts too!

    ***********************************************

    He actually told me to open the wax tray which I will do when I find it! That should be interesting!

    I'll try to film it and post it this weekend
  • MBMiller25MBMiller25 Posts: 6,057 ✭✭
    Great threads guys, Very informative, I really appreciate the information.
  • Tedw9Tedw9 Posts: 1,424 ✭✭


    << <i>well I guess this settles it.....the following is from Steve...as stand up a guy as there is of course--

    **********************************************

    Manny,
    Yes, I did sell you one of each in 2005. Back then, I didn’t have the complete story from Topps as I do today. I in no way tried to deceive you, just wasn't exactly sure. I would gladly refund you for the 80/81 basketball tray. The 79/80 hockey trays are still unknown as to the real status. I will try to find out more, but that’s the same answer I get from the hockey experts too!

    ***********************************************

    He actually told me to open the wax tray which I will do when I find it! That should be interesting!

    I'll try to film it and post it this weekend >>




    Wow, that says a lot about Steve to stand behind his product 5 years later. Classy move by Steve!

    And thanks to summerof68 for sharing this valuable information!
    Looking for Carl Willey items.
  • mknezmknez Posts: 1,991 ✭✭✭
    This is one of the best threads I've seen in a long time on these boards. Thanks to all for your insight and discussion.

    ------
    stupid print dots

  • grote15grote15 Posts: 29,477 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Kudos to Steve for standing behind his product! image

    In addition to the obvious resealed raw junk on ebay, there are lots of questionable items out there including those GAI graded 1973 cellos using 1975 wrappers, the late 50s cellos with the wrong seal and those phony "grocery" cellos from the early to mid 70s (particularly 1970-1972)...buyer beware indeed!


    Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
  • gonzergonzer Posts: 2,986 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Great thread Summer. The information learned here is invaluable to pack collectors. On another note, it was good to read a post where all parties involved acted in a gentlemanly manner. You're the kind of collectors that make the hobby proud to have as members.
  • grote15grote15 Posts: 29,477 ✭✭✭✭✭
    well I guess this settles it.....the following is from Steve...as stand up a guy as there is of course--

    **********************************************

    Manny,
    Yes, I did sell you one of each in 2005. Back then, I didn’t have the complete story from Topps as I do today. I in no way tried to deceive you, just wasn't exactly sure. I would gladly refund you for the 80/81 basketball tray. The 79/80 hockey trays are still unknown as to the real status. I will try to find out more, but that’s the same answer I get from the hockey experts too!

    ***********************************************

    He actually told me to open the wax tray which I will do when I find it! That should be interesting!

    I'll try to film it and post it this weekend



    Nice to hear this, and would be interested to see what kind of cards you pull.

    Also think that huge props should be given to summer here for facilitating the refund of that fake wax tray for you. Had this thread never been created, you'd never had known that this item was not authentic..


    Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
  • flatfoot816flatfoot816 Posts: 2,194 ✭✭✭
    Grote--I agree. I bought it from the most legit guy out there at a time when apparently not enough was known about the product. That's why you gotta know your source for unopened material. Not only one who knows their stuff, but one who will stand behind it even 5 years later.

    I'll do my best to film the opening this weekend when I have a few minutes and will post the results. Should be interesting.

    Summer--Thanks and KUTGW.
  • Thanks Flatfoot and I'm glad things worked out well. Steve is #1 and his actions are further proof of it.

    "You tell 'em I'm coming...and hell's coming with me"--Wyatt Earp
  • Looking for in PSA graded
    1. 75-76 Topps Keith/Jamaal Wilkes in Psa 8+
    2. 1971-72 Trio stickers PSA 8+
    3. BSKB 1977-78 topps psa 10

    Basketball Autos
    1992 Courtside Flashback
    Action Packed HOF Autos(need elvin hayes,both bill bradley,and the 1st bill walton)
    2001 and 2005 Greats of the Game
    UD=retro,epic,legends,legendary,generations and chronology
    2006 Topps Style 1952 Fan Favorites Autos #/10 (Refractor Autos)
    Press Pass Legends
  • GriffinsGriffins Posts: 6,076 ✭✭✭
    Manny-
    did you ever post the video of the opening?

    Always looking for Topps Salesman Samples, pre '51 unopened packs, E90-2, E91a, N690 Kalamazoo Bats, and T204 Square Frame Ramly's

  • fandangofandango Posts: 2,622
    just saw this thread

    thanks for the info....

    IMO i dont think ANYONE ever knows for sure if a Pack has been resealed or not NO MATTER WHO SELLS IT

    BUYER BEWARE
  • Well, I read this forum just about daily and interact very little (as you can see from my # of posts).

    But this one really gets to me and want to ask a question. About 8 years ago I got 3 1979/80 hockey wax trays from someone off ebay (can't remeber who).

    Are we saying here that those trays have a high probability of being counterfeit?

    I thought I had some very rare and valuable product in my hands .... thanks for the insight and for all the enjoyment you experts have provided over the years.
  • RoseInTheHall,

    From all that I have read and heard there is currently a debate within the hobby as to whether Topps did in fact make '79/80 Hockey wax trays.

    There are people who are convinced that Topps did not and that all existing '79/80 Topps hockey trays were made by resealers. More specifically some people believe that a counterfeiting brother team out of North Carolina is responsible for counterfeiting most (if not all) of these trays. It is said that this counterfeiting operation currently using the ebay ID (letsgetitstarted1) successfully had many of these bad trays slabbed by GAI over the years as well.

    I do not collect Hockey unopened material so hopefully some fellow board members that do will chime in with their thoughts.
    "You tell 'em I'm coming...and hell's coming with me"--Wyatt Earp
  • RedHeart54RedHeart54 Posts: 2,267 ✭✭✭
    Wonderful. Now the '79s are thought to be fake as well? This is the first I've heard of it. Has Steve Hart taken a position on this?
  • Redheart54,

    If you read (flatfoot's) second to last reply in this thread he quote's an email he just received from Steve Hart regarding Steve's position on '79/80 topps hockey wax trays-- (If I read the reply correctly)
    "You tell 'em I'm coming...and hell's coming with me"--Wyatt Earp
  • RedHeart54RedHeart54 Posts: 2,267 ✭✭✭
    Thanks. I'd forgotten about that reply.

    I'm becoming more concerned about the '79-80 hockey trays, though. I bought one of the first ones offered on ebay (circa 2005). Until then I had no idea those trays existed-- and I had been collecting trays since 2000.

    The question, I guess, is whether anyone actually remembers seeing '79 hockey trays in stores during that season or for sale at card shops and shows throughout the 80s and '90s-- especially when the Gretzky rookie became a hot commodity. I bought mine thinking (probably naively, in hindsight) that they had "just" been discovered. Plus, wax trays, we all thought, were impossible to reseal.

    Now that I've written this I'm more convinced than ever that they are all fakes.
  • Does anyone know why PSA will not grade them? What about GAI?
  • Redheart54,

    You make a very important observation and question as to anyone remember seeing these '79/80 Topps hockey trays in stores back in '79.

    1979 wasn't that long ago relatively speaking. The first Beckett price guide came out that year and if memory serves me correctly the first National Sportscard Show took place the next year in Los Angeles. 1979 was the first year I can remember that sportscard shops started popping up in cities all across this nation.

    Locally Sportscardsplus in Westminister, Ca. just opened up and there were many others springing up as well in Southern Cal. Sportscardsplus is still in business today. Fritsch and hundreds of shops were around in '79 and many of those early stores are still around today.

    As a result of the first Beckett coming out in '79 people across this country began hoarding factory sealed cases of Topps product and that is why, even to this day, late '70's unopened material is still quite common.

    So I agree with Redheart and make the assumption that if Topps did in fact make '79/80 hockey wax trays then there must still be many in the hobby today that remember buying such trays new in '79. Especially hockey enthusiasts in the northeast & upper midwest like Fritsch in particular.

    So why does this debate continue on?--come on "old-timers" chime in and give us a definitive answer--

    --1979 wasn't that long ago!
    "You tell 'em I'm coming...and hell's coming with me"--Wyatt Earp
  • RedHeart54RedHeart54 Posts: 2,267 ✭✭✭


    << <i>Does anyone know why PSA will not grade them? What about GAI? >>



    GAI does. PSA probably has not developed a holder.




  • DragnetDragnet Posts: 635 ✭✭✭
    I realize this is an old thread, but the question regarding the 79/80 hockey tray does not appear to be answered here. I could not find anything else regarding this, so curious if anyone here has any thoughts or if there have been new developments in the last 5 years?

  • MULLINS5MULLINS5 Posts: 4,517 ✭✭✭
    I am not 100% for certain because I never worked for Topps and I wasn't even born in 1979, but I was told from a very respected and trustworthy source that the 1979 Topps Hockey trays were indeed made by Topps.
  • MULLINS5MULLINS5 Posts: 4,517 ✭✭✭
    ...also, I've opened over twenty trays with great success. The only issue I ever had with them is a slight ding here and there which I attribute to the way the packs were positioned in the tray.
  • grote15grote15 Posts: 29,477 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I think there is credible evidence that they were produced, but that many of those that come up for sale are counterfeit.

    The last wax tray produced by Topps was the 1980 baseball tray.


    Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
  • DragnetDragnet Posts: 635 ✭✭✭
    Good to know guys. Also sounds like the counterfeit ones can be exceedingly difficult to tell apart from the authentic ones. Do you know of any tip-offs or signs of resealing that hasn't been mentioned in the above thread?
  • grote15grote15 Posts: 29,477 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Good to know guys. Also sounds like the counterfeit ones can be exceedingly difficult to tell apart from the authentic ones. Do you know of any tip-offs or signs of resealing that hasn't been mentioned in the above thread? >>



    The seals on the edge of compromised trays will typically exhibit some sign of stressing or slight tearing.

    Also, with regard to vintage trays in general~it is important to note that Topps used different cardboard trays for different eras, as well as product code designations on the cello wrapping found on back of the trays. A coimmon misconception you see is a 76 tray being offered as a 74 tray due to Topps reusing 74 wrappers for some 76 wax packs. GAI mislabeled a bunch of these at one point. But they are easy to distinguish because the tray used in 1974 is completely different from the ones used in 1976, the pack price for all 74 trays is 10c, not 15c, and the product code on back is different, as well. Topps used the same cardboard tray from 1970 (the year of the 10c wax pack) through 1974. When the pack price changed in 1975, they switched to a different tray which they used through 1976 (counterfeit 1975 trays are often fabricated using later trays from 1977 or later), and they changed again in 1977, using that latest example through 1980 (with the slight change of removing the barcode from the back of the tray itself and onto the cello wrapping in 1978/1979). I will try and post some pics of the different cardboard trays coinciding with each of these three eras. Prior to 1970, trays typically contained 6 packs instead of 3, and tray was also completely different then, too.


    Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
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