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509 - 1980 Topps Vending sets @ Heritage

NGS428NGS428 Posts: 2,255 ✭✭✭✭✭

Cool story.. Should have bought them from him in 1980!

https://www.reddit.com/r/baseballcards/comments/12rb746/what_509_vending_sets_of_1980_topps_looks_like/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=1&utm_term=1

From Heritage:
Today was a fun one. A gentleman walked in to our NYC office and asked to speak with me regarding some baseball cards. In 1980, baseball card collecting started to become more popular and he decided he wanted to try to make some money. He tricked Topps into believing he was a major distributor and ordered over 100 vending cases of their newest product, 1980 Topps. Hiring some local school kids, he opened all 100 cases and assembled sets, countless complete sets of 1980 Topps. Next, he took out an ad in Sporting News magazine selling these sets for $10 or $12, undercutting famed dealer Renata Galasso by half. He ended up having some minor success, but decided baseball card dealing wasn’t for him.

How many vending sets did he have left over? 509.

509 complete vending sets of 1980 Topps baseball. I couldn’t believe it and had to see it for myself. I rented a van and drove out today to see in person. Sure enough, here they are, some housed in the original empty vending cases from 1980. I have a lot of work ahead of me.

Comments

  • balco758balco758 Posts: 1,303 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Wow. Can't wait to see a lineup of 500 Rickey's! Nice find.

  • softparadesoftparade Posts: 9,267 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @balco758 said:
    Wow. Can't wait to see a lineup of 500 Rickey's! Nice find.

    Three quarters at least will be too OC to be considered PSA 8 or 9 material and then there will be print defects. Combine that with kids hand collating sets in 1980 there are bound to be some dinged corners too :)

    ISO 1978 Topps Baseball in NM-MT High Grade Raw 3, 100, 103, 302, 347, 376, 416, 466, 481, 487, 509, 534, 540, 554, 579, 580, 622, 642, 673, 724__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ISO 1978 O-Pee-Chee in NM-MT High Grade Raw12, 21, 29, 38, 49, 65, 69, 73, 74, 81, 95, 100, 104, 110, 115, 122, 132, 133, 135, 140, 142, 151, 153, 155, 160, 161, 167, 168, 172, 179, 181, 196, 200, 204, 210, 224, 231, 240

  • CakesCakes Posts: 3,450 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @softparade said:

    @balco758 said:
    Wow. Can't wait to see a lineup of 500 Rickey's! Nice find.

    Three quarters at least will be too OC to be considered PSA 8 or 9 material and then there will be print defects. Combine that with kids hand collating sets in 1980 there are bound to be some dinged corners too :)

    Out of 500 how many do you expect to grade 8 or 9, and will any grade a 10? I would guess 5 - 9's, 10 - 8's, and zero 10's.

    Successful coin BST transactions with Gerard and segoja.

    Successful card BST transactions with cbcnow, brogurt, gstarling, Bravesfan 007, and rajah 424.
  • handymanhandyman Posts: 5,237 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I would hope heritage would grade the top 10 if they thought any could 10?
    My guess 0 10s in that group.

  • Cool find. I'd imagine the same thing with grading. The fact they were handled by teenagers back then probably does not help either.

  • CentauriCentauri Posts: 120 ✭✭✭

    Do I understand correctly - these are 509 hand collated sets? Doesn’t seem like a big deal to me.

  • jordangretzkyfanjordangretzkyfan Posts: 2,372 ✭✭✭✭✭

    My ripping experience of 1980’s vending would suggest about 1% will be candidates for PSA 10 and about 7% will be strong contenders for PSA 9. This would project to five PSA 10s and 35 PSA 9. Given current grading standards, I would set the over/under at 1 PSA 10 and 36 PSA 9.

  • craig44craig44 Posts: 10,393 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I dont think we will see another psa 10 rickey. protecting the pop. may get a few 9's. think of how many times the loose cards in all those boxes were moved/dropped/shifted. i would have to think lots of 5,6 and 7's

    George Brett, Bobby Orr and Terry Bradshaw.

  • HarnessracingHarnessracing Posts: 309 ✭✭✭

    I wouldn’t touch it

  • JoeBanzaiJoeBanzai Posts: 11,171 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I think this is a fantastic find!

    Jordangretzkyfan has a lot of experience opening vintage, I would agree there will be very few Rickey 10's from these......if any.

    Lots of speculation here on whether or not the cards were damaged during putting the sets together and subsequent damage that may have happened.
    I would assume minimal damage.
    If the guy was doing this as a business, you would hope he instructed his employees to be careful and the photo shows the sets are in the original vending boxes. They look like they have been taken care of very well.
    Of course the Henderson card is the holy grail here, but I think there's going to be a lot of 9's and a few 10's of some very desirable cards, not to mention minor stars and commons.

    I can't help but thinking it would be fun to put together 1 (or more) "perfect" set from this find.
    First we need a large bottle of Tylenol! 😁

    2013,14 and 15 Certificate Award Winner Harmon Killebrew Master Set and Master Topps Set
  • ApplejacksApplejacks Posts: 384 ✭✭✭

    @softparade said:

    @balco758 said:
    Wow. Can't wait to see a lineup of 500 Rickey's! Nice find.

    Three quarters at least will be too OC to be considered PSA 8 or 9 material and then there will be print defects. Combine that with kids hand collating sets in 1980 there are bound to be some dinged corners too :)

    Exactly my thoughts too.
    A project that someone else could do. Not me. Can you imagine that work involved.

  • 80sOPC80sOPC Posts: 1,226 ✭✭✭✭✭

    In the picture above the boxes are standing on end, tilted, etc. I'm guessing a lot of the cards have issues from handling.

  • balco758balco758 Posts: 1,303 ✭✭✭✭✭

    It does tell us there is still some sh*t out there……

  • craig44craig44 Posts: 10,393 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @balco758 said:
    It does tell us there is still some sh*t out there……

    I bet we would all be shocked if we knew exactly how much is out there in the wild.

    George Brett, Bobby Orr and Terry Bradshaw.

  • waxman2745waxman2745 Posts: 717 ✭✭✭

    I am trying to figure out how many cases he originally purchased from Topps. It would take at least 31 vending cases to make 509 sets, assuming perfect distribution. If you count those double printed cards, this guy probably had to buy 40 cases to make these sets. And these are just the number of sets that he had leftover. I wonder how many sets he sold in 1980.

    Adam
    buying O-Pee-Chee (OPC) baseball
  • JoeBanzaiJoeBanzai Posts: 11,171 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @waxman2745 said:
    I am trying to figure out how many cases he originally purchased from Topps. It would take at least 31 vending cases to make 509 sets, assuming perfect distribution. If you count those double printed cards, this guy probably had to buy 40 cases to make these sets. And these are just the number of sets that he had leftover. I wonder how many sets he sold in 1980.

    In the OP it says he bought "over 100 vending cases".

    2013,14 and 15 Certificate Award Winner Harmon Killebrew Master Set and Master Topps Set
  • brad31brad31 Posts: 2,530 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited October 12, 2023 3:10PM

    What is Heritage going to do with anything not a gradable Henderson or maybe Ryan? So they grade maybe 100 cards max and how much do they expect to get for the rest? Will be interesting to see how they sell them.

    In this case I think the story is cooler than the actual cards.

  • BBBrkrrBBBrkrr Posts: 936 ✭✭✭✭✭

    If they can get 10s on the Ozzie, Brett and Rose then those sell at a decent price.

    Otherwise, you're right. Mostly crickets.

  • JoeBanzaiJoeBanzai Posts: 11,171 ✭✭✭✭✭

    2013,14 and 15 Certificate Award Winner Harmon Killebrew Master Set and Master Topps Set
  • JoeBanzaiJoeBanzai Posts: 11,171 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Complete sets sell for $400.00.

    2013,14 and 15 Certificate Award Winner Harmon Killebrew Master Set and Master Topps Set
  • dan89dan89 Posts: 484 ✭✭✭✭✭

    10’s on anything from 1980 and earlier aren’t happening anymore.

  • ldfergldferg Posts: 6,739 ✭✭✭

    @JoeBanzai said:

    Nice cards. All of these look graded with pre-hologram labels. I concur with @dan89...with the new standards, it will be tough to 10 anything 80 and earlier.



    Thanks,

    David (LD_Ferg)



    1985 Topps Football (starting in psa 8) - #9 - started 05/21/06
  • JoeBanzaiJoeBanzai Posts: 11,171 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I'm not debating that, just pointing out that there are more than 3 cards going for good money.
    Can you imagine what a freshly graded Ryan 10 would go for?
    I am also guessing they didn't pay a whole lot for those sets for the reasons given here.
    I think it's a great story. Good for the hobby!

    2013,14 and 15 Certificate Award Winner Harmon Killebrew Master Set and Master Topps Set
  • West22West22 Posts: 225 ✭✭✭

    I realize it's an amazing story and I'm glad he shared. Personally, if I had purchased 509 hand collated sets of 1980 Topps for resale purposes, I would've kept it to myself. Knowing there are that many out there, as a buyer I would adjust my bids accordingly.

    And I realize the majority of the money will be made on whatever he lands PSA 10's on, but he still has to liquidate 500 or so sets at the end of the day.

  • BLUEJAYWAYBLUEJAYWAY Posts: 7,939 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @olb31 said:
    I want to fess up that I am the one with all the 1980 sets. Several years ago a women named Jenny came on the board and had many old unopened cases of cards she wanted to get rid of. She also had these 509 sets. She said her cousins uncle's nephews late grandfather had inherited the cards. She just wanted to get rid of them. So I told her that I would pay for the shipping of the cards if she sent them to me. It cost, at the time, $8 per set, so i ended up spending around $4,000 for all the sets. She was so kind she also threw in 4 unopened boxes of 1980, because I was so nice. LOL!!!

    She could of at least thrown in a box of 1952's if she was really that kind. ;)

    Successful transactions:Tookybandit. "Everyone is equal, some are more equal than others".
  • olb31olb31 Posts: 2,900 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @BLUEJAYWAY said:

    @olb31 said:
    I want to fess up that I am the one with all the 1980 sets. Several years ago a women named Jenny came on the board and had many old unopened cases of cards she wanted to get rid of. She also had these 509 sets. She said her cousins uncle's nephews late grandfather had inherited the cards. She just wanted to get rid of them. So I told her that I would pay for the shipping of the cards if she sent them to me. It cost, at the time, $8 per set, so i ended up spending around $4,000 for all the sets. She was so kind she also threw in 4 unopened boxes of 1980, because I was so nice. LOL!!!

    She could of at least thrown in a box of 1952's if she was really that kind. ;)

    i agree. she only 1 1952 left and 2 1953's. lol!!

    Work hard and you will succeed!!
  • mark_dakmark_dak Posts: 1,085 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @olb31 said:
    ...cousins uncle's nephews late grandfather...

    Wow, there's a lot to unpack before unpacking the first set!

    Mark

  • balco758balco758 Posts: 1,303 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Save Ferris.

  • estangestang Posts: 1,258 ✭✭✭

    What a great post.

    While I don't expect you will share, it would be very interesting to know what you paid for 509 sets.

    If I were to guess, I would say between $50 and $60 per set.

    Enjoy your collection!
    Erik
  • CardGeekCardGeek Posts: 398 ✭✭✭

    I think people should totally be paying 1k for 1980 Topps cards.

  • BLUEJAYWAYBLUEJAYWAY Posts: 7,939 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Even the set boxes empty, if in good shape, have to be worth a buck or two.

    Successful transactions:Tookybandit. "Everyone is equal, some are more equal than others".
  • CardGeekCardGeek Posts: 398 ✭✭✭

    @BLUEJAYWAY said:
    Even the set boxes empty, if in good shape, have to be worth a buck or two.

    More like 1 or 2 THOUSAND

  • CardGeekCardGeek Posts: 398 ✭✭✭
    edited October 18, 2023 5:53PM

    Seriously though, you could tell me the Henderson is on a part of the sheet that makes it hard to 10. But, this was not a small print run. Most of the cards in the set should 10 at a decent rate. Not like modern cards where like huge majority 10s. But, decent rate.

  • BLUEJAYWAYBLUEJAYWAY Posts: 7,939 ✭✭✭✭✭

    800 count boxes new are $1 and up before taxes/shipping.

    Successful transactions:Tookybandit. "Everyone is equal, some are more equal than others".
  • CardGeekCardGeek Posts: 398 ✭✭✭

    @BLUEJAYWAY said:
    800 count boxes new are $1 and up before taxes/shipping.

    I thought you were talking about empty wax boxes. Heck, they're probably worth more empty than full cause, ya know, they're lighter and you can fold them making them easier to ship.

  • jfkheatjfkheat Posts: 2,721 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I miss Jenny.

  • olb31olb31 Posts: 2,900 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @jfkheat said:
    I miss Jenny.

    Me too. What a collection!!

    Work hard and you will succeed!!
  • handymanhandyman Posts: 5,237 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Seriously we should take bets.
    Over under .5 PSA 10s
    Over under 500 PSA 5s

    Im going to parlay mine and go both under.

  • olb31olb31 Posts: 2,900 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @handyman said:
    Seriously we should take bets.
    Over under .5 PSA 10s
    Over under 500 PSA 5s

    Im going to parlay mine and go both under.

    are they really going to tell us?

    Work hard and you will succeed!!
  • handymanhandyman Posts: 5,237 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited October 19, 2023 8:26AM

    Just watch the pop report. Make note of it weekly. Or post it here
    Rickey Henderson
    Shop with Affiliates

    33,174 Total graded today.
    26 PSA 10s
    2162 PSA 9s
    11972 PSA 8s
    8637 PSA 7s
    5120 PSA 6s
    2738 PSA 5s

    Not including Qs and .5
    But you can get a rough guess later when they grade the order. Also same with SGC but I dont even know how to use there POP report to be honest. I thought I did but it always makes me made trying.

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