1991 Topps Micro vs. Topps Cracker Jack

ajw

What's the difference? Is the Cracker Jack a "4-1" card with four tiny cards on one standard sized card? Some dealers list the tiny single version as Micro, some call it Cracker Jack.

I have the single tiny card, and I think that's the Micro, but I'm not sure...and I'm really not sure what the Cracker Jack version is.

Anyone know?

ldferg

i thought topps put out a micro set in 1991. like a factory micro set.

Twinsthreepeat

AjW,
Topps micro and cracker jack are different.

1991 Topps micro was a factory set
1991 Topps Cracker jack Interest on per box of cracker jacks(has cracker jack sailer on back)

Cracker jack 4 in 1's Just got my puckett 4n1 panel today. Don't know how they were dist.

Brian48

<< <i>What's the difference? Is the Cracker Jack a "4-1" card with four tiny cards on one standard sized card? Some dealers list the tiny single version as Micro, some call it Cracker Jack.

I have the single tiny card, and I think that's the Micro, but I'm not sure...and I'm really not sure what the Cracker Jack version is.

Anyone know? >>



If you scroll down a bit, there's info on the Cracker Jacks' versus the Micros. Clemens #530

ajw

<< <i>AjW,
Topps micro and cracker jack are different.

1991 Topps micro was a factory set
1991 Topps Cracker jack Interest on per box of cracker jacks(has cracker jack sailer on back)

Cracker jack 4 in 1's Just got my puckett 4n1 panel today. Don't know how they were dist. >>



Thanks for the help. Are the cards substantially identical, other than the sailor on the back of the Cracker Jacks? Or, are the Cracker Jacks a "4 in 1" type card that is standard card size?

ajw

Not sure anyone cares, but I finally got a copy of the Will Clark Cracker Jack card. Here it is (in the middle) with a standard Topps and Topps Micro for comparison.



2/6/08 Update: I finally got my 4 in 1 Cracker Jack card. I'm still not sure if these were issued as promos or were cut from sheets, or maybe both. There seems to be some debate on that point. Either way, I'm thrilled to add it to my collection:

alnavman

Does PSA grade the Cracker Jack cards? how about the 4 in 1's?

Brian48

1991 was a GREAT year for Topps

etown99girl

Yep, for the troops!

Desert Shield are the best for that year!

Twinsthreepeat

1991 was a cool year, take will clarks card for example there are 6 different cards all with the same picture.
topps
topps tiffany
topps desert shield
topps micro
cracker jack
o-pee-chee

ajw

TwinsX3 is exactly right. Here are the Will Clark cards:



(some have a slight bend to them, which doesn't help the scanning.)

Brian48

You missed one

ajw

Dammit Brian! Is it available?

Brian48

Sorry, it's from a complete set I have so I can't break it up.

I felt the same way. As soon as I thought I had the '91's all sown up, something else shows up. Not sure if there's a Pre-Production sample of the Clark available either, but it wouldn't surprise me. Here's the Clemens version.

ajw

I don't think there's a production sample, but I'm not positive. (It doesn't appear on the Beckett.com checklist...but then again, either does the four-in-one.) Are the four-in-one cards difficult to find? A quick search of eBay and Beckett doesn't show any right now.

Brian48

The Clemens PP sample didn't show up on Beckett until this past year so they're a relatively new find. No one seems to know to much about them so you never know.

The 4 in 1's pop up periodically on eBay, but no where near as frequently as the regular Cracker Jack version. I would just automate a "Favorite Search" on eBay to keep you posted.

alnavman

Does anyone know if PSA grades these cards????

thanks

al.

ajw

<< <i>Does anyone know if PSA grades these cards????

thanks

al. >>



I don't know for sure, but I'd expect PSA to grade both the Micro and Cracker Jack cards.

AUPT

The "4-in-1" Cracker Jacks are post-factory cutting jobs. Large quantities of uncut sheets of the 1991 Cracker Jacks (and a lot of similar issues) got out the printers' back doors. I remember seeing stacks of them at one of the Mt Clemens shows back then. The 4-in-1 CJs were handcut from those sheets.

Salinas

I know that PSA does grade the Micro cards, as I have a couple from that year.

ajw

<< <i>The "4-in-1" Cracker Jacks are post-factory cutting jobs. Large quantities of uncut sheets of the 1991 Cracker Jacks (and a lot of similar issues) got out the printers' back doors. I remember seeing stacks of them at one of the Mt Clemens shows back then. The 4-in-1 CJs were handcut from those sheets. >>



Aha. That explains their failure to appear on the Beckett.com checklists. I also assume PSA won't grade them.

Brian48

<< <i>The "4-in-1" Cracker Jacks are post-factory cutting jobs. Large quantities of uncut sheets of the 1991 Cracker Jacks (and a lot of similar issues) got out the printers' back doors. I remember seeing stacks of them at one of the Mt Clemens shows back then. The 4-in-1 CJs were handcut from those sheets. >>



While I have no doubt that full, uncut sheets may have escaped the factory, I think this may be very different from the Dealer Promos that was intentionally distributed to the market. This article clearly states that this was not a leak of any sort, but rather a deliberate promo.

I looked into this heavily awhile back since I was somewhat out of the hobby back in '91 and don't remember all the details. Based on what I've read from second hand sources, there appears to be two types of sheets. One type being the 4in1, which is supposedly the fore mentioned dealer promo and the most commonly found. The other being the complete sheet which was never officially offered by Topps and of which I have never seen for sale or know of anyone who has seen them for sale.

Now that's not to say that some 4in1's were were not cut from a complete sheet or that the dealer promo was in fact the complete sheet itself. It's just that I haven't seen any conclusive evidence one way or the other that the 4in1s came in any other form. I've seen more instances that elude, based on Google hits, that the promos that the dealers got were already pre-cut to a 9 card set rather than a complete sheet of 36 uncut cards.

Being a fan of the '91 Topps design, if you can provide more documented details regarding this set, I'd like to see it.

Brian48

By the way, I'm not sure I'd take Beckett as the gospel on this. I believe the Pre-Production samples were indeed cut from sheets outside of the factory, but Becket has listed these as well. Go figure.

ajw

Huh. Almost exactly a year after this thread died. I recently picked up a 4 in 1 Will Clark card from a dealer on the Beckett Marketplace. Paid more than I wanted, but I'm really glad to add it to my collection. I do need to rescan it, though.

I finally got my 4 in 1 Cracker Jack card. I'm still not sure if these were issued as promos or were cut from sheets, or maybe both. There seems to be some debate on that point. Either way, I'm thrilled to add it to my collection:

Brian48

Congrats.

Stone193

Congratulations Drew

Your persistence is commendable! Nice pickup.

mike

SilverStriker

I do believe that I have the complete sets of Cracker Jack Mini's and 4 in 1 card sets.

As a quick note here... I have 9 - 4 in 1 cards and 36 mini cards.

Darn if I can remember how I aquired them. I do remember years ago buying up a lot of cracker jack boxes. I just don't remember how I got the 4 in 1's.

If anyone want's pics I'll scan them... But here's the list of players.

1 Nolan Ryan
2 Paul Molitor
3 Rock Raines
4 Frank Viola
5 Sandy Alomar
6 Ryne Sandberg
7 Don Mattingly
8 Pedro Guerrero
9 Jose Rijo
10 Jose Canseco
11 Dave Parker
12 Doug Drabek
13 Cal Ripken
14 Dave Justice
15 George Brett
16 Eric Davis
17 Mark Langston
18 Rickey Henderson
19 Barry Bonds
20 Kevin Maas
21 Len Dykstra
22 Roger Clemens
23 Robin Yount
24 Mark Grace
25 Bo Jackson
26 Tony Gwynn
27 Mark McGwire
28 Doc Gooden
29 Wade Boggs
30 Kevin Mitchell
31 Cecil Fielder
32 Bobby Thigpen
33 Benny Santiago
34 Kirby Puckett
35 Will Clark
36 Ken Griffey, Jr.