1991 Topps wax, need some help

olb31

Back in 1991, Topps released wax packs for the 50th anniversary. If I remember correctly, you could find vintage cards in the packs. First, if I am correct, did the actual cards come in the packs or did you have to send in a redemption card. Secondly, what are the odds of getting a vintage card. Obviously, the pre 1957 cards probably had redemption cards. Thanks for any assistance you can give me.

cwazzy

I think that was 2001.

jeffcbay

Yeah, that was 2001, and I can personally confirm that they at least inserted REAL Mickey Mantles cards in packs, because I recently pulled this one:



I can't speak for the other cards though.

saucywombat

There were actual vintage cards (also redemption cards) in 1991 Topps though I've never heard about anyone actually pulling one.

From the SCD:

"Topps celebrated its 40th anniversary in 1991 with the biggest promotional campaign in baseball card history. More than 300,000 vintage Topps cards (or certificates redeemable for valuable older cards) produced from 1952 to 1990 were randomly inserted into packs. Also a grand prize winner received a complete set from each year, and others received a single set from 1952-1990."

jeffcbay

I would be so mad if I pulled an expired redemption card. I did pull an expired redemption card out of a 1999 Upper Deck box once, it was for an Alex Rodriguez Auto. Bastages...

CDsNuts

They supposedly inserted one of every Topps card or redemptions for cards from 1951-1990 into packs. The odds were pretty ridiculous. I've heard of people opening dozens of cases and not pulling one, but I had heard stories that some were pulled (nothing big though).

billwaltonsbeard

The odds have to be pretty low. I opened at least 5 boxes of 91 Topps, and never pulled anything other than the now extremely valuable 1991 Topps cards.

mtcards

I do remember that in 1991 they inserted one of every card they had made up until that point into packs, with the larger sized cards, including the 1952 Mantle being redemptions. The odds were pretty high. I dont have any packs laying around to see if they even put the odds on it, but it was in the neighborhood of 1 in 7-8 thousand packs, so yes pretty rare. And even then it could be a 1988 Topps Mookie Wilson and not anything of value.

ChrisStufflestreet

Grabbing my copy of Alan Rosen's book True Mint...Stop chuckling, I got the book for free at Rosen's table at the '04 National in Cleveland. It's not like I was going to pay for it...

It was Mr. Mint who purchased the 1952-'91 set run from the grand prize winner. Here's what he wrote:




<< <i>In May of 1992 I went to the home of Jack Glenn in New York City. He was the guy who won Topps contest where the first prize was 40 years of Topps sets, including the 1952 Mantle, and paid him $34,000. Topps had billed the prize as being worth much more than that, but the cards were really only very good to excellent. I was proud of the fact that the guy who won the Topps sets wound up selling to Mr. Mint. >>

slantycouch

<< <i>Grabbing my copy of Alan Rosen's book True Mint...Stop chuckling, I got the book for free at Rosen's table at the '04 National in Cleveland. It's not like I was going to pay for it...

It was Mr. Mint who purchased the 1952-'91 set run from the grand prize winner. Here's what he wrote:




<< <i>In May of 1992 I went to the home of Jack Glenn in New York City. He was the guy who won Topps contest where the first prize was 40 years of Topps sets, including the 1952 Mantle, and paid him $34,000. Topps had billed the prize as being worth much more than that, but the cards were really only very good to excellent. I was proud of the fact that the guy who won the Topps sets wound up selling to Mr. Mint. >>

>>



Interesting... thanks for posting that.


I've probably opened 30 boxes of 1991 Topps over the years. I always seem to pick up a random one for $5 or show at shows and rip for the fun of it. I've never pulled any vintage card.

billwaltonsbeard

Awesome! Mr Mint with the third person self reference.

I can see him at that dude's house....VG/EX, VG/EX, VG/EX. He has the soft skills of a small town state trooper.

NickM

It was advertised as 1 in 1000 packs. Pre-1957 cards and all other highly valuable cards were by redemptions.

I opened at least 10 boxes that year and never got one. I knew a few people who did, and I've seen two more pulled since then, but none was valuable ('70s and '80s commons).

Nick

ChrisStufflestreet

<< <i>I've probably opened 30 boxes of 1991 Topps over the years. I always seem to pick up a random one for $5 or show at shows and rip for the fun of it. I've never pulled any vintage card. >>



I was in the Army that year. I didn't buy many packs at the PX in Ft. Gordon, Georgia...and ended up buying the collated set for $12 or so later that year from a dealer when I went back home on leave.

Needless to say, I have absolutely no idea whether the vintage Topps cards were ever distributed through the packs.

ElToroLoco

Yes, they were extremely hard to get as the odds were very high, only because they didn't stop the presses for a couple years. The value of the sets were far more than $34,000, I'd say $60-80K. Mr. Mint isn't exactly a collector.

Tedw9

I pulled a 1975 Bill Parsons from a pack back in '91. I think I may even still have it packed away somewhere.

jacksoncoupage

I can confirm that vintage cards were inserted in packs: I pulled a 1968 St. Louis Cardinal common back in 2005. Quite an anti-climactic end to a 14-year wait. I've pretty much continuously broken that product since it's release. It has some of the rarest "junk era" Topps errors and variations produced.

ChrisStufflestreet

<< <i>Yes, they were extremely hard to get as the odds were very high, only because they didn't stop the presses for a couple years. The value of the sets were far more than $34,000, I'd say $60-80K. Mr. Mint isn't exactly a collector. >>



Of course they were worth more...paying full retail isn't in Rosen's business plan (nor should it be, if he wants to stay in business). And he likely had a buyer for the cards before he took them off the guy's hands. I simply wrote out what Mr. Mint said verbatim; even he didn't say it was what they were worth.

That said...the idea that Topps ran a promotion where they bought back their old sets and ended up getting mid-grade stuff to give away was a little bit chintzy, IMHO. By 1991, there was a lot of hobby knowledge about condition. Having VG/EX stuff from the 1950s or a lesser grade HOFer? OK...but similar grades for an '86 Topps Don Aase isn't going to sit well with some collectors.

cincykid75

Imagine my surprise when I pulled a '79 Rick Burleson.
I've opened many cases of this stuff looking for variations, and it's the only 'vintage' card that I ever pulled.

Tim

saucywombat

A collecting first, pulled a 1962 Dallas Green out of a pack of 1991 Topps.

handyman

that 1962 topps card doesnt look Vg/Ex.
I bet the sets were Ex to Ex/Mt with some Nm.

saucywombat

It probably rates a PSA 4-5.

vettfanatic

I pulled a 1975 Topps common out of a box earlier this year. It was off center top to bottom and had corner wear. Been opening these every once in awhile for 20 years and this was my first vintage card. It really caught me off guard actually.

Jeff

fiveniner

I opened plenty however never found one.A freind found a 1960 topps Bob Freind about vgex.

Mdube16

I pulled a 1990 BJ Surhoff out of a pack back in 91. That was a real winner.