Anyone here from Canada, taking a trip for OPC baseball!

tsalems1

I am planning a trip to Canada for about a week looking for OPC baseball. I had a card store from 1987 to 1997 and had a contact in the Montreal area who I was able to get
all of my OPC hockey and baseball from. Over the years (moved twice) I lost my contact there. Anyways, planning on flying up into Buffalo,renting a car and crossing the border at Niagra Falls.
My plans are to head up into Toronto and work my way to the Ottawa area. I have talked to a couple store owners who deal in mostly hockey as you would expect and the say
they have some opc baseball but most of the time turn it down because it doesnt move to well. In talking with these owners, I already have a couple leads and looking for more.
Im looking for opc baseball and lots of it! Looks like there are a couple smaller shows just over the border into Canada there and wonder if they are worth hitting? Might go just to talk
to some dealers and find a couple more leads. My thinking is there are lots of people with the opc baseball up there but its just sitting in boxes collecting dust.
Im also thinking about placing a couple small ads in the main newspaper in Toronto/Ottawa the week before I go. Maybe a get a couple more calls? I would be shipping the stuff back Fedex from Canada to avoid the BS at the border. I get 75% discount with them, so that would help a bunch!
Anyone here from these areas? Got any contacts for me? Any thoughts on this from anyone?

LodiBrewFan

I have no contacts, but I'm interested in any Braves.

I hope that you enjoy your trip

al032184

It's kinda like the guy who used to go to Venezuela to look for Venezuelan Topps, but this seems much safer.

tsalems1

I made trips to Montreal trice a year when I had my store and picked up all kinds of stuff I couldnt get back in the states. I had a good
contact and he treated me right. Dont think I would ever do a Venezuela trip lol!
This trip will be over the course of about 7 or 8 days and hope to meet with people most of the days. I will have many places already scheduled to hit
before I head up there. Still have more planning to do and hope this works out well.

Dboneesq

Tom ... that sounds like a fun vacation. Good luck. I hope you get all you are looking for. Sounds like you have a pretty large budget and are looking to corner the OPC baseball market!

grote15

Good luck, Tom! Love the 70s OPC issues! Just finished recently ripping a partial (30 packs) 72 OPC box I won at auction last year--the original rough cut really adds character to the card, imo!

tsalems1

<< <i>Tom ... that sounds like a fun vacation. Good luck. I hope you get all you are looking for. Sounds like you have a pretty large budget and are looking to corner the OPC baseball market! >>



Thanks! Cant wait, ive been looking to do this for a couple years now and I think the time is right. I figure my cost between airfare,food,hotel and rental car/gas should be around $1200-$1400. But the unknown as far as what I will find, will be exciting. Like I said, will have contacts and meetings set with people up there. They will know im coming and what im looking for, so should be good! Not sure about cornering the market ( I have a good amount of OPC baseball now) but the chance to not only buy now, but to be able to hopefully buy more from these people as they get/find more down the line! I know so much of this stuff is just collecting space up there and noone does anything with it. Its ALL hockey!

tsalems1

<< <i>Good luck, Tom! Love the 70s OPC issues! Just finished recently ripping a partial (30 packs) 72 OPC box I won at auction last year--the original rough cut really adds character to the card, imo! >>



Gotta love those rough cuts!

jdalymgd

jdalymgd

I used to live in Michigan and do the same thing. You need to go to the London area where the factory was. Good card shows in that area.

ThoseBackPages

NICE!

Bring back that '89 Wax!!!!

wrestlingcardking

i say look for 1954 and 1955 parkhurst wrestling for me!!!

tsalems1

<< <i>NICE!

Bring back that '89 Wax!!!! >>



LMAO! Anything I get will have to get shipped back, not taking it back over the border.
Not sure its worth getting and having shipped. Probably cost too much.

tsalems1

<< <i>i say look for 1954 and 1955 parkhurst wrestling for me!!! >>



Yes, will be looking for those as well

tsalems1

<< <i>I used to live in Michigan and do the same thing. You need to go to the London area where the factory was. Good card shows in that area. >>



Thanks for the heads up!

vladguerrero

You can till bring back $800 worth of stuff without having to pay duty/taxes, but I hear you if you think it's going to be a hassle.

vladguerrero

Also, Montreal is only 2 hours from Ottawa. And is a straight drive back to Toronto (Niagara Falls).

yankeeno7

You would probably be better to mail your purchases from Canada to your home so you dont have to go through customs with it and be hassled.

tsalems1

Ok, everyone. This will happen! I have my week planned out.
Right now im working on getting a passport
Last time I was up there, I didnt need it. Its been a while.

I made a great contact the other day with a fellow who has complete sets from 1965 on up
Many years he has duplicates. He also said he has lots of monster boxes full of singles.
Cant wait to check this stuff out!

If anyone has any other leads for me, plz PM

Thank you!

LodiBrewFan

I'm really interested in 1991 OPC, not the Preimere edtion. I'm really wanting a OPC Chipper Rookie. I'm also interested in any Braves team sets.

Sounds like a fun trip, hope you have a blast!

pmcollectour

Did you finish your trip yet ? How did it go ?

sportscardtheory

OPC baseball is on the upswing. I just saw a raw 1989 Randy Johnson RC go for over $10 at auction and the raw 1991 Chipper Jones RCs regularly go for $10-$25.

tsalems1

<< <i>Did you finish your trip yet ? How did it go ? >>



Waiting for my passport to return. I have everything planned out and have around
12 people im scheduled to meet up with. I also have a few other people im trying to
get a hold of. Cant wait!

Dboneesq

Sounds like you should have a GREAT time!

pmcollectour

Tsalem1,

When you get up there, could you please inquire about the quantity of these pictured sheets. I am led to believe that the Rose, Ryan, and Mattingly are tough to come by,
but you always hear stories that you aren't too sure about. Maybe a guy up there can give you more info. Thanks.

tsalems1

Pictured sheets? Those are box bottoms

pmcollectour

Yes, correct. They are box bottoms that came on sheets, not on the bottom of wax boxes that held packs. Thanks.
The feeling with the hockey sheets from this era (86-89) is all over the place, while 1987 seems to be the rarest of all hockey box bottom sheets.
I don't have a feel on baseball at all.

tsalems1

I have never seen or heard of these sheets. I will keep my eyes open for them.
Would love to get some

Aric

<< <i>Yes, correct. They are box bottoms that came on sheets, not on the bottom of wax boxes that held packs. Thanks.
The feeling with the hockey sheets from this era (86-89) is all over the place, while 1987 seems to be the rarest of all hockey box bottom sheets.
I don't have a feel on baseball at all. >>



So are these boxes that weren't cut and folded or is there something different about them? Either way, pretty cool.

pmcollectour

<< <i>

So are these boxes that weren't cut and folded or is there something different about them? Either way, pretty cool. >>




They aren't boxes, but they are exactly like the bottom of wax boxes for that year. They are factory or printers sheets. O-PEE-CHEE made a few of these each
year beginning in 1986. The amount printed is sketchy at best. Anywhere from 10 to 200 of them could have been printed. The best guy to talk to is Gary Gagen
from Ontario. He was directly dealing with OPC back in the day, and his info is the best, even though he did make a mistake with me once about the number
of 1986 hockey box bottom printer sheets.

tsalems1

Passport showed up in todays mail!

Dboneesq

<< <i>Passport showed up in todays mail! >>


And you are now chomping at the bit!

tsalems1

<< <i>

<< <i>Passport showed up in todays mail! >>


And you are now chomping at the bit! >>



Oh your not kidding!
Plane tix purchased today!

Taking my dad to Canada for 6 days looking for baseball cards, lol!
He likes to eat at high end places, I know I will eat good!
Anyone know of a good spot at Niagra Falls (on the Canadian side)

Dboneesq

So when are you going? That's kewl that you are going with your dad. Is dad into cards also ... or just into good food? LOL

tsalems1

<< <i>So when are you going? That's kewl that you are going with your dad. Is dad into cards also ... or just into good food? LOL >>



Trip is set for mid Sept.

He is not into cards at all but is in to Elvis,Beatles etc collectables.
He just likes to get away and eat, thats his favorite thing to do lol!

tsalems1

Next week at this time will be in Canada!
Got off the phone with a guy today who has 6 - 3500 ct boxes
1971 through 1976 opc baseball with lots of high grade stuff!!!!!

Cant wait to get up there!

PSASAP

I need 4 1971 OPC baseball to complete my set. Please let me know if you pick any up!

tsalems1

<< <i>I need 4 1971 OPC baseball to complete my set. Please let me know if you pick any up! >>



My guess is they are high numbers?

jimrad

<< <i>Next week at this time will be in Canada!
Got off the phone with a guy today who has 6 - 3500 ct boxes
1971 through 1976 opc baseball with lots of high grade stuff!!!!!

Cant wait to get up there! >>



Bon Chance!!

Frozencaribou

Hope your buying trip goes well, but just so you know the card market in Canada is pretty developed so don't get your hopes up too high for huge finds. I would imagine that a lot of the raw stuff you will see will be ex to nr-mt.

I hope you prove me wrong.

-Nathanael

ThoseBackPages

LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PaulMaul

On your journey, keep an eye out for OPC Wacky Packages unopened material too. There were four series released by OPC in 1973-4, and no unopened material
has ever turned up for series 1 or 3. I always figured there had to be some hidden away in the dark reaches of Saskatchewan or something, but they've never
surfaced.

jeffcbay

"Do you have anything to declare?"

"Baseball cards, sir."

"Step out of the car please."

minnesotahusker

I'm in the market for a George Brett rookie and his 1976 if you happen to run across any of those.

Topps29

Would be nice to hear about an OPC find as we have in the past about Topps! Happy Hunting!

KbKards

Before you go make sure you clean out your local dollar stores of those cheap plastic necklaces and bracelets with shiny beads. Many natives won't understand the concept of money but you'll have them lined up to trade their OPC for the shiny beads.

tsalems1

7am flight tomorrow!

Mickey71

I'm flying to Venezuela tomorrow in search of cards. I heard through an inside source that there is 2 cards in the entire country.

Seriously....are there more Venezuelan cards in Venezuela...or no?

tsalems1

<< <i>I'm flying to Venezuela tomorrow in search of cards. I heard through an inside source that there is 2 cards in the entire country.

Seriously....are there more Venezuelan cards in Venezuela...or no? >>



Good luck and yes!

tsalems1

Found a chance to check in. I have foundlots of stuff and have had a great time looking through many collections.
Some people had so much stuff that I didnt have time to stay with them longer than I would have liked. I have made some
contacts though and plan on doing some more buying from these people.
Some of the the things I have bought...

1972 opc baseball set (looked at 3 of them, passed on the 1st 2 but found a nice 1 today at a great price)
10 WWF series 2 opc sets. Crisp from vending case breakdown. Wish I bought more. Will probably call the guy back up and get the rest of them.
a great lot of 1968 singles that look pack fresh!
Many star cards from vg/ex to nrmt+
Lots of 71 opc high numbers as well as some crisp lower numbers
approx 6000 - yes 6000 1981 opc baseball gray backs! All from vending-crisp. Centering is all over the place.
good size lot of 1967 opc singles.
about 150-200 1977 singles. Looked through about 8000 singles a guy had and pulled some of the more difficult cards to get centered.
Many more things but just wanted to give an update.

I was supposed to meet a guy yesterday that had the 54-55 parkhurst wrestling - he canceled with me

Will get some pics up when I get home. 2 more people to meet tomorrow and 1 on Wed!

tsalems1

Forgot to also list opc box bottoms - got some crisp box bottoms that look like they never even seen daylight!