O-Pee-Chee vs. Topps Baseball
ClockworkAngel
Posts: 1,994 ✭✭✭
What are everyone's thoughts on the value of investing in O-Pee-Chee over Topps from the 70's and 80's? I have found that some of the superstar RC's in high grade go for as low as 50-75% of the Topps conuterparts. I recently picked up a Schmidt rookie and Eddie Murray that are really nice. The Schmidt RC has only had 217 OPC graded and 4.138 Topps graded.
It's kind of odd how the Hockey OPC rookie command such a higher premium than Topps and in Baseball it's the opposite (because Hockey is so big in Canada?) But OPC is MUCH MUCH rarer and harder to find in high grade due to thin paper stock
It's kind of odd how the Hockey OPC rookie command such a higher premium than Topps and in Baseball it's the opposite (because Hockey is so big in Canada?) But OPC is MUCH MUCH rarer and harder to find in high grade due to thin paper stock
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Not an OPC fan of either baseball or hockey. BUT, I truly believe OPC should be the card of choice for Hockey fans, and not for baseball. OPC is Canada. Hockey is Canada, albeit, most migrated to the states. I consider Hockey a Candian owned sport. So OPC is all Canada. Smaller market, more rarity in cards, but still, I couldn't own an OPC card, being a Topps fan, without feeling I'm going international with my sports card collecting.
If the prices started to slowly move higher, you would see all kinds of stuff come out of the wordwork.
Lots of vending still around from those years. Lots of uncut sheets too.
Way too much supply, and not enough demand. And this is a supply and demand hobby.
<< <i>In the long run, supply will start to positively affect demand. O-Pee-Chee baseball will be huge in the future as there is far shorter supply than the Topps counterparts and they are harder to find in Gem Mint to Mint condition. >>
+1
TheClockworkAngelCollection
In the end, condition is everything. Opc with a shorter print does make it harder to find high end stuff.
<< <i>Edmund is correct that there are loads of uncut sheets(70's +80's) out there and im sure lots of 80's vending but go pre 1978 and things change alot where the condition is key. High end stuff is not all over the place. I cant tell you how much crap I looked at when I was in Canada last week. 1 guy wasnt happy with me because he thought I wasted his time. He had 1970 on up in bulk but most of it was mid or lower grade and I wasnt interested. Some of the better stuff I got, I think I got lucky. But the work I put into my trip up there did pay off.
In the end, condition is everything. Opc with a shorter print does make it harder to find high end stuff. >>
Even with uncut sheets available, I don't think anyone will be able to recreate the "OPC cut". Only BGS will grade "non-OPC cut" OPC cards, correct? So I don't see a ton of new PSA Gem Mint 10s coming out of the uncut sheet woodwork. Sure, with popularity there will be more available, but the print-run is SIGNIFICANTLY lower than Topps, IMO.
Congrats on that. I hate OPC, unless i get a 79 OPC Gretsky from a CU Rip of course, but would like to know how you actually pulled that buying trip off with advance possibilities ?
<< <i>
<< <i>Edmund is correct that there are loads of uncut sheets(70's +80's) out there and im sure lots of 80's vending but go pre 1978 and things change alot where the condition is key. High end stuff is not all over the place. I cant tell you how much crap I looked at when I was in Canada last week. 1 guy wasnt happy with me because he thought I wasted his time. He had 1970 on up in bulk but most of it was mid or lower grade and I wasnt interested. Some of the better stuff I got, I think I got lucky. But the work I put into my trip up there did pay off.
In the end, condition is everything. Opc with a shorter print does make it harder to find high end stuff. >>
Even with uncut sheets available, I don't think anyone will be able to recreate the "OPC cut". Only BGS will grade "non-OPC cut" OPC cards, correct? So I don't see a ton of new PSA Gem Mint 10s coming out of the uncut sheet woodwork. Sure, with popularity there will be more available, but the print-run is SIGNIFICANTLY lower than Topps, IMO. >>
Correct,PSA will not grade sheet cut. BGS has lots of sheet cut OPC. Check out Ebay! Thats why pre 1978 in my opinion in high grade will only go up.
<< <i>In the long run, supply will start to positively affect demand >>
how long?
50 year old opc cards aren't setting the world on fire.
WTB: 2001 Leaf Rookies & Stars Longevity: Ryan Jensen #/25
Please read carefully; If there is little or no interest in an item, it doesn't matter if there's one out there, or one billion, price does not go up.
OPC baseball cards from the mid to late 60's is a perfect example much smaller production, generally even less high grade, these cards SHOULD Be 2 to 5 to possibly 10 times as expensive as Topps, but they're not.........................no demand. This goes double for the Topps Venezuelan's of the same era.
Now if the hobby takes a swing in the other direction and collectors start buying OPC THEN the fact that there is limited supply will cause prices to skyrocket. If I had extra money, I would be keeping my eyes open for OPC HOF rookie cards in high grade that were a bargain. Even if they never reach their potential value, it's fun.
Joe
<< <i>hockey is the only OPC cards that are worth more then the topps . >>
Not true
<< <i>
<< <i>In the long run, supply will start to positively affect demand >>
how long?
50 year old opc cards aren't setting the world on fire. >>
How did you get "setting the world on fire" out of "positively affecting demand".
I think OPC baseball will always have a niche market, but I don't think that lower pop #'s equates with long term appreciation in price. For every collector that enjoys the chase of putting together high grade OPC sets, there are 1000 that simply don't care that OPC produced baseball cards at all. Think of all the American memories associated with buying topps baseball cards that in turn fuel demand for topps cards. Even look at the 1989 UD Griffey. Sentimentality counts when it comes to value and collecting, and for most OPC baseball isn't a part of their youth or collecting identity.
OPC high grade stars will sell well while the pop is very low, but once the registry guys get theirs, who else will step up? OPC cards aren't even in basic registry sets.
I do hope I'm wrong on this.
Also, the OPC rough cut has been reasonably well replicated and many OPC hockey cards that were sheet cut in this manner now reside in PSA holders. If any OPC baseball cards became profitable to cut from sheets, it will happen in baseball too. In hockey, sheets from 1981-1990 are relatively easy to find. 1974 was also very easy to find. I have no idea about baseball.
-Nathanael
<< <i>The biggest misconception I see is here is that (limited) supply will effect demand. THIS IS JUST NOT TRUE, first there has to be demand. If there is one billion of something out there and everyone wants 10 the price keeps going up until everyone has their 10.
Please read carefully; If there is little or no interest in an item, it doesn't matter if there's one out there, or one billion, price does not go up.
OPC baseball cards from the mid to late 60's is a perfect example much smaller production, generally even less high grade, these cards SHOULD Be 2 to 5 to possibly 10 times as expensive as Topps, but they're not.........................no demand. This goes double for the Topps Venezuelan's of the same era.
Now if the hobby takes a swing in the other direction and collectors start buying OPC THEN the fact that there is limited supply will cause prices to skyrocket. If I had extra money, I would be keeping my eyes open for OPC HOF rookie cards in high grade that were a bargain. Even if they never reach their potential value, it's fun.
Joe >>
But in this hobby, limited often generates demand. Demand simply hasn't caught up to OPC baseball yet. IMO, it will.
<< <i>OPC cards aren't even in basic registry sets.
>>
They really should be.
<< <i>hockey is the only OPC cards that are worth more then the topps . >>
Nearly every OPC baseball card from 1984 to 1992 disagrees.
<< <i>
<< <i>
<< <i>In the long run, supply will start to positively affect demand >>
how long?
50 year old opc cards aren't setting the world on fire. >>
How did you get "setting the world on fire" out of "positively affecting demand". >>
I got the fire part out of "O-Pee-Chee baseball will be huge in the future". Maybe I should have quoted that too.
Let me rephrase....
How long in the future will this occur? 50 year old OPC cards aren't presently "huge."
WTB: 2001 Leaf Rookies & Stars Longevity: Ryan Jensen #/25
<< <i>
<< <i>
<< <i>
<< <i>In the long run, supply will start to positively affect demand >>
how long?
50 year old opc cards aren't setting the world on fire. >>
How did you get "setting the world on fire" out of "positively affecting demand". >>
I got the fire part out of "O-Pee-Chee baseball will be huge in the future". Maybe I should have quoted that too.
Let me rephrase....
How long in the future will this occur? 50 year old OPC cards aren't presently "huge." >>
It simply hasn't fully caught on yet. It can happen at any moment. It's already starting. Why else do you think that 1991 O-Pee-Chee Chipper Jones RCs sell for $30+ raw and boxes have sold for $50+ recently. It's not a fluke. Demand has been increasing steadily for years now on most OPC baseball issues.
$30+ for a raw single from 1991 is pretty "huge" if you ask me. Imagine when the rest of them start catching on.
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.
<< <i>In fact, I'd bet a PSA 9 75 OPC Brett Rc would command a higher price than a PSA 9 75 Topps Brett Rc. >>
The OPC is at least twice the price of Topps for this card.
WTB: PSA 1 - PSA 3 Centered, High Eye Appeal 1950's Mantle
<< <i>I think there is much more upside with OPC baseball than Topps. >>
I hope you are correct, as I have partial sets from 72 and 73 in high grade. But I've been collecting 70s OPC now for about 15 years and haven't seen any real
rise in value in the single (non star/non HOF) cards. Unopened product has gone up a bit--I recall buying 72 OPC wax for about $35 a pack a decade ago, and now
they're closer to $45 a pack, if you want to call that an upside.
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.
<< <i>
<< <i>
<< <i>
<< <i>
<< <i>In the long run, supply will start to positively affect demand >>
how long?
50 year old opc cards aren't setting the world on fire. >>
How did you get "setting the world on fire" out of "positively affecting demand". >>
I got the fire part out of "O-Pee-Chee baseball will be huge in the future". Maybe I should have quoted that too.
Let me rephrase....
How long in the future will this occur? 50 year old OPC cards aren't presently "huge." >>
It simply hasn't fully caught on yet. It can happen at any moment. It's already starting. Why else do you think that 1991 O-Pee-Chee Chipper Jones RCs sell for $30+ raw and boxes have sold for $50+ recently. It's not a fluke. Demand has been increasing steadily for years now on most OPC baseball issues.
$30+ for a raw single from 1991 is pretty "huge" if you ask me. Imagine when the rest of them start catching on. >>
'91 OPC is a different beast, since it's without question the most difficult late '80's- early '90's issue to find from any of the major brands.
<< <i>
<< <i>In fact, I'd bet a PSA 9 75 OPC Brett Rc would command a higher price than a PSA 9 75 Topps Brett Rc. >>
The OPC is at least twice the price of Topps for this card. >>
That's what I was getting at--for star and key HOF rookie cards, I think the value is certainly there. And that goes for even
more recent issues like Chipper Jones. But OPC singles and commons from the 70s? Not so much..
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.
WTB: PSA 1 - PSA 3 Centered, High Eye Appeal 1950's Mantle
<< <i>
<< <i>
<< <i>In fact, I'd bet a PSA 9 75 OPC Brett Rc would command a higher price than a PSA 9 75 Topps Brett Rc. >>
The OPC is at least twice the price of Topps for this card. >>
That's what I was getting at--for star and key HOF rookie cards, I think the value is certainly there. And that goes for even
more recent issues like Chipper Jones. But OPC singles and commons from the 70s? Not so much.. >>
true enough.
PSA 9 for O-Pee-Chee HOF RCs go for good coin
WTB: PSA 1 - PSA 3 Centered, High Eye Appeal 1950's Mantle
<< <i>
<< <i>
<< <i>
<< <i>In fact, I'd bet a PSA 9 75 OPC Brett Rc would command a higher price than a PSA 9 75 Topps Brett Rc. >>
The OPC is at least twice the price of Topps for this card. >>
That's what I was getting at--for star and key HOF rookie cards, I think the value is certainly there. And that goes for even
more recent issues like Chipper Jones. But OPC singles and commons from the 70s? Not so much.. >>
true enough.
PSA 9 for O-Pee-Chee HOF RCs go for good coin >>
But what about the card I mentioned in my OP I recently picked up...Mike Schmidt. Why is that going for so much less? It's muchrarer, even then Brett
TheClockworkAngelCollection
<< <i>
But what about the card I mentioned in my OP I recently picked up...Mike Schmidt. Why is that going for so much less? It's muchrarer, even then Brett >>
I believe the Schmidt rookie used to sell in the 1,100-1,300 range five to ten years ago.
I think it's selling in the 600-750 range now. That price has fallen due to a market that hasn't attracted higher bidders.
There is also alot of 72 wax available from what i have seen. Other than those 2 years, its slim pickin!