1983 Topps Baseball from Michigan?

lightningboy

Can someone explain what the significance of the 1983 Topps coming from Michigan is?

esebille

packs are in wrappers like 89 upperdeck not regular wax packs. got a nice box from bbce, cards were great condition.

mknez

From BBCE:


1983 Topps Baseball Unopened "Michigan" Wax Pack. These packs were sealed with a mylar type wrapper that cannot be tampered with!

A Short Answer

DCanfield

Same number of packs and cards as wax, but the box is slightly larger to accommodate the mylar wrappers. Nice test issue.

lightningboy

Thanks, so it sounds like a guarantee of not being searched/resealed??

DCanfield

Yes

mygotta

<< <i>From BBCE:


1983 Topps Baseball Unopened "Michigan" Wax Pack. These packs were sealed with a mylar type wrapper that cannot be tampered with!

A Short Answer >>



Similarly, I like that 1985 Topps Traded Wax Box, which was also a test, but I dont see it warranting the price tag considering that the 1985 traded set has nothing going for it. It's just in a rare state, but the cards themselves are not particularly rare.

ReggieCleveland

<< <i>It's just in a rare state, but the cards themselves are not particularly rare. >>



I see what you're saying but virtually every unopened product has a higher value than the cards inside. It's an entirely different collecting focus and the value almost never resides in the cards inside.

mygotta

<< <i>

<< <i>It's just in a rare state, but the cards themselves are not particularly rare. >>



I see what you're saying but virtually every unopened product has a higher value than the cards inside. It's an entirely different collecting focus and the value almost never resides in the cards inside. >>



Yeah. I guess in contrast to the Michigan packs, BBCE sells a box at the same price as a regular 1983 box. One may buy the 83 Michigan box and be certain of its untampered packages, however, opening an 85 Traded wax is destined to be a loss unless you pull some PSA 10 Clemens, Puckett or McGwire. Further, with a traded card inserted, the chances become slimmer of even getting each card. But you might walk away with a PSA 10 Vince Coleman! So the idea with that box is to keep it in its rare state.

ClockworkAngel

<< <i>

<< <i>

<< <i>It's just in a rare state, but the cards themselves are not particularly rare. >>



I see what you're saying but virtually every unopened product has a higher value than the cards inside. It's an entirely different collecting focus and the value almost never resides in the cards inside. >>



Yeah. I guess in contrast to the Michigan packs, BBCE sells a box at the same price as a regular 1983 box. One may buy the 83 Michigan box and be certain of its untampered packages, however, opening an 85 Traded wax is destined to be a loss unless you pull some PSA 10 Clemens, Puckett or McGwire. Further, with a traded card inserted, the chances become slimmer of even getting each card. But you might walk away with a PSA 10 Vince Coleman! So the idea with that box is to keep it in its rare state. >>



I don't really get why the Michigan test wrap is the same price. Give me a 100% unsearched box that also will not have any cards with wax stains every day of the week. It seems it would be a no brainer to buy the Michigan test wrap

DCanfield

<< <i>I don't really get why the Michigan test wrap is the same price. Give me a 100% unsearched box that also will not have any cards with wax stains every day of the week. It seems it would be a no brainer to buy the Michigan test wrap >>



Traditionally, Michigan wrap has commanded a slightly (and I emphasize slightly) higher price for the very reasons you mention and the fact that it wasn't produced in the quantity of wax boxes. Steve must have picked them up at a great price and priced them accordingly. Point being that the price difference was never big.

mrpeanut39

<< <i>

<< <i>

<< <i>

<< <i>It's just in a rare state, but the cards themselves are not particularly rare. >>



I see what you're saying but virtually every unopened product has a higher value than the cards inside. It's an entirely different collecting focus and the value almost never resides in the cards inside. >>



Yeah. I guess in contrast to the Michigan packs, BBCE sells a box at the same price as a regular 1983 box. One may buy the 83 Michigan box and be certain of its untampered packages, however, opening an 85 Traded wax is destined to be a loss unless you pull some PSA 10 Clemens, Puckett or McGwire. Further, with a traded card inserted, the chances become slimmer of even getting each card. But you might walk away with a PSA 10 Vince Coleman! So the idea with that box is to keep it in its rare state. >>



I don't really get why the Michigan test wrap is the same price. Give me a 100% unsearched box that also will not have any cards with wax stains every day of the week. It seems it would be a no brainer to buy the Michigan test wrap >>



In addition to the lack of wax stains, the box I opened had the game piece between the gum and the first card. So no gum damage either.

Porkins

<< <i>

<< <i>

<< <i>

<< <i>It's just in a rare state, but the cards themselves are not particularly rare. >>



I see what you're saying but virtually every unopened product has a higher value than the cards inside. It's an entirely different collecting focus and the value almost never resides in the cards inside. >>



Yeah. I guess in contrast to the Michigan packs, BBCE sells a box at the same price as a regular 1983 box. One may buy the 83 Michigan box and be certain of its untampered packages, however, opening an 85 Traded wax is destined to be a loss unless you pull some PSA 10 Clemens, Puckett or McGwire. Further, with a traded card inserted, the chances become slimmer of even getting each card. But you might walk away with a PSA 10 Vince Coleman! So the idea with that box is to keep it in its rare state. >>



I don't really get why the Michigan test wrap is the same price. Give me a 100% unsearched box that also will not have any cards with wax stains every day of the week. It seems it would be a no brainer to buy the Michigan test wrap >>

Porkins

<< <i>

<< <i>

<< <i>

<< <i>

<< <i>It's just in a rare state, but the cards themselves are not particularly rare. >>



I see what you're saying but virtually every unopened product has a higher value than the cards inside. It's an entirely different collecting focus and the value almost never resides in the cards inside. >>



Yeah. I guess in contrast to the Michigan packs, BBCE sells a box at the same price as a regular 1983 box. One may buy the 83 Michigan box and be certain of its untampered packages, however, opening an 85 Traded wax is destined to be a loss unless you pull some PSA 10 Clemens, Puckett or McGwire. Further, with a traded card inserted, the chances become slimmer of even getting each card. But you might walk away with a PSA 10 Vince Coleman! So the idea with that box is to keep it in its rare state. >>



I don't really get why the Michigan test wrap is the same price. Give me a 100% unsearched box that also will not have any cards with wax stains every day of the week. It seems it would be a no brainer to buy the Michigan test wrap >>

>>




Sorry for double post guys, but Clockwork I totally agree with you and have always wondered (but never complained) about Steve having these boxes at the same price. I have always bought accordingly.

mccardguy1

I also remember Topps had a special promotion in 1983 that was being tested in Michigan in that they would insert a card (or maybe it was on the wrapper itself) that allowed a collector to send the card back and request a certain amount of cards, lets say 10 or 20 directly from Topps for a small price. This was designed for the set collector to be able to obtain the cards he/she needed to complete their set but if I remember right, collectors were ordering a whole lot of the stars of the day and not too many commons.

Obviously this does not affect the cost of the packs today but I think Topps was doing a god deal of testing with these packs back in 1983 which resulted in this limited card fulfilling promotion and these unique packaging products.

Time4aGansett

My box from BBCE arrived in beautiful condition. Not going to open it though!
As others have stated, the extra faith in Michigan packs being untampered with was the deciding factor in my purchase over the regular box.

thedutymon

Morning,

I agree with everything everybody has said but I've always wondered what exactly "Test" means in this circumstance. I have never seen a shortage of this product and have bought and opened at least a dozen Boxes over the last few years, and whenever I get the urge I can satisfy it with no real searching. Logically if this is a Michigan test than they should be about 1 50th of the wax pack production (One State), I would say from experience this is not true. Look on E-bay and clearly a 1/4 to 1/3 of all the 83 unopened is Michigan Test. They must have had one Hell of a production run for Michigan that year. I think this explains why there is not much of a premium for it, I think that the production numbers were much higher than some "Test".

Just my 2cents

Neil

PeteZaria

<< <i>Look on E-bay and clearly a 1/4 to 1/3 of all the 83 unopened is Michigan Test. They must have had one Hell of a production run for Michigan that year. I think this explains why there is not much of a premium for it, I think that the production numbers were much higher than some "Test". >>



Although I'm not positive, I seem to recall buying them as a kid in NY in 1983. Has TOPPS said they were only tested in Michigan?

Probstein123

back in 1983 , we used to get a nice premium on them

wrongleg

I purchased a couple of packs in 1983 at a local show in California. Remember pulling a Boggs. I think I paid a $1 per pack.

ReggieCleveland

Keep in mind, the Michigan boxes are probably less likely to be ripped and more likely to be pursued by unopened collectors. So all the listings on ebay could be unopened collectors buying/selling amongst themselves? Just speculating.

Perhaps a find of some cases occurred and that's why prices have dropped temporarily? Look at what happened to prices of '64 Stand Up packs after that box hit the market. I don't collect this product and have no dog in the fight, just playing devil's advocate.

mccardguy1

My memory is telling me this "test" packaging, along with the fulfillment opportunity was available in 2 states and not just Michigan. I lived in Illinois at the time and was doing card shows there and found a few packs at the shows at that time but nothing in the stores.