Entertaining Recollection about Buying 1976 Topps Baseball Rack Packs at the Local Variety Store

grote15

Came across this fun and interesting piece taking a look back on the experience of buying 1976 Topps basebnall rack packs at the local toy store and 5 and dime variety store. I remember McCrory's, and checking fronts and backs for Met players, too, LOL..

In search of the perfect 1976 rack pack..

jmaciu

My head is spinning with the thoughts of all those fresh 76' racks sitting in the display at McCrory's!!

Stone193

Hey Tim

I was long done with cards in 1976 - was at Columbia at the time.

I saw wax packs in the 7-11 type stores I frequented - never saw racks. Even in 1992, they weren't at every venue. I remember my wife buying me 92F racks every time she went to a drug store near our house.

I lived in Kew Gardens Hills which is next to Flushing/Flushing Meadows as a kid - I remember talks of the Mets and the building of Shea. I remember them playing at the Polo Grounds when they opened the season?

I found it interesting how he traded oreos and party favors for racks at a party! And traded Henderson RCs for Mets cards. Those WERE the days!

Thanx for sharing.

aconte

Great read Tim! It took me back for sure.

aconte

gemint

Great read. Thanks for posting this. 1976 was the first year I collected in earnest. I didn't come across rack packs but the local convenience store at the end of my street had wax packs. I'd get a quarter for vacuuming the rugs. I think they carried the 10 cent packs because I remember buying two packs of cards and 5 gummy fish with my quarter. I bought them so frequently the owner eventually started calling my mom whenever she replentished her stock.

GDM67

Nice read. I especially love the bit about trying to figure out how many rack packs he could hit his grandmother up for. I think we've all been there.

I don't really remember seeing any racks in '77, the first year I made a concerted effort to buy a lot of cards. It was mostly wax for me, but I do remember buying a few cellos. It was '78 and '79 when I really started seeing a lot of racks at a department store called Hills, that was a lot like what he describes McCrory's as being like. It wound up morphing into Ames in the late '90's and may not even exist anymore (the one around here doesn't.)

brian26

<< <i>Hey Tim

I was long done with cards in 1976 - was at Columbia at the time.

I saw wax packs in the 7-11 type stores I frequented - never saw racks. Even in 1992, they weren't at every venue. I remember my wife buying me 92F racks every time she went to a drug store near our house.

I lived in Kew Gardens Hills which is next to Flushing/Flushing Meadows as a kid - I remember talks of the Mets and the building of Shea. I remember them playing at the Polo Grounds when they opened the season?

I found it interesting how he traded oreos and party favors for racks at a party! And traded Henderson RCs for Mets cards. Those WERE the days!

Thanx for sharing. >>



I remember the 92F quite well, with the names down the side, green border.

cpamike

Great read Tim, thanks for sharing!!!

My brother actually worked for McCrory's during the '80's. And I remember sending away for those 1976 team cards and thinking WTF these aren't real cards when I finally got them.

RonBurgundy

Very first packs I bought were 78 rack packs. Loved racks then and I love them now........