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My Wacky Wax Project

I started collecting unopened Wacky Packages wax packs in 2001. I started to pursue every possible variation around 2009. I have identified 62 distinct unopened packs from the original 16 series (1973-1977), with a couple of variations that may or may not exist.

It has been a long and arduous journey. I purged my collection of resealed garbage about five years ago, and replaced at least 15 bad packs.

Of those 62, I've been looking for the last two I needed for the last four years. Today, amazingly, I found both of them.

I still have a few other wax packs I'm searching for, but this has been a big goal of mine and I'm thrilled to have achieved it.

So just for the heck of it, here are the first pack and the 62nd one. And it's always great to have this forum, where someone just might care!!


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    MisterBungleMisterBungle Posts: 2,308 ✭✭✭
    Nice!!

    Great to see some unopened packs, even if
    it's from a series I don't collect.

    John

    ~


    "America suffers today from too much pluribus and not enough unum.".....Arthur Schlesinger Jr.

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    Well done! Very cool run and congrats on the last two finds.
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    DboneesqDboneesq Posts: 18,220 ✭✭
    Always great to see someone finish off their collection. Congrats and enjoy.

    Question: The '67 die cut Wacky Pack ... do you not consider them part of the "collection" since they were "PACKS" and not "PACKAGES"?
    STAY HEALTHY!

    Doug

    Liquidating my collection for the 3rd and final time. Time for others to enjoy what I have enjoyed over the last several decades. Money could be put to better use.
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    PaulMaulPaulMaul Posts: 4,712 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Doug,

    The 1967 pack is not part of the run I described. However, I do actually have it, I have a total of around 120+ different wacky unopened packs including OPC, UK, all kinds of obscure stuff. The 62 I mentioned just consist of the 1973-1977 sixteen series, which were the height of wackys' popularity.


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    << <i>The '67 die cut Wacky Pack ... do you not consider them part of the "collection" since they were "PACKS" and not "PACKAGES"? >>


    They are all PACKAGES. PSA designates all of them as PACKS, probably due to lack of space on the label.
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    DboneesqDboneesq Posts: 18,220 ✭✭
    Thanks for the info guys. That '67 Die Cut is a cool pack to have.
    STAY HEALTHY!

    Doug

    Liquidating my collection for the 3rd and final time. Time for others to enjoy what I have enjoyed over the last several decades. Money could be put to better use.
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    PaulMaulPaulMaul Posts: 4,712 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>I'll guess the top pack is a 1973 wacky 1st or 2nd series ?

    I am not familiar with the bottom pack. 1973 also ? >>



    The top pack is 1973 1st series, the bottom one is the 16th series from 1976 (when it was produced) or 1977 (when it was actually sold).

    I define distinct packs as any distinct combination of wrapper and series. Since many series use the same wrappers, it becomes necessary to determine the contents, which is not always easy....
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    PaulMaulPaulMaul Posts: 4,712 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Since I'm in a celebratory mood, here are a few other colors from the rainbow...an immaculate 3rd series pack (that came courtesy of our own thedutymon).....

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    PaulMaulPaulMaul Posts: 4,712 ✭✭✭✭✭
    ...a very nice 7th series pack...

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    PaulMaulPaulMaul Posts: 4,712 ✭✭✭✭✭
    ...a lovely orange 8th series pack....

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    PaulMaulPaulMaul Posts: 4,712 ✭✭✭✭✭
    ...a very attractive green 9th series pack....

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    PaulMaulPaulMaul Posts: 4,712 ✭✭✭✭✭
    ...and the last color of the wacky rainbow...a purple 10th...champagne for everyone! image

    image
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    FINESTKINDFINESTKIND Posts: 374 ✭✭✭
    Cool packs.
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    Very cool. thx for sharing

    ..share more.
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    PaulMaulPaulMaul Posts: 4,712 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Very cool. thx for sharing

    ..share more. >>



    Thanks, most of the other packs from the 62 pack run look the same as these, with only minor differences in fold type or ad variations on the back. But there are plenty of other cool things I'd be glad to post.

    2nd series pack showing a "ludlow" backed sticker:


    image  image
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    PaulMaulPaulMaul Posts: 4,712 ✭✭✭✭✭
    7th series pack with no gum:


    image  image
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    PaulMaulPaulMaul Posts: 4,712 ✭✭✭✭✭
    1973 yellow poster pack...these are fairly tough to find and potentially contain three rare posters that were not included in the much more common blue poster packs from 1974....

    image
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    PaulMaulPaulMaul Posts: 4,712 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Very cool prototype patch cello pack, which were very rare until a bunch were brought to market by CU forum member CDsNuts...


    image  image
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    grote15grote15 Posts: 29,535 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>1973 yellow poster pack...these are fairly tough to find and potentially contain three rare posters that were not included in the much more common blue poster packs from 1974....

    image >>



    One way to find out, David! image


    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.
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    PaulMaulPaulMaul Posts: 4,712 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Here's an interesting variation on the 10th series pack....a bunch of wrappers were printed with the can on the front colored red instead of blue. They tried to correct the error by over striking it with blue, and the result was an ugly brown color.

    Normal pack with blue can:

    image


    Error pack with brown can:

    image  


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    PaulMaulPaulMaul Posts: 4,712 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>

    One way to find out, David! image >>



    Confucius say: "ripping wacky unopened sure fire money loser."
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    PaulMaulPaulMaul Posts: 4,712 ✭✭✭✭✭
    1977 Shedds Premium Cello Pack...it came in a big ol' tub of peanut butter!

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    image
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    Stone193Stone193 Posts: 24,351 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>So just for the heck of it, here are the first pack and the 62nd one >>



    Congratulations Paul!

    These are way too cool. And I applaud your persistance.

    I like the "Wacky Plaks" - I've got a bunch of proofs also. Another "wacky" idea was Topps' Wanted Posters.

    Mike
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    PaulMaulPaulMaul Posts: 4,712 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>So just for the heck of it, here are the first pack and the 62nd one >>



    Congratulations Paul!

    These are way too cool. And I applaud your persistance.

    >>



    Thanks! I've always liked unopened packs. In fact, I went through a closet at my mom's house in 2001 and found almost every unopened pack that was in the stores in 1979...wackys, baseball, football, other non-sport...so I was collecting unopened packs at age 12, if only very briefly!
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    PaulMaulPaulMaul Posts: 4,712 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Test pack from 1979 when Topps was about to start the four wacky re-issue series...

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    PaulMaulPaulMaul Posts: 4,712 ✭✭✭✭✭
    1982 cereal premium pack:

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    PaulMaulPaulMaul Posts: 4,712 ✭✭✭✭✭
    1973 2nd series OPC...OPC produced four wacky series in 1973, and unopened packs for two of the four have never surfaced. This one is very tough, the only series where unopened material is pretty common is the 4th.

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    PaulMaulPaulMaul Posts: 4,712 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Two UK series were produced in 1974...

    image  image
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    vintagefunvintagefun Posts: 1,975 ✭✭✭
    I dig your wacky threads and pics. I used to buy the occasional pack in the 79-81 timeframe. I gave em all to my brother when he got into GPKs. I think I still have a few but they're beat. Fun stuff though. I think all unopened looks good, especially as a full collection. Nice work and thanks for sharing!

    Jim
    52-90 All Sports, Mostly Topps, Mostly HOF, and some assorted wax.
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    jmoran19jmoran19 Posts: 1,605 ✭✭✭
    Awesome packs! I remember buying series 1 thru series 4 packs by the handfuls in 1973 and 74. My dad smoked pall malls so I use to give those stickers to him, wish I knew they were short prints then image

    I also remember tearing open wonder bread packages in the grocery store to get the stickers image

    John

    Current obsession, all things Topps 1969 - 1972

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    PaulMaulPaulMaul Posts: 4,712 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Thanks guys! Almost forgot one of the toughest packs of all! Picked this up through sheer luck from a long time non-sports collector, who bought five of them from a card shop in the eighties.

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    PaulMaulPaulMaul Posts: 4,712 ✭✭✭✭✭
    1981 Irish Test Pack....these were unknown until two boxes turned up in 2004. Doubtful they were ever actually sold in stores.

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    grote15grote15 Posts: 29,535 ✭✭✭✭✭
    David, you love those Wacky Packsages!! LOL! Very impressive assortment!


    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.
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    PaulMaulPaulMaul Posts: 4,712 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Very tough UK reissue pack from 1986...tough to even find a wrapper from this pack....

    image
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    PaulMaulPaulMaul Posts: 4,712 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>David, you love those Wacky Packsages!! LOL! Very impressive assortment! >>



    Guilty as charged! I was gonna stop after the first bunch, but someone made the mistake of encouraging me.
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    grote15grote15 Posts: 29,535 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>David, you love those Wacky Packsages!! LOL! Very impressive assortment! >>



    Guilty as charged! I was gonna stop after the first bunch, but someone made the mistake of encouraging me. >>



    What I find very appealing on these is the graphics on the wrappers (and the stickers themselves)--almost reminds me of pop art. Very bright and bold illustrations.


    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.
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    PaulMaulPaulMaul Posts: 4,712 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Yes, the colors are a big part of the appeal of the wrappers for me. As for the stickers, Norm Saunders was an amazing talent, and he didn't disappoint on these, especially the first few series!

    image
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    Amazing! I encouraged you a couple pages ago. Glad I did. For some reason I find it fascinating. Maybe its your persistence, the wide range.
    Where on earth do you find all of these and know all the diff varieties? Anyone with a larger collection than you, I can't imagine?

    If I had any, I'd send em your way free. I'll check my " unopened" shoeboxes from the seventies....like star wars, mork and mindy.

    Keep em coming!
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    PaulMaulPaulMaul Posts: 4,712 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Amazing! I encouraged you a couple pages ago. Glad I did. For some reason I find it fascinating. Maybe its your persistence, the wide range.
    Where on earth do you find all of these and know all the diff varieties?

    >>



    When I became interested in wackys in 2001 it was the heyday of renewed interest in the originals. A guy named Greg Grant, who runs the website

    wackypackages.org

    was really into researching every detail about these, and that's where I learned a lot and connected with a lot of the guys in the hobby.
    Unfortunately that has mostly run its course and the wacky hobby is mostly focused on the new Topps releases now, which don't interest me much. So I just keep plugging away at what I like.

    In 13 years I have gotten packs from so many different sources I could write a book about it. That's what I find fun, taking a niche interest and continually refining, perfecting, learning, etc. Some people bounce from one interest to another, I like consistency image
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    PaulMaulPaulMaul Posts: 4,712 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Three OPC re-issue packs!

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    image

    image  
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    Didn't topps or the original owner/artists sell the original artwork for most if not all the cards awhile ago? Do you have any of those?
    I still don't know why I find these so fascinating. I def remember buying some as a kid.
    ...couldn't find any packs for you as of yet but will check with some friends. Who knows.
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    grote15grote15 Posts: 29,535 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Three OPC re-issue packs!

    image  

    image

    image   >>



    Nice! Do the OPC stickers have rougher edges, too? image


    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.
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    PaulMaulPaulMaul Posts: 4,712 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>

    Nice! Do the OPC stickers have rougher edges, too? image >>



    I don't collect the OPC stickers, but I've seen them before, and I don't believe they are rough cut. Maybe the thinner stock was easier for those weak Canadian cutting blades to handle.
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    PaulMaulPaulMaul Posts: 4,712 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I almost jinxed myself by popping the cork prematurely. I hadn't actually received the packs yet when I posted. When they didn't arrive today, I checked the tracking info. To my horror, they showed delivery yesterday.

    I got my ass down to the PO pronto and explained the situation. A USPS employee showed up at my door with the package 15 minutes after I got home.

    All's well that ends well! And my 16 year record of the USPS never losing a package of mine continues.
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    So the system said it was delivered one day before it was actually delivered?

    ..I read it as it was delivered 15 minutes the day u went to the PO.
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    PaulMaulPaulMaul Posts: 4,712 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>So the system said it was delivered one day before it was actually delivered?

    ..I read it as it was delivered 15 minutes the day u went to the PO. >>



    What I think happened is on Monday it was scanned as delivered, but left on the truck by mistake. It was not delivered on Tuesday either. When I told the PO what happened on Tue afternoon, they must have hunted it down, and someone brought it to my house 15 minutes later.
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    PaulMaulPaulMaul Posts: 4,712 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited December 23, 2020 8:54AM
    Turned out one of the packs I was sure didn't exist....does! Picked these up on eBay last week. So the official count of distinct series 1-16 packs now stands at 63.

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    image
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    PaulMaulPaulMaul Posts: 4,712 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Picked up a couple of real beauties that were upgrades for me. Nothing like mint 1970s wax!

    image
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