Holiday Rack Packs

BeRoyalKC

Can someone help me understand these. There are two of these on the bay from 1976 Topps with bids over $20 each. These are just re wraps right? And has anyone been able to confirm these came from an actual company and not just counterfeit crap? What next the 1986 topps holiday racks? I guess it's an honest question but part rant. If I'm off base and these are some true type of pack that was released in those years then educate me please.

dennis07

Someone has been pumping out 1970 Holiday racks on Ebay for awhile. Clever wording catches some fish. Most of the 12 card packs go for a couple of bucks per card. If they were truly "mint" cards that would be
a fair price. They all sale and he has even upped his auction starting price from $11.99 or so to $17.99. I tried to snagged one at $11.99 awhile back just to see what the "mint" cards actually looked like but I was outbid.


Listing wording: notice it says "vintage design" & authentic baseball trading cards
1970 Topps Holiday Vintage Design Rack Pack. Contains 12 randomly inserted authentic Baseball trading cards. Pack can contain cards from any series, including stars. Back cards showing: unknown due to christmas wreath covering.


1970 Holiday Racks

BeRoyalKC

Reading the fine print that would make him the independent non topps entity. That would be my guess.

grote15

They are all bogus~same as the 12-card "grocery" cellos in clear cello wrap that seem to be resurfacing of late..

BeRoyalKC

What 12 card cellos are you referring to? Years I mean. I have some from 81 topps with stars showing but I busted those straight from a lot of 20 grocery racks I bought 15 years ago. Are you referring to 80s stuff or is someone making grocery cellos from the 60s and 70s?

grote15

<< <i>What 12 card cellos are you referring to? Years I mean. I have some from 81 topps with stars showing but I busted those straight from a lot of 20 grocery racks I bought 15 years ago. Are you referring to 80s stuff or is someone making grocery cellos from the 60s and 70s? >>



81 Topps are fine~that was the year Topps resumed making them in the form of grocery racks, which contained three 12-card cellos in clear cello wrapping. Prior to that, the last 12-card cello produced by Topps was in 1969.

BeRoyalKC

<< <i>

<< <i>What 12 card cellos are you referring to? Years I mean. I have some from 81 topps with stars showing but I busted those straight from a lot of 20 grocery racks I bought 15 years ago. Are you referring to 80s stuff or is someone making grocery cellos from the 60s and 70s? >>



81 Topps are fine~that was the year Topps resumed making them in the form of grocery racks, which contained three 12-card cellos in clear cello wrapping. Prior to that, the last 12-card cello produced by Topps was in 1969. >>



Thanks for the info. I haven't noticed any 70 or 60s but I will be on the look out. Grocery cellos aren't usually something I collect unless in the full rack format but still amazing at all the invented packs out there. I know to look out for reseals but it amazes me someone created an entire fake product line. I do remember someone selling some really bad fake 75 racks a few months back with white header and noted they were repackaged. I was amazed at the crazy prices those brought in.

bishop

The first guy I remember selling these was Mark Murphy, who had a reputation as an unopened pack specialist ( he does have a good publication out there on how to evaluate unopened packs). He advertised them in SCD. He conceded they'd were repackaged Topps cards that were purchased from Topps in bulk and packaged by someone for sale in retail stores at Christmas. He never knew or said who did the repackaging and to the best of my knowledge no one has I identified the retailer or retailers who were supposed to have originally sold them. It is also not clear when the original repackaging occurred. Initially he sold only packs from 54 to 63, because he said that was what his source (unnamed) made available. Later 52s and 53s showed up, and now they have extended into the 70s. Someone is definitely still cranking them out. I do not know if what Murphy originally found came from the same source still making them or was part of a long ago effort by Topps to unload bulk leftovers through a third party ( as opposed to dumping them in NY harbor ), or if so whether there is any way to distinguish those from what is being turned out today, or if it matters since in all cases they are repackaged and previously handled cards.

70ToppsFanatic

<< <i>The first guy I remember selling these was Mark Murphy, who had a reputation as an unopened pack specialist ( he does have a good publication out there on how to evaluate unopened packs). He advertised them in SCD. He conceded they'd were repackaged Topps cards that were purchased from Topps in bulk and packaged by someone for sale in retail stores at Christmas. He never knew or said who did the repackaging and to the best of my knowledge no one has I identified the retailer or retailers who were supposed to have originally sold them. It is also not clear when the original repackaging occurred. Initially he sold only packs from 54 to 63, because he said that was what his source (unnamed) made available. Later 52s and 53s showed up, and now they have extended into the 70s. Someone is definitely still cranking them out. I do not know if what Murphy originally found came from the same source still making them or was part of a long ago effort by Topps to unload bulk leftovers through a third party ( as opposed to dumping them in NY harbor ), or if so whether there is any way to distinguish those from what is being turned out today, or if it matters since in all cases they are repackaged and previously handled cards. >>



That is basically the story. What was not included in the above is that it is SUSPECTED (but never confirmed) that Mark M was the actual re-packager for the first Christmas racks. Then anything post 1963 are just copycats.

olb31

has anyone ever purchased one of these from the 50's and 60's and opened one up? If so what were the results.

jfkheat

I haven't bought any but from what I have read the packs are made of mostly mid grade cards. I have never seen anyone say anything about pulling a high grade card.
James

flatfoot816

back when Murphy was the king of unopened--ads started to appear in SCD touting this great find. Murphy took out multiple full page ads in consecutive monthly SCDs. Murphy--as I recall--never said originally that they were repackaged items. He sold them as legit Topps times that were sold in department stores at Christmas time. 70topps is correct that initially only racks from '53 thru '62 were "sold" to Murphy and he then re-sold them. He 1st tried the SCD ads, then started to sell them on eBay. I remember because I was captivated by these great and rare items---

I was "lucky" enough to win 2 auctions--a '53 rack and a '62 rack. Paid over $3K for both--I mean if Murphy said they were rare and legit--they were right?

Well after he had his fire in Connecticut--word leaked out that this items were not legit Topps product. There was a lot of speculation on how the fire started. IIRC--the fire was not too long after the $hit hit the fan on these times. Shortly after the fire--we heard the last of Mark Murphy as he moved lout to the west coast. Was the fire related to these racks--???????

Anyway--who knows who is cranking them out now.

And yes i still have the rare '53 and '62 Topps Christmas racks I got---anyone interested? They are a HOT item.....

bishop

For whatever it is worth

BeRoyalKC

Bishop, thanks for the I tell. Now that is an interesting story. I guess find someone to make the header, by a lamination machine and you too can be the repackager. Great story, sorry about your rare investment. I have a few cases of 86 Tops that anyway now should be paying for my kids to go to college, or maybe pay for a book instead.