1983 OPC Baseball

pauldrolkees

how rare are the Baseball 1983 O-Pee-Chee relative to the 1983 Topps? Thinking about picking up RCs for Tony Gwynn and Wade Boggs, should I go for the OPC or Topps? thanks

slum22

I don't know about the exact print run, but I believe Topps will continue to be more valuable. I am sure OPC was printed at a much smaller quantity but this is true of just about every year of Topps vs. OPC baseball. Despite this, Topps issues seem to always eclipse OPC for graded single prices.

grote15

<< <i>how rare are the Baseball 1983 O-Pee-Chee relative to the 1983 Topps? Thinking about picking up RCs for Tony Gwynn and Wade Boggs, should I go for the OPC or Topps? thanks >>



The 83 OPC set is smaller than the Topps set and there is no Boggs RC.

OPC is scarcer but value is limited due to less interest among collectors in OPC issues vs Topps.

pauldrolkees

<< <i>

<< <i>how rare are the Baseball 1983 O-Pee-Chee relative to the 1983 Topps? Thinking about picking up RCs for Tony Gwynn and Wade Boggs, should I go for the OPC or Topps? thanks >>



The 83 OPC set is smaller than the Topps set and there is no Boggs RC.

OPC is scarcer but value is limited due to less interest among collectors in OPC issues vs Topps. >>



PSA 10 Tony Gwynn OPC seems to outsell Topps, the last OPC was sold by PWCC for above $1000. Topps PSA 10 sold for around $500-%600

grote15

<< <i>

<< <i>

<< <i>how rare are the Baseball 1983 O-Pee-Chee relative to the 1983 Topps? Thinking about picking up RCs for Tony Gwynn and Wade Boggs, should I go for the OPC or Topps? thanks >>



The 83 OPC set is smaller than the Topps set and there is no Boggs RC.

OPC is scarcer but value is limited due to less interest among collectors in OPC issues vs Topps. >>



PSA 10 Tony Gwynn OPC seems to outsell Topps, the last OPC was sold by PWCC for above $1000. Topps PSA 10 sold for around $500-%600 >>



I was speaking more in general about the set as a whole~there are certainly some exceptions for the key cards~75 OPC Brett vs 75 Topps Brett is another one that comes to mind, but PWCC also commands higher hammer prices than most venues, too.

olb31

for some reason when you get into the 1980's opc cards will sell for more just about every time. 1981 ryan and raines, 1983 gwynn and sandberg, 1984 strawberry and mattingly, 1985 puckett 1987 bonds, 1989 randy johnson. most of the time it's not even close.

ReggieCleveland

I've read that, depending on the year, OPC print runs were somewhere between 3-5% that of Topps. I've never seen anything that would suggest that isn't the case.

If you have some brand sentimentality toward Topps and would prefer Topps, by all means, grab a Topps. But OPC are scarcer, more condition-sensitive and command more money (in the 1980s) than Topps.

Arthur

RynoandBo

My limited knowledge of 1983 OPC is the Sandberg card. There are 18 OPC 10's and 382 Topps 10's.

The Topps Sandberg sells for $275-$325
The OPC Sandberg sells for $700-$1,200

Personally, I prefer the OPC as I see a better long term value.

slum22

I've never looked at OPC card prices. It is interesting that there comes a point (sounds like it is 1983 since there were no Ripken or Henerson RC's) where OPC outsells Topps. It makes sense based on comparative scarcity but why doesn't it extend further? Possibly because the 80's was when Topps (over)production really began to ramp up? After all, it is hard to find high grade vintage OPC but it is also hard to find high grade vintage Topps cards. Not so difficult to find high grade Topps in the 80's.

timpatg

Basically any HOF rookie or 2nd year OPC card in high grade will outsell it's Topps counterpart.

pauldrolkees

<< <i>Basically any HOF rookie or 2nd year OPC card in high grade will outsell it's Topps counterpart.[/

2nd year OPC? really, didn't know about that trend

ReggieCleveland

<< <i>I've never looked at OPC card prices. It is interesting that there comes a point (sounds like it is 1983 since there were no Ripken or Henerson RC's) where OPC outsells Topps. It makes sense based on comparative scarcity but why doesn't it extend further? Possibly because the 80's was when Topps (over)production really began to ramp up? After all, it is hard to find high grade vintage OPC but it is also hard to find high grade vintage Topps cards. Not so difficult to find high grade Topps in the 80's. >>



My theory is that there were entire generations that grew up with only one brand of baseball card -- Topps. There's brand loyalty because everything else is seen as second-rate. It makes sense to me and I'd probably share the same sentiment if that's what I grew up with. But I grew up collecting Topps, Fleer, Donruss, Score, Upper Deck, and many more. I don't have any brand loyalty because there were already an assortment of brands and issues to choose from as a kid. To me, the brand name is simply a few letters on the card or a difference in design. So I prefer the rarer, more difficult issues. That's my theory, at least.

Arthur

timpatg

<< <i>

<< <i>Basically any HOF rookie or 2nd year OPC card in high grade will outsell it's Topps counterpart.[/

2nd year OPC? really, didn't know about that trend >>



81 Henderson and 83 Ripken were the ones I always had trouble finding. I believe the Henderson is still a pop 1 in PSA 10. The OPC Ripken has almost evened out with Topps but still sells for a tad more. Obviously there are exceptions.

grote15

I remember when Bob (rbdjr1) amassed an awesome collection of OPC cards from the the 1970s because he felt they were seriously undervalued and much scarcer than their Topps counterparts. I believe the premium is there for the key cards and the rookies due to player collectors on the set registry. Unfortunately that premium has never translated to these sets on the whole.

bziddy

Just a data point -- about 2 years ago Steve was selling 1983 OPC for <50% of 1983 Topps. Now it's around 75%. That would speak to overall value as opposed to card to card comparisons obviously.

tsalems1

The great thing about the OPC sets from 1978 to 1989, there were only 396 cards to a set. So you can get multiple rookie cards in a box

mrpeanut39

<< <i>

<< <i>I've never looked at OPC card prices. It is interesting that there comes a point (sounds like it is 1983 since there were no Ripken or Henerson RC's) where OPC outsells Topps. It makes sense based on comparative scarcity but why doesn't it extend further? Possibly because the 80's was when Topps (over)production really began to ramp up? After all, it is hard to find high grade vintage OPC but it is also hard to find high grade vintage Topps cards. Not so difficult to find high grade Topps in the 80's. >>



My theory is that there were entire generations that grew up with only one brand of baseball card -- Topps. There's brand loyalty because everything else is seen as second-rate. It makes sense to me and I'd probably share the same sentiment if that's what I grew up with. But I grew up collecting Topps, Fleer, Donruss, Score, Upper Deck, and many more. I don't have any brand loyalty because there were already an assortment of brands and issues to choose from as a kid. To me, the brand name is simply a few letters on the card or a difference in design. So I prefer the rarer, more difficult issues. That's my theory, at least.

Arthur >>



You've nailed it -- for me at least. I was a devoted set collector in 1981 when Donruss and Fleer came out. They were not available in my area however. So I sent away for both sets (Renata Galasso I believe). When they arrived, my 14 year old self thought both sets were a hideous joke. So chintzy and cheap looking. That experience soured me on Donruss and Fleer or any other "upstart" sets.

Cut to today and I'm still a set collector, but only sets that hold a certain nostalgic pull for me. So I've never been able to muster any enthusiasm for OPC or the 75 Minis that are so well loved by many because I never grew up collecting them.