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PSA now recognizing difference between 66 and 67 Bazooka boxes!?!?!?
JoeBanzai
Posts: 11,214 ✭✭✭✭✭
A while back I unsuccessfully argued with PSA that the 1966/67 Bazooka boxes were different. Of course I lost the debate.
On the 1966 box there is a small photo of Sandy Koufax on the front of the box, on the 67 he is replaced by Mantle (Koufax retired and is not in the 67 Bazooka set). the 67 also features some number code under the player on the far right's photo on the three card panel.
Bazooka 1967
Bazooka 1966
Nice to see the "problem" has been fixed! Now I hope I can get mine changed and entered into the Killebrew master set without too much trouble.
On the 1966 box there is a small photo of Sandy Koufax on the front of the box, on the 67 he is replaced by Mantle (Koufax retired and is not in the 67 Bazooka set). the 67 also features some number code under the player on the far right's photo on the three card panel.
Bazooka 1967
Bazooka 1966
Nice to see the "problem" has been fixed! Now I hope I can get mine changed and entered into the Killebrew master set without too much trouble.
2013,14 and 15 Certificate Award Winner Harmon Killebrew Master Set and Master Topps Set
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Always looking for Topps Salesman Samples, pre '51 unopened packs, E90-2, E91a, N690 Kalamazoo Bats, and T204 Square Frame Ramly's
Both the 1966 and 1967 Bazooka boxes come in either a 20 count or 25 count box but PSA doesn't currently label a 20 count box or a 25 count box any differently. It's like labeling all 1960 Topps wax packs as simply a 1960 Topps Wax pack and not bothering to differentiate whether it's a 1 cent or 5 cent pack.
I was unaware of the 25 count box. I was told by another Killebrew collector that some of the Bazooka boxes that at first glance appeared to be the exact same, like the box I had with Killebrew, Marichal and Callison were in fact not from the same year. PSA graded the one I had submitted as 1966/67.
On the front of the box is a tiny photo of either Mickey Mantle or Sandy Koufax advertising the "Three Baseball Cards on back of box". He claimed that since Koufax had retired, and wasn't in the 1967 set, it meant that the Koufax "ad" indicated the box was a 1966 and the Mantle "ad" was from the following year. I was skeptical. He further stated that the "code" numbers beneath the card on the far right (in this case Callison) indicated the boxes were from 1967.
I submitted this information to PSA and they were unimpressed. However it seems they MAY have changed their minds as the two most recent "Killebrew" boxes are now labelled either 1966 or 1967 and the population report shows one of each of these boxes for each 1966 and 1967.
certainly some strong prices on those boxes last nite. $6k for the Mantle?
It's Mantle what do you expect!?!?!?!?!? Thank the Lord for my sake that Killebrew wasn't on the same box!!!!!! LOL
Seemed like someone was bidding up McCovey unusually high as well
Always looking for Topps Salesman Samples, pre '51 unopened packs, E90-2, E91a, N690 Kalamazoo Bats, and T204 Square Frame Ramly's
irrational exuberance! that was $800 in 2014 and again in 2017.
Seemed like someone was bidding up McCovey unusually high as well
Don't tell anyone. People that collect this stuff are CRAZY!!
Thanks for the info on the boxes. I noticed the different dates on the recent eBay auctions and was a little surprised that they had slabbed 1966 and 1967 separately.
As I am reading this new info on how to tell the difference on the boxes and/or panels (Koufax/Mantle or Code/No code), I am guessing there is no way to tell the difference of the year on a single cut player card.
I know this might be a silly question, but just trying to keep up with the set registry.
Bill
Single cards - On cards where there is no difference in number, player, team, or pose on both the 1966 and 1967 card then it should be labeled 1966/67. Frank Robinson has a pose change and Dean Chance has a team change so those cards should be labeled with the exact year. There are unique number/player combos in both years and they should be labeled with the exact year.
Panels - On 3 card panels where the combinations are identical in 1966 and 1967 then they should only be labeled as 1966/67. There is no honor system where you swear under oath that the panel was cut from a 1966 or 1967 box and they label it with an exact year. On all unique 3 card panels that are different from 1966 or 1967 then they should be labeled with the exact year of issue.
Complete boxes - The easiest way to tell a 1966 box from a 1967 box is 1966's have a picture of Koufax on the front of the box, and 1967's have a picture of Mantle on the front of the box. There was never any justifiable reason for PSA not to label complete boxes correctly from the start as being from either 1966 or 1967. It's easy to be as vague as possible and firm in their decision because less mistakes will be made that need to be corrected down the road. When things are obviously different and easy to identify, and most collectors are begging to have it done the right way because they want to collect all variations, then PSA needs to label these things the way collectors want to collect them. It is sad any collector has to argue to get these things labeled correctly when all the info to do so is plain as day.
Variations in compete boxes - Each 1966 and 1967 complete box comes in either a 20 count gum box or a 25 count gum box. This isn't well known but it's easy to see plain as day and is a legitimate variation on the item being graded. The whole box is being graded and if a box comes two ways advertising either 20 or 25 pieces of gum inside the box then the box is obviously different. It's like a wrapper on a wax pack advertising it as a 1 cent or 5 cent pack, or the different product offers on a wrapper. It's different and should be identified because some collectors will want to have each variation.
As I am reading this new info on how to tell the difference on the boxes and/or panels (Koufax/Mantle or Code/No code), I am guessing there is no way to tell the difference of the year on a single cut player card.
Single cards - On cards where there is no difference in number, player, team, or pose on both the 1966 and 1967 card then it should be labeled 1966/67. Frank Robinson has a pose change and Dean Chance has a team change so those cards should be labeled with the exact year. There are unique number/player combos in both years and they should be labeled with the exact year.
Panels - On 3 card panels where the combinations are identical in 1966 and 1967 then they should only be labeled as 1966/67. There is no honor system where you swear under oath that the panel was cut from a 1966 or 1967 box and they label it with an exact year. On all unique 3 card panels that are different from 1966 or 1967 then they should be labeled with the exact year of issue.
Complete boxes - The easiest way to tell a 1966 box from a 1967 box is 1966's have a picture of Koufax on the front of the box, and 1967's have a picture of Mantle on the front of the box. There was never any justifiable reason for PSA not to label complete boxes correctly from the start as being from either 1966 or 1967. It's easy to be as vague as possible and firm in their decision because less mistakes will be made that need to be corrected down the road. When things are obviously different and easy to identify, and most collectors are begging to have it done the right way because they want to collect all variations, then PSA needs to label these things the way collectors want to collect them. It is sad any collector has to argue to get these things labeled correctly when all the info to do so is plain as day.
Variations in compete boxes - Each 1966 and 1967 complete box comes in either a 20 count gum box or a 25 count gum box. This isn't well known but it's easy to see plain as day and is a legitimate variation on the item being graded. The whole box is being graded and if a box comes two ways advertising either 20 or 25 pieces of gum inside the box then the box is obviously different. It's like a wrapper on a wax pack advertising it as a 1 cent or 5 cent pack, or the different product offers on a wrapper. It's different and should be identified because some collectors will want to have each variation.
Bravo! One of the best posts I have ever read on these boards. I hope that PSA does NOT decide to recognize the different boxes by count. I can't afford it!!!!!! LOL
Always looking for Topps Salesman Samples, pre '51 unopened packs, E90-2, E91a, N690 Kalamazoo Bats, and T204 Square Frame Ramly's
Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
Hey JoeBanzai,
Thanks for the info on the boxes. I noticed the different dates on the recent eBay auctions and was a little surprised that they had slabbed 1966 and 1967 separately.
As I am reading this new info on how to tell the difference on the boxes and/or panels (Koufax/Mantle or Code/No code), I am guessing there is no way to tell the difference of the year on a single cut player card.
I know this might be a silly question, but just trying to keep up with the set registry.
Bill
I believe the singles are exactly the same including the number for the two years in question. It seems to me the 25 count boxes are harder to find in 66 & 67 not sure about other years.
The recent break up on Ebay had 16 1967's, 12 were 20 count, 4 were 25 count. The 1966's had 17, 10 were 20 count and 7 were 25 count. The 25 count boxes are seen less frequently in 1966 and 1967, and the same 20/25 count variation is also found on 1963 to 1965 boxes as well. The 25 count boxes are seen less frequently.
I found an article by Kevin Glew stating the 1959 boxes contained 25 pieces of gum. Saw a complete box on ebay that showed "20 TWIN CHEWS" as contents.
A further look at ebay's current and completed listings was inconclusive on most years; I found 20 and 25 count boxes for 1965, 1966 and 1967, one 20 count box for 1963 and 25 count boxes for 1968, 1969/70 all time greats and 1971. "20" was printed in red ink and "25" in blue.
Anyone out there with a Bazooka box collection? Help us out?!?!?!?
Another question comes to mind, was there a size difference in the boxes between the 20 and 25 count boxes, or was the size of the gum different?????
The 1971 Numbered set was proof only and never issued. The proof sheet had 15 of the 16 panels at the bottom of the sheet. At the top of the sheet it had a complete sample box with the 16th panel which includes Mays. The only complete box from 1971 numbered that would be available is if somebody hand cut it from the proof sheet and made it into a box.
I have also heard that 1971 numbered boxes were never produced even though there are a few three card panels out there. Another question comes to mind, was there a size difference in the boxes between the 20 and 25 count boxes, or was the size of the gum different?????
The 1971 Numbered set was proof only and never issued. The proof sheet had 15 of the 16 panels at the bottom of the sheet. At the top of the sheet it had a complete sample box with the 16th panel which includes Mays. The only complete box from 1971 numbered that would be available is if somebody hand cut it from the proof sheet and made it into a box.
Great information! So there is actually the possibility of 1 complete box.