Fun with Junk Wax & Bubble Gum
mouschi
Posts: 693 ✭✭✭✭
Hi everyone! My name is Tanner. I'm a custom card maker, writer and Canseco Super Collector. I wanted to share one of my latest write ups and creations with you all.
Remember the days when you could get a pack of baseball cards for 50 cents? I do. I don't ever remember getting anything absolutely remarkable, but then again, the hits back then were serial numbered to 10,000 or more and the only time you heard about somebody ever pulling one was through a friend's friend's uncle.
I ended up taking a trip down memory lane and picked up a nice little run of topps wax packs from the junk wax era. The packs I received were from 1984 and ran all the way through 1993. I decided to crack open the '87-91 packs because I had a plan. I was also curious to see what I would pull!
After looking at the packs sprawled out like that, I thought to myself that it was probably more likely that I would get more enjoyment from just staring at them unopened, than what was inside.
I was right.
Would you believe that out of all of those cards, all but ONE wasn't a common? Here was the "hit".
Yes, friends. A 1987 Topps Reggie Jackson. On the Angels.
Clearly, these packs have been searched and all of the hits (you know, the $1 Bonds rookies, 50 cent Frank Thomas rookies, $5 Brad Brink rookies, etc.) were ruthlessly yanked out of these packs before I got my paws on them!
I WANT A REFUND!
Alright, so maybe these weren't searched ... and if they were, perhaps it was decades ago, but either way it was still fun see the colorful packs laying on my desk.
At least there was the gum, right? No, no, no. Not to chew (that isn't even physically possible) but to grade!
BAH!
There goes my chance for this:
Side note: I wonder if anyone actually collects the gum? I hear keeping Topps gum without a license is illegal in 13 states.
I didn't want the "fun" to end so I went to see if I had any doubles of Jose from each year. Lo and behold ... I did! You know what that means ... (gets out the rubber gloves, scissors and goggles.)
On Twitter, I saw an idea from another custom card maker that i really liked a lot. The ad said a Canseco was made and I asked for a picture, but never heard back.
So before I go any further, I'm going to come clean. I ripped off this idea from someone else. I saw something I liked and took it in a little bit of a different direction to fit my collecting tastes. and did it to every single regular issue Canseco that you could find in a wax pack with bubble gum....errr...that stiff strip of pink stuff that they called gum anyway.
The idea was to incorporate the two staples in the junk wax era. The wax wrapper itself and the toxic pink rectangle. Here is what it came out to look like:
I didn't want to just leave it like this though, I wanted a hologram on the back ... a sticker type thing that is similar to what Topps used to do.
"Bubble Gum Wax Relic 1 of 1". How legit do these things look?!?!
In keeping up with the times, I wanted to "encapsulate" them like Topps does with their buyback cards, so I decided to house all 5 cards in a one-touch and thought about doing a holofoil type of sticker to wrap over the top of the case.
After thinking about it though, I thought "why not use the actual left over wax wrappers for this? I tried it, and think it turned out very clean, and proper. It really adds that extra bit of "fun" element to this project for me.
Here are some one by one and group shots of my custom 1 of 1 "bubble gum wax wrapper" relics:
I wish that Topps would come out with something like this at some point, but until then, I'll just enjoy my custom set.
Remember the days when you could get a pack of baseball cards for 50 cents? I do. I don't ever remember getting anything absolutely remarkable, but then again, the hits back then were serial numbered to 10,000 or more and the only time you heard about somebody ever pulling one was through a friend's friend's uncle.
I ended up taking a trip down memory lane and picked up a nice little run of topps wax packs from the junk wax era. The packs I received were from 1984 and ran all the way through 1993. I decided to crack open the '87-91 packs because I had a plan. I was also curious to see what I would pull!
After looking at the packs sprawled out like that, I thought to myself that it was probably more likely that I would get more enjoyment from just staring at them unopened, than what was inside.
I was right.
Would you believe that out of all of those cards, all but ONE wasn't a common? Here was the "hit".
Yes, friends. A 1987 Topps Reggie Jackson. On the Angels.
Clearly, these packs have been searched and all of the hits (you know, the $1 Bonds rookies, 50 cent Frank Thomas rookies, $5 Brad Brink rookies, etc.) were ruthlessly yanked out of these packs before I got my paws on them!
I WANT A REFUND!
Alright, so maybe these weren't searched ... and if they were, perhaps it was decades ago, but either way it was still fun see the colorful packs laying on my desk.
At least there was the gum, right? No, no, no. Not to chew (that isn't even physically possible) but to grade!
BAH!
There goes my chance for this:
Side note: I wonder if anyone actually collects the gum? I hear keeping Topps gum without a license is illegal in 13 states.
I didn't want the "fun" to end so I went to see if I had any doubles of Jose from each year. Lo and behold ... I did! You know what that means ... (gets out the rubber gloves, scissors and goggles.)
On Twitter, I saw an idea from another custom card maker that i really liked a lot. The ad said a Canseco was made and I asked for a picture, but never heard back.
So before I go any further, I'm going to come clean. I ripped off this idea from someone else. I saw something I liked and took it in a little bit of a different direction to fit my collecting tastes. and did it to every single regular issue Canseco that you could find in a wax pack with bubble gum....errr...that stiff strip of pink stuff that they called gum anyway.
The idea was to incorporate the two staples in the junk wax era. The wax wrapper itself and the toxic pink rectangle. Here is what it came out to look like:
I didn't want to just leave it like this though, I wanted a hologram on the back ... a sticker type thing that is similar to what Topps used to do.
"Bubble Gum Wax Relic 1 of 1". How legit do these things look?!?!
In keeping up with the times, I wanted to "encapsulate" them like Topps does with their buyback cards, so I decided to house all 5 cards in a one-touch and thought about doing a holofoil type of sticker to wrap over the top of the case.
After thinking about it though, I thought "why not use the actual left over wax wrappers for this? I tried it, and think it turned out very clean, and proper. It really adds that extra bit of "fun" element to this project for me.
Here are some one by one and group shots of my custom 1 of 1 "bubble gum wax wrapper" relics:
I wish that Topps would come out with something like this at some point, but until then, I'll just enjoy my custom set.
Tanner Jones, Author of Confessions of a Baseball Card Addict - Now Available on Amazon!
0
Comments
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.
I love all of the custom cards people post on this site. Keep them coming!
D's: 54S,53P,50P,49S,45D+S,44S,43D,41S,40D+S,39D+S,38D+S,37D+S,36S,35D+S,all 16-34's
Q's: 52S,47S,46S,40S,39S,38S,37D+S,36D+S,35D,34D,32D+S
74T: 37,38,47,151,193,241,435,570,610,654,655 97 Finest silver: 115,135,139,145,310
73T:31,55,61,62,63,64,65,66,67,68,80,152,165,189,213,235,237,257,341,344,377,379,390,422,433,453,480,497,545,554,563,580,606,613,630
95 Ultra GM Sets: Golden Prospects,HR Kings,On-Base Leaders,Power Plus,RBI Kings,Rising Stars
Also.....I remember your post a couple of years ago about you actually spending a day with Jose Canseco and getting a bunch of stuff signed. Was that on Net 54? Would you mind posting a link to that thread? If there are any here that have not seen that thread, let me tell you.......IT WAS EPIC! It was probably the greatest thread in the history of great threads.
Welcome to CU. Don't be a stranger. Why did you wait so long to join up here?
Shane
Those custom cards are awesome!
I very much enjoyed reading your story of when you met Canseco at his house. For those who haven't read it, it's brilliant. Check out Tanner's link below for the story.
www.questfortherookiecup.com
Here is the link of my article entitled "Chasing Canseco - Best Day Ever" from my blog: http://tanmanbaseballfan.com/2...o-best-day-ever-2.html
Great design and creativity on these. They could definitely use you over at Topps.
saucywombat@hotmail.com
Patrick
Welcome Tanner! I remember reading your Canseco write-up awhile back and have seen your custom work in other threads. My favorite is the grocery store card (can't remember the player or grocery store)!
Patrick
Thanks for reading! I love your avatar. I actually wrote up something small comparable to it: http://tanmanbaseballfan.com/2...te-rose-photobomb.html
As for the grocery store card, here is the link to that story:
http://tanmanbaseballfan.com/2...-whale-and-reason.html
I still have the letter from Mr. Buttersworth framed and on my wall
Dodgers collection scans | Brett Butler registry | 1978 Dodgers - straight 9s, homie
Awesome idea, even if it is "Borrowed"
Vintage Rookies
They look fantastic
collecting RAW Topps baseball cards 1952 Highs to 1972. looking for collector grade (somewhere between psa 4-7 condition). let me know what you have, I'll take it, I want to finish sets, I must have something you can use for trade.
looking for Topps 71-72 hi's-62-53-54-55-59, I have these sets started