Home Trading Cards & Memorabilia Forum

Question about 83 rack packs with Ryne Sandberg showing.

I've noticed on ebay the Sandberg rookie showing up in all three cells of rack packs.
I thought usually a player was supposed to be found in a certain cell, or maybe two at the
most, but not all three.
For example, for 1982 I have 3 rack packs with the Ripken rookie on front and they
are all 3 in the inside cell, closest to the header card. I don't think I've seen a rack pack
with Ripken in any other cell.
Anyone know about the Sandberg rack packs, surely nobody would fake these
as they're not all that valuable?

Comments

  • baz518baz518 Posts: 1,252 ✭✭✭✭
    There are legit racks with Ripken in the last (far) cell, but most I have seen like that have the cardboard header. Same with 83s, seen all 3 big RCs in different cells with the cardboard header card. I think this is about the time Topps changed up collation... as you can also legitimately find all 3 RCs on top OR bottom of cellos.
  • grote15grote15 Posts: 29,727 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Ripken should be in the header section, Sandberg in the far section. For 83 racks, cards from A/B sheets are in far section. For other years (like 1978-1980), it is the reverse and cards from A/B sheets are in the header section. That is why why Murray RC, Smith RC and Henderson RC should appear in header section, as well. Cards from this era were printed on sheets from A through F with two sheets corresponding with each section of the rack.


    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.
  • DarinDarin Posts: 7,291 ✭✭✭✭✭
    So what about this rack? Its no good?

    rack
  • grote15grote15 Posts: 29,727 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Originally posted by: Darin

    So what about this rack? Its no good?



    rack





    Not necessarily. I'd like to know, however, who is showing on back of the rack in each section, though, as Norman is a C sheet card and is in middle section where he belongs, but Montefusco is a D sheet card and should also be in middle section. There are some aberrations in collation for each year~1975, for example, typically features cards from one * sheet in header section (Topps used asterisks to designate sheets before they began using letters in 1978), followed by cards with no asterisks in middle section and cards with two ** in far section, but there is also a known aberration for 1975 in which cards from two ** sheets are found in BOTH middle and far sections (same aberration exists in same pattern for 1977 Topps baseball, too). Even in cases of aberrations, though, you should never find cards from mixed cells in same section. If the card on back of the Sandberg card is also from either A or B sheet and cards on back of Norman and Montefusco sections are also from C & D sheets, then I would say this rack is likely authentic and simply an aberration with cards collated in reverse and no cards from E or F sheets present in the rack (so, no possibility at a Boggs RC, which is a card from the E sheet).


    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.
  • grote15grote15 Posts: 29,727 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Here is an authentic 83 rack with Gwynn on top, which illustrates the standard collation I posted earlier, whereby Sandberg would be found (as a B sheet card) in far section of the rack.



    http://www.ebay.com/itm/1983-T...D6%26sd%3D391545516536



    You will see that an E sheet card (Davis) is in header section, with Gwynn (D sheet card) in middle section where he belongs and Bergman (B sheet card) in far section. On back of each section, you will also find cards from same pair of sheets (E/F in header section, C/D in middle section and A/B in far section). Your Sandberg rack may be perfectly fine~though, if it is, that is a rack which would not contain cards from E or F sheets (where Boggs is found) as both middle and far sections would contain only cards from C & D sheets, instead (with a double shot at a Gwynn RC instead, as a result). I collect 1970s, primarily, and am not as familiar with aberrations from the 1980s, though the only rule that never varies is that you should never find cards from different sections (e.g. cards from A and F sheets) in same cell or section. There is always a method to the madness..


    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.
  • DarinDarin Posts: 7,291 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Grote, thank you!
    Very informative, as always. Much appreciated!
  • grote15grote15 Posts: 29,727 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Originally posted by: Darin

    Grote, thank you!

    Very informative, as always. Much appreciated!




    My pleasure, Darin, anytime.


    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.
  • JWBlueJWBlue Posts: 489 ✭✭✭
    Is there a way to put star cards in these racks and make it look 100% unopened?

    We can all speculate the answer is yes, but has anyone come across one that was tampered but looked clean?
  • grote15grote15 Posts: 29,727 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Originally posted by: JWBlue

    Is there a way to put star cards in these racks and make it look 100% unopened?



    We can all speculate the answer is yes, but has anyone come across one that was tampered but looked clean?




    Short answer? Sure, there is. But the more you learn about what signs to look for, the better off your chances will be.



    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.
  • I wish I had that pack back now to look at what you just described along with the 3 packs in the 85 Rack Box with all 3 rookies! Never looked that in depth as far as correlation! Good information!
Sign In or Register to comment.