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1976 Topps baseball wax trays
grote15
Posts: 29,538 ✭✭✭✭✭
I have always enjoyed the factory sealed aspect of vintage wax trays, and their packaging, and I am always hunting for baseball wax trays, particularly those from 1978 and earlier. I was very happy to pick up these two 1976 trays, both of which have the 1974 wax pack wrapper variation, and from the same original box, which I thought was also kind of neat. Pre-1978 trays are very difficult to find in general, and even more so without any tears or pieces of cellophane missing from the corners of the tray, as the cellophane used by Topps to factory seal these trays was extremely thin and brittle.
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.
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But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep."
"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."
Collecting:
Any unopened Baseball cello and rack packs and boxes from the 1970's and early 1980s.
<< <i>I think I see a tear in one of those. Look closely at that one corner.
That is an optical illusion, LOL..or you might be drinking again...
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.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep."
"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."
Collecting:
Any unopened Baseball cello and rack packs and boxes from the 1970's and early 1980s.
<< <i>Thanks for the photos and the backstory..........is this a recent pickup?...........how much are these selling for? >>
Yes, I just picked them up recently. Trays have risen in value quite a bit over the past couple of years (79 trays I used to pick up for $35 a pop now go for $100+), so if I had to assign a retail value to a 76 tray in NM-MT condition, I would say right around $400-450, depending on condition.
Here are a few others from my run, which extends from 1974 through 1980...the way you can tell the difference between a 74 tray and a 76 tray with the same wrappers is by the pack price (10c vs 15c) and by the cardboard tray itself (Topps changed the tray in late 1969 for the 1970 tray and again in late 1974 for the 1975 tray) and the product code. The second 74 tray features packs with the Bonus Team Checklist..
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.
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.
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.
Snorto~
<< <i>And here is its football brethren that I picked up from BBCE right after they got back from the National...
Snorto~ >>
Very nice! And that is a great year for football, too!
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 think they are my favorite form of unopened material, yet I don't have many. The lot Steve had during National was impressive, but I wasn't there nor do I see many available...and they're starting to get a little cost prohibitive, but they are cool.
<< <i>Nice trays guys. Was 69 the first year for them? >>
For Topps Baseball, I believe 1967 was the first year for wax trays.
For Topps Football it was 1957, then 1963, before producing them consistently from 1970 to 1979.
The only football wax trays I see consistently are 1979 and, to a lesser degree, 1978.
Snorto~
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.
Jmaciu's Collection
They call me "Pack the Ripper"
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.
6 pristine '69 wax packs.
"1974" tray
<< <i>Too bad GAI doesn't know as much about wax trays as Tim does...there was a time when that would have surprised me but that time is long past!
"1974" tray >>
Since I don't collect wax trays, I'm assuming that auction is actually for a 1976 one based on the price and back of the cardboard advertisement, but GAI screwed the pooch again. Boy, Tim is going to be proud of me.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep."
"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."
Collecting:
Any unopened Baseball cello and rack packs and boxes from the 1970's and early 1980s.
Jmaciu's Collection
<< <i>Mike, I was just about to say the same thing. It is a 1976 trays with packs in the 1974 wrappers. >>
You pick up a lot of useful things reading these boards, especially items you don't actively collect. My deal with Tim is he stays out of the 80's and I leave wax trays and 1975 mini unopened alone. He seems to have started encroaching on my territory although I can't blame him with the way prices have got on the 70's stuff.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep."
"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."
Collecting:
Any unopened Baseball cello and rack packs and boxes from the 1970's and early 1980s.
I see postings from 1am - 6 am.
<< <i>You guys ever sleep?
I see postings from 1am - 6 am. >>
I only sleep about 5 hours a night. Lots of stuff to do.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep."
"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."
Collecting:
Any unopened Baseball cello and rack packs and boxes from the 1970's and early 1980s.
Topps definitely made racks in 1962 and 1964
Current obsession, all things Topps 1969 - 1972
Current obsession, all things Topps 1969 - 1972
<< <i>Too bad GAI doesn't know as much about wax trays as Tim does...there was a time when that would have surprised me but that time is long past!
"1974" tray >>
I emailed that seller to tell him that GAI had messed up in labeling that tray as a 74 tray and he thanked me for the info but never revised the listing. That was a couple months ago.
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>
<< <i>Mike, I was just about to say the same thing. It is a 1976 trays with packs in the 1974 wrappers. >>
You pick up a lot of useful things reading these boards, especially items you don't actively collect. My deal with Tim is he stays out of the 80's and I leave wax trays and 1975 mini unopened alone. He seems to have started encroaching on my territory although I can't blame him with the way prices have got on the 70's stuff. >>
We call that the Unopened Treaty, LOL..
Moran, those are the photos I was thinking of for the 60s trays--great stuff! Have you ever seen even a photo for a 71 or 73 baseball tray? Can you imagine what a 71 tray would command?
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>
<< <i>
<< <i>Mike, I was just about to say the same thing. It is a 1976 trays with packs in the 1974 wrappers. >>
You pick up a lot of useful things reading these boards, especially items you don't actively collect. My deal with Tim is he stays out of the 80's and I leave wax trays and 1975 mini unopened alone. He seems to have started encroaching on my territory although I can't blame him with the way prices have got on the 70's stuff. >>
We call that the Unopened Treaty, LOL..
Moran, those are the photos I was thinking of for the 60s trays--great stuff! Have you ever seen even a photo for a 71 or 73 baseball tray? Can you imagine what a 71 tray would command? >>
I just checked Mark Murphy's unopened pack guide. Unfortunately he only shows 1967, 1969 and 1975-79. He does list prices for 1971 and 1973, stating only 1st series. For the other pre-1973 trays that have hit the market, are their multiple series' from each year or only a single series? Have any high number 1967 or 1972 trays been unsurfaced?
<< <i>
<< <i>
<< <i>
<< <i>Mike, I was just about to say the same thing. It is a 1976 trays with packs in the 1974 wrappers. >>
You pick up a lot of useful things reading these boards, especially items you don't actively collect. My deal with Tim is he stays out of the 80's and I leave wax trays and 1975 mini unopened alone. He seems to have started encroaching on my territory although I can't blame him with the way prices have got on the 70's stuff. >>
We call that the Unopened Treaty, LOL..
Moran, those are the photos I was thinking of for the 60s trays--great stuff! Have you ever seen even a photo for a 71 or 73 baseball tray? Can you imagine what a 71 tray would command? >>
I just checked Mark Murphy's unopened pack guide. Unfortunately he only shows 1967, 1969 and 1975-79. He does list prices for 1971 and 1973, stating only 1st series. For the other pre-1973 trays that have hit the market, are their multiple series' from each year or only a single series? Have any high number 1967 or 1972 trays been unsurfaced? >>
I know the 69 trays, including the one that Manny posted (Awesome tray, Manny!) were 1st series, as were the 70s and (I believe) the 72s. That, and the list prices you referred to for first series trays may partially account for how scarce they are if they were produced in limited numbers for just the first series that year.
There was a recent thread about how scarce an 86 Fleer bkb case has become, but I'd venture to say that a 71 and 73 (or 64, 65 or 66) baseball wax tray is even rarer, as we not only have never seen one up for sale, but in the case of 71 and 73 trays, we have never even seen a photo of one (to my knowledge at least), even though we know Topps did produce them.
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.
Jim
60's OPC packs
72 BB, 60's FB, 71FB, 73FB, 74FB, 75FB, 76FB, 78FB Rack Packs
72 and earlier BB cello
The 70 tray was the first 3-pack tray (instead of 6) and was first year of cardboard backing design Topps used through 1974.
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>Strange that '73 baseball hasn't turned up, but both '73 basketball and hockey have..... >>
+1
This puzzles me as well.
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.
1970s Wax Trays
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>I wonder if pre-1967 really existed. It's possible that Topps printed up brochures with the trays showing but maybe actually never produced them. Or there may have been a few produced as a test but not actually distributed? We may never know. >>
This is an interesting theory as well. You would think that after all these years, we'd have seen an example or two by now. I would think, though, that there had to be at least a 73 tray, if not a 71, as Topps was already producing them by then.
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.