Options
Calling UFFDAH!
mintonlypls
Posts: 2,851 ✭✭✭✭✭
There is a 1952 Topps High Series wax pack up for auction that went live yesterday (7/24/26) in a Heritage Auction. Chris, here is your chance to pull a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle!
mint_only_pls
0
Comments
Here is the link to that wax pack...
https://sports.ha.com/itm/baseball-cards/unopened-packs-display-boxes/1952-topps-baseball-5th-6th-series-5-cent-unopened-wax-pack-gai-nm-7/a/50087-80014.s?ic2=mytracked-lotspage-lotlinks-12202013&tab=MyTrackedLots-101116
Is that the good era or bad era for GAI...assuming there is any "good" era for them.
@grote15 hoping for your insight
It's the singer not the song - Peter Townshend (1972)
Not even a minute do I buy the whole buh buh buh I'm a man-child japery - Me (2025)
The 100XXX and 101XXX cert era is generally regarded as the most reliable from the silver flip era though every pack regardless of its holder should be evaluated based on its own merits and attributes. I recall there was a Mastro auction in the early 2000s which consisted of a near complete box of 1952 wax packs. As I recall, the story was that the original owner opened one pack to determine the series and put the opened pack back in the box. A GAI 5.5 high series pack sold for 102K (BP included) back in September 2023. The cert number of this pack is within that same sequence so I assume this pack is from that same Mastro box.
https://sports.ha.com/itm/baseball-cards/unopened-packs-display-boxes/1952-topps-baseball-5th-6th-series-5-cent-unopened-wax-pack-gai-ex-55/a/50066-80745.s?ic4=GalleryView-ShortDescription-071515#
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.
Grote,
Are you saying then, that the full 1952 Topps wax box was a high series wax box from 1952 Topps? If so, wow!
That was how Mastro auctioned it off back in 2003 or so.
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.
Found the text from that listing. Amazing that 24 packs sold for what this single pack is likely to go for.
Lot 50. Complete 1952 Topps Baseball Five-Cent Wax Box with 24 Packs
The Holy Grail redux. This is an actual complete unopened box of 1952 Topps packs that came from the original confectionaire in Ontario, Canada. Given to him directly by an executive of the Topps Gum Company, the confectionaire gifted it to his son as the ultimate prize. Better than any Red Ryder Daisy Rifle, or a roomful of comic books, inside these wax packs lie the first truly great modern baseball card set. The brainchild of Topps’ Sy Berger, Woody Gelman and the rest of their team, this is the one that defined an industry. Packs such as these were bursting with delicious slabs of cardboard so much tastier than the gum. Inside was even the “true” Mickey Mantle rookie card, the “Honus Wagner Card” of the time. The confectionaire’s son immediately opened one of the wax packs unearthing five “common” (with apologies to their mothers) cards: Posedel, Abrams, Sleater, astiglione and DeMaestri. But the fact that these cards were from the high and semi high 5th and 6th series’ provides a potential bonanza for what is inside. Thank the baseball card gods he did not pull a “star”, upon his father’s direction the disappointed youngster put the rest of the unopened cards away and they went into a veritable hibernation for over a half a century. The remaining 23 unopened five-cent packs have been graded by Global Authentication and perfectly encapsulated for preservation. A wealth of “priceless” cards wait inside with a potential for a number of Jackie Robinson, Ed Mathews, Roy Campanella and of course Mickey Mantle cards. The packs' grade as follows: GAI EX-MT 6: 18 packs; GAI EX+ 5.5: 5 packs. Also included is the pack the boy originally opened to round out this complete box with a total of 24 packs. The original display box is in itself magnificent. This two-piece, 8 x 5 5/8 x 1 1/2" piece of cardboard splendor is an artifact of worship. Overall, it is in beautiful condition with only a couple of small staple holes barely visible on the lid and a few inconsequential marks on the bottom. This very box was recently sold at auction for over $200,000. In fact, the original confectionaire’s family consigned it. However, the buyer has now placed it back on the market for personal reasons that forced its sale. One of the most significant pieces in all of collecting returns to you in an exclusive engagement, which could be its swan song. The only 1952 Topps complete box ever to have been sold publicly since the corner candy store boasted them in the summer of ’52. Gum included.
Final Bid: $142,000.00
Price Realized:$166,850.00
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.
Just amazing! Thanks Grote, for finding the description. I am floored that the whole box sold, as you said for less than one pack is likely to sell for.
The pack is torn on the front has bubble gum residue all over the holder. I would be worried it gets more damaged during shipping.
https://kennerstartinglineup.blogspot.com/
Grote,
A question(s) for you. Is the color tone of the wrapper different on 1952 Topps high series wax packs? Is that how 1952 Topps high series wax packs are determined?
From that write up there is no pack graded 7. So, this pack was not from that holy grail box.
It's tempting but right now I am still celebrating a tobacco pack I recently opened.....
Miscut at the factory...
That is interesting because the first Mastro auction mentions one pack which was graded GAI 7. The cert number is within the same range as the other pack that sold in 2023, also. Perhaps the buyer who won the first auction kept the lone 7 before reconsigning the box to Mastro. Or Mastro pulled it themselves. With Mastro, who knows. In any case, this 7 was part of at least the first Mastro auction for this box.
"One day, years before many collectors were born and at a time when others of us were just children, our consignor's father came home from work with a gift. "Here, Sport, see what you think of these," Dad said to his son, as he handed over a small package. The boy, aware that an unexpected present from his father usually originated at the local confectionery wholesaler, lit up at the sight of the box, and positively beamed as his taste buds anticipated its contents. His fingers fumbled a bit, too, since Dad passed along a couple of gumdrops, and a single, large pack that obviously contained some kind of trading cards, at the same time the box was conveyed. With genuine enthusiasm, the young man exclaimed, "Thanks, Dad," as he ran off to examine the new things.
The green-and-red box felt substantial—obviously, it held more than a few additional gumdrops or a small number of jawbreakers—so a more dramatic treat was clearly in store. A special gift deserves a private, uninterrupted setting, and, in that spirit, the boy gravitated toward his room. He settled on the bed and popped in a gumdrop before looking down at the box's lid. And this is what he saw:
MR. RETAILER -
Topps Bubble Gum with Giant Baseball Picture Cards bring
you, for the very first time, full-color photographs of famous
Big Leaguers in the NEW BIG SIZE. Each card includes
the player's autograph, biography and official, lifetime
statistical record.
Never offered before, this giant-size, prize collection will
be cherished through the years by every lover of the great
American pastime.
Every kid will want the complete set!
INSIST ON TOPPS GIANT-SIZE BASEBALL CARDS!
The boy didn't know at the time that this box, with the advertisement on its lid announcing its maker's marketing intentions and barely concealing the company's pride, was given directly to his father by a Topps executive. He had no concept of the earnestness with which the manufacturer proclaimed a future commitment to its NEW BIG SIZE cards. And he certainly had no idea that Mickey Mantle's first Topps card (perhaps, even more than one of them!) could be inside, or that the 24-Count carton, held in his youthful grip, would become more sought-after than a wheelbarrow full of nickels. But, circumstances sometimes conspire to provide a favorable outcome, and that's exactly what happened on this boy's long-ago afternoon.
Having taken the edge off his sweet tooth with the gumdrop, faded by now to pellet-size on his tongue, the boy could concentrate for a moment on the loose pack. He tore open the wrapper, and his eyes immediately widened at the stick of gum inside. To his perspective the size of a German tank's tread, it was definitely something to be dealt with later! Five huge, color cards, too - just as the box top promised. Let's see...Posedel, Abrams, Sleater, Castiglione and...DeMaestri. Aren't there any good guys in these new cards?
"Dinner!" "Coming, Mom!" The three-word dialogue marked the conclusion of the boy's solitary interlude with his treasures. Later that evening, as his son played outside, Dad saw the box sitting beside the young man's nightstand. He also noted the opened pack, as well as the cellophane wrappers which, earlier, had been rapidly stripped of the gumdrops inside. Let's put this away for now. No need to use 'em up all at once. And so the box, its wonders soon forgotten and still-unexplored, commenced what would become a nearly 50-year hibernation.
A box can remain still, but a world continues to turn. The boy became a man. Memories, like most features of human experience, are cyclical. In search of those recollections, and to view a life's past pleasures, the man rediscovered the box. Thus, the phenomenal relic emerges at this time to the light of a new day—into very different surroundings.
Now, pulses race in boys and men of every age, upon viewing the unmistakable sight of the 1952 Topps Baseball box. Would any of them handle it casually, or toss it onto the bed? No way! With care befitting its status, each of its twenty-four 5¢ packs has been graded by Global Authentication and placed in that company's innovative, protective encapsulation. Each one is original and undisturbed, and each one holds a potential wealth of Mantles and Robinsons, Mathews and Campanellas. We're sure that some of those "good guys" from the issue's 5th Series, and 6th Series "high numbers," are indeed inside these emotionally stirring, factory-fresh packages.
The packs' grades include: Graded GAI NM 7: 1 pack; GAI EX-MT 6: 18 packs; GAI EX+ 5.5: 5 packs."
We can't forget the box itself. The 2-piece, 8" x 5-5/8" x 1-1/2" container is an advertising display artifact of overall Near Mint quality. A couple of small staple holes can be seen on the lid (not affecting Topps' heartfelt sales pitch) and a few inconsequential marks appear on the bottom, but, essentially, it looks just like it did the day Dad brought it home.
This offering contains one of the most significant hobby "finds" within recent memory, and its meaning is clear to any collector who's ever hungered for the indescribably energizing sensation of seeing '52 Topps high numbers in their completely original, unopened state. Here, truly, is the ultimate item. Even in a hobby that's given more pleasure, to more people, than just about any other avocation, it simply doesn't get any better than this.
Oh...the one pack that the boy did open? It's here, too. The winning bidder will part the torn wrapper, share the feeling of first espying five brand-new cards behind that big stick of gum, and involuntarily exult that two of them are "high numbers." Someone will blissfully enjoy that part of the experience. We only hope he doesn't try to chew the gum."
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.
GAI seemed to have some issues before closing down. I stayed away from all things labeled GAI. But hopefully this one is legit.
This pack was holdered early on during the silver flip era when GAI was generally very reliable.
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.
GOT EEEEM
Here is a link to the Lelands Auction. https://auction.lelands.com/bids/bidplace?itemid=19275 - There were definitely a number of discussions on this board and Net54 regarding GAI and the legitimacy of the box.
Agreed. I recall it being re-auctioned not long after Mastro auctioned it off.
@mintonlypls
I have never been able to track down any reliable information on what the wrapper below was used for….
The weird part is that the first Mastro listing mentions the lone GAI 7 pack which is the one up for auction now at HA while the second listing does not. Could be just an oversight or sloppy writing by Leland's but it's a bit odd since that pack was the highest graded one from the box so you'd think they'd have mentioned it.
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.
What about this instead - https://bid.collectrea.com/lots/193956
Looks like jenny!
Those are 1st series packs but that stack should easily eclipse 500K.
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.
In the description it says one of the last of these "cellophane bricks" of 8 packs sold for $852,000 in 2023. Everyone now guess what this will sell for for a free something or another
. I'm guessing $1.5 million!
A nice coffee table conversation piece for a billionaire.
Could be even north of that..all it takes are 2 bidders with deep pockets. My pockets are like those small ones on the front of jeans.
A stack like this one (maybe even the same one) sold at the 2019 National at the BBCE booth for 575K. That was a bargain in retrospect.
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.
LOL,
My pockets are like those small ones on the front of jeans. Yours are a lot deeper than mine Grote!
YeeHaW!
Neil
Saw one of these at the 1992 National in Atlanta - sale price: $20K.
And I remember BBCE had one at the National a few years back for something like $575K?
Yes, 575K in 2019.
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 also saw them at the 1996 National in Anaheim. Mark Murphy was selling packs from this find at $1500 each or two for $2500. So that $20k for the brick in 1992 seemed like a super high price for that era. Murphy also had a few of those cello bricks at the '96 National but I don't remember what the ask was. He also had freshly pulled commons he was selling in his display case. I wish I had bought a pack or two and some mint commons.
Sorry guys. I can't bid
I'm sure you can get qualified. Just push all your chips to the middle of the table...home title, car titles, bank accounts, 401k, etc.