I know of a dealer selling 1996 Finest cartons for a good price; should I go for it?

Estil · November 3, 2006 6:50PM

Okay, as you all know, I'm a complete set buyer and like to make runs of my favorite sets (but normally nothing past 1995). However, I noticed one dealer who has six cartons of 1996 Finest baseball (three of each series) for $20-$25. There's six cards per pack and 24 packs per carton. Now, I think this set looks very interesting with its bronze/silver/gold cards, but I was wondering if three cartons of each series will be enough to make a set? I should have no trouble making a bronze set, but what about the silver and gold sets? I read in my annual Beckett guide (which is six years old unfortunately

) that silvers are seeded 1:4 packs and gold 1:24 packs (so I guess no chance of a gold set).

I guess I just see how much fun some of the rest of you have busting open cartons (or even whole cases) of packs and wonder if maybe I'll have the same fun busting open these cartons, since they're pretty cheap for what set they are. Or should I just hold out for a complete set to show up on Ebay? Also, how much do the 1996 Finest bronze, silver, and gold sets book for now in the current Beckett?

bri2327 · November 3, 2006 6:56PM

I say you are forbidden to buy them until you call them boxes instead of cartons

Estil · November 4, 2006 6:33AM

<< <i>I say you are forbidden to buy them until you call them boxes instead of cartons

>>

*saultes sarcastically* Yes SIR!!

Seriously, what should I do?

Stone193 · November 4, 2006 6:46AM

Estil

I'm not familiar with 95 Finest - I'm basically - at this point - a Topps Heritage fan.

My intuition tells me to complete a set takes lots and lots of boxes.

I will take a guess - you would get this answered best on the Beckett boards IMO.

mike

Estil · November 4, 2006 7:52AM

These are 1996 Finest, not 1995.

riccaboni · November 4, 2006 8:04AM

While it is really fun to open up a ton of boxes, it would be much cheaper for you to buy this thing as a complete set already collated. It isn't that hard of a set to pick up and it pops up every once and a while; I've seen it on eBay for pretty much the cost of shipping. But, if you're looking for a great way to kill a few hours and some fun, the boxes are your best bet. I guess it boils down to fun v. cash.

-Ian

Estil · November 4, 2006 8:13AM

I know, I'm currently watching a 1994 and 1995 Finest set and I really do hope to get both (they're from the same seller); unfortunately, the 1994 set already has a bid on it so I hope that individual didn't bid too aggressively.

Of course, I probably won't even consider getting the 1996 Finest boxes (yes, I didn't say cartons that time, are you happy now bri2327

) unless I do indeed win the 1994 and 1995 sets (I'm a set run builder so I don't want a two year gap

). And while I probably would have no trouble building a bronze set with three boxes of each series, I definetly won't get a gold set and probably won't get a silver set either. Of course, there's always the possiblity of pulling a blue chip Refractor insert.

Geez, any other time I'd get a set without question, but this time I only see several boxes and no sets; this is a tough decision... I really would love to join the fun of busting open mylar (in this case) boxes and I think this would be a good way of doing it. After all, were these $20-$25 a box back in 1996?

Onlypsahockey · November 4, 2006 9:12AM

Hi Estil,

Not sure if the bb was like the hockey in 96 but a benefit to buying the boxes would be pulling refractors. I believe the hockey was broken up into gold, silver & bronze. The downside would be that you may need numerous boxes to get all the golds for the set.

Also you may want to make sure the celophane wrap has the Topps stamps on it. Not sure who you're buying from.

Best of luck, Bob C.

sagard · November 4, 2006 10:16AM

This would be pretty high on the ripping fun. First they come cheap I assume. Then you battle with the foil wrappers. After conquering them, you have a stack of shiny cards and maybe a couple of REALLY shiny cards.

Now the fun starts. Time to may the shiny really shiny. Peel them all and you now have a stack of really nice cards. Take your refractor and liberate it.

One of my favorite money after buying a 1996 Puckett Gold refractor for WAY too much money was capturing the look on the dealers face after I asked him for his screw driver and peeled the refractor in front of him.

helionaut · November 4, 2006 11:17AM

I started building the 1996 Finest set way back when, but it was too tough before the Internet, and too expensive. The golds were 1 per box, and the product wasn't heavily broken in my area, so I was stuck pretty early. Teletrade provided me a few more, but eventually I gave up. A couple years ago I found my old box with the complete bronze and silver sets in there, and a handful of golds, and checked out ebay. Shocked, SHOCKED I was to see golds going for a buck apiece for the common guys, and even the refractors, which literally were worth their weight in gold, weren't doing much better. My advice is to open a box, or carton, just for kicks, but build the set individually. Choose the box with the best player glued to the top. They used to be quite popular collectibles in themselves. I remember seeing a guy pay something like $30 for an empty box with the Griffey stuck to it.

Estil · November 5, 2006 6:20AM

$30 for an EMPTY Griffey box? I guess that just makes $22-$25 for a full box all that much more enticing, eh?

helionaut · November 5, 2006 10:32AM

Well that was 10 years ago when boxes were $100+.

CDsNuts · November 5, 2006 2:24PM

They were about $75 a box back in 96, but the absence of rookies has made the set undesirable. Putting together a set from wax is near impossible since the gold and silver cards are considered part of the base set, and only come one every 4 packs or so. The gold refractors are the "money" cards, but at 1 per 12 boxes, you'd expect a Barry Bonds to bring more than $10 on ebay, but it doesn't. If you're looking for a fun box break with money making potential, go with something else.

Lee

Estil · November 5, 2006 3:27PM

I didn't think Finest was known for rookie cards anyway; I thought the whole point of Finest is to be the Corvette/Porsche/Viper or whatever of Topps. Also, how has the Finest cards changed since 1996? Are they still one of the premier products today like they were in the 1990s?

Estil · November 26, 2006 8:38PM

bump for that last question

NickM · November 27, 2006 5:29AM

Finest has become a middle-of-the-line product in baseball and football. It's still popular in basketball, primarily because it comes out at the end of the season and has redemption cards for the next year's top draft picks in it.

If you shop around at any decent card show, you can fill holes in your silver set at 10 cents to 25 cents apiece, and most gold cards go for a buck or less.

Nick

Estil · November 27, 2006 6:44AM

So you're saying if I was to make the silver/gold sets "the hard way", it wouldn't be quite as expensive as it would seem? Not bad considering the sets (G/S/B combined) book in the 2000 annual Beckett (sorry, I don't have a more up-to-date Beckett) for $1000. Though I'm guessing at least 2/3 of that value is the gold set alone.

flash300 · December 29, 2007 3:38PM

The set is tough to put together by the box but you get the refractors . I have the complete series 1 set gold,silver and bronze
email if you are interested in the set
pryan7197@aol.com

Morgoth · December 29, 2007 3:57PM

I am still working on my series 1 set I started in 96. I would definately say build it as it is a very cool set that looks great in a binder. I would also recommend busting 2 or 3 boxes before starting to piece it together manually. There are some golds that player collectors buy pretty aggressively.

elsnorto · December 29, 2007 4:24PM

Cartons? Do they have Surgeon General warnings on the side of them? Now that I think about it... perhaps they should. Ripping wax is very addictive.

As others said, with you being a set collector and not looking for other pulls from the boxes, it would be more cost effective for you to be patient and wait for someone else to take a bath financially on having put the set together. The silver sets show up fairly frequently and the gold, while not commonly offered, do show up from time to time.

Outside of select wax from the 70's & 80's, I think putting a set together from opening packs is a losing proposition financially.

Snorto~

Estil · December 29, 2007 9:52PM

Well, as it stands now, I'm only lacking three cards (listed below on my wishlist) to complete 1996 silver and still need the 1997 silver set. BTW, seeing a one of each series 1996 and/or 1997 Finest box rip would be a lot of fun.

swartz1 · December 29, 2007 11:00PM

TNTonPMS · December 30, 2007 12:01AM

I'd pick em up in a heartbeat .

I love those cards .

I love the refractors .

I hope they haven't been screwed with though { Whoever purchases them }

Estil · December 30, 2007 1:12AM

You mean the packs searched or tampered? The boxes are shrinkwrapped and the packs are mylar packs; it's not like how it was in the old days.

RipublicaninMass · December 30, 2007 1:34AM

<< <i>I say you are forbidden to buy them until you call them boxes instead of cartons

>>

I know of a dealer selling 1996 Finest cartons for a good price; should I go for it?

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