Anybody know about 1985 OPC hockey dark backs??

54topps · September 2, 2008 8:23AM

I bought some 1985 OPC hockey dark backs off Ebay a few months ago. I sent some in for grading and PSA does not grade them. Are these reprints??? Did OPC print a dark back variation for this year. I know they had light/dark back for 1973 OPC. any info would be great.

Thanks!
Mike

hotmush · September 2, 2008 8:25AM

Never heard of the hockey dark-backs (or greybacks) but I know 1981 OPC baseball had both cream backs and darkbacks and 1990 OPC baseball also had some cards that were printed on lighter stock than the rest of the set.
Didn't know about the 1973 OPC dark backs. Were they hockey?

otwcards · September 2, 2008 8:45AM

I don't have any clue, but from the scan, the "dark" back OPC almost appears to be the same stock as the Topps issue (at least from a color and tone point of view). Not sure if it's the same thickness or texture as the Topps stock. Is it?

DavidPuddy · September 2, 2008 8:52AM

Those look just like 81 OPC baseball.

edmundfitzgerald · September 2, 2008 8:56AM

There were no dark backs from 85 opeechee. I was heavily involved in the product when it first came out and years after.
These dark backs that you have did not come out of packs or vending based on my experiences. And I sifted through thousands
upon thousands of these cards. Lemieux was a huge seller, and lots of vending and wax came my way.

jomer · September 2, 2008 9:37AM

you didn't happen to buy from this seller did you ??

link

edmond ......

so what are they ???????

54topps · September 2, 2008 9:40AM

sadly yes that was one of the auctions I won

dizzle · September 2, 2008 9:41AM

Are they sheet cuts?? those edges look pretty smooth.

RedHeart54 · September 2, 2008 11:11AM

<< <i>There were no dark backs from 85 opeechee. I was heavily involved in the product when it first came out and years after. These dark backs that you have did not come out of packs or vending based on my experiences. >>

Where would they have come from then? This is the first I've ever heard of these and I've been sorta kinda collecting a PSA 9 set for a few years.

hotmush · September 3, 2008 2:57AM

Could be some sort of test run from the factory because they do look sheet cut.
Was there a mail-in offer to buy uncut sheets that year? I know some companies have done this in the past (Nestle and a few others I'm not thinking of).
If so, maybe those were the sheets that were used as the mail-in redemptions.

Stingray · September 3, 2008 3:33AM

<< <i>you didn't happen to buy from this seller did you ??

link

edmond ......

so what are they ??????? >>

Wow for OPC those are some clean edges!?

Nascar360 · September 3, 2008 5:03AM

The edges are too clean to be OPC cut unless they were cut in the US by Topps. They look like the Topps stock. OPC cut the cards with wire that's where the tearing came from.

54topps · September 3, 2008 7:24AM

Thanks for all the feedback. They do have the feel of a topps card. none of the cards have a rough cut so maybe they are sheet cut. i'd just like to know if these are actually from 1985 or made later on. I was just bummed PSA would not grade these.

mickeymantle24 · September 3, 2008 7:33AM

I wish I could help, but I have no clue about hockey!

dizzle · September 3, 2008 7:38AM

<< <i>The edges are too clean to be OPC cut unless they were cut in the US by Topps. They look like the Topps stock. OPC cut the cards with wire that's where the tearing came from. >>

Or cut by joe blow is his basement from a full OPC sheet..

RedHeart54 · January 21, 2009 9:04AM

I don't know if anyone still cares about this thread but I came across this write-up about the dark backs from the ebay seller phibanjo.

(link)

This lot consists of an uncut panel of nine of the 1985-86 OPeeChee grey-back test issue. The story was that OPC had printed so many of the 1984-85 hockey cards that they had actually had to bury 1100 cases at the dump, unable to find a buyer before they went to press for the 1985-86 set. Over-reacting to this surplus, they decided to pull way back on the issue that the industry would dub "The Lemieux Rookie Year". A reliable source at the press told me that when they asked OPC how much stock to order, the OPC guy asked how much could they print with what stock they had on hand. In the end they printed enough to barely fulfill the pre-orders. (They had 29 cases of bulk cards left beyond what was pre-paid). People close to the management situation at this time at OPC will tell you that it was a time of intense ass-covering because of the over-printing of the 84-85's. After it was apparent how big their mistake was, OPC asked the printer if they could make more, were told that some grey-back stock was available, and shortly some grey-back sheets were whipped up as samples. OPC looked at the samples, decided that if they wanted ones with such dark backs, they would just bring in some Topps, and nothing further was done with the grey-backs.

CDsNuts · January 21, 2009 9:21AM

I always find it interesting that some random misprints/variations sell amazingly well (82 Topps Blackless, 80 Topps Yellow name, 89 fleer errors) while others you can't give away (81 OPC dark backs, 81 Fleer errors). All of these printings occurred because a random series of events was set in motion and all are relatively scarce compared to the rest of the hobby supplu, yet hobbyists value some and could care less about others.

Lee

RedHeart54 · January 21, 2009 9:26AM

True. It's the same with "proof" cards. If you had a proof card 15+ years ago you really had something. Now they're a dime a dozen for the most part.

Anybody know about 1985 OPC hockey dark backs??

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