The 1998 Topps Tek Thread

I find the 98 tek craze a little odd right now. Individual cards I understand, people needing to complete their sets and so forth. But can someone explain to me how an unopened box can be listed at or even sell for above $400??? Not sure how many diffractors are in each box, but lets say three. And by some act of GOD you get three Griffey diffractors... You may break even on the box??? I am not sure of any other box out there where the price is higher than any guaranteed ROI. Even if you just like to bust some 90's wax seems a little odd. Maybe it is just me.

mrdallas said:

I find the 98 tek craze a little odd right now. Individual cards I understand, people needing to complete their sets and so forth. But can someone explain to me how an unopened box can be listed at or even sell for above $400??? Not sure how many diffractors are in each box, but lets say three. And by some act of GOD you get three Griffey diffractors... You may break even on the box??? I am not sure of any other box out there where the price is higher than any guaranteed ROI. Even if you just like to bust some 90's wax seems a little odd. Maybe it is just me.

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How many completed tek box auctions have there been in the past year though? I haven't seen too many (if any at all) at those prices. Pretty sure most tek collectors buy singles only.

MansGame said:

I honestly don't know how much interest there would be unless it was from a diffractor master set collector frankly or maybe a guy on here who just generally speaking collects diffractors. You'd probably get a lot of messages from guys on individual players, which would piss you off lol

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I dont take things all that seriously. However, if people I dont really even know post things just to annoy or for click bait whether it be on facebook, twitter or FCB I find its easy to use ignore feature. These are just baseball cards after all.. So in the grand scheme of things not very important. I like to put together sets. Probably an OCD thing - If I dont feel the complete set is achievable I don't feel inclined to collect cards for the sake of collecting.

IF I did list a diffractor set I would clearly state in listing WILL NOT BREAK SET. In no hurry but nearing retirement age so at some point things will eventually get sold off ...

togaman said:

I dont take things all that seriously. However, if people I dont really even know post things just to annoy or for click bait whether it be on facebook, twitter or FCB I find its easy to use ignore feature. These are just baseball cards after all.. So in the grand scheme of things not very important. I like to put together sets. Probably an OCD thing - If I dont feel the complete set is achievable I don't feel inclined to collect cards for the sake of collecting.

IF I did list a diffractor set I would clearly state in listing WILL NOT BREAK SET. In no hurry but nearing retirement age so at some point things will eventually get sold off ...

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To be clear, I was not taking a shot at you or trolling you, etc. I was just making a point for how I feel it would be welcomed if listed on eBay. That said, I have been wrong a lot in the past and never know, it could sell for a freaking $1000 maybe.

corockies said:

How many completed tek box auctions have there been in the past year though? I haven't seen too many (if any at all) at those prices. Pretty sure most tek collectors buy singles only.

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true.. I just am a little surprised that peole would list it so high. I get throwing a number out there hoping someone will bite and maybe they dont really want to sell, just seems a little outrageous if honestly trying to sell them.

Have some Frank Thomas needs. If you have any plz message me with price. Any help is greatly appreciated...

6-04
6-06
6-15
6-18
6-25
6-79
6-80

MansGame said:

To be clear, I was not taking a shot at you or trolling you, etc. I was just making a point for how I feel it would be welcomed if listed on eBay. That said, I have been wrong a lot in the past and never know, it could sell for a freaking $1000 maybe.

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I'd guess closer to $2000...

Ryan

mrdallas said:

true.. I just am a little surprised that peole would list it so high. I get throwing a number out there hoping someone will bite and maybe they dont really want to sell, just seems a little outrageous if honestly trying to sell them.

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There were one or two guys doing box breaks and selling off lots pre-break awhile back but I saw that as a $$$ losing proposition and did not participate. I think (but not sure) that the boxes were under $ 150 at the time..

togaman said:

Self censorship not wanting to clog up board or give fodder to typical 3 guys who aways have their comeback even though it has nothing to do with or directed toward them Keep bidding them up to maintain the perceived value of the 98 TEks. I also think there are two others (RLS from Baltimore area and one other) who have completed all 8100 with two other guys (Don A and Mark T) who are within 200 of all 8100. I believe I have or had a few Don A needs (Ive traded TEKs with him before long ago) but he never contacted me and cards put back in storage again... So I get rinkrat is frustrated as several new guys seem to be entering the Diffractor ebay bidding picture but dont blame me for that. I bid on diffractors I dont have for sets # 2 and #3 and for pat# 1s and same card/patterns #s for separate sets I am building. Thats it. I drop out when prices get to point for me I think are too high (Im thrifty) and several other guys bid them up before last snipe bids drive prices sky high. More power to anyone who wants them bad enough. BTW I directed that guy to rinkrats email who had sent me an email looking for a pat# 68 of Todd Helton for his last one to complete his set.

9.. .

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I think Don A. is now only 30 something cards away from finishing the 8100 card Tek set. I think it would be awesome if we could help him finish this set.

u2me57 said:

I think Don A. is now only 30 something cards away from finishing the 8100 card Tek set. I think it would be awesome if we could help him finish this set.

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Is this list posted somewhere? I did help that guy rinkrat posted about - he's now got the Helton set.

u2me57 said:

I think Don A. is now only 30 something cards away from finishing the 8100 card Tek set. I think it would be awesome if we could help him finish this set.

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I made a hundred plus 98 TEK card trade with Don A many years ago. Havent heard from Don since. I saw a list someone else posted many months ago and believe I had six or seven of them but he never contacted me... Some may have been sold off to others since then but no idea what his current list is. That guy RustyGreerFan got pattern # 68 for first contacted me asking if I had his missing pattern# 68 and I passed his name to rinkrat to see if he could help since I have no idea what dupes he has since I dont recall him ever posting a list of base TEKs available. Congrats to another 98 TEK collector finishing off his 90 card favorite player set

togaman said:

There were one or two guys doing box breaks and selling off lots pre-break awhile back but I saw that as a $$$ losing proposition and did not participate. I think (but not sure) that the boxes were under $ 150 at the time..

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a group box break or even indivdual at 150 for notalgia reasons I could see a little bit more. still expensive but for fun maybe a little more palatable

Here is a list of Don's last 36 cards for the set of 8100. He has plenty of extras to trade if anyone has one that he needs. Let's all check our dupe boxes and help Don finish up! You do best contacting Don by e-mail at [email protected].

Rich

1998 Teks

Don Apland's want list to finish the 8100 card set as of 3/8/15
Contact Don by e-mail at [email protected]

B. Grieve 1– 8, 37
F. Thomas 6– 3
T. Glavine 10– 68
D. Jeter 14– 1
B. Anderson 16– 16, 83
V. Guerrero 17– 17
D. Justice 18– 6, 62, 90
T. Martinez 25– 75
A. Jones 26– 70
A. Ramirez 31– 31
R. Ventura 33– 20
L. Walker 34– 25
P. O’Neill 37– 90
V. Castilla 38– 9
K. Lofton 45– 45, 60
A. Belle 47– 2
J. Burnitz 48– 83
G. Maddux 50– 8, 33, 52
E. Burks 53– 25
B. Larkin 57– 4
J. Gonzalez 60– 51, 59
E. Martinez 64– 77
K. Caminiti 68– 72
C. Knoblauch 70– 79
J. Bagwell 74– 19, 76
A. Galarraga 85– 1
S. Rolen 88– 34

History lesson

I've read a few comments and mis-statements lately about 1998 Tek pre-production cards. Here's what I know or have heard about them. Back in 1998, Topps sent dealers free pre-release samples of their new 1998 Tek cards to be handed out to their public as free samples. No idea how many were printed or sent out, but a lot were sent. The samples were packaged in groups of three cards in sealed, see-through cellophane, one of each of the three players in the pre-production set: McGwire, Clemens, and Mondesi. Just those three players are included (East coast, West coast, Heartland I guess). The sample patterns are numbered 1 to 90, with the pattern design corresponding to the same pattern on the familiar 98 Tek set. What is different is that there are only 30 patterns available for each player. The card #13 McGwire set is numbered 2 to 89 -- every third pattern -- 2, 5, 8, etc. The card #21 Clemens set runs 3 to 90 -- 3, 6, 9, etc. The #56 Mondesi set is from 1 to 88 -- 1, 4, 7, etc. That totals the 90 different patterns. On the silver oval on the reverse, there is tiny black ALL CAPS lettering PRE-PRODUCTION and a much larger pattern number than on the regular set. A big difference from the base and diffractor sets is that all 30 patterns for all three players are 'blue' cards -- not the 'red' cards as in the regular set for McGwire and Mondesi.

Every once in a while you see one pre-production card for sale on eBay and there are several for sale on Sportlots right now. The ones on Sportlots are Clemens' cards. You used to see the packets of three offered on eBay. Haven't seen that in ages. Myself, I need a p. 89 to finish the set of 30 McGwire cards, a p. 6 to finish the Clemens set, and patterns 19 and 46 to finish the Mondesi set. I know McGwire collector, OnionJoe has been looking for a McGwire p. 86 to finish his set of 30 McGwire pre-production cards. Don't know of anyone else collecting any of these cards or sets. If you're not familiar with these cards, join the crowd!

Speaking of really 'unknown'...There are also some 1998 pre-production Tek 'gold' cards floating around. Yup. Not a myth. Most of the ones I have I got on eBay 12 to 15 years ago from (Chicago?) dealer, Bob Graf. I think that's how you spell his name. I saw a story in a card magazine years ago that Bob and his wife were the first ones to finish the set of 8100 '98 Teks, done within a year of the release of the set. No idea whether he got these 'gold' cards from Topps as something they decided not to release, or they are some kind of 'after-market' alteration, or what! The cards have a gold rather than silver background. I can't see how this could have been done 'after-market'. Same three players as the pre-production series. The patterns correspond to both the regular and pre-production cards. The pattern numbers correspond to the 30 pre-production patterns per player. All are 'blue' as opposed to 'red' cards. Physically, the cards are slightly narrower than the Tek base, diffractor, and 'silver' pre-production cards. Don't know what the quantity of the 'gold' card release is/was. They are quite rare. I have two of the McGwire's, patterns 2 and 32; 16 of the Clemens patterns; and 21 of the 30 Mondesi patterns. I know OnionJoe has a bunch of the McGwire gold cards. If he is missing the patterns 2 and 32, these cards may be 1/1 as I've never seen a duplicate of one of the 'gold' cards, although I can imagine Bob Graf keeping a set of the 'gold' cards for himself.

Please feel free to add to this or correct anything I might have wrong. Thanks.

Rich
rinkrat38 [email protected]

rinkrat38 said:

Speaking of really 'unknown'...There are also some 1998 pre-production Tek 'gold' cards floating around. Yup. Not a myth. Most of the ones I have I got on eBay 12 to 15 years ago from (Chicago?) dealer, Bob Graf. I think that's how you spell his name. I saw a story in a card magazine years ago that Bob and his wife were the first ones to finish the set of 8100 '98 Teks, done within a year of the release of the set. No idea whether he got these 'gold' cards from Topps as something they decided not to release, or they are some kind of 'after-market' alteration, or what! The cards have a gold rather than silver background. I can't see how this could have been done 'after-market'. Same three players as the pre-production series. The patterns correspond to both the regular and pre-production cards. The pattern numbers correspond to the 30 pre-production patterns per player. All are 'blue' as opposed to 'red' cards. Physically, the cards are slightly narrower than the Tek base, diffractor, and 'silver' pre-production cards. Don't know what the quantity of the 'gold' card release is/was. They are quite rare. I have two of the McGwire's, patterns 2 and 32; 16 of the Clemens patterns; and 21 of the 30 Mondesi patterns. I know OnionJoe has a bunch of the McGwire gold cards. If he is missing the patterns 2 and 32, these cards may be 1/1 as I've never seen a duplicate of one of the 'gold' cards, although I can imagine Bob Graf keeping a set of the 'gold' cards for himself.

Please feel free to add to this or correct anything I might have wrong. Thanks.

Rich
rinkrat38 [email protected]

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Someone posted a gold pattern on ebay about 6-8 years ago I already had. I didn't buy it, nor do I know who did so I have reason to believe there are more than 1. At the time I didn't think about buying it, I should have just to put that question to rest. I know a collector that had some other McGwire golds but he never told me which patterns. He fell off the face of the earth years ago. I'll see if I can get a hold of him. Right now I'm sitting at 20 McGwire's and do not have 2 or 32.

Thanks for the info Rich / Joe. I wasn't really up to date on the Pre Productions. Good stuff and good luck to you guys in your quests.

Ryan

Here's all the variants for pattern 11:

base
diffractor
pre-production
gold pre-production

rinkrat38 said:

Here is a list of Don's last 36 cards for the set of 8100. He has plenty of extras to trade if anyone has one that he needs. Let's all check our dupe boxes and help Don finish up! You do best contacting Don by e-mail at [email protected].

Rich

1998 Teks

Don Apland's want list to finish the 8100 card set as of 3/8/15
Contact Don by e-mail at [email protected]

B. Grieve 1– 8, 37
F. Thomas 6– 3
T. Glavine 10– 68
D. Jeter 14– 1
B. Anderson 16– 16, 83
V. Guerrero 17– 17
D. Justice 18– 6, 62, 90
T. Martinez 25– 75
A. Jones 26– 70
A. Ramirez 31– 31
R. Ventura 33– 20
L. Walker 34– 25
P. O’Neill 37– 90
V. Castilla 38– 9
K. Lofton 45– 45, 60
A. Belle 47– 2
J. Burnitz 48– 83
G. Maddux 50– 8, 33, 52
E. Burks 53– 25
B. Larkin 57– 4
J. Gonzalez 60– 51, 59
E. Martinez 64– 77
K. Caminiti 68– 72
C. Knoblauch 70– 79
J. Bagwell 74– 19, 76
A. Galarraga 85– 1
S. Rolen 88– 34

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Thanks for the list Rich.

togaman said:

A couple pattern # 1 1998 Topps TEK cards of Rafael Palmeiro came in mail today... Thanks. If anyone has ANY Same Card #/ Pattern# or any other Pattern # 1s of ANY Player to trade and needs 1998 Topps TEK cards email me at [email protected]. Someone here had an extra Griffey 30 pat # 30 available if I recall and there was one other guy who was also picking up some of the Same Card#/ Pattern # 98 TEKs. Maybe we can trade as I have a few dupe dupes of the SC#/CP#s

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Carl, I had that Griffey card/pattern # set aside for you. But I just realized yesterday that card now puts me exactly one card over the halfway point for the Griffey set! So I'm afraid I have to pull it off the table and back into my own collection.

On a side note, I did recently pick up a Roberto Alomar card/pattern #. Once I have a shipment coming in from COMC I'll have it in hand.

onionring9 said:

Here's all the variants for pattern 11:

base
diffractor
pre-production
gold pre-production

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Wow, I've never seen this b4. Thanks you guys for the lesson!