1997 "members only" ??

[cmixer]

Okay - according to a website:
Members Only Factory Set

The Members Only Factory Set features all 390 cards from the 1997 Stadium Club set, as well as the Millennium, Instavision, Firebrand, Patent Leather, and Pure Gold inserts. Sets were only available to members of the Topps Stadium Club and the words "TSC MEMBERS ONLY" are printed on each card.

... so what was the "Stadium Club" - and how much did a set cost?
Then people broke them apart for collectors?
I just bought two, and am curious ...

 

[cmixer]

one bump - any input?

 

[PhillyPuckNut]

There was an insert they would put in the packs like an ad saying that for $25 or $30 (if memory serves), you would be part of the Stadium Club - Members Only group. You would get a promo card set from the 4 majors with "Members Only" written on the front and back and get the opportunity to buy sets that were only available to people in the group.

 

[cmixer]

AH! - so it was random inserted.
Was it real limited, or mass-produced?

You're getting thanked.

 

[AUTaxMan]

AH! - so it was random inserted.
Was it real limited, or mass-produced?

You're getting thanked.

Stadium Club started doing members only sets in 1993. You would pay something like $30 to join the club, and then you would have the opportunity to purchase the "Members Only" sets. The club info cards were pack inserts. They were in inserted every fourth pack or so instead of a checklist card. I imagine the complete sets were in the $50-80 range at the time. I assume several thousand sets were made, although very few actually wasted the money to join the club, so not too many of the sets made it onto the secondary market. There isn't much demand for them (in football at least), regardless of how many there are.

Here are some of my Maddux ones from baseball:

1993

1994

1995

1996

 

[Juddy]

The Members Only sets became less plentifully produced as the years passed. I believe that the 1997 sets for both baseball and football had only 750 made, as did the 1997-98 basketball set. The 1993 and 1994 sets were "over" produced and can be found today pretty cheap on eBay. The 1996 and 1997 sets are fairly tough with the 1997-98 basketball being the most difficult to find, at least from my experience. I've broken up multiple copies of each set over the years to sell as singles. I believe when these sets were initially sold by Topps they were $199 and came with their own Members Only album and serial numbered special certificate noting how many of that particular set were made.

 

[PhillyPuckNut]

AH! - so it was random inserted.
Was it real limited, or mass-produced?

You're getting thanked.

No, it wasn't random. You got an ad in almost every pack.