A question about Topps oddball brands during the junk wax era.

[zyceoa]

Flagship Topps was available in pretty much any retail outlet back in the day, but they made some other products found in wax packs such as:

Topps Big (1988-90)
Topps Coins (1987-90)
Topps Minis (1986-90)
Topps Stickers with superstar card back (1988-90)
Topps UK Minis (1988-89)

I know these aren't really popular, but did anyone remember seeing these brands in retail outlets or were they only found in niche hobby shops? Meanwhile Donruss had the all-stars with pop-ups from 1986-89 and Fleer had stickers with card backs from 1986-88. Again, not really popular but given the mass amounts of product during that era, I'm surprised I didn't seen any of the aforementioned in your typical grocery store.

 

[tramers]

never looked many other places ----I worked couple blocks from LCS - walk over daily --- Still have several boxes unopened --only worth as door jam

 

[finestkind]

I never saw any of those products in stores. The one's from that list I found in a small card shop in Salisbury Mass.

 

[Dilferules]

I definitely saw Topps Big and Topps Stickers with the card backs in drug stores. Maaaybe the coins. I feel like I only ever saw the Minis in repacked bags at Toys R Us with a bunch of other oddball products, but I definitely still have a few I got out of packs back in the day.

Never ever saw the oddball Donruss or Fleer packs.

 

[finestkind]

I have a few different Topps test issue packs. One common one I have is the 1983 Topps Michigan foil pack. Where Topps used the kind of foil packaging like Upper Deck used in 1989. One strange test issue I have is from 1973 Topps Baseball Stars Bubble Gum. It's 0.95 oz of gum with the players picture on the inside of the cover. The were called Candy lids.



Three (3) 1973 Topps Candy Lids - San Francisco Giants Lot McCovey Bonds Speier | eBay (Not my auction)

 

[gracecollector]

I remember buying Topps Big at a local drugstore. Used to buy Topps Scratch Offs on vacation in the early 1980's, they came in packs.

 

[mrmopar]

I can't remember. I know that I did not have access to a hobby store until the mid 80s, but I was also doing a little mail order, mosrly annual complete sets. I think most of that stuff was bought after the fact, as closeouts, in hobby stores.

I feel like I bought the Mini 86/87 sets in wax/retail, but it's been so long and I have bought so much from so many different places over the last 40 years.

I also bought the 81 Topps scratch offs in packs for sure (I saved a couple wrappers at the time), so those must have been in retail outlets. I know a lot of the 80s box sets were sold at toy stores and drug stores, Woolworths, KayBee, KMart, etc.

 

[bongo870]

Ive seen these before in Clover and Woolworths...
Topps Big (1988-90)
Topps Coins (1987-90)
Topps Minis (1986-90)

 

[nosterbor]

I got some Topps big at Jewel-Osco in Carpentersville and in Elgin.

 

[zyceoa]

I actually like the design of the UK minis. I'm guessing they were only available in England, hence the name? Maybe I'll buy those sets for cheap.

 

[DaClyde]

Toys R Us always had a pretty big sports card selection in the late 1980s. I remember seeing the Topps Leaders, Coins and Big there, along with of course the TRU Rookies boxed sets. I only remember seeing the Topps UK and Donruss All Stars at hobby shops or from dealers at shows and flea markets. Topps (and Panini) Stickers were everywhere, Walmart, Kmart, Target, TRU, Hills, Circus World/KayBee, etc.

 

[smapdi]

I remember seeing late-80s oddball sets a couple times, but I think it was just the Bigs. Usually department stores, if I recall, but not sure which or where. I'm sure if I had seen the Coins I may have picked up a few packs as I've always loved those from the 60s and 70s. The early 80s stuff was a lot more common for me. I have a small amount of Topps Giants, the Scratchoffs, Fleer stickers, and the Donruss 5x7 postcard sized ones. And I had some of the Permagraphics credit card-style ones. And I know I chased the early Topps Stickers. I'm pretty sure I completed the first football one, and came close to finishing the first couple baseball ones. I was going to send off for the singles I needed, the 10 for $1 offer, but I don't think I ever did. Or maybe I did and they sent me the wrong ones, like 3 out of the 10 were ones I didn't ask for. Maybe they ran out and sent randoms, or they messed up. Yeah, I think that's what happened.

 

[Nowhereman317]

Flagship Topps was available in pretty much any retail outlet back in the day, but they made some other products found in wax packs such as:

Topps Big (1988-90)
Topps Coins (1987-90)
Topps Minis (1986-90)
Topps Stickers with superstar card back (1988-90)
Topps UK Minis (1988-89)

I know these aren't really popular, but did anyone remember seeing these brands in retail outlets or were they only found in niche hobby shops? Meanwhile Donruss had the all-stars with pop-ups from 1986-89 and Fleer had stickers with card backs from 1986-88. Again, not really popular but given the mass amounts of product during that era, I'm surprised I didn't seen any of the aforementioned in your typical grocery store.

I do remember the 88 & 89 Topps baseball stickers at the grocery store by my house in Indy when I was a kid. I had those two books. I don’t remember 1990 though and didn’t have any until relativity recently. I’ve picked up cheap boxes of 89-90 looking for Ozzie Variations. Anybody that needs stickers, let me know I’ve got 1/2 a 5000ct box full.

~Jeremy