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The 1998 Topps Tek Thread

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joey12508

Well-known member
Aug 7, 2008
38,453
16,111
Winterfell
Here goes with the 98 Tek box break: Not a 'hot box' as there were four diffractor patterns, and only one was a selected player--Clemens p.77. Other diffractors pulled were #15 Garciaparra p. 16, #16 Brady Anderson p. 81, and #59 Travis Lee p. 26 -- none of which were selected. (Still better than just three diffractors which is common.) The quality was good overall. Didn't see any significant spotting. Distribution was poor with no base cards for thirty-one different players but with two base patterns for eleven players and three base patterns for McGwire, Griffey, and Caminiti.

Big winner was RiceBondsMntna2Young with 1 Bonds, 2 A-Rod, 1 Clemens, and 3 Griffey base cards and 1 Clemens diffractor. Chippercards.com scored 1 Chipper, 1 Lofton, and 2 Mussina base cards. Onionring9 got 3 McGwire base cards. Letch77 got 2 Frank Thomas and 1 Jeter base cards. Banjar will have 2 Robbie Alomar base cards waiting on his return from Africa. BStanwood gets 1 Mo Vaughn and 1 Biggio base cards. 1 base card for westusmc, nosterbor, TimTom, Brian26 and Gracecollector. Postage refunds coming for Joey12508, MansGame, and Bigunitcards who were shut out, as was Gwynn545.

I'll try to get the cards mailed today, by tomorrow for sure, but I'm in a rural area with very slow mail service. Give it to early next week before panicking. I'll enclose a souvenir checklist that came in each pack. I put all cards in UltraPro sleeves as I opened the packs. The cards will be mailed protected by top loader(s) and in a bubble-pack mailer. Any complaints, open your window and yell real loud toward the North East! Back to watching Super Bowl replays.


Rich Roth
29 Lee Rd
South Deerfield, MA 01373

thanks for doing this Rich.
 

nosterbor

Well-known member
Jun 20, 2010
6,099
431
Sunny Florida
Here goes with the 98 Tek box break: Not a 'hot box' as there were four diffractor patterns, and only one was a selected player--Clemens p.77. Other diffractors pulled were #15 Garciaparra p. 16, #16 Brady Anderson p. 81, and #59 Travis Lee p. 26 -- none of which were selected. (Still better than just three diffractors which is common.) The quality was good overall. Didn't see any significant spotting. Distribution was poor with no base cards for thirty-one different players but with two base patterns for eleven players and three base patterns for McGwire, Griffey, and Caminiti.

Big winner was RiceBondsMntna2Young with 1 Bonds, 2 A-Rod, 1 Clemens, and 3 Griffey base cards and 1 Clemens diffractor. Chippercards.com scored 1 Chipper, 1 Lofton, and 2 Mussina base cards. Onionring9 got 3 McGwire base cards. Letch77 got 2 Frank Thomas and 1 Jeter base cards. Banjar will have 2 Robbie Alomar base cards waiting on his return from Africa. BStanwood gets 1 Mo Vaughn and 1 Biggio base cards. 1 base card for westusmc, nosterbor, TimTom, Brian26 and Gracecollector. Postage refunds coming for Joey12508, MansGame, and Bigunitcards who were shut out, as was Gwynn545.

I'll try to get the cards mailed today, by tomorrow for sure, but I'm in a rural area with very slow mail service. Give it to early next week before panicking. I'll enclose a souvenir checklist that came in each pack. I put all cards in UltraPro sleeves as I opened the packs. The cards will be mailed protected by top loader(s) and in a bubble-pack mailer. Any complaints, open your window and yell real loud toward the North East! Back to watching Super Bowl replays.


Rich Roth
29 Lee Rd
South Deerfield, MA 01373

What pattern was Juan Gonzalez?
 
Jun 28, 2018
19
0
Oakland, CA
Here goes with the 98 Tek box break: Not a 'hot box' as there were four diffractor patterns, and only one was a selected player--Clemens p.77. Other diffractors pulled were #15 Garciaparra p. 16, #16 Brady Anderson p. 81, and #59 Travis Lee p. 26 -- none of which were selected. (Still better than just three diffractors which is common.) The quality was good overall. Didn't see any significant spotting. Distribution was poor with no base cards for thirty-one different players but with two base patterns for eleven players and three base patterns for McGwire, Griffey, and Caminiti.

Big winner was RiceBondsMntna2Young with 1 Bonds, 2 A-Rod, 1 Clemens, and 3 Griffey base cards and 1 Clemens diffractor. Chippercards.com scored 1 Chipper, 1 Lofton, and 2 Mussina base cards. Onionring9 got 3 McGwire base cards. Letch77 got 2 Frank Thomas and 1 Jeter base cards. Banjar will have 2 Robbie Alomar base cards waiting on his return from Africa. BStanwood gets 1 Mo Vaughn and 1 Biggio base cards. 1 base card for westusmc, nosterbor, TimTom, Brian26 and Gracecollector. Postage refunds coming for Joey12508, MansGame, and Bigunitcards who were shut out, as was Gwynn545.

I'll try to get the cards mailed today, by tomorrow for sure, but I'm in a rural area with very slow mail service. Give it to early next week before panicking. I'll enclose a souvenir checklist that came in each pack. I put all cards in UltraPro sleeves as I opened the packs. The cards will be mailed protected by top loader(s) and in a bubble-pack mailer. Any complaints, open your window and yell real loud toward the North East! Back to watching Super Bowl replays.


Rich Roth
29 Lee Rd
South Deerfield, MA 01373

Yaaaaas! Thanks Rich! I thought it was 1 Diffractor per box sooo, wow. In solidarity with you, I will now go watch paint dry on the wall while I wait for your shipment. ;) Thanks again and I hope I catch the next one with the same players and each one after that.


As far as I'm concerned it's a 20 year old product seeing light for the first time, there's a flimsy historical argument there. I refuse to say sad.

I was stifling open laughter at work!
 

Letch77

Well-known member
Jan 28, 2018
1,608
353
Midwest
Thank you for hosting this break, Rich! I hadn't acquired a single 1998 Tek card up to this point...and so it begins. :lol:
 

togaman

Well-known member
Oct 27, 2008
1,298
26
Houston
If anyone picked up any of these below in box break I will buy or trade for (98 TEK dup list - 1450 1998 TEk cards available upon request)

1998 Topps TEK Want Lists as of 2/17/19

McGwire Card # 13 Pat # 13
Clemens Card # 21 Pat # 21
Dunwoody Card # 36 Pat 36
Konerko Card # 63 Pat # 63
Mussina Card # 80 Pat # 35
Lankford Card # 90 Pat # 90 ------------------(need 2)

1998 Topps TEK Diffractor want list (Set # 2)
14 to go out of 90 to complete set
9,13,14,16,30,51,57,61,66,67,74,78,80,85

1998 Topps TEK Diffractor want list (Set # 3)
32 to go out of 90 to complete set
1,3,6,7,9,10,13,14,15,16,17,23,26,27,39,43,44,45,47,50,51,56,57,60,61,66,67,74,78,
80,85,87

My only dupe 1998 TEK Diffractor to trade (for Diffractors only) is
Todd Dunwoody Card 36 Pat # 63

My 1998 TEK Condition Upgrade Want List (must be mint or near mint)

Ivan Rodriguez...Card # 5 Pat # 47
Dante Bichette….Card # 8 Pat # 36
Derek Jeter........Card # 14 Pat # 44
Brady Anderson..Card # 16 Pat # 34
David Justice......Card # 18 Pat # 25
Chipper Jones......Card # 19 Pat # 28
Tino Martinez.......Card # 25 Pat # 38
Curt Schilling........Card # 32 Pat # 7
Todd Dunwoody...Card # 36 Pat # 36
Paul O' Neill..........Card # 37 Pat # 24
Randy Johnson......Card # 39 Pat #s 11,21,27
Albert Belle...........Card # 47 Pat # 36
Jeromy Burnitz......Card # 48 Pat # 36
Ellis Burks.............Card # 53 Pat # 25
Paul Konerko........Card # 63 Pat # 8
Knoblauch............Card # 70 Pat # 36
Kevin Brown.........Card # 71 Pat # 36
Jeff Bagwell..........Card # 74 Pat # 78

Pattern # 1 Want List (Set # 3) (78/90 so far)
4(John Olerud), 8(Dante Bichette), 11(Derek Jeter), 37(Paul O’Neill), 45(Kenny Lofton), 50(Greg Maddux), 51(Cal Ripken, Jr), 56(Raul Mondesi), 58(Tony Clark), 60(Juan Gonzalez), 62(Jose Cruz Jr), 67(Roberto Alomar)

Same Card #/ Pattern # Want List (Set # 4)…..(87/90 so far)
13p13(Mark McGwire), 21p21(Roger Clemens), 63p63(Paul Konerko)

Same Card #/ Pattern # Want List (Set # 5)….(69/90 so far)
2,7,9,13,14,15,21,23,27,30,33,39,41,49,51,63,64,66,67,78,90

Pattern # 1 dupes
16(2),19(Chipper Jones -HOF), 20(Jim Edmonds),27,32(Schilling),40(Rafael Palmeiro-2),44(2),47,49(Adrian Beltre),66(Manny Ramirez),75,82(2),83(3)
 
Last edited:
Jun 28, 2018
19
0
Oakland, CA
Thanks again to Rich for putting together this group break. My cards arrived quickly and safely. I've only ever seen 1998 Tek singles after they've exchanged hands who knows how many times, so I was excited to see what pack fresh cards looked, smelled, and felt like. Most of the cards came out pretty well. Many had the expected pack fresh gloss. Almost all had a minor defect like a print line or a few scratches. Most smelled like they came right out of a pack, having been entombed with their acetate brethren for the better part of a quarter century. In fact, the only card I can say I was disappointed by was the Clemens Diffractor which showed poor registration (no worse than the base card that came with it though) and was in pretty sorry condition with noticeable flaking throughout and a surface that didn't gleam. The rest of the cards were pretty good by and large with maybe foil loss or a nick in only 1 or 2 isolated areas. I think collation for Diffractors must come from an entirely different print run with different quality control only to be randomly inserted late in production. Anyhow, what a great haul it was for my first time in a group Tek break. How lucky I was to get a Diffractor of any kind or condition and to get cards of so many of my favorite players. Hopefully we can all do another one soon!

32128168197_e2c273f21a_h.jpg
 
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Letch77

Well-known member
Jan 28, 2018
1,608
353
Midwest
Received my cards the other day, but have been working like crazy and haven't had time to scan them in...but I will!

Thanks, Rich - this was fun and I look forward to another soon!
 

RustyGreerFan

Active member
Jun 10, 2010
2,496
4
Gastonia, NC
Thanks again to Rich for putting together this group break. My cards arrived quickly and safely. I've only ever seen 1998 Tek singles after they've exchanged hands who knows how many times, so I was excited to see what pack fresh cards looked, smelled, and felt like. Most of the cards came out pretty well. Many had the expected pack fresh gloss. Almost all had a minor defect like a print line or a few scratches. Most smelled like they came right out of a pack, having been entombed with their acetate brethren for the better part of a quarter century. In fact, the only card I can say I was disappointed by was the Clemens Diffractor which showed poor registration (no worse than the base card that came with it though) and was in pretty sorry condition with noticeable flaking throughout and a surface that didn't gleam. The rest of the cards were pretty good by and large with maybe foil loss or a nick in only 1 or 2 isolated areas. I think collation for Diffractors must come from an entirely different print run with different quality control only to be randomly inserted late in production. Anyhow, what a great haul it was for my first time in a group Tek break. How lucky I was to get a Diffractor of any kind or condition and to get cards of so many of my favorite players. Hopefully we can all do another one soon!

32128168197_e2c273f21a_h.jpg

That's really interesting, and I think rare for a Diffractor. I have noticed the opposite to be true. Some base patterns are extremely tough to get looking nice because they are obliterated with bubbles and dots and foil loss, etc. But take a Diffractor of the same base card pattern and there's not a blemish to be seen. Are you basing your quality control guess on this one card or do you have other experiences that are similar? Because your guess is actually the opposite of mine.
 

chris19978

Active member
Aug 30, 2011
978
25
I am looking for Jeter cards to complete my 1998 Topps Tek base set if you have any of these please PM me 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 13, 17, 23, 29, 32, 37, 39, 40, 51, 64, 75, 78, 82, 83, 85, 86.


Sent from my iPhone using Freedom Card Board mobile app
 
Last edited:
Jun 28, 2018
19
0
Oakland, CA
That's really interesting, and I think rare for a Diffractor. I have noticed the opposite to be true. Some base patterns are extremely tough to get looking nice because they are obliterated with bubbles and dots and foil loss, etc. But take a Diffractor of the same base card pattern and there's not a blemish to be seen. Are you basing your quality control guess on this one card or do you have other experiences that are similar? Because your guess is actually the opposite of mine.

Thanks, yeah I’m basing my theory only on this Diffractor because it’s the only one I’ve got that went from pack to soft sleeve and then to me. It’s by far the worst condition 1998 Tek I’ve ever encountered with pretty major surface and structural issues. I’ve seen some other pretty shabby Diffractors but I haven’t been collecting nearly long enough to form a reliable opinion. I’m much more inclined to go with your theory and call this one an outlier.
 

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