Thrift store find

[CardboardIcons]

Today I posted on my blog a thrift store find that I think is pretty neat, something you guys might be interested in seeing. What I do want to find out is why these would have been sealed in this fashion. The good people at Topps have told me that these appear to be factory sealed, but I am not sure how these would have been marketed. As far as I know these 1981 Topps scratchoffs only came in pack form.

The link is below if you're interested in checking it out.

http://cardboardicons.com/2011/01/0...h-factory-sealed-vintage-topps-odd-ball-find/

Any have info?

Thanks,
Ben

 

[Pine Tar]

Nice find. I'm one of the old ones here and remember them. In your blog you stated you thought these were for a head to head game with someone else. If my memory serves me correctly, yes this is what you would have done. the dots had the baseball terms hid underneath. I thiink you could play 9 innings as well but not sure.

 

[tramers]

.

 

[wallyscards]

Thats great. The only thing I have found in a thrift store was a paper bag fill with 1990's commons.

 

[MojoDan]

Too cool!

Are you keeping them or trading/selling them?

 

[Tedw9]

Nice score!

 

[KLARNOLD]

They were packaged that way. Check out this link:
http://cgi.ebay.com/HUGH-LOT-1981-T...0472021933?pt=US_Baseball&hash=item5641da6fad

 

[CardboardIcons]

Too cool!

Are you keeping them or trading/selling them?

My initial thought was to sell and profit (even if slightly); but the more I think about them, the more I like them as a display piece. It's really not something you see every day. Kind of like that Post Hank Aaron panel I touched on in the blog. A lot of the stuff I write about end being pieces I love for my PC.

 

[CardboardIcons]

They were packaged that way. Check out this link:
http://cgi.ebay.com/HUGH-LOT-1981-T...0472021933?pt=US_Baseball&hash=item5641da6fad

Interesting. The one thing I'd point out here is that the seller doesn't say anything about how they were packaged. Technically, one could have bought a regular box and achieved a lot that large. If his were packaged the same way mine were, that would make me excited because it would add to the liklihood that mine are factory sealed.

 

[CardboardIcons]

Nice find. I'm one of the old ones here and remember them. In your blog you stated you thought these were for a head to head game with someone else. If my memory serves me correctly, yes this is what you would have done. the dots had the baseball terms hid underneath. I thiink you could play 9 innings as well but not sure.

I think UD tried the same concept with its game pieces in 94 Collector's Choice; Also Donruss did it 93 Triple Play. The Topps ones are so much cooler.

 

[KLARNOLD]

They were packaged that way. Check out this link:
http://cgi.ebay.com/HUGH-LOT-1981-T...0472021933?pt=US_Baseball&hash=item5641da6fad

Interesting. The one thing I'd point out here is that the seller doesn't say anything about how they were packaged. Technically, one could have bought a regular box and achieved a lot that large. If his were packaged the same way mine were, that would make me excited because it would add to the liklihood that mine are factory sealed.

Another auction pic:

 

[David Campos]

Many dealers would shrink wrap sets like these so that they would be easier to transport to shows, etc. The tape on the back of your packaging looks like it wasn't done at the factory. If they had been wrapped in a brick like donruss does their earlier factory sets, you might have been on to something.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[BrewerSuperCollector]

A couple years ago I bought 3 boxes of them on ebay for like $20 or so. I think they only came in pack form. Each player has different panel variations(other players). I bought them for the Brewers and their variations.

 

[ThoseBackPages]

they rock either way!

 

[BrewerSuperCollector]

There may have been"vending" packaging, but I doubt it. I'm 99.9% certain those weren't packaged by Topps that way.

 

[hofmichael]

These are very hard to get in high grade.Player collectors and Set Registry nuts used to go crazy for high grade examples.I am not sure that they still do but it may be something worth exploring.

 

[PeteD]

Another old-timer and odd-ball guy here, nice find. Don't see alot of those floating around.

Loaded with HOF'ers.

 

[hofmichael]

My local distributor has unopened boxes of these for $24 if that helps you with a value.

 

[CardboardIcons]

My local distributor has unopened boxes of these for $24 if that helps you with a value.

I LOVE those vintage rookies in your sig. I've got a BGS order coming back to me today: 1933 Goudey Gehrig (3), 1939 Playball Ted Williams (2), and a 1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle (1.5).

 

[CardboardIcons]

These are very hard to get in high grade.Player collectors and Set Registry nuts used to go crazy for high grade examples.I am not sure that they still do but it may be something worth exploring.

I could see that ... not sure I want to crack these open though. Plus, I don't do PSA, I'm a BGS guy.