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Conference school::sports_memorabilia

Title:Sports Memorabilia
Notice:Wanted: 3.*; For_sale: 4.*; Traded: 5.*
Moderator:SCHOOL::KOPACKO
Created:Wed Aug 27 1986
Last Modified:Thu May 08 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:730
Total number of notes:8547

723.0. "'96 Topps Baseball" by DRAGN::BOURQUARD (This is not here) Fri Feb 16 1996 13:33

Wow!  Are these hard to find!

After all the collecting frenzie over the past few years I decided a while back
to just stick with what was fun and what I started with back in the mid '60s;
Topps Baseball!  Now, I missed last year's set entirely, but I wanted to get
back into it this year.  I wanted to stay away from all the high priced premium
stuff like Stadium Club, Pinnacle, etc... and just collect a set of regular
Topps baseball.

What the hell has happened???  I can't find it anywhere!  I talked to a dealer
in Westford MA. yesterday and he said he was getting some boxes in next week
but they'd go for probably $60.00!  

He did have something called a "Factory Box".  It's not a complete set, and
it's not a wax box but it's the contents of a regular wax box without the packs.
The same number of inserts come inside as well.  It contains 540 cards and they
were asking 47.50.  I was able to buy it for $45.  

These are the only one's I've been able to find.

Question:

In the box were 2 inserts with the front completely black!  What's the deal
with these?  I skip a year and some new gimmick comes out!  

Can someone explain what these black cards are?

Dan
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723.1The ScoopSTRATA::EMCGREWFri Feb 16 1996 14:539
    My advice would be to check in Tuff Stuff magazine for deals on
    complete sets.  Usually they are not difficult to find.  Topps sets are
    fairly common, even in today's chase card driven market.  As for your
    insert cards with completely black fronts, those most likely are Topps
    Finest previews.  In the last couple of years, Topps has gone to
    putting a film coating on their Finest insert cards and probably this
    year it is all black.  I highly recommend leaving the film on the card
    (it can be removed) as removing this will degrade the card's value by
    more than 50%.
723.2DRAGN::BOURQUARDThis is not hereFri Feb 16 1996 16:4814
Great! :-) 

I figured as much!  I have no idea what these cards look like and by keeping
it that way I maintain their value.  What a scam! :-)

I'm mainly interested in collecting the basic set.  I toss the inserts!

Not really, but I would sell them.  You may be seeing a post in the Sale
note when I get through them.  The guy said that I'm almost assured of
1 complete regular set from that box.  I've never seen the regular Topps
set in such hot demand.  They're almost as hot as the first issue Stadium
Club.

Dan
723.3PENUTS::JST_ONGEJohn St.Onge MCS/PSG DTN 237-5978Mon Feb 19 1996 12:065
    I think the big interest was in the Mantle inserts. I've seen the set
    itself advertised  for  15$. I've also seen packs in some stores like
    Caldor's etc.
    
    John
723.4Do you have to leave to returnUSCTR1::KELLY_MWed Jul 17 1996 12:118
    Hi Dan,
    If you hold the black fronts on an angle and try to see the outline
    of the player you can turn the card over and pick out who it is from
    the back.
    Also check the bottom left hand corner of the back.
    Does it say Topps or Topps R
    
    Mike