What is the origin of Frank Thomas NNOF?

[West]

I've seen evidence of some of the less mainstream stuff (usually products associated with motion pictures) being printed in Ireland. The rest of the sports product from the 1980s that I've seen came from Duryea.

[toppcat]

Originally Posted by West

I've seen evidence of some of the less mainstream stuff (usually products associated with motion pictures) being printed in Ireland. The rest of the sports product from the 1980s that I've seen came from Duryea.

Yes, they had a huge facility in Ireland-I think they still do. They would occasionally import items from there for the US market.

I got the feeling the items Len Brown was talking about were the "new" cards made from 1994 onward but could be mistaken. When you say they came from Duryea, if you are referring to the copyright on the wrapper, that does not indicate where they were printed but rather where the packs were assembled with cards, gum and wrapper coming together. Some products would still have a Brooklyn address after they switched almast all the wrappers to Duryea in mid '69 but nothing was packaged there after 1966. For some products, it would seem using NY as their legal address meant more sense than PA, maybe due to licensing or regulatory concerns.

[West]

From 1982:


"Space creature helps unemployment
Aug. 27, 1982

DURYEA, Pa. -- Topps Chewing Gum Inc., riding the success of the year's most popular space alien, says it will delay seasonal layoffs and recall other workers to meet the demand for 'E.T.' bubblegum cards.

Topps Chairman Arthur Shorin said Thursday the firm also plans to market other products related to the successful Steven Spielberg film later this year.

'We knew the movie had every chance to be a hit, but we didn't know how big of a hit,' Shorin said. 'We're delighted to see how it turned out.'

Topps spokesman Norman Liss reported 'excellent sales' of 'E.T.' cards, which it markets in 30-cent packets of 10 that also include a slice of gum and a sticker.

Liss said 25 employees who had been furloughed by the firm's Duryea plant will return to work Monday and the company will delay its usual seasonal layoffs to keep up with the demand.

The plant, which employs 675 people, makes the bubblegum sold with the 'E.T.' cards and the firm's more famous baseball and football cards.

Liss said the 'E.T' cards are printed 'in different places, which we don't say for security reasons.'

Shorin said Topps will introduce an 'E.T.' sticker album in the fall and plans to market plastic figures filled with candy by Christmas. Other products, which Shorin declined to describe, are on the drawing board.

'We have a good ability to maximize on a property such as this,' he said. 'At this point, we think good combinations are possible.'

Neither Shorin nor Liss would comment on how much revenue the company expects to realize from its 'E.T.' product line.

Shorin said the company obtained the bubblegum card rights to 'E.T.' long before the motion picture's release, 'but we had a great deal of faith in Steven Spielberg and his organomething America needs. It's a refreshing character.'
"

[Rich Klein]

The "Tiffany" Sets were all printed in Ireland as were the Traded sets and I think 1-2 other products. So in the 1984-91 realm there are definitely two different printing places (if not more).

Rich

[West]

In Topps' earliest annual report available online (1997), under "Production", they detail there that:
'High-quality paperboard is sent directly to outside printers by the Company's suppliers."

http://getfilings.com/o0000812076-97-000007.html

Annual reports are available for every year since Topps went public in 1987. If someone were to acquire a report for any of the years from 1987-1994, it should detail their production methods in the same manner in which it did in 1997.

[lowpopper]

Ok so does anybody have a DEFINITIVE answer on what packs the error cards made it into?

[ALR-bishop]

If someone had a definitive answer I wonder if they would share it on a sports card chat board or just be out buying those cases, boxes and packs