50k for an 85 opc box or 10k for an 85 topps box
 

Which seems more practical to you.
I know it's always better to grab an OPC Lemieux rookie over a Topps, but
from a practical standpoint, the 85 OPC wax box is much more likely to give you one Mario than two. The 85 Topps box is more likely to give you 3 Mario's than 2.

You are guarenteed 2 Lemieuxs in the Topps box, and you most likely will get
one Mario in the OPC box.

I've opened 85 and 86 boxes before, and I sweated once to finally get an OPC Patrick Roy. I also remember the video of the guy who opened the 79 opc box at the national and waited for the last pack to pull the Gretzky. I know that feeling. Opening OPC for some years is not fun.

So would you pay that much extra for the 85 OPC box, or would you go with the safer play and get the Topps box ?

The Topps is the better value at those prices. Though you'd be fighting long odds to get your $ worth (busting it) with either

Better off just going after a Lemieux by itself. A lot of money on a gamble like that. Nothing is guaranteed.

Yep, depends on what you're trying to accomplish. If it's all about Mario, just buy one and call it a day. If you're trying to maximize your $$ value, the tops is more likely to have quantity. I can't weigh in from a scientific perspective, but I believe the OPC to be much more difficult to find in high grade out of the packs. Centering and cuts remained an issue with 85's.

If it were me, I would buy a high-grade OPC rookie and save the rest of the dough for something else.

100 percent agree about just buying the Mario with the 10-50k instead.

However, I do actually believe there is value in buying the Topps box for 10k.

Chances are you will get three Lemieux's. He is usually the third card in and Gretzky is right after him in the same pack. That's what makes 85 Topps so cool to open. You get two of the greatest forwards of all time in the same pack, and both are protected from the top two and last two cards. I've heard that Mario can sometimes be found elsewhere in the pack, but I never experienced that opening boxes years ago. Think I opened six of them.

To me OPC is more of a thrill, but not worth the price. If you have a thousand to blow on a pack, then you still have the chance of pulling a Gretzky or a Lemieux LL card, along with the rookie, so it is fun, but most of the time you're looking at off centered commons.

I feel you have a much better chance of getting a couple of PSA 9's or even a 10 if you're lucky in a Topps pack.

Very useful information. The collation patterns aren't surprising, but had no clue that there was ever a spot for old Topps wax where they usually came in the same spot in the pack.

https://i.imgur.com/hAGupXC.png

At these prices, just buy the individual cards you are interested in. part of the value is the fact that the box is unopened.

I wouldn't buy unopened packs looking for the Lemieux. The main reason is the potential for gum or wax stains.