Hostess panels - advice?

[HistoricNewspapers]

Having complete Hostess boxes is most preferable. Complete boxes check off two collectible areas; cards and food products. Swanson's TV dinner boxes from the 1960's have been selling from $75-$150. Those are just pictures of meatloaf and mashed potatoes! No cards. Hostess combines the food product of a bygone era along with great looking baseball cards. Future is strong there IMO.

If putting together a collection, I would recommend an example of each product, ie. Twinkies, Cupcakes, HoHo's, etc... Chocodiles boxes are pretty hard to find. Having a display with the different products, along with the different years, would look pretty neat.

Complete panels are great as well. The full bottom panel that has the Sporting News ad, bar code, and offer for batting gloves still in tact is the coolest looking IMO.

I would much rather have a complete box with my favorite player on it than a cut up PSA 9. I'm not much interested in the opinion of a guy in California...the complete box is far more interesting....although as noted by a gentleman above, money can be made by cutting them up as that is all part of the game.

I personally cringe seeing the boxes cut up, but to each their own.

Hostess Eddie Murray and Ozzie Smith rookies are much, much harder to find than their Topps counterparts. Finding their panels and complete boxes are really tough. I personally got bored of looking at the Topps cards from that era as I've handled them a million times over and they will survive earth's next extinction event just by sheer numbers alone .


Here is a 1978 store display piece(NFS).

[riggs336]

I keep my Hostess panels in 3-pocket sheets in a binder.
Here's a link to one vendor.

https://www.amazon.com/Platinum-3-Po...59898068&psc=1

[rdwyer]

Complete set...

[darkhorse9]

I've got a complete run of Hostess sets from 1975-1979. They are all in panels trimmed to fit in three pocket sheets.

There really isn't a premium for complete boxes over panels. Nobody I know is interested in collecting the set in complete box form. Anybody who buys them will likely cut them down to panel size.

I also have a near complete run of Hostess Twinkies single cards from 1975-1977 in their complete untrimmed form.

The 1977 set is a huge challenge because six different products were included in the distribution meaning some players appear on several different size backings and some product sizes are very, very hard to find. The master set for that years numbers close to 250 total and I'm still searching for about ten of them.

[steve B]

I keep boxes as boxes if I get them that way. I used to keep them unflattened, but I think I flattened the handful I had several years ago.

I still have one of the Drakes sets in unflattened boxes.

[HistoricNewspapers]

Originally Posted by darkhorse9

I've got a complete run of Hostess sets from 1975-1979. They are all in panels trimmed to fit in three pocket sheets.

There really isn't a premium for complete boxes over panels. Nobody I know is interested in collecting the set in complete box form. Anybody who buys them will likely cut them down to panel size.

I also have a near complete run of Hostess Twinkies single cards from 1975-1977 in their complete untrimmed form.

The 1977 set is a huge challenge because six different products were included in the distribution meaning some players appear on several different size backings and some product sizes are very, very hard to find. The master set for that years numbers close to 250 total and I'm still searching for about ten of them.

Complete boxes carry a premium over complete (ungraded)panels. I've been selling/buying them for years and in the last year the boxes have commanded a nice premium. Although a graded mint 9 or 10 panel can sell for more than a complete box of the same panel...which is one main reason that prompts people to cut the boxes up.

I've had several buyers searching for only complete boxes for their sets(or player sets). Getting a complete set in complete box form is extremely hard, especially since some boxes in each year are short printed.

I have a complete 1978 set in complete box form and I am one box away from having the 1977 set in complete box form too. The other years I am still working on.

Cutting the complete boxes up make the rest of the intact boxes more rare. As someone who collects the complete boxes it is making them more expensive. Once I complete all my complete box sets, cut away

[HistoricNewspapers]

These pictured are not my boxes, but shows a sampling of the different aspects of the same panel printed on different Hostess products. It really rounds out a collection when you have examples of the different products. This is just Pete Rose from 1976 and 1978, and his 1979 Chocodiles box(which is a very rare one).

I made sure in my complete 1978 Complete box set, that I had samplings of different products throughout the set, including a few of the rare Chocodiles boxes, as it really represents the entire aspect of the Hostess cards back then.

After all, back then as a kid, the snacks were just as important as the cards

[Belfast1933]

Originally Posted by HistoricNewspapers

These pictured are not my boxes, but shows a sampling of the different aspects of the same panel printed on different Hostess products. It really rounds out a collection when you have examples of the different products. This is just Pete Rose from 1976 and 1978, and his 1979 Chocodiles box(which is a very rare one).

I made sure in my complete 1978 Complete box set, that I had samplings of different products throughout the set, including a few of the rare Chocodiles boxes, as it really represents the entire aspect of the Hostess cards back then.

After all, back then as a kid, the snacks were just as important as the cards

Always wondered what “King Dons” are… I don’t remember those as a kid at all (and they sound almost a little naughty) 😬

[Belfast1933]

Originally Posted by HistoricNewspapers

Complete boxes carry a premium over complete (ungraded)panels. I've been selling/buying them for years and in the last year the boxes have commanded a nice premium. Although a graded mint 9 or 10 panel can sell for more than a complete box of the same panel...which is one main reason that prompts people to cut the boxes up.

I've had several buyers searching for only complete boxes for their sets(or player sets). Getting a complete set in complete box form is extremely hard, especially since some boxes in each year are short printed.

I have a complete 1978 set in complete box form and I am one box away from having the 1977 set in complete box form too. The other years I am still working on.

Cutting the complete boxes up make the rest of the intact boxes more rare. As someone who collects the complete boxes it is making them more expensive. Once I complete all my complete box sets, cut away

Hey Brian - from an experienced point of view, do you agree that, if I already have a 3 card panel rough cut, I can cut it better/more even and give myself a better chance at a higher TPG grade, if I go that route?

If so, any tips on how to make the best cut? Maybe a sharp desk top paper cutter? Assume I would cut just outside the fake perforated lines?

Thx again - Jeff

[rdwyer]

Freshly cut...

[HistoricNewspapers]

Originally Posted by Belfast1933

Hey Brian - from an experienced point of view, do you agree that, if I already have a 3 card panel rough cut, I can cut it better/more even and give myself a better chance at a higher TPG grade, if I go that route?

If so, any tips on how to make the best cut? Maybe a sharp desk top paper cutter? Assume I would cut just outside the fake perforated lines?

Thx again - Jeff

If sending in for grading, definitely cut it again. When they grade those panels, they will grade every part that is present. So if you sent an entire box in for grading, and they find a crease on a flap, even if the cards on the panel are mint, it will still get hammered in the grade for that crease.

Cut it just outside the dotted lines. Don't hit the lines at all.

A guillotine type cutter may be the best bet, but I'm not an expert on cutting. That is what I would use if I were going to cut any of them.

[Belfast1933]

Originally Posted by riggs336

I keep my Hostess panels in 3-pocket sheets in a binder.
Here's a link to one vendor.

https://www.amazon.com/Platinum-3-Po...59898068&psc=1

Perfect! Just what I was looking for… I only have a couple of 3 card panels to add to binders but having these pages might actually incentivize me to add more to my HOF collection (and buying Raw which saves $$ too). Thx again!

[Belfast1933]

Originally Posted by HistoricNewspapers

Having complete Hostess boxes is most preferable. Complete boxes check off two collectible areas; cards and food products. Swanson's TV dinner boxes from the 1960's have been selling from $75-$150. Those are just pictures of meatloaf and mashed potatoes! No cards. Hostess combines the food product of a bygone era along with great looking baseball cards. Future is strong there IMO.

If putting together a collection, I would recommend an example of each product, ie. Twinkies, Cupcakes, HoHo's, etc... Chocodiles boxes are pretty hard to find. Having a display with the different products, along with the different years, would look pretty neat.

Complete panels are great as well. The full bottom panel that has the Sporting News ad, bar code, and offer for batting gloves still in tact is the coolest looking IMO.

I would much rather have a complete box with my favorite player on it than a cut up PSA 9. I'm not much interested in the opinion of a guy in California...the complete box is far more interesting....although as noted by a gentleman above, money can be made by cutting them up as that is all part of the game.

I personally cringe seeing the boxes cut up, but to each their own.

Hostess Eddie Murray and Ozzie Smith rookies are much, much harder to find than their Topps counterparts. Finding their panels and complete boxes are really tough. I personally got bored of looking at the Topps cards from that era as I've handled them a million times over and they will survive earth's next extinction event just by sheer numbers alone .


Here is a 1978 store display piece(NFS).

Killer display! That was right in my sweet spot of my childhood collecting….

[UKCardGuy]

Originally Posted by HistoricNewspapers

Having complete Hostess boxes is most preferable. Complete boxes check off two collectible areas; cards and food products. Swanson's TV dinner boxes from the 1960's have been selling from $75-$150. Those are just pictures of meatloaf and mashed potatoes! No cards. Hostess combines the food product of a bygone era along with great looking baseball cards. Future is strong there IMO.

If putting together a collection, I would recommend an example of each product, ie. Twinkies, Cupcakes, HoHo's, etc... Chocodiles boxes are pretty hard to find. Having a display with the different products, along with the different years, would look pretty neat.

Complete panels are great as well. The full bottom panel that has the Sporting News ad, bar code, and offer for batting gloves still in tact is the coolest looking IMO.

I would much rather have a complete box with my favorite player on it than a cut up PSA 9. I'm not much interested in the opinion of a guy in California...the complete box is far more interesting....although as noted by a gentleman above, money can be made by cutting them up as that is all part of the game.

I personally cringe seeing the boxes cut up, but to each their own.

Hostess Eddie Murray and Ozzie Smith rookies are much, much harder to find than their Topps counterparts. Finding their panels and complete boxes are really tough. I personally got bored of looking at the Topps cards from that era as I've handled them a million times over and they will survive earth's next extinction event just by sheer numbers alone .


Here is a 1978 store display piece(NFS).

Brian I love that store display!

I was lucky enough to find a number of intact boxes recently. I love them, but they become hard to store so I store most of them flat.

I agree with you - a complete box has a special appeal.

[HistoricNewspapers]

Originally Posted by UKCardGuy

Brian I love that store display!

I was lucky enough to find a number of intact boxes recently. I love them, but they become hard to store so I store most of them flat.

I agree with you - a complete box has a special appeal.

Thanks Gary. That Hostess display is one of my favorite things. It looks great in person as it is 3-D and not a flat board. I plan on making a display with that as the centerpiece with some complete boxes(showing them both put together and flat). Showing them flat gives the viewer the ability to see the entire design. Showing them put together gives depth to them.

Storing them flat makes the most sense. I store mine flat too. What I plan on doing with my stored flat boxes is to house them like comic book collectors do individually with a white cardboard backing and then inside a large soft poly bag/sleeve. That way they can be looked at more easily. I hold some old newspapers that way and it works great for those.

Everyone has their preferences like the gentleman above who cuts them into singles. I have a single cut Murray from '78 as well to round out the collection including the complete three card panel and then the complete box.

I enjoy hearing what other people do with the Hostess cards, there are favorite ways for everyone to enjoy, just like everyone had their favorite Hostess snack. They really are a slice of Americana from back then. I remember some of the Hostess commercials back then when they called them "nutritious" snacks.

[steve B]

Originally Posted by HistoricNewspapers

Thanks Gary. That Hostess display is one of my favorite things. It looks great in person as it is 3-D and not a flat board. I plan on making a display with that as the centerpiece with some complete boxes(showing them both put together and flat). Showing them flat gives the viewer the ability to see the entire design. Showing them put together gives depth to them.

Storing them flat makes the most sense. I store mine flat too. What I plan on doing with my stored flat boxes is to house them like comic book collectors do individually with a white cardboard backing and then inside a large soft poly bag/sleeve. That way they can be looked at more easily. I hold some old newspapers that way and it works great for those.

Everyone has their preferences like the gentleman above who cuts them into singles. I have a single cut Murray from '78 as well to round out the collection including the complete three card panel and then the complete box.

I enjoy hearing what other people do with the Hostess cards, there are favorite ways for everyone to enjoy, just like everyone had their favorite Hostess snack. They really are a slice of Americana from back then. I remember some of the Hostess commercials back then when they called them "nutritious" snacks.

I have to add that I also really like that display. I collected the Hostess cards as a kid from the beginning, and never saw one of those.

All we got where I was were the little shelf signs. I have a couple of those.

[Belfast1933]

I’m inspired by all of this! If anyone has some “all HOFer” panels available for sale, let me know…

Might be a cool addition to my HOF card cave display

PM me - thx

Jeff

[HistoricNewspapers]

Originally Posted by Belfast1933

I’m inspired by all of this! If anyone has some “all HOFer” panels available for sale, let me know…

Might be a cool addition to my HOF card cave display

PM me - thx

Jeff

I believe only one panel has three HOFers on it, the 1977 panel with Palmer, Morgan, and Reggie. Here is a pic of that box and some examples of my favorite boxes that would have prominent places in a display. The 1979 Rose Choco-diles and 1978 Schmidt Choco-diles are hard products to find and I like to have representation of each product.

This Murray box has gorgeous cards and would possibly get cut by someone for grading. The 1976 Eck and Brett boxes are pristine and would grade 9 or 10 if cut right. Same for the '78 Brett box. I like them in the state they are in though . Just for viewing entertainment...none of those for sale

[UKCardGuy]

Originally Posted by HistoricNewspapers

Storing them flat makes the most sense. I store mine flat too. What I plan on doing with my stored flat boxes is to house them like comic book collectors do individually with a white cardboard backing and then inside a large soft poly bag/sleeve. That way they can be looked at more easily. I hold some old newspapers that way and it works great for those.

That's exactly what I've done. I've used comic book backing boards with sleeves. I've kept my box 1976 Box with Hank Aaron intact on display. I put it in a sleeve folded around the back to protect it.

Most of my hostess collection are full panels not boxes. But when I can pick up a box at a reasonable price it's always my preference.

[HistoricNewspapers]

Originally Posted by UKCardGuy

That's exactly what I've done. I've used comic book backing boards with sleeves. I've kept my box 1976 Box with Hank Aaron intact on display. I put it in a sleeve folded around the back to protect it.

Most of my hostess collection are full panels not boxes. But when I can pick up a box at a reasonable price it's always my preference.

Sweet display with the '76 Aaron box! That is perfect.

[mybestbretts]

Wow, what impressive collections!!

[darkhorse9]

One thing I will say about Hostess panels...I HATE THE "L" SHAPED PANELS!

They aggravate me to no end. They don't fit neatly in my three pocket binder sets.. I know they're rarer that the straight panels, but they are just so ....awkward looking. One card on its side and all.

Now get off my lawn.