1981 Topps Home Team vs. Super National

[tulsaboy]

Also, as far as I know, the Super Home Team were distributed in packs of one card per pack, in boxes that only contained cards from either one or two teams, which was clearly indicated on the front of the box. The Super National cards were distributed as complete sets to dealers I think. I have not seen packs of the Super National cards offered. But I would love to be proven wrong!
kevin

[steve B]

Originally Posted by tulsaboy

Also, as far as I know, the Super Home Team were distributed in packs of one card per pack, in boxes that only contained cards from either one or two teams, which was clearly indicated on the front of the box. The Super National cards were distributed as complete sets to dealers I think. I have not seen packs of the Super National cards offered. But I would love to be proven wrong!
kevin

Darn! another thing I'll have to dig out of wherever it is....

I have either a pack or pack header from a pack that was 5 cards. If I remember it right, it was the national set, but it's been a very long time since I looked at it.

[tulsaboy]

Well, let's be clear about what we are talking about...1980 Baseball Superstar Photo Cards (Supers) or 1981 Super Home Team/Super National.

The 1980 Supers were issued in both white backs and gray backs. They were issued in 48 count boxes of loose cards priced at 15 cents each, 3 card packs with a cardboard header and a cello pack dangling from the header (white backs), 5 card packs that were identical to the 3 card ones except for a sticker denoting "5 cards" placed over the "3 cards" spot on the header, and 5 card packs that had the header updated to show "5 cards" printed as part of the graphic on the cardboard header. The last version has a product code that indicates a 1981 date, while the previous two versions have product codes that indicate a 1980 date. The "wax box" that contained 36 of these packs has a 1980 date, and so does the 48 count box with loose cards. There were also some very early test packs done that were one card each and were solid yellow, but those weren't issued widely.

I believe that Topps still had inventory left over of the gray backs and kept marketing them in 1981, simultaneous with the marketing of the 1981 Super Home Team and 1981 Super National sets.

The Super Home Team and Super National sets were marketed differently than the 1980 set. Super Home Team came in those familiar faded red paper packages and then in a yellow box that is very similar in its graphics (especially the font used) to the 1980 box. The Super National sets I don't believe were issued in packs. At least, I have yet to see packs for those. I have seen a case where complete sets of the 15 different Super National cards were bundled together with rubber bands and packed 45 sets to a case. If someone has a pack or box of the Super National cards I would love to see it!

kevin
(sorry for the lengthy response!)

[steve B]

No need for the apology, that stuff was almost 40 years ago. I'm glad someone has it written down. I should have kept notes as the cards came out, but hardly anyone does that.

It's probable that I have a 1980 5 card pack somewhere and recalled it as a 1981 because of the labeling.

[ALR-bishop]

I have all these sets, including the 1980s in both gray and white. I think white exists in lesser quantities and has slightly thicker stock. The Rice pack below is white and the Cooper gray. Don't know on the single card pack. The 81 pack ( last one) is for the Giant Photo set of 60.

I have the 5 X 7 National set of 15, but no pack. Does one exist ? The SCD Standard Catalog says they were marketed in areas not covered by the other set. Ten of them have same photos as the regular set but no CLs on back. The other 5 cards are not in the other set

[tulsaboy]

Thanks for posting the photos, Al! The all yellow pack is a test pack (I believe) and should contain a white backed card. White appears to have come first, followed by the gray backs. I don't think that any packs were issued for the National set from 1980. I think that was simply distributed as sets to dealers. I have seen cases of the complete sets, where the sets are bundled together by a rubber band, but no packs or boxes. Odd, but Topps did lots of odd things.

kevin

[tulsaboy]

I also have an uncut sheet of gray backs that is battered and well worn, but is instructive because it shows that there were a number of cards that were printed in multiples. I am curious to know if the sheet was the same for the white backed cards or not.
kevin