1971 Topps Questions

[toppcat]

Originally Posted by tschock

I opened quite a few back then, including some of the high numbers. I don't remember seeing much chipping at all and still have quite a few of those cards. I also remember having all the cards from the 3rd or 4th series at the time and still buying more packs from that series. LOL

To Dave's point, I do not doubt that but at all, but all of mine came from wax packs because that's what was at the local store. I probably 90-95% of the non-high numbers and maybe half of the high numbers by the time I was done buying them.

IIRC most of the wax I got back in 70-72 came from either the local Colonial Maid Ice Cream Truck (a vital source of Wacky's in '73 as well) or the local Luncheonette, which had a candy rack off to the side of the counter. The dime stores (and I think supermarkets) had the cello packs and the bigger toy outlets had Raks. The only true Topps packaging breakdowns I've ever seen were vending vs. non vending in the 50's-would love to see year-to-year how they actually did things. Vending was a very small % of the overall sales but must have had a higher margin. One store I went to back them had Raks inside and a vending machine in the vestibule.

[tschock]

Originally Posted by toppcat

IIRC most of the wax I got back in 70-72 came from either the local Colonial Maid Ice Cream Truck (a vital source of Wacky's in '73 as well) or the local Luncheonette, which had a candy rack off to the side of the counter. The dime stores (and I think supermarkets) had the cello packs and the bigger toy outlets had Raks. The only true Topps packaging breakdowns I've ever seen were vending vs. non vending in the 50's-would love to see year-to-year how they actually did things. Vending was a very small % of the overall sales but must have had a higher margin. One store I went to back them had Raks inside and a vending machine in the vestibule.

By "local store" I meant local small town (of about 300) all purpose country grocery store where you could bring your own jar and get molasses out of a barrel. I'd walk the block from my house whenever I had some change to buy cards. The only other place I bought '71 cards were at the concession stands at little league games (all wax packs). I don't remember seeing or buying any cello or rack packs at all in 1971, though my exposure to larger stores was a bit limited. So I totally trust what you are saying. Just trying to clarify what I meant by local store.

And the store wasn't much different in 1971 than it was when the picture was taken for this postcard.

[obcbeatle]

Just to add ... I bought a ton of 71T's in 1971, in SF. Most from wax at a 5 & 10 on Ocean Ave. (Ben Franklin's?/early Summer) & some high #'s from a toy store somewhere in downtown SF. If I recall correctly ... the cards I bought from the toy store (I'm guessing late Summer/early Fall) were in a cello brick about the size of a big book. I seem to remember that because I'd never seen baseball cards up to that point except in wax packs. So it was kind of extra exciting :-) Is that even possible (I mean a cello brick)?

[toppcat]

Originally Posted by tschock

By "local store" I meant local small town (of about 300) all purpose country grocery store where you could bring your own jar and get molasses out of a barrel. I'd walk the block from my house whenever I had some change to buy cards. The only other place I bought '71 cards were at the concession stands at little league games (all wax packs). I don't remember seeing or buying any cello or rack packs at all in 1971, though my exposure to larger stores was a bit limited. So I totally trust what you are saying. Just trying to clarify what I meant by local store.

And the store wasn't much different in 1971 than it was when the picture was taken for this postcard.

That's pretty wild Taylor-no worries, I wasn't taking issue, just kind of riffing. I was ground zero suburbia, I probably had 20 options to buy cards within a 2 mile radius from my house and of course the ice cream truck brought them right to me!

I did a little poking around and it looks like 1971 Basketball wax wrappers aren't all that easy either.