Topps Test Stores?

Rickyy · #1 12-02-2024, 07:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fred

Anyone know where 1975 minis were sold?

I bought an unopened box of 1975 Minis when it came out at a 7-11 store here in N California. I thought Topps reduced the sizes of the cards. I later bought regular 75 packs at the same place and I was a totally confused kid..lol.

Ricky Y

blackandgold · #2 12-03-2024, 01:04 PM

I know that the 1967 Pirates stickers and the 1969 Team posters were sold at the little mom & pop store in the central PA town I grew up in.

toppcat · #3 12-03-2024, 04:30 PM

One test store at least has been confirmed by Mark Newgarden at 231 Prospect Park West in Brooklyn. I posted about some test areas awhile back:

https://www.thetoppsarchives.com/202...me-dealer.html

and find Rich Klein's Fort Lee, NJ comment very interesting as that town is literally at the other end of the George Washington Bridge from New York, I'm sure many of you have, like me, been stuck in traffic there over the years!

Rich Klein · #4 12-03-2024, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by toppcat

One test store at least has been confirmed by Mark Newgarden at 231 Prospect Park West in Brooklyn. I posted about some test areas awhile back:

https://www.thetoppsarchives.com/202...me-dealer.html

and find Rich Klein's Fort Lee, NJ comment very interesting as that town is literally at the other end of the George Washington Bridge from New York, I'm sure many of you have, like me, been stuck in traffic there over the years!

Dave:

I also mentioned Hoban's on Saddle River Rd in Saddle Brook as a Topps Test Store. That one I remember the name of

I got 68 Plaques there and a 1968 Topps Tim McCarver Poster there.

Rich

toppcat · #5 12-03-2024, 05:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rich Klein

Dave:

I also mentioned Hoban's on Saddle River Rd in Saddle Brook as a Topps Test Store. That one I remember the name of

I got 68 Plaques there and a 1968 Topps Tim McCarver Poster there.

Rich

Even more interesting. Len Brown, who was responsible for tracking test sales, moved to New Jersey around then. And there is some evidence that the test stores also sold the more obscure issues such as the posters. I wonder if there's a connection with Len?

obcbobd · #6 12-04-2024, 02:07 PM

Symmes Mini Mart on Summer Street in Arlington MA had the 67 Red Sox Stickers

I bought 77 Topps Cloth Cards in a small store in Maryland, near DC, when visiting my aunt

Zach Wheat · #7 12-16-2024, 08:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by toppcat

Even more interesting. Len Brown, who was responsible for tracking test sales, moved to New Jersey around then. And there is some evidence that the test stores also sold the more obscure issues such as the posters. I wonder if there's a connection with Len?

Dave,

I believe there is a connection. He told me that he used to regularly check test stores not only to see how the product was selling but to get their reaction when kids first saw a new product.

doug.goodman · #8 12-05-2024, 01:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rickyy

I bought an unopened box of 1975 Minis when it came out at a 7-11 store here in N California. I thought Topps reduced the sizes of the cards. I later bought regular 75 packs at the same place and I was a totally confused kid..lol.

Ricky Y

In Cloverdale, 82 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge, Mr. Gambetta's sporting goods store only had the 1975 Mini cards.

I didn't realize that regular sized cards existed until years later when my travels started allowing me to hit card stores across the country, and I was looking for individual cards to finish my sets.

Michigan seemed to be the other place with minis.

Stampsfan · #9 12-05-2024, 03:41 AM

Does anyone have knowledge of distribution for the 1966-67 Topps USA Test hockey set, "Printed in USA"?

Rumor always was a California release, the year prior to the six team expansion with two California teams.

I've never read anything definitive on where they were distributed. Back in the "olden" days, the word was there were less than 100 sets, but there is no way that is true.

Leon · #10 12-15-2024, 07:01 PM

I can't add much but there's some great info in this thread. Thanks for sharing, guys!
.

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