Chemtoy Hi-Bounce Balls

[laughlinfan]

I’ve seen a few posts in this section that mention the Chemtoy Super Balls. I was digging through my rat pack past last week, and found some of my collection. Little me was a big spender, buying these at my local Big N store on sale for 20 cents! Has anybody else ever seen these on the original card? Every time I have seen them with original packaging, it has been in the big box where they were loose and sold for 10 cents each (back in 1970). I still have some in these blister packages and some loose. I remember playing with a few when I was a kid. The pictures in them always made me laugh – some were pretty nice and very clear. Some were so dark you could hardly make out that it was face, let alone recognize the player. Anybody else have any fun memories of these?

[GasHouseGang]

Are those the same ones they used to sell in the machines for a quarter? That's the only way I remember seeing them.

[Mark70Z]

I’ve seen a few posts in this section that mention the Chemtoy Super Balls. I was digging through my rat pack past last week, and found some of my collection. Little me was a big spender, buying these at my local Big N store on sale for 20 cents! Has anybody else ever seen these on the original card? Every time I have seen them with original packaging, it has been in the big box where they were loose and sold for 10 cents each (back in 1970). I still have some in these blister packages and some loose. I remember playing with a few when I was a kid. The pictures in them always made me laugh – some were pretty nice and very clear. Some were so dark you could hardly make out that it was face, let alone recognize the player. Anybody else have any fun memories of these?

I remember having the super balls, with the players pictured, but just can't recall how they were packaged. I think they were loose. Those are very cool in the original packaging.

A Brooksie super ball in one of those packages?!?

[David W]

Are those the same ones they used to sell in the machines for a quarter? That's the only way I remember seeing them.

Yes me also

[begsu1013]

hadn't seen those, but i do have a pete rose marble.

[tschock]

I remember them as being loose and picking them out of a box from our (extremely small town) local grocery store. I had about 7 or 8 of them, mostly Phillies (Harmon, Bowa) and Reds (Rose, Carroll) from what I remember. I do think I saw them in gumball type vending machines as well, but it wouldn't have been at our local store.

[4reals]

team boxes exist

[rats60]

I got mine out of a vending machine at Kmart. I haven't seen them packaged any other way.

[basesareempty]

I have some complete sets of the New York Yankees that came from an original team box.

[sflayank]

anyone have a cesar tovar for sale
would love to buy one of those blister paks
sflayank@aol.com

[Griffins]

I always bought them from a large box, the local store had an AL box next to an NL box. Never saw the team boxes at the time, and this is the first I've seen of the blisters.
If anyone had a team box or AL/NL box with or without the balls for sale I"m interested.

[ALR-bishop]

Larry--bet there are some team lineup variations :)

[laughlinfan]

Hey Mark! Don't remember who I have in my blister packs - sounds like a good rainy day project to dig them out and take a look! I remember I had some HOFers so entombed, but haven't looked close in 25-30 years or so! Not sure about Tovar, Larry, but I will keep my eyes peeled for him too!

I am guessing that the team boxes were probably distributed to cities/towns close to the teams, and maybe the AL/NL boxes to cities without teams close by(?) Have seen full boxes of different teams from time to time on eBay, but never a blister pack - probably not too many people bought them in 1970 without freeing them; hi-bounce balls aren't too much fun all sealed up! I am guessing some of the loose ones did end up in gumball machines - I remember Hi-bounce balls were pretty common in those, but I don't remember ever seeing these baseball ones sold that way. Perfect (large) gumball sized, so would make sense to sell them that way.

[Stampsfan]

I have 3-4 Montreal Expos balls I bought from when I was a kid, in Montreal. I recall them being sold loose in a box at the local corner stores. After reading these posts, I now would believe these were likely team boxes that were sold one at a time by the store owner.

I never saw a blister pack... although now you've set me on a chase on a new trek... to find some Expos in blister packs.

[Griffins]

I am guessing that the team boxes were probably distributed to cities/towns close to the teams, and maybe the AL/NL boxes to cities without teams close by(?)

Sorry to blow your theory, but AL/NL boxes were at most toy stores when I was a kid in Santa Monica, about 8 miles from Dodger Stadium and about 45 from Anaheim.

[laughlinfan]

Duplicate - removed.

[laughlinfan]

That's OK, Anthony - theories are meant to be blown! I am guessing the Montreal Expos box wouldn't have gone to your area (or many areas outside of Quebec!), so maybe AL/NL nationally, and individual team boxes near the home town team as well would seem logical, then. I will have to check my blister packs to see if all (or many) teams were included, or if they were limited to a small set of teams. I do know that there were mixed teams in each pack.

[toppcat]

I wonder if the team boxes were simply a way to sell returns the next year?

[4reals]

AL Auction:http://www.legendaryauctions.com/1970_chemtoy__major_league__high_bouncing_balls__7-lot166397.aspx

NL Auction:http://www.robertedwardauctions.com/auction/2015_spring/1060.html

[laughlinfan]

Hey Dave - interesting thought. I am guessing if the team boxes were made up of returns, it would have required someone to sort them back at the factory(?) I would think, from a marketing/sales perspective, it would probably make sense to put popular players in the AL/NL boxes. The two auction links (thanks, Joe!) probably reinforce that they tried to put some of the better players in the league boxes. Makes me wonder if lesser known players would have been produced in smaller numbers - seems reasonable.

I did enjoy REA's writeup - I am guessing, though, that kids did like these; I know THIS kid bounced a few of them off the walls, but I would have reserved that fate for players I didn't really like!

And not for nothing, I am wondering, 45 years later, who came up with the great company name?

[Griffins]

we used to use them for batting practice. Tougher to hit since they were so small, but if you connected they'd clear the fence easily.
IIRC they tended to fracture and chip pretty easily too.

[toppcat]

Hey Dave - interesting thought. I am guessing if the team boxes were made up of returns, it would have required someone to sort them back at the factory(?) I would think, from a marketing/sales perspective, it would probably make sense to put popular players in the AL/NL boxes. The two auction links (thanks, Joe!) probably reinforce that they tried to put some of the better players in the league boxes. Makes me wonder if lesser known players would have been produced in smaller numbers - seems reasonable.



An educated guess on my part as Topps and a few other companies would repurpose and resell their returns back in the same time frame.

I don't remember these on Long Island as a kid.