Topps Plaks Box

[orioles70]

I collect a wide variety of items...but I really like the look of the old display boxes and have a fairly nice box/wrapper display spanning 1951-1995...the designs and colors of the boxes always drew me to them.
I bought this unused Topps Plaks box in 2007 and have never seen another one. The last item number on the Topps boxes usually represents the year of issue. This box has 1-490-35-01-7 so it would seem to be from 1967. However, I have always wondered why the checklists always show the Topps Plaks as a 1968 issue.
Can anybody provide any insight on this? Was it planned for 1967 but didn't come out til 1968??
Has anyone else ever seen one of these test issue boxes?
I would love to get a wrapper to go with the box if one exists.
Thanks in advance,
John

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[sflayank]

Yes there are wrappers out there
As well as actual retail boxes and flat boxes

[hcv123]

I can't weigh in on the year, but would probably start by looking at the included players and when they started/stopped playing.

I have owned (1) and seen other boxes (I want to say 2-3 in addition to yours) as well as a wrapper and unopened pack. A quick google search turned this up:

http://www.thetoppsarchives.com/2009...ak-attack.html

If I am not mistaken a couple of board members may own and have better images of the same if they see the thread and choose to post.

While I haven't really actively collected boxes/packs or wrappers - I am always on the lookout for test issue related items. There was an incredible collection auctioned a while ago that included many test boxes and wrappers including 1968 Topps 3D, 1966 Topps Punchouts (Yes 1966) and 1967 Topps Giant Stand ups among others - now that Stand up wrapper and box was the only I ever seen.

[quitcrab]

I have a killebrew plak if anyone is looking for one. Thanks Scott
The box is awesome. Love it
Huggins and Scott have a strip of the uncut checklist coming soon in one of their auctions. I think the checklist are the best looking checklist Topps ever produced.
Scott

[orioles70]

Hcv123, thanks for posting that google link.
It is fairly obvious that the pic of the flat Plaks box shown in that article is the box I now own.

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[ALR-bishop]

[orioles70]

Al,
That is a nice Plaks collection...thanks for sharing.
Would love to find a wrapper and a nice Plak to go with my box.
John

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[toppcat]

The last digit in the commodity code was the year of conception and green-lighting thereof, literally when the product got the code assigned to it by Topps brass. Items sometime were issued the year after conception, especially if green-lit late in the calendar year. There's a couple others like this IIRC, from roughly the same time period.

[sflayank]

Heres 1...literally only 1

[ALBB]

That right there... that is a very rare bird !!

[ALR-bishop]

Yep. I would have said I had a complete set of the Plaqs until Larry paraded that Mays out a couple of years ago

Like the 65 Embossed I doubt even their moms could identify most of the players but there are two versions of the Mantle, big nose and little nose

[ALBB]

Its crazy, for many many years..even the big name price guide publishing " experts "..claimed that Topps did NOT produce a Mays

and yes, as far as artistic/lifelike looking images..... Ah,,NO

[hcv123]

Originally Posted by ALR-bishop

Yep. I would have said I had a complete set of the Plaqs until Larry paraded that Mays out a couple of years ago

Like the 65 Embossed I doubt even their moms could identify most of the players but there are two versions of the Mantle, big nose and little nose

I don't remember which is which, but there are actually 3 3 player sprues with Clemente. The actual individual Clemente Plak has his name spelled properly on 1 version and spelled without the last "E" - Clement - on the other.

[rats60]

Originally Posted by hcv123

I don't remember which is which, but there are actually 3 3 player sprues with Clemente. The actual individual Clemente Plak has his name spelled properly on 1 version and spelled without the last "E" - Clement - on the other.

I have the Yastrzemski/Killebrew and there is a Wynn/Santo on ebay. They both have Clemente spelled correctly. Mile High found 12 different combos including the 2 with Clemente, but there were some players who were on 3 different ones. Maybe that is why you think there is a 3rd of Clemente? Of course the Mays above is a 13th different combo. Have there been any other new ones since the Mile High find?

[toppcat]

So it's 20/24 now-makes me hope the Aaron, Drysdale, Peters and F. Robby turn up eventually. I've updated the blog post linked above to reflect the Mays. I see it's discovery was maybe only a couple of years ago, is that right?

[ALR-bishop]

Larry would know for sure Dave, but think it was a few years back, maybe Mile High.

Sitting at 19 myself I hope the others are lost forever 😉. But given the 24 on the checklists it seems logical that at least a prototype exists for each. Unfortunately, unlike the Dice cards Topps could not staple examples in a binder 😙

[sflayank]

Believe it or not it's close to 10 years already

[docpatlv]

Here are two with Clemente.

[toppcat]

Originally Posted by sflayank

Believe it or not it's close to 10 years already

Oh, on the Mays? I just checked and the Mile High find (no Mays) was 11 years ago-time flies!

[jmoran19]

Originally Posted by toppcat

The last digit in the commodity code was the year of conception and green-lighting thereof, literally when the product got the code assigned to it by Topps brass. Items sometime were issued the year after conception, especially if green-lit late in the calendar year. There's a couple others like this IIRC, from roughly the same time period.

Agree with Dave. There is a video of someone (Bobby B maybe) opening one of this wax packs. Will see if I can find and post.

John

[Steve_NY]

I have (from my memory) a copy of the proof wrapper for this set and I also have the actual Topps file from the printer which includes another finished copy and many examples of the parts that put together that wrapper. I also have about 15 to 20 other Topps wrapper files from the printer mostly between the late 60s and the early 70s.

[toppcat]

Originally Posted by Steve_NY

I have (from my memory) a copy of the proof wrapper for this set and I also have the actual Topps file from the printer which includes another finished copy and many examples of the parts that put together that wrapper. I also have about 15 to 20 other Topps wrapper files from the printer mostly between the late 60s and the early 70s.

Intriguing-who did the wrapper printing, I've never been able to really figure that out.

[Steve_NY]

Dave -- It's packed away in storage so I will get back to you eventually. It is actually a blue cover folder labeled something like Progressive Proofs by XXX. I can't remember the name of the company but it's something like **** Engraving Company from Newark, New Jersey. Send me a reminder at dynamictwo@aol.com and I will retrieve it when I get to storage; I can scan you the cover.

Actually some of the wrappers from the 60s and 70s have that same cover while others have no cover at all; just a bunch of the progressive proofs kept together. I have like 12-18 of the files that cover regular and special issues from the late 60s through the mid-70s. Also have many pieces of different wrappers that came with the files.

Regards,

Steve