Opening 1991 Topps Wax Packs...

[AustinMike]

If they did buy 300,000 cards, they made a lot of packs. Take away 24,530 for the complete run and another 24,530 for each individual year, that leaves 250,940 cards to be put in packs. With the stated odds of 1/1,000, that's almost 251 million packs. That's quite a bit more than the 1992 production of 77 million packs you cite. Were these only available in wax packs? Assumining they were all in 15 card wax packs (neglecting cellos and rack packs), that's 4.75 million 792 card 1991 SETS just from wax packs. Throw in factory sets and vending boxes (and potentially cello and rack packs) and you're talking a mammoth production run.

[ALR-bishop]

The statement about 52 to 56 cards and value cards being handled differently comes after the 1-1000, I wonder if they were included in the "calculations". You guys who are good with math always make me feel dumb

[Zach Wheat]

Originally Posted by AustinMike

Were these only available in wax packs? Assumining they were all in 15 card wax packs (neglecting cellos and rack packs), that's 4.75 million 792 card 1991 SETS just from wax packs. Throw in factory sets and vending boxes (and potentially cello and rack packs) and you're talking a mammoth production run.

I am not sure if this only includes wax packs. I know the Desert Shield packs also had the same promotion and used the exact same boxes & wrappers - therefore the difficulty in telling the two sets apart without opening packs. I do not know if rak paks, vending cases, cellos & sets were included in the promotion...and therefore included in the 1:1,000 ratio. Either way it is a lot of cards.

Originally, I thought I could determine the date cards/sets/sheets were printed from the codes at the bottom or side of each box. However, I now believe the code actually is related to the print run / product type (code#362 sheets of baseball) / type (code 70 is for a box) as in the example below.

Therefore most of the 1991 variations - and as Al has pointed out there are numerous variations - will be found in the sheets that start with an 01 or an 02 print code indicating the corresponding print run as they fixed the errors. Desert Shield cards were printed in the 3rd print run but used the 1st print run boxes.

Z Wheat

[HasselhoffsCheeseburger]

Zach, unfortunately this doesn't assist in this thread's specific topic but I thought you might find this link helpful for future endeavors. It's nonsport-centric but does list Topps sportscard production codes as well.

http://www.wacky-packages.net/topps/topps-sets.htm

[Zach Wheat]

Originally Posted by ALR-bishop

The statement about 52 to 56 cards and value cards being handled differently comes after the 1-1000, I wonder if they were included in the "calculations". You guys who are good with math always make me feel dumb

Always the joker! I am still trying to determine if Larry was right that you can't watch TV and count at the same time.

Originally Posted by HasselhoffsCheeseburger

Zach, unfortunately this doesn't assist in this thread's specific topic but I thought you might find this link helpful for future endeavors. It's nonsport-centric but does list Topps sportscard production codes as well.

http://www.wacky-packages.net/topps/topps-sets.htm

Arthur,

Thank you for the link.

Z Wheat

[ALR-bishop]

Actually I said it. I doubt Larry would have an opinion on it, but Bob
( bobbsbbcards) would and did definitely agree. He knows me pretty well by now...and he is a numbers guy like you. He makes me feel dumb too