The Junk Wax Era- when did it start?

[tulsaboy]

Dave, during your research into Topps, have you ever found any reliable production numbers for any period? I would be interested in exactly how out of control production got. You said it kicked off in 1973-74. Do you think the shift to one series during those two years has anything to do with that? Freed of the problem of series-based distribution, do you think it was easier for Topps to produce more cards and to distribute them in a wider variety of methods than before? Lots easier to be creative with distribution when you aren't worried about how well a late series will sell when in competition with football or basketball... Just curious about your thoughts.

The other contributing factor is back before the 80's baseball cards were for kids, most thrown out by their mothers, I could be wrong but people didn't worry about saving them along with unopened boxes thinking they're not going to be worth money if they did it was a hobby not a business to make a living. Now things changed because of the media tv, price guides, a dime a dozen in the mid 80's, attracted not only kids but adults thinking that some day they could have a fortune if they save it and as the years go on the cards would increase in price, not thinking that the card companies saturated the market satisfying the demand of buyers the sky was the limit. The card companies also got greedy offering different limited edition sets, special cards, etc and raising the price and marketing towards the adults and not the kids with pack prices as high as 5.00 dollars. I guess print it and they will buy.