Topps Test Stores?

[Balticfox]

I believe that they meant the mom-and-pop convenience stores in which Topps commonly placed test issues.

[Brent G.]

That certainly would make more sense — thank you. Does any evidence exist of how these were chosen?

[jingram058]

I was told the 71 Topps Greatest Moments cards were sold only in the New York area. But lately there are those who state Chicagoland also.

What about the dice game cards, of which I have only even seen a few. The year was 1961? Is that right? Were they limited to any certain area? Did they really even make it into packs, or did they leak out of Topps?

[steve B]

Supposedly the 74 deckles were in white hen pantry stores at least in Arlington Mass which was just across a rail line from their headquarters.

That was 3 years before I moved there and was told o me by the local shop.

Supposedly it was part of Topps slowing testing, since whatever was there got bought the day it was released, making the test sort of useless.

[ALR-bishop]

The 61 Dice were not released, and were more likely from 63 as per Dave Hornish's great Topps Blog. I only have one. Other unissued Topps test items include 55 Stamps, 66 Punch Outs and 70 Rookie Artists Proofs. I do not think the 71 Greatest Moments were released in packs but I do have a wrapper



https://www.thetoppsarchives.com/sea...%20Dice%20Game

[ALR-bishop]

From Dave's Blog on 71 GMs and 68 3Ds

https://www.thetoppsarchives.com/sea...test%20Moments


https://www.thetoppsarchives.com/sea...8%20Topps%203D

I have a set of the 68 3Ds, a wrapper and easel, but only one of the 3 proof cards and no B Robinson Prototype. Note there are two true front variations to the Maloney and Fairly cards. Also interesting that despite the apparent test isuance of the 3Ds some of the subjcts seem scarcer than others.

Only have one example of the 55 Stamps and 66 Puch Outs. Have 2 of the 70 Cloth, another unissued product. Do have a set of the 80 Topps Coins, also unissued

[ALR-bishop]

The 74 Deckles were defintely sold in packs in two different wrappers

[obcbobd]

Originally Posted by steve B

Supposedly the 74 deckles were in white hen pantry stores at least in Arlington Mass which was just across a rail line from their headquarters.

That was 3 years before I moved there and was told o me by the local shop.

Supposedly it was part of Topps slowing testing, since whatever was there got bought the day it was released, making the test sort of useless.

I grew up in Arlington Mass and was 12 in 1974. Had a lot of friends who collected. Never saw a 74 Deckle. There was a White Hen on Summer St by the rail road tracks, but I don't think White Hens headquarters was anywhere near there

[Fred]

Anyone know where 1975 minis were sold?

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

Originally Posted by Fred

Anyone know where 1975 minis were sold?

I seem to recall they were issued in more than one region. Was one of them the Detroit area, or am I just confusing this because Frank Nagy ended up with so many of them?

[BRoberts]

Originally Posted by Fred

Anyone know where 1975 minis were sold?

I can tell you that the Quik Stop on Route 62 (Navarre Road), across the street from Richville Elementary School in northeast Ohio, sold 1975 minis. I bought a lot of packs there as a 12 year old.

[Rickyy]

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

[steve B]

Originally Posted by obcbobd

I grew up in Arlington Mass and was 12 in 1974. Had a lot of friends who collected. Never saw a 74 Deckle. There was a White Hen on Summer St by the rail road tracks, but I don't think White Hens headquarters was anywhere near there

When I moved in in late 77 White Hen had corporate offices just across the tracks in the little office building behind the store. Same parking lot as where Shattucks hardware is now.

They were pretty much my local convenience store as the really close one had grumpy owners.
Halls were the ones who said there had been 74 deckles there. Of course it's possible they were "inaccurate" or had been the ones that bought them all.

I met a candy salesman around 1981 who claimed to have boxes of test cards at home including greatest moments. Gave him my number, but never heard so I can't say if he was full of it or not.

[steve B]

My one pack of 75 minis as a kid came from my local store in Dalton Ma. The owner had NY "connections" * so they probably originated there.

* in every sense of the word. I missed that day but the FBI busted him for football cards. Something that concerned and confused me for a few years.

[obcbobd]

Originally Posted by steve B

When I moved in in late 77 White Hen had corporate offices just across the tracks in the little office building behind the store. Same parking lot as where Shattucks hardware is now.

They were pretty much my local convenience store as the really close one had grumpy owners.
Halls were the ones who said there had been 74 deckles there. Of course it's possible they were "inaccurate" or had been the ones that bought them all.

I met a candy salesman around 1981 who claimed to have boxes of test cards at home including greatest moments. Gave him my number, but never heard so I can't say if he was full of it or not.

Yes, I remember that store. Didn't know about the corporate offices, but there were offices there. Halls should know. It would kill be that there were Deckles a mile from where I lived. I usually got my cards at Balich 5&10

[Zach Wheat]

Originally Posted by Balticfox

I believe that they meant the mom-and-pop convenience stores in which Topps commonly placed test issues.

I believe this is correct. I discussed this issue with Len Brown one of the early Topps employees (post 1959 era) and he said they had select stores not owned by Topps where they distributed test product to see how well they sold

[ALR-bishop]

An example of a Topps 85 mini and it's corresponding base set card

[ALR-bishop]

Not sure if above numbers on sheets is a accurate or not. I have completed the set in regular backs ( green and red ) and in blank back ( blank backs can be brown or white, brown being much scarcer). I have 51 cards in red back only. Best guess is only one or two sheets of them survived

The Ryan and Schmidt are ussually the priciest of them, but some are very condition sensitive

[Brent G.]

Fascinating stuff. Interesting that they made them barely smaller than the regular issue, unlike '75.