Xmas Rack Packs

[scmavl]

You may want to do a search on this to get more detailed info, as it's been discussed in depth before. But the quick answer is: NO. They were put together years later in most cases (I think they weren't even sold until the late 60's or so) by a third party. None of them are actually new cards put together that year. From what I've heard, there are usually no stars and most commons only grade a 5 or 6 at best. Don't expect any 10's, as the cards had been around a bit before they were packaged. Most collectors feel these are WAAAAY overpriced for what you actually get. And worse than the unopened ones are the fake ones people are making and selling now. True rack packs (made by Topps, not a 3rd party) did not come out until 1960.

Hope that helps.

EDIT: Someone opened a Xmas pack in another thread and posted scans, you may want to try and find it. I think it was a '52 pack.

[bradmar48]

Thanks, I learned several things from what you said. The oldest rack I've ever seen at any of the shows that I'm made in the last 23 years including 2 Nationals was a 1967. That's why I had my doubts about the older Christmas racks that were showing up.

Keith

[tigers6884]

I have seen these up until 1969 and they may be even newer ones around. There are various theories about the origins.

One theory is they were legitimately packaged yearly by a company other than Topps until the early 60s. During the 80s, another individual began selling them using the same packaging as the originals used.

Regardless they are not a Topps rack and the hidden cards are typically o/c. I often thought about getting a 67 rack but unknowing collectors will bid them up to a level which is simply not worth it, at least to me.

[David W]

I picked this up with Lou Brock on it a few years ago.

[buckydent]

I don't trust them either. Typically they were indeed put together after the production year, and in some cases years later. The trick to get you to bite was to put one or two star cards on the outside showing, with mostly commons on the inside. I bought a 1971 rack in the series with Clemente and Mays, the Mays was showing but the Clemente inside was 90/10 top bottom centering and the rest garbage including doubles in the same pack ! As for searching - the sides of the pack need to be nice and tight, if they are not and you can shuffle each of the cards slightly, to see the players in sequence, the pack has been searched. I have a 1981 rack pack box of football, not as vintage as the 1971 topps baseball and did get two Montanas ( one showing on the bottom of a pack and one inside - but some of the packs were not tight and were clearly searched which was upsetting ), but I bought it long before football cards were worth anything, which explains why I still got two Montanas ( there were no Paytons, Bradshaws etc ). I can't comment on graded packs aside from those showing a star on top which look pretty cool.

[ALR-bishop]

I have a run of them from 52 to 63 ( also have regular wax packs from those years). I bought them from Mark Murphy ( 53 to 62) several years ago. I knew they were repackaged cards when I bought them. I bought them for entertainment and the mystery. I have always thought it interesting that many say they were repackaged cards sold by a retailer....with different theories about exactly when. But yet no one ( as far as I know) can say for sure what retailer(s), where, and when. I agree there has probably been a lot of further "repackaging" since. Hopefully someday someone will be able to document exactly how these things first appeared. Murphy either did not know or would not say

[steve B]

I bought a 58 just for the curiosity of it.

I wouldn't have thought the cards would be well centered, so many weren't.
I'd have to think they came from unsold cards, or cards leftover after packaging. Back before tight inventory controls most places overproduced, or produced a certain ammount of whatever they were making. So if they printed a million cards and then only got orders for 950,000 they's have loads of leftovers. There were a lot of small businesses that made decent money buying overruns for very little to repackage or just resell if packaged already.
And many still do, there's just less manufacuring overruns and more overstocks of poor selling stuff. (Treat Inc in Cards, and I think a couple others)

What company made those mesh christmas stockings full of trinkety toys and gold coin chocolates? These Christmas packs strike me as being similar.

With cards coming out so early now I've thought there would be someone rewrapping cards with a happy easter wrapper......Nothing so far.

Steve B

[Dan 33]

thanks for the info I was alawys curious about the Christmas packs

[Griffins]

I consider them as legit as '70-'72 grocery cellos- in other words, complete fakes.
Disappointing that Legendary's copy doesn't point this out.

[ALR-bishop]

I am also surprised Anthony, that without qualification they state that they were packed in the 1950s and 1960s and are "untouched". I have seen them from 1952 through 1963 ( I confess I have put together a full run of them for fun). I had assumed they were packed in the late 60s or early 70s but have also heard the 80s. No one seems to have any real definitive answer. And, I have always thought it strange that although most descriptions say they were repackaged by a "retailer(s)", no one can pin down exactly who those retailers or retailer was and over what periods they were actually offered. I also suspect there may have been several repackaging efforts subsequently

I am amazed that Legendary is being as definite in their description as they are, without any further documentation of their claims

[lutherlafy]

I have seen these sell for crazy prices.
Those poor suckers through the years that buy these are not too smart.
Don't even think about buying one.
Anybody can make these up.

[ALR-bishop]

Everyone has their own opinion on these. I like Anthony have a regular Topps pack run ( 1951 to 2011), so these are just an oddity for me. But I guess I can plead guilty to being a "not too smart sucker". I have always understood them to involve repackaged, previously handled cards. The real question for me is when they were really packaged, originally, and who, if anyone , really retailed them

The reason I resurrected this thread though was to point out a major auction house is currently touting one and doing so with some fairly bold claims about it....with no real substantiation for those claims

[wfubob]

Any thoughts on buying the cards pulled from rack packs as common set fillers? In other words are the cards themselves legit, and worthy of purchasing at a price equivalent to, say, EX commons?