St. Patricks Day

[JailOJohn]

With Saint Paddys Day and accompanying fake Irish shenanigans coming next week…how many people have a set of Irish Wackys?

[lucidjc]

I've got a set, with alternates. Also 1 unopened pack. Neat little set.


Jim

[roughwriter]

Or more importantly, what Wacky comes closest to being St. Patrick's-themed?

[Lavirus]

I've got one. Love the unique products.

[mikecho]

Or more importantly, what Wacky comes closest to being St. Patrick's-themed?

I know one: Irish Ring from the 14th Series. That one definitely fits the description that's mentioned here.

[Soremel]

With Saint Paddys Day and accompanying fake Irish shenanigans coming next week…how mamu people have a set of Irish Wackys?

The Irish sets are some of my favorites. Norm's work, on the non-US titles, is classic. The rendering of the "Downhill Cigarettes" title is stunning!

[RawGoo]

I have a set for my "keepers" as well as an extra set for sale.

[Soremel]

I have a set for my "keepers" as well as an extra set for sale.

Pat, which year do you have an extra set of, 1981 or 1982/85?

[mikecho]

Pat, which year do you have an extra set of, 1981 or 1982?

I looked it up, the Irish Series was released in 1985.

[Soremel]

I looked it up, the Irish Series was released in 1985.

True, regarding the release date. I was just referring to the date printed on the stickers while referencing that set. The 1981 set that I was referring to, in my inquiry to Pat, was the Irish Test Set.

[mikecho]

True, regarding the release date. I was just referring to the date printed on the stickers while referencing that set. The 1981 set that I was referring to, in my inquiry to Pat, was the Irish Test Set.

Oh, that's right. I completely forgot about that one.

IMO, the three extra Wackys in it that were pulled from the 1985 release never should've been pulled at all and Doglix should've kept that name, since it's closer to the real name (Dulux) than Doglon ever was.

Come to think of it, has it ever been revealed why said three extra Wackys were pulled, or has the reason for this been lost to time?

[RawGoo]

Pat, which year do you have an extra set of, 1981 or 1982/85?

They say 1982.  They are album sized stickers, not the Irish Test series (unfortunately!)

[Soremel]

Oh, that's right. I completely forgot about that one.

IMO, the three extra Wackys in it that were pulled from the 1985 release never should've been pulled at all and Doglix should've kept that name, since it's closer to the real name (Dulux) than Doglon ever was.

Come to think of it, has it ever been revealed why said three extra Wackys were pulled, or has the reason for this been lost to time?

If there is any known reason for the three being pulled, I am not aware of it. If I were to hazard a guess, I would say that "Kill Bird Seed" may have been omitted because of the two obviously deceased birds on the box. I've often wondered why this title got pulled, yet "Hurtz Bird Seed", from the U.S. 3rd series, got the green light despite having a dead canary on its box, with blood oozing out from the entry wound caused by an arrow lodged in its chest! Maybe it was a cease & desist, maybe it was an inside decision brought about during the "test" phase of the series. Lots of questions! "Pig Tea Bags" could possibly have been a cease & desist issued by Brooke Bond. They are one of the big names in tea on the other side of the pond, and may have taken offense to the spoof. Personally, I'm not a fan of the "Pig Tea Bags" art. It was definitely not a Norm Saunders piece, and lacks the qualities that Norm brought to the table. The "Porkie Chocolate Bar" omission is anyone's guess. "Doglix Dog Paint" could have been altered because having the dog drinking from a bowl that has "Doglix" written on it may have been interpreted to say that dogs are drinking this paint, hence the "LIX" to "LON" edit. Again, these are all just speculations on my part.

[crackedjerk]

I like the set a lot and was pleased to pick up a set years ago from Scott Broberg for a fair price.  I also snagged an unopened pack on ebay some years ago.  I bought the original art to Doglix from Topps Vault years ago (don't remember the price, but I'm sure I have a record somewhere), but sold it a dozen years or so ago when I was remodeling my kitchen and needed some extra cash.

[Soremel]

I like the set a lot and was pleased to pick up a set years ago from Scott Broberg for a fair price.  I also snagged an unopened pack on ebay some years ago.  I bought the original art to Doglix from Topps Vault years ago (don't remember the price, but I'm sure I have a record somewhere), but sold it a dozen years or so ago when I was remodeling my kitchen and needed some extra cash.

I didn't get to see the auction when that piece was listed. I'm curious, was the Doglix art that you bought the original, or had it been physically altered to the 'Doglon version?

[crackedjerk]

I didn't get to see the auction when that piece was listed. I'm curious, was the Doglix art that you bought the original, or had it been physically altered to the 'Doglon version?

It was still Doglix and had the more muted colors (not the fairly bright blue) than Doglon had.

[Soremel]

It was still Doglix and had the more muted colors (not the fairly bright blue) than Doglon had.

Very cool! I was never really a fan of the way that the alteration was executed, especially when compared to the original. It seriously lacked the depth & warmth that the other pieces have.

[bigtomi]

I bought the original art to Doglix from Topps Vault years ago (don't remember the price, but I'm sure I have a record somewhere)

the original art to Doglix from Topps Vault

[Soremel]

the original art to Doglix from Topps Vault

WOW! I did a doubletake when I saw the photo of the painting! I'm assuming that the lighting that it was photographed under created the "washed out" effect. My first thought was "Oddie Boy" because of he almost white label. Some of the contrast difference could also be due to oversaturation of the colors when the separations were made for the printing plates. Thank you for posting the original art photo!

[crackedjerk]

the original art to Doglix from Topps Vault

Thanks for posting this link!  I'm quite sure I printed off a "page" showing what I paid, but not sure where that page exists.  Almost surprised that I dropped that much cash 20 years ago (knowing that money was fairly tight), but I'm glad I did and wish I still had it.

[Soremel]

I just posted this on some other sites in order to hopefully speed up the info/feedback process! LOL! So, if you're seeing this again, you are not experiencing Wacky deja vu!

There is currently a PSA slabbed 1981 Irish Test set on eBay that is hovering around the $7,200. mark (BIN price). Obviously, the high grades justify a high price, but I was curious as to what a complete NM/MT loose/ungraded set would go for? (ballpark) While pondering the pricing for one of these sets, my next thought/inquiry was, Does anyone know roughly how many of these complete sets are out there? Thanks, in advance, for any info & input!

[Fanatical_and_Sickly]

Do the high grades really justify a high price though?
Practically every known example is either pack fresh from that one test box or is one of the pristine cards sold by toppsvault.
Are there any cards that are not high grade?

[RawGoo]

Do the high grades really justify a high price though?
Practically every known example is either pack fresh from that one test box or is one of the pristine cards sold by toppsvault.
Are there any cards that are not high grade?

I have one that is damaged, and I paid $200 for it.  I bought it here.

[Corndog]

Every time I find a set on Ebay...the buyer pulls out at the last second for whatever reason. The last time this happened, I won the final bid, paid for it, only for it to be refunded to me. The seller claimed the set was destroyed. In reality, the seller was disappointed it didn't sell for a higher price.

I posted about this earlier:

https://www.wackypackagesforum.com/index.php?topic=6378.msg118340#msg118340

So, I am still waiting to find my set. 

[Soremel]

Do the high grades really justify a high price though?
Practically every known example is either pack fresh from that one test box or is one of the pristine cards sold by toppsvault.
Are there any cards that are not high grade?

I'm not to savvy when it comes to PSA, but I've always noticed that, in most cases, a high-grade raw card that gets slabbed, and subsequently gets a high PSA number/grade, seems to command a higher price. But, you are right about the majority of virtually uncirculated Irish Test cards that are going to be in pack-fresh, NM/MT condition. To an extent, following the 16th series scenario.

Over the years, the only lesser-conditioned Irish Test cards that I've seen seem to have a "pattern" in their flaws. For example, I have seen multiple Gadzooka test cards that have a "gum ghost" on the back of the card due to the order that the cards are packed in the wrappers.  There are also a few titles that appear to have fallen victim to factory handling flaws, like consistent bends and creases where a sheet was handled while being taken off of the press, or during the cutting process. These are just speculations on my part, but they do somewhat follow a pattern.

[Soremel]

Every time I find a set on Ebay...the buyer pulls out at the last second for whatever reason. The last time this happened, I won the final bid, paid for it, only for it to be refunded to me. The seller claimed the set was destroyed. In reality, the seller was disappointed it didn't sell for a higher price.

I posted about this earlier:

https://www.wackypackagesforum.com/index.php?topic=6378.msg118340#msg118340

So, I am still waiting to find my set. 

I haven't seen that name, Batty_Collectibles, in a long time. That really stinks. I've been involved in similar instances where a seller seems to have done some research on what they listed, panic, and pull the auction. Or, they just don't like the price that it sold for, and unethically yank the auction and give some excuse as to why they stopped it. In my experience, it usually happens with a high-end collectible. I'm not certain, but wasn't "batty_collectibles" one of Matt Stock's eBay accounts?

[bigtomi]

I'm not certain, but wasn't "batty_collectibles" one of Matt Stock's eBay accounts?

I believe so.