Incredible Card Find By Heritage Auction House

[Paul_Maul]

Heritage has taken on a consignment from a former Topps employee who worked at the Duryea PA plant from the late sixties through the early nineties. This is the stuff we all dream about, though it doesn’t appear any wackys were involved. I don’t believe 1970 or 1971 baseball cello full boxes have ever been offered for sale, and will likely auction for close to half a mil combined...and there appear to be multiples of each!

[Kook]

Heritage has taken on a consignment from a former Topps employee who worked at the Duryea PA plant from the late sixties through the early nineties. This is the stuff we all dream about, though it doesn’t appear any wackys were involved. I don’t believe 1970 or 1971 baseball cello full boxes have ever been offered for sale, and will likely auction for close to half a mil combined...and there appear to be multiples of each!

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Topps 401K plan

[quas]

Awesome, especially those 1971's with their black backgrounds and corners that almost never get a grade of PSA 10.

[Paul_Maul]

Awesome, especially those 1971's with their black backgrounds and corners that almost never get a grade of PSA 10.

In the past ten years unopened product has escalated in value beyond any connection to the contents. One of those 1971 rack packs will sell for over $6000. That is around $150 per card. You could pull a Roberto Clemente that grades PSA 8 and score PSA 9s on a dozen other commons and still lose money.

[RawGoo]

Wow, what a find!  Must be major excitement in baseball card land.  Too bad there wasn't anything Wacky, but a great find!

[bandaches]

Heritage has taken on a consignment from a former Topps employee who worked at the Duryea PA plant from the late sixties through the early nineties. This is the stuff we all dream about, though it doesn’t appear any wackys were involved. I don’t believe 1970 or 1971 baseball cello full boxes have ever been offered for sale, and will likely auction for close to half a mil combined...and there appear to be multiples of each!

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the 1975 boxes referenced a series?

[Paul_Maul]

the 1975 boxes referenced a series?

I think those may be reused boxes from 1973.

[Paul_Maul]

Another pic

[Paul_Maul]

Here are the 1973,1974 and 1975 cello boxes. The thinner the box, the newer.

[faustxxx]

         My goodness.

[Beanball]

Another pic

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Thanks for sharing this.
Very interesting to see these

[BattleCaps]

As an old, former baseball card collector my mouth is still salivating as I type 


I guess if I had my choice of having any of those, I'd  take the 1971 rack packs first, with the '69 cello packs being second.   Never cared for  the 1970 set as much. 

Too bad they don't have an unopened 1968 3D box.

 Thanks for the post

[bandaches]

Here are the 1973,1974 and 1975 cello boxes. The thinner the box, the newer.

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so strange, 1975 was one of my most memorable collecting years yet I have no recollection of this display box

[MoldRush]

Those ‘75 cello packs tug at my heartstrings.  Unfortunately any series with a high-valued HOF rookie card drives the unopened pack price through the roof, and I think ‘75 had several.

[MoldRush]

so strange, 1975 was one of my most memorable collecting years yet I have no recollection of this display box

I only learned recently that the cello packs typically utilized a generic-looking box with the same line drawing art that went unchanged year to year.  The previous post about the varying depth of boxes each year probably has to do with varying card counts per pack and/or packs per box.

The familiar ‘75 box with the pitcher in a windup (like Beastball) was used for wax packs, which is probably what you encountered most of the time.  I do remember finding cellos from time to time but mostly wax.

[MoldRush]

I’m not getting Paul Maul’s images but I’m assuming what I’ve described is what’s pictured.  Just a player swinging a bat with ‘BASEBALL’ in big block letters.

[bandaches]

I only learned recently that the cello packs typically utilized a generic-looking box with the same line drawing art that went unchanged year to year.  The previous post about the varying depth of boxes each year probably has to do with varying card counts per pack and/or packs per box.

The familiar ‘75 box with the pitcher in a windup (like Beastball) was used for wax packs, which is probably what you encountered most of the time.  I do remember finding cellos from time to time but mostly wax.

yes, this makes sense, I dont think I came across any cello 1975s.

[Paul_Maul]

I remember buying a lot of cellos in 1978, not so much before that.

[drono]

yes, this makes sense, I dont think I came across any cello 1975s.

If you did, then the retailer probably ripped off the lid to display them, so the box wouldn't be memorable now.  I remember seeing cellos at Roses Department store in my area.  I don't remember which year, but I do seem to remember the box being lidless.  I actively collected from 73-77 and liked cellos and the rack packs better than the wax packs because you could see which cards you were getting.  I dabbled with collecting during what's now referred to as the "junk wax" era and purchased a cheat list for the rack packs so I could load up on some highly rated rookies that are worth less now than I paid for them in the late '80s. 


I've been collecting the older sets from 68-73 a little at the time over the past few years, so I'd be tickled to just find unopened wax packs from that era at a reasonable price these days.

[JailOJohn]

Is the old-timer employee getting any of the proceeds? My guess is he has passed away and his kids are selling?