Set building was a much bigger part of the hobby in the late 1970s and early 1980s. That really stood out when I was flipping through the January 1978 issue of The Trader Speaks and saw how ads for 1978 Topps Baseball Vending Boxes/Cases were written.
Before we go through each of the four ads, a couple of things: first, there was no mention of wax or cello products, and second, these were pre-sales with expected delivery in March/Early April.
The first ad related to 1978 Topps was an early bird special from Stephen Garrihy.
First, he targeted set builders directly, offering one, two, or three. Then, he offered 500 ct boxes (vending) for $6.50 for one, $11.50 for two, and $6.00 for each additional. You could also order a case of 24 boxes for $94.00. What’s interesting is the offer of ten free cards for folks who bought two boxes to fill in missing numbers within a set build.
The second ad was from Okey Blankenship.
He also first offered complete sets and then single vending boxes, as well as vending cases for sale.
Edward Mathewson chronologically had the third 1978 Topps baseball ad in the ‘zine. He offered a similar missing card offer for collectors who ordered two vending boxes.
The final ad was from G. S. Gallery. They offered one, two, or three vending boxes with a guaranteed 726 card set.
They also offered credits toward future purchases, ‘vinyl see-through pages,’ and a ‘1978 Baseball Yearbook’ for sale.
By the way, here’s what 1978 Topps Baseball Vending Boxes (~$3k these days) and Cases look like.
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