John

What is a Topps X-Out Unopened Box?

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Vintage unopened sports card material has been a popular segment of the hobby for a while now. One of the more prominent companies and industry leaders in the segment is the Baseball Card Exchange (BBCE), owned and operated by Steve Hart. Steve even authenticates unopened packs for PSA. In June 2020, they posted on their Facebook page about the “X-Out.”

Since not every collector has a Facebook account, I wanted to summarize their post and add more information so that everyone can learn a little more about unopened cards.

In the past, retailers pre-ordered boxes of cards, and if they didn’t sell all of them, Topps allowed them to return unsold boxes for credit.

For instance, let’s say that Topps originally distributed a Baseball Wax Box to a dealer for $20. Then, at the end of the season, Topps would allow the dealers to return that box for a $17 credit. Topps would in turn “re-sell” (blowout) those boxes to dealers for $10. (These numbers are fictitious and just used as examples). Well, they had to have a way to keep the “unsavory” dealers (there might be one or two lurking within the industry!) from buying those boxes for $10 and “re-returning” them for $17. Hence, the “X-Out” was born. When a box was returned, it was given the “X-Out”. From 1981 to 1988 Topps used various markings to identify “X-Outs” on wax, rack and cello boxes in all major sports and non-sports issues.

BBCE
1983 Topps Football X-Out Unopened Box

It seems as though they used everything from a crayon or marker to a 4” paintbrush to put an ‘X’ or a line across the top of the box. This ‘X-Out’ signified that the box had already been returned once, and it could not be returned again.

BBCE
1986 Topps Football Cello X-Out Unopened Box

Often, they just drew a line across the box as well.

1987 Topps Football X-Out Unopened Box

The ‘X-Out’ marking on some years were worse than others. I think that 1984 was the worst as they seemed to very, very generously deface the lids of their boxes that year. Another problem with the ‘X-Out’ is that they usually put the boxes back into the cases without letting the marking dry completely. So, when the boxes are removed from the cases today it results in many of the lids being torn off.

BBCE

The following picture of a 1984 Topps Football Box shows a piece of another box stuck to the top.

1984 Topps Football X-Out Unopened Box

Topps also marked the outside of those cases with “Final Sale” stamp.

You can see “FINAL SALE NOT TO BE RETURNED” stamped on this 1983 Topps Baseball Unopened Rack Pack Case.

1983 Topps Baseball Case FINAL SALE

A few former card shop owners have shared that they received some cases marked “final sale” in which none of the boxes were “X-Outs.” It’s possible that Topps had certain products that could only be returned for a limited amount of time and, therefore, didn’t require marking. Or maybe other products could only be returned by the case. One dealer noted that rack pack boxes that they received were never marked.

Additionally, there are cases from before 1981 that are marked “Final Sale,” indicating that exchange programs started earlier. For example, the 1979 Topps case below shows “Final Sale,” but we haven’t seen any boxes from this era with an “X-Out” on it. I’m assuming Topps noticed some shady behavior and started marking the boxes in 1981.

1979 Topps Baseball Case FINAL SALE

Non-sports cards followed the same pattern, as you can see on the Garbage Pail Kid box which has a black line across it, and the 1978 Topps Jaws 2 Case marked “Final Sale.”

Garbage Pail Kids X-Out Box
1978 Topps Jaws 2 Case FINAL SALE

If you have any other information or comments about “X-Out” boxes or “Final Sale” cases – be sure to share them in the comments section below.

The American Premium Guide To Baseball Cards

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I ran across this advertisement for what is now a Hobby Library essential, The American Premium Guide to Baseball Cards by Ron Erbe, in the October 1981 issue of The Trader Speaks.

As the advertisement says, the book is massive, at 752 softbound pages.

It’s full of interesting info. Here’s the Table of Contents.

As an example of the book’s awesomeness, here’s a photo of a 1956 Topps promotional sheet—the same one I shared from Baseball Cards magazine.

They also included a nice collage of T206 white border backs.

But every set has a nice, insightful introduction.

If you have a Hobby Library, I recommend picking up a copy of this book. Despite inflation, you can still get a copy shipped to you for the cover price of $14.95.

1945-46 Caramelo Deportivo Cuban League Set In Original Album

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High on The Hobby Library want list is a 1945-46 Caramelo Deportivo Cuban League original album, ideally with a complete set inside; this one, from Mastro in June 2006, came with a near set (98/100).

The scan pictured above is from Mastro’s June 2006 Classic Collector Auction, and the catalog didn’t include a description of the catalog. However, a few other auction houses have offered these albums.

But first, if you’re interested in learning more about the set, Pre-War Cards, and Cardhound Vintage have nice summaries. Now, Hake’s Auctions offered an album with a complete set of 100 cards in their March 2013 auction; it sold for $805. Here’s the item description, followed by a few of the photos they included online:

8.25×10.75″ album w/thin cardboard cover has 16 pages and contains complete set of 100 cards all mounted at appropriate spots. Issued by Caramelo Deportivo (Sporting Caramels) this set covers the 1945-46 Cuban Winter League season and features teams: Habana, Almendares, Marianao and Cienfuegos. These teams are represented by pennants on the cover art and color pennant cards inside. The other cards have bw photos. Cards are 1-7/8×2-5/8″. Page text includes info on the players, teams, etc. Inside back cover has season results filled in by original owner as intended. This set features many former and future stars of the Major Leagues as well as the Negro Leagues, in some cases providing the only cards issued contemporary with their playing careers. The top card in the set is Martin Dihigo. The other key cards are Ray Dandridge, Raymond Brown, Minnie Minoso and Napoleon Reyes (which was a short print incentive card and therefore scarce). Other stars include Armando Marsans, Lazaro Salazar, Manuel “Cocaina” Garcia, Adolfo Luque, Luis Tiant Sr., Dick Sisler. Cards have general wear/aging as mounted but images for the most part remain bold and distinct throughout. Visually some cards are just VG but most exceed this and are more in the Exc. visual realm, including most the keys. Cover is well worn and split along spine edge w/tape repairs. Trace of staple rust. Pages also worn/aged. Small 1×1/5″ piece missing from top edge of back cover and last page but not affecting any cards. Album itself only about Good. Please contact us if more detailed card condition information and/or photos are desired. From the Richard Merkin Collection and comes with Hake’s COA.

A few years earlier, in June 2009, Lelands sold this album with 91 cards pasted in for just under $400.

If you’ve got an album for sale, reach out; I’m a buyer. Happy collecting!

Burger Chef’s 1977 Triple Play Funmeal and The Era’s Largest Disc Set

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In 1977, Burger Chef reigned as a leading fast-food chain, and among its standout promotions was the Triple Play Funmeal – a combination of food and play. The Funmeal was served on a cardboard tray that doubled as a playing board. What really separates the Triple Play Funmeal apart, and warrants an article is the scale of the offering. With 24 team trays, each equipped with nine punch-out discs, it’s the largest disc set of its time. Created in collaboration with Michael Schecter and Associates, the discs share the same basic design as other MSA discs, but the backs feature a burger chef cartoon character. Burger Chef also released a set of six zany baseball posters to bolster the promotion and add a bit more humor to the mix.

1977 Burger Chef Funmeal Discs Johnny Bench

You can read all about Burger Chef on Wikipedia, but the 101 is that they operated between 1954 and 1996 and, at their peak, had 1050 locations. Burger Chef introduced their Funmeal in 1974, five years before McDonald’s Happy Meal. But, the Burger Chef brand owners gradually sold to Hardee’s.

The following advertisement shows that each Funmeal came with a burger, fries, a soft drink, and a treat.

1977 Burger Chef Advertisement

The advertisement highlighted the game, the fact that each tray had 9 Major League trading cards (discs), and the fact that there were 24 different trays, adding up to 216 different baseball cards, each with a colorful Burger Chef cartoon character on the back. Kids had to punch out the discs, which doubled as player cards and baseballs. The bottom of the ad highlighted the six different baseball-themed wall posters. 

The in-store displays highlighted the same features in the Triple Play Funmeal: the Major League Baseball Trading Cards, Baseball Action Game, and Zany Baseball Posters.

1977 Burger Chef Triple Play Funmeal In-Store Display

The trays are about 8.7″ x 11.75″, each featuring nine player discs from one of the 24 Major League teams in 1976. Burger Chef printed assembly instructions and game rules on the box. Here’s a pair of examples, one for the Dodgers and one for the Cardinals, and an unfolded tray in its game board form.

Burger Chef Triple Play Funmeal Dodgers Tray – Side 1
Burger Chef Triple Play Funmeal Dodgers Tray – Side 2
Burger Chef Triple Play Funmeal Cardinals Tray – Side 1
Burger Chef Triple Play Funmeal Cardinals Tray – Side 2
Burger Chef Triple Play Funmeal Tray Folded For The Game

You can pick up a complete set of 24 team trays for just under $200 with a bit of patience. The priciest tray, by book value, is the California Angels one, which features Nolan Ryan’s disc, which is, again, by book value, the priciest individual disc. The Yankees and Reds trays are pretty popular, too.

Burger Chef Triple Play Funmeal Set of 24 Trays

As I wrote in the intro, Michael Schecter Associates produced the 2-3/8″ diameter discs. Hence, the fronts share the same basic design as all the other MSA discs of the era that the Players Association licensed and had to have the team cap logos airbrushed out. They’re also unnumbered.

1977 Burger Chef Funmeal Discs Thurman Munson

Interestingly, because the discs carry a 1976 copyright, despite being marketed in 1977, Reggie Jackson can be seen wearing an airbrushed Orioles cap while being included on the Yankees team tray, despite not playing with the Yankees until 1977. Jackson signed with the Yankees in November 1976, so the Burger Chef promotion must have been finalized after that (the advertisement above does feature a 1977 copyright) under a Player’s Association license MSA received in 1976.

1977 Burger Chef Funmeal Discs Reggie Jackson

However, while the fronts feature standard MSA designs, the backs feature a Burger Chef cartoon character: Burger Chef, Jeff, Crankenburger, Burgerilla, Fangburger, Mrs. Fangburger, Fangburger’s Daughter, Burgerini, and Where Wolf.

PSA has graded 1030 of these discs; most sell for a little more than grading costs. Tom Seaver actually has the most PSA-graded discs, with 48, followed by Mike Schmidt, Nolan Ryan, Dave Winfield, and George Brett.

I’ve also seen the following American League and National League Triple Play Funmeal posters advertising all the discs; they’d make incredible wall art for a collector’s office.

1977 Burger Chef Triple Play Funmeal American Leauge Discs Poster
1977 Burger Chef Triple Play Funmeal National Leauge Discs Poster

Burger Chef also promoted the six Zany Baseball Posters: 1-“Jeff Hits A Homer,” 2-“Crackenburger Goes After A Fly,” 3-“Jeff Slides Into Home Plate!!!” 4-“Fangburger Steals 2nd Base!” 5-“A Great Catch In Left Field!” 6-“Burger Chef Throws His Rainbow Pitch…!” Here are three of them. 

Burger Chef’s Zany Baseball Poster Number 2
Burger Chef’s Zany Baseball Poster Number 3
Burger Chef’s Zany Baseball Poster Number 6

I suspect the Burger Chef Triple Play Funmeal holds a special place in the hearts of those collectors who experienced them as kids in the restaurants. For those who didn’t, the discs are still pretty cool!

Happy collecting!

An Advertisement For TCMA’s 1978 Official Minor League Card Sets

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TCMA was ahead of its time, as evident in this advertisement from the June 1978 issue of The Trader Speaks, which offered a subscription to their 1978 Minor League card sets.

You also got to pick from your choice of a free 1975, 1976, or 1977 set when you signed up.

Based on TCDB’s archives, it looks like TCMA printed at least 27 minor league sets in 1978. A few of the bigger 1978 TCMA minor league cards were the Knoxville Knox Sox Harold Baines, Tidewater Tides Mike Scott, Greenwood Braves Brian Snitker, and the first card for hobby favorite Rusty Kuntz.

1953 Stahl-Meyer Meats Complete Printer’s Proof Set

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Just before the 2024 National, there was a lot of noise across the hobby about a PSA 9 graded 1953 Stahl-Meyer Franks Mickey Mantle hitting the market; imagine if this printer’s proof set came up for sale now, too!

First, Sports Collectors Daily has a nice overview if you want to read more about the PSA 9 Mantle, which has an asking price north of $2.5M. Also, here’s a link to the site the card’s owner made to help market it.

Mastro offered the printer’s proof set in their April 2006 Sports Auction catalog.

Here’s the lot’s description:

Here’s one of the rarest of all early 1950’s regional card productions, featuring a selection of the period’s biggest stars from the three New York teams. Stahl-Meyer collectibles were issued only with that single brand of hot dogs (just one card per package) and only in the New York area. When finished Stahl-Meyer cards were created, they were specially cut with rounded corners, and they were covered with a thick wax coating to protect the cards from being ruined by the hot dogs with which the pieces were packed. The bright and clean full set of nine Stahl-Meyer cards here offered was dearly spared any time spent in proximity to meat products. These items have been carefully hand-cut from a proof sheet and were never publicly distributed; with a single exception, they exhibit square corners and carry no protective wax coating. This unique set emanates from a special “find” of nearly 25 years ago, when a small but significant hoard of survivors from Milprint the Wisconsin printer who produced many of the most popular regional issues of the 1950’s yielded groups of treasures from the Stah-Meyer, Dan Dee, Hunter’s, Johnston Cookies and Briggs releases. Described without reference to the hand-cut nature of the items, these proof cards and their respective presentation quality include: Bauer (GD/VG), Campanella (VG), Hodges (GD/VG), Irvin (VG/EX), Mantle (EX/MT), Rizzuto (GD/VG), Snider (VG) and Thomson (VG). The ninth card Lockman, the only waxed, final-process card held in quantity by the printer grades VG/EX. A verifiably peerless complete printer’s proof set, this offering represents an especially glamorous potential addition to one of the industry’s most important collections.

Happy collecting!

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