Yesterday, I shared an ad from The Baseball Card Kid, with whom most collectors on the leading unopened FB group had fond memories. This ad from Prince of Cards didn’t precisely elicit identical memories.
The ad is a scan from the June 1996 issue of Sports Card Trader. Here are a few comments from collectors on the Facebook ‘Vintage Wax and Packs’ group after I posed this same ad on September 15th, 2024.
One collector noticed that the 1971 rack was bad since the header hole was wrong, and another group expert commented that the 1969 Aaron/Bench rack was probably bogus, too, showing just how far back people were fabricating this stuff.
Someone noticed that the 1975 mini box at $1,750 was actually higher than the price for one as recently as 2012 or so. And someone commented that they were getting them for around $400 in the early ’90s.
It’s not all bad; one collector said he bought a couple of 1986 Fleer basketball sets from Prince (in the late ’90s), and both Jordan’s graded PSA 8.
A collector remembered the huge find of sealed 61-62 Fleer basketball cases in the late 80s/early 90s.
Another collector recalled buying a 1969 cello pack from this dealer that, when opened, had two wax-stained cards in the middle (circa 1992). Another purchased some 1961 Fleer basketball packs around this time that, when opened a few years later, had 1980s Topps baseball cards in the middle.
A ton of collectors said the packs purchased from this dealer in the early ’90s were bad.
The lesson is to be informed and do as much homework as possible, especially when buying pricey items in the unopened niche.
Today, the Baseball Card Exchange is the big player in the unopened space, but in the early ’90s, it was Mark Murphy, The Baseball Card “Kid.” Here’s an ad he placed in the December 1993 issue of Sports Cards Magazine.
You can see along the top that he had just bought a gorgeous run of 1970-1979 Topps Baseball wax boxes and was offering packs from each of them as the first products in the ad. Let’s compare prices in December 1993 to PSA 8-graded wax packs today:
1970 Topps: $200 (5th/6th/7th Series) compared to ~$2000+
1971 Topps: $175 (1st/2nd Series) compared to ~$2000++ (BBCE Auctions recently sold a PSA 8 1st Series pack for $6,667 and 2nd Series packs for $3k)
1972 Topps: $65 (3rd Series) compared to ~$500-750
1973 Topps: $110 (2nd Series) compared to ~$1k
1974 Topps: $60 compared to ~$500
1975 Topps: $90 compared to ~$1k
1976 Topps: $35 compared to $350-425
1977 Topps: $30 compared to ~$225
1978 Topps: $20 compared to ~$150
1979 Topps: $15 compared to ~$115
This ad has so many other awesome products, so I shared the advertisement on the Facebook ‘Vintage Wax and Packs’ group in early September 2024 to see what stood out to people who concentrate on this hobby niche:
Some were surprised by how high some prices were at the time; many thought that everything would have been a lot cheaper in 1993.
One collector commented that the 1982 Topps and 1991 Stadium Club boxes cost the same.
Many commented on how many “bad” decisions one could have made in that ad.
A lot of folks had bought vending boxes from him.
There were many comments about the 1986/87 Fleer basketball packs being $225 or $425 for two.
Many recalled fond memories of dealing with Murphy.
In “I wish I owned a time machine,” hobby history is this advertisement from the December 1979 issue of The Trader Speaks for “sealed gum cases at the lowest prices ever seen!” And yup, that would be from Mike Cramer’s Pacific Trading Cards.
I shared this image on the Facebook “Vintage Wax and Packs” group, which led to some entertaining comments.
One person said he’d take an infinite amount of 1977-78 Topps Basketball; I agreed since I’ve only ever seen one photo of a wax case.
Another collector asked himself why he hadn’t bought a case for $25, responding that it was about $151 in today’s dollars.
There were a lot of comments about Mike Cramer, who owned the company. By the way, if you have any of his old catalogs for sale, please contact me.
The best comment was, “Funny that the priciest case then is the crappiest one now.” Referring to the 1975 Topps ABC Sports “Giant Stickers” for $40. They must have printed a million of them (and) or sold poorly because they’re incredibly easy to find today; a box was sold on eBay for $8 a few weeks ago.
This is what we in the hobby would call a “fun rip.”
These 24 GAI-graded 1969/70 Topps basketball wax packs were offered for sale together in Mastro’s April 2004 catalog. The original 24-count counter-sales display box was included, too.
Each 10-cent pack had ten cards and one of the year’s paper “rulers” inserts. The pack’s grades included GAI Perfect 10: 6 packs; GAI Gem Mint 9.5: 7 packs; GAI Min 9: 7 packs; GAI NM-MT+ 8.5: 1 pack; GAI NM-MT 8: 2 packs; GAI NM+ 7/5: 1 pack.
If you didn’t know, PSA started grading oversized packs around the fall of 2023, and most notably, Goldin sold a lot of 14 1969 Topps basketball tallboy packs in March 2024 for $148,840!
The packs’ grades included:
PSA NM 7: 1 pack
PSA EX-MT 6: 9 packs
PSA EX 5: 4 packs
At the time (June 2024), PSA’s Pop Report still only included those 14 packs.
Mastro offered this 1976/77 Topps basketball unopened vending case in their April 2006 catalog; what are the odds it’s still sealed today?
As you can see, the case contained sixteen 500-count boxes for a total of 8,000 untouched cards, including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Moses Malone, and Julius Erving. And with a 144 total card set size in 1976, there’d be a ton of each in there!
Here’s an example of what the tall-boy-sized vending boxes look like.
Mastro didn’t describe the case’s provenance, but Fritsch did sell through Mastro a lot then, so it could have been from “The Fritsch Vault.”
Collect Auctions sold this empty 1976 Topps Basketball Vending Case in August 2020 for $110, which differs from the sealed Mastro example pictured above.
Steiner Sports is currently (September 2024) offering this one for $262, which also looks different than the Mastro case.
So there’s a chance there were a couple of these sealed cases out in the hobby over the past twenty years; remember, BBCE only wraps vending boxes from sealed cases or, I believe, those with great provenance from The Fritsch Vault.
Tony Galovich wrote the following three-page article about “investing” in unopened card packs and boxes for the June 1992 issue of Alan Kaye’s Sports Cards News & Price Guides; it brought about a lot of conversation on Facebook, so I thought I’d share it here too.
You can see that he highlighted some interesting history:
A 1953 Topps five-cent baseball wax pack sale for $11k in the summer of 1991.
A 1954 Topps cello pack with Hank Aaron showing that sold for $25k in the fall of 1991.
A 1934 Goudey wax pack with Jimmie Foxx on the bottom that sold for $20k in 1992.
All the 1952 Topps baseball wax packs emerging; including a find of around 800 in Seattle in 1991. He said dealers were paying $5k each for them and that someone had just opened a complete box
The find of an entire case of 1953 Topps five-cent packs (Canadian variation) a few years earlier.
The sale of a 1951 Bowman one-cent wax pack for $1,500 “recently.”
The price appreciation of 1961 Topps rack packs going from $600 a few years earlier to $1,500 in 1992.
A 1967 Topps high-number case selling for >$70,000 and the find of 1961 and 1962 cases.
The sale of a 1952 Topps high number case eight years earlier for over $200k.
He shared market prices for the following football products: 1959 Topps vending box-$2,200, 1957 five-cent wax pack-$550, 1964 Philadelphia rack pack-$450, 1984 USFL set case-$30k, 1972 high number wax box-$3,600, 1960 Fleer wax pack-$250, and 1966 Topps wax pack-$325.
From a basketball side he said that 1957 Topps packs were selling for $1k+ and that he heard of a vending case sale in 1991. He also said 1961 Fleer packs were fetching $500+. Also, 1969 Topps boxes were worth >$5k, with packs being >$500. In 1986, Fleer basketball cases were worth $30k, with the rarer 1987 cases bringing $10k.
Galovich also talked about how scarce hockey unopened products already were in 1992.
As I wrote in the intro, I shared the article on the Facebook “Vintage Wacks and Packs” group, and it prompted some interesting comments:
One collector asked if the 1952 case was the Mr. Mint case, but that one was for cards from a case. However, another collector mentioned that he knew who sold that case and who bought it and that it sold for $450k, not $200k. Also, that year, NrMt-Mt ’52 Mantles dropped to $675.
Another collector mentioned that he’d been collecting since 1970 and had never heard of the ’52 case but had remembered the ’67 case. He also saw first-hand, around 1983, an unopened high series case of 63s.
The person who sold the 1954 cello pack with Hank Aaron on top commented that a large horde of Topps high-number boxes was found and sold at the KC show in 1980 between 1962 and 1967 by a retired Topps sales guy.
One of the group admins made a note of “the reference to the 1975 cello with Brett on top and Yount on back, BOTH of which just happened to be faced out (a known trademark for a certain someone who was active during that time), illustrates just how long ago star pack were being fabricated.” I suppose I need to republish my old articles about 1975 Topps pack collation.
I’ve noticed a surge in interest around the 1969 Topps basketball rulers lately. There are more collectors, increased sales, and a growing enthusiasm for the first basketball card inserts. In this article, I’ll provide a quick overview of the 1969 Topps basketball rulers, highlight a few notable sales, delve into the story behind the original line art for the set auctioned at the famous Guernsey’s Topps Auction, and what it reveals about the set’s composition, particularly the intriguing missing ruler #5. I’ll wrap up by showcasing some incredible photos from the collection where many of those original pen and ink drawings ended up.
1969 Topps Basketball Rulers 101
These 2-1/2″ x 9-7/8′ Topps basketball brightly colored cartoon drawings were printed on a paper-like perishable product, folded, and inserted in 1969 Topps basketball packs (one each). However, that year, Topps advertised them as Super-Star Pin-Ups on the wrapper and box.
1969 Topps Basketball Wrapper
1969 Topps Basketball Box
But the insert makes it clear why the hobby renamed them ‘rulers.’
1969 Topps Rulers #9 John Havlicek
Every blank-backed color ruler displays a caricature of the subject to the right of a standard ruler, accompanied by an arrow indicating their height, extending from the player’s depicted height to the ruler. The player’s name and team are in an oval near the top or bottom of the card.
1969 Topps Rulers #11 Wilt Chamberlain
The insert number (of 24) and copyright information are printed in small black text along the bottom right-hand side.
1969 Topps Rulers #10 Lew Alcindor Copy Right and Number
Despite the numbering of 24, the set only has 23 cards. #5 was never released, but we will talk about that later when we cover the original line art. One of the reasons the set is so popular, beyond the bright colors and unique design, is that it’s got huge star power. Twenty of the 23 players are Basketball Hall of Famers. Plus, the cards are relatively scarce; Topps never printed basketball cards as massively as they did baseball – PSA has only grade 3658 1969 Topps Rulers with the most for Lew Alcindor with 360.
Given the folds and paper stock used, ultra-high-grade copies are scarce; there are only 49 PSA 10s and 179 PSA 9s, leading to some really high sales prices.
Before the hobby boom and the set’s resurgence, Robert Edward Auctions sold a complete set in March 2019, advertised as #2 on the PSA Set Registry (8.91 GPA) for $7200. It included nine Gem Mint 10 examples, ten Mint 9s, and four Nm-Mt 8s.
1969 Topps Rulers REA Set – Image 1
1969 Topps Rulers REA Set – Image 2
1969 Topps Rulers REA Set – Image 3
1969 Topps Rulers REA Set – Image 4
1969 Topps Rulers REA Set – Image 5
More recently, in September 2023, Memory Lane Inc. sold the #11 set on the registry (6.04 GPA) for $8065. It had just three PSA 8s to go with seven 6s, ten 5s, one 4, and two 3s.
1969 Topps Rulers Memory Lane Inc. Set
These individual sales exhibit the set’s recent growth in popularity and price:
A PSA 9 Billy Cunningham sold for $2500 in September 2023.
A PSA 9 Gus Johnson sold for $2000 in September 2023.
A PSA 5 Jerry West sold for $1525 in April 2023.
A PSA 8 John Havlicek sold for $528 in March 2023.
A PSA 8 Lew Alcindor sold for $4150 in February 2023.
A PSA 10 Lew Alcindor sold for $9600 in January 2022.
A PSA 10 Gail Goodrich sold for $1560 in January 2022.
Even raw lower-grade lots of cards, without the super-stars, sell for $20-$50/card.
1969 Topps Basketball Rulers Original Line Art
I mentioned earlier that despite the cards being marked ‘of 24,’ only 23 different rulers are on the market. The hobby learned why in 1989 when Guernsey’s auctioned off a lot of the original line art in their famous Topps Auction – they mislabeled them as pen and ink drawings used for the height scales on the backs of 1958 basketball cards.
The auction included 23 pen and ink drawings, but you might notice a few peculiarities. First, the original card artwork for #12 Nate Thurmond and #13 Hal Greer weren’t included. However, those surfaced in late 2020 when REA auctioned off the pair for $3360.
1969 Topps Rulers Pen and Ink Drawings – Gear and Thurmond
The other interesting thing is the inclusion of Celtic legend Bill Russell and 5x All-Star Rudy Larusso (spelled Carruso on the auction page). The Topps Archives believes because the NBA and Topps knew the 1969-70 Topps season would be Russell’s last, and the decision to make a 1969-70 basketball set was made at some point after Russell’s retirement but before Larusso’s on October 1st, Topps likely intended for Larusso to be the 5th card in the set. He added that it’s also possible Alcindor was swapped in for Russell, and Larusso’s retirement caught them off-guard. The “Carruso” sold for $100 in 1989, and the Russell went for $2250. The Topps Archives shared that Bill Schonsheck bought the Russell and many other pieces in 1989, which brings me to where much of this art is now.
1969 Topps Basketball Rulers Original Line Art Today
PSA wrote an article about the 1969 Topps Rulers in March 2011 and included a few quotes from Christopher Sanchirico, a business partner of Bill Schonsheck. They reported that Sanchirico owns the Larusso artwork and that, over the past 20 years, had acquired the artwork for 15 of the 25 players that Topps had drawings for. When you check out Sanchirico’s collection online, you can see many original pieces of artwork framed with released rulers! However, it looks like some items from his collection have been popping up for sale recently.
1969 Topps Rulers Lou Hudson – Line Art and Cards
1969 Topps Rulers Gail Goodrich – Line Art and Cards
1969 Topps Rulers Walt Bellamy – Line Art and Cards
1969 Topps Rulers Wilt Chamberlain – Line Art and Cards
1969 Topps Rulers John Havlicek – Line Art and Cards
1969 Topps Rulers Jerry West – Line Art and Cards
1969 Topps Rulers Oscar Robertson – Line Art and Cards
1969 Topps Rulers Bill Russell – Framed Line Art
Wrap-Up
The 1969 Topps Basketball Rulers are an incredible vintage basketball insert set appreciated today for its star power, scarcity, and fantastic design. The cards also display incredibly well; I ran across this framed example and got major hobby envy!
