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Vintage Pack Facts: 1966 Topps Baseball

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The Milwaukee Braves were now in Atlanta; the Cardinals and Angels were moving into new digs, Frank Robinson would win the Triple Crown and Sandy Koufax would soon bid baseball adieu.  There was a lot going on in 1966 but kids who collected Topps baseball cards could count on plunking down a nickel for some bubble gum and a few cards.  Was there a Mantle inside?  Mays? Clemente?  The new kid, Palmer? 

This week’s edition of Vintage Pack Facts from VintageBreaks.com is centered on the year in Topps baseball, 1966.

  • The set again consisted of 598 cards, divvied up by series released throughout the year. As collectors would find out in the years to come, the last series was hard to come by, with single prints in abundance. Mays led off the set as card #1 after a monster 1965 season.  Future Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry brought up the rear.
  • Five-card wax packs still cost a nickel.  Koufax appeared on one side panel with a message about the new Rub-Off decals that were the lone insert in 1966 Topps baseball. 
  • A Series 2 wax box containing 24 packs sold for $7,638 in 2009. A PSA 8 wax pack sold for $2,040 in 2017. 
  • Wax wrappers contained two different messages on the front:  one touting “All The Top Major League Stars” and the other highlighting the Rub-Off inserts.
  • 10-cent cello packs were also available in a small number of areas with full boxes containing 36 packs.  It’s believed only Series 2 cellos were produced.
  • Visit a toy store and you might find three of those cello packs inside a 29-cent rack pack. A header was at the top of the pack, which typically contained at least two Rub-Off inserts.  Few rack packs survive today and the number of intact wax and cello boxes is also extremely limited.  A rack pack sold for $1,016 in 2015.
  • Vending boxes of 500 cards were produced.  A box sold several years ago for $7,132 but would likely fetch a much higher price today.
  • Vintage Breaks has opened a few cello packs with their latest one available below.  Another break is being offered now at $275 per spot.

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About Rich Mueller

Rich is the editor and founder of Sports Collectors Daily. A broadcaster and writer for over 40 years and a collector for even longer than that, he's usually typing something somewhere. Type him back at [email protected].