Vintage Pack Facts hopes to shed some light on one individual release each week in terms of the variety of packaging methods used, prices at the time, a little about the set itself and more.
Topps expanded its set from 598 cards in 1966 to 609 in ’67 but youngsters wouldn’t know it until late in the year as it continued to produce cards in series that were time released over the course of the season. There were seven series in 1967, with cards from the last one proving to be elusive to collectors in the years to come, especially in better grades.
Collectors also noticed something else when they flipped their cards over. For the first time, the backs were printed vertically.
By the time the calendar turned to October, the set had produced what would become two of the hobby’s most valuable post-War rookie cards: Tom Seaver and Rod Carew.
In cooperation with Vintage Breaks, here are some facts about 1967 Topps Baseball configuration and more.
- 1967 Topps wax packs were a nickel–and would be for two more years.
- Traditional wax boxes held 24 packs. The insert posters that were available in some series were promoted with an ad on one version of the box.
- Wrappers offered several different promotions that enabled youngsters to send them in–along with a little money–for things like flip-up sunglasses, a ball-strike indicator, magnets or a (very) cheap camera.
- In addition to wax and cello packs, Topps produced tray packs with multiple wax packs wrapped a rectangular piece of cardboard, a marketing technique they’d continue to use off and on in the years to come.
- They also produced rack packs containing, essentially, three 10-cent cello packs (36 cards) for 29 cents. The value to the buyer, of course, was you saved a penny and could see six of the cards you’d be adding to your collection. An incredible group of seven Series 2 racks was uncovered not long ago, a couple with Mickey Mantle showing.
- Until 1973, most cello packs didn’t have any text on the wrapper. The 1967 Topps cello packs came in a red box with the price printed on the front (10 cents). Wax packs containing five cards were a nickel so those who could find cellos received two extra cards.
More Pack Facts after the gallery….
- There are only 88 cards in Series 2 and with 12 cards per pack, the odds of finding a Mantle, Steve Carlton, Willie Stargell, Frank Robinson, Eddie Mathews or Yankees team card aren’t bad.
- Like wax packs, ’67 cellos typically included one of the poster inserts Topps produced that year.
- A complete box of 1967 cello packs contained 48 packs.
- ’67 Topps cello packs are considered among the easiest 1960s packs to find today with a decent supply of surviving unopened. ’67 wax packs are among the toughest, however.
- A complete 1st Series cello box sold at Robert Edward Auctions for $102,000 in the Spring of 2020.
- Display boxes–both cello and wax–can often be found on eBay.
- With 576 cards in a box, a full box of 1967 Topps Series 2 cellos should have held at least six of each card in the series if distribution was good.
- As usual, 500-count vending boxes were produced.
- You can watch a few pack breaks of 1967 Topps here.
Topps produced a kid-oriented video inside its Duryea, PA plant in 1967 that shows boxes and packs:
You can participate in a pack, box, or set break anytime at VintageBreaks.com which offers a variety of options across all years and sports.
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