1991 Topps 40th Anniversary Buybacks

[gpenko826]

Way, way back in the magical year of 1991, Topps decided to celebrate its 40th anniversary by buying back 1 of EVERY Topps card produced from the 1951 Red/Blue Backs to the 1990 Topps set and randomly inserting them in packs. They never posted any odds, only that some of the oversize cards from 1952-1956 and REALLY expensive cards would be done as redemptions.

I saw the other day in the "first case you opened" thread that someone's first case was 1991 Topps and they pulled a 1970 Joe Pepitone... I opened a lot of it when it came out (pack by pack of course, I was only 14) and managed to pull a 1987 Topps Benito Santiago (woo-hoo?). So it got me wondering - for the other long-timers out there, did you pull any vintage Topps cards? Did you know of anyone that pulled any, especially the "holy grail" cards? And did they REALLY do redemptions?

[cruiserdaddy7]

I had opened boxes myself and spoke to dealers who never saw anything bought back of value. I still question it.

[lindeman79]

Good topic. I myself never pulled one either and thought the same about the more valuable 50's stuff and key cards from the 60's (ryan,seaver rc). They then did it again in 2001. I opened 4 jumbo boxes that winter and thought for sure I was gonna get something vintage. NOPE. Well my father asked at the shop he bought them from and all the people at the shop had not pulled or seen one pulled either. My beef... Come on topps put more "buy backs" in. Just sayin

[DaClyde]

In 1991, I think the biggest problem was that the cards just got lost in the billion+ 1991 Topps base cards. I suspect there were a lot of commons from 1980-1990 that were found and basically dismissed by the people opening them. To my knowledge they weren't stamped or anything, were they? After the fact, how would anyone ever know?

[EldoEsq]

I opened at least 20 boxes of 91 Topps hunting for those...never pulled a damn thing!

[griffan15]

I actually got one in a pack and remember I thought I hit the jackpot. 1968 common of a player I can't remember. But the thing I do remember was it was MINT. Sharp corners and perfect centering, I didn't think it was real at first because I had never seen a card like that before.

[edgeusaf1]

Way, way back in the magical year of 1991, Topps decided to celebrate its 40th anniversary by buying back 1 of EVERY Topps card produced from the 1951 Red/Blue Backs to the 1990 Topps set and randomly inserting them in packs. They never posted any odds, only that some of the oversize cards from 1952-1956 and REALLY expensive cards would be done as redemptions.

I saw the other day in the "first case you opened" thread that someone's first case was 1991 Topps and they pulled a 1970 Joe Pepitone... I opened a lot of it when it came out (pack by pack of course, I was only 14) and managed to pull a 1987 Topps Benito Santiago (woo-hoo?). So it got me wondering - for the other long-timers out there, did you pull any vintage Topps cards? Did you know of anyone that pulled any, especially the "holy grail" cards? And did they REALLY do redemptions?

Ya, that was me...I still have that Joe Pepitone at my mother's house in my old closet....along with hundred of thousands of 1982-1993ish cards! Also, my buddy didn't buy a case that year but did pull a buyback....his was a 1986 common! lol! I do question if Topps put say a Mantle Rc or Clemente back into packs as redemptions....I don't recalling ever seeing any redemptions...

[lindeman79]

They were not stamped in 91 or 2001.

[natbornkiller]

i remember 92 topps when people were using flashlights to see if they can win some gold foil cards

[sideout1212]

i remember 92 topps when people were using flashlights to see if they can win some gold foil cards

The scratch off game?

[natbornkiller]

The scratch off game?

yeap........
then when there were going to be so many winners
they decided to stamp them winners

[wflet]

In 1991 I had pretty much quit collecting but by the 2001 Anniversary I was back on the wagon. I was working outside of the St. Louis area and found a card shop where I bought a box of 2001 Topps and pulled a redemption for this beauty...



Of the several other boxes I got when I got back to Texas, I pulled a few random buybacks, the best being something like a 1987 Cal Ripken All Star card. The buybacks were in a penny sleeve from what I remember.

[itradeerrors]

In 91 Topps I pulled a 88 common. Probably opened 4 cases worth back then.

[LCM1223]

In 1991 I had pretty much quit collecting but by the 2001 Anniversary I was back on the wagon. I was working outside of the St. Louis area and found a card shop where I bought a box of 2001 Topps and pulled a redemption for this beauty...

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg191/wflet/JackieRobinson1954Topps.jpg (http://s248.photobucket.com/user/wflet/media/JackieRobinson1954Topps.jpg.html)

Of the several other boxes I got when I got back to Texas, I pulled a few random buybacks, the best being something like a 1987 Cal Ripken All Star card. The buybacks were in a penny sleeve from what I remember.

GTFO!.....

[blueguy]

In 1991, I pulled a 1976 Dave Kingman out of a pack. I think he was with the Mets that year,

[batcavelv]

I just busted a box last night and pulled an Astros common from 1977. It was in very nice shape. I didn't realize how rare of a pull that was. Thanks for help!

[ToppsCollector1]

When they did the MCG in 2010 I once got so confused by a card I pulled in a pack.

Took me about 10 minutes to realize that the 1965 Original back from series 1 was an insert and not a real vintage card.

As or the 1991 boxes, no nothing

[BostonNut]

When they did the MCG in 2010 I once got so confused by a card I pulled in a pack.

Took me about 10 minutes to realize that the 1965 Original back from series 1 was an insert and not a real vintage card.

As or the 1991 boxes, no nothing

They didn't have gloss back then...:p

[Big35Hurt]

I opened quite a few boxes that year and never pulled a thing.

[jdandns]

I've got a 91 factory set (still sealed) that mentions the promotion on the outer packaging. Maybe a goodly number of them ended up in those. I'll open it up and check one of these days.

As for the condition of the cards, it's reasonable Topps would have been able to acquire a full run of the cards through 1990 for a far more reasonable price in 1991 than those same cards could be had for today,

What year did PSA grading of cards begin in earnest?

[CM Sports Memorabilia]

Don't remember who but I pulled one in 1991 but only opened several boxes.

In 2001 I opened 2-3 cases and got several but no one name worthy and the one card I got from the late 1950's was in really bad shape!

I've been around the hobby for awhile and I don't think I ever saw/knew anyone that pulled a really key card.

[edgeusaf1]

Way, way back in the magical year of 1991, Topps decided to celebrate its 40th anniversary by buying back 1 of EVERY Topps card produced from the 1951 Red/Blue Backs to the 1990 Topps set and randomly inserting them in packs. They never posted any odds, only that some of the oversize cards from 1952-1956 and REALLY expensive cards would be done as redemptions.

I saw the other day in the "first case you opened" thread that someone's first case was 1991 Topps and they pulled a 1970 Joe Pepitone... I opened a lot of it when it came out (pack by pack of course, I was only 14) and managed to pull a 1987 Topps Benito Santiago (woo-hoo?). So it got me wondering - for the other long-timers out there, did you pull any vintage Topps cards? Did you know of anyone that pulled any, especially the "holy grail" cards? And did they REALLY do redemptions?

That was me that pulled the Pepitone! lol! I think I remember reading in a Beckett back in the early 90's about someone pulling a Clemente from the 60's...

[Kmm1116]

I remember opening a box and had a no name common 1988 topps card.. I was like.. ok

[bobthewondercat]

My second wax box ever was 91 Topps (I was 13). Pulled a 1986 Steve Carlton. Still have it! Was ecstatic but quickly realized it was indistinguishable from my other 1986 Steve Carlton. This is one situation in which they really should have stamped them 40th anniversary 1/1 buybacks, would be a very cool piece.

That 54T Jackie in this thread is absurd. That went to PSA I'm hoping??


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[LCM1223]

They didn't have gloss back then...

:)!:)!

[sbfinley]

If I remember correctly, anything with a book value of greater than $100 at the time and anything pre-57 was issued as a redemption. I've never pulled one that I remember although it's one of my favorite junk set and I still break about a case a year just for fun. (Chasing the million or so variations.) We did do the math one time and figured the buybacks fell 1 in about every 10,000 packs or 1 every 24 cases. It's just a guess, but considering the print run was close to 4 billions total cards it's fairly close. That ten cent 77' is probably the toughest technical pull of your lifetime.

[mouschi]

If I remember correctly, anything with a book value of greater than $100 at the time and anything pre-57 was issued as a redemption. I've never pulled one that I remember although it's one of my favorite junk set and I still break about a case a year just for fun. (Chasing the million or so variations.) We did do the math one time and figured the buybacks fell 1 in about every 10,000 packs or 1 every 24 cases. It's just a guess, but considering the print run was close to 4 billions total cards it's fairly close. That ten cent 77' is probably the toughest technical pull of your lifetime.

YOINK! (That is the sound of me stealing your math and tweeting it.)

[smapdi]

1991 is when I got back into the hobby and I really wanted to pull one. Didn't care if it was a 1977 Biff Pocoroba or an Aaron rookie. I've heard different theories on frequency, from one in every case (demonstrably false) to one in 100, but most seem to be around 1:10 to 1:20 cases. They did have valuable cards in there, but as sbfinley mentions, there were redemption cards for oversized or valuable ones. The full 40-year run was found and redeemed back in the day. And I'm pretty sure I remember hearing the 1952 Mantle was, also, but that's fuzzier. Who knows how many might still be out there.

I just finished opening a 1991 Topps box yesterday, incidentally (looking for glows), didn't get a buyback. So that's one box down, several tens of millions to go.

[priestc]

Has anyone ever seen what the redemption cards look like?

[sthoemke]

i remember 92 topps when people were using flashlights to see if they can win some gold foil cards

There were patterns on the scratch-off cards, which people figured out also.

[sbfinley]

Has anyone ever seen what the redemption cards look like?

They were exactly the same as the Contest Game cards that were included in every pack. The difference being they were marked with a "X" instead of the normal "A" "B" "C" as almost all are. The A's, B's, and C's sent in went into pools of the respective letter's with winners drawn from those submitted. The "X" contest cards were automatic winners, although it was a blind draw and you didn't know what you were redeeming for until it arrived or in the case of the larger prizes - they contacted you.

They are fairly tough to come by. Surprisingly the 1991 is actually pretty popular with die hard collectors. Master sets are basically impossible. Between base, tiffany, opc, micro, desert shield, uv backs, glow backs, and all the variations/errors there has to be a good 10,000 or more individual cards. There are a good dozen or so collectors always working the set and I only know a couple who have contest "x" instant winner card.