1973-74 OPC Question

[djsports]

I just picked up a lot of 69 1973-74 O-Pee-Chee cards and when I was putting them in order I noticed something strange about the back of the cards.

All of the green bordered cards 135-262 have the lighter white back with the exception of card #135 Esposito/Clarke and all the red border cards had the darker "Topps" color card board back with the exception of #70 Gilbert Perreault.

I went downstairs to look at the three cards I have in my inventory right now and the Marcel Dionne (Red Border) #17 has the brighter white back, while the #167 Dallas Smith and #177 Dale Rolfe (Green Border) have the darker Topps Back.

The lot I picked up has a Dallas Smith as well and it has the lighter back.

My question is, does one carry a premium over the other. A majority of the cards in this lot would grade anywere from Ex to NM, some will fall on either side but that is a majority.

Shawn

 

[Rraincock]

From what I can tell... the 'topps' backs, if you will, were from late in the print run. The '73-74 set was very well recieved at the time. Perhaps OPC extended their print runs... I don't know. I do know that of the collection that I have there are about 90% 'OPC' Paper and about 10% 'Topps' Paper. This kind or reminds me of the Tembac paper variants of the 89/90 topps/opc issue.

 

[djsports]

Thank you for the post...so when you say late in the print run, you are meaning that they reprint the whole set? Not just the high numbered cards.

 

[Rraincock]

My information on the specific 73/74 set is a little foggy. I know there were runs for wax... there were runs for factory sets (or a factory set sort of thing).... there were runs for vending cases... there were runs for the high series


My best guess is that the topps backed OPC's came late in the print run and were intended for vending cases.

 

[djsports]

So if I were to assign a premium it would be to the "Topps" Back.

 

[Rraincock]

If anything, I think that most people don't trade/pay any higher for either. I have OPC backed ones that have mildew or some sort of thing ageing them that makes them very close to a topps back.

That said... a player collector or a key RC might get you a little more if you had both....

 

[kmitchel]

When I was chasing the few (3 or 4) that I needed for my Canucks RCs, most people I asked about it were charging the same for either variation - they were notating which was which but the price was the same.

Kevin

 

[Stadium Sports]

We have a few thousand of them here at the store and charge the same for both.

 

[djsports]

Cool...thanks for the input.

 

[piper1]

I have heard that due to a strike in Canada that year OPC ran out of their normal stock (lighter color back) and had to revert to the Topps stock to complete their production run (darker color back)

 

[Rraincock]

A strike at the paper Mill or a strike at the OPC plant in Ontario?

 

[Habs Fan Ontario]

Well when they came out i never even knew the green cards existed untill 1982 when i started collecting never seen them at any stores i had 1000 of the 1st series none of the green.....