The '83 O-Pee-Chee set is basically an abbreviated version (396 cards) of the Topps set (792 cards) of the same year. The cards have identical fronts except for the logo is different. The text on each side of the card is written in both French and English.
The key players that we are looking for out of this pack are #83 Ryne Sandberg (rc) and #143 Tony Gwynn (rc). I do not believe Wade Boggs (Topps #498) is included in the 83 O-Pee-Chee set. The Sandberg and Gwynn cards are #83 and #482 respectively in the Topps Set.
The Wrapper
Yep that right back in 1983 this bad boy went for one Canadian Quarter. I picked this 10 card pack up for $3.99 off the bay. The 83 O-Pee-Chee pack are 10 cards, while the Topps packs from the same year offered 15 cards. Low recent auctions for 83 topps packs came in at $4.49. The Wrapper (b-side)
There is an offer on the wrapper to get a Ball Strike Out counter for a buck and a quarter. What a bargain!! I wonder if there is an "app for that"The Cards (click each to enlarge)
#368 Richie Zisk #56 Reggie Jackson
#36 Super Veteran Rollie Fingers
#62 Jim Gott (A Blue Jay!!)#57 Tim Blackwell (les Expos)
#340 Larry Gura
#250 Bill Buckner #213 Tom Burgmeier
#112 Luis Pujols
#386 Rod Carew All-Star#386 Rod Carew All-Star (b-side w/ Gum firmly attached)
No Sandberg or Gwynn, but a solid pack, Unfortunately one of the better cards has the gum pretty much permanently affixed to the back. As I said this is a pretty good pack 3 Hall of Famers including a super vet insert. Rod Carew was always a childhood favorite of mine, and it is really hard to argue with a Reggie card. Regardless it was a fun to open an 27 year old O-Pee-Chee pack for for $4 and the HOF talent was just a bonus.
Compare
1983 Topps #728 Ron Reedfor comparison sake I have featured Ron Reed's 1983 Topps card above, Gotta love the old powder blue road unis.
1983 O-Pee-Chee #56 Reggie Jackson (b-side) 1983 Topps #43 Bob Dernier (b-side)
B-sides for comparison - note the Text in French on the Reggie card (click to enlarge).
1983 O-Pee-Chee #36 Super Veteran Rollie Fingers (b-side) 1983 Topps #491 Super Veteran Jim Palmer (b-side)
And the B-sides of the Super Vets. That is a lot of info to cram on the Rollie card.
As noted above a fun pack to open - I'll be keeping the HOFs and probably the Buckner card. If you don't have an '83 O-Pee-Chee from your favorite team, and you see a care you need here, let me know - we can likely arrange something. My address is on my profile over at Phungo.
Try putting the Carew in the microwave for 5-10 seconds. It might loosen up the gum enough to pull it off with only massive stains instead of ripping off the back of the card. Worth a shot, I've seen it work before.
ReplyDeleteWV: bampig
Hit it with a hair dryer...no wait. That's how you remove stickers. Nevermind.
ReplyDeleteThat's funny, I've heard of the opposite--putting the card/gum combo in the freezer for an hour, and then try sliding a knife in between the two gently to "plink' off brittle, freeze-dried pieces at a time.
ReplyDeleteThat's how I got a bunch of gum off of a pile of 1979 OPC, including a Schmidt, a while back.
I like the Reggie, but was he still playing the outfield by 1983? I figured by then he was a full-time "Batteur Designée" or "Jouer Tabarnak" or whatever it is in wacky Quebec-y.