INSERT CRAZE: TOPPS BOX BOTTOMS BASEBALL CARDS OF THE 1980s AND ‘90s
Once upon a time, the boxes that baseball cards came in actually featured bonus cards that could be (carefully) cut off the bottom or side panel of the box. at trend actually started with 1985 Donruss, but it was Topps that had the longest run of wax box bottom cards starting in 1986 and running through the 1991 release.
1986 TOPPS BOX BOTTOM CARDS CARDS: 16
HALL OF FAMERS: 4
e first Topps Baseball wax box cards were found on the bottom of 1986 boxes, and there were some big names included right off the bat.
Rather than the black and white border found on the 1986 Topps design, the box bottom cards had a red and white border that makes them pop alongside their flagship counterparts. e cards also featured different photos than the player’s base card.
Wade Boggs, George Brett, Carlton Fisk and Reggie Jackson are the four Hall of Famers included in the 16card checklist, with Boggs and Brett sharing one of the four different four-card panels.
1987 TOPPS BOX BOTTOM CARDS CARDS: 8
HALL OF FAMERS: 5
e 1987 wax box cards shied from the bottom of the box to the side panel, with only two cards found on each box instead of four like the previous year.
e eight cards in the set all highlighted milestones from the previous year, with Don Baylor (300th HR), Steve Carlton (4,000th strikeout), Ron Cey (300th HR), Cecil Cooper (2,000th hit), Rickey Henderson (600th SB), Jim Rice (2,000th hit), Don Sutton (300th win) and Dave Winfield (300th HR) making up the checklist.
It’s the only Topps card to show Carlton as a member of the San Francisco Giants, who he made six starts for during the 1986 season sandwiched between stints with the Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago White Sox.
e card fronts were identical to the iconic 1987 wood-grained design, but the backs focused on details of the milestone rather than a normal stat back. Once again, the cards also featured a different photo than the one used for each player in the flagship set.
1988 TOPPS BOX BOTTOM CARDS CARDS: 16
HALL OF FAMERS: 4
e wax box cards returned to the bottom of the box in 1988 and that’s where they would stay throughout the remainder of their run.
ey again featured the same front design as the flagship set, with the only difference being a blue border rather than a white border, and once again player milestones were the focus of the card backs.
Among the more interesting milestones was the San Diego Padres trio of Marvell
Wynne, Tony Gwynn and John Kruk hitting back-to-back-to-back home runs to start a game on April 13, 1987, and each player was recognized with a card.
Joe Carter, Eric Davis, Howard Johnson and Darryl Strawberry were each recognized for joining the 30/30 Club.
1989 TOPPS BOX BOTTOM CARDS CARDS: 16
HALL OF FAMERS: 11
e 1989 wax box card checklist was loaded with legendary talent. Similar to the 1988 set, they were distinguishable from the flagship release by a slightly different border color, though the light gray didn’t have the same pop as the blue used the previous year.
For the second consecutive year, Hall of Famers Nolan Ryan and Mike Schmidt each had cards in the set. It was Schmdit’s final season in the Topps flagship set.
at duo was joined by George Brett, Rich Gossage, Rickey Henderson, Jim Rice, Cal Ripken Jr., Bruce Sutter, Don Sutton, Dave Winfield and manager Tommy Lasorda for an impressive 11 Hall of Famers in the 16-card set.
1990 TOPPS BOX BOTTOM CARDS CARDS: 16
HALL OF FAMERS: 9
e 1990 wax box cards had a green border, which actually matched some of the 1990 Topps base cards as they utilized a mix of blue, green, orange, purple and red borders for the flagship design.
Chicago Cubs stars Ryne Sandberg and Andre Dawson make their first appearance on a wax box card, as does prolific slugger Mark Mcgwire, who is joined by Cal Ripken Jr., Nolan Ryan and George Brett as the only cards with a book value over $1.
On the more obscure player side of things, veteran hurler Rick Reuschal made the cut for recording his 200th victory as the cards continued to focus on individual milestones.
1991 TOPPS BOX BOTTOM CARDS CARDS: 16
HALL OF FAMERS: 8
Yellow was the border color for the 1991 wax box cards, giving them a look similar to the 1991 Fleer base set, though not quite as overpoweringly bright.
Rickey Henderson made his fih appearance in the set in six years, while George Brett and Nolan Ryan each clocked in with their fourth appearance. So if you have a PC of one of these players these cards are definitely worth tracking down.
e Topps flagship product underwent a retooling in 1992 with the cards printed on a bright white card stock for the first time as opposed to the off-white that had been the standard for years. It was also the first year that pieces of gum were no longer included in the packs, and the long-running wax material used for packaging was replaced with a plastic cellophane alternative.
With all of those changes also came the disbanding of the wax box cards, but they stand out as a unique part of the Topps line’s history.