Off-Topic Forum

I happened to be skipping around e-bay this morning when I came across someone with an 'estate sale' with a large number of old unopened baseball wax packs and it got me to remembering a convo I had with my son when he was much younger and I was introducing him to the activity.

Me : See son, when I was a very young boy, part of the reason that we used to buy the cards was for the gum...

Him : Wow....that guy is selling some old cards from when you were a kid...can we get them...and can I have the gum????

I can only imagine the state of the 'gum' in those packs....but it did get me to thinking about what that might do to the cards...has anyone opened any of those old packs that include the gum? Does it ruin the cards or do the 'preservatives' still work.

I had such a trip down memory lane thinking about the smell of opening those packs....you know what I'm talking about...that sweet sweet amazing smell of the gum that you would cram in your mouth as you quickly flip cards looking, hoping for that one player you wanted...ahh....the 'good ole days'

I opened a few old packs of O-Pee-Chee hockey cards last year.  The gum was stuck to the top card.  It wasn't a big deal except one pack had a Mark Messier on top.  I experimented with some of the common ones the had stuck gum and usually ended up destroying those cards trying to remove the gum.  I still have the Messier card, waiting fer some kinda idea to hit me to try and remove the gum.

I know one thing about that gum.... A piece from a pack of 89 Topps taste exactly how I remembered it. The texture on the other hand....lets just say it would no longer be considered gum!

A lot depends on how the box was stored. You can watch old pack openings on youtube. Boxes that were kept in climate controlled storage can have the pack open like new. If the boxes were subject to less than ideal conditions will stick to the cards and ruin at least one of the cards.

I tried some 1984 Topps gum this last summer. I definitly wouldn't reccomend it.

I remember the white powder that sometimes showed up due to the gum.

Sorry about the Messier card...maybe trying to put it in the freezer? I'm guessing that the issue is the old suger in the gum, thinking that if it has melded with the paper, it will be impossible to get off....I did order a couple of lots so if I find any stuck, Ill try a few things and let you know what I figure out!

Oooo the freezer, I like this idea think I will try it this weekend, thanks!

When I was a kid I brought the packs for the cards.  I always gave the gum away.  I am glad there is no gum in today's packs.  You probably receive more cards in the packs without the gum.

I opened some 88 Topps not too long ago and let's just say the gum wasn't as I remember but then I seem to think even in the original packs the gum was not so good either. (On a side note I wish I had of saved all those wrappers I opened back in the '60's as I could have made a small fortune selling those 50 years later.