Which test packs still exist unopened?

Just wanted to add some information to this thread. Besides the two full boxes of "Shock Theater" test that have been listed on eBay, at least 138 unopened packs have recently moved through eBay as well. Having talked to the seller, these came from a yard sale in Brooklyn by way of his late uncle. There were no plain white boxes, so these are not the same as the full boxes we have seen. I personally know a collector friend who purchased 20 of these packs and opened them, and I know at least 2 or 3 of the 5 pack lots got opened, so subtract at least 35 unopened packs from the total. That still leaves about 2 boxes worth of pack, plus the 2 boxes on eBay, so there are at least 4 boxes worth of unopend packs still in existence.

I was looking at the PSA pop report last night and noticed that there are now 5 Charlies Angels test packs that have been graded by PSA. I wrote Steve Hart of Baseball Card Exchange and asked whether these were all foreign packs or if a US pack had surfaced and got the following reply from him:

"Im not aware of any US Angels test packs either. They are probably foreign issue packs (UK, Mexican)"

Click on the UK pack front below to see the PSA pop report:

Click on the UK pack back to see the auction that this pack was sold at:

There's a great article by Kurt Kuersteiner on the Monsterwax site about how the Flash Gordon Test cards were distributed. Click on the picture below for the link:

Here are a few more full test boxes to enjoy!

Not the test version, but interesting box!

Top of sticker, folded over inside box.

Thanks Lonnie. This is great and exactly what I wanted. I'm going to add this information to the website and to the checklist! Thank you so much for sharing it!

And, indeed, somebody on eBay is currently selling 2 full boxes of 1975 Shock Theater test packs claiming that there are three known full boxes. It could be yours for the low, low BIN of just under $40,000! At least you get a look at what the white boxes looked like!

Does anybody have anything to add?

Let me start by saying that Topps has claimed in the past that they tested everything. Since finds continue to happen to this day, it would not surprise me if there is a lot of test issues yet to be discovered.

Here is a list of test issues that most likely were tested at retail by Topps. This list doesn't include sports, prototype sets or unpublished sets. It is not complete, but contains most all known test issues. I've added my guess to the number of possible unopened packs still in existence.

1955-Western Round-Up, 5cent paper test packs, no known packs

1960-Funny Valentines Stickers, unknown how tested, no known packs

1960-Funny Button, unknown how tested, no known packs

1961-Attack from Space, 1cent and 5cent wax test packs, no known packs

1961-Civil War, 1cent non-repeated wax pack may be test, 1 pack known to exist

1962-Casey & Kildare, wax wrapper with gum may be test pack, no known packs

1964-Beatles Plaks, 5cent wax test packs, at least 20 packs known to exist

1964-Outer Limits, 1cent and 5cent wrappers without "Monsters from", no known packs

1965-Daniel Boone, unknown how tested, no known packs

1965-Dave Clark 5, unknown how tested, no known packs

1965-Gidget, unknown how tested but a box and set of cards known, no known packs

1965-King Kong, unknown how tested, no known packs

1966-Flash Gordon, unknown how tested but remainders issued in Fun Paks, no known packs

1965-Kookie Plaks Stickers, unknown how tested, no known packs

1965-Superman, white back cards, unknown how tested (possibly 5cent wax packs with bubble gum), no known packs

1966-Superman In the Jungle, 5cent plain white wax with sticker, 1-5 known packs

1966-Rat Patrol, cards with Jeep cations, unknown how tested, no known packs

1966-Flipper, unknown how tested, no known packs

1966-Flipper's Magic Fish, tested with Flipper cards and then retailed alone in 2cent cardboard sleeves, not common, but available

1966-Creepy Stickers, unknown how tested (test of Frankenstein Stickers), no known packs

1966-Flip-Ups, test in paper envelopes, no known packs

1966-Nutty Tickets, 5cent plain white wax with sticker, no known packs

1967-Captain Nice, 5cent plain white wax with sticker, 1-5 known packs

1967-Angry Signs, 5cent plain white wax with sticker, no known packs (the 3 packs found were opened)

1967-Protest Stickers, die-cut stickers of Angry Signs, unknown how tested, no known packs

1967-Fold-A-Roos, plain white wax with sticker, 1-5 known packs

1967-Krazy Little Comics, 5cent plain white wax with sticker, 1-5 known packs

1967-Phoney Records, 5cent plain white wax with sticker, no known packs

1967-Twiggy, 5cent clear cellophane packs with sticker (10cent box known), 5-10 known packs

1967-Fighter Planes, 5cent paper envelopes, at least 24 packs known

1967-Giant Plaks, 10cent white paper envelope with sticker, no known packs

1967-Fabulous Rock Records, paper sleeves, unknown

1967-Googy Goggles, paper envelopes, no known packs

1968-Mod Generation, 5cent plain white wax with sticker, 1-5 known packs

1968-Kooky Awards, 5cent plain white wax with sticker, 1-5 known packs

1968-Gruesome Greeting Cards, unknown how tested, no known packs

1968-Julia, 5cent plain white wax with sticker, 1 known pack

1968-Land of the Giants, 5cent plain white wax with sticker, 1-5 known packs

1968-Planet of the Apes, 5cent plain white wax with sticker, 5-10 known packs

1968-Put-On Stickers, 5cent white paper envelope with sticker, no known packs

1968-Ugly Hang-Ups, unknown how tested but display box exists, no known packs

1968-Lotsa Labels, unknown how tested, no known packs

1968-Funny Flash Cards, unknown how tested, no known packs

1969-Mod Squad, 5cent plain white wax with sticker, 1 pack known

1969-Smarty Metal Button, paper envelope test packs ("They Glow!" and "They Shine"), unknown

1969-Topps Pak O' Fun, paper test packs, 1-5 known packs

1969-Crazy TV, 5cent plain white wax with sticker, 15-20 known packs

1969-Room 222, 5cent plain white wax with sticker (presumed used for both B&W and Color tests), 1-5 known packs

1969-Wacky Ads, 5cent wax test packs, unknown

1969-Flags of the World, white paper envelope with sticker, no known packs

1969-Fighter Planes, 10cent paper envelopes, no known packs

1969-Stupid Scratch-Offs, unknown how tested, no known packs

1970-Comic Cover Stickers, 5cent plain white wax with sticker, no known packs

1970-The Brady Bunch, 5cent plain white wax with sticker, 1-5 known packs

1970-Hee Haw, unknown how tested, no known packs

1970-Stacks of Stickers, 5cent plain white wax with sticker, 1-5 known packs

1970-Bobby Sherman Plaks, plain white wax with sticker (presumed for both Postcard and "Ask Bobby..." backs), no known packs

1971-Getting Together with Bobby Sherman, plain white wax with sticker, 15-20 known packs

1972-Mod Initial Stickers, plain white wax with sticker, 1-5 known packs

1973-Emergency & Adam-12, plain white wax with sticker T-1, 1 known pack

1973-The Rookies, plain white wax with sticker T-2, 1-5 known packs

1973-Nose Flute, clear cello bag with header card T-4, 1 known pack

1973-Flags of the World Cloth Stickers, unknown how tested T-5, no known packs

1973-Kung Fu, plain white wax with sticker T-82, 1-2 known packs

1974-The Waltons, plain white wax with sticker T-8, 5-10 known packs

1974-Monster Gumsters, blister pack on backer card T-13, 1 known pack

1974-Planet of the Apes TV, plain white wax with sticker T-15, 1-5 known packs

1974-The Six Million Dollar Man, plain white wax with sticker T-29, at least 2 to 3 full boxes exist

1974-Wacky Patches, clear cellophane pack with instruction card T-32, 10-15 known packs

1974-Comic Book Heroes Stickers, plain white wax with sticker T-34, at least 1 to 2 full boxes exist

1974-Flying Things, paper envelope and cello bag with header card T-42, no known packs

1974-Wacky Wanted Stickers, plain white wax with sticker T-99, 1-2 known packs

1975-Wacky Packages 13th Series, clear acetate stickers, unknown how tested, no known packs

1975-Comic Book Heroes, plain white wax with sticker T-47, 10-15 known packs

1975-Comic Book Heroes, clear acetate stickers, unknown how tested, no known packs

1975-Ring Pop, printed cellophane wrapper T-50, no known packs

1975-Shock Theater, plain white wax with sticker T-64, at least 2 to 3 full boxes exist

1975-Funny Ad Foldees, plain white wax with sticker T-67, 5-10 known packs

1975-Hysterical History, plain white wax with sticker T-72, at least 1 or more known boxes

1976-Bugs Bunny Roadrunner Tattoo, printed paper wrappers T-73, 1 known pack

1976-Big Bad Buttons, printed paper envelopes T-75, 1-5 known packs

1976-Leapin' Lizards, printed paper envelopes T-76, no known packs

1976-Drac-Snax, printed paper envelopes T-77, no known packs

1976-Fancy Pants Real Cloth Jean Stickers, plain white wax with sticker T-85, 5-10 known packs

1976-Charlie's Angels, unknown how tested (UK test pack exists), 1-3 known packs

1976-32 Mini Stickers, plain white wax with sticker T-90, 1-5 known packs

1976-Nutty Initial Stickers, plain white wax with sticker T-91, 1-5 known packs

1976-Happy Days, plain white wax with sticker T-93, 1 known pack

1976-Bay City Rollers, plain white wax with sticker T-96, 10-15 known packs

1979-Wacky Packages, plain white wax with sticker T-120, 10-15 known packs

1980-The Empire Strikes Back Giant Photocards, glossy paper wrapper, at least 1 box exists

1980-Real Movie Giant Pin-Up, clear cellophane wrappers, at least 1 box exists

1981-Wacky Packages, plain white wax with sticker 0-463-0-1 (UK test), two boxes found, but at least one box of packs were opened

1984-Michael Jackson 3D Plaks, clear cellophane wrappers, 1-5 known packs

1985-3-D Pro Wrestling Stars, paper envelope, 10-15 known packs

1986-Hot Hunks, white paper envelope with sticker (peel off backing and suction cup versions), at least two boxes known to exist

1986-Snotty Signs, printed paper envelope, at lease 1 box known to exist