A Cool Topps Screen Plays Pack Break

I came across an oddball Topps set from the 1990s and was immediately interested. The set is the 1997 Topps Screen Plays, a small set that is made up of 20 base cards plus 6 premium cards and is distributed in tin film cans. The cards are made of dura clear and are motion cards, including 24 frames to complete the scene.

I came across a seller who was selling a 5 tin lot with an opening bid of $4.99 plus $6.95 shipping. I tossed up a small bid and won with the $4.99 opening bid. I figured that since there are only 20 cards on the list and me opening 5 cans I had a 1:4 chance of pulling the Griffey card. Really not bad when you consider it breaks down to $2.39/tin. The shipping alone cost the guy $10.35 so he basically lost money on the sale.

Alas Griffey was not among the tins I opened and I am left hunting down the two Griffey cards, he also is on the 6 card premium checklist, and 5 tins of players I do not collect.

I opened all of the tins to see who they were but I am only showing one because I will be using these tins in an upcoming contest. The packaging is unique and used for display. The tins do contain the player but they are covered by a large circular card of the same player (reverse side up so you do not know who it is) that once removed you see who you pulled. Inside the tin is a foam insert that is designed to hold both the card and the metal tin cover. The card has a peel away cling to both sides so you have to peel it off.  Sadly the first tin I opened, Mark McGwire, the foam insert had already begun to break down and the material was all over the inside of the tin and coated the card. The remaining 4 tins still have their foam insert intact and still usable as a display and the cards still have the peel away clings but the McGwire foam insert was destroyed and I only removed the peel clings off of the McGwire card to see what they looked like.

 

 

I am considering including the 5 Screen Play packs (tins and cards) as a prize for a competition around my 7^th blogversary in June. Only then will I reveal who the other 4 tins contain.