Next installment of the Topps hockey “master” collection, consisting of an unopened pack, wrapper, and display box from each issue. Today we’re moving onto 1959.

I’ve actually owned 2 of these fluorescent yellow wrappers over the years, selling the first one many years ago when someone made me a Godfather like “offer he can’t refuse.” Getting this one (which is actually in better condition than the first) was a nice surprise as I didn’t realize there was a second one out there. A ridiculously tough piece of wax paper.

’59 is another year where unopened related hockey product is seemingly an eternaI fruitless quest. There was a cello pack for sale in 2005 but it hasn’t been seen again for the last 20 years. As far as I’m aware, neither an unopened wax pack or display box from this issue exist. Of course they could be sitting together idly in a Saskatoon attic, just waiting for their day to be found (the treasure hunter dream).

My favorite example of “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” are wax pack wrappers, which have become a focal point of my collection as miniature Picassos (or Saunders as many were created by renowned artist Norm Saunders). A near complete run of vintage (pre 1970) Topps, OPC, and Parkhurst hockey wrappers were recently auctioned by a lesser known AH in Montreal and in many cases, were the first public sales of these exceptionally elusive items in many years.