I've got a question regarding vintage OPC box tops (hand cut blank backs Patrick Roy cards)...

[sleepn0t]

I think I'd need an expert for this.. I need some help concerning the two cards from my picture... These are stock photos, but I have both of these cards. Bought the one on the left a few years ago, and the one on the right last week (although the pic is from eBay, this is actually the one from the auction I won last week).

So, my concerns are more about the card on the right.. Even though the 1 on the left is REALLY rare, I'm quite sure it really exists. I mean, I have it, but this could be faked too I guess. While there really are in fact some hockey cards on many/most of card boxes, (I'm under the impression) I almost never saw the image on the left on an OPC box...

However, I know of a few Roy collectors who have it too, just like me, so I'm pretty sure this one is really genuine (even if very scarce)! What about the other one though?! Anyone has ever seen this image of Roy on an old O-Pee-Chee Hockey cards box (this card exists in the set, you could assuredly pull it from packs back then, but on a box is it also possible)?! 'Cause me, never ever!!

I did not pay that much for the item, but still, I'm wondering if it's actually "legit"... Or, if this is rather just a no. 322 OPC card of Roy that has been damaged on purpose and trimmed, to which some1 would have added/glued a cardboard back on the other side of it? Obviously, any help is gonna be more than welcome & very much appreciated indeed. Thanks in advance for the heads up!!!

[30ranfordfan]

I don't know what either of those would be from.

A quick search, I can only find 87-88 boxes with Michael Goulet on the box top. There are box bottom cards (they're four card panels) but they have yellow boarders, so that Roy isn't one of them.

So what is it?

Very possible there was another style of box, I just can't find an image. Perhaps they printed different boxes for Quebec?
I've also seen "blank back" cards from lots of different OPC sets in the 80s. They were not intended to be packed out, but it happens. However, I've always suspected that a lot of the ones we see in the market today (I mean 80s blank backs for sale) are actually cut from un-cut sheets, that didn't have a back.

The 89-90, same thing. If I look up the boxes, Al MacInnis is one them. The Factory Set has Mats Naslund. No Roy Vezina boxes that I can find.

Again, there could be an alternate box that I can't find a picture of. That is NOT a box bottom card, for sure. I would wonder about it being a card cut from an un-cut sheet.

[sleepn0t]

Thanks so much for your answer, 30ranfordfan! I did the same as you, and came up with the exact same results. I mean, other players can be seen on those 1989-90 boxes, but not Roy... That's why I really don't know what this is. Frankly, it's the very 1st time I see this one, blank back. However, I found the 1 on the left on eBay, Graded in addition. So I'm pretty sure that the '87-88 is legit, and the "real thing".. Just don't know what the other one could be, at all !

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/334319017586?_skw=Patrick+Roy+o-pee-chee+blank+back&epid=26056499236&itmmeta=01JQYR4BD A8WEABASFTRQR5A1B&hash=item4dd6f75e72:g:zuIAAOSwNz Zh~zda&itmprp=enc%3AAQAKAAABAFkggFvd1GGDu0w3yXCmi1 dDyaFRDvrUQqqdbwCk04qWf0acXu68GyTOlves32W2AzkEInWP w2s5%2BB07jkaQDG2jn8Vni3RgsZRPQL12E0OlUSr7qzSxKdAE Iz5N0Lq0ysZHdqQi9xzor8wyhQcsNNTWzPEkMPt%2BExLf1ptu xx5ZPSQKu%2FwKltzZCNpw2FIXlmT%2Fa6H7IgYpJ%2FShw1cH 6PqjE8GVIwnofQ547lCO62qOqHg%2F5MiTxKlcHg6RmbNbVvXI lLNPVvtxqEPvvMpCEFBjVD6yr%2FcHWGWrcmFXmKTsOD470ahl WhAARlUxjPLbM3WYBhPARDaPN%2Bf4vXl7Zv8%3D%7Ctkp%3AB k9SR4S3kdi_ZQ

[jcesar77]

I used to collect unopened and have a list/pictures from the mid 80-90s when that card is relevant and it is NOT from either the top or bottom of any wax OPC/Topps products. The box bottoms were NOT blank backed-- the cards pictured on the top were and your card back looks nearly identical to the stock used in the empty boxes I have in my collections. My best "guess" is that it was cut from a box of rack packs or a complete set from '89-90 IF OPC issued such things back then. Hope that helps.

[sleepn0t]

I used to collect unopened and have a list/pictures from the mid 80-90s when that card is relevant and it is NOT from either the top or bottom of any wax OPC/Topps products. The box bottoms were NOT blank backed-- the cards pictured on the top were and your card back looks nearly identical to the stock used in the empty boxes I have in my collections. My best "guess" is that it was cut from a box of rack packs or a complete set from '89-90 IF OPC issued such things back then. Hope that helps.

It sure helps! Thanks so much for sharing this.. I know this image exists as I've seen it several times on the actual '89-90 OPC no. 322 card; my concern here rather lies in the fact that I've, myself, NEVER seen this picture on an OPC box from that era.

So I kinda told myself, is it really "legit", or it's someone who "faked" a box top card (by sticking a piece of cardboard behind the "real" card)? Would have had to trim it too, 'cause we can clearly see it has been cut narrower.

Also, the surface has been scratched, so again I was wondering if it was in fact someone who had tried to wear it out intentionally, just to make it look older & genuine at the same time...

And in a way I also thought how useless/weird it would be to counterfeit this, to earn what, ten or twenty bucks..?!