Wrigley Wax's 1990's Wax

After a decade of almost no change at all, the Topps wax packs saw major changes during the 1990’s.



1990 was the last year of a 10 year run of the same basic design in the alternating blue green red color scheme.



The 1991 wrapper featured this new design. It does use red as the main color (continuing the color pattern), but the baseball has been moved to the corner. This was also the end of an era, as 1991 was the last year Topps used an actual wax wrapper.



There were several changes in 1992. First, Topps began using a cellophane wrapper. We still bust wax, but haven't really since 1991. Blue was used as the primary color, as the 3 year pattern would dictate, but it was a lighter shade of blue than on the wax packs of the ‘80’s. The design also lacks a baseball. Instead, for the first time since 1979, a player is featured. The cards are no longer "The Real One", or at least that slogan was removed. These were all big changes, but the biggest change is what was missing from the pack…gum. It was strictly a pack of cards. No more gum, no more gum stains.



Topps recycled the ’92 design on the 1993 pack, just changing the color scheme. Red was used as the main color, though the old pattern says it should have been green. This would also be the last year of the tight-wrapped packs.



In 1994, we have brand new packaging, the same type still used today. I guess I’m showing my age, but the modern package just doesn’t look right to me. It looks too long and narrow. It doesn't look like baseball cards. Oh, well, I guess that’s progress. The wrapper also features the picture of a generic pitcher who resembles Randy Johnson.



The 1995 packs features another first for Topps, pictures of real players. On the left we see card #1, Frank Thomas. On the other side is Royce Clayton, #67. The choice of Thomas I get, but why Clayton. Perhaps they were showing off the three pictures in one on the card.





The rest of the decade would continue to feature real players on the packs, The players selected were superstars, not Royce Clayton type players. The only other first with these packs was in 1998, when for the first time Topps listed its web address. The internet age had arrived.

It was a lot of change in ten years, from wax packs with gum, to cellophane wrappers with URL’s.