I decided to open up a pack of the 1967 Topps Fighter Planes the other day, thanks to one that popped up on eBay and called my name. I had an unopened pack already (the five cent version and not the rarer ten cent one) and the example I snagged was also a nickel product, but with some pencil marks and a little dirt on the flip side of the wrapper. So I opted for a surgical strike and happily managed to open the bottom flap of my new acquisition without causing any real damage to the envelope. Upon removing the contents I was greeted with some surprises.
Here's the pack and what was once inside:
Surprise number one: despite looking like a military-centric version of the Styrofoam
Flying Things, which were being sold at the same time, they are made of very thin cardboard with a light gloss on both sides. The cardboard is not much thicker than a stiff piece of paper. I have to say the quality of the graphics was pretty good overall.
Surprise number two: the fuselage had a metal nose clip already attached but a spare was knocking about in there as well.
Surprise number three was that the other side of the fuselage didn't have the MIG-15 designation showing on both sides. Like the Flying Things however, the underside of the wings and tail were black, but unlike FT, there was no manufacturing information present thereon:
I'm not sure these fragile planes would have survived more than two or three flights, which might help to partially explain their scarcity today. They were known too as a failed test, as this circa 1967-68 Topps trade ad shows them at the bottom right:
But let's face it, Topps always found ways to dump as much failed or unsold product as they possibly could before trashing something.
I find it intriguing the ad mentions test stores across the country. I suspect some test boxes were handed out by various Topps salesmen or jobbers as they made their normal rounds. Also of note-there's a small fortune in unopened packs and boxes sitting there!
