1981 Topps Thirst Break Comics Multi-Sport Card Set and Checklist

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Specs

Year: 1981

Title: Topps Thirst Break

Size: 2 9/16″ by 1 5/8″ also seen 2 1/2” by 1-5/8”

Number in Set: 56

Overview

This set is a little different from those I usually feature on the Oddball Archive in that it’s actually a set of gum wrappers.

1981 Topps Thirst Break Comics Near Set With 5-Piece Wrappers

1981 Topps Thirst Break Comics were wrapped around a sort of soft and chewy version of Gatorade (I believe there was also a thing called Gator Gum in the late 70s/early 80s that was manufactured by Fleer). Topps only released this Thirst Break Sports Gum in Pennsylvania and Ohio. Each orange “foil” package of gum had five pieces and, therefore, five comics.

Each wrapper features a cartoon and a few words about a great moment in sports. “SPORTS FACTS” and the wrapper number (out of 56) are printed along the top. The Topps copyright is printed along the bottom with the product code along the side. The backs are blank.

The 628 product code on the comics matches the 24 CT. box pictured below and the orange 5-piece wrappers in the partial set pictured above.

1981 Topps Thirst Break Sports Gum 24 Ct. Box – Angle 1
1981 Topps Thirst Break Sports Gum 24 Ct. Box – Angle 2
1981 Topps Thirst Break Sports Gum 24 Ct. Box – Angle 3
1981 Topps Thirst Break Sports Gum 2/24 Ct. Display Box

Example

1981 Topps Thirst Break Comics #54 Muhammad Ali

Key Cards

The key wrappers are Babe Ruth’s Best Clutch Hitter, Nolan Ryan/Tom Seaver/Steve Carlton, Oscar Robertson’s Free Throw Record, and Muhammad Ali’s Boxing Record.

Checklist

1 Shortest Baseball Game

2 Lefty Gomez

3 Bob Gibson

4 Hoyt Wilhelm

5 Babe Ruth

6 Toby Harrah

7 Carl Hubbell

8 Harvey Haddix

9 Steve Carlton

10 Nolan Ryan / Tom Seaver / Steve Carlton

11 Lou Brock

12 Mickey Mantle

13 Tom Seaver

14 Don Drysdale

15 Billy Williams

16 Wilt Chamberlain

17 Wilt Chamberlain

18 Wilt Chamberlain

19 Kevin Porter

20 Christy Mathewson

21 Hank Aaron

22 Ron Blomberg

23 Joe Nuxhall

24 Reggie Jackson

25 John Havlicek

26 Oscar Robertson

27 Calvin Murphy

28 Clarence Bevo Francis

29 Garo Yepremian

30 Bert Jones

31 Norm Van Brocklin

32 Fran Tarkenton

33 Johnny Unitas

34 Bob Beamon

35 Jesse Owens

36 Bart Starr

37 O.J. Simpson

38 Jim Brown

39 Jim Marshall

40 George Blanda

41 Jack Tatum

42 Jim Brown

43 Gerry Cheevers

44 Dave Schultz

45 Mark Spitz

46 Byron Nelson

47 Soccer Attendance Record

48 Tom Dempsey

49 Gale Sayers

50 Bobby Hull

51 Bobby Hull

52 Bobby Orr

53 Giorgio Chinaglia

54 Muhammad Ali

55 Gene Tunney / Rocky Marciano

56 Roger Bannister