Replacing a plastic clamshell pack, Topps’ BlisterGuard packs use 16-pt Everest Safe-Pak paperboard from International Paper to which 3 mils of Valéron® film is laminated. It’s from Valéron Strength Films. The inside of the fold-over card is extrusion-coated by IP for secure heat seals.
The cardstock is shipped to Colbert for printing, using four-color offset. The cards and 15-mil blisters made of virgin polyvinyl chloride by Brookdale Plastics go to Colbert’s Just Pack It plant in South Bend, IN, for contract packaging under strict security. Topps collectible cards are separately printed and prepackaged in a pouch. The four lines in the new pack retail for up to $30.
“We evaluated Colbert’s testing on the integrity of the packs,” says Bob Riley, a Topps director. “Then they made sample packs that our sales force presented to retailers to show them just how difficult the packs are to open, so in-store pilferage can be avoided.”
At Just Pack It, retail security sensors are also applied to the inside of the folded board. The new packs were shipped to retailers beginning in late summer 2004.
