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1989 UPPER DECK BOXES -- LOW VS HIGH

I am thinking of pickin up a few boxes to have a fun break. I know the High Numbers are a tougher way to get the Griffey simply due to the extra high numbers inserted. I know that alot more high number boxes do not have a Griffey in it. But does anyone know a bit more of a concrete chance that a lower number box has compared to the high numbers for those that may have busted alot more of these? Whether it is low number or high number, I am aware of the sequencing a bit as in if you hit a rookie in the next pack there is usually the following number, so if you hit the Luis Medina or the star rookie checklist the Griffey should be coming up soon.
Email: leo.kim66@gmail.com

Comments

  • schr1stschr1st Posts: 1,677 ✭✭
    Low # boxes can be very hit or miss. I've seen with my own eyes 11 Griffey rookie cards come out of one box from a sealed case, and have heard of more. Then again, some boxes will have none.

    High # boxes will have less odds per se, but tend to be a bit more regular in terms of what to expect (IE: 1 per every 2 boxes or so).
    Who is Rober Maris?
  • hammeredhammered Posts: 2,671 ✭✭✭


    << <i>Whether it is low number or high number, I am aware of the sequencing a bit as in if you hit a rookie in the next pack there is usually the following number, so if you hit the Luis Medina or the star rookie checklist the Griffey should be coming up soon. >>



    I don't know about that.
    From what I remember, 89 UD was the first truly random insertion, so there should be no sequence at all.
    I remember the packs I bought back in the day bore that out: I once got 3 McGwires in one pack - one on each end, and one in the middle.

    Another issue with hi vs low is I believe series one had cleaner cuts. The series two cards had more rough cuts and centering issues, not just with the hi# cards, but all the cards made later in the production run. This is only my personal experience.

    Why don't you buy 3 factory sets - it will cost you the same as one low# wax box and you're guaranteed 3 Griffeys.
  • The pack out in the boxes were sequenced. The top left row, 3 pack down, held a Griffey or something in that nature. Trust me, I traded a Girffey #1 for a full box at a card show way back in 1989. I thought I was getting a deal and sure enough, nope! I never find out until years later about that issue.
  • lkk66lkk66 Posts: 106 ✭✭
    I bought a couple highs a month or two ago off ebay and think it was searched as I pulled the sequencing and got everything around Griffey but no Griffey
    Email: leo.kim66@gmail.com


  • << <i>The pack out in the boxes were sequenced. >>



    Absolutely not true. The 3rd pack down was just a rumor that ran rampant in 1989 or 1990 and just never went away.

    The packs were also not sequenced by more than 2 cards at a time. Sequence always flipped.

  • mtcardsmtcards Posts: 3,342 ✭✭✭
    Agree. Sequencing in 89 UD was just a rumor as far as the entire box was concerned. It was possible that back to back packs may have had sequencing, but not throughout the entire box.

    I will agree that sequencing did begin in the 1st UD basektball product as it was VERY easy to pick out the Johnson and Mutombo.
    IT IS ALWAYS CHEAPER TO NOT SELL ON EBAY


  • << <i>Agree. Sequencing in 89 UD was just a rumor as far as the entire box was concerned. >>



    There definitely was not any sequencing in 1989 Upper Deck. The only product from that year that had sequencing was 1989 Fleer. If you know the pattern of the cards then it is very easy to find the Griffey rookie, or any other card for that matter.

    I remember a dealer in my area back then that ruined his reputation because he went through three cases of 1989 Fleer and pulled out all of the packs that had the Griffeys in them, replaced the packs with different ones, and then sold the boxes to people without mentioning what he had done. A couple of collectors that had bought several boxes from him figured out what he did and turned him into the cops. After people in the area heard about what had happened he rarely got any business in his store.

    Keith
    "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." Matthew 5:6.
  • RogermnjRogermnj Posts: 1,809 ✭✭
    i opened cases of this stuff back in the day and all of my cases were sequenced.

    in any given row the rookies went either up one # or down one #.

    if you took out the top left row and the top pack had #16, the next pack had #15 and so on. or it would go 12,13,14 etc as you went down the row.
  • Upper Deck had problems with their packaging and crimping machine for packs and boxes from Nov 1988 to sometime in late Jan 1989. These packs were totally random (and one UD REP told me they hand packed alot of packs and boxes just trying to get the product to market) and cases didn't hit the market until march of 1989 in our area, (these contained all the errors).

    Then after they corrected the Murphy and sheridan errors. they had another run of cases and another then another (until all errors were corrected. The only cases that I was ever aware that had some form of sequencing was the last run of Low numbers that hit walmart and retail and even then it was hit and miss.

    The high #'s didn't even hold true in sequencing. The first 5 high # cases. I received had zero to very few high numbers, I busted a case of high numbers and ended up with 11 high numbered cards out of the case. Talk about having customers ticked off, I was handing out Upper Deck customer service number to alot of unhappy customers in 1989.

    sequencing in 1989 is more of a urban legend than truth or fact. JMHO

    Most Griffeys out of one box was 6 (six) that I saw, was in the first wave of cases with all the errors.


  • Just food for thought:

    1989 Donruss box - 15 cards , 36 packs , 540 cards per box. complete set 660 cards. If there are no doubles 120 card short of set

    1989 Fleer box - 15 cards , 36 packs , 540 cards per box. complete set 660 cards. If there are no doubles 120 card short of set

    1989 upper deck - 15 cards , 36 packs , 540 cards per box. complete low # set 700 cards. If there are no doubles 160 card short of set.

    1989 Topps box- doen't matter they were all searched at the factory. ( No griffeys) LOL

    my point: just because, you don't get the card you want. Doesn't mean the dealer/collector searched the box.

    Example: opened a sealed case of 87 donruss opened the top four boxes of the case, only got 1 Mcgwire when he was hot.

    enough rambling : flame away

    image
  • FrozencaribouFrozencaribou Posts: 1,084 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Since we are reminiscing, I'll join the fun.

    Back in 1989 I was a teenager dealing cards at weekend shows. When the 1989 ud high series first came out it was on fire, but the collation was not right in the first high series wave. Boxes had the same packs again and again. I bought one box and got 14 Jim Abbotts, 14 Todd Zeile's, and 10 Dwight Smith's. I remember selling all my Abbott's for $250 to one guy, and got $100 for the Dwight Smith's. It was unreal what people were paying for high # rookies.

    I remember low series boxes could have sequencing, but not like some sets that had consistent sequencing. Topps was bad for that in the 80's. There were boxes that followed the star rookie countdown pattern, but some boxes were completely random.

    -Nathanael
  • hammeredhammered Posts: 2,671 ✭✭✭
    Two words
    Jerome Walton
  • otwcardsotwcards Posts: 5,291 ✭✭✭
    Considering the number of cases that I broke, I agree with Roger. There was a sequential run in both the low and the high series cases that I opened. In fact, while cracking a few high number boxes, I used to bet those that I was with that I could open 1 pack and then pull the Jim Abbott, Todd Ziele or Jerome Walton, their choice, on the next pack. I could almost always run the sequence to find the pack. It was similar with the low number cases pulling Jeffries, Griffey and the other rookies.
  • billwaltonsbeardbillwaltonsbeard Posts: 3,748 ✭✭✭✭


    << <i>i opened cases of this stuff back in the day and all of my cases were sequenced.

    in any given row the rookies went either up one # or down one #.

    if you took out the top left row and the top pack had #16, the next pack had #15 and so on. or it would go 12,13,14 etc as you went down the row. >>




    This is all correct.
  • I guess my point is, the deal was too good to be true, and I'm a believer that it was.....how many dealers back then would trade a full box of Upper Deck for one Griffey Jr. Rookie card.....if you're willing to do that today, I'll trade you my 86 Topps Rice for a full box, or an 84 Donruss Mattingly for a full box, or a 86 Donruss Canseco for a full box, or a 93 SP Jeter for a full box....see where I'm going with it.....
  • billwaltonsbeardbillwaltonsbeard Posts: 3,748 ✭✭✭✭
    I just remembered something about 89 UD High numbers. A friend of mine's dad was a factory direct UD dealer in 1989, and had several cases of the stuff. I remember my friend telling me that in one of the cases, each box had the same two high number cards all throughout the box.

    Every pack had the same two high number cards. When they realized this, they went through each box opening one pack until they got something good. Then they opened all of those packs and just sold the rest.

    They sold a few of those boxes to a local card shop. I was in the card shop one day and watched a guy buy and open several packs. Junior Felix and some common was in every pack.
  • Cokin75Cokin75 Posts: 243 ✭✭
    I believe the 1989 high number craze was the most direct factor contributing towards the insert era of cards. I was a dealer back then and Jerome Waltons flew out of the case for $30 bucks. Like others have said, Jim Abbott, Dwight Smith, Todd Zeile, Tom Gordon, and even Ozzie Canseco were high dollar cards for a short time. I always have to laugh when I see the complete sealed sets go for about $3 on eBay now, considering that they once went for close to $100.

    1992 Fleer cello packs were crazy as well for the rookie sensations. I think that I was selling Frank Thomas for $50 at one point. I got my hands on a few cases, and I think packs were going 3 for twenty bucks or $150 for a box. Crazy stuff.....

  • jeffcbayjeffcbay Posts: 8,948 ✭✭✭✭
    I had only one experience with UD Low Number, and it was all bad. It was a factory sealed low number box, and I pulled ZERO rookies of any kind. Very bad. I'll never do that again.
  • MorgothMorgoth Posts: 3,950 ✭✭✭
    I wish there was some documentation out there of these fish type tales. I am sure everyone remembers this period correctly but it would be fun to see some of the huge buy and sell prices in actual print.

    I never had much money in those days so $30 bucks for a 89 UD card would have killed me and my dad. I do remember opening hunderds of packs of 92 Fleer Ultra and looking for the inserts and getting 5 to 10 bucks for the common players.

    Jeff, it looks like you got a searched box as dealers can attest at one point ANY RC from 89 UD was a couple of bucks.
    Currently completing the following registry sets: Cardinal HOF's, 1961 Pittsburgh Pirates Team, 1972 Pittsburgh Pirates Team, 1980 Pittsburgh Pirates Team, Bill Mazeroski Master & Basic Sets, Roberto Clemente Master & Basic Sets, Willie Stargell Master & Basic Sets and Terry Bradshaw Basic Set
  • NickMNickM Posts: 4,896 ✭✭✭
    Every factory sealed box of 1989 UD that I have ever seen opened was sequenced.

    They weren't the only ones with serious packaging issues that year.

    I opened a factory sealed box of Donruss in 1989 that contained 448 cards. I know it was factory sealed because I bought it at Toys R Us from a case opened in my presence. 34 of the 36 packs were short, some with as few as 10 cards in them.

    I called Donruss customer service that day. They promised to send me packs to make up for it. They never did.

    Nick
    image
    Reap the whirlwind.

    Need to buy something for the wife or girlfriend? Check out Vintage Designer Clothing.
  • ripkenintheminorsripkenintheminors Posts: 2,186 ✭✭✭
    Hit or miss and predictable with the low number boxes. A friend who was a dealer was moving and I bought a box of '89 UD low #. After opening a few packs he said there wasn't a Griffey coming from the box. He was right. When I bought a second box he correctly "predicted" which packs would have the Griffey as I was opening them. I think I hit either 2 or three of them.

    OT but I remember the year Topps Stadium Club basketball seeded the key inserts in the same 3 locations in the box. Fortunately I found this out and didn't waste my money trying to hit the insert.
  • lkk66lkk66 Posts: 106 ✭✭
    just busted a box from bbce, got a random assortment of rooks they were somewhat random, no griff but the box was crazy

    I pulled

    17 Steve Finleys
    17 Pete Harnisch

    Harnischs were in the top half and the Finleys in the bottom half of the box, Also pulled a ton of Mitch Williams which was the guy behind both Finley and Harnisch.

    I ordered a couple low numbers off a pretty reputable seller on ebay so hopefully better luck there.

    On a better note, I did get a 2008 Bowman baseball box from bbce and pulled a Jason Heyward Blue Refractor Auto /150 which is sweet.
    Email: leo.kim66@gmail.com
  • In4apennyIn4apenny Posts: 298 ✭✭✭

    I was offered 100 UD Griffey Jr. rookie cards for $7.00 each, $700.00. I had the money but passed. This was late 1989. Big Ben was all the rage along with other players.

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