Busted two boxes of '89 Upper Deck today

scmavl

And NO GRIFFEY. I got about 7 each of Mark Grace, Jim Rice, and Oil Can Boyd, but NO Griffey RC. I'm pretty bummed about that. I remember pulling one as a kid when I only bought two packs and being so stoked. Oh well... I got three Randy Johnson rookies, one of which may grade a PSA 10 and a nice Smoltz. It was fun busting them either way but damn I wanted a Griffey.

jeffcbay

I purchased one sealed box of low number 1989 Upper Deck once, and pulled ZERO rookies!! Not just zero Griffey rookies, but ZERO ROOKIES!! That was my first and last box of those.

otwcards

Sadly, it is an easy product to search due to the sequencing of the cards. "Sealed" boxes are after market if I recall correctly.

scmavl

My first box was pretty good, but the second box was weird. Exactly half of the packs had this strange thing going on where the 2nd and 3rd cards were the same, the 5th card was a checklist, and the next to last card was VERY badly off center top to bottom, always the same way. The first pack had two Rookies and I didn't get another one (unless you count the Rookie Checklist, which I got 3+ of) until the next to last pack.

scmavl

<< <i>Sadly, it is an easy product to search due to the sequencing of the cards. "Sealed" boxes are after market if I recall correctly. >>



How so, Scott? That's a bummer to hear.

sportscardtheory

Definitely messed with.

al032184

There is no definite sequencing to 89 UD boxes, but similar cards can be found bunched together. You can get, just as an example. 10 Sandy Alomar and 10 John Smoltz out of one box, because of similar groupings from the factory. But there is no way you can go through the unopened product and pull the "hot" packs.

ThoseBackPages

where did you buy the boxes?

arex

<< <i>There is no definite sequencing to 89 UD boxes, but similar cards can be found bunched together. You can get, just as an example. 10 Sandy Alomar and 10 John Smoltz out of one box, because of similar groupings from the factory. But there is no way you can go through the unopened product and pull the "hot" packs. >>


I tend to disagree with you.

arex

<< <i>And NO GRIFFEY. I got about 7 each of Mark Grace, Jim Rice, and Oil Can Boyd, but NO Griffey RC. I'm pretty bummed about that. I remember pulling one as a kid when I only bought two packs and being so stoked. Oh well... I got three Randy Johnson rookies, one of which may grade a PSA 10 and a nice Smoltz. It was fun busting them either way but damn I wanted a Griffey. >>


Did you pull any Schmidts that are nice enough to grade? I need his regular card.

otwcards

<< <i>There is no definite sequencing to 89 UD boxes, but similar cards can be found bunched together. You can get, just as an example. 10 Sandy Alomar and 10 John Smoltz out of one box, because of similar groupings from the factory. But there is no way you can go through the unopened product and pull the "hot" packs. >>



I will disagree. There are sequences in the packs that run up and down and continue from pack to pack throughout the box and this was widely known in '89 and caused sealed cases to sell for significant premiums over single boxes.

I'm not going to detail it here, but suffice it to say that I will stand by my statement that the boxes are easily searched and upon opening a pack or two per box, a case can be stripped of Griffey and other packs reinserted.

jwgators

<< <i>

<< <i>There is no definite sequencing to 89 UD boxes, but similar cards can be found bunched together. You can get, just as an example. 10 Sandy Alomar and 10 John Smoltz out of one box, because of similar groupings from the factory. But there is no way you can go through the unopened product and pull the "hot" packs. >>



I will disagree. There are sequences in the packs that run up and down and continue from pack to pack throughout the box and this was widely known in '89 and caused sealed cases to sell for significant premiums over single boxes.

I'm not going to detail it here, but suffice it to say that I will stand by my statement that the boxes are easily searched and upon opening a pack or two per box, a case can be stripped of Griffey and other packs reinserted. >>





Absolutely agreed. I learned as a youngster the hard way after never pulling a Griffey through numerous packs and "sealed" boxes that they were easily searchable. The following year I found out the "secret", tested it on 90 hockey and it worked pulling Fedorovs out of boxes.

scmavl

I do remember at least one Schmidt. Most cards would be 9's or 10's. With the exception of a few nicked corners on top and the o/c card in half of the packs, the rest were very nice.

scmavl

I got them on ebay. One thing I noticed later was, while the boxes were shrink wrapped, there had been some tape on the box that was then removed... UNDER the shrink wrap. So they were rewrapped. I've emailed the seller, we'll see what he says. I'm not accusing him of doing it, but it's pretty fishy...

miconelegacy

There are a few threads on here and this topic has been discussed time and time again. There is factual sequencing in those boxes. More than likely your's was searched. It still does suck!!

It's tough to find 89 Upper Deck boxes that haven't been searched, and buying a case may not be in everyone's budget. If it's Griffey you are chasing, then simply buy his PSA 9 RC card. Should be able to get for $50-$75.

I believe I have a few Schmidt 89 UD's. Let me check when I get home.

scmavl

<< <i>
It's tough to find 89 Upper Deck boxes that haven't been searched, and buying a case may not be in everyone's budget. If it's Griffey you are chasing, then simply buy his PSA 9 RC card. Should be able to get for $50-$75.
>>



I didn't even think to read up on if these boxes were searchable. I own a couple of Griffey RCs, but I was just hoping to pull a couple of possible 10s, one to sell and one to keep.

diamondman

<< <i>I got them on ebay. One thing I noticed later was, while the boxes were shrink wrapped, there had been some tape on the box that was then removed... UNDER the shrink wrap. So they were rewrapped. I've emailed the seller, we'll see what he says. I'm not accusing him of doing it, but it's pretty fishy... >>



None of the 1989 Upper Deck low number boxes were shrink wrapped or factory sealed or even taped shut (like some of the early Topps update sets),any 89 upper deck low# boxes that are tapped shut or shrink wrapped was done after they left the factory. some of the late run 89 high number boxes were shrink wrapped but it was just plain clear shrink wrap and these were sent to retail stores.

I have opened quite a few cases of 89 upper deck, only the late run (june-sept.) low number boxes were sequenced / searchable and that was not true with every case or box.
There were are also some High number boxes/cases which only had 3 to 10 high number cards per box and some that had 5 to7 high number cards per pack.

The first cases with the Murphy error were all over the place, I remember getting as many as 4 griffeys in one box and then the next 2 or 3 boxes from the same case 0 griffeys and there were boxes that had zero rookies in them. on the average though out of a case of 89 upper Deck you would get 13 to 16 Griffeys or 12 to 14 complete low # sets out of a case, or 3 griffeys out of every 4 boxes.
so it is possible to open 2 boxes of 89 upper deck and get zilch.

Have also seen foil packs of upper deck cut open and then re-crimped making them look factory sealed again just shorter /smaller packs. jmho for what it is worth.

Tabe

<< <i>I will disagree. There are sequences in the packs that run up and down and continue from pack to pack throughout the box and this was widely known in '89 and caused sealed cases to sell for significant premiums over single boxes. >>


I remember this as well. I don't remember the exact sequence or whatever but it was definitely known back in 1989.

Tabe

arex

<< <i>There are a few threads on here and this topic has been discussed time and time again. There is factual sequencing in those boxes. More than likely your's was searched. It still does suck!!

It's tough to find 89 Upper Deck boxes that haven't been searched, and buying a case may not be in everyone's budget. If it's Griffey you are chasing, then simply buy his PSA 9 RC card. Should be able to get for $50-$75.

I believe I have a few Schmidt 89 UD's. Let me check when I get home. >>


That would be great. Thanks!

miconelegacy

Are pm sent.

brendanb438

What are boxes of 89 UD going for these days? Guessing just another one of those boxes where it is cheaper to buy a graded griffey or two instead of the box.

ThoseBackPages

<< <i>What are boxes of 89 UD going for these days? Guessing just another one of those boxes where it is cheaper to buy a graded griffey or two instead of the box. >>



Lo $75
Hi $45

metsfan

Isn't it actually easier to pull a Griffey out of a high number box? For some reason it seemed that way.

hammered

<< <i>Isn't it actually easier to pull a Griffey out of a high number box? For some reason it seemed that way. >>




I also recall pulling Griffeys from the high #s (of course at the time, getting a Jerome Walton or Todd Zeile was just as good).
But the theory is that since each high # pack has (I believe) three high # cards, there are fewer low # cards per pack and therefore reduced odds of finding Griffey. I think this is the only reason low # boxes sell for a premium.
If it were me, I'd buy high # boxes because I don't recall them having the same obvious sequencing patterns in terms of Griffey-searching.

Toro

They were definitely sequenced. I remember going to a card show back in 1989 where a dealer was trading an unopened box of 89 Upper Deck for a Griffey RC, straight up. He knew something the average collector did not.