When you were a child, who did you hope you would pull in a pack?
llafoe
Posts: 7,220 ✭✭
Here are my Top 5:
1. Mickey Mantle
2. Hank Aaron
3. Roberto Clemente
4. Willie Mays
5. (depending on the year) Johnny Bench, Reggie Jackson, Pete Rose
The first 4 were ALWAYS the Top 4... I was a Reds fan, so having an A's tie with two Reds was a little strange, but Reggie was the man in the 70s! I was only able to pull Mickey Mantle for two years, but he was always on the top of my list.
1. Mickey Mantle
2. Hank Aaron
3. Roberto Clemente
4. Willie Mays
5. (depending on the year) Johnny Bench, Reggie Jackson, Pete Rose
The first 4 were ALWAYS the Top 4... I was a Reds fan, so having an A's tie with two Reds was a little strange, but Reggie was the man in the 70s! I was only able to pull Mickey Mantle for two years, but he was always on the top of my list.
WANTED: Cincinnati Reds TEAM Cards
0
Comments
I don't think east coast kids were extremely interested in west coast players (except for the popular Oakland A's as you mentioned).
I don't think east coast kids got too excited about pulling cards from the San Diego or San Francisco teams. Likewise I don't think kids from the west
coast got too interested in cards from the Washington Senators. I think many of us were really interested in getting the gum.
1981 - Fernando
1982 - Ripken and Hrbeck
1983 - Ron Kittle
1984 - Strawberry and Mattingly
1985 - Gooden
Mark
T206 Set - 300/524
<< <i>I think many of us were really interested in getting the gum. >>
Wasn't that the Best gum ever (once you got past that intial dry white powder)!
Wait, was that white powder a narcotic?! Is that why the gum was so addictive!
I haven't really been paying attention to the gum when I rip packs... does the gum still have that white powder or has it been absorbed into the gum? I guess if that white powder remained after all these years there wouldn't be any gum stained cards?
Now back to my original question.
Griffey to sell
They were horrible years. Thanks for the bad memories.
Dave
http://www.unisquare.com/store/brick/
Ralph
1988- Canseco, Canseco, Canseco, Will Clark
1989- Gregg Jefferies (it was almost a disease), Bo Jackson
1990- Griffey Jr., Gary Sheffield
1991- Frank Thomas, Griffey Jr., David Justice
1992- Frank Thomas, Juan Gonzalez
1991 & 1992 Fleer Pro Visions
1952 Topps
1984 Mattingly
1985 Gooden
1986 Vince Coleman
1970 cello box
Some day, I will purchase one of these (empty) boxes. I did see one for sale on eBay in 2012 but the price wasn't right.
I started buying more packs in the 1971-74 time frame and my friends and I would search through the rack and cello boxes looking for popular players showing. The big hits for me would be: Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Seaver, Rose, Bench, Killebrew, Clemente and pretty much anyone who was winding down a HOF career during that time frame.
I believe this rooting through boxes method (was I a forerunner of the modern day Target 'pack feeler'?) contributes to the lack of packs with HOFers showing from this time frame as my small circle of friends couldn't be the only ones doing this.
1989 - Mike Greenwell, Jose Canseco, Dale Murphy RevNeg
1990 - Nolan Ryan, Ken Griffey Jr, Michael Jordan, Mike Greenwell
1991 - Michael Jordan, Ken Griffey Jr
1992 - Michael Jordan, Shaq, Ken Griffey Jr
Growing up in Boston Mike Greenwell was my favorite player & I thought he was headed for the HOF, hahaha
al.
Doug
Liquidating my collection for the 3rd and final time. Time for others to enjoy what I have enjoyed over the last several decades. Money could be put to better use.
<< <i>way back in 1966 the one card I could not get to complete my series was Ray Oyler...tiger shortstop. He was worth his weight in Mays, McCovey and Aaron cards, at least to me......
al. >>
Al - Nice to see someone older than me on the board
My Ray Oyler was from the 1975 set, the first one I completed, and it was Rick Auerbach of the Dodgers.
Baseball: Willie Horton, Reggie, Bench,Carew, Ben Ogilvie, JR Richard, Brock
80s: Did not care about cards...girls and cars seemed to be more interesting!
1984 any cub or Sox player or daryl strawberry
1985 doc gooden, Clemens, Puckett
1986 Canseco, benito santiago, cory snyder
1987 McGwire, Mike greenwell
Any All Star or All Pro cards
In 1977 Topps, Mark Fidrych
<< <i>
<< <i>way back in 1966 the one card I could not get to complete my series was Ray Oyler...tiger shortstop. He was worth his weight in Mays, McCovey and Aaron cards, at least to me......
al. >>
Al - Nice to see someone older than me on the board
My Ray Oyler was from the 1975 set, the first one I completed, and it was Rick Auerbach of the Dodgers. >>
Yup, I was the ripe old age of 14 back in 1966....in fact the 66 set was the second I actually finished in it's entirety.....my first full set was the 65's, used to love those pennant flags.
Michael Jordan
Kobe Bryant
Allen iverson
Vince carter
Any rookie that I felt had a chance of being great (didnt work out so well).
I didn't know much about insert cards so I was happy when I got one, didn't matter the player, I thought it was going to increase in value no matter what lol.
1986- Dwight Gooden, Roger Clemens, Darryl Strawberry, Jose Canseco
1987- Jose Canseco, Wally Joyner, Bo Jackson, Dwight Gooden
1988- Greg Jeffries, Jose Canseco, Bo Jackson,
1989- Ken Griffey Jr., David Robinson, Michael Jordan.
In 1989 the Orlando Magic started their first season so basketball cards became a lot more popular and started being featured at the card shops. I can still picture to this day pulling my first David Robinson and two seconds later the card shop owner offering me 50% of book. The other major pull I had was the Pistons team card and instantly he offered me $10 and being beyond excited that I had a card no one I knew had.
Obviously from a value perspective buying cards at this time generally did not workout but as witnessed by this board it started a passion for collecting cards at an early age that was impossible to shake. I have very fond memories chasing the hot baseball and basketball cards during my youth.
no All-Star, Hall-Of-Famer, Dodger, Yankee or national hero could outweigh the thrill of pulling.......a sticker.
it's all i ever wanted when i was a kid and first getting into collecting as a hobby.
i plastered my bedroom door, walls and windows with any sticker i could find, sports, non-sports, Wackys, etc.......
whatever survived the purge only did so because i ran out of space. and one entire wall was covered with rock 'n' roll posters.
when my folks got around to some home remodeling, they couldn't wait to wipe out all the damage i'd done to my room.
WTB: PSA 1 - PSA 3 Centered, High Eye Appeal 1950's Mantle
Steve
<< <i>1985 Topps #620 >>
Eric ... that Mancrush on THE DOC must stop! LOL
Doug
Liquidating my collection for the 3rd and final time. Time for others to enjoy what I have enjoyed over the last several decades. Money could be put to better use.
From late 1990 on, Frank Thomas. I also liked pulling Griffey to trade for Thomas. Ripken was a good pull for trades in the early mid-90s. When Maddux came to the Braves, I actively sought his cards too.
Thanks,
David (LD_Ferg)
1985 Topps Football (starting in psa 8) - #9 - started 05/21/06
<< <i>
<< <i>1985 Topps #620 >>
Eric ... that Mancrush on THE DOC must stop! LOL
+1
You're gonna have to fight me for him, Eric!
Jeff
WTB: PSA 1 - PSA 3 Centered, High Eye Appeal 1950's Mantle
Eric Davis rookies
Canseco rookies
McGwire, Bonds rookies
But where I lived, Donruss or Fleer was never available in packs at local stores. Only dealers already had Mattingly, Davis and Canseco at sky high prices.
ERIC: Can't find my cowboy hat!
Kid in Middle: Eric, not sure if we are going to find a GOODEN in this stack of '62's(?).
ERIC: Shut up and keep looking!
Doug
Liquidating my collection for the 3rd and final time. Time for others to enjoy what I have enjoyed over the last several decades. Money could be put to better use.
Canseco
Joyner
Jeffries
Griffey
<< <i>Kid on left: Hey Eric, why do you have a glove on your head?
ERIC: Can't find my cowboy hat!
Kid in Middle: Eric, not sure if we are going to find a GOODEN in this stack of '62's(?).
ERIC: Shut up and keep looking!
LOL
WTB: PSA 1 - PSA 3 Centered, High Eye Appeal 1950's Mantle
<< <i>My earliest card collecting memory was 1970: the local candy store must have been selling cello packs because I clearly remember wanting to get this Tom Seaver card (which was never issued):
1970 cello box
Some day, I will purchase one of these (empty) boxes. I did see one for sale on eBay in 2012 but the price wasn't right.
I started buying more packs in the 1971-74 time frame and my friends and I would search through the rack and cello boxes looking for popular players showing. The big hits for me would be: Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Seaver, Rose, Bench, Killebrew, Clemente and pretty much anyone who was winding down a HOF career during that time frame.
I believe this rooting through boxes method (was I a forerunner of the modern day Target 'pack feeler'?) contributes to the lack of packs with HOFers showing from this time frame as my small circle of friends couldn't be the only ones doing this. >>
My CU username comes from the Cello Box that Daniel mentioned/linked above. My uncle used to have a stationery store on Queens Blvd and he sold Topps products. At the end of the 1970 season, he had 3 extra 4th series 1970 Topps BB cello boxes left over. He could sell them back to Topps for a few cents per pack, but instead he gave them to me.
I opened every single pack, and then used the green boxes to store the cards (by team, I wrote the team name on the front of each box....what did I know about collecting when I was 6?). I still have about 60 of these green boxes from my childhood.
And as for the cello boxes themselves. I cut out the Seaver "cards", but I was never able to find them again.
SO...as for the cello box that was pictured in the auction. I was the one who bought it, and I am now in the process of trying to fill it
with original 1970 cello packs. It won't be "factory", but my goal is to try for all non-graded packs. Wish it could be all the same series,
but that seems unlikely.
As for who I would have wanted to pull in those days (early 1970s):
1) Seaver
2) Aaron
3) Rose
4) Bench
5) Ryan
Cheers
Dave
Dave
#2) Duke Snider
#3) any other Dodger card
#4) Mantle & Aaron
#5) any Giant's card (for dart practice)
In my first years of opening packs, Koufax was not yet a big name as the Dodgers were still playing in the Coliseum.
In the later years, it was all Koufax & Drysdale.
2. Thurman Munson
They call me "Pack the Ripper"
<< <i>1974 card #1 of Hank Aaron. I remember like it was yesterday openinig a pack on my way home from school and getting one. Never will forget. >>
1973 was the first year I completed an entire set... it was also the year Hank Aaron hit his 713th Home Run. In 1974, the Hank Aaron Special cards were released and it was the catalyst for my father and me to complete all Topps sets from 1952-1974! Not sure why we skipped all the "special" sets; Blue/Red Backs, 1951 All Stars, 1955 Doubleheaders, 1964 Stand-Ups, etc.? Those were great times! We paid $.04 each for the 1952 commons... in NM-MT+++!
2) Ken Griffey Jr.
My new website www.lowgradegems.com
Tim
out for me. Those were the days!
aconte
<< <i>Kid on left: Hey Eric, why do you have a glove on your head?
ERIC: Can't find my cowboy hat!
Kid in Middle: Eric, not sure if we are going to find a GOODEN in this stack of '62's(?).
ERIC: Shut up and keep looking!
Great Picture
That freckle face kid with the glove on his head at age 7 could be me.
Any Minnesota player would have been acceptable, but Killebrew was the man here in Minnesota when I was growing up.
Joe