1982 Anchorage Glacier Pilots Mark McGwire

ReggieCleveland

Can anyone confirm for me that this card was NOT printed in 1982 and was printed in the late-1980s? Thanks in advance.

cardsfan73

They were printed in 1989. I can't remember who produced the card now but they eventually admitted they were printed in 1989 and not in 1982 as they originally tried to say. The fact that there are no cards of any other player from the team that year also makes it obvious this card was not produced in 1982.

scooter729

I would've said they were printed in 1988, but either way '88 or '89, they weren't from 1982.

I bought mine at the time, probably from an SCD ad, and got it signed at a game at Fenway. I remember McGwire making some comment at the time about not having seen it before. (Sorry for the crappy scan!)

ReggieCleveland

The really poor quality B&W photo seemed odd to me when I first saw it a few days ago but didn't think anything of it since the PSA slabs said 1982. Just pure dumb luck I stumbled across a mention that it wasn't from 1982 while looking something else up. Thanks guys, I'll probably pass on picking one up now.

bishop

Very interesting . Reggie -- do you have this card ?

Cardsfan-- do you live in St Louis, and if so, have you been to Kemoll's ?

Excuse the interruption

ReggieCleveland

I do not. I was planning on picking one up (as fugly as they are) until I read they weren't from 1982. Of course, this also helps explain why there are so many of them and in high grade, too.

I am not well-versed in Minor League cards but I'm slowly realizing that every potential purchase needs to be investigated.

cardsfan73

Even though the card was produced later than 1982 it's still a pretty prized cards among McGwire collectors. I believe there were only like 2500-3000 printed. That being said there are fakes of this "fake" card out there. As poor as the photo was on the "original" card, the photo on the counterfeit is even worse. The fans in the background are not as sharp. Also the fakes don't show printer dots.

I was a pretty big McGwire fan back in the day and had this card in my collection. I was thrilled when he was traded to my hometown Cardinals! I know the Homerun chase of the 98 season is tainted with the steroid/ped scandals, but it was a pretty magical season and also the last baseball season my Dad and I got to share. (He passed away in December of that year). The chase brought a lot fans back to the game after so many had left after the cancellation of the 1994 World Series.

Bishop- I grew up just West of St. Louis in St. Charles County.. I never have been to Kemolls though!

vols1

They were printed around 1988, there is also a Casey Candaele.

Tabe

I remember Ken Goldin hawking these on HSN, lying like crazy about these being from 1982 and so on. I was skeptical from the get-go since I'd never even had a hint these existed in the mid-80s. Still wouldn't have minded owning one.

RedHeart54

I bought one in the late '80s and then essentially forgot about it when McGwire himself was forgotten in the early '90s. I was floored when it became a $300 card in 1998-99. I ended up selling it (PSA 8, I think) for $125 or something a few years later.