What is the most mass produced baseball card product of the mass produced era?
frankhardy
Posts: 8,098 ✭✭✭✭✭
What brand and year is the most mass produced (over produced) baseball card?
1987 Topps? Fleer? Donruss?
1988 Topps? Fleer? Donruss?
1989 Topps? Fleer? Donruss?
1990 Topps? Fleer? Donruss?
1991 Topps? Fleer? Donruss?
1992 Topps? Fleer? Donruss?
1990 Upper Deck?
1991 Upper Deck?
1992 Upper Deck?
I am almost positive that it has to be one of those that I listed. Which ONE of those is the most over produced?
My vote is.......(after looking at my own list)......I really don't know!
Shane
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My guess is 1991 Donruss
My gut instinct is it is a 1991 issue as well.
1991 Score comes to mind.
1990 or 1991 Donruss are also candidates.
1991 Fleer
Definitely something from 1991
saucywombat@hotmail.com
I am going to go with 88 Donruss, for this reason.....the demand for 88 Donruss upon release, though, overproduced was very high, especially given the popularity of Mark Grace, Alomar and Gregg Jeffries rookies. A ton of that product was opened up back in the day, Compare that to the 1991 Donruss, which sucked upon release, sucked in the future and still sucks now, with no major rookies from the set.
The result is the appearance of less 88 Donruss available now than 1991. Just my opinion, either product will be available 50 years from now for next to nothing
'91 was the 40th anniversary year of Topps. It was also the last year in which the company printed on cheap cardstock. I would say that Topps had the presses running a lot longer than these other guys, but the product sold and was still more popular than that awful '91 Donruss release. No less then 7 different variations of the same base design (i.e. Topps/OPC, Micro, Tiffany, Cracker Jack, Desert Shield, etc..).
Based on the number of cards for sale on Sportlots, I think the winner is 1987 Topps, and 1988 Donruss isn't far behind.
I dare anyone to buy all 661 Jay Tibbs cards for 18 cents apiece.
I vote for 1990 Upper Deck in this contest.
1987 topps seems to be the most over-produced, but at the same time, there is a bit of value there, at least in rookies and HOF's. 1988 Donruss is right behind, but the value isn't there like it use to be. But both of them are fun and cheap case breaks (cello and racks for me) to find those cool HOF's and rookies showing.
Work in progress - Unopened Racks/Cello/Wax with star power for Baseball, Football and Basketball
Collecting unopened 80's boxes and graded packs
I may be hoarding too much 80's junk wax but I like it!
I agree with this, 1991 Topps because of the 40th anniversary. Plus, I would say that Topps in general was produced more than the other guys because they were trying to get/keep the top spot as #1 in sports cards. All of the late 80s Topps baseball boxes say "The Real One", probably to differentiate themselves from the other guys.
buying O-Pee-Chee (OPC) baseball
FWIW, the number of 1991 Topps cards for sale on Sportslots is only about half of 1987 Topps.
I vote 88 donruss
If you stamped a 88 donruss 1/1 would it be worth $1,000??
Don't give topps any buyback bs ideas...
I would say Topps in general was more available back then. It seemed like it was everywhere. Donruss was right behind and I remember Fleer being slightly harder to find. I want to say 1987 Topps but I feel like that was a little too early and the card boom was still on the upswing. Some of you might be right about 1991 product.
Reed from BBCE always says 1988 Donruss is the most available of the junk wax still.
My vote is 88 Donruss....it was everywhere. Only baseball issue that I've bought packs of in my life. Bought them at Wawa convenience store. I was out of the hobby by 1991(college).
First Cards ever collected - 1978 Topps Football.
Working on a collection of the Top Ten FB Cards of each year from 1957-1987.
Truth. Over the last 13 years, the only products I've ever been offered in quantities of 100 cases or more (other than the Myland closeouts) are 88 Donruss BB, 87 Topps BB, and 91/92 Stadium Club HK. I never bought the TSC HK (offered $12/case.) I have been offered 87T BB a few times, but each time the seller didn't want to "take a loss." We won't even bring up the meaning of the phrase "time value of money."
Not only have I bought 88D BB wax cases (a 100+ at a time) on multiple occasions, don't forget there are also factory sets, cello boxes, 10 box wax cases, rack packs, blister packs (plastic on a cardboard backing - two different sizes), counter displays, 8+2 wax cases (8 Donruss plus 2 leaf) and probably some configuration we have yet to discover.
Print run was probably higher in 89 over 88, or 90 over 89, but Donruss was also producing other stuff too (The Rookies, Traded, Baseball's Best, etc.) so then again, maybe not.
The best argument for Topps is the fact that they also made vending. However, they also had side projects (Traded, Minis, Big, etc.) plus other sports and non-sports.
Reed Kasaoka
Buyer, Baseball Card Exchange
cell: (808) 372-1974
email: ReedBBCE@gmail.com
website: www.bbce.com
eBay stores: bbcexchange, bbcexchange2, bbcexchange3, bbcexchange4
Reed, on the topic other Topps products from that era, why can't I find a full case of the 1989 Topps Big 3rd series cards? With low pops in PSA 10 of Randy Johnson and John Smoltz in the 3rd series, I have been looking for a case of that for the past 5 years with no luck. Single boxes are pretty scarce on ebay as well. Could it be because few dealers placed any orders with Topps on that stuff...as everyone was ordering 1989 Upper Deck baseball when the Topps Big 3rd series would have come out?
I'm going with 89 Donruss as the biggest print run. Although I don't disagree that 88d is the most available today.
How would it be though that 1988 Donruss had a print run higher than 1988 Topps ? In 1988 the only product ever available at the local quickie marts and grocery stores was Topps. Donruss I'm not sure made it to any mainstream distribution did it ? They could have printed 1/4 of what Topps did and pretty much 3/4 of that was stored in some turd burglar's storage shed because no one consigned in it. No ?
I believe Topps Big failed because the community wasn't buying into having different size card holders, sheets, and storage boxes. By the time 1989 Bowman rolled out in the summer of 89, the oversized card experiment failed miserably. When you consider how much 88 Topps Big is out there in X-out form, you sort of knew that even though every product from the era sold, 89 Topps Big wouldn't. I think dealers got tired of it, so when 89 series 3 went to print, Topps made it more to order rather than having surplus. It also may have been treated like a seventh series product from the 60s - just make it because we sold some, then switch over the presses for football or some other non-sports (NKOTB?) Why stubbornly made 90 Topps Big is beyond my comprehension level.
Reed Kasaoka
Buyer, Baseball Card Exchange
cell: (808) 372-1974
email: ReedBBCE@gmail.com
website: www.bbce.com
eBay stores: bbcexchange, bbcexchange2, bbcexchange3, bbcexchange4
Gotta go with 88 Donruss as well. Iy just started showing up in masses everywhere, including retailers, department stores, grocery stores, etc. Everywhere I went I saw Dale Murphy smiling at me and it became a bit much. I knew my investment in Alomar's RC was in big trouble
TheClockworkAngelCollection
I think the 1982 K Mart; should get a vote.
I have to much S**t; so if you working on sets or are a player/team collector, send me your want list, with conditions desired. Keep in mind I have a another job so please allow me a few days to respond.
All of the above
IT CAN'T BE A TRUE PLAYOFF UNLESS THE BIG TEN CHAMPIONS ARE INCLUDED
What a time to be alive.
Kiss me twice.....let's party.
Sir, stop hurting that young boy. No party with the boy ok ?
Counting the large amount Upper Deck printed after the main print run, I say it's the 1989 Ken Griffey Jr.
Steve
I think it is 1987 Topps. They still had cello packs in some of the local convenience stores for sale in 1989 near me.
.
Such fond memories of this era for me. Working in the coin and card shop in high school. Organizing a monster box of '87 Topps in numerical -- sweeping up with the hand sweeper around the giant stacks of '88 Donruss boxes against the wall by the closet -- cleaning glass showcases in the back alley with a lemon spray that attracted every wasp in the area that Saturday summer afternoon -- and running to the deli across the street to get lunch.
Best part of it is looking at a wax box of '87 Topps or '88 Donruss brings it all back to me. Fun times!
I wrote an article on 1991 topps here: http://tanmanbaseballfan.com/2015/10/1991-topps-the-100-card-glowing-backs-more.html. there were an estimated 4 million of each card produced. Inconceivable!
In my area 88 Donruss actually sat on the shelves at the local Sam's club in cases. People were buying it but it was there in such quantity it took time for it to move. The dollar stores, Toys R US, Kay B Toys & convenience stores had racks packs and boxes by the dozens for months on end. Also in my area '88 Topps was hard to find on the shelves.
And Murph was normally off center!
I am not sure but I have the most adverse reaction to 1990 Donruss. Just seeing the cards puts me in a bad mood. My vote for the worst set ever made
I second that. You forgot about the 100 or so different errors too. Dourness just gave up this year
TheClockworkAngelCollection
I remember buying tens of wax boxes in search of the four different Harold Baines all-star cards, including the one with a line thru the yellow star and Recent Major League Performance on the back.
buying O-Pee-Chee (OPC) baseball
Recently, I picked up some original Topps photos. One was for this card:
NO ONE wanted this type of card because it was just an advertisement ... however, people ... ok ... me ... are now seeing these kinds of things as collectible too. This card comes in several flavors with a different code in the back. There are no doubt millions of these cards.
Here is the original photo as seen on my site at cansecocollector.com
You can see they photoshopped the head off the person between his legs LOL
I don't know why, but I get a thrill out of owning a piece that was used to make millions of other worthless pieces. It is kind of cool thinking that most every collection may have this somewhere, and I have the original pic!
I think I could handle the Donruss instead of those lovely 1991 Fleer cards...Freaking glowing yellow?? Butt ugly! Who had that bright idea
The inserts were cool (and I still think pretty sweet), but the base set, geez, could use them as reflectors!
Work in progress - Unopened Racks/Cello/Wax with star power for Baseball, Football and Basketball
Collecting unopened 80's boxes and graded packs
I may be hoarding too much 80's junk wax but I like it!
Speaking of all the BLECH early 90's cards, I did a few for fun on my site for Halloween a few years back.
Here is a pic of the card while I was messing around in photoshop when it was about 4 feet tall, lol
I am not going to lie. I kind of like 91 Fleer. It is 92 Fleer base I do not like. I do love the inserts though
The inserts in 1991 Fleer were the Rookie Sensations I think? I thought those cards looked amazing and would take off in value. I was picking up Thomas, Planter, Bagwell, etc whenever I could but they just fizzled out and got lost in the shuffle
TheClockworkAngelCollection
That was 1992. 1991 had the Pro Vision inserts.
My honest opinion is that 1987 & 1988 Topps has been produced the most.
Later, Paul.
Have no idea about production numbers, but gotta go with 88 Donruss for availability in my neighborhood. They were everywhere!
The shipping would be outrageous...
It kind of looks like people's opinion is based upon the area they lived and grew up in...
Very interesting opinions.
Shane
I've got a kinda funny story involving 88 Donruss. Can't remember now how many years ago this was. One Halloween, I ran out of candy to pass out (I am the place you love to stop by as a kid, I pass it out almost by the shovel full). We live in the sticks, so a couple dozen kids would be a HUGE turnout. Anyway, no candy and kids still coming, what can I do?
I've got it!! Kids LOVE '88 Donruss!! Go to the card closet and bust out a box of that instant winner!! LOL
It was either that or start passing out beer
Seriously, passing out 1988 Donruss these days might be cheaper than passing out candy
Growing up in Upstate NY, Topps was everywhere for as long as I can remember...don't remember seeing AS MUCH Donruss, Fleer, Score, etc.
For my specific area, and from what I saw, I would say 1988-1989 Topps baseball. It was everywhere from country stores in towns with populations of 20 or less all the way to department stores. I saw 1988 Topps even when I didn't want to see it lol....
I agree with this Mike. That red border is nauseating. The only saving grace to this set was the emergence of the Aqueous test variation. Even then, still hard to see those cards and not cringe.
If you had access to Sam's club - I only remember them having Topps (and maybe Donruss?) back in 1990. But you could clean up at Sam's. And get a 2 gallon container of Lemonheads or Blow Pops.
saucywombat@hotmail.com
I remember in the mid-90s, Sam's Club was selling complete sets of 1987 Topps in sheet form. The 6 sheets were rolled up and were inside a box, like a giant box of aluminum foil.
buying O-Pee-Chee (OPC) baseball