@ahopkins said:
Chris, that's crazy. I do like the '88 design for some reason. It's always suited my eye.
Glad to see you're still going strong. It's been almost 11 months since you inaugurated this great thread, and what an 11 months it's been.
Andy
Thanks for continuing to follow and comment along the way Andy. It has been a fun project and one I will continue to work against. Ripping these cards never gets old for me. I will plan to share the success stats at the one year mark as a fun recap of the progress I have made finding contenders. I think the low percentage hit rate will surprise some folks out there. While much of the 1980s are considered “junk sets,” finding flawless examples is still a real challenge. I will get back to ripping the better sets soon...
The cells in this box were extremely consistent in terms of condition. The left header cell was nearly all off center L/R. The middle cell was super clean and produced the majority of the GEM MINT candidates. The far right cell, which contains the RCs of Mattingly and Strawberry, had poor registration as the printing didn’t line up perfectly leading to some ink bleeding and ghost lines. Thought I would share that for what it is worth as folks think about breaking boxes in the future. I still have many more boxes from this year to go. At any rate, here are the stars and rookies that continue to pile up...
Here was an interesting pack in the box where only the top card was flipped in the middle cell...
I set this pack aside since it features an ELITE HOFer on top...
There was another Mattingly and Strawberry RC in the bottom half of the box, but neither are GEM worthy this time either...
However, I did manage to find 3 more flawless candidates for PSA 10...
@jordangretzkyfan said:
The cells in this box were extremely consistent in terms of condition. The left header cell was nearly all off center L/R. The middle cell was super clean and produced the majority of the GEM MINT candidates. The far right cell, which contains the RCs of Mattingly and Strawberry, had poor registration as the printing didn’t line up perfectly leading to some ink bleeding and ghost lines. Thought I would share that for what it is worth as folks think about breaking boxes in the future. I still have many more boxes from this year to go. At any rate, here are the stars and rookies that continue to pile up...
However, I did manage to find 3 more flawless candidates for PSA 10...
As predicted, the centering on 1985 Topps remains a challenge. I love this set and it contains so many iconic rookies, that it is always a fun break regardless of the condition of the cards. Here are the rookies and stars that continue to pile up…
These four RCs made an appearance. The Clemens RC is a solid MINT 9 and would have been GEM if it had 50/50 centering...
I did manage to find 3 contenders in this box for a 0.6% hit rate...ouch!
no longer surprised at the low strike rate with potential PSA 10s...I used to not know any better a couple years ago...I have seen enough of your efforts, as well as the hundreds of thousands of cards I have gone thru (80's and 90's) over the last few months to know that the quality of the product from these years is horrendous...as I believe you have stated, one can go thru a stack of cards fairly fast sometimes, as the centering is so bad that you don't even need to give a majority of the cards a second look...
@Kep13 said:
no longer surprised at the low strike rate with potential PSA 10s...I used to not know any better a couple years ago...I have seen enough of your efforts, as well as the hundreds of thousands of cards I have gone thru (80's and 90's) over the last few months to know that the quality of the product from these years is horrendous...as I believe you have stated, one can go thru a stack of cards fairly fast sometimes, as the centering is so bad that you don't even need to give a majority of the cards a second look...
All of these bad attributes will be a saving grace for longevity at some point. Awful quality will ensure a counterbalance to over production.
@Kep13 said:
no longer surprised at the low strike rate with potential PSA 10s...I used to not know any better a couple years ago...I have seen enough of your efforts, as well as the hundreds of thousands of cards I have gone thru (80's and 90's) over the last few months to know that the quality of the product from these years is horrendous...as I believe you have stated, one can go thru a stack of cards fairly fast sometimes, as the centering is so bad that you don't even need to give a majority of the cards a second look...
Yes sir...you are spot on. There is still tons of unopened, but to think that GEM MINT 10s are plentiful is a misnomer. I have known this for a long time which was why I put away plenty of unopened for such a ripping challenge. After looking through my “straight from the pack” cards from my childhood, I realized very few were centered and most all had some type of print defect. It is what makes this journey a fun one. Thanks for the comments along the way!
I really like the designs of a lot of the 1980s sets but there is something missing for when they do not have the official team logo on the front. 1987 Topps looks good with the team logos. Can't recall which sets have the team logos on the front.
I actually didn't like 1987 Topps until recently. The mass production might have been a turn off for me.
@Kep13 said:
no longer surprised at the low strike rate with potential PSA 10s...I used to not know any better a couple years ago...I have seen enough of your efforts, as well as the hundreds of thousands of cards I have gone thru (80's and 90's) over the last few months to know that the quality of the product from these years is horrendous...as I believe you have stated, one can go thru a stack of cards fairly fast sometimes, as the centering is so bad that you don't even need to give a majority of the cards a second look...
Yes sir...you are spot on. There is still tons of unopened, but to think that GEM MINT 10s are plentiful is a misnomer. I have known this for a long time which was why I put away plenty of unopened for such a ripping challenge. After looking through my “straight from the pack” cards from my childhood, I realized very few were centered and most all had some type of print defect. It is what makes this journey a fun one. Thanks for the comments along the way!
I don’t see you busting 1980 Topps and probably for good reason. I suspect that’s the one issue that’s pretty darn tough and if not, definitely an expensive rip. Am I wrong?
That Spilman is a beauty. What do you think is the toughest thing for people to judge, grading-wise, when looking over cards for submission? When I have some free time, I like to watch some sub results videos on youtube, and I am always atwitter when someone gets a 9 or an 8 and the first thing they do is look for corner spots, when I can see right away the centering is off...I think for a lot of people, centering is the most difficult thing, when I think it should be the easiest -- especially if you use some kind of centering tool. I know you have to look at corners, edges and surface as well, but the centering is probably the first thing that jumps out to a grader, so it would behoove folks to spend more time and make sure your centering is really good, before moving to the other facets of the card (unless you aren't trying to get 10's on your cards).
I don’t see you busting 1980 Topps and probably for good reason. I suspect that’s the one issue that’s pretty darn tough and if not, definitely an expensive rip. Am I wrong?
I do have unopened 1980 Topps, but I have yet to decide if it is worth the break financially. It is a challenging set and one that I will build in time. At $1000 per box, the value equation is likely not there to try to build it through ripping.
@Kep13 said:
That Spilman is a beauty. What do you think is the toughest thing for people to judge, grading-wise, when looking over cards for submission? When I have some free time, I like to watch some sub results videos on youtube, and I am always atwitter when someone gets a 9 or an 8 and the first thing they do is look for corner spots, when I can see right away the centering is off...I think for a lot of people, centering is the most difficult thing, when I think it should be the easiest -- especially if you use some kind of centering tool. I know you have to look at corners, edges and surface as well, but the centering is probably the first thing that jumps out to a grader, so it would behoove folks to spend more time and make sure your centering is really good, before moving to the other facets of the card (unless you aren't trying to get 10's on your cards).
Great observations. My experience with PSA is that they have significantly increased their focus on centering for the highest graded cards (i.e 10s and tough 9s). For years I think PSA was more relaxed on centering than was BGS. Now I think centering is the #1 criteria PSA assesses for GEM MINT. I would say corners are the next criteria, followed by surface and last by edges. This is the order I assess when breaking. I would say on average, 90% of the 1980s stuff can immediately be dismissed due to less than 50/50 or 55/45 centering. Of the 10% that are centered, 85% of those will have a surface issue, corner ding or edge wear in that order. Thus leaving about 1.5% of case fresh cards worthy of submitting for a PSA 10. That is what is making this chase so challenging and fun.
Thanks for the comments...it makes this even more enjoyable for me to share!
@Rofles said:
Love seeing what you get! Been a great thread to go through! What year would you say you’re he farthest along in? The least?
Thanks for the encouragement! I have had the most success with 1987 Fleer so far and have ~1/3 of the set in PSA 10 contenders, which is a little over 200 cards. My hit rate on those is about 3%. The hardest has been 1981 Donruss by far. I have only found 6 contenders out of 3 boxes for a hit rate of 0.3%. I will try to post my set counts and hit rates in the next few weeks to mark the 1-year anniversary of this journey. It will be fun to see how the stats on the breaks come out.
Please keep the comments and questions coming. I still have tons to rip...
Right there with Mr Peanuts epic 1983 thread, this one is tops.
I can recall that 1987 me thought 4 sharp corners and no creases was GEM MINT! All of my childhood “keepers” are no better than an 8, most in 6/7.
I love the 85-87, as that is what stoked me into the hobby. Man I wish I had a stockpile to rip like you, thankfully you take us all along for the ride :-)
Conundrum - Loving my unopened baseball card collection....but really like ripping too
@bensie said:
OP, have you ever posted a pic of your stockpile? I'd love to see the mountain awaiting rippage.
Not of all of it, but I try to post pics of the cases and boxes as I pull them out of storage. Here are a few pics of some of the upcoming ripping carnage 😎
Thanks guys...glad everyone is excited for all the future rips. Also glad Tom just set his next vacation plans! 😂 I will update my pull stats here shortly once I have a chance to rip some more next week. As I have mentioned before, my goal is to get close to full sets before I submit so they have sequential serial numbers too. That could take awhile since the hit rates are really challenging. Good news is that there is plenty more to rip as you can see!
@ldferg said:
You may have covered this previously, but what are you planning to do with the leftovers. 😀
I obviously set the PSA 10 contenders aside for grading. I keep the key RCs and HOFers from each year and they go into 3200 count storage boxes for now. I figure they have some value, so I will try to sell them at some point. The rest go into recycling to hopefully save some future trees 🌎
@ldferg said:
You may have covered this previously, but what are you planning to do with the leftovers. 😀
I obviously set the PSA 10 contenders aside for grading. I keep the key RCs and HOFers from each year and they go into 3200 count storage boxes for now. I figure they have some value, so I will try to sell them at some point. The rest go into recycling to hopefully save some future trees 🌎
Tim Carroll and that other guy (sorry other guy) may need some pallet inventory.
@jordangretzkyfan said:
As I have mentioned before, my goal is to get close to full sets before I submit so they have sequential serial numbers too. That could take awhile since the hit rates are really challenging.
I'm rooting for you all the way. This is still one of my favorite threads to watch. Who needs TV?
And when you finally pull this off, I'll be an old man, and I'll die knowing you have pulled off the single greatest collecting journey ever. And I'll be happy that I saw it from beginning to end. What a story for the great great grandkids.
"Well, kiddos, it started with this guy who had a vision...."
I'm rooting for you all the way. This is still one of my favorite threads to watch. Who needs TV?
And when you finally pull this off, I'll be an old man, and I'll die knowing you have pulled off the single greatest collecting journey ever. And I'll be happy that I saw it from beginning to end. What a story for the great great grandkids.
"Well, kiddos, it started with this guy who had a vision...."
Thanks Andy. It is a fine line between a great vision and insanity...I’ll take the great vision compliment for now! 😂
@JWBlue said:
Is whether a card is warped taken into consideration by PSA for grading?
Minor warping such as that from a vending box will not impact the grade so long as it doesn’t create any creasing. If a card is severely warped, it’s best to flatten it under a book first.
That vending case closed out really well. There were a respectable 18 contenders out of the 1500 untouched cards. Happily, there was nice star power among the contenders for GEM MINT which was highlighted by a beautiful Glavine RC...
I will get back to breaking more of the good stuff tomorrow.
Wow! Talk about a beautiful and challenging set. Out of the 540 pack fresh cards, less than 25 were perfectly centered. Take out the majority of those for corner/edge wear and surface issues and you have a super difficult set to find in GEM MINT condition. Here are the stars and rookies that continue to pile up...
No Rocket RC, but these three made an appearance...
I was pleasantly surprised to find 9 contenders for PSA 10 at first glance! There was even some decent star power in the group...
Hey Tanner! Thanks for the mention and call out for this thread. You pose a great question on the value of PSA 10 cards from the 1980s and their long term value. Fully agree that many have lower pops now and will grow as folks begin to rip more for fun. The question will be if the supply meets the demand, as you propose. I am more excited about the challenge than the monetary return, so I am fine either way it shakes out. Thanks for continuing to follow and comment along the way!
Hey Tanner! Thanks for the mention and call out for this thread. You pose a great question on the value of PSA 10 cards from the 1980s and their long term value. Fully agree that many have lower pops now and will grow as folks begin to rip more for fun. The question will be if the supply meets the demand, as you propose. I am more excited about the challenge than the monetary return, so I am fine either way it shakes out. Thanks for continuing to follow and comment along the way!
I have a feeling if you don't get any of your money back at all, and if you never come close to even completing a single set, you will step back and feel it was all worth it just for the fun of ripping and the enjoyment of documenting in this thread / getting feedback / etc. Keep on keepin' on, sir!
Tanner Jones, Author of Confessions of a Baseball Card Addict - Now Available on Amazon!
Comments
Thanks for continuing to follow and comment along the way Andy. It has been a fun project and one I will continue to work against. Ripping these cards never gets old for me. I will plan to share the success stats at the one year mark as a fun recap of the progress I have made finding contenders. I think the low percentage hit rate will surprise some folks out there. While much of the 1980s are considered “junk sets,” finding flawless examples is still a real challenge. I will get back to ripping the better sets soon...
Are you still “recycling” commons?
ISO 1978 Topps Baseball in NM-MT High Grade Raw 3, 100, 103, 302, 347, 376, 416, 466, 481, 487, 509, 534, 540, 554, 579, 580, 622, 642, 673, 724__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ISO 1978 O-Pee-Chee in NM-MT High Grade Raw12, 21, 29, 38, 49, 65, 69, 73, 74, 81, 95, 100, 104, 110, 115, 122, 132, 133, 135, 140, 142, 151, 153, 155, 160, 161, 167, 168, 172, 179, 181, 196, 200, 204, 210, 224, 231, 240
Yes...trying to do my part to thin the heard of 1980s material out there, while saving trees at the same time 🌎
Let's start a national movement to "trim the trees" Pick a time for a burn the 80's day LOL
ISO 1978 Topps Baseball in NM-MT High Grade Raw 3, 100, 103, 302, 347, 376, 416, 466, 481, 487, 509, 534, 540, 554, 579, 580, 622, 642, 673, 724__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ISO 1978 O-Pee-Chee in NM-MT High Grade Raw12, 21, 29, 38, 49, 65, 69, 73, 74, 81, 95, 100, 104, 110, 115, 122, 132, 133, 135, 140, 142, 151, 153, 155, 160, 161, 167, 168, 172, 179, 181, 196, 200, 204, 210, 224, 231, 240
Just a thought here: Instead of recycling the cards that are not 10s, perhaps send some to Tim https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/974749/turning-my-1980s-early-90s-commons-into-classics#latest
to be turned into art?
I would personally love to see a 1984 Topps Mattingly made out of all 1984 Topps commons.
Andy
Great idea but I would be torn. Your idea is classy and will help another and I like to see stuff burn. Would be a tough one for me.
ISO 1978 Topps Baseball in NM-MT High Grade Raw 3, 100, 103, 302, 347, 376, 416, 466, 481, 487, 509, 534, 540, 554, 579, 580, 622, 642, 673, 724__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ISO 1978 O-Pee-Chee in NM-MT High Grade Raw12, 21, 29, 38, 49, 65, 69, 73, 74, 81, 95, 100, 104, 110, 115, 122, 132, 133, 135, 140, 142, 151, 153, 155, 160, 161, 167, 168, 172, 179, 181, 196, 200, 204, 210, 224, 231, 240
Alright...time to finish up the second half of this 1984 Topps rack box.
The cells in this box were extremely consistent in terms of condition. The left header cell was nearly all off center L/R. The middle cell was super clean and produced the majority of the GEM MINT candidates. The far right cell, which contains the RCs of Mattingly and Strawberry, had poor registration as the printing didn’t line up perfectly leading to some ink bleeding and ghost lines. Thought I would share that for what it is worth as folks think about breaking boxes in the future. I still have many more boxes from this year to go. At any rate, here are the stars and rookies that continue to pile up...
Here was an interesting pack in the box where only the top card was flipped in the middle cell...
I set this pack aside since it features an ELITE HOFer on top...
There was another Mattingly and Strawberry RC in the bottom half of the box, but neither are GEM worthy this time either...
However, I did manage to find 3 more flawless candidates for PSA 10...
Nice Fred Lynn!
ISO 1978 Topps Baseball in NM-MT High Grade Raw 3, 100, 103, 302, 347, 376, 416, 466, 481, 487, 509, 534, 540, 554, 579, 580, 622, 642, 673, 724__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ISO 1978 O-Pee-Chee in NM-MT High Grade Raw12, 21, 29, 38, 49, 65, 69, 73, 74, 81, 95, 100, 104, 110, 115, 122, 132, 133, 135, 140, 142, 151, 153, 155, 160, 161, 167, 168, 172, 179, 181, 196, 200, 204, 210, 224, 231, 240
Time to try some more of the always off-centered 1985 Topps...
As predicted, the centering on 1985 Topps remains a challenge. I love this set and it contains so many iconic rookies, that it is always a fun break regardless of the condition of the cards. Here are the rookies and stars that continue to pile up…
These four RCs made an appearance. The Clemens RC is a solid MINT 9 and would have been GEM if it had 50/50 centering...
I did manage to find 3 contenders in this box for a 0.6% hit rate...ouch!
no longer surprised at the low strike rate with potential PSA 10s...I used to not know any better a couple years ago...I have seen enough of your efforts, as well as the hundreds of thousands of cards I have gone thru (80's and 90's) over the last few months to know that the quality of the product from these years is horrendous...as I believe you have stated, one can go thru a stack of cards fairly fast sometimes, as the centering is so bad that you don't even need to give a majority of the cards a second look...
All of these bad attributes will be a saving grace for longevity at some point. Awful quality will ensure a counterbalance to over production.
ISO 1978 Topps Baseball in NM-MT High Grade Raw 3, 100, 103, 302, 347, 376, 416, 466, 481, 487, 509, 534, 540, 554, 579, 580, 622, 642, 673, 724__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ISO 1978 O-Pee-Chee in NM-MT High Grade Raw12, 21, 29, 38, 49, 65, 69, 73, 74, 81, 95, 100, 104, 110, 115, 122, 132, 133, 135, 140, 142, 151, 153, 155, 160, 161, 167, 168, 172, 179, 181, 196, 200, 204, 210, 224, 231, 240
Yes sir...you are spot on. There is still tons of unopened, but to think that GEM MINT 10s are plentiful is a misnomer. I have known this for a long time which was why I put away plenty of unopened for such a ripping challenge. After looking through my “straight from the pack” cards from my childhood, I realized very few were centered and most all had some type of print defect. It is what makes this journey a fun one. Thanks for the comments along the way!
Still one of my favorite threads
1987 Topps request
I really like the designs of a lot of the 1980s sets but there is something missing for when they do not have the official team logo on the front. 1987 Topps looks good with the team logos. Can't recall which sets have the team logos on the front.
I actually didn't like 1987 Topps until recently. The mass production might have been a turn off for me.
Because I am glutten for punishment, how about another box of 1981 Donruss and the terrible condition challenges on their premier issue...
Wow the production quality on these is horrific. It is easily the worst of the decade. Here were the stars and rookies...
Miraculously I did manage to find 2 contenders...
I don’t see you busting 1980 Topps and probably for good reason. I suspect that’s the one issue that’s pretty darn tough and if not, definitely an expensive rip. Am I wrong?
ISO 1978 Topps Baseball in NM-MT High Grade Raw 3, 100, 103, 302, 347, 376, 416, 466, 481, 487, 509, 534, 540, 554, 579, 580, 622, 642, 673, 724__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ISO 1978 O-Pee-Chee in NM-MT High Grade Raw12, 21, 29, 38, 49, 65, 69, 73, 74, 81, 95, 100, 104, 110, 115, 122, 132, 133, 135, 140, 142, 151, 153, 155, 160, 161, 167, 168, 172, 179, 181, 196, 200, 204, 210, 224, 231, 240
That Spilman is a beauty. What do you think is the toughest thing for people to judge, grading-wise, when looking over cards for submission? When I have some free time, I like to watch some sub results videos on youtube, and I am always atwitter when someone gets a 9 or an 8 and the first thing they do is look for corner spots, when I can see right away the centering is off...I think for a lot of people, centering is the most difficult thing, when I think it should be the easiest -- especially if you use some kind of centering tool. I know you have to look at corners, edges and surface as well, but the centering is probably the first thing that jumps out to a grader, so it would behoove folks to spend more time and make sure your centering is really good, before moving to the other facets of the card (unless you aren't trying to get 10's on your cards).
I do have unopened 1980 Topps, but I have yet to decide if it is worth the break financially. It is a challenging set and one that I will build in time. At $1000 per box, the value equation is likely not there to try to build it through ripping.
Great observations. My experience with PSA is that they have significantly increased their focus on centering for the highest graded cards (i.e 10s and tough 9s). For years I think PSA was more relaxed on centering than was BGS. Now I think centering is the #1 criteria PSA assesses for GEM MINT. I would say corners are the next criteria, followed by surface and last by edges. This is the order I assess when breaking. I would say on average, 90% of the 1980s stuff can immediately be dismissed due to less than 50/50 or 55/45 centering. Of the 10% that are centered, 85% of those will have a surface issue, corner ding or edge wear in that order. Thus leaving about 1.5% of case fresh cards worthy of submitting for a PSA 10. That is what is making this chase so challenging and fun.
Thanks for the comments...it makes this even more enjoyable for me to share!
Love seeing what you get! Been a great thread to go through! What year would you say you’re he farthest along in? The least?
Thanks for the encouragement! I have had the most success with 1987 Fleer so far and have ~1/3 of the set in PSA 10 contenders, which is a little over 200 cards. My hit rate on those is about 3%. The hardest has been 1981 Donruss by far. I have only found 6 contenders out of 3 boxes for a hit rate of 0.3%. I will try to post my set counts and hit rates in the next few weeks to mark the 1-year anniversary of this journey. It will be fun to see how the stats on the breaks come out.
Please keep the comments and questions coming. I still have tons to rip...
Right there with Mr Peanuts epic 1983 thread, this one is tops.
I can recall that 1987 me thought 4 sharp corners and no creases was GEM MINT! All of my childhood “keepers” are no better than an 8, most in 6/7.
I love the 85-87, as that is what stoked me into the hobby. Man I wish I had a stockpile to rip like you, thankfully you take us all along for the ride :-)
OP, have you ever posted a pic of your stockpile? I'd love to see the mountain awaiting rippage.
Not of all of it, but I try to post pics of the cases and boxes as I pull them out of storage. Here are a few pics of some of the upcoming ripping carnage 😎
That’s not all of it for sure as I don’t see ‘84 Donruss or ‘80 Topps lol. WOW !!!!!!
Great pics I’m drooling
ISO 1978 Topps Baseball in NM-MT High Grade Raw 3, 100, 103, 302, 347, 376, 416, 466, 481, 487, 509, 534, 540, 554, 579, 580, 622, 642, 673, 724__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ISO 1978 O-Pee-Chee in NM-MT High Grade Raw12, 21, 29, 38, 49, 65, 69, 73, 74, 81, 95, 100, 104, 110, 115, 122, 132, 133, 135, 140, 142, 151, 153, 155, 160, 161, 167, 168, 172, 179, 181, 196, 200, 204, 210, 224, 231, 240
I want to come to your house for a vacation! Great stuff!
That is quite the stash.
Have you had any submissions at this point?
Thanks guys...glad everyone is excited for all the future rips. Also glad Tom just set his next vacation plans! 😂 I will update my pull stats here shortly once I have a chance to rip some more next week. As I have mentioned before, my goal is to get close to full sets before I submit so they have sequential serial numbers too. That could take awhile since the hit rates are really challenging. Good news is that there is plenty more to rip as you can see!
You may have covered this previously, but what are you planning to do with the leftovers. 😀
Thanks,
David (LD_Ferg)
1985 Topps Football (starting in psa 8) - #9 - started 05/21/06
I obviously set the PSA 10 contenders aside for grading. I keep the key RCs and HOFers from each year and they go into 3200 count storage boxes for now. I figure they have some value, so I will try to sell them at some point. The rest go into recycling to hopefully save some future trees 🌎
Tim Carroll and that other guy (sorry other guy) may need some pallet inventory.
I'm rooting for you all the way. This is still one of my favorite threads to watch. Who needs TV?
And when you finally pull this off, I'll be an old man, and I'll die knowing you have pulled off the single greatest collecting journey ever. And I'll be happy that I saw it from beginning to end. What a story for the great great grandkids.
"Well, kiddos, it started with this guy who had a vision...."
Andy
>
Thanks Andy. It is a fine line between a great vision and insanity...I’ll take the great vision compliment for now! 😂
Up next are two 1988 Topps vending boxes...
These cards continue to be a challenge to find in GEM MINT. First, here are the stars and rookies that continue to pile up...
Out of 1000 untouched factory-fresh cards, 7 contenders emerged (0.7% hit rate)...
Here’s a candidate for ya. You want it? I’ll ship no charge. Ink is oozing with gloss! Back is just as good
ISO 1978 Topps Baseball in NM-MT High Grade Raw 3, 100, 103, 302, 347, 376, 416, 466, 481, 487, 509, 534, 540, 554, 579, 580, 622, 642, 673, 724__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ISO 1978 O-Pee-Chee in NM-MT High Grade Raw12, 21, 29, 38, 49, 65, 69, 73, 74, 81, 95, 100, 104, 110, 115, 122, 132, 133, 135, 140, 142, 151, 153, 155, 160, 161, 167, 168, 172, 179, 181, 196, 200, 204, 210, 224, 231, 240
Just played a lot of catch up on the thread.
Thanks for sharing, as always!
Will be folllowing along closely, keep ‘em coming!
Is whether a card is warped taken into consideration by PSA for grading?
Minor warping such as that from a vending box will not impact the grade so long as it doesn’t create any creasing. If a card is severely warped, it’s best to flatten it under a book first.
Up next, the last 3 vending boxes from the 1988 Topps case...
That vending case closed out really well. There were a respectable 18 contenders out of the 1500 untouched cards. Happily, there was nice star power among the contenders for GEM MINT which was highlighted by a beautiful Glavine RC...
I will get back to breaking more of the good stuff tomorrow.
Alright. Time for some more of those nightmare black bordered beauties from 1985 Donruss...
Wow! Talk about a beautiful and challenging set. Out of the 540 pack fresh cards, less than 25 were perfectly centered. Take out the majority of those for corner/edge wear and surface issues and you have a super difficult set to find in GEM MINT condition. Here are the stars and rookies that continue to pile up...
No Rocket RC, but these three made an appearance...
I was pleasantly surprised to find 9 contenders for PSA 10 at first glance! There was even some decent star power in the group...
Just fyi I gave you some love here
https://tanmanbaseballfan.com/2019/02/1000-psa-10-common-card-prices-will-they-hold-their-value.html
amazing thread!! thanks for posting, this is fantastic...
Hey Tanner! Thanks for the mention and call out for this thread. You pose a great question on the value of PSA 10 cards from the 1980s and their long term value. Fully agree that many have lower pops now and will grow as folks begin to rip more for fun. The question will be if the supply meets the demand, as you propose. I am more excited about the challenge than the monetary return, so I am fine either way it shakes out. Thanks for continuing to follow and comment along the way!
Thank you for reading along...the comments are the icing on the cake for me!
I have a feeling if you don't get any of your money back at all, and if you never come close to even completing a single set, you will step back and feel it was all worth it just for the fun of ripping and the enjoyment of documenting in this thread / getting feedback / etc. Keep on keepin' on, sir!