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I love the 1980s! The ultimate unopened rip quest to build Topps, Fleer, Donruss PSA 10 sets...

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  • softparadesoftparade Posts: 9,276 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited April 3, 2019 6:51PM

    Chris, do you have a running report on the amount of 10 prospects you have to date with each issue? Also, what do you do with doubles, triples, etc PSA 10 candidates?

    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

  • JWBlueJWBlue Posts: 489 ✭✭✭

    @softparade said:
    Chris, do you have a running report on the amount of 10 prospects you have to date with each issue? Also, what do you do with doubles, triples, etc PSA 10 candidates?

    Relevant to this thread. Topps only.

  • softparadesoftparade Posts: 9,276 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @JWBlue said:

    @softparade said:
    Chris, do you have a running report on the amount of 10 prospects you have to date with each issue? Also, what do you do with doubles, triples, etc PSA 10 candidates?

    Relevant to this thread. Topps only.

    Interesting, that report throws cold water on the idea that ‘86 Topps is impossible with the 1/3 black border

    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

  • JWBlueJWBlue Posts: 489 ✭✭✭

    @softparade said:

    Interesting, that report throws cold water on the idea that ‘86 Topps is impossible with the 1/3 black border

    I didn't really read it closely. How can that chart be accurate? 1/3 of 1986 submissions are graded a 10? That can not be correct.

  • Kep13Kep13 Posts: 515 ✭✭✭

    That is an old chart -- but the current rate of PSA 10's for 1986 baseball is right at 30%, so still higher than most would guess I suspect. I think people have gotten much better at knowing what is a 10 for this set....

  • jordangretzkyfanjordangretzkyfan Posts: 2,451 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @softparade said:
    Chris, do you have a running report on the amount of 10 prospects you have to date with each issue? Also, what do you do with doubles, triples, etc PSA 10 candidates?

    Yes, I last updated my hit rate for high potential 10s that I have pulled on the one year anniversary of this thread (Feb 24th post). The hit rates are pretty miniscule and that is before PSA even grades them. I’m sure they won’t all grade 10. I keep my duplicate PSA 10 candidates for a second wave of submissions based on how the first batch will turn out. There aren’t too many dupes since even finding 1 example of each card has proven challenging. Thanks for the question Dan!

  • jordangretzkyfanjordangretzkyfan Posts: 2,451 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Such a good looking set. Here is a pic of the stars and rookies that didn’t make the cut...

    The big 4 RCs all made an appearance, but none worthy of a 10...

    I did find these 8 contenders though...

  • NGS428NGS428 Posts: 2,325 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @jordangretzkyfan said:
    Such a good looking set. Here is a pic of the stars and rookies that didn’t make the cut...

    The big 4 RCs all made an appearance, but none worthy of a 10...

    I did find these 8 contenders though...

    Nice yount! Fleer made some beautiful sets in the mid 80’s.

  • jordangretzkyfanjordangretzkyfan Posts: 2,451 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Pretty sure it has been 30 years since I last ripped a box of 1988 Fleer baseball. Is it weird that I am really excited to sift through these cards? I have kind of forgotten about this set over the years. The key RCs are of course Tom Glavine and Edgar Martinez. However, the card I wanted the most as a kid in late 1988 and into 1989 was the Mark Grace RC. That card was soaring up the Beckett Hot List and Grace, Sandberg and Dunston were propelling the Cubs into a classic postseason battle with Will Clark’s Giants. Here goes some ripping...

  • Stone193Stone193 Posts: 24,407 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited April 5, 2019 12:01PM

    Had to pull this one out Chris.

    Sure 10 IMO.

    It's been many moons on the 88F for me also.

    I do have a 50 ct. stack of Glavine RC's - paid a buck a piece - so couldn't resist.

    Best of luck buddy.

    Mike
  • jordangretzkyfanjordangretzkyfan Posts: 2,451 ✭✭✭✭✭

    That rip was a blast and such a fun trip down memory lane. There were so many former rookie prospects I had forgotten about like Matt Williams, Ron Gant, Ellis Burks and Matt Nokes. The downside of this set is that it will make you cross-eyed looking for perfectly centered examples! More on that in a minute. First, here are the stars and RCs that didn’t make my grading cut...

    Now for the centering challenge. L/R centering is straight forward, but T/B is a whole other animal. Take a look at these three cards to see what I mean. The Phelps is centered T/B, while the Jackson is off on the top and Show is off on the bottom. You can tell by the wave on the red/blue strip where it zags a touch from the card on the sheet above it. Such a subtle thing, but a tell tale of the card not being 50/50....

    I did manage to find 23 contenders in the box however...

    And I was super happy to pull this Grace RC. Just a hair off L/R, but I am going to sub it anyway since this is my favorite card in the set.

  • jordangretzkyfanjordangretzkyfan Posts: 2,451 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited April 5, 2019 6:09PM

    @Stone193 said:
    Had to pull this one out Chris.

    Sure 10 IMO.

    It's been many moons on the 88F for me also.

    I do have a 50 ct. stack of Glavine RC's - paid a buck a piece - so couldn't resist.

    Best of luck buddy.

    Thanks Mike! Agree that the Yount is a blazer. Better check that stack of Glavine’s for perfection...just be sure to take breaks so your eyes don’t cross 🤨

  • Stone193Stone193 Posts: 24,407 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited April 5, 2019 8:48PM

    Thanx Chris.

    Does Grace look like a kid or what?

    Too bad Tommy didn't make the cut.

    Have no idea where those are BTW. On the modern scene, I have way more cards than I care to count or even look at right now.

    Mike
  • jordangretzkyfanjordangretzkyfan Posts: 2,451 ✭✭✭✭✭

    To close out the decade for Fleer, up next is a 1989 wax box. This comes directly from an error case I cracked, so we all know the infamous Billy Ripken card that likely lies within. Let’s start the hunt for perfection...

  • Kep13Kep13 Posts: 515 ✭✭✭

    @jordangretzkyfan said:
    That rip was a blast and such a fun trip down memory lane. There were so many former rookie prospects I had forgotten about like Matt Williams, Ron Gant, Ellis Burks and Matt Nokes. The downside of this set is that it will make you cross-eyed looking for perfectly centered examples! More on that in a minute. First, here are the stars and RCs that didn’t make my grading cut...

    Now for the centering challenge. L/R centering is straight forward, but T/B is a whole other animal. Take a look at these three cards to see what I mean. The Phelps is centered T/B, while the Jackson is off on the top and Show is off on the bottom. You can tell by the wave on the red/blue strip where it zags a touch from the card on the sheet above it. Such a subtle thing, but a tell tale of the card not being 50/50....

    I did manage to find 23 contenders in the box however...

    And I was super happy to pull this Grace RC. Just a hair off L/R, but I am going to sub it anyway since this is my favorite card in the set.

    So what are you using for the top border then, when measuring t/b centering? Do you use the top of the team logo? I have looked at PSA 10's on Ebay in the past for this set and it doesn't seem to be overly consistent as far as the t/b centering

  • jordangretzkyfanjordangretzkyfan Posts: 2,451 ✭✭✭✭✭

    That was a fun trip down memory lane. I loved ripping these packs back in the day hunting for Griffey RCs. Here were the stars and RCs that didn’t make the grade...

    Did manage to pull a Griffey, but it wasn’t GEM MINT...

    I did manage to find these 32 candidates for PSA 10...

    And happily, I found these two error candidates for GEM MINT too...

    The Johnson is the red tint error. This box was a second wave error box, meaning it had all the errors from 1989 except the Treadway (1st error that Fleer corrected) and the Johnson unaltered Marlboro (2nd error they corrected). Thanks for looking...

  • softparadesoftparade Posts: 9,276 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited April 7, 2019 5:01AM

    Nice pull on the Ripken FF!
    Here’s a cool read on that whole saga...

    https://www.cnbc.com/id/28116692

    This is my entire 1989 Fleer unopened collection 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

  • jordangretzkyfanjordangretzkyfan Posts: 2,451 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Kep13 said:

    So what are you using for the top border then, when measuring t/b centering? Do you use the top of the team logo? I have looked at PSA 10's on Ebay in the past for this set and it doesn't seem to be overly consistent as far as the t/b centering

    I am using the height of the bottom border as my only guide and measuring them to be the same as the Phelps pictured below, which is consistent with the Martinez PSA 10 you shared in the link. Unfortunately, you cannot use the team logo as the reference for the top border since the team logos all have varying height. That’s what makes this a pain to assess for GEM MINT, since there is no top border landmark to reference.

  • jordangretzkyfanjordangretzkyfan Posts: 2,451 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @softparade said:
    Nice pull on the Ripken FF!
    Here’s a cool read on that whole saga...

    https://www.cnbc.com/id/28116692

    This is my entire 1989 Fleer unopened collection lol

    Sweet pack Dan! Thanks for the article link. It certainly has been a storied 1980s card over the years...

  • Kep13Kep13 Posts: 515 ✭✭✭

    @jordangretzkyfan said:

    @Kep13 said:

    So what are you using for the top border then, when measuring t/b centering? Do you use the top of the team logo? I have looked at PSA 10's on Ebay in the past for this set and it doesn't seem to be overly consistent as far as the t/b centering

    I am using the height of the bottom border as my only guide and measuring them to be the same as the Phelps pictured below, which is consistent with the Martinez PSA 10 you shared in the link. Unfortunately, you cannot use the team logo as the reference for the top border since the team logos all have varying height. That’s what makes this a pain to assess for GEM MINT, since there is no top border landmark to reference.

    Thank you for your response...I guess my next question would then be what do the graders use then when grading 1988 Fleer,in your mind? If there is no top border to be used, and the bottom border IS NOT to be the same width as the side borders, what then do they use? I would doubt they would have a sample 1988 Fleer card sitting at their work station which shows proper centering, right? I thank you for your opinions -- I have a small stack of Edgars from this set and want to send in those which have the proper centering?

    p.s. I don't recall if I have asked or if you have said -- do you have a centering tool you use? I was going thru a couple thousand really nice 1983 Fleer commons, hunting for examples of which there are 0 or 1 PSA 10s -- man, any candidate that I thought was close, I used my centering tool I bought form the guy on these forums. Sometimes one that is 60-40 can trick you and it looks to be closer to 50-50. I am glad I bought that tool as it saves me from submitting cards which don't meet centering standards.

  • softparadesoftparade Posts: 9,276 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited April 7, 2019 5:01PM

    There are 60/40 PSA 10’s out there. Mostly top to bottom IMO. Not a knock.

    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

  • Kep13Kep13 Posts: 515 ✭✭✭

    @softparade said:
    There are 60/40 PSA 10’s out there. Mostly top to bottom IMO. Not a knock.

    I hear ya there, and the standards say a card can be 60-40 and be a 10...I just won't submit any that are, unless they are still valuable in PSA 9. I'd rather see a 60-40 t/b than 60-40 side to side...just my choice...

  • jordangretzkyfanjordangretzkyfan Posts: 2,451 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I had so much fun ripping some of these Fleer boxes that I am going to rip a couple more before moving to Donruss. Here goes another 1983 Fleer wax box...

  • jordangretzkyfanjordangretzkyfan Posts: 2,451 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Always fun to hunt for the big three RCs from 1983. Overall, the condition of the cards in this box was pretty solid. First, here are the ones that didn’t make the cut...

    This Boggs RC was super clean, but the print registration keeps it from being a PSA 10. The Gwynn was a fun pull, but too OC to grade. It also happened to come in the second to last pack I opened...

    I did find 26 candidates for GEM MINT at first glance, so that was a win in my book...

  • JWBlueJWBlue Posts: 489 ✭✭✭
    edited April 10, 2019 6:47PM

    @jordangretzkyfan said:

    This Boggs RC was super clean, but the print registration keeps it from being a PSA 10.

    What is print registration?

  • jordangretzkyfanjordangretzkyfan Posts: 2,451 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @JWBlue said:

    @jordangretzkyfan said:

    This Boggs RC was super clean, but the print registration keeps it from being a PSA 10.

    What is print registration?

    It’s the hazy looking sky behind him...meaning the ink isn’t dark and true. It has a snowy look to the registration of the ink. Thanks for the question.

  • jordangretzkyfanjordangretzkyfan Posts: 2,451 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Time for another 1984 Fleer wax box before I move to a Donruss run...

  • jordangretzkyfanjordangretzkyfan Posts: 2,451 ✭✭✭✭✭

    That was one sick box! I love the look of 1984 Fleer, such a simple and sleek design. First, here were the stars and rookies that didn’t make the grade...

    I found an outstanding 50 candidates for GEM MINT condition. Here are the first 49, highlighted by a nice Ryno...

    And check out candidate #50. One of my favorite cards as a kid!!!

  • ahopkinsahopkins Posts: 1,100 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @jordangretzkyfan said:
    And check out candidate #50. One of my favorite cards as a kid!!!

    BAM! Love this set. One of my top 5 favorite '80s sets. Keep it going, Chris!

    Andy

  • jordangretzkyfanjordangretzkyfan Posts: 2,451 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @ahopkins said:

    >

    BAM! Love this set. One of my top 5 favorite '80s sets. Keep it going, Chris!

    Thanks Andy...always fun to pull a clean RC of a childhood hero!

  • jordangretzkyfanjordangretzkyfan Posts: 2,451 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Time to start a run of 1980s Donruss. These have been the most condition sensitive for me to pull so far. The paper stock used from 1982-1984 was higher quality than the other years. The balance of the years used paper thin stock and were largely dark bordered cards that show any hint of edge and corner wear. Here goes...

  • DotStoreDotStore Posts: 702 ✭✭✭✭

    That looks like tons of fun! I remember looking for those Mike Greenwell cards with the error red line on them. Those darn black borders always had white chips on them. I remember Fleer in those days was tough to get duplicates in a wax box. It was good that you probably got at least one of every sought after player (almost a complete a set), but bad because you didn't get many duplicates of the cards you wanted. That was just my experience with Fleer Wax boxes -- I don't know about the rack packs. Thanks for posting -- these pictures bring back fond memories!!!

  • jordangretzkyfanjordangretzkyfan Posts: 2,451 ✭✭✭✭✭

    1981 Donruss continue to be the most brutal condition set of the 1980s that I have ripped. This set is not overly attractive, but I have always liked a good condition challenge. Here were the stars and rookies that didn’t make the grade, and there were many...

    PSA 10 candidates are a needle in the haystack. Here are the 3 that I found in this box...

  • jordangretzkyfanjordangretzkyfan Posts: 2,451 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @DotStore said:
    That looks like tons of fun! I remember looking for those Mike Greenwell cards with the error red line on them. Those darn black borders always had white chips on them. I remember Fleer in those days was tough to get duplicates in a wax box. It was good that you probably got at least one of every sought after player (almost a complete a set), but bad because you didn't get many duplicates of the cards you wanted. That was just my experience with Fleer Wax boxes -- I don't know about the rack packs. Thanks for posting -- these pictures bring back fond memories!!!

    Thank you for your comments and reflections. My experience with Fleer is identical to yours...very even distribution throughout a single box. Rack boxes were the same way when taken from the same box. Glad this thread was a fun trip down memory lane for you. I appreciate the comments!

  • JWBlueJWBlue Posts: 489 ✭✭✭

    RE : 1981 DONRUSS

    Was Pete Rose the only player to have two different cards? He had the third manager card as well.

  • daltexdaltex Posts: 3,486 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @jordangretzkyfan said:
    1981 Donruss continue to be the most brutal condition set of the 1980s that I have ripped. This set is not overly attractive, but I have always liked a good condition challenge. Here were the stars and rookies that didn’t make the grade, and there were many...

    Wow! That Mookie Wilson stack is getting really thick.

  • ahopkinsahopkins Posts: 1,100 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Jeez, that '81 Donruss set brings back memories. Love that Yogi card. Keep 'em coming, Chris.

    Andy

  • jordangretzkyfanjordangretzkyfan Posts: 2,451 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @JWBlue said:
    RE : 1981 DONRUSS

    Was Pete Rose the only player to have two different cards? He had the third manager card as well.

    All the major stars had 2-3 cards in 1981 Donruss. If you look closely at the pic, you will see multiple different cards of Reggie, Brett, Schmidt, Seaver, Carew, etc.

    @daltex said:

    Wow! That Mookie Wilson stack is getting really thick.

    Good eye...he seems to be in every fourth pack I open 🤣

    @ahopkins said:
    Jeez, that '81 Donruss set brings back memories. Love that Yogi card. Keep 'em coming, Chris.

    Thanks Andy...more to come tomorrow!

  • jordangretzkyfanjordangretzkyfan Posts: 2,451 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Time to see if we can find a dead-on Ripken RC. Up next, 1982 Donruss....

  • jordangretzkyfanjordangretzkyfan Posts: 2,451 ✭✭✭✭✭

    That was a rather rough box. This set can be really hit or miss when breaking...if they start off-centered, they seem to all be off. Here were the stars and rookies that didn’t make the cut.

    I pulled a Ripken RC, but cannot seem to land a centered one...

    There were only 2 contenders in this entire box, which is a 0.3% hit rate...yikes!

  • countdouglascountdouglas Posts: 2,436 ✭✭✭✭✭

    That Tom is Terrific!

  • TheThrill22TheThrill22 Posts: 976 ✭✭✭

    I have always thought that the 1981 Reggie with his bat on his shoulder is one of the coolest cards produced. Great stuff sir!

  • jordangretzkyfanjordangretzkyfan Posts: 2,451 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @countdouglas said:
    That Tom is Terrific!

    I see what you did there 😎

    @TheThrill22 said:
    I have always thought that the 1981 Reggie with his bat on his shoulder is one of the coolest cards produced. Great stuff sir!

    Thanks Tom!

  • jordangretzkyfanjordangretzkyfan Posts: 2,451 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Let’s see if we can find perfection with Gwynn, Boggs or Sandberg in a 1983 Donruss box...

  • jordangretzkyfanjordangretzkyfan Posts: 2,451 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Talk about a high grade box...wow! The cards were coming out nice and clean. First, here are the ones that missed the grade...

    Always fun to pull Gwynn and Boggs RCs, even if they were off-centered...

    I managed to find an impressive 77 contenders for PSA 10...

    I closed out with these 2 solid PSA 9 candidates. Sandberg is just off T/B and the Ripken has a very minor print smudge below his name...

  • TheThrill22TheThrill22 Posts: 976 ✭✭✭

    Love seeing this on a lazy Sunday morning!

  • softparadesoftparade Posts: 9,276 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited April 28, 2019 8:50AM

    ‘84 Donruss next! My favorite Donruss issue. Love ‘84 through ‘87

    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

  • bensiebensie Posts: 59 ✭✭

    @softparade said:
    ‘84 Donruss next! My favorite Donruss issue. Love ‘84 through ‘87

    Same here. 1984 donruss is one of the greatest sets of the junk wax era. All the other donruss issues were pretty awful, but they hit it out of the park in '84.

  • EstilEstil Posts: 7,058 ✭✭✭✭

    This is such a fun thread...it was 80s sets that I started with when I was able to do complete sets in my college years (early 2000s)...I still remember getting my first ever complete sets (1987 and 1989 Topps factory sets...1988 I had to settle for a hand collated set). Opening a Topps factory set from that era, sorting the cards and putting them in an album was a lot of fun. :)

    WISHLIST
    D's: 54S,53P,50P,49S,45D+S,44S,43D,41S,40D+S,39D+S,38D+S,37D+S,36S,35D+S,all 16-34's
    Q's: 52S,47S,46S,40S,39S,38S,37D+S,36D+S,35D,34D,32D+S
    74T: 37,38,47,151,193,241,435,570,610,654,655 97 Finest silver: 115,135,139,145,310
    73T:31,55,61,62,63,64,65,66,67,68,80,152,165,189,213,235,237,257,341,344,377,379,390,422,433,453,480,497,545,554,563,580,606,613,630
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