@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.
I don't mark the start of the true junk era until 1987 so to me, '84 Donruss is far from junk wax. 1987 through the mid 90's is the junk era IMO. This is a very good topic for a dedicated thread TBH. Many interesting takes on this out there!
collecting RAW Topps baseball cards 1952 Highs to 1972. looking for collector grade (somewhere between psa 4-7 condition). let me know what you have, I'll take it, I want to finish sets, I must have something you can use for trade.
looking for Topps 71-72 hi's-62-53-54-55-59, I have these sets started
Great thread guys. I too have tens of thousands of 80's. I value each card the same, don't know why, just do. I have boxes and cases of unopened racks, wax, and packs. Still love those fleer 87-89's like bacon. I tried to make sets cracking 87 Donruss, one of my favorite sets, but bout fine incomplete sets-LOL. Hope to some some picts of those dudes. Oh well, gotta get back to working on my '83 Pacer.
CURRENT PROJECTS IN WORK: To be honest, no direction, but... 1966-69 Topps EX+ 1975 minis NrMt Kelloggs PSA 9 All Topps Heritage-Master Sets
1984 Donruss is such an iconic and fun year to break. This set is hit or miss based on the centering. The super thin white borders make 50/50 centering a challenge, since even the slightest bias one way makes the card look horribly off-centered. First, here were the stars and rookies that didn’t make the grade...
All three of the main RCs made an appearance. The Mattingly RC is a solid MINT 9 and could have been a contender if not for the slight tilt...ugh!! The Carter and Strawberry RCs were off-centered and not grade worthy.
However, these 14 beauties were found and have an excellent shot at GEM MINT 10. This set looks stunning when you find perfect examples...
The weekend is finally here! Time for some ripping. Up next is one of the most underrated sets of the 1980s in my opinion. Here goes a box of 1985 Donruss...
That was one clean and fresh box. The cards kept coming out with super clean edges and corners which is not the norm for this set. So it just came down to centering. Here are the non grade-worthy stars and rookies that continue to pile up from my 1985 Donruss breaks...
Love these three RCs, but the centering just isn’t where it needs to be...
However, these whopping 52 cards were on the mark at first pass. Here are the first 45 of them...
And the next 5 contenders for PSA 10...
I loved contender #51 as a kid. I would have freaked to pull this back in the 1980s. Heck, I freaked tonight...
And though it is a nano-smidge off T/B, I still think this “Rocket” has a good shot...
super nice -- Eric the Red and Rocket rookies....can't beat that...that Doc card sure ain't off by much...hard to tell from small scan, but is it top/bottom where it is off, or left/right up at the top?
@Kep13 said:
super nice -- Eric the Red and Rocket rookies....can't beat that...that Doc card sure ain't off by much...hard to tell from small scan, but is it top/bottom where it is off, or left/right up at the top?
Thanks! Doc is off T/B about 70/30. Likely a 9, but definitely not a 10. So I’ll keep trying...
@softparade said:
That Gooden looks more like 60/40 T/B to me
You are closer to right Dan. I see anything that is not dead 50/50 as way off since my mind has been trained to look for perfection during this project. I will sub the Gooden for a solid MINT 9 and hope I get lucky. Even if it 10s, it still won’t make my set but will be good money back versus raw. Thanks for talking some sense into me!
@TheThrill22 said:
Those are soooo tough, great box!
Thanks Tom...always love to see your comments along the way.
Overall, that was a decent 1986 Donruss box. The condition was a little above average coming out of these packs, but this set remains a nightmare to find in flawless condition. No Canseco in this box, but all the other key cards made an appearance. First, here are the stars and rookies that continue to pile up from my 1986 Donruss breaks...
I was happy to find 18 solid contenders for GEM MINT in this box. I am not in love with the Kal Daniels RR, so that one is likely getting pulled from the grading pile...
Thanks to those who continue to follow and comment along the way!
@daltex said:
Who is the Rated Rookie on the box top?
Good question since the pictured card was not part of the issued set. Based on the photo, it is of a Texas Rangers player. I presume the photo is of Oddibe McDowell, who was one of the top Rangers prospects in 1986. Donruss likely locked graphics for the box in mid-1985 since the cards were typically released right around Christmas. Since they likely didn’t have the newest prospects under contact at the time of locking artwork for the box, they went with a generic name of “Mike Bo...”
Back in November, Daltex asked me who I thought the Rated Rookie was on the front of the 1986 Donruss box. Based on the prospects of the time, I believed it to be Oddibe McDowell. Consider that confirmed...strange why Donruss chose to change his name on the cover and ultimately pull him out of the Rated Rookies set!?!
@daltex said:
Who is the Rated Rookie on the box top?
Good question since the pictured card was not part of the issued set. Based on the photo, it is of a Texas Rangers player. I presume the photo is of Oddibe McDowell, who was one of the top Rangers prospects in 1986. Donruss likely locked graphics for the box in mid-1985 since the cards were typically released right around Christmas. Since they likely didn’t have the newest prospects under contact at the time of locking artwork for the box, they went with a generic name of “Mike Bo...”
Back in November, Daltex asked me who I thought the Rated Rookie was on the front of the 1986 Donruss box. Based on the prospects of the time, I believed it to be Oddibe McDowell. Consider that confirmed...strange why Donruss chose to change his name on the cover and ultimately pull him out of the Rated Rookies set!?!
Wonder if the name on the boxtop is Mike Boddicker?
RE: 1986 Donruss Oddibe McDoell. Maybe since he already had a rookie card from the 1985 Topps set they decided to pull the RR designation. Has a card ever been a RR when there was a card from a previous year from another company?
RE: 1985 Donruss Clemens and Davis. Two of the nicest cards from that set. The Clemens was always one of my favorites.
I read somewhere that Clemens was almost a RR in 1984 Donruss. Would have loved to see that.
There are a few examples of rated rookie designations that aren't rookie cards that stick out in my mind from the 80s. 1986 Cory Snyder and 1987 Mark McGwire come to mind. It annoyed me to no end that 1989 Donruss had Gregg Jefferies as a rated rookie when he was in their 1988 set.
Wonder if the name on the boxtop is Mike Boddicker?
Looks like a Frankenstein of Oddibe, Boddicker and a RR logo...nice call on the Boddicker.
@Big80s said:
I have missed this thread. I have so much to catch up on!
Thanks Jeff...nice to have you back. Your Pack Geek rips were part of the inspiration that started this journey for me. Always love watching your videos!
I read somewhere that Clemens was almost a RR in 1984 Donruss. Would have loved to see that.
Yeah...that card would have some sick demand. I love thinking about cards that never were...
@Frozencaribou said:
There are a few examples of rated rookie designations that aren't rookie cards that stick out in my mind from the 80s. 1986 Cory Snyder and 1987 Mark McGwire come to mind. It annoyed me to no end that 1989 Donruss had Gregg Jefferies as a rated rookie when he was in their 1988 set.
Agree. The 1988 Donruss Jefferies was all the rage at the time!
Alright. Next up is a 1987 Donruss wax box. This is where this journey began over 1 year ago. Still one of my favorite sets of all time. Solid design and iconic RC selection...
Holy cow these cards are condition sensitive! Paper thin stock, poor centering, lots of print dots and the black borders make this set a condition nightmare. First, here were the stars and rookies in this box...
There were only 3 contenders for GEM MINT in the entire box...
Up next are 12 rack packs (equivalent to a 36 pack wax box) of 1988 Donruss fresh from a factory sealed case I just opened. This is arguably the most worthless set of the 1980s. I haven’t opened any of these since 1988, so this should be a trip down memory lane while I hunt for RCs of Glavine, Alomar, Grace and Jefferies...
Kep and JWB called it...the centering on these cards is awful. If not for such an amazing flood of memories that came back opening these, this would have been a total lost cause. I had forgotten just how many rookies were in this set and all the promise they had back in the day. I can distinctly remember ripping these packs with my best childhood friend Ryan and hoping that I would pull a Gregg Jefferies or Mark Grace RC. I loved those cards as a kid and I still get a thrill every time I see one. First, here were the stars and rookies in these packs...
Mr. Glavine made a dual appearance, but neither make the GEM MINT grade. In fact, there wasn’t a single card worthy of PSA 10 in these dozen racks. That’s right, 0 candidates...
Well technically, I only opened 10 of the racks. I had forgotten how sweet looking the McGwire cards were in this set, so I kept the dual Sandberg/McGwire MVP rack. Finding a rack with the Gregg Jefferies SP (haha...yeah, SP) in the middle cell had me dreaming like a 12 year old kid again!
It’s funny that these two racks make me nearly as happy as many of my Jordan items. Memories are what this hobby is all about...
Awesome appreciation for 88D. As a kid who embarked on his true BBC collecting career in 87, Seitzer and McGwire stoke the show as the top rookies to have. 12yo me just assumed that an 88D Seitzer and MAC would carry the day and put me on the path to riches!
I did rip a ton of this stuff (thanks Mom for Sams Club visits) and landed the SP Jeffries a few times out the gate but never would part with one.
I may need to land that card in a 10 holder for old times sake.
John
Conundrum - Loving my unopened baseball card collection....but really like ripping too
John - I have similar memories of my mom buying me a few packs on our Saturday shopping journeys to the grocery store or letting me stop in the LCS before running errands. I think she knew packs of cards were the perfect way to entertain me for hours so she could get things done on the weekend. As we head into this Mother’s Day weekend, just want to say a big THANK YOU and I LOVE YOU to my mom. I was blessed to have a childhood I happily remember...she and cards were both amazing parts of that!
Always fun ripping boxes that have a shot at RCs of “Junior.” These cards are a condition challenge too for all the same reasons as 1985-1988 Donruss. Here were the stars and rookies that didn’t make the gradable cut...
Pulled a Griffey and Johnson RC, but neither are PSA 10 worthy...
These 9 have a good shot at perfection though...
Can anyone tell me what the deal is with the Madrid card? I am assuming this was all an eBay hoax created by a couple guys bidding up an otherwise worthless card...right?
I hadn’t opened 1988 Fleer or Donruss since 1988. Something about seeing the Glavine, Grace and Jefferies RCs made me extra nostalgic. So I am going to do a run of 1988 Topps, Fleer and Donruss boxes next. It is funny how ripping these has me just as excited as ripping 1984 Donruss or 1983 Topps. Guess it is just a sign that I really love this entire decade of collecting. Up first is a 1988 Topps cello box...
Still amazes me the fun you can have ripping a $5 cello box of junk. Here are the stars and rookies that continue to pile up from my 1988 Topps breaks...
Managed to pull 2 Glavine RCs, but neither are GEM MINT...
This Maddux is just off L/R, but I’m putting it into the grading pile since he is one of the best pitchers of all time...
I did manage to find 5 contenders for PSA 10. Yes, that is less than 1% of the pack fresh cards...
Thanks to all who continue to follow and comment along the way!!
Love the 1988 Donruss rack pack with Jefferies in the middle cell. I wonder what that rack would have sold for in the winter/spring of 1989?
I often think about how drastically prices have fluctuated on some of these boxes you are ripping. 1985 Topps at the height of the McGwire craze immediately comes to mind.
@Frozencaribou said:
Love the 1988 Donruss rack pack with Jefferies in the middle cell. I wonder what that rack would have sold for in the winter/spring of 1989?
I often think about how drastically prices have fluctuated on some of these boxes you are ripping. 1985 Topps at the height of the McGwire craze immediately comes to mind.
-Nathanael
Hey Nathanael...thanks for chiming in. I recall the 1988 Donruss Jefferies routinely fetching $8/card at that time, so I would bet this rack would have sold in the $15-$20 range back then. Now it is an awesome unopened memory that can likely be had for $2. I am happy to own one for nostalgia sake! You raise a good point on the fluctuation of some of these boxes as key RC demand surged for guys like McGwire, Bonds, Canseco, Ripken...and then cooled down. I’m just happy nearly all boxes of 1980 unopened are still pretty reasonable to rip with the exception of 1980 Topps, 1984 Donruss and 1984 Fleer Update Sets.
Speaking of 1988 Donruss...time for 12 more racks. Yes, I know I am a freak and in the minority when I say I actually like ripping these...such fond memories for me...
Man, these are so tough condition wise. They are never centered. The few that are, almost always have blue print dots from the dark ink borders. The ones that pass those tests almost always have edge wear or a touch of white on the corner. Good thing they made a billion of each card. Here were the stars and rookies that didn’t make the grade and were added to my piles...
I did pull a nice Glavine RC, but the centering is slightly off...
Has anyone thought about why people have nostalgia? I FIRMLY believe nostalgia for ANYTHING is more about bringing people back to a time period where they were happier. It really is not about the item itself.
That is what my nostalgia is mostly about. Let's face it. Who wasn't happier when they were in their early years vs. being a lot older?
Comments
I don't mark the start of the true junk era until 1987 so to me, '84 Donruss is far from junk wax. 1987 through the mid 90's is the junk era IMO. This is a very good topic for a dedicated thread TBH. Many interesting takes on this out there!
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
great box
love the RIpkens
collecting RAW Topps baseball cards 1952 Highs to 1972. looking for collector grade (somewhere between psa 4-7 condition). let me know what you have, I'll take it, I want to finish sets, I must have something you can use for trade.
looking for Topps 71-72 hi's-62-53-54-55-59, I have these sets started
Great thread guys. I too have tens of thousands of 80's. I value each card the same, don't know why, just do. I have boxes and cases of unopened racks, wax, and packs. Still love those fleer 87-89's like bacon. I tried to make sets cracking 87 Donruss, one of my favorite sets, but bout fine incomplete sets-LOL. Hope to some some picts of those dudes. Oh well, gotta get back to working on my '83 Pacer.
To be honest, no direction, but...
1966-69 Topps EX+
1975 minis NrMt Kelloggs PSA 9
All Topps Heritage-Master Sets
Thanks for all the comments...keep them coming. As anticipated and called for by Dan, up next is a 1984 Donruss box!
Looking forward to a nice Matty.
1984 Donruss is such an iconic and fun year to break. This set is hit or miss based on the centering. The super thin white borders make 50/50 centering a challenge, since even the slightest bias one way makes the card look horribly off-centered. First, here were the stars and rookies that didn’t make the grade...
All three of the main RCs made an appearance. The Mattingly RC is a solid MINT 9 and could have been a contender if not for the slight tilt...ugh!! The Carter and Strawberry RCs were off-centered and not grade worthy.
However, these 14 beauties were found and have an excellent shot at GEM MINT 10. This set looks stunning when you find perfect examples...
Agreed. That is a beautiful set!
Nic
Guides Authored - Graded Card Scanning Guide PDF | History of the PSA Label PDF
Woo hoo!
SWEEEEEET!
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
Love '84 Donruss...are your Diamond Kings the Steel or Steele version?
Thanks for following along gang. Kep - these are the Steel version.
The weekend is finally here! Time for some ripping. Up next is one of the most underrated sets of the 1980s in my opinion. Here goes a box of 1985 Donruss...
That was one clean and fresh box. The cards kept coming out with super clean edges and corners which is not the norm for this set. So it just came down to centering. Here are the non grade-worthy stars and rookies that continue to pile up from my 1985 Donruss breaks...
Love these three RCs, but the centering just isn’t where it needs to be...
However, these whopping 52 cards were on the mark at first pass. Here are the first 45 of them...
And the next 5 contenders for PSA 10...
I loved contender #51 as a kid. I would have freaked to pull this back in the 1980s. Heck, I freaked tonight...
And though it is a nano-smidge off T/B, I still think this “Rocket” has a good shot...
super nice -- Eric the Red and Rocket rookies....can't beat that...that Doc card sure ain't off by much...hard to tell from small scan, but is it top/bottom where it is off, or left/right up at the top?
Thanks! Doc is off T/B about 70/30. Likely a 9, but definitely not a 10. So I’ll keep trying...
That Gooden looks more like 60/40 T/B to 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
Those are soooo tough, great box!
You are closer to right Dan. I see anything that is not dead 50/50 as way off since my mind has been trained to look for perfection during this project. I will sub the Gooden for a solid MINT 9 and hope I get lucky. Even if it 10s, it still won’t make my set but will be good money back versus raw. Thanks for talking some sense into me!
Thanks Tom...always love to see your comments along the way.
Let’s get back to it. Up next is a 1986 Donruss wax box as we hunt for Jose...
OK Chris.
I'm with you on the Clemens.
I've never pulled a card that pristine.
For me, many would be chipped right out of the pack with soft or chipped corners.
Centering on the Clemens is in the 10 worthy arena. That's one card I'd like to see the results when you sub.
The Davis is really sweet and again would like to see it in a 10 holder.
When will you start subbing these cards?
Best of luck and thanx - an ongoing top 10 thread here.
Overall, that was a decent 1986 Donruss box. The condition was a little above average coming out of these packs, but this set remains a nightmare to find in flawless condition. No Canseco in this box, but all the other key cards made an appearance. First, here are the stars and rookies that continue to pile up from my 1986 Donruss breaks...
I was happy to find 18 solid contenders for GEM MINT in this box. I am not in love with the Kal Daniels RR, so that one is likely getting pulled from the grading pile...
Thanks to those who continue to follow and comment along the way!
Back in November, Daltex asked me who I thought the Rated Rookie was on the front of the 1986 Donruss box. Based on the prospects of the time, I believed it to be Oddibe McDowell. Consider that confirmed...strange why Donruss chose to change his name on the cover and ultimately pull him out of the Rated Rookies set!?!
I never caught that fact about Oddibe. Thanks!
Wonder if the name on the boxtop is Mike Boddicker?
I have missed this thread. I have so much to catch up on!
Jeff
RE: 1986 Donruss Oddibe McDoell. Maybe since he already had a rookie card from the 1985 Topps set they decided to pull the RR designation. Has a card ever been a RR when there was a card from a previous year from another company?
RE: 1985 Donruss Clemens and Davis. Two of the nicest cards from that set. The Clemens was always one of my favorites.
I read somewhere that Clemens was almost a RR in 1984 Donruss. Would have loved to see that.
There are a few examples of rated rookie designations that aren't rookie cards that stick out in my mind from the 80s. 1986 Cory Snyder and 1987 Mark McGwire come to mind. It annoyed me to no end that 1989 Donruss had Gregg Jefferies as a rated rookie when he was in their 1988 set.
Looks like a Frankenstein of Oddibe, Boddicker and a RR logo...nice call on the Boddicker.
Thanks Jeff...nice to have you back. Your Pack Geek rips were part of the inspiration that started this journey for me. Always love watching your videos!
Yeah...that card would have some sick demand. I love thinking about cards that never were...
Agree. The 1988 Donruss Jefferies was all the rage at the time!
Alright. Next up is a 1987 Donruss wax box. This is where this journey began over 1 year ago. Still one of my favorite sets of all time. Solid design and iconic RC selection...
Holy cow these cards are condition sensitive! Paper thin stock, poor centering, lots of print dots and the black borders make this set a condition nightmare. First, here were the stars and rookies in this box...
There were only 3 contenders for GEM MINT in the entire box...
Up next are 12 rack packs (equivalent to a 36 pack wax box) of 1988 Donruss fresh from a factory sealed case I just opened. This is arguably the most worthless set of the 1980s. I haven’t opened any of these since 1988, so this should be a trip down memory lane while I hunt for RCs of Glavine, Alomar, Grace and Jefferies...
wait'll you get a load of the centering on the 88's...typically horrible
I think 1988 was when the printing presses for all three companies began running 24/7.
Have to keep up with Score somehow.
Kep and JWB called it...the centering on these cards is awful. If not for such an amazing flood of memories that came back opening these, this would have been a total lost cause. I had forgotten just how many rookies were in this set and all the promise they had back in the day. I can distinctly remember ripping these packs with my best childhood friend Ryan and hoping that I would pull a Gregg Jefferies or Mark Grace RC. I loved those cards as a kid and I still get a thrill every time I see one. First, here were the stars and rookies in these packs...
Mr. Glavine made a dual appearance, but neither make the GEM MINT grade. In fact, there wasn’t a single card worthy of PSA 10 in these dozen racks. That’s right, 0 candidates...
Well technically, I only opened 10 of the racks. I had forgotten how sweet looking the McGwire cards were in this set, so I kept the dual Sandberg/McGwire MVP rack. Finding a rack with the Gregg Jefferies SP (haha...yeah, SP) in the middle cell had me dreaming like a 12 year old kid again!
It’s funny that these two racks make me nearly as happy as many of my Jordan items. Memories are what this hobby is all about...
Awesome appreciation for 88D. As a kid who embarked on his true BBC collecting career in 87, Seitzer and McGwire stoke the show as the top rookies to have. 12yo me just assumed that an 88D Seitzer and MAC would carry the day and put me on the path to riches!
I did rip a ton of this stuff (thanks Mom for Sams Club visits) and landed the SP Jeffries a few times out the gate but never would part with one.
I may need to land that card in a 10 holder for old times sake.
John
John - I have similar memories of my mom buying me a few packs on our Saturday shopping journeys to the grocery store or letting me stop in the LCS before running errands. I think she knew packs of cards were the perfect way to entertain me for hours so she could get things done on the weekend. As we head into this Mother’s Day weekend, just want to say a big THANK YOU and I LOVE YOU to my mom. I was blessed to have a childhood I happily remember...she and cards were both amazing parts of that!
Time to round out the 1980s Donruss run by ripping a minty fresh box of 1989 Donruss wax, right from a case I just cracked...
Always fun ripping boxes that have a shot at RCs of “Junior.” These cards are a condition challenge too for all the same reasons as 1985-1988 Donruss. Here were the stars and rookies that didn’t make the gradable cut...
Pulled a Griffey and Johnson RC, but neither are PSA 10 worthy...
These 9 have a good shot at perfection though...
Can anyone tell me what the deal is with the Madrid card? I am assuming this was all an eBay hoax created by a couple guys bidding up an otherwise worthless card...right?
There's your retirement fund right there, buddy. Congrats on the amazing pull.
Andy
I hadn’t opened 1988 Fleer or Donruss since 1988. Something about seeing the Glavine, Grace and Jefferies RCs made me extra nostalgic. So I am going to do a run of 1988 Topps, Fleer and Donruss boxes next. It is funny how ripping these has me just as excited as ripping 1984 Donruss or 1983 Topps. Guess it is just a sign that I really love this entire decade of collecting. Up first is a 1988 Topps cello box...
Still amazes me the fun you can have ripping a $5 cello box of junk. Here are the stars and rookies that continue to pile up from my 1988 Topps breaks...
Managed to pull 2 Glavine RCs, but neither are GEM MINT...
This Maddux is just off L/R, but I’m putting it into the grading pile since he is one of the best pitchers of all time...
I did manage to find 5 contenders for PSA 10. Yes, that is less than 1% of the pack fresh cards...
Thanks to all who continue to follow and comment along the way!!
Love the 1988 Donruss rack pack with Jefferies in the middle cell. I wonder what that rack would have sold for in the winter/spring of 1989?
I often think about how drastically prices have fluctuated on some of these boxes you are ripping. 1985 Topps at the height of the McGwire craze immediately comes to mind.
-Nathanael
Hey Nathanael...thanks for chiming in. I recall the 1988 Donruss Jefferies routinely fetching $8/card at that time, so I would bet this rack would have sold in the $15-$20 range back then. Now it is an awesome unopened memory that can likely be had for $2. I am happy to own one for nostalgia sake! You raise a good point on the fluctuation of some of these boxes as key RC demand surged for guys like McGwire, Bonds, Canseco, Ripken...and then cooled down. I’m just happy nearly all boxes of 1980 unopened are still pretty reasonable to rip with the exception of 1980 Topps, 1984 Donruss and 1984 Fleer Update Sets.
Speaking of 1988 Donruss...time for 12 more racks. Yes, I know I am a freak and in the minority when I say I actually like ripping these...such fond memories for me...
Man, these are so tough condition wise. They are never centered. The few that are, almost always have blue print dots from the dark ink borders. The ones that pass those tests almost always have edge wear or a touch of white on the corner. Good thing they made a billion of each card. Here were the stars and rookies that didn’t make the grade and were added to my piles...
I did pull a nice Glavine RC, but the centering is slightly off...
These 5 look GEM MINT after the first pass...
Rick 'Really Big' Schu.
Has anyone thought about why people have nostalgia? I FIRMLY believe nostalgia for ANYTHING is more about bringing people back to a time period where they were happier. It really is not about the item itself.
That is what my nostalgia is mostly about. Let's face it. Who wasn't happier when they were in their early years vs. being a lot older?
Awesome, glad I have caught up!
Up next is a 1988 Fleer wax box. I love the look of the Mark Grace RC in this set...