Fun fact...did you know Mark Grace had the most hits of any player during the 1990s? It is always fun ripping late 80s boxes if you were a collector during that time. Here were the stars and rookies that didn’t make the grade...
Pulled these two HOF RCs, but neither are centered perfectly...
Such a tough set to build in GEM MINT. Funny how I still get so excited to pull Grace and Jefferies RCs...such a cheap thrill. Here were the stars and rookies that didn’t make the grade...
If you collected in 1988 and 1989, how cool were these to own?!?
I did manage to find 3 contenders for PSA 10. Happy that one of them was the “Black Jack” McDowell RC...
Talk about another tough condition set. These cards look really sharp when they are dead on, but the challenge is finding perfect examples. Here are the piles that continue to grow from all the boxes I have ripped...
I pulled 21 contenders through the first pass. I will go back tomorrow morning and weed these down for anything not 50/50 and daggers for corners. Certainly don’t want to be subbing MINT 9s on these...
There is something about hunting for Don Mattingly RCs that just epitomizes 1980s baseball card collecting!! I love the design of this set and the thrill of finding Mattingly and Strawberry rookies is such a rush to a kid from the 80s. First, here are the stars and rookies that continue to pile up in pack fresh PSA 7-9 condition, but don’t make the GEM MINT 10 grade...
Landed these two beauties. Solid PSA 9s, but do not have GEM MINT centering.
These two racks are pretty sweet, so I set them aside...
I did manage to find 17 contenders for PSA 10. Another example of a beautiful 1980s set when you find them in perfect condition.
@softparade said:
I haven’t noticed you setting star racks aside before. Just starting that or have I just not noticed?
Hey Dan...I have only set aside a handful so far and only when the star is on top, not bottom. Mostly 1984 Topps (Mattingly x2, Boggs, Sandberg, Ryan, Henderson), 1987 Topps cellos (McGwire, Clemens, Rose) and 1988 Donruss (Jefferies). If they are iconic 1980s cards I tend to set them aside. Thanks for continuing to comment on the rips!!
I had so much fun hunting for Mattingly RCs that I decided to add some reinforcements. Going to crack the seal on a fresh 1984 Topps vending case. Always love the look of untouched, case fresh boxes! Let’s open one to get this case started...
Haha...glad you guys are supportive of the break 😉
As we all know, vending can be hit or miss. This box had plenty of stars. Here is a pic of all the 1984 Topps that continue to pile up from my breaks...
I pulled this crisp Mattingly RC, but the L/R centering will keep it at a PSA 9. Always a thrill when you are sliding through a stack of cards and see that left Yankees edge peering back at you...
I only managed to find 3 contenders for GEM MINT in this box. These cards are so cool when they are dead on...
Dan Quisenberry was a very good player, and really the only distinction between him and Sutter, Smith, and Hoffman is that Quisenberry had a winning record. Still, I wonder what made Fleer think that would be a key card in the set.
Dan Quisenberry was a very good player, and really the only distinction between him and Sutter, Smith, and Hoffman is that Quisenberry had a winning record. Still, I wonder what made Fleer think that would be a key card in the set.
Perhaps they gave recognition to the fact that Dan Quisenberry set, and turns out only briefly held, the single season saves record in 1983...?
Where were these vending cases sold back in the day? I never saw them in a store or anything. Are these the kind of thing that was sold in the Sears catalog at Christmas?
This set is so simple in design, but stunning to see. 1984 Fleer is one of my favorite sets to rip from the 80s. For some reason, this has always been one of the harder products to find. Here are the stars and rookies that continue to build, but don’t make the grade...
I love the look of these two RCs. The blues in the jerseys and background really stand out with this design visually. Unfortunately neither makes the grade...
However, there were a solid 23 contenders for PSA 10 in this box. They were headlined by Brett and Ryno...
@Vaultdweller said:
Where were these vending cases sold back in the day? I never saw them in a store or anything. Are these the kind of thing that was sold in the Sears catalog at Christmas?
They were sold to hobby dealers largely as a way to build sets at a discount to the cost of wax, cello and rack boxes. Unlike their counterparts, vending did not come with a MSRP. My LCS ordered them direct from Topps. They were available before factory sets, which came later in the season. Vending was the form my LCS used to make sets to sell at the release of the product. Wax, cello and rack were sold directly to my LCS as well, but also distributed through wholesalers like Sams for broader retail sales in grocery and convenience stores.
@Vaultdweller said:
Where were these vending cases sold back in the day? I never saw them in a store or anything. Are these the kind of thing that was sold in the Sears catalog at Christmas?
They were sold to hobby dealers largely as a way to build sets at a discount to the cost of wax, cello and rack boxes. Unlike their counterparts, vending did not come with a MSRP. My LCS ordered them direct from Topps. They were available before factory sets, which came later in the season. Vending was the form my LCS used to make sets to sell at the release of the product. Wax, cello and rack were sold directly to my LCS as well, but also distributed through wholesalers like Sams for broader retail sales in grocery and convenience stores.
I don't disagree with any of that. I would just like to add that I grew up in a small town, and both the drugstore and grocery store had baseball card vending machines. I believe Mike Stone has shared pictures of one that he bought. I assume that was the original intent of vending boxes - to have product to load into the machines. I vaguely recall the drugstore selling leftover stock at the end of the year by the whole unopened vending box, but that could be my imagination. I also vaguely recall the advertisements in the back of the sports card magazine's where you could buy vending boxes, and even large lots of specific players that "were pulled from vending stock".
I’m feeling like taking some stock in Bonds. Time to crack a fresh factory sealed case of 1986 Fleer Update sets. I have always liked the look of the Bonds and Clark XRCs. Let’s start with 5 fresh sets...
Yikes...these cards are really tough to find in GEM MINT. Centering is usually off and the blue borders and corners do not like being crammed into the outer set box. That said, these XRCs are pretty sweet looking! Here were the ones that didn’t make the grade...
Of these four Bonds, the upper left one should be a solid MINT 9...
I did manage to find these 9 contenders for PSA 10. Yes, that is 9 out of 660 factory set cards for just over 1% hit rate...ouch!
I'm confused. Isn't that Ryan/Carlton/Perry a 1984?
You are correct. I must have mixed up my piles when I pulled my 1983s out of my 3200 count storage boxes on that card somehow. Thanks, I put it back with the 1984s.
The Ryno sure looks super! I never pulled one that well centered. I did sub 1 and got a 9 but centering R/L was close to 60/40.
Is this one for the 10 bin? Sure looks close on my screen.
I sure like opening packs - I've lost track of how many 2019 Bowman blasters I've opened.
Again - like "packs" - this is one of my favorite threads to open.
Hey there Mike. Always good hearing from you. Yeah, I think this Ryno has a strong shot at PSA 10...so here’s hoping. I’m with you on the pack opening, clearly. This has been such a fun journey for me, since I am primarily an unopened collector. It is fun to finally enjoy the hunt via part of my unopened stash. Thanks for following and commenting along the way. Hoping to see you in Chicago in a few months my friend!
Carrying the momentum of the 1983 Topps vending box that had the amazing Sandberg RC, up next is a 1984 Topps vending box from a case I just cracked the seal on. Here is hoping for a GEM of a Mattingly RC...
Consider that momentum stalled. Every now and then you simply hit a dud of a box...this was said box. No Mattingly or Strawberry RCs inside. The pattern kept repeating in a 200 card block. I pulled 3 Boggs and a few other HOFers to add to the piles of growing stars from this year. Oh well, better luck next time...
Such an iconic set! Always fun to rip these and hunt for the key RCs. Overall, this box was decent. First, here are the stars and rookies that continue to pile up...
These 5 rookies made an appearance, but none had GEM MINT centering...
However, these 4 are dead on. Yep, another 80’s box that had less than a 1% hit rate for PSA 10 candidates. Anyone picking up on that pattern through this entire thread? 🙂
I like looking around at all the cool stuff on this site but finally registered just to comment on your epic project. Its a blast to watch you go on with your goal. I especially love all of the late 80s breaks.
I remember opening wax boxes of 1989 topps with my brother and my cousins on Christmas day. Nothing better that year than hunting for Ricky Jordan, Sandy Alomar, Gary Sheffield, or heaven forbid a Gregg Jefferies Future Stars card. We would all be busting packs and then someone would clear their throat. Ahem...and show off their future wealth in cardboard.
I actually have a Sandberg 83 Topps in PSA 10 that I picked up a couple years ago. Insane how hard they were/are to pull. Yours looks like a Gem for sure. Best of luck going forward and thanks for sharing your passion.
@jordangretzkyfan said:
Such a tough set to build > @jordangretzkyfan said:
Such an iconic set! Always fun to rip these and hunt for the key RCs. Overall, this box was decent. First, here are the stars and rookies that continue to pile up...
These 5 rookies made an appearance, but none had GEM MINT centering...
However, these 4 are dead on. Yep, another 80’s box that had less than a 1% hit rate for PSA 10 candidates. Anyone picking up on that pattern through this entire thread? 🙂
@Mikefth said:
I like looking around at all the cool stuff on this site but finally registered just to comment on your epic project. Its a blast to watch you go on with your goal. I especially love all of the late 80s breaks.
I remember opening wax boxes of 1989 topps with my brother and my cousins on Christmas day. Nothing better that year than hunting for Ricky Jordan, Sandy Alomar, Gary Sheffield, or heaven forbid a Gregg Jefferies Future Stars card. We would all be busting packs and then someone would clear their throat. Ahem...and show off their future wealth in cardboard.
I actually have a Sandberg 83 Topps in PSA 10 that I picked up a couple years ago. Insane how hard they were/are to pull. Yours looks like a Gem for sure. Best of luck going forward and thanks for sharing your passion.
I am very honored to be your first post! Thanks for sharing your Christmas 1989 story. You are hilarious...great post. It triggered memories for me too of getting 2 cello boxes for Christmas that year and setting them up on my desk like I owned a card store. I think the boxes lasted unopened for all of 8 hours as I kept going back desperate to see who was on the top of the packs in the next unopened layer of each box. Low and behold, one of the packs had a Rickey Jordan RC on top. “Ahem...showed off that future wealth in cardboard” to all who would see 😂 Kept that sealed pack for years! I look forward to more of your comments along this journey...
In honor of Mike’s first post, up next is a 1989 Topps vending box. I love this hobby and how it can bring us all together like we are kids busting packs and trading again...priceless!
Ahh the memories. Here were the stars and rookies in the 1989 vending box...
The struggle is real...when looking for perfect examples of late 1980s cards. Good thing there are millions and millions of them. Here were the 4 contenders for PSA 10. They really pop when you find them...
Comments
here's hoping you pull 1 or 2 rookies of the best right-handed hitter in the 90's in that 88 Fleer box
Fun fact...did you know Mark Grace had the most hits of any player during the 1990s? It is always fun ripping late 80s boxes if you were a collector during that time. Here were the stars and rookies that didn’t make the grade...
Pulled these two HOF RCs, but neither are centered perfectly...
I did manage to find 18 contenders for PSA 10...
And this 19th contender made me happy...
Love seeing what you get!
LOL Edgar the porn star
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
Thanks for following along!
He is only lacking the gold chain in that picture.
One more stack of a dozen 1988 Donruss racks before I shift gears to other years...
Such a tough set to build in GEM MINT. Funny how I still get so excited to pull Grace and Jefferies RCs...such a cheap thrill. Here were the stars and rookies that didn’t make the grade...
If you collected in 1988 and 1989, how cool were these to own?!?
I did manage to find 3 contenders for PSA 10. Happy that one of them was the “Black Jack” McDowell RC...
I had forgotten I started the first half of 1984 and 1986 Topps rack boxes a while ago. Up first is the rest of the 1986 Topps rack box...
Talk about another tough condition set. These cards look really sharp when they are dead on, but the challenge is finding perfect examples. Here are the piles that continue to grow from all the boxes I have ripped...
I pulled 21 contenders through the first pass. I will go back tomorrow morning and weed these down for anything not 50/50 and daggers for corners. Certainly don’t want to be subbing MINT 9s on these...
Time to finish out the second half of the 1984 Topps rack box I started awhile back...
There is something about hunting for Don Mattingly RCs that just epitomizes 1980s baseball card collecting!! I love the design of this set and the thrill of finding Mattingly and Strawberry rookies is such a rush to a kid from the 80s. First, here are the stars and rookies that continue to pile up in pack fresh PSA 7-9 condition, but don’t make the GEM MINT 10 grade...
Landed these two beauties. Solid PSA 9s, but do not have GEM MINT centering.
These two racks are pretty sweet, so I set them aside...
I did manage to find 17 contenders for PSA 10. Another example of a beautiful 1980s set when you find them in perfect condition.
I haven’t noticed you setting star racks aside before. Just starting that or have I just not noticed?
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
Hey Dan...I have only set aside a handful so far and only when the star is on top, not bottom. Mostly 1984 Topps (Mattingly x2, Boggs, Sandberg, Ryan, Henderson), 1987 Topps cellos (McGwire, Clemens, Rose) and 1988 Donruss (Jefferies). If they are iconic 1980s cards I tend to set them aside. Thanks for continuing to comment on the rips!!
Dems some beauts ya continue to pull!
I had so much fun hunting for Mattingly RCs that I decided to add some reinforcements. Going to crack the seal on a fresh 1984 Topps vending case. Always love the look of untouched, case fresh boxes! Let’s open one to get this case started...
^ Holy.
Andy
I was like
Kris
My 1971 Topps adventure - Davis Men in Black
Hell Yeah!
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 wouldn’t be busting this case LOL. jordangretskyfan lives the L I F E!
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
Haha...glad you guys are supportive of the break 😉
As we all know, vending can be hit or miss. This box had plenty of stars. Here is a pic of all the 1984 Topps that continue to pile up from my breaks...
I pulled this crisp Mattingly RC, but the L/R centering will keep it at a PSA 9. Always a thrill when you are sliding through a stack of cards and see that left Yankees edge peering back at you...
I only managed to find 3 contenders for GEM MINT in this box. These cards are so cool when they are dead on...
You should have a marathon session this weekend! What’s up next?
There will definitely be some ripping this weekend, so stay tuned and thanks for following.
I am still on a Mattingly RC kick, so up next is a box of 1984 Fleer wax...
Dan Quisenberry was a very good player, and really the only distinction between him and Sutter, Smith, and Hoffman is that Quisenberry had a winning record. Still, I wonder what made Fleer think that would be a key card in the set.
Perhaps they gave recognition to the fact that Dan Quisenberry set, and turns out only briefly held, the single season saves record in 1983...?
Where were these vending cases sold back in the day? I never saw them in a store or anything. Are these the kind of thing that was sold in the Sears catalog at Christmas?
This set is so simple in design, but stunning to see. 1984 Fleer is one of my favorite sets to rip from the 80s. For some reason, this has always been one of the harder products to find. Here are the stars and rookies that continue to build, but don’t make the grade...
I love the look of these two RCs. The blues in the jerseys and background really stand out with this design visually. Unfortunately neither makes the grade...
However, there were a solid 23 contenders for PSA 10 in this box. They were headlined by Brett and Ryno...
They were sold to hobby dealers largely as a way to build sets at a discount to the cost of wax, cello and rack boxes. Unlike their counterparts, vending did not come with a MSRP. My LCS ordered them direct from Topps. They were available before factory sets, which came later in the season. Vending was the form my LCS used to make sets to sell at the release of the product. Wax, cello and rack were sold directly to my LCS as well, but also distributed through wholesalers like Sams for broader retail sales in grocery and convenience stores.
I don't disagree with any of that. I would just like to add that I grew up in a small town, and both the drugstore and grocery store had baseball card vending machines. I believe Mike Stone has shared pictures of one that he bought. I assume that was the original intent of vending boxes - to have product to load into the machines. I vaguely recall the drugstore selling leftover stock at the end of the year by the whole unopened vending box, but that could be my imagination. I also vaguely recall the advertisements in the back of the sports card magazine's where you could buy vending boxes, and even large lots of specific players that "were pulled from vending stock".
I’m feeling like taking some stock in Bonds. Time to crack a fresh factory sealed case of 1986 Fleer Update sets. I have always liked the look of the Bonds and Clark XRCs. Let’s start with 5 fresh sets...
This is "such stuff as dreams are made on."
Andy
Yikes...these cards are really tough to find in GEM MINT. Centering is usually off and the blue borders and corners do not like being crammed into the outer set box. That said, these XRCs are pretty sweet looking! Here were the ones that didn’t make the grade...
Of these four Bonds, the upper left one should be a solid MINT 9...
I did manage to find these 9 contenders for PSA 10. Yes, that is 9 out of 660 factory set cards for just over 1% hit rate...ouch!
But this 10th contender for PSA 10 made my day...
Feel like hunting for a GEM Ryno, Gwynn or Boggs RC. Up next is a 1983 Topps vending box, fresh from a case I broke a few months back...
Love when a box works out like this! First, here are the stars and rookies that continue to pile up from my breaks...
Was really happy about the star power in these 10 contenders for GEM MINT...
There was not a single Boggs or Gwynn in this box, but I didn’t mind after I saw this beauty...
I'm confused. Isn't that Ryan/Carlton/Perry a 1984?
Damn SICK Sandberg! GEM MINT
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
You are correct. I must have mixed up my piles when I pulled my 1983s out of my 3200 count storage boxes on that card somehow. Thanks, I put it back with the 1984s.
Thanks Dan. I think it has a legit shot. It is a blazer when in hand. I was really excited when I pulled it.
Hiya Chris
The Ryno sure looks super! I never pulled one that well centered. I did sub 1 and got a 9 but centering R/L was close to 60/40.
Is this one for the 10 bin? Sure looks close on my screen.
I sure like opening packs - I've lost track of how many 2019 Bowman blasters I've opened.
Again - like "packs" - this is one of my favorite threads to open.
Hey there Mike. Always good hearing from you. Yeah, I think this Ryno has a strong shot at PSA 10...so here’s hoping. I’m with you on the pack opening, clearly. This has been such a fun journey for me, since I am primarily an unopened collector. It is fun to finally enjoy the hunt via part of my unopened stash. Thanks for following and commenting along the way. Hoping to see you in Chicago in a few months my friend!
So awesome, thank you for sharing!
Carrying the momentum of the 1983 Topps vending box that had the amazing Sandberg RC, up next is a 1984 Topps vending box from a case I just cracked the seal on. Here is hoping for a GEM of a Mattingly RC...
Consider that momentum stalled. Every now and then you simply hit a dud of a box...this was said box. No Mattingly or Strawberry RCs inside. The pattern kept repeating in a 200 card block. I pulled 3 Boggs and a few other HOFers to add to the piles of growing stars from this year. Oh well, better luck next time...
Time to hunt for the always fun McGwire, Clemens and Puckett RCs. Up next is a 1985 Topps vending box...
Such an iconic set! Always fun to rip these and hunt for the key RCs. Overall, this box was decent. First, here are the stars and rookies that continue to pile up...
These 5 rookies made an appearance, but none had GEM MINT centering...
However, these 4 are dead on. Yep, another 80’s box that had less than a 1% hit rate for PSA 10 candidates. Anyone picking up on that pattern through this entire thread? 🙂
I like looking around at all the cool stuff on this site but finally registered just to comment on your epic project. Its a blast to watch you go on with your goal. I especially love all of the late 80s breaks.
I remember opening wax boxes of 1989 topps with my brother and my cousins on Christmas day. Nothing better that year than hunting for Ricky Jordan, Sandy Alomar, Gary Sheffield, or heaven forbid a Gregg Jefferies Future Stars card. We would all be busting packs and then someone would clear their throat. Ahem...and show off their future wealth in cardboard.
I actually have a Sandberg 83 Topps in PSA 10 that I picked up a couple years ago. Insane how hard they were/are to pull. Yours looks like a Gem for sure. Best of luck going forward and thanks for sharing your passion.
Yes ...hold on to your PSA 10 ...lol
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Major_League_Baseball_players_from_Panama
I am very honored to be your first post! Thanks for sharing your Christmas 1989 story. You are hilarious...great post. It triggered memories for me too of getting 2 cello boxes for Christmas that year and setting them up on my desk like I owned a card store. I think the boxes lasted unopened for all of 8 hours as I kept going back desperate to see who was on the top of the packs in the next unopened layer of each box. Low and behold, one of the packs had a Rickey Jordan RC on top. “Ahem...showed off that future wealth in cardboard” to all who would see 😂 Kept that sealed pack for years! I look forward to more of your comments along this journey...
In honor of Mike’s first post, up next is a 1989 Topps vending box. I love this hobby and how it can bring us all together like we are kids busting packs and trading again...priceless!
I dunno man that Jeff Newman looks 50.5 / 49.5 T to B
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
Ahh the memories. Here were the stars and rookies in the 1989 vending box...
The struggle is real...when looking for perfect examples of late 1980s cards. Good thing there are millions and millions of them. Here were the 4 contenders for PSA 10. They really pop when you find them...