So after a day of us hanging out by the pool, my girlfriend decided she wants to do the next rip. She is an even tougher grading critic than me, so she decided 1988 Donruss seems like the right condition challenge. Yep, I’m a lucky man!
Always fun to rip cards with others and talk about memories from childhood. I love her take on the players names and grooming habits, as well as what she remembers of these players. First, here were the stars and rookies that didn’t make the grade...
She is clearly a good luck charm, since this is the second rack pack within this same case to have a Gregg Jefferies RC on top. I would have freaked finding this as a kid!!
After her eagle eye scrutiny, these 6 contenders passed her test for GEM MINT...
She was actually more excited about the prospect of assembling the Musial puzzle by the end of this rip. Wouldn’t you know it, she got the last missing pieces on the very last cell of the last rack. I never once assembled these as a kid. I always just pitched them with the wrappers. I have to admit that she was right. This does look pretty cool once assembled. She has already staked claim to my future Donruss breaks now that she knows there is a different puzzle for each year 🙂
1985 Topps...that was my entering Kindergarten year! And 1989 Topps...that along with 1989 Donruss were the first packs I ever collected (naturally when I was first able to do complete sets in binders when I entered college (1999-2000) those were among the first sets I snatched up!).
I wonder why Willie Mays never got a Donruss HOF Diamond Kings puzzle?
@Estil said:
1985 Topps...that was my entering Kindergarten year! And 1989 Topps...that along with 1989 Donruss were the first packs I ever collected (naturally when I was first able to do complete sets in binders when I entered college (1999-2000) those were among the first sets I snatched up!).
I wonder why Willie Mays never got a Donruss HOF Diamond Kings puzzle?
1989 was such a classic year for iconic RCs...you entered at a great time! Good question on the lack of a Mays puzzle. Donruss missed a legend opportunity there. Thanks for following and commenting along the way. It makes this journey even more fun for me.
The Gregg Jeffries cards take me, and I bet a bunch of others, right back to 1988. The hunting for Jeffries was fierce. I was so happy to have easy access to 88 Donruss after only having 87 Donruss in 1 Card shop that was 15miles away. Naturally, I had so incorrectly assumed that I was simply lucky to get 88d in all the stores near me and that it would carry the same cache as 87D! Little did I know not that it had a print run that would dwarf its 87 Cousin.
John
Conundrum - Loving my unopened baseball card collection....but really like ripping too
@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.
@softparade said:
With the look on Edgar's face, it looks like he was going through this box with ya
I believe that I read somewhere that Edgar Martinez had to work extremely hard on drills to help focus a lazy eye condition that he dealt with his whole life. Amazing that he was able to deal with it and overcome it and turn himself into such a fantastic hitter!
@NJ80sBBC said:
The Gregg Jeffries cards take me, and I bet a bunch of others, right back to 1988. The hunting for Jeffries was fierce. I was so happy to have easy access to 88 Donruss after only having 87 Donruss in 1 Card shop that was 15miles away. Naturally, I had so incorrectly assumed that I was simply lucky to get 88d in all the stores near me and that it would carry the same cache as 87D! Little did I know not that it had a print run that would dwarf its 87 Cousin.
John
Haha. I was with you John. Prior to the internet, it was harder to gauge if something was actually rare. Too bad they also didn’t teach us the basics of supply and demand in the 5th grade!
@TheThrill22 said:
Caught up on the thread and now off to begin my day. Thank you!
Hey Tom...always nice to see a post from you. Hope things are well with you.
@softparade said:
With the look on Edgar's face, it looks like he was going through this box with ya
Too many 1988 Fleer will do that to anyone...even a young future HOFer!
@Kep13 said:
There he is -- that example of Edgar looks spot on....congrats...do you have any unopened material of the Fleer glossy sets?
I have a few glossy sets tucked away, but not planning to do glossy or Tiffany as part of this project 🙂
@Kep13 said:
hey -- I thought the gal was now in charge of 88 Donruss?
Good point. She is at her place tonight, so I have gone rogue 😉
Man...These cards are a challenge to find dead centered, without stray print dots and no chips to the edges or corners. Who would have thought that anything about 1988 Donruss would be a challenge, but alas! Here are the stars and rookies that continue to build from the breaks...
I coveted the Mark Grace RC as a kid. I remember going to Toys ‘R Us with my grandpa one Friday night while my parents were out with friends. We came across the card section and I was hoping he might splurge for 2-3 packs. He smiled at me, like grandparents do, and said why don’t you get 2 boxes. At first I thought he misspoke, but when he picked up a whole box himself I knew I heard correctly. I was in heaven the rest of the night breaking packs with him and looking for the Grace RC. It was the only time he ever opened cards. We managed to pull 3 of Mr. Grace that night. Something about the pattern of blues on the border, the Cubs uniform and the blue Rated Rookie logo that make this card visually appealing to me. My grandpa passed away in 1989, but I will always remember our night opening 1988 Donruss. Here were the 2 Grace in these packs...love when cards trigger memories like this!
I did manage to find 8 more contenders for GEM MINT. Like Kep said, I will have the girlfriend confirm these are up to her standard when she is over tomorrow...
You know, when I first started doing complete sets and in binders around the dawn of the millenium (1999-2000 freshman year at UK), I started with the late and mid 80s because that was the time period (early childhood; born 1980) I was most nostagic for at the time. Though I don't think the 80s period in general (except for the key 82/83/84/85 rookie cards) were all that popular at the time. So you might say I was collecting 80s, when collecting 80s wasn't cool!
1986 Fleer is a tough year to find in GEM MINT condition, even straight from the set. The centering is usually off and the edges and corners show any hint of chipping. That said, it is a visually appealing set. Here are the piles of rookies that didn’t make the grade...
These 5 Bonds XRCs are a good example of the typical centering found in these sets. None are PSA 10 worthy...
I was happy to find these 17 contenders for GEM MINT across the 5 sets I opened...
And I think this Will Clark XRC has a shot too. I love the look of this iconic photo...
I haven't been on this forum in about a year. Never had seen this thread before. So glad I clicked on it almost five hours ago. So much fun looking at these gems, and I'm not just talking about the "blazers" you have set aside. So much good stuff from the 80s.
Like many have said, this is where my collecting started. 1986 is when I got my start and 1987 was when I really started busting packs as often as I could. The gas station in front of the neighborhood sold Topps packs and I bought some anytime I could scrape together some change. For the Donruss we had to make the trip to Toys-R-Us to get racks which was a rare occasion.
So often the 80s stuff has such a negative stigma, especially late in the decade, because of the over hype on some key players, Greg Jefferies in particular, and the oversaturation of the product into the hobby. But going back and reading this thread and seeing how many people associate this era of collecting with some of their fondest memories in the hobby was refreshing. Makes me want to rethink some of my collecting goals and really go back and pick up some nice copies of some of the key cards from that decade. Not necessarily looking for 10s but some good 8s and 9s would work for me.
Can't wait to check back in on this thread from time to time to see where it goes from here.
@Bearkat21 said:
I haven't been on this forum in about a year. Never had seen this thread before. So glad I clicked on it almost five hours ago. So much fun looking at these gems, and I'm not just talking about the "blazers" you have set aside. So much good stuff from the 80s.
Can't wait to check back in on this thread from time to time to see where it goes from here.
Welcome back to the forum and thanks for your post. I love hearing about other’s memories from the same era...nostalgia is what this journey is all about for me. I also didn’t realize that this thread is up to 5 hours of reading start to finish 🤣 I appreciate that you took the time to go through it all. I never expected to have 38K+ views...I’m glad that others are enjoying!
Mike - I’ve had mine laying around for years too. You should rip a rack case...you only live once and the nostalgia is priceless. Just know it is likely a money losing proposition based on my experiences. It’s okay though, I don’t do it for the money 😉
Here were the stars and rookies that continue to pile up, but don’t make the grade...
I love the look of the Topps Mattingly RC. Always fun to pull one. Centering isn’t where it needs to be for a GEM...
In the 500 case fresh cards, there was only 1 candidate for PSA 10...yes, that is a 0.2% hit rate. Anyone else starting to notice how tough it is to pull GEM MINT 1980’s cards?
Thanks for all the comments lately. Makes this thread that much more enjoyable to read!
Man I love all the 84 cards. Just thinking about it now, no other year in the 80s has all 3 companies hitting on all cylinders from a card design. 85 is close but I’m just not that much a fan of the Fleer. While 84 and 87 Fleer are just beautiful designs in my opinion.
John
Conundrum - Loving my unopened baseball card collection....but really like ripping too
I don't suppose someone could also do a I Love The 90s thread also? I mean especially for the mid 90s Fleer/Ultra ones it'll be fun to see what kind of inserts you end up getting and if you happen to get a hot pack (pack with all inserts).
Love that Mattingly. I think it was the summer of 88 I worked for my dad during football two-a-days to make the $35 I needed to buy me a Mattingly. I was going to buy from once of the coaches who had a huge collection. When fall camp ended he said he'd trade me instead. Gave me my first beckett magazine and told me to put together a package that equalled the price of the 84 topps Mattingly. I think I put together 20 cards that equalled the price of the Mattingly and he made the trade. I think I traded it or sold it a few years later and I never got another one back. That's one of the cards I wish I never would have gotten rid of. It was my first "big-time" card I ever had in my collection.
@Bearkat21 said:
Love that Mattingly. I think it was the summer of 88 I worked for my dad during football two-a-days to make the $35 I needed to buy me a Mattingly. I was going to buy from once of the coaches who had a huge collection. When fall camp ended he said he'd trade me instead. Gave me my first beckett magazine and told me to put together a package that equalled the price of the 84 topps Mattingly. I think I put together 20 cards that equalled the price of the Mattingly and he made the trade. I think I traded it or sold it a few years later and I never got another one back. That's one of the cards I wish I never would have gotten rid of. It was my first "big-time" card I ever had in my collection.
I love stories like this. Thanks for sharing! I remember going to my LCS in 1990 and they had a Jordan RC in the case that they pulled from a pack earlier that day. I begged my dad to loan me the money to purchase it, promising to pay back every dime by mowing lawns. The card cost $175 and I had $50 of my own money to put towards it. I didn’t realize that it would take me 25 weeks at $5 per lawn to pay off the balance of the loan from my dad. He agreed was was happy that I had to mow the lawn for the entire summer. It was my first lesson in borrowing money and the sweat equity it takes to earn money. I still have the card to this day and it graded BGS 9.5. I guess in the long run that was a pretty good purchase. I hope you are able to get your Mattingly RC back Bearkat21...that was the “big-time” card to have in the 1980s and will always be a top card for me too.
It is always fun to pull these RCs and McGwire 2nd card. These were so core to my childhood. This box had very even distribution of the main RCs. Unfortunately, you can see the centering is always a challenge on 1987 Topps...
Here are the rest of the stars and rookies that continue to pile up, but are not worthy of the PSA 10 grade...
I did manage to find these 5 contenders for GEM MINT...
Are you keeping a list of the cards you have set aside in the GEM MINT pile? I have been reading this thread for a while now and I was wondering how close you might be to having a GEM copy of every card in one of these sets.
Are you keeping a list of the cards you have set aside in the GEM MINT pile? I have been reading this thread for a while now and I was wondering how close you might be to having a GEM copy of every card in one of these sets.
Hey Kris. Here is where this effort stood as of this past February 24th, which was the 1-year anniversary of when I started this project. The first number is the cards I have for each set, and the percentage in parenthesis is the “hit rate” of my contenders out of all the boxes I have opened from that year. I have obviously been opening more since February, but have not updated my stats lately. I tend to do that every six months or so. As you can see, I have the most progress against 1987 Fleer...
Would love to see that 9.5 Jordan you mentioned. I wish I had some of my cards back. Thinking of my first Griffey UD rookie. It was stolen and I still remember that moment of realization. Sigh. Granted, I was trying to sell it at the time., but it was such a hot card and I was proud to have it.
This set is still a nostalgic one for me to rip, despite not having much star power. Here are the piles of stars and rookies that didn’t make the grade...
I pulled this Glavine, but it isn’t grade worthy...
However, these 8 contenders for GEM MINT made an appearance...
@jordangretzkyfan said:
It is always fun to pull these RCs and McGwire 2nd card. These were so core to my childhood. This box had very even distribution of the main RCs. Unfortunately, you can see the centering is always a challenge on 1987 Topps...
These days that McGwire card would be considered his RC. First one in Athletics uniform.
I am not sure anyone would even care about the 1985 Olympic card.
@jordangretzkyfan said:
It is always fun to pull these RCs and McGwire 2nd card. These were so core to my childhood. This box had very even distribution of the main RCs. Unfortunately, you can see the centering is always a challenge on 1987 Topps...
These days that McGwire card would be considered his RC. First one in Athletics uniform.
I am not sure anyone would even care about the 1985 Olympic card.
As someone who had about 10 of the 87 McGwire cards and none of the 85 Topps, i always hated it was not considered his RC.
I feel like hunting for some iconic 1980’s RCs. Arguably no better year than 1983 for a rookie class, so here goes a case fresh box of 1983 Fleer wax...
Such a fun year to rip. Here were the stars and rookies that didn’t make the grade...
Some folks have asked how to tell centering on 1983 Fleer. Note the grey printing mark cut line on the bottom of the Lance Parrish showing exactly how much bottom border should be there. This is what I use to gauge centering on the ones I put in the contender pile...
I did pull all three RCs, but none were centered well enough. The Boggs is a MINT 9 though...
I was happy to find 18 contenders for GEM MINT in this box, highlighted by Willie McGee’s RC...
Comments
Haha...you might have to be my final judge before submission 😉
So after a day of us hanging out by the pool, my girlfriend decided she wants to do the next rip. She is an even tougher grading critic than me, so she decided 1988 Donruss seems like the right condition challenge. Yep, I’m a lucky man!
Always fun to rip cards with others and talk about memories from childhood. I love her take on the players names and grooming habits, as well as what she remembers of these players. First, here were the stars and rookies that didn’t make the grade...
She is clearly a good luck charm, since this is the second rack pack within this same case to have a Gregg Jefferies RC on top. I would have freaked finding this as a kid!!
After her eagle eye scrutiny, these 6 contenders passed her test for GEM MINT...
She was actually more excited about the prospect of assembling the Musial puzzle by the end of this rip. Wouldn’t you know it, she got the last missing pieces on the very last cell of the last rack. I never once assembled these as a kid. I always just pitched them with the wrappers. I have to admit that she was right. This does look pretty cool once assembled. She has already staked claim to my future Donruss breaks now that she knows there is a different puzzle for each year 🙂
Had fun with the last Donruss rip, so up next is a box of 1988 Fleer wax...
This set will make your eyes cross searching for centered copies. Here were the stars and rookies that continue to pile up from the breaks...
Always fun to pull these two RCs, but neither are PSA 10 worthy...
I did manage to find these 27 contenders however...
And I was most excited about the 28th contender for GEM MINT...
1985 Topps...that was my entering Kindergarten year! And 1989 Topps...that along with 1989 Donruss were the first packs I ever collected (naturally when I was first able to do complete sets in binders when I entered college (1999-2000) those were among the first sets I snatched up!).
I wonder why Willie Mays never got a Donruss HOF Diamond Kings puzzle?
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
95 Ultra GM Sets: Golden Prospects,HR Kings,On-Base Leaders,Power Plus,RBI Kings,Rising Stars
1989 was such a classic year for iconic RCs...you entered at a great time! Good question on the lack of a Mays puzzle. Donruss missed a legend opportunity there. Thanks for following and commenting along the way. It makes this journey even more fun for me.
The Gregg Jeffries cards take me, and I bet a bunch of others, right back to 1988. The hunting for Jeffries was fierce. I was so happy to have easy access to 88 Donruss after only having 87 Donruss in 1 Card shop that was 15miles away. Naturally, I had so incorrectly assumed that I was simply lucky to get 88d in all the stores near me and that it would carry the same cache as 87D! Little did I know not that it had a print run that would dwarf its 87 Cousin.
John
Caught up on the thread and now off to begin my day. Thank you!
Welcome Mike!
Memorable first post buddy.
With the look on Edgar's face, it looks like he was going through this box with ya
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 believe that I read somewhere that Edgar Martinez had to work extremely hard on drills to help focus a lazy eye condition that he dealt with his whole life. Amazing that he was able to deal with it and overcome it and turn himself into such a fantastic hitter!
There he is -- that example of Edgar looks spot on....congrats...do you have any unopened material of the Fleer glossy sets?
Haha. I was with you John. Prior to the internet, it was harder to gauge if something was actually rare. Too bad they also didn’t teach us the basics of supply and demand in the 5th grade!
Hey Tom...always nice to see a post from you. Hope things are well with you.
Too many 1988 Fleer will do that to anyone...even a young future HOFer!
I have a few glossy sets tucked away, but not planning to do glossy or Tiffany as part of this project 🙂
One more round of 1988 Donruss rack packs before we move on to another year...
hey -- I thought the gal was now in charge of 88 Donruss?
Good point. She is at her place tonight, so I have gone rogue 😉
Man...These cards are a challenge to find dead centered, without stray print dots and no chips to the edges or corners. Who would have thought that anything about 1988 Donruss would be a challenge, but alas! Here are the stars and rookies that continue to build from the breaks...
I coveted the Mark Grace RC as a kid. I remember going to Toys ‘R Us with my grandpa one Friday night while my parents were out with friends. We came across the card section and I was hoping he might splurge for 2-3 packs. He smiled at me, like grandparents do, and said why don’t you get 2 boxes. At first I thought he misspoke, but when he picked up a whole box himself I knew I heard correctly. I was in heaven the rest of the night breaking packs with him and looking for the Grace RC. It was the only time he ever opened cards. We managed to pull 3 of Mr. Grace that night. Something about the pattern of blues on the border, the Cubs uniform and the blue Rated Rookie logo that make this card visually appealing to me. My grandpa passed away in 1989, but I will always remember our night opening 1988 Donruss. Here were the 2 Grace in these packs...love when cards trigger memories like this!
I did manage to find 8 more contenders for GEM MINT. Like Kep said, I will have the girlfriend confirm these are up to her standard when she is over tomorrow...
You know, when I first started doing complete sets and in binders around the dawn of the millenium (1999-2000 freshman year at UK), I started with the late and mid 80s because that was the time period (early childhood; born 1980) I was most nostagic for at the time. Though I don't think the 80s period in general (except for the key 82/83/84/85 rookie cards) were all that popular at the time. So you might say I was collecting 80s, when collecting 80s wasn't cool!
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
95 Ultra GM Sets: Golden Prospects,HR Kings,On-Base Leaders,Power Plus,RBI Kings,Rising Stars
hahaha.....eagleeyedgal
I’m feeling like hunting for some more 1986 Fleer Update PSA 10 worthy cards. Here goes 5 more sets from the sealed case I cracked...
1986 Fleer is a tough year to find in GEM MINT condition, even straight from the set. The centering is usually off and the edges and corners show any hint of chipping. That said, it is a visually appealing set. Here are the piles of rookies that didn’t make the grade...
These 5 Bonds XRCs are a good example of the typical centering found in these sets. None are PSA 10 worthy...
I was happy to find these 17 contenders for GEM MINT across the 5 sets I opened...
And I think this Will Clark XRC has a shot too. I love the look of this iconic photo...
God Damn I’m old 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
I hear you. These were a year or two before I really started collecting. I can't believe that was over 30 years ago.
Kris
My 1971 Topps adventure - Davis Men in Black
The Thrill card is SWEET!
I haven't been on this forum in about a year. Never had seen this thread before. So glad I clicked on it almost five hours ago. So much fun looking at these gems, and I'm not just talking about the "blazers" you have set aside. So much good stuff from the 80s.
Like many have said, this is where my collecting started. 1986 is when I got my start and 1987 was when I really started busting packs as often as I could. The gas station in front of the neighborhood sold Topps packs and I bought some anytime I could scrape together some change. For the Donruss we had to make the trip to Toys-R-Us to get racks which was a rare occasion.
So often the 80s stuff has such a negative stigma, especially late in the decade, because of the over hype on some key players, Greg Jefferies in particular, and the oversaturation of the product into the hobby. But going back and reading this thread and seeing how many people associate this era of collecting with some of their fondest memories in the hobby was refreshing. Makes me want to rethink some of my collecting goals and really go back and pick up some nice copies of some of the key cards from that decade. Not necessarily looking for 10s but some good 8s and 9s would work for me.
Can't wait to check back in on this thread from time to time to see where it goes from here.
Chipper Jones Basic Topps Set - All 10's for 10
Sam Houston State Alumni Rookie Set
I figured that one would make you smile Tom!
Welcome back to the forum and thanks for your post. I love hearing about other’s memories from the same era...nostalgia is what this journey is all about for me. I also didn’t realize that this thread is up to 5 hours of reading start to finish 🤣 I appreciate that you took the time to go through it all. I never expected to have 38K+ views...I’m glad that others are enjoying!
lol @ Bearkat mentioning buying 87 Topps in gas stations! yep, even the roach coach food truck guys had them on their trucks 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
Let’s hunt for a clean Mattingly RC next. Here goes a 1984 Topps vending box from a case I recently opened...
Clean Mattingly? You mean one where he remembered to wash behind his ears and keep his sideburns trimmed?
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
95 Ultra GM Sets: Golden Prospects,HR Kings,On-Base Leaders,Power Plus,RBI Kings,Rising Stars
I've got an 84T vending case and 2 - 3 box rack cases and have never considered opening.
Best of luck buddy!
@Stone193 If I had some unopened 84T sitting around it wouldn't stay that way long!
Kris
My 1971 Topps adventure - Davis Men in Black
Estil - lol...cleaner than the one I pulled.
Mike - I’ve had mine laying around for years too. You should rip a rack case...you only live once and the nostalgia is priceless. Just know it is likely a money losing proposition based on my experiences. It’s okay though, I don’t do it for the money 😉
Here were the stars and rookies that continue to pile up, but don’t make the grade...
I love the look of the Topps Mattingly RC. Always fun to pull one. Centering isn’t where it needs to be for a GEM...
In the 500 case fresh cards, there was only 1 candidate for PSA 10...yes, that is a 0.2% hit rate. Anyone else starting to notice how tough it is to pull GEM MINT 1980’s cards?
Thanks for all the comments lately. Makes this thread that much more enjoyable to read!
Man I love all the 84 cards. Just thinking about it now, no other year in the 80s has all 3 companies hitting on all cylinders from a card design. 85 is close but I’m just not that much a fan of the Fleer. While 84 and 87 Fleer are just beautiful designs in my opinion.
John
That '84 set is just a classic. Well designed and some great photography.
I don't suppose someone could also do a I Love The 90s thread also? I mean especially for the mid 90s Fleer/Ultra ones it'll be fun to see what kind of inserts you end up getting and if you happen to get a hot pack (pack with all inserts).
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
95 Ultra GM Sets: Golden Prospects,HR Kings,On-Base Leaders,Power Plus,RBI Kings,Rising Stars
Love that Mattingly. I think it was the summer of 88 I worked for my dad during football two-a-days to make the $35 I needed to buy me a Mattingly. I was going to buy from once of the coaches who had a huge collection. When fall camp ended he said he'd trade me instead. Gave me my first beckett magazine and told me to put together a package that equalled the price of the 84 topps Mattingly. I think I put together 20 cards that equalled the price of the Mattingly and he made the trade. I think I traded it or sold it a few years later and I never got another one back. That's one of the cards I wish I never would have gotten rid of. It was my first "big-time" card I ever had in my collection.
Chipper Jones Basic Topps Set - All 10's for 10
Sam Houston State Alumni Rookie Set
I love stories like this. Thanks for sharing! I remember going to my LCS in 1990 and they had a Jordan RC in the case that they pulled from a pack earlier that day. I begged my dad to loan me the money to purchase it, promising to pay back every dime by mowing lawns. The card cost $175 and I had $50 of my own money to put towards it. I didn’t realize that it would take me 25 weeks at $5 per lawn to pay off the balance of the loan from my dad. He agreed was was happy that I had to mow the lawn for the entire summer. It was my first lesson in borrowing money and the sweat equity it takes to earn money. I still have the card to this day and it graded BGS 9.5. I guess in the long run that was a pretty good purchase. I hope you are able to get your Mattingly RC back Bearkat21...that was the “big-time” card to have in the 1980s and will always be a top card for me too.
Up next, going back to where it all began for me. 1987 Topps cello box...
It is always fun to pull these RCs and McGwire 2nd card. These were so core to my childhood. This box had very even distribution of the main RCs. Unfortunately, you can see the centering is always a challenge on 1987 Topps...
Here are the rest of the stars and rookies that continue to pile up, but are not worthy of the PSA 10 grade...
I did manage to find these 5 contenders for GEM MINT...
Chris,
Are you keeping a list of the cards you have set aside in the GEM MINT pile? I have been reading this thread for a while now and I was wondering how close you might be to having a GEM copy of every card in one of these sets.
Kris
My 1971 Topps adventure - Davis Men in Black
Hey Kris. Here is where this effort stood as of this past February 24th, which was the 1-year anniversary of when I started this project. The first number is the cards I have for each set, and the percentage in parenthesis is the “hit rate” of my contenders out of all the boxes I have opened from that year. I have obviously been opening more since February, but have not updated my stats lately. I tend to do that every six months or so. As you can see, I have the most progress against 1987 Fleer...
1981 Topps = 37 (3.0%)
1982 Topps = 66 (1.8%)
1983 Topps = 74 (2.1%)
1984 Topps = 84 (2.7%)
1985 Topps = 63 (1.5%)
1986 Topps = 71 (0.6%)
1987 Topps = 29 (0.4%)
1988 Topps = 66 (0.5%)
1989 Topps = 66 (0.9%)
1981 Fleer = 38 (3.1%)
1982 Fleer = n/a
1983 Fleer = 30 (1.8%)
1984 Fleer = n/a
1985 Fleer = 23 (1.4%)
1986 Fleer = 49 (1.8%)
1987 Fleer = 163 (2.0%)
1988 Fleer = n/a
1989 Fleer = n/a
1981 Donruss = 6 (0.3%)
1982 Donruss = 57 (2.6%)
1983 Donruss = 3 (0.5%)
1984 Donruss = 51 (9.4%)
1985 Donruss = 41 (0.8%)
1986 Donruss = 34 (1.0%)
1987 Donruss = 88 (0.7%)
1988 Donruss = n/a
1989 Donruss = n/a
1987 Topps Traded = 9 (1.4%)
Thanks for the great question. I will try to update my progress again in the next month or so, since I have been opening a ton over the past 4 months.
Would love to see that 9.5 Jordan you mentioned. I wish I had some of my cards back. Thinking of my first Griffey UD rookie. It was stolen and I still remember that moment of realization. Sigh. Granted, I was trying to sell it at the time., but it was such a hot card and I was proud to have it.
That’s sweet Mike! I have one little old ‘84 wax box FASC that’s never getting ripped either. As long as it’s in my hands.
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
Happy Fathers Day everyone. Up next is a 1988 Topps cello box. Got to love the worthless orange backs from this year...
This set is still a nostalgic one for me to rip, despite not having much star power. Here are the piles of stars and rookies that didn’t make the grade...
I pulled this Glavine, but it isn’t grade worthy...
However, these 8 contenders for GEM MINT made an appearance...
I love that card of Zonk. Just a classic picture of a unique follow through.
These days that McGwire card would be considered his RC. First one in Athletics uniform.
I am not sure anyone would even care about the 1985 Olympic card.
As someone who had about 10 of the 87 McGwire cards and none of the 85 Topps, i always hated it was not considered his RC.
Chipper Jones Basic Topps Set - All 10's for 10
Sam Houston State Alumni Rookie Set
I feel like hunting for some iconic 1980’s RCs. Arguably no better year than 1983 for a rookie class, so here goes a case fresh box of 1983 Fleer wax...
Such a fun year to rip. Here were the stars and rookies that didn’t make the grade...
Some folks have asked how to tell centering on 1983 Fleer. Note the grey printing mark cut line on the bottom of the Lance Parrish showing exactly how much bottom border should be there. This is what I use to gauge centering on the ones I put in the contender pile...
I did pull all three RCs, but none were centered well enough. The Boggs is a MINT 9 though...
I was happy to find 18 contenders for GEM MINT in this box, highlighted by Willie McGee’s RC...