Finally caught up on this thread. Pretty epic on what you are doing and it base been a great walk down memory lane. I’m with you, all the 1987 sets are where it is out. So much nostalgia contained in those sets.
This 1984 Fleer set is underrated among 1980s sets...such a simple and clean design. Here are the stars and rookies not worthy of GEM MINT that keep piling up from my breaks...
I have always loved the look of this Strawberry RC. Unfortunately the centering just isn’t there for PSA 10...
I was happy to find these 21 candidates for PSA 10. These cards are really sharp when they are dead on...
I have had a nice run of pulling dead on Sandberg 2nd year cards from these breaks. I’m hoping for a Mattingly RC this clean one of these days...
@SumoMenkoMan said:
Finally caught up on this thread. Pretty epic on what you are doing and it base been a great walk down memory lane. I’m with you, all the 1987 sets are where it is out. So much nostalgia contained in those sets.
Thanks for the kind words and commenting. I could rip 1987s all day...it’s my favorite year of the 1980s, with 1989 a close second from a nostalgia perspective.
Every time I reopen this thread I end up buying a few junk wax boxes. This week I went with 2 boxes of 89 Donruss. Sadly, there were 0 Griffey rookies in both. Got a few nice Biggios though.
On a related note is anyone in the market for eight Pete Harnisch rookies? No? No one?
With the amount of 1984 Fleer out there, I guess I am surprised there are still a dozen or so cards with no PSA 10 examples yet. I know there are only a handful of people who are doing this set on the registry, which is probably a big reason why no 10s exist for some cards, but I would have guessed 4 Sharp Corners or other big submitters would have gone thru the pop report and submitted examples of the cards with 0 10s. I am soon submitting a John Stearns which looks spot on, so hoping to land the first 10 of that card.
p.s. Without going back thru all the pages of this thread -- have you busted much 1984 Donruss, and do you have much unopened of that product? I like that set a lot more than the Fleer set, as most probably do...
p.s. Without going back thru all the pages of this thread -- have you busted much 1984 Donruss, and do you have much unopened of that product? I like that set a lot more than the Fleer set, as most probably do...
I have ripped 2 boxes so far of 1984 Donruss. I have more of them and will mix them in as I go. I personally think the 1984 Donruss design is only okay. I do like the RC selection from that year though, since they had the foresight to include Carter, Darling and Fernandez along with Mattingly, Strawberry and VanSlyke.
That was a solid box. This set is quintessential 1980s and has so many killer RCs...Griffey, Johnson, Biggio, Smoltz, Sheffield. This is arguably the greatest rookie grouping in a single baseball year of all-time. Here were two of those that didn’t make the grade...
Here are the rest of the stars and rookies from my breaks...
I was pumped to find these 22 contenders for PSA 10. Always a bonus when you nail a few of the key RCs...
@NGS428 said:
Nice find!!!! I just had a feeling....
Thanks Nic...you inspired the rip. The L/R centering is just off, likely 53/47, but is within the standards for a GEM MINT. The surface and edges are clean and the corners are all sharp. Not my best picture, but a beauty in hand. Loved this card of The Kid when I was a kid.
@NGS428 said:
Nice find!!!! I just had a feeling....
Thanks Nic...you inspired the rip. The L/R centering is just off, likely 53/47, but is within the standards for a GEM MINT. The surface and edges are clean and the corners are all sharp. Not my best picture, but a beauty in hand. Loved this card of The Kid when I was a kid.
I was thinking about the Ripken you pulled earlier with similar centering that I harped on you about! SUBMIT SUBMIT SUBMIT
I was thinking about the Ripken you pulled earlier with similar centering that I harped on you about! SUBMIT SUBMIT SUBMIT
Your words did not fall on deaf ears Dan...I will sub the Ripken since it will be at least MINT 9, but I am hoping you are right on it being PSA 10 worthy.
Haven’t ripped a 1985 Donruss box in awhile. Let the hunt for Clemens, Puckett, Davis, Hershiser and Gooden RCs begin! Up next is a wax box. I love the colorful look of 1980s wax packs!
Welcome back Tom! Now that you are up to speed...here were the results of the 1985 Donruss wax box 😉
Getting an unbalanced distribution in a box can be a nightmare, but there are also the few times it works in your favor. Only two of the main RCs made an appearance, but this will now be known as “The Rocket Box.” First, here are the stars and rookies that don’t make the GEM MINT cut and continue to pile up from my breaks...
If only one of these was PSA 10 worthy. Regardless, it is always amazing to pull three Clemens RCs in one box!
On top of the Roger rookie spree, I was pumped to find 20 contenders for GEM MINT in this notoriously condition sensitive set. There were even a few nice stars peppered in there...
Awesome rip! Simply unattainable stuff for me when I started collecting. I ripped a bunch when I started back in collecting in 2011/2012 and it was a huge thrill just opening the packs, not to mention pullingtge big cards! I’ve said it before, the 85D Eric Davis is a top card in all of the80s to me.
John
Conundrum - Loving my unopened baseball card collection....but really like ripping too
I always enjoy this thread, such a great time with so many good and a few great sets. With all of the material out there, it's hard to beleive that the 10's are so hard to find. I have many boxes and a few cases of this stuff put away. It was going to be my retirement. I'm still working bit still love this stuff. Keep ripping for those of us who just can't.
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
Stumbled upon this thread the other day and finally finished it. Just getting back in hobby like many here. I was an 80’s kid, 40 now, and a life long Don Mattingly fan who would rip off his left arm for an 89 UD Griffey or an 86 Donruss Canseco. So here I am enjoying this thread.
I found an old cigar box (storage of choice in the 80’s - my grandfather would give me the extra boxes to store cards), with an opened but since untouched wax box of 89 Fleer. All the cards are mint condition wise.
Question is, what do you use at a quick glance to decide if it’s a contender for gem mint 10. Assuming sharp corners and clean edges, it has the pinstripes so centering seems obvious but the top/bottom is tough. I either hit on a fantastically cut box or I’m missing something because most of the cards seem centered and I know that can’t be right
Thanks for the help. I just bought a case of 1987 Topps just to rip with my kids for fun (they’re 5 and 6) so we’ll see what that brings.
@NJ80sBBC said:
Awesome rip! Simply unattainable stuff for me when I started collecting. I ripped a bunch when I started back in collecting in 2011/2012 and it was a huge thrill just opening the packs, not to mention pullingtge big cards! I’ve said it before, the 85D Eric Davis is a top card in all of the80s to me.
John
Thanks John! I’m with you...the 85D and 85F Eric Davis were two of my favorite cards as a kid.
@jmmiller777 said:
I always enjoy this thread, such a great time with so many good and a few great sets. With all of the material out there, it's hard to beleive that the 10's are so hard to find. I have many boxes and a few cases of this stuff put away. It was going to be my retirement. I'm still working bit still love this stuff. Keep ripping for those of us who just can't.
Thanks for commenting and following along. Glad my rips can bring some nostalgia for those who choose the sane approach of leaving it unopened 😉
@TheFantasyMan said:
Stumbled upon this thread the other day and finally finished it.
>
Question is, what do you use at a quick glance to decide if it’s a contender for gem mint 10. Assuming sharp corners and clean edges, it has the pinstripes so centering seems obvious but the top/bottom is tough. I either hit on a fantastically cut box or I’m missing something because most of the cards seem centered and I know that can’t be right
Thanks for the help. I just bought a case of 1987 Topps just to rip with my kids for fun (they’re 5 and 6) so we’ll see what that brings.
That is a lot of reading in just a few days! Centering on 1989 Fleer is easily determined L/R by the pinstripes as you suggest. Finding them dead 50/50 can be a challenge, since most are 60/40 or 55/45. For T/B centering, the partial pinstripe from the top of the card to the top of the players name should be equal length to the partial pinstripe in the lower left corner from the bottom of the card to the team colored slanted line. 1989 Fleer is among the easier issues of the 1980s to find centered. Just be sure to check for print dots, edge chipping or any corners that show a hint of white if you are gunning for a 10.
Holy smokes, great luck on the '85 Donruss! As for the '86, 27 contenders for 10's is outstanding but it is made even better by some of the players in that 27. Well done sir!
@TheThrill22 said:
Holy smokes, great luck on the '85 Donruss! As for the '86, 27 contenders for 10's is outstanding but it is made even better by some of the players in that 27. Well done sir!
Do you think we could also do a I Love The 90s topic as well? I'd love to see some of you guys opening boxes from the 90s and see what kinds of inserts you end up getting!
1986 Fleer Updates are notoriously off-center. Typically if a set starts off-center, the entire set will be that way. Here are the key XRCs that continue to pile up from my rips...
To give you an idea of how bad the centering was in these 5 sets, take a look at the Bonds XRCs...
I did manage to find these 15 contenders for GEM MINT, and all came out of the same set...
I will also sub this Clark XRC, since I think it has a shot and is at worst a MINT 9...
@Estil said:
Do you think we could also do a I Love The 90s topic as well? I'd love to see some of you guys opening boxes from the 90s and see what kinds of inserts you end up getting!
I like the idea and think you should start one! I wasn’t as big a fan of 1990s personally, since the inserts got to be too much to chase. My unopened material runs out after 1995. I always like seeing other’s rips...
I'm not qualified to do the box rips myself though...I don't have nearly enough disposable income to buy them (well not to open anyway) the way you can and I don't have the proper equipment to take nice pics and display things properly.
were your 86 Fleer update sets from a sealed case? I ask because it doesn't look like they have plastic around each one...wouldn't one be able to look inside at the first card, and using your theory, know whether the rest of the set may all be off-centered or center, depending on how the top card looks?
@Kep13 said:
were your 86 Fleer update sets from a sealed case? I ask because it doesn't look like they have plastic around each one...wouldn't one be able to look inside at the first card, and using your theory, know whether the rest of the set may all be off-centered or center, depending on how the top card looks?
Yes, they are from a sealed case I opened. Fleer did not use plastic wrap to seal their update sets until 1987. So, be careful ever buying loose sets from 1984-1986.
Sometimes you simply get a brutal box condition wise. This was that box. The centering was a mess on 100% of the cards. This is more common than you would think for cards straight from a fresh box. Companies were running the presses at high speed to keep up with the growing demand and the result was low production quality. As I have said before, nothing from the 1980s was scarce, but finding perfect examples of a card is a legitimate challenge. Here are the stars and rookies that continue to pile up from my breaks...
I did pull the two key HOF RCs, but this was emblematic of the centering for the entire box...
Dug out a case of 1987 Donruss “The Rookies” for a rip. Time to open up a set to start. The only downside to these sets is that many of the players selected were already part of the base Rated Rookies set issued earlier that year. Still going to be a fun rip since I haven’t seen most of these cards since 1987...
Comments
@jordangretzkyfan thanks for dedicating the rip to me! Glad you got one! Too bad it wasn’t a 10...
Interesting Ripken error find. I was just reading up on it at http://billripken.com/ today.
Nic
Guides Authored - Graded Card Scanning Guide PDF | History of the PSA Label PDF
Feel like hunting for some GEM MINT 1984 Fleer cards. Up next is a wax box...
Finally caught up on this thread. Pretty epic on what you are doing and it base been a great walk down memory lane. I’m with you, all the 1987 sets are where it is out. So much nostalgia contained in those sets.
This 1984 Fleer set is underrated among 1980s sets...such a simple and clean design. Here are the stars and rookies not worthy of GEM MINT that keep piling up from my breaks...
I have always loved the look of this Strawberry RC. Unfortunately the centering just isn’t there for PSA 10...
I was happy to find these 21 candidates for PSA 10. These cards are really sharp when they are dead on...
I have had a nice run of pulling dead on Sandberg 2nd year cards from these breaks. I’m hoping for a Mattingly RC this clean one of these days...
Thanks for the kind words and commenting. I could rip 1987s all day...it’s my favorite year of the 1980s, with 1989 a close second from a nostalgia perspective.
Every time I reopen this thread I end up buying a few junk wax boxes. This week I went with 2 boxes of 89 Donruss. Sadly, there were 0 Griffey rookies in both. Got a few nice Biggios though.
On a related note is anyone in the market for eight Pete Harnisch rookies? No? No one?
Currently Collecting:
Flickr: https://flickr.com/gp/184724292@N07/686763
With the amount of 1984 Fleer out there, I guess I am surprised there are still a dozen or so cards with no PSA 10 examples yet. I know there are only a handful of people who are doing this set on the registry, which is probably a big reason why no 10s exist for some cards, but I would have guessed 4 Sharp Corners or other big submitters would have gone thru the pop report and submitted examples of the cards with 0 10s. I am soon submitting a John Stearns which looks spot on, so hoping to land the first 10 of that card.
p.s. Without going back thru all the pages of this thread -- have you busted much 1984 Donruss, and do you have much unopened of that product? I like that set a lot more than the Fleer set, as most probably do...
I have ripped 2 boxes so far of 1984 Donruss. I have more of them and will mix them in as I go. I personally think the 1984 Donruss design is only okay. I do like the RC selection from that year though, since they had the foresight to include Carter, Darling and Fernandez along with Mattingly, Strawberry and VanSlyke.
Nic now has me on a Griffey kick. Up next is another box of 1989 Fleer wax...
Good luck. Maybe you’ll get another variation of the Johnson or Ripken corrections.
Ha! I’d like to say I am sorry, but I think it will be good for you.
.
Ripping 89 and 87 is fun. Wish I could do more of it.
Nic
Guides Authored - Graded Card Scanning Guide PDF | History of the PSA Label PDF
That was a solid box. This set is quintessential 1980s and has so many killer RCs...Griffey, Johnson, Biggio, Smoltz, Sheffield. This is arguably the greatest rookie grouping in a single baseball year of all-time. Here were two of those that didn’t make the grade...
Here are the rest of the stars and rookies from my breaks...
I was pumped to find these 22 contenders for PSA 10. Always a bonus when you nail a few of the key RCs...
And then contender #23 emerged...
Nice find!!!! I just had a feeling....
Nic
Guides Authored - Graded Card Scanning Guide PDF | History of the PSA Label PDF
Thanks Nic...you inspired the rip. The L/R centering is just off, likely 53/47, but is within the standards for a GEM MINT. The surface and edges are clean and the corners are all sharp. Not my best picture, but a beauty in hand. Loved this card of The Kid when I was a kid.
I was thinking about the Ripken you pulled earlier with similar centering that I harped on you about! SUBMIT SUBMIT SUBMIT
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
Your words did not fall on deaf ears Dan...I will sub the Ripken since it will be at least MINT 9, but I am hoping you are right on it being PSA 10 worthy.
Haven’t ripped a 1985 Donruss box in awhile. Let the hunt for Clemens, Puckett, Davis, Hershiser and Gooden RCs begin! Up next is a wax box. I love the colorful look of 1980s wax packs!
I am caught up so...GO!
Welcome back Tom! Now that you are up to speed...here were the results of the 1985 Donruss wax box 😉
Getting an unbalanced distribution in a box can be a nightmare, but there are also the few times it works in your favor. Only two of the main RCs made an appearance, but this will now be known as “The Rocket Box.” First, here are the stars and rookies that don’t make the GEM MINT cut and continue to pile up from my breaks...
If only one of these was PSA 10 worthy. Regardless, it is always amazing to pull three Clemens RCs in one box!
On top of the Roger rookie spree, I was pumped to find 20 contenders for GEM MINT in this notoriously condition sensitive set. There were even a few nice stars peppered in there...
Very nice!!
Awesome rip! Simply unattainable stuff for me when I started collecting. I ripped a bunch when I started back in collecting in 2011/2012 and it was a huge thrill just opening the packs, not to mention pullingtge big cards! I’ve said it before, the 85D Eric Davis is a top card in all of the80s to me.
John
I always enjoy this thread, such a great time with so many good and a few great sets. With all of the material out there, it's hard to beleive that the 10's are so hard to find. I have many boxes and a few cases of this stuff put away. It was going to be my retirement. I'm still working bit still love this stuff. Keep ripping for those of us who just can't.
To be honest, no direction, but...
1966-69 Topps EX+
1975 minis NrMt Kelloggs PSA 9
All Topps Heritage-Master Sets
Stumbled upon this thread the other day and finally finished it. Just getting back in hobby like many here. I was an 80’s kid, 40 now, and a life long Don Mattingly fan who would rip off his left arm for an 89 UD Griffey or an 86 Donruss Canseco. So here I am enjoying this thread.
I found an old cigar box (storage of choice in the 80’s - my grandfather would give me the extra boxes to store cards), with an opened but since untouched wax box of 89 Fleer. All the cards are mint condition wise.
Question is, what do you use at a quick glance to decide if it’s a contender for gem mint 10. Assuming sharp corners and clean edges, it has the pinstripes so centering seems obvious but the top/bottom is tough. I either hit on a fantastically cut box or I’m missing something because most of the cards seem centered and I know that can’t be right
Thanks for the help. I just bought a case of 1987 Topps just to rip with my kids for fun (they’re 5 and 6) so we’ll see what that brings.
By the way, if anyone has a 1986 Topps Mike Pagliarulo PSA 10 (Tiffany or base) i’m In for one. This is my favorite card of all time
Thanks John! I’m with you...the 85D and 85F Eric Davis were two of my favorite cards as a kid.
Thanks for commenting and following along. Glad my rips can bring some nostalgia for those who choose the sane approach of leaving it unopened 😉
>
That is a lot of reading in just a few days! Centering on 1989 Fleer is easily determined L/R by the pinstripes as you suggest. Finding them dead 50/50 can be a challenge, since most are 60/40 or 55/45. For T/B centering, the partial pinstripe from the top of the card to the top of the players name should be equal length to the partial pinstripe in the lower left corner from the bottom of the card to the team colored slanted line. 1989 Fleer is among the easier issues of the 1980s to find centered. Just be sure to check for print dots, edge chipping or any corners that show a hint of white if you are gunning for a 10.
Decided to break a box of 1986 Donruss. Such a good looking set, but always a condition challenge...
Here were the rookies that didn’t make the grade...
And here are the stars and rookies that continue to pile up from my breaks...
Was happy to find a solid 27 contenders for PSA 10 in this break...
Holy smokes, great luck on the '85 Donruss! As for the '86, 27 contenders for 10's is outstanding but it is made even better by some of the players in that 27. Well done sir!
Exactly! I popped at the Billy Joe Robidoux
Time to try some more 1986. This round is 5 sets of 1986 Fleer Update...
Do you think we could also do a I Love The 90s topic as well? I'd love to see some of you guys opening boxes from the 90s and see what kinds of inserts you end up getting!
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
1986 Fleer Updates are notoriously off-center. Typically if a set starts off-center, the entire set will be that way. Here are the key XRCs that continue to pile up from my rips...
To give you an idea of how bad the centering was in these 5 sets, take a look at the Bonds XRCs...
I did manage to find these 15 contenders for GEM MINT, and all came out of the same set...
I will also sub this Clark XRC, since I think it has a shot and is at worst a MINT 9...
I like the idea and think you should start one! I wasn’t as big a fan of 1990s personally, since the inserts got to be too much to chase. My unopened material runs out after 1995. I always like seeing other’s rips...
I'm not qualified to do the box rips myself though...I don't have nearly enough disposable income to buy them (well not to open anyway) the way you can and I don't have the proper equipment to take nice pics and display things properly.
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
That Clark is a peach!
were your 86 Fleer update sets from a sealed case? I ask because it doesn't look like they have plastic around each one...wouldn't one be able to look inside at the first card, and using your theory, know whether the rest of the set may all be off-centered or center, depending on how the top card looks?
Thanks Tom!
Yes, they are from a sealed case I opened. Fleer did not use plastic wrap to seal their update sets until 1987. So, be careful ever buying loose sets from 1984-1986.
Busted a box of 1989 Donruss last night, since it is always fun to chase Griffey RCs...
Here were the stars and rookies that did not make the grade...
Pulled this Junior RC, but it doesn’t make the cut...
I did find these 9 contenders for PSA 10 though, headlined by the Big Unit RC...
I'm amused to see Alex Madrid make the cut of "Stars and Rookies".
Haha...I set them aside since some folks seem willing to buy these. Not sure why, but better than tossing them for now.
89Ds are really tough Chris.
Me and my son opened bunches of racks and still had trouble finding gems.
Good luck on Randy.
Side note.
Don't know if you read where I did an 83F rip and deconstruction of findings?
Well. I submitted the Gwynn with my club sub and came back a 10! Was really happy.
Thanks for the comment Mike. Congrats on landing the PSA 10 on your 1983 Fleer Gwynn. That has been an elusive one for me to find centered so far.
Time for a quick rip of 1989 Fleer wax to close out a busy weekend...
None of the big six were worthy of GEM MINT...
Here are the stars and rookies that continue to pile up...
I was happy to find 20 contenders in this box however...
As always, awesome!!!
Up next is a 1982 Donruss wax box...
Sometimes you simply get a brutal box condition wise. This was that box. The centering was a mess on 100% of the cards. This is more common than you would think for cards straight from a fresh box. Companies were running the presses at high speed to keep up with the growing demand and the result was low production quality. As I have said before, nothing from the 1980s was scarce, but finding perfect examples of a card is a legitimate challenge. Here are the stars and rookies that continue to pile up from my breaks...
I did pull the two key HOF RCs, but this was emblematic of the centering for the entire box...
Dug out a case of 1987 Donruss “The Rookies” for a rip. Time to open up a set to start. The only downside to these sets is that many of the players selected were already part of the base Rated Rookies set issued earlier that year. Still going to be a fun rip since I haven’t seen most of these cards since 1987...
Hiya Chris
Gotta catch up buddy.
On the 89F - the Candy Sierra? You nail a 10 and it'll be the first I believe.
82D is bad on centering - same for the factory set.
The Ripken. Don't think I've seen a perfect center - some have tilts ta boot.
Just keep plugging - thanx for the entertainment.
Thanks for letting me know on the Sierra, Mike! Yeah, those 1982 Donruss are tough for sure.