These Donruss “The Rookies” sets are tough with the tight cello wrap around only 56 cards. This entire set was off centered, so I didn’t find a single candidate for GEM MINT. That said, here were the key cards from the set...
It was a blast to see these cards again after all these years!
I have been in a rut when it comes to finding contenders for PSA 10 lately. Regardless, it is always fun to rip these boxes and land the key RCs. First, here were the stars and rookies in this box...
Unfortunately none of these three make the grade for GEM MINT, but I was happy to pull two Mattingly RCs...
@softparade said:
That 1st Mattingly looks STRONG! Corners touched?
Two small spider veins running from the bottom of the card up to the “Y” in Mattingly and to the hyphen in the position. Also a small black print mark on the “S” in Yankees. A nice looking PSA 4 unfortunately.
Love what you're doing here. I really like to see the projects of other collectors.
I really miss card shops. There just aren't as many as there used to be. Going to a card shop when I was a kid (80's & 90's) was one of my favorite things to do. I still go when I can. Like it was said earlier in this thread - collecting is nostalgic for us. We're big kids at heart.
Good luck getting your gems.
I'm all about that Jordan stuff. Cards, stickers, posters & whatever else is cool. The rarer the better. And always in a PSA 10 if I can help it.
Any other big Jordan nuts out there let me know.
@Air23GOAT said:
Love what you're doing here. I really like to see the projects of other collectors.
I really miss card shops. There just aren't as many as there used to be. Going to a card shop when I was a kid (80's & 90's) was one of my favorite things to do. I still go when I can. Like it was said earlier in this thread - collecting is nostalgic for us. We're big kids at heart.
Good luck getting your gems.
From one Jordan collector to another, thanks! I’m with you on the fond memories of local card shops. That was a staple of Saturday mornings in my youth. That, and the monthly show at our local mall. I actually worked in a card shop through high school and college. It was fun to see behind the scenes and have first shot at new product as it came in. Thanks for following the thread!
From one Jordan collector to another, thanks! I’m with you on the fond memories of local card shops. That was a staple of Saturday mornings in my youth. That, and the monthly show at our local mall. I actually worked in a card shop through high school and college. It was fun to see behind the scenes and have first shot at new product as it came in. Thanks for following the thread!
As much as I loved browsing in card shops & buying packs/ cards I was still the annoying kid asking a bunch of questions.
If you decide to post a thread showing your MJ collection I'd definitely check that out too. Maybe I'll do the same.
Keep busting out those Topps.
I'm all about that Jordan stuff. Cards, stickers, posters & whatever else is cool. The rarer the better. And always in a PSA 10 if I can help it.
Any other big Jordan nuts out there let me know.
Time for a 1989 Topps vending box. Certainly not exciting for most given the massive production, but one of the more nostalgic breaks for me from the 1980s. I was chasing the Jim Abbott RC like nobody’s business back in the day...
Going back to the Donruss rookies set- love how they milked Bo Jackson from the 1986 rookies, 1987 rated rookies, and the 1987 rookies set. Very few players got this sort of multiple rookies love. Keep the posts coming.
@Frozencaribou said:
Going back to the Donruss rookies set- love how they milked Bo Jackson from the 1986 rookies, 1987 rated rookies, and the 1987 rookies set. Very few players got this sort of multiple rookies love. Keep the posts coming.
I never really thought about the fact he was in both the 1986 and 1987 Donruss “The Rookies” sets in addition to being a Rated Rookie. Just goes to show how hyped he was coming out of Auburn as a legitimate two sport star! Thanks for the comment.
I’m feeling some 1989 love again...this time I dug out a fresh case of 1989 Donruss “The Rookies.” I have always liked the look of the Griffey in this set. Time to rip a set of these...
@jordangretzkyfan said:
I’m feeling some 1989 love again...this time I dug out a fresh case of 1989 Donruss “The Rookies.” I have always liked the look of the Griffey in this set. Time to rip a set of these...
I opened one set...these are tough since the cello wrap on them is pretty tight. Such great memories looking at the prospects of old. Here were the ones that didn’t make the grade...
Sadly, the Junior didn’t make the grade either. It is one sweet looking early card though...
Here were the two contenders for PSA 10 that came out of the set...happy one was Omar
I have always liked the look of the McGwire in this set. These cards remain tough to find in GEM MINT, given the centering issues and the tight wrap of the cello around the set. Here are the cards that didn’t make the grade...
Across the two sets, I managed to find 4 contenders for PSA 10. Was happy the Williams and Greenwell were among the contenders...
I've got a box of those somewhere - I believe I remember that McGwire was on top in all the packs? Wish I could remember what I paid - I think it was around $175 - this was during the time that I thought it would be cool to have a hobby shop when I retired from the Army.
Ya know - when I do see a 10 McGwire - I kind of thought it was generous.
@Stone193 said:
The four you picked look really nice Chris.
I've got a box of those somewhere - I believe I remember that McGwire was on top in all the packs? Wish I could remember what I paid - I think it was around $175 - this was during the time that I thought it would be cool to have a hobby shop when I retired from the Army.
Ya know - when I do see a 10 McGwire - I kind of thought it was generous.
What ya think about this one?
Thanks Mike. I had the same thought you once had, so I kind of built a baseball card shop filled with unopened product of my own for my personal enjoyment. You are correct...McGwire was the top card of every set, making the corners on the card extra tough. The PSA 10 you showed has nice centering. That card is notoriously off top to bottom and the one you pictured is nearly perfect. The edges are clean which can be a challenge, since the blades they used to cut these didn’t cut through the glossy surface as crisp as the base issue. The left corners look a touch rounded in the picture, but I think that would be the case for 99.9% of these as the top card on the pack. Overall, I would be happy with the PSA 10 given all the challenges with that card. Thanks for sharing!
Feel like hunting for a perfect Strawberry RC. This was the first “major” card I saved up my allowance to purchase as a kid 🙂 Here goes a 1984 Topps vending box...
I have really enjoyed reading this thread and your commitment to making the finest sets straight from packs. Please give us an update on the progress for each sets. Thanks again.
Looking for high grade rookie cards and unopened boxes/cases
I am now 18 months into this journey and want to say thank you to those who have shared the 43,000+ views and 1400+ comments along the way! I have been blessed to open pack after pack, box after box, reliving my childhood and looking for cardboard perfection. Some have asked me to share the stats with this group at the 1.5 year mark. The number next to the set is the count of contenders I have pulled. The number in parenthesis is the “% hit rate” out of the quantity I have opened.
1986 Donruss “The Rookies” = n/a
1987 Donruss “The Rookies” = 4 (2.4%)
1988 Donruss “The Rookies” = n/a
1989 Donruss “The Rookies” = 4 (2.4%)
As you all know, I am really picky about anything I call a contender. I try to only set aside stone cold PSA 10s. Aside from a few lucky boxes, the ratio of GEM MINT pack fresh cards remains roughly 2% for the years 1981-1985 and then as production ramped up from 1986-1989 it fell to about 1% of pack pulled cards. Fleer clearly had the highest quality cards out of the pack.
I still have a long way to go to finish these sets, but fortunately I still have mounds of unopened to break. Thanks to those who continue to follow this thread and comment along the way. I love the 1980s!
Thanks for posting those stats. It's funny (actually horrifying) how expensive unopened has gotten. I know a lot of folks won't buy unopened packs because it's almost impossible to get a gem mint card and it doesn't justify the cost. I still buy them and open a few.
@jordangretzkyfan said:
Feel like hunting for a perfect Strawberry RC. This was the first “major” card I saved up my allowance to purchase as a kid 🙂 Here goes a 1984 Topps vending box...
That card was my first BIG single card purchase as well. There was not a card shop within an hour of where I lived. It was the summer after 5th grade. Straw had just signed the "huge" contract with the Dodgers and was the highest paid player at $3.8 million per year. We were on vacation and there was a card shop across the street from where we were staying. My grandma had given me $20-30 bucks to spend on the vacation. I had to get my dad's permission to spend that much on 1 card. I still have it and it is still in the screw down case that I bought it in. I still remember the shop owner telling my dad "The kid knows his stuff"...hah. I spent more time in that shop than I did at the beach that week. Great vacation.
So let's say you have a PSA 10 in a 1982 Checklist #221 and you open a vending box of 1982 and hit a perfect #221 Checklist again. Do you submit that one or do you just pass on it because you already have it?
Looking for high grade rookie cards and unopened boxes/cases
@gomezadams2 said:
Thanks for posting those stats. It's funny (actually horrifying) how expensive unopened has gotten. I know a lot of folks won't buy unopened packs because it's almost impossible to get a gem mint card and it doesn't justify the cost. I still buy them and open a few.
Unopened is the right long term value play and those coming back into the hobby are pushing the market to new heights right now. It has been a great run up and fun to see. I am lucky enough to have put this stuff away when it was more affordable. I like being able to rip some and preserve some too!
@jamo319 said:
That card was my first BIG single card purchase as well. I still have it and it is still in the screw down case that I bought it in. I still remember the shop owner telling my dad "The kid knows his stuff"...hah. I spent more time in that shop than I did at the beach that week. Great vacation.
I love memories like this...it is the glue that binds us collectors together. Thanks for sharing. Great vacation indeed, since the memory is still with you today!
@1954 said:
So let's say you have a PSA 10 in a 1982 Checklist #221 and you open a vending box of 1982 and hit a perfect #221 Checklist again. Do you submit that one or do you just pass on it because you already have it?
I set the duplicate contenders to the side in case the first one doesn’t land a 10. There have not been too many doubles so far, so this hasn’t been a major issue for me yet. They will certainly increase as I get deeper into building the sets.
@Stone193 said:
Hiya Chris - have you checked to see what the POP report %'s are with respect to 10's in those years?
Yes - this thread is a keeper.
Hey Mike. I haven’t spent much time checking pop reports to date. I figure I am still a long way from building complete sets, so I will check as I get closer. I am toying with the idea of subbing some of the stars, just because I want them slabbed. This would break up my consecutive serial number idea, so I haven’t pulled the trigger yet. Thanks for the love for this thread!
Time for a 1988 Donruss rip. These cards are crazy tough to find in GEM MINT,as witnessed by my 0.7% hit rate so far. I am cracking a fresh rack case and will rip 12 racks for now...
I spent more time in that shop than I did at the beach that week. Great vacation.
Welcome!
Thanks. This thread is the reason I'm here. I've been following the whole time. It inspired me to dabble back into the hobby again with my 10 year old son (although he prefers football). The Strawberry comment inspired me to finally comment.
I spent more time in that shop than I did at the beach that week. Great vacation.
Welcome!
Thanks. This thread is the reason I'm here. I've been following the whole time. It inspired me to dabble back into the hobby again with my 10 year old son (although he prefers football). The Strawberry comment inspired me to finally comment.
If you like - many start their own thread introducing themselves - their interests - when they collected....
I spent more time in that shop than I did at the beach that week. Great vacation.
Welcome!
Thanks. This thread is the reason I'm here. I've been following the whole time. It inspired me to dabble back into the hobby again with my 10 year old son (although he prefers football). The Strawberry comment inspired me to finally comment.
If you like - many start their own thread introducing themselves - their interests - when they collected....
What's your first name?
I'll be short. Don't want to take away from the thread. My name's Jamie. I'm almost 40. I started collecting in 1988 and went all out for 7-8 years. I still have every card I ever collected (over 10k). My son's interest in sports and sports cards has sparked my interest again. This thread and a handful of old wax breakers on YouTube are some of my favorite things to follow in my spare time. Thanks for the welcome.
Thanks. This thread is the reason I'm here. I've been following the whole time. It inspired me to dabble back into the hobby again with my 10 year old son (although he prefers football). The Strawberry comment inspired me to finally comment.
I love that these breaks pulled you back into this great hobby. That is one of the main reasons I started this journey...to relive the childhood glory days of collecting with others out there who have similar memories. Thanks for commenting and please keep the stories coming!
Comments
These Donruss “The Rookies” sets are tough with the tight cello wrap around only 56 cards. This entire set was off centered, so I didn’t find a single candidate for GEM MINT. That said, here were the key cards from the set...
It was a blast to see these cards again after all these years!
I had forgotten just how loaded that 87 rookies set was
Sunday morning: Make coffee, read the Chicago Sun-Times, and open this thread.
Yeah, lots of key prospects from that era!
Sunday morning: Wake up, debate pool time or cards, rip packs because cards are more fun 😉
Up next is a 1984 Topps vending box. The search for a perfect Mattingly RC continues...
I have been in a rut when it comes to finding contenders for PSA 10 lately. Regardless, it is always fun to rip these boxes and land the key RCs. First, here were the stars and rookies in this box...
Unfortunately none of these three make the grade for GEM MINT, but I was happy to pull two Mattingly RCs...
That 1st Mattingly looks STRONG! Corners touched?
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
Two small spider veins running from the bottom of the card up to the “Y” in Mattingly and to the hyphen in the position. Also a small black print mark on the “S” in Yankees. A nice looking PSA 4 unfortunately.
Love what you're doing here. I really like to see the projects of other collectors.
I really miss card shops. There just aren't as many as there used to be. Going to a card shop when I was a kid (80's & 90's) was one of my favorite things to do. I still go when I can. Like it was said earlier in this thread - collecting is nostalgic for us. We're big kids at heart.
Good luck getting your gems.
I'm all about that Jordan stuff. Cards, stickers, posters & whatever else is cool. The rarer the better. And always in a PSA 10 if I can help it.
Any other big Jordan nuts out there let me know.
From one Jordan collector to another, thanks! I’m with you on the fond memories of local card shops. That was a staple of Saturday mornings in my youth. That, and the monthly show at our local mall. I actually worked in a card shop through high school and college. It was fun to see behind the scenes and have first shot at new product as it came in. Thanks for following the thread!
As much as I loved browsing in card shops & buying packs/ cards I was still the annoying kid asking a bunch of questions.
If you decide to post a thread showing your MJ collection I'd definitely check that out too. Maybe I'll do the same.
Keep busting out those Topps.
I'm all about that Jordan stuff. Cards, stickers, posters & whatever else is cool. The rarer the better. And always in a PSA 10 if I can help it.
Any other big Jordan nuts out there let me know.
Time for a 1989 Topps vending box. Certainly not exciting for most given the massive production, but one of the more nostalgic breaks for me from the 1980s. I was chasing the Jim Abbott RC like nobody’s business back in the day...
This box had me seeing double. First, here were the stars and rookies that didn’t make the grade...
There was double vision on the key RCs in the box...
I was happy with the star power contained in these 8 contenders for PSA 10...
Going back to the Donruss rookies set- love how they milked Bo Jackson from the 1986 rookies, 1987 rated rookies, and the 1987 rookies set. Very few players got this sort of multiple rookies love. Keep the posts coming.
I never really thought about the fact he was in both the 1986 and 1987 Donruss “The Rookies” sets in addition to being a Rated Rookie. Just goes to show how hyped he was coming out of Auburn as a legitimate two sport star! Thanks for the comment.
I’m feeling some 1989 love again...this time I dug out a fresh case of 1989 Donruss “The Rookies.” I have always liked the look of the Griffey in this set. Time to rip a set of these...
I agree.
. What did you find?
Nic
Guides Authored - Graded Card Scanning Guide PDF | History of the PSA Label PDF
I opened one set...these are tough since the cello wrap on them is pretty tight. Such great memories looking at the prospects of old. Here were the ones that didn’t make the grade...
Sadly, the Junior didn’t make the grade either. It is one sweet looking early card though...
Here were the two contenders for PSA 10 that came out of the set...happy one was Omar
Still stuck on the Griffey kick, so ripped a box of 1989 Fleer tonight.
First, here were the stars and rookies that didn’t make the grade...
Managed to pull all the main RCs, but none were perfect...
Was pretty happy to pull these 11 contenders for PSA 10, highlighted by Mr. Larkin...
Note that Ripken's RC is actually 1988.
A> @daltex said:
Yes, I just added him to this grouping so folks could see I pulled the black box version along with the RCs from 1989. Thanks for the comment.
Time to crack two more 1987 Donruss “The Rookies” sets from the case I just opened...
I have always liked the look of the McGwire in this set. These cards remain tough to find in GEM MINT, given the centering issues and the tight wrap of the cello around the set. Here are the cards that didn’t make the grade...
Across the two sets, I managed to find 4 contenders for PSA 10. Was happy the Williams and Greenwell were among the contenders...
The four you picked look really nice Chris.
I've got a box of those somewhere - I believe I remember that McGwire was on top in all the packs? Wish I could remember what I paid - I think it was around $175 - this was during the time that I thought it would be cool to have a hobby shop when I retired from the Army.
Ya know - when I do see a 10 McGwire - I kind of thought it was generous.
What ya think about this one?
Thanks Mike. I had the same thought you once had, so I kind of built a baseball card shop filled with unopened product of my own for my personal enjoyment. You are correct...McGwire was the top card of every set, making the corners on the card extra tough. The PSA 10 you showed has nice centering. That card is notoriously off top to bottom and the one you pictured is nearly perfect. The edges are clean which can be a challenge, since the blades they used to cut these didn’t cut through the glossy surface as crisp as the base issue. The left corners look a touch rounded in the picture, but I think that would be the case for 99.9% of these as the top card on the pack. Overall, I would be happy with the PSA 10 given all the challenges with that card. Thanks for sharing!
Don't want to high jack this post but mike you have a hobby shop is it still around?
No.
Was just a dream.
On that note - I was in a shop last year with underutilized space.
I told my friend: "I bet he'd rent out that corner to me?"
Then I thought. I'd have to be go to work? Thought about it - laughed about it - forgot about it.
Sorry my breaks have been so erratic lately. Life keeps getting in the way of my hobby! Here is a 1988 Topps cello box for the next rip...
This is still a nostalgic year for me despite being arguably the worst set of the 1980s. Here were the stars and rookies that didn’t make the grade...
Pulled these two Glavine RCs, but neither were dead centered...
I am pretty pumped about finding these 7 contenders for GEM MINT. The Matt Williams RC is a blazer!
Feel like hunting for a perfect Strawberry RC. This was the first “major” card I saved up my allowance to purchase as a kid 🙂 Here goes a 1984 Topps vending box...
I really like the design of 1984 Topps. Here were the stars and rookies that didn’t make the grade...
I did pull the two key RCs, but neither are PSA 10 worthy...
However, these 6 are so fresh and so clean...
Sweet Keith!
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'm a big fan of the 83 and 84T design Chris.
That's a great Keith.
Topps was channeling the same POV when they made the Tony "and" the Keith card.
I have really enjoyed reading this thread and your commitment to making the finest sets straight from packs. Please give us an update on the progress for each sets. Thanks again.
I am now 18 months into this journey and want to say thank you to those who have shared the 43,000+ views and 1400+ comments along the way! I have been blessed to open pack after pack, box after box, reliving my childhood and looking for cardboard perfection. Some have asked me to share the stats with this group at the 1.5 year mark. The number next to the set is the count of contenders I have pulled. The number in parenthesis is the “% hit rate” out of the quantity I have opened.
1981 Topps = 46 (2.4%)
1982 Topps = 75 (1.7%)
1983 Topps = 109 (2.4%)
1984 Topps = 131 (1.8%)
1985 Topps = 71 (1.4%)
1986 Topps = 94 (0.7%)
1987 Topps = 33 (0.3%)
1988 Topps = 88 (0.6%)
1989 Topps = 77 (0.9%)
1981 Fleer = 65 (3.5%)
1982 Fleer = 75 (13.9%)
1983 Fleer = 82 (2.5%)
1984 Fleer = 114 (5.3%)
1985 Fleer = 32 (1.5%)
1986 Fleer = 50 (1.5%)
1987 Fleer = 166 (2.3%)
1988 Fleer = 76 (2.8%)
1989 Fleer = 91 (2.8%)
1981 Donruss = 12 (0.4%)
1982 Donruss = 58 (2.1%)
1983 Donruss = 81 (7.5%)
1984 Donruss = 62 (5.7%)
1985 Donruss = 108 (3.3%)
1986 Donruss = 76 (2.0%)
1987 Donruss = 90 (0.7%)
1988 Donruss = 28 (0.7%)
1989 Donruss = 22 (2.0%)
1981 Topps Traded = n/a
1982 Topps Traded = n/a
1983 Topps Traded = 39 (7.4%)
1984 Topps Traded = n/a
1985 Topps Traded = n/a
1986 Topps Traded = n/a
1987 Topps Traded = 9 (1.4%)
1988 Topps Traded = n/a
1989 Topps Traded = n/a
1984 Fleer Update = n/a
1985 Fleer Update = n/a
1986 Fleer Update = 35 (1.8%)
1987 Fleer Update = n/a
1988 Fleer Update = n/a
1989 Fleer Update = n/a
1986 Donruss “The Rookies” = n/a
1987 Donruss “The Rookies” = 4 (2.4%)
1988 Donruss “The Rookies” = n/a
1989 Donruss “The Rookies” = 4 (2.4%)
As you all know, I am really picky about anything I call a contender. I try to only set aside stone cold PSA 10s. Aside from a few lucky boxes, the ratio of GEM MINT pack fresh cards remains roughly 2% for the years 1981-1985 and then as production ramped up from 1986-1989 it fell to about 1% of pack pulled cards. Fleer clearly had the highest quality cards out of the pack.
I still have a long way to go to finish these sets, but fortunately I still have mounds of unopened to break. Thanks to those who continue to follow this thread and comment along the way. I love the 1980s!
Thanks for posting those stats. It's funny (actually horrifying) how expensive unopened has gotten. I know a lot of folks won't buy unopened packs because it's almost impossible to get a gem mint card and it doesn't justify the cost. I still buy them and open a few.
That card was my first BIG single card purchase as well. There was not a card shop within an hour of where I lived. It was the summer after 5th grade. Straw had just signed the "huge" contract with the Dodgers and was the highest paid player at $3.8 million per year. We were on vacation and there was a card shop across the street from where we were staying. My grandma had given me $20-30 bucks to spend on the vacation. I had to get my dad's permission to spend that much on 1 card. I still have it and it is still in the screw down case that I bought it in. I still remember the shop owner telling my dad "The kid knows his stuff"...hah. I spent more time in that shop than I did at the beach that week. Great vacation.
So let's say you have a PSA 10 in a 1982 Checklist #221 and you open a vending box of 1982 and hit a perfect #221 Checklist again. Do you submit that one or do you just pass on it because you already have it?
Welcome!
Hiya Chris - have you checked to see what the POP report %'s are with respect to 10's in those years?
Yes - this thread is a keeper.
Unopened is the right long term value play and those coming back into the hobby are pushing the market to new heights right now. It has been a great run up and fun to see. I am lucky enough to have put this stuff away when it was more affordable. I like being able to rip some and preserve some too!
I love memories like this...it is the glue that binds us collectors together. Thanks for sharing. Great vacation indeed, since the memory is still with you today!
I set the duplicate contenders to the side in case the first one doesn’t land a 10. There have not been too many doubles so far, so this hasn’t been a major issue for me yet. They will certainly increase as I get deeper into building the sets.
Hey Mike. I haven’t spent much time checking pop reports to date. I figure I am still a long way from building complete sets, so I will check as I get closer. I am toying with the idea of subbing some of the stars, just because I want them slabbed. This would break up my consecutive serial number idea, so I haven’t pulled the trigger yet. Thanks for the love for this thread!
Time for a 1988 Donruss rip. These cards are crazy tough to find in GEM MINT,as witnessed by my 0.7% hit rate so far. I am cracking a fresh rack case and will rip 12 racks for now...
Don't rip the Larkin on top!
I was just scrolling down and saw the same thing. Don't do it, Chris!
Andy
Thanks. This thread is the reason I'm here. I've been following the whole time. It inspired me to dabble back into the hobby again with my 10 year old son (although he prefers football). The Strawberry comment inspired me to finally comment.
If you like - many start their own thread introducing themselves - their interests - when they collected....
What's your first name?
Well Chris.
I remember you saying that you were being extra tough on grading?
IMO, you stand correct.
I just checked 1981 Topps - here's the main stats:
PSA 10 13,486 out of 75,824 submissions - that's about 18%
IMO, this bodes well for your fastidious handiwork!
I'll be short. Don't want to take away from the thread. My name's Jamie. I'm almost 40. I started collecting in 1988 and went all out for 7-8 years. I still have every card I ever collected (over 10k). My son's interest in sports and sports cards has sparked my interest again. This thread and a handful of old wax breakers on YouTube are some of my favorite things to follow in my spare time. Thanks for the welcome.
Haha...thought you two might notice that. I set it aside for now 😉
I love that these breaks pulled you back into this great hobby. That is one of the main reasons I started this journey...to relive the childhood glory days of collecting with others out there who have similar memories. Thanks for commenting and please keep the stories coming!