@softparade said:
What is that '88 Topps variation?
The correct McGwire RB has the red background extending all the way to his heel. This “error” version has a white triangle behind his heel that is missing color. The error is the more scarce version, if there is such a thing with 1980s cards...
While a plain design, I like the overall simplicity of the 1983 Fleer set. Plus, the rookie crop is arguably the best of the 1980s. Boggs, Gwynn, Sandberg as the core and McGee, HoJo, Viola, Gaetti and Dravecky as other all-star caliber players, this set is loaded! Happily, this box was loaded too. Here are the stars and rookies that didn’t make the grade...
I pulled this Gwynn RC and Sandberg RC, but the centering is short of 50/50...
I was pumped to find 26 contenders for PSA 10 in this box. Here are the first 24 of them, headlined by the HoJo RC...
Then I found this 2nd year Cal...
There was no bigger current player when I started collecting in 1987 than Wade Boggs, with the exception of Mattingly, so pulling this flawless copy was a nostalgic high!!
Wow! Great box! Boggs was a beast, I started same year as you and he was white hot back then. I don’t understand why he doesn’t seem to enjoy more hobby love. Always thought Mattingly wins the MVP in 86 if he beats Boggs for the batting title that year.
Thanks for sharing.
John
Conundrum - Loving my unopened baseball card collection....but really like ripping too
There is something about the McGwire, Mattingly and Strawberry cards from this set. The images are so majestic to me and perfectly capture their batting stances. I could stare at these three cards all day. Here were the stars and rookies that didn’t make the grade. Take a close look at those three cards and you will see what I mean about iconic imagery from the 1980s...
I only managed to find 6 contenders for PSA 10 and no star power. These wood bordered cards are tough...
@jordangretzkyfan said:
There is something about the McGwire, Mattingly and Strawberry cards from this set. The images are so majestic to me and perfectly capture their batting stances. I could stare at these three cards all day.
Photography for 1987T is probably the best of the 1980s.
That 1987 Topps box had me feeling nostalgic for the first “major” RC that I coveted as a kid. Yep, the 1984 Strawberry RC. Time to go hunting for a perfect example...
This was the beginning for me too. Hitting a McGwire was such a thrill back then. I spent every dime I had on cards back then and opened a ton of 87T. Mattingly was a close second and believe it or not, the Joyner was the 3rd best Card to get at the time. I actually ripped some packs today at work, but got none of the above.
John
Conundrum - Loving my unopened baseball card collection....but really like ripping too
Such a fun rip looking at fresh 1984 Topps. Here are the stars and rookies that didn’t make the grade...
No Mattingly this round, but I did pull the iconic Strawberry RC that I was looking for. Too bad the lower left corner was touched and there is a fisheye on the METS team name. Oh well...I loved this card as a kid and still do. I would have traded anything for this card in 1987, even my Garbage Pail Kids sets...remember those!?!?
I managed to pull 6 contenders for PSA 10 in this vending box. Here are the first 5...
@NJ80sBBC said:
This was the beginning for me too. Hitting a McGwire was such a thrill back then. I spent every dime I had on cards back then and opened a ton of 87T. Mattingly was a close second and believe it or not, the Joyner was the 3rd best Card to get at the time. I actually ripped some packs today at work, but got none of the above.
John
I like your Friday work mindset John! Keep up the good work and keep hunting for that 1987 Topps McGwire. Still a beautiful piece of cardboard to this day. I love all the greens on that card.
There is something about the #1 Draft Pick Jim Abbott RC that still jumps out to me. The color combination of the card, the collegiate uniform, the amazing story about a kid born with only one hand who found a way to dominate at the game he loved...the card is simply iconic as a childhood memory for me. Up next is a 1989 Topps vending box as the hunt continues...
collecting RAW Topps baseball cards 1952 Highs to 1972. looking for collector grade (somewhere between psa 4-7 condition). let me know what you have, I'll take it, I want to finish sets, I must have something you can use for trade.
looking for Topps 71-72 hi's-62-53-54-55-59, I have these sets started
I found a nice Abbott RC, but it didn’t make the grade. It is a shame that Topps didn’t have the foresight to include #1 pick, Ken Griffey Jr., in this base set. If they had, this would be a much more expensive and sought after box. Here are the rookies that didn’t make the grade...
I did find 12 contenders for PSA 10 in this box. Was really happy with the cool looking Clemens AS...
...but even happier to find this beautiful Smoltz RC!
Thanks Fred. I didn’t really appreciate the clean and cool look of this 3rd year Ripken until I found this super clean example. It really is a good looking photo of a young Cal.
@NGS428 said: @jordangretzkyfan on 1989 Topps how is T/B front centering determined with that name ribbon on the bottom.
Hey Nic. From the PSA 10s I have seen, the picture frame should be equal all the way around. This allows the ribbon to extend slightly below on the bottom border. The Smoltz RC I pulled would therefore be 53/47 top to bottom, which I am hoping just makes the cut for a 10. Thanks for the question!
@NGS428 said: @jordangretzkyfan on 1989 Topps how is T/B front centering determined with that name ribbon on the bottom.
Hey Nic. From the PSA 10s I have seen, the picture frame should be equal all the way around. This allows the ribbon to extend slightly below on the bottom border. The Smoltz RC I pulled would therefore be 53/47 top to bottom, which I am hoping just makes the cut for a 10. Thanks for the question!
Thanks for the info. I have been looking for a decent centered 89 Tiffany Griffey PSA 9 for a couple years. Tough card to find centered!
Always a fun box to rip, but the results of this one were pretty brutal. There wasn’t a single candidate for PSA 10 in the entire box. To make matters worse, there wasn’t a Griffey RC either. Oh well, better luck next time...
Alright...well that was considerably better than the 1989 Donruss box I opened earlier this week! First, here are the stars and rookies that continue to pile up...
Fleer has very consistent distribution, so you pretty much get one of each RC. These didn’t make the grade however...
But I did manage to pull 11 contenders for PSA 10 in this rip. Here are the first 10 of them...
@jordangretzkyfan said:
Alright...well that was considerably better than the 1989 Donruss box I opened earlier this week! First, here are the stars and rookies that continue to pile up...
@Frozencaribou said:
Nice pull! Glad to see you are unearthing some gem stars and rookies these last few weeks. Congrats.
-Nathanael
Thanks Nathanael! I know it is odd that I get excited for GEM MINT commons I still need for my sets, but I am with you that the thrill of landing an iconic RC or a top star is that much sweeter.
@akuracy503 said:
This reminds me of home sweet home when I was a kid! Thanks for sharing all.
Thanks for following the journey and commenting along the way.
The good news was that I managed to find Ken Griffey, Jr. RCs. The bad news is this set continues to be a condition challenge! The paper thin card stock combined with the black and rainbow colored edges make this set very prone to chipping and corner wear. It did not help that Donruss seemed to cut these with a butter knife. Here are the stars and rookies that continue to pile up from my breaks...
Distribution in a box of Donruss is all over the place. Sometimes that works to your advantage...
Only 2 contenders for GEM MINT were found in this entire box. Glad one of them was Jose...
Time to hunt for one of my favorite cards as a kid...1988 Fleer Mark Grace RC. My dad drove me 2.5 hours to a show that Grace was signing at after the 1989 season. Mark was a great guy. He posed for a photo and graciously signed my baseball while asking about my Little League team. I still have the auto ball to this day. Great bonding day for my dad and me as I got to meet a childhood idol. Up next is a 1988 Fleer wax box...
I absolutely love, love, love this thread. The fact Mark Grace is one of your favorites is icing on the cake. Keep 'em coming JGF, some absolutely beautiful cards so far!
@baz518 said:
I absolutely love, love, love this thread. The fact Mark Grace is one of your favorites is icing on the cake. Keep 'em coming JGF, some absolutely beautiful cards so far!
Glad you are digging this thread...thanks for the compliment!
This was such a fun rip! So many great photos in this set. Here were the stars and rookies that continue to pile up from my breaks...
I pulled all three key RCs, but none were worthy of a PSA 10. Still love the look of this Grace RC!
Pulled a rock solid 22 candidates out of this box, headlined by a sweet looking Strawberry, Ozzie and Mr. Sandberg...
Thanks to all who continue to comment along this journey!!
1988 Fleer was my only tin set I ever had as a kid (glossy!). Awesome set! We did a 89ud break last night and this set and the Grace RC came up in discussion a couple times. Good stuff! Keep em coming!
@WaveofCards said:
1988 Fleer was my only tin set I ever had as a kid (glossy!). Awesome set! We did a 89ud break last night and this set and the Grace RC came up in discussion a couple times. Good stuff! Keep em coming!
Love the 1989 UD set...glad you had the chance to rip a box last night! I may eventually add some of those into my 1980’s rip quest too. Such an iconic set. Sticking with the Grace RC theme, here go the last 12 racks of 1988 Donruss from a case I broke last month...
I really like ripping 1986 Fleer. The set has a simple, but attractive design. There are so many mid-80s RCs in this set when you consider Coleman, Dykstra, Santiago, Fielder, Galarraga, Snyder, O'Neill, Daulton and Canseco. Here were the stars and RCs that didn’t make the cut...
Out of only 18 wax packs, I found 2 Canseco RCs. Too bad neither were centered perfectly...
I did find 7 candidates for PSA 10, anchored by Brett and Carew...
@daltex said:
Are you putting together sets of the inserts as well?
I have been setting them aside if they came out of the main packs from the year. While not my primary goal, I will likely include them as I build these sets. Thanks for the question.
Have always found the cropping as if there is a border on the Seaver and Carew future Hall of Famers distracting. Have always thought the Carlton from that subset was a really sharp card even with his shoe cut off.
I just opened a box of 86F and I'm like "Hey where's he getting those FHOF cards?! Mine didn't have those!" and I realized you were opening racks when I scrolled up. Awe-some! I completely forgot about those. Love this set, and tough to get 10's with those unforgiving borders!
@brad31 said:
Have always found the cropping as if there is a border on the Seaver and Carew future Hall of Famers distracting. Have always thought the Carlton from that subset was a really sharp card even with his shoe cut off.
Yeah...agree that it is funny how they arbitrarily cut off the players arms and legs in this FHOF subset.
@WaveofCards said:
I just opened a box of 86F and I'm like "Hey where's he getting those FHOF cards?! Mine didn't have those!" and I realized you were opening racks when I scrolled up. Awe-some! I completely forgot about those. Love this set, and tough to get 10's with those unforgiving borders!
Correct...the All-Stars were exclusive to wax and cello and the FHOF were exclusive to the racks. Thanks for reminding me I need to rip some wax at some point to find those tricky All-Stars!
1989 Donruss continues to be one of the most condition challenging sets of the 1980s. The centering is almost always off in one direction or the other, there are tons of print imperfections like fisheyes and stray black ink, and the edges/borders are highly prone to chipping. No wonder Griffey PSA 10s have been soaring. I did not find a single contender for GEM MINT in this entire box. Here were the stars and rookies that I pulled...
To honor the 50,000th view of this thread, I thought it would be good to go back to the box that started this whole journey. Thanks to all of you who have looked in along the way! 🙏
This will always be one of my favorite sets. So many key RCs and a great design. This box didn’t disappoint! First, here were the stars and rookies that didn’t make the grade...
Pulled these 5 key RCs, but none were worthy of the elusive PSA 10 grade...
However, check out the star power on these 8 contenders for GEM MINT...
This last one is for Tom. Almost as sweet as The Thrill’s swing...
Comments
The correct McGwire RB has the red background extending all the way to his heel. This “error” version has a white triangle behind his heel that is missing color. The error is the more scarce version, if there is such a thing with 1980s cards...
While a plain design, I like the overall simplicity of the 1983 Fleer set. Plus, the rookie crop is arguably the best of the 1980s. Boggs, Gwynn, Sandberg as the core and McGee, HoJo, Viola, Gaetti and Dravecky as other all-star caliber players, this set is loaded! Happily, this box was loaded too. Here are the stars and rookies that didn’t make the grade...
I pulled this Gwynn RC and Sandberg RC, but the centering is short of 50/50...
I was pumped to find 26 contenders for PSA 10 in this box. Here are the first 24 of them, headlined by the HoJo RC...
Then I found this 2nd year Cal...
There was no bigger current player when I started collecting in 1987 than Wade Boggs, with the exception of Mattingly, so pulling this flawless copy was a nostalgic high!!
Wow! Great box! Boggs was a beast, I started same year as you and he was white hot back then. I don’t understand why he doesn’t seem to enjoy more hobby love. Always thought Mattingly wins the MVP in 86 if he beats Boggs for the batting title that year.
Thanks for sharing.
John
Time to go back to the beginning for me. Up next is a 1987 Topps cello box...
There is something about the McGwire, Mattingly and Strawberry cards from this set. The images are so majestic to me and perfectly capture their batting stances. I could stare at these three cards all day. Here were the stars and rookies that didn’t make the grade. Take a close look at those three cards and you will see what I mean about iconic imagery from the 1980s...
I only managed to find 6 contenders for PSA 10 and no star power. These wood bordered cards are tough...
Photography for 1987T is probably the best of the 1980s.
That 1987 Topps box had me feeling nostalgic for the first “major” RC that I coveted as a kid. Yep, the 1984 Strawberry RC. Time to go hunting for a perfect example...
This was the beginning for me too. Hitting a McGwire was such a thrill back then. I spent every dime I had on cards back then and opened a ton of 87T. Mattingly was a close second and believe it or not, the Joyner was the 3rd best Card to get at the time. I actually ripped some packs today at work, but got none of the above.
John
Such a fun rip looking at fresh 1984 Topps. Here are the stars and rookies that didn’t make the grade...
No Mattingly this round, but I did pull the iconic Strawberry RC that I was looking for. Too bad the lower left corner was touched and there is a fisheye on the METS team name. Oh well...I loved this card as a kid and still do. I would have traded anything for this card in 1987, even my Garbage Pail Kids sets...remember those!?!?
I managed to pull 6 contenders for PSA 10 in this vending box. Here are the first 5...
Pretty pumped about this GEM...
I like your Friday work mindset John! Keep up the good work and keep hunting for that 1987 Topps McGwire. Still a beautiful piece of cardboard to this day. I love all the greens on that card.
There is something about the #1 Draft Pick Jim Abbott RC that still jumps out to me. The color combination of the card, the collegiate uniform, the amazing story about a kid born with only one hand who found a way to dominate at the game he loved...the card is simply iconic as a childhood memory for me. Up next is a 1989 Topps vending box as the hunt continues...
beautiful Ripken!!!
collecting RAW Topps baseball cards 1952 Highs to 1972. looking for collector grade (somewhere between psa 4-7 condition). let me know what you have, I'll take it, I want to finish sets, I must have something you can use for trade.
looking for Topps 71-72 hi's-62-53-54-55-59, I have these sets started
I found a nice Abbott RC, but it didn’t make the grade. It is a shame that Topps didn’t have the foresight to include #1 pick, Ken Griffey Jr., in this base set. If they had, this would be a much more expensive and sought after box. Here are the rookies that didn’t make the grade...
I did find 12 contenders for PSA 10 in this box. Was really happy with the cool looking Clemens AS...
...but even happier to find this beautiful Smoltz RC!
Thanks Fred. I didn’t really appreciate the clean and cool look of this 3rd year Ripken until I found this super clean example. It really is a good looking photo of a young Cal.
@jordangretzkyfan on 1989 Topps how is T/B front centering determined with that name ribbon on the bottom.
Nic
Guides Authored - Graded Card Scanning Guide PDF | History of the PSA Label PDF
Hey Nic. From the PSA 10s I have seen, the picture frame should be equal all the way around. This allows the ribbon to extend slightly below on the bottom border. The Smoltz RC I pulled would therefore be 53/47 top to bottom, which I am hoping just makes the cut for a 10. Thanks for the question!
Inspired by Nic...up next is a 1989 Donruss box.
No Randy Johnson I'm assuming in that '89 vending box
ISO 1978 Topps Baseball in NM-MT High Grade Raw 3, 100, 103, 302, 347, 376, 416, 466, 481, 487, 509, 534, 540, 554, 579, 580, 622, 642, 673, 724__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ISO 1978 O-Pee-Chee in NM-MT High Grade Raw12, 21, 29, 38, 49, 65, 69, 73, 74, 81, 95, 100, 104, 110, 115, 122, 132, 133, 135, 140, 142, 151, 153, 155, 160, 161, 167, 168, 172, 179, 181, 196, 200, 204, 210, 224, 231, 240
Thanks for the info. I have been looking for a decent centered 89 Tiffany Griffey PSA 9 for a couple years. Tough card to find centered!
Nic
Guides Authored - Graded Card Scanning Guide PDF | History of the PSA Label PDF
Inspiration... love it! 😀
Nic
Guides Authored - Graded Card Scanning Guide PDF | History of the PSA Label PDF
Always a fun box to rip, but the results of this one were pretty brutal. There wasn’t a single candidate for PSA 10 in the entire box. To make matters worse, there wasn’t a Griffey RC either. Oh well, better luck next time...
Nope...no Big Unit in that vending.
Let the quest for a perfect Griffey RC continue. Up next is a 1989 Fleer box...
Alright...well that was considerably better than the 1989 Donruss box I opened earlier this week! First, here are the stars and rookies that continue to pile up...
Fleer has very consistent distribution, so you pretty much get one of each RC. These didn’t make the grade however...
But I did manage to pull 11 contenders for PSA 10 in this rip. Here are the first 10 of them...
And I love the 11th candidate...
Nice pull! Glad to see you are unearthing some gem stars and rookies these last few weeks. Congrats.
-Nathanael
This reminds me of home sweet home when I was a kid! Thanks for sharing all.
CU Ancient Members badge member.
Collection: https://flickr.com/photos/185200668@N06/albums
Yahtzee! Nice!
Nic
Guides Authored - Graded Card Scanning Guide PDF | History of the PSA Label PDF
Thanks Nathanael! I know it is odd that I get excited for GEM MINT commons I still need for my sets, but I am with you that the thrill of landing an iconic RC or a top star is that much sweeter.
Thanks for following the journey and commenting along the way.
Such a good looking photo of the 18 year old Junior! Loved this card as a kid and I still do. Thanks for the congrats Nic!
Still in a Griffey mood, so here goes another box of 1989 Donruss...
The good news was that I managed to find Ken Griffey, Jr. RCs. The bad news is this set continues to be a condition challenge! The paper thin card stock combined with the black and rainbow colored edges make this set very prone to chipping and corner wear. It did not help that Donruss seemed to cut these with a butter knife. Here are the stars and rookies that continue to pile up from my breaks...
Distribution in a box of Donruss is all over the place. Sometimes that works to your advantage...
Only 2 contenders for GEM MINT were found in this entire box. Glad one of them was Jose...
Time to hunt for one of my favorite cards as a kid...1988 Fleer Mark Grace RC. My dad drove me 2.5 hours to a show that Grace was signing at after the 1989 season. Mark was a great guy. He posed for a photo and graciously signed my baseball while asking about my Little League team. I still have the auto ball to this day. Great bonding day for my dad and me as I got to meet a childhood idol. Up next is a 1988 Fleer wax box...
I absolutely love, love, love this thread. The fact Mark Grace is one of your favorites is icing on the cake. Keep 'em coming JGF, some absolutely beautiful cards so far!
Glad you are digging this thread...thanks for the compliment!
This was such a fun rip! So many great photos in this set. Here were the stars and rookies that continue to pile up from my breaks...
I pulled all three key RCs, but none were worthy of a PSA 10. Still love the look of this Grace RC!
Pulled a rock solid 22 candidates out of this box, headlined by a sweet looking Strawberry, Ozzie and Mr. Sandberg...
Thanks to all who continue to comment along this journey!!
1988 Fleer was my only tin set I ever had as a kid (glossy!). Awesome set! We did a 89ud break last night and this set and the Grace RC came up in discussion a couple times. Good stuff! Keep em coming!
Jason C.
Wave of Cards on Youtube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC52it5FXdZvDcbj_Ps7Fyqw
Love the 1989 UD set...glad you had the chance to rip a box last night! I may eventually add some of those into my 1980’s rip quest too. Such an iconic set. Sticking with the Grace RC theme, here go the last 12 racks of 1988 Donruss from a case I broke last month...
That 88F set has some awesome action photography: Davis, Clemens, Maddox and Mattingly to name a few.
And is it just me or is it damn near impossible for Rickey and Bo to have bad looking cards?
Honorable Mention big rookie: Jeffries.
John
No Grace RC this round, but plenty of stars and rookies. Here were the ones that didn’t make the grade...
I set aside this rack, since it has a nice David Wells SP RC on top...
Pulled this Glavine RC, but it has some print flaws...
Only found these 2 commons to contend for GEM MINT in this round...
I think it's just you. Lol.
Seems like a good evening to hunt for Jose. Here go (6) 1986 Fleer rack packs...
I really like ripping 1986 Fleer. The set has a simple, but attractive design. There are so many mid-80s RCs in this set when you consider Coleman, Dykstra, Santiago, Fielder, Galarraga, Snyder, O'Neill, Daulton and Canseco. Here were the stars and RCs that didn’t make the cut...
Out of only 18 wax packs, I found 2 Canseco RCs. Too bad neither were centered perfectly...
I did find 7 candidates for PSA 10, anchored by Brett and Carew...
Are you putting together sets of the inserts as well?
I have been setting them aside if they came out of the main packs from the year. While not my primary goal, I will likely include them as I build these sets. Thanks for the question.
Have always found the cropping as if there is a border on the Seaver and Carew future Hall of Famers distracting. Have always thought the Carlton from that subset was a really sharp card even with his shoe cut off.
Mickey Brantley RC. Apropos of tonight's WS game with Michael Brantley playing.
Andy
I just opened a box of 86F and I'm like "Hey where's he getting those FHOF cards?! Mine didn't have those!" and I realized you were opening racks when I scrolled up. Awe-some! I completely forgot about those. Love this set, and tough to get 10's with those unforgiving borders!
Jason C.
Wave of Cards on Youtube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC52it5FXdZvDcbj_Ps7Fyqw
Yeah...agree that it is funny how they arbitrarily cut off the players arms and legs in this FHOF subset.
Correct...the All-Stars were exclusive to wax and cello and the FHOF were exclusive to the racks. Thanks for reminding me I need to rip some wax at some point to find those tricky All-Stars!
Time to keep making a dent in this 1989 Donruss case and quest for perfection...
1989 Donruss continues to be one of the most condition challenging sets of the 1980s. The centering is almost always off in one direction or the other, there are tons of print imperfections like fisheyes and stray black ink, and the edges/borders are highly prone to chipping. No wonder Griffey PSA 10s have been soaring. I did not find a single contender for GEM MINT in this entire box. Here were the stars and rookies that I pulled...
To honor the 50,000th view of this thread, I thought it would be good to go back to the box that started this whole journey. Thanks to all of you who have looked in along the way! 🙏
Up next is a 1987 Donruss wax box...
This will always be one of my favorite sets. So many key RCs and a great design. This box didn’t disappoint! First, here were the stars and rookies that didn’t make the grade...
Pulled these 5 key RCs, but none were worthy of the elusive PSA 10 grade...
However, check out the star power on these 8 contenders for GEM MINT...
This last one is for Tom. Almost as sweet as The Thrill’s swing...