Not the most productive rip, but always a fun one. Here are the stars and rookies that miss the mark. I do love the look of the McGwire rookie cup from this set!
Only found these two candidates for PSA 10 out of the entire box. This entire box was either OC or tilt cut. Really cannot stand the look of tilt cut cards...
I always had a soft spot for the Jim Abbott in this set. Such an underrated card from an underrated player who was one of the most inspirational of his generation. Here are the piles that missed the mark...
Pulled these key rookies, but neither make the grade...
Here was the only contender for PSA 10 out of the 500 untouched cards...yikes!
This project is a constant reminder how tough it is to find perfect examples of 1980’s cards even straight from unopened material. I have said it before, but I straight up love the 1987 Topps set. One of my favorites of all time. Here are the stars and rookies that missed the mark...
Pulled these key rookies...
And once again, there was only 1 candidate for PSA 10 out of 500 case fresh and untouched cards...
@bensie said:
You had been on a nice tear there for a bit, but 0.2% in the last couple boxes? Yikes!
I agree........to a point. I used to be in the "there's a lot of unopened out there, so there's a LOT of 10's waiting to be discovered" camp.
I have closely looked at 15-20,000 cards in the last 6 months or so with more and more doubt that there are going to be a LOT more 10's discovered. Especially cards that have been shown to be on the edge or corner of the sheet.
If you are looking for a perfect card, .02% could actually be high. 10's can be a little off center and often are. Some also have microscopic print dots as well.
I went through 8 vending boxes, 3 wax boxes and 1 sealed rack case of 1987 Topps cards and have less than 100 to send in to PSA. Several of them are not as well centered as I would like but could get 10's. Other than "star" cards, I am sending in only a single card for grading. I have 5-10 duplicates that might get 10's that I am keeping for now. With the bulk grading fee raise, I need to keep the cost down as I have other cards going in too.
BTW not a single Bonds was centered 50/50 side to side.
JGF has told me his rate at getting 10's is around 75%. That's pretty astonishing considering pretty much every card he posts as a potential 10 looks like an 11 to me. I would have thought that his rate would be closer to 90%.
Just using my recent experiences, (nothing compared to JGF!) I would say that if you opened any amount of 1987 wax and sent every card in for grading, your 10 rate would be around .01%. Keeping in mind that miscuts, wax and gum stained cards would be included in the total.
After 33 years there are still 2 cards from the 1987 Topps set to have never gotten a 10. In the 7500 (or so) I went through I won't be submitting either card.
Sure, there will be a lot of 10's out there, just not of the guy you want! ;-)
2013,14 and 15 Certificate Award Winner Harmon Killebrew Master Set and Master Topps Set
@JoeBanzai said:
I would say that if you opened any amount of 1987 wax and sent every card in for grading, your 10 rate would be around .01%. Keeping in mind that miscuts, wax and gum stained cards would be included in the total.
0.01%? Did you put the decimal in the right spot? 0.01% would mean roughly one gem every wax CASE.
@JoeBanzai said:
I would say that if you opened any amount of 1987 wax and sent every card in for grading, your 10 rate would be around .01%. Keeping in mind that miscuts, wax and gum stained cards would be included in the total.
0.01%? Did you put the decimal in the right spot? 0.01% would mean roughly one gem every wax CASE.
.1% was what I meant. Sorry about that.
2013,14 and 15 Certificate Award Winner Harmon Killebrew Master Set and Master Topps Set
@JoeBanzai said:
I would say that if you opened any amount of 1987 wax and sent every card in for grading, your 10 rate would be around .01%. Keeping in mind that miscuts, wax and gum stained cards would be included in the total.
0.01%? Did you put the decimal in the right spot? 0.01% would mean roughly one gem every wax CASE.
.1% was what I meant. Sorry about that.
I would like to hear your opinion after you ripped a few wax boxes. I ripped three of the four I recently purchased and stopped. The cards were pretty much garbage.
Racks are a different story (1987 anyway), the cards were much nicer than wax or vending. Centering was not really any better, but you could just tell the difference. Vending were really "bowed" and had corner and edge problems.
I did have a sealed rack case.
2013,14 and 15 Certificate Award Winner Harmon Killebrew Master Set and Master Topps Set
I would like to hear your opinion after you ripped a few wax boxes. I ripped three of the four I recently purchased and stopped. The cards were pretty much garbage.
Racks are a different story (1987 anyway), the cards were much nicer than wax or vending. Centering was not really any better, but you could just tell the difference. Vending were really "bowed" and had corner and edge problems.
I did have a sealed rack case.
My experience is that the cleanest 1980’s cards are found in rack, followed by cello, with vending and wax a total crap shoot.
I really like the design of the 1982 Topps football set. Add the great RC crop and a 2nd year Montana and you have the makings of an iconic set. Here are all the stars and rookies that missed the mark...
I pulled all of the key cards, but none made the grade due to typical centering issues...
Here are the 6.5 candidates for PSA 10 that were in the box. The Payton has a fisheye on the left blue border, so it will only be a MINT 9. I will sub it anyway, since it is Walter freakin’ Payton after all...
That is about as good as a 1992/93 Fleer Ultra II box gets. The two key insert sets are the “All-Rookie” and “Rejectors,” since both feature additional Shaq RCs. There is a third subset called Playmakers, but those don’t have as much firepower. The inserts are 1:9 odds with the Rejectors being the hardest to pull, since the set size is only 5 cards. You get 2-3 of each base card in a box. Here are the stars and rookies in this box...
Here were the hits. Really happy to land 2 Shaq Rejectors in one box. Also loving the Mourning All-Rookie card. The two Shaq on the far left have a good shot at PSA 10 along with the Mourning insert...
@jordangretzkyfan said:
That is about as good as a 1992/93 Fleer Ultra II box gets. The two key insert sets are the “All-Rookie” and “Rejectors,” since both feature additional Shaq RCs. There is a third subset called Playmakers, but those don’t have as much firepower. The inserts are 1:9 odds with the Rejectors being the hardest to pull, since the set size is only 5 cards. You get 2-3 of each base card in a box. Here are the stars and rookies in this box...
Here were the hits. Really happy to land 2 Shaq Rejectors in one box. Also loving the Mourning All-Rookie card. The two Shaq on the far left have a good shot at PSA 10 along with the Mourning insert...
how do you judge the centering on the shaq rookies. I do not collect basketball. are the shaq rookies worth grading.
how do you judge the centering on the shaq rookies. I do not collect basketball. are the shaq rookies worth grading.
The space between the top of the Ultra logo and the dark blue team banner on the bottom should be the same. The right border should have the same amount of space as the top/bottom borders, measured from the edge of the white banner to the edge of the card. There is no good way to measure a left border, so I simply assess from top, right and bottom borders. Or even easier, look at PSA 10s and measure from the ball leaving Shaq’s hand and the players arm on the left.
Ultra PSA 10 have been fetching just north of $100, so I would grade your strong ones if you have them.
I continue to think the 1988 Fleer Update set is underrated. You have the only XRC of HOFer John Smoltz and the only Biggio XRC aside from the 1988 Score Traded set. Add in Roberto Alomar and Mark Grace...this set is loaded with key cards from the 80s.
A few weeks ago, a buddy of mine stopped over for a drink and to catch up. As we were talking about this “new normal” of COVID, life as parents, careers, The Last Dance documentary and the lack of sports...I mentioned that I collect cards. He instantly started reminiscing about high school baseball and the top players back in the 80s. He said he never collected much as a kid, but loved that I had such a fascinating hobby and have captured so much childhood nostalgia over the years. Fast forward to last night when he came over to share a drink and more importantly the experience of ripping some packs. For him, it was about the names of the players and triggering childhood memories. For me it was about sharing this great hobby, our friendship and sharing fun stories. He remembered his best friend growing up collecting guys like Griffey and Thomas, so we ripped these...
I talked about how the first full box I ever had as a kid was a 1988 Donruss box my grandpa bought me. That my grandpa and I sat on the floor opening it together while I hunted for a Mark Grace RC. I shared that my grandpa passed away a year later in 1989, but that memory always lives in me. It is why that Mark Grace Rated Rookie will always hold a special place in my heart. Tim talked about his memories of the 1986 Mets as a kid growing up in Jersey and his love for Dwight Gooden and Gary Carter. He also shared stories about being an elite pitcher in high school and playing on state all-star teams with Jeffery Hammonds. When he was sifting through a pack and stumbled upon a Milt Thompson card, he laughed and had forgotten Milt was his parents next door neighbor for a few years. Beyond the cards, we talked about what it means to have a father/daughter relationship and raise confident, independent young women. We talked about our successes and failures. We just talked about life. That is the beauty of this hobby for me. It’s never about money, competitiveness, or sweating the small stuff. It is about sharing memories that create bonds with others and unlocking depths in relationships that might otherwise go unspoken. I am always humbled by how universal this hobby was for the kids of the 80s and what an amazing gateway it can be to so much more than just the cardboard images from my childhood. Here’s to the memories and what this hobby can represent for us all...
As Tim was leaving, I gave him a trio of 1985 Dwight Gooden RCs. He was blown away by this simple gesture. While inexpensive, you would have though he won the lottery. Friendship, camaraderie and shared experiences...that is what this hobby is all about!
Thanks for sharing such a great story Chris. Completely agree with you on the value that the cards bring to me. I am blessed that I have friends who collect and we text almost daily about cards. And whenever we get together I always break out a bunch of stuff to rip. We share stories of those golden collecting years in late 80s/early90s. So much fun.
And that memory of your grandfather and you sharing some special time over 88D is priceless.
John
Conundrum - Loving my unopened baseball card collection....but really like ripping too
I continue to demonstrate why financially it doesn’t make sense to rip unopened. However, you all know that the money is not my focus, but rather the experience of chasing perfect cards to build sets. When I asked for a “little luck” on this box, that is exactly what I got. More on that in a moment. Here are the piles of stars and rookies that miss the mark...
The thrill of pulling these iconic RCs from my childhood cannot be overstated. I simply love finding these hidden treasures, even though these were all OC as is the norm with 1985 Topps...
There were exactly 2...yes 2 candidates for PSA 10 in the entire box. Centering is simply a mess on 1985 Topps. On the 4th to last pack, this Clemens emerged. A blazer with a legit shot at PSA 10. Kids, do not try this at home...I repeat, do not rip 1985 Topps!!!
@Cory1976 said:
That is a great story. I'm happy to hear your friend and you could relive your childhood through cards.
@tkersting said:
Great story. This is what it’s all about for me, reliving childhood memories.
@NJ80sBBC said:
Thanks for sharing such a great story Chris. Completely agree with you on the value that the cards bring to me. I am blessed that I have friends who collect and we text almost daily about cards. And whenever we get together I always break out a bunch of stuff to rip. We share stories of those golden collecting years in late 80s/early90s. So much fun.
And that memory of your grandfather and you sharing some special time over 88D is priceless.
John
Thanks guys. I really appreciate the folks on this forum and all the kind words. It is so much more fun to share our collecting journeys with one another.
@jordangretzkyfan said:
Anyone crazy enough to rip 1985 Topps boxes these days? 🙂 Love this set and it is a condition nightmare. Here’s hoping for a little luck...
Just when I'm sure you're staying away from '85 on down these days because you're not crazy..... you go there LOL. Good Luck!
Comments
Not the most productive rip, but always a fun one. Here are the stars and rookies that miss the mark. I do love the look of the McGwire rookie cup from this set!
Only found these two candidates for PSA 10 out of the entire box. This entire box was either OC or tilt cut. Really cannot stand the look of tilt cut cards...
Maybe I should be happy the guy doesn't return messages!
Those are two BEAUTIES!!
Let’s see what perfection we can find in this 1989 Topps vending box...
I always had a soft spot for the Jim Abbott in this set. Such an underrated card from an underrated player who was one of the most inspirational of his generation. Here are the piles that missed the mark...
Pulled these key rookies, but neither make the grade...
Here was the only contender for PSA 10 out of the 500 untouched cards...yikes!
Going back for another round of 1987 Topps...
This project is a constant reminder how tough it is to find perfect examples of 1980’s cards even straight from unopened material. I have said it before, but I straight up love the 1987 Topps set. One of my favorites of all time. Here are the stars and rookies that missed the mark...
Pulled these key rookies...
And once again, there was only 1 candidate for PSA 10 out of 500 case fresh and untouched cards...
OMG that Davis card is beautiful!
Thanks. It certainly appears to be the true definition of a perfect example and what this hunt of mine is all about!
You had been on a nice tear there for a bit, but 0.2% in the last couple boxes? Yikes!
I agree........to a point. I used to be in the "there's a lot of unopened out there, so there's a LOT of 10's waiting to be discovered" camp.
I have closely looked at 15-20,000 cards in the last 6 months or so with more and more doubt that there are going to be a LOT more 10's discovered. Especially cards that have been shown to be on the edge or corner of the sheet.
If you are looking for a perfect card, .02% could actually be high. 10's can be a little off center and often are. Some also have microscopic print dots as well.
I went through 8 vending boxes, 3 wax boxes and 1 sealed rack case of 1987 Topps cards and have less than 100 to send in to PSA. Several of them are not as well centered as I would like but could get 10's. Other than "star" cards, I am sending in only a single card for grading. I have 5-10 duplicates that might get 10's that I am keeping for now. With the bulk grading fee raise, I need to keep the cost down as I have other cards going in too.
BTW not a single Bonds was centered 50/50 side to side.
JGF has told me his rate at getting 10's is around 75%. That's pretty astonishing considering pretty much every card he posts as a potential 10 looks like an 11 to me. I would have thought that his rate would be closer to 90%.
Just using my recent experiences, (nothing compared to JGF!) I would say that if you opened any amount of 1987 wax and sent every card in for grading, your 10 rate would be around .01%. Keeping in mind that miscuts, wax and gum stained cards would be included in the total.
After 33 years there are still 2 cards from the 1987 Topps set to have never gotten a 10. In the 7500 (or so) I went through I won't be submitting either card.
Sure, there will be a lot of 10's out there, just not of the guy you want! ;-)
Stuck on this 1987 Topps kick for at least one more box...
I'll take any Rick Leach you think just misses a 10! ;-)
I'll send you a slightly O/C Barry Bonds in return LOL.
Or player of your choice. I didn't see any of the Bonds cards you pulled that missed the mark?
Haha...every single Bonds I have pulled during this 87T rip fest has missed the mark. That card is notoriously OC!
Here are the results of this vending box. All those missing the mark...
Pulled two Bonds RC, but everyone I pull is OC just like these two. Really tough card on a percentage basis!
Here were the only 2 contenders for PSA 10 this round. Just the wrong Pirate...
My Bonds' were all pretty good top to bottom. L/R was off for me.
0.01%? Did you put the decimal in the right spot? 0.01% would mean roughly one gem every wax CASE.
.1% was what I meant. Sorry about that.
I would like to hear your opinion after you ripped a few wax boxes. I ripped three of the four I recently purchased and stopped. The cards were pretty much garbage.
Racks are a different story (1987 anyway), the cards were much nicer than wax or vending. Centering was not really any better, but you could just tell the difference. Vending were really "bowed" and had corner and edge problems.
I did have a sealed rack case.
My experience is that the cleanest 1980’s cards are found in rack, followed by cello, with vending and wax a total crap shoot.
Let’s get this 4th of July weekend started with a bang. Nothing more ‘Murica than the NFL. In the mood to rip a 1982 Topps football vending box...
I really like the design of the 1982 Topps football set. Add the great RC crop and a 2nd year Montana and you have the makings of an iconic set. Here are all the stars and rookies that missed the mark...
I pulled all of the key cards, but none made the grade due to typical centering issues...
Here are the 6.5 candidates for PSA 10 that were in the box. The Payton has a fisheye on the left blue border, so it will only be a MINT 9. I will sub it anyway, since it is Walter freakin’ Payton after all...
Finally see you submitting a less than "perfect" card. Good!
Time for a 1989 Topps vending box...
Not the greatest condition-wise, but always a fun rip. Not a single contender for PSA 10. Here are the stars and rookies that continue to pile up...
Pulled these key RCs, but neither makes the grade...
I decided to rip another 1987 Topps vending box after the 1989...
The ones that missed the mark...
Yet another OC Bonds rookie...
But like the star power of the only 2 candidates for PSA 10...
Hope everyone is having a fun 4th of July!
Feel like taking a departure from ripping 80s and hunting for Shaq this morning...
That is about as good as a 1992/93 Fleer Ultra II box gets. The two key insert sets are the “All-Rookie” and “Rejectors,” since both feature additional Shaq RCs. There is a third subset called Playmakers, but those don’t have as much firepower. The inserts are 1:9 odds with the Rejectors being the hardest to pull, since the set size is only 5 cards. You get 2-3 of each base card in a box. Here are the stars and rookies in this box...
Here were the hits. Really happy to land 2 Shaq Rejectors in one box. Also loving the Mourning All-Rookie card. The two Shaq on the far left have a good shot at PSA 10 along with the Mourning insert...
I don't collect basketball, but that was a great box!
Nice Shaq’s 👍
how do you judge the centering on the shaq rookies. I do not collect basketball. are the shaq rookies worth grading.
The space between the top of the Ultra logo and the dark blue team banner on the bottom should be the same. The right border should have the same amount of space as the top/bottom borders, measured from the edge of the white banner to the edge of the card. There is no good way to measure a left border, so I simply assess from top, right and bottom borders. Or even easier, look at PSA 10s and measure from the ball leaving Shaq’s hand and the players arm on the left.
Ultra PSA 10 have been fetching just north of $100, so I would grade your strong ones if you have them.
Feeling like it is a Maddux kind of morning...
Turns out it was more of a Matt Williams XRC morning. Here are the ones that didn’t make the grade...
The two nice Maddux XRCs, but neither is worthy of a 10...
Here were the only 2 candidates for PSA 10 out of the two case fresh sets. I am happy one of them is a key rookie in the set...
I continue to think the 1988 Fleer Update set is underrated. You have the only XRC of HOFer John Smoltz and the only Biggio XRC aside from the 1988 Score Traded set. Add in Roberto Alomar and Mark Grace...this set is loaded with key cards from the 80s.
These two sets were completely OC. Not a single contender for PSA 10, but here are the key cards...
A few weeks ago, a buddy of mine stopped over for a drink and to catch up. As we were talking about this “new normal” of COVID, life as parents, careers, The Last Dance documentary and the lack of sports...I mentioned that I collect cards. He instantly started reminiscing about high school baseball and the top players back in the 80s. He said he never collected much as a kid, but loved that I had such a fascinating hobby and have captured so much childhood nostalgia over the years. Fast forward to last night when he came over to share a drink and more importantly the experience of ripping some packs. For him, it was about the names of the players and triggering childhood memories. For me it was about sharing this great hobby, our friendship and sharing fun stories. He remembered his best friend growing up collecting guys like Griffey and Thomas, so we ripped these...
I talked about how the first full box I ever had as a kid was a 1988 Donruss box my grandpa bought me. That my grandpa and I sat on the floor opening it together while I hunted for a Mark Grace RC. I shared that my grandpa passed away a year later in 1989, but that memory always lives in me. It is why that Mark Grace Rated Rookie will always hold a special place in my heart. Tim talked about his memories of the 1986 Mets as a kid growing up in Jersey and his love for Dwight Gooden and Gary Carter. He also shared stories about being an elite pitcher in high school and playing on state all-star teams with Jeffery Hammonds. When he was sifting through a pack and stumbled upon a Milt Thompson card, he laughed and had forgotten Milt was his parents next door neighbor for a few years. Beyond the cards, we talked about what it means to have a father/daughter relationship and raise confident, independent young women. We talked about our successes and failures. We just talked about life. That is the beauty of this hobby for me. It’s never about money, competitiveness, or sweating the small stuff. It is about sharing memories that create bonds with others and unlocking depths in relationships that might otherwise go unspoken. I am always humbled by how universal this hobby was for the kids of the 80s and what an amazing gateway it can be to so much more than just the cardboard images from my childhood. Here’s to the memories and what this hobby can represent for us all...
As Tim was leaving, I gave him a trio of 1985 Dwight Gooden RCs. He was blown away by this simple gesture. While inexpensive, you would have though he won the lottery. Friendship, camaraderie and shared experiences...that is what this hobby is all about!
That is a great story. I'm happy to hear your friend and you could relive your childhood through cards.
Great story. This is what it’s all about for me, reliving childhood memories.
Anyone crazy enough to rip 1985 Topps boxes these days? 🙂 Love this set and it is a condition nightmare. Here’s hoping for a little luck...
Fantastic!
Thanks for sharing such a great story Chris. Completely agree with you on the value that the cards bring to me. I am blessed that I have friends who collect and we text almost daily about cards. And whenever we get together I always break out a bunch of stuff to rip. We share stories of those golden collecting years in late 80s/early90s. So much fun.
And that memory of your grandfather and you sharing some special time over 88D is priceless.
John
Looking forward to these results
I continue to demonstrate why financially it doesn’t make sense to rip unopened. However, you all know that the money is not my focus, but rather the experience of chasing perfect cards to build sets. When I asked for a “little luck” on this box, that is exactly what I got. More on that in a moment. Here are the piles of stars and rookies that miss the mark...
The thrill of pulling these iconic RCs from my childhood cannot be overstated. I simply love finding these hidden treasures, even though these were all OC as is the norm with 1985 Topps...
There were exactly 2...yes 2 candidates for PSA 10 in the entire box. Centering is simply a mess on 1985 Topps. On the 4th to last pack, this Clemens emerged. A blazer with a legit shot at PSA 10. Kids, do not try this at home...I repeat, do not rip 1985 Topps!!!
Nice Clemens! I have ripped multiple cases of 85 opc and it’s impossible as well. 40+ Puckett’s and not one that is perfect.
Thanks guys. I really appreciate the folks on this forum and all the kind words. It is so much more fun to share our collecting journeys with one another.
Just when I'm sure you're staying away from '85 on down these days because you're not crazy..... you go there LOL. Good Luck!
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 posting such a great story about your friend. Keeps it all in perspective when it comes to collecting. Congrats on pulling the 85 Clemens.
This is the era that got me hooked so I definitely enjoy reliving the experience through this thread.
Beautiful Clemens! Was there a McGwire in the box?
I ripped a box a couple of years ago and got no Puckett, no McGwire and a Clemens with a huge print spot on the back.
Beautiful Clemens!
Thanks for the positive comments! No McGwire in this box Joe. I was saved by the Clemens this round for sure 🙂