I got started collecting when I was 11 in 1986. I was buying a few packs of Topps here and there and buying packs of stickers to fill out the album. I remember my grandmother helping me the most with the sticker collection. Once we reached the 150 sticker back number she helped me send them off along with a check she wrote for the complete 1986 Topps set offer. I still have that set and have gotten several of them autographed over the years. Thanks so much for this thread. It has brought back some great memories of my childhood.
@dawsonberg said:
I got started collecting when I was 11 in 1986. I was buying a few packs of Topps here and there and buying packs of stickers to fill out the album. I remember my grandmother helping me the most with the sticker collection. Once we reached the 150 sticker back number she helped me send them off along with a check she wrote for the complete 1986 Topps set offer. I still have that set and have gotten several of them autographed over the years. Thanks so much for this thread. It has brought back some great memories of my childhood.
Thank you for sharing your story and welcome to the boards with your first post. I love when members share stories like these, because the nostalgia is the reason I have always stuck with collecting. Thanks for reading and following this thread. I look forward to more of your posts and hearing about your collection as it evolves.
Anyone else love 1989 Upper Deck? This iconic set changed the direction of the hobby for the first time, since 1952 Topps. It still remains one of the best designs of the 1980s and has arguably the most iconic card of the decade. I never tire of opening this year and savoring each pack just like when I was a kid...
The photography, front and back, combined with the card stock was far and away superior to anything up to that point. I remember these being hard to find at the time. I think I only opened one pack in 1989.
@dawsonberg said:
The photography, front and back, combined with the card stock was far and away superior to anything up to that point. I remember these being hard to find at the time. I think I only opened one pack in 1989.
Here's hoping for a Griffey!
i was in the army in 1989 in ft lewis wasington state. they were 2-4 dollars a pack. boxes were going for 50-70 dollars a box in the local card shops. of course griffey played for the mariners made the packs a little more then maybe in other states. how much a pack were they going for in other states i wonder.
In 89 these packs were a buck a piece at our LCS. The hi# packs were more expensive when they were released. Walton and Smith were big rookies everyone was hunting for at the time.
Great set, a ton of fun to rip, and so damn hard to get a gem Griffey.
Good luck Chris!
John
Conundrum - Loving my unopened baseball card collection....but really like ripping too
Such a fun rip to pace throughout the day while watching some football. I love all the memories shared by those posting. 1989 UD was clearly a milestone moment for those in the hobby, so I anticipated it would trigger stories. Similar to John, they started at $1/pack in my LCS, but were quickly sold out in the first few weeks. The secondary market pushed them to $1.50/pack over the first summer of availability. I remember buying a box for the slight discount of $50 and pulling 2 Griffey and 1 Gregg Jefferies, who was ironically the hotter card at the time along with the Chris Sabo RC. Once Hi # series landed, they were $2/pack as everyone chased the Walton and Dwight Smith, as John said. The other crazy hot card was the triple motion Jim Abbott RC. It was selling for $15 as soon as these boxes hit the market.
Well this box did not disappoint. Sometimes you just get lucky. Since folks mentioned the high number series, here are all the piles of stars and rookies from my breaks over the years that missed the mark...
Pulled the Biggio and Smoltz RCs, but neither are centered perfectly...
There were 13 candidates for PSA 10 in this box. The first 12 are pictured below and anchored by an awesome Randy Johnson RC and the Nolan Ryan triple motion...
As soon as I slide the card above it, I was hoping the centering gods were going to be kind. I think this dog just might hunt...
Thanks to everyone who posted and wished for some luck!
@jordangretzkyfan said:
Such a fun rip to pace throughout the day while watching some football. I love all the memories shared by those posting. 1989 UD was clearly a milestone moment for those in the hobby, so I anticipated it would trigger stories. Similar to John, they started at $1/pack in my LCS, but were quickly sold out in the first few weeks. The secondary market pushed them to $1.50/pack over the first summer of availability. I remember buying a box for the slight discount of $50 and pulling 2 Griffey and 1 Gregg Jefferies, who was ironically the hotter card at the time along with the Chris Sabo RC. Once Hi # series landed, they were $2/pack as everyone chased the Walton and Dwight Smith, as John said. The other crazy hot card was the triple motion Jim Abbott RC. It was selling for $15 as soon as these boxes hit the market.
Well this box did not disappoint. Sometimes you just get lucky. Since folks mentioned the high number series, here are all the piles of stars and rookies from my breaks over the years that missed the mark...
Pulled the Biggio and Smoltz RCs, but neither are centered perfectly...
There were 13 candidates for PSA 10 in this box. The first 12 are pictured below and anchored by an awesome Randy Johnson RC and the Nolan Ryan triple motion...
As soon as I slide the card above it, I was hoping the centering gods were going to be kind. I think this dog just might hunt...
Thanks to everyone who posted and wished for some luck!
/
any surface problems? how does the hologram look on the back. great pull.
@jordangretzkyfan said:
There were 13 candidates for PSA 10 in this box. The first 12 are pictured below and anchored by an awesome Randy Johnson RC and the Nolan Ryan triple motion...
As soon as I slide the card above it, I was hoping the centering gods were going to be kind. I think this dog just might hunt...
Thanks to everyone who posted and wished for some luck!
Thanks guys! Was a thrill to pull such a clean and crisp Griffey RC. No surface issues that I can detect and the hologram on the back is centered and clean. Should land nicely in the PSA 9-10 camp, but certainly hoping to see it in a 10 holder.
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
That was some tough sledding. Not a single candidate for PSA 10 in the entire box. Sometimes legit vending boxes straight from a case repeat themselves...sometimes they repeat themselves...sometimes they repeat...ah, you get the point.
@NJ80sBBC said:
In 89 these packs were a buck a piece at our LCS. The hi# packs were more expensive when they were released. Walton and Smith were big rookies everyone was hunting for at the time.
Great set, a ton of fun to rip, and so damn hard to get a gem Griffey.
Good luck Chris!
John
Don’t forget Todd Zeile and Flash Gordon. High numbers were hot. I remember a buddy and I bought a couple of high number packs each and I hit the Zeile (I’m a Cards fan) and he hit the Gordon. We biked back home all happy from the LCS.
Such a simple and classic design. Love this very underrated set. Here are the stars and rookies that continue to build from my rips, but don’t make the grade...
Pulled these two iconic RCs, but neither are perfect...
However, I was happy to find a very strong 20 candidates for PSA 10...
A tricky year for condition, but a good looking set that is gorgeous when you find perfection. Here are the piles that miss the mark from all my breaks...
Was pretty happy to find 5 candidates for PSA 10, headlined by the SB King...
@jordangretzkyfan Have you ripped any 86 Donruss recently? I am having a tough time trying to find any centered PSA 9’s. Swear every one has tilt or other centering issues. What do your stats say with that set?
@NGS428 said: @jordangretzkyfan Have you ripped any 86 Donruss recently? I am having a tough time trying to find any centered PSA 9’s. Swear every one has tilt or other centering issues. What do your stats say with that set?
86D is notorious for being off centered in both directions and for extra ink spots on the front. I have terrible luck finding perfect examples out of wax, so have relied on ripping rack when I break 86D typically. Here are my percentages of the 1980’s Donruss I ripped with the quantity pulled in potential PSA 10 condition followed by the percentage hit rate for candidates...
@NGS428 said: @jordangretzkyfan Have you ripped any 86 Donruss recently? I am having a tough time trying to find any centered PSA 9’s. Swear every one has tilt or other centering issues. What do your stats say with that set?
86D is notorious for being off centered in both directions and for extra ink spots on the front. I have terrible luck finding perfect examples out of wax, so have relied on ripping rack when I break 86D typically. Here are my percentages of the 1980’s Donruss I ripped with the quantity pulled in potential PSA 10 condition followed by the percentage hit rate for candidates...
Thanks! Best of luck with those. I took a look back at what you had picked for PSA 10’s for 86 Donruss and I think that helped me get a better idea of what I should expect. I will have to keep a closer eye on the ink spots too. Thanks!
Did you open the pack with Boggs on top? I would have probably left it sealed. I have really enjoyed watching all your results. Good luck in the future.
@Cory1976 said:
Did you open the pack with Boggs on top? I would have probably left it sealed. I have really enjoyed watching all your results. Good luck in the future.
No, I set it aside with my other star racks. I’m crazy, but not that crazy 😉 Thanks for commenting and following the thread!
Come on actual insert ratio! Another odd box in the middle row of this case that only produced 2 DKs instead of the standard 4. Hope this is an omen that an Elite is buried in this case somewhere!
I have two of these boxes sitting in my closet for the longest time. Last night said WTH and ripped open one box.
NO DK at all! Nada, zip, ziltch nada. I have 11 more out in my dungeon so I may find one that is wrapped and crack that one.
See what you made me do.
@WaveofCards said:
Love this thread!! Just checking back in, still no Elite?
Love the Mattingly and Strawberry, those two cards were fire for 3-4 years in the 80's. Still love them!
Are elite cards undervalued currently? lol Do people realize how difficult they are to pull?
Compared to modern print runs, I would say no. You can usually find a handful of them on any given day offered on eBay. That said, I do think they are at bargain prices for those that remember trying to pull one from a pack. The nostalgia factor coupled with the pack odds rarity will always keep this set in demand in my opinion. I have been buying a few here and there over the years just because I LOVE the look of this 1992 set that has both Griffey and Thomas. Still have never managed to pull one from a pack though! No worries though...I have more boxes and cases to rip.
And the hunt for my first pack pulled Elite continues. If you love the DK checklist, just drop me a PM, since I appear to have hit the hot case on these...
@jordangretzkyfan said:
Work kept getting in my way today! This is a tough set when you are seeking perfection. Here are the stars and rookies that miss the mark...
Pulled these key RCs, but none are PSA 10 worthy...
Here is the lone candidate for perfection...
Went to a card shop today to pickup a pack of top loaders, 1ea 800 count storage box. Picked up one 87 Topps vending box.
Pulled a Will Clark that looks 10 worthy plus about 6 to 8 commons that could be 10s also. This box had all the all stars except the Keith Hernandez. The Barry Bonds had the error. I think I will go back and pick up some more as he had 4 more.
Most of the all stars were off except the Dan Plesac, excellent centering.
Comments
Alright, let’s get back to some good old 1980’s ripping. Here goes a 1987 Topps vending box...
Barry baby!
Work kept getting in my way today! This is a tough set when you are seeking perfection. Here are the stars and rookies that miss the mark...
Pulled these key RCs, but none are PSA 10 worthy...
Here is the lone candidate for perfection...
I got started collecting when I was 11 in 1986. I was buying a few packs of Topps here and there and buying packs of stickers to fill out the album. I remember my grandmother helping me the most with the sticker collection. Once we reached the 150 sticker back number she helped me send them off along with a check she wrote for the complete 1986 Topps set offer. I still have that set and have gotten several of them autographed over the years. Thanks so much for this thread. It has brought back some great memories of my childhood.
Thank you for sharing your story and welcome to the boards with your first post. I love when members share stories like these, because the nostalgia is the reason I have always stuck with collecting. Thanks for reading and following this thread. I look forward to more of your posts and hearing about your collection as it evolves.
Anyone else love 1989 Upper Deck? This iconic set changed the direction of the hobby for the first time, since 1952 Topps. It still remains one of the best designs of the 1980s and has arguably the most iconic card of the decade. I never tire of opening this year and savoring each pack just like when I was a kid...
The photography, front and back, combined with the card stock was far and away superior to anything up to that point. I remember these being hard to find at the time. I think I only opened one pack in 1989.
Here's hoping for a Griffey!
i was in the army in 1989 in ft lewis wasington state. they were 2-4 dollars a pack. boxes were going for 50-70 dollars a box in the local card shops. of course griffey played for the mariners made the packs a little more then maybe in other states. how much a pack were they going for in other states i wonder.
In 89 these packs were a buck a piece at our LCS. The hi# packs were more expensive when they were released. Walton and Smith were big rookies everyone was hunting for at the time.
Great set, a ton of fun to rip, and so damn hard to get a gem Griffey.
Good luck Chris!
John
Such a fun rip to pace throughout the day while watching some football. I love all the memories shared by those posting. 1989 UD was clearly a milestone moment for those in the hobby, so I anticipated it would trigger stories. Similar to John, they started at $1/pack in my LCS, but were quickly sold out in the first few weeks. The secondary market pushed them to $1.50/pack over the first summer of availability. I remember buying a box for the slight discount of $50 and pulling 2 Griffey and 1 Gregg Jefferies, who was ironically the hotter card at the time along with the Chris Sabo RC. Once Hi # series landed, they were $2/pack as everyone chased the Walton and Dwight Smith, as John said. The other crazy hot card was the triple motion Jim Abbott RC. It was selling for $15 as soon as these boxes hit the market.
Well this box did not disappoint. Sometimes you just get lucky. Since folks mentioned the high number series, here are all the piles of stars and rookies from my breaks over the years that missed the mark...
Pulled the Biggio and Smoltz RCs, but neither are centered perfectly...
There were 13 candidates for PSA 10 in this box. The first 12 are pictured below and anchored by an awesome Randy Johnson RC and the Nolan Ryan triple motion...
As soon as I slide the card above it, I was hoping the centering gods were going to be kind. I think this dog just might hunt...
Thanks to everyone who posted and wished for some luck!
Beauty! $$ Congrats!
Nic
Guides Authored - Graded Card Scanning Guide PDF | History of the PSA Label PDF
/
any surface problems? how does the hologram look on the back. great pull.
Right on! Congrats on the pulls!
fantastic hit on the kid
Thanks,
David (LD_Ferg)
1985 Topps Football (starting in psa 8) - #9 - started 05/21/06
Thanks guys! Was a thrill to pull such a clean and crisp Griffey RC. No surface issues that I can detect and the hologram on the back is centered and clean. Should land nicely in the PSA 9-10 camp, but certainly hoping to see it in a 10 holder.
SWEET!
Time for a 1989 Topps vending box...
Greta looking Griffey congrats
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
That was some tough sledding. Not a single candidate for PSA 10 in the entire box. Sometimes legit vending boxes straight from a case repeat themselves...sometimes they repeat themselves...sometimes they repeat...ah, you get the point.
Let’s try two 1989 Fleer Update sets...
At least this offered a few contenders to my hunt. Here are the stars and rookies that miss the mark...
And here are the 3 candidates for PSA 10...
Don’t forget Todd Zeile and Flash Gordon. High numbers were hot. I remember a buddy and I bought a couple of high number packs each and I hit the Zeile (I’m a Cards fan) and he hit the Gordon. We biked back home all happy from the LCS.
Today feels like a quick departure from the 80s, so I can chase some Brett Favre cards while watching football. Up first is a 1991 UD box...
Ironic. I pulled all the key cards except Favre 🤣. One of these days the Montana heroes painting is bound to have the auto on it...
This box will certainly produce some Favre cards. This set contains my favorite photo of Brett as a young Packer...
So many stars and HOFers in this high # series! The small set size means you average about 5 of each card in a box. Here are the key cards...
Pulled this 1st Pick insert...
Here were the Topps Gold inserts in the box...
Pulled these 4 Favre cards, but none have perfect centering...
And the 5th Favre was on the top of this pack, so I am keeping it sealed...
Never realized he had 5 attempts and zero completions with the Falcons and 2 interceptions! Completed 2 more to the other team than he did his own.
Also nice Brooks gold card. As a Packer fan, these are a walk back to when I was watching them as a kid!
Nic
Guides Authored - Graded Card Scanning Guide PDF | History of the PSA Label PDF
I’ve always loved the look of the 1984 Fleer Mattingly RC. Let the hunt begin...
Such a simple and classic design. Love this very underrated set. Here are the stars and rookies that continue to build from my rips, but don’t make the grade...
Pulled these two iconic RCs, but neither are perfect...
However, I was happy to find a very strong 20 candidates for PSA 10...
Sandberg and Carlton! Nice box!
Time for a few 1986 Fleer rack packs...
A tricky year for condition, but a good looking set that is gorgeous when you find perfection. Here are the piles that miss the mark from all my breaks...
Was pretty happy to find 5 candidates for PSA 10, headlined by the SB King...
SWEET Henderson!
@jordangretzkyfan Have you ripped any 86 Donruss recently? I am having a tough time trying to find any centered PSA 9’s. Swear every one has tilt or other centering issues. What do your stats say with that set?
Nic
Guides Authored - Graded Card Scanning Guide PDF | History of the PSA Label PDF
86D is notorious for being off centered in both directions and for extra ink spots on the front. I have terrible luck finding perfect examples out of wax, so have relied on ripping rack when I break 86D typically. Here are my percentages of the 1980’s Donruss I ripped with the quantity pulled in potential PSA 10 condition followed by the percentage hit rate for candidates...
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%)
You made me want to try my luck this morning...
Thanks! Best of luck with those. I took a look back at what you had picked for PSA 10’s for 86 Donruss and I think that helped me get a better idea of what I should expect. I will have to keep a closer eye on the ink spots too. Thanks!
Nic
Guides Authored - Graded Card Scanning Guide PDF | History of the PSA Label PDF
Who knew 1988 Donruss would be so tough.
Well, keeping with the success rate, only 2 candidates for PSA 10 emerged. Here were the few key cards that missed the mark...
And here are the 2 contenders for PSA 10. Good looking Joe Carter card...
Yeah...88 Donruss are a condition nightmare from the pack. Chipped boarders, terrible centering and tons of stray fisheyes and print dots.
Did you open the pack with Boggs on top? I would have probably left it sealed. I have really enjoyed watching all your results. Good luck in the future.
No, I set it aside with my other star racks. I’m crazy, but not that crazy 😉 Thanks for commenting and following the thread!
I have two of these boxes sitting in my closet for the longest time. Last night said WTH and ripped open one box.
NO DK at all! Nada, zip, ziltch nada. I have 11 more out in my dungeon so I may find one that is wrapped and crack that one.
See what you made me do.
Love this thread!! Just checking back in, still no Elite?
Love the Mattingly and Strawberry, those two cards were fire for 3-4 years in the 80's. Still love them!
Are elite cards undervalued currently? lol Do people realize how difficult they are to pull?
Jason C.
Wave of Cards on Youtube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC52it5FXdZvDcbj_Ps7Fyqw
Compared to modern print runs, I would say no. You can usually find a handful of them on any given day offered on eBay. That said, I do think they are at bargain prices for those that remember trying to pull one from a pack. The nostalgia factor coupled with the pack odds rarity will always keep this set in demand in my opinion. I have been buying a few here and there over the years just because I LOVE the look of this 1992 set that has both Griffey and Thomas. Still have never managed to pull one from a pack though! No worries though...I have more boxes and cases to rip.
Here goes box #12 from the case...
And the hunt for my first pack pulled Elite continues. If you love the DK checklist, just drop me a PM, since I appear to have hit the hot case on these...
Don't give up. The Elite is coming!
Maybe you will pull the 1/1 elite checklist!
Nic
Guides Authored - Graded Card Scanning Guide PDF | History of the PSA Label PDF
NOOOOOOOOOOO!
Went to a card shop today to pickup a pack of top loaders, 1ea 800 count storage box. Picked up one 87 Topps vending box.
Pulled a Will Clark that looks 10 worthy plus about 6 to 8 commons that could be 10s also. This box had all the all stars except the Keith Hernandez. The Barry Bonds had the error. I think I will go back and pick up some more as he had 4 more.
Most of the all stars were off except the Dan Plesac, excellent centering.