That was a fun slow break throughout the day. Seeing case fresh cards that are now 41 years old (wow, that is hard to believe) is always an awesome experience! That said, this was not the quality of break for which we were hoping. As you all know from my prior posts, typical hit rate of PSA 10 candidates is about 1.5% for 1980 Topps and this box was a dud. At any rate, here are the case fresh stars and rookies that continue to pile up from my rips. I particularly love the images for Bemch, Carter and Ozzie from this series…
I did manage to pull two nice Nolan Ryan from this box, but both are in the PSA 7 range. Sadly, Rickey did not appear this time…
Here was the lone candidate for PSA 10, but I might throw it back since the centering is not quite 50/50…
While this was not the start I was hoping for, the nostalgia makes it all worthwhile. Tomorrow is another day and that means it’s time to hunt for a clean Cal Ripken RC. Yep, this 1982 Topps vending box will be tomorrow’s feast. Thanks for all the kind wishes and comments from those who posted!
I just found this thread. I’m really enjoying it and I don’t even collect baseball. I definitely wouldn’t have the patience for what you are trying to do but it’s fun watching you try to do it.
Happy Thanksgiving indeed! I took my time with the 1982 vending last night and it totally paid off. As a kid, I remember seeing the Ripken RC sitting in the display case of my LCS back in 1987 when I first got serious about collecting. The price tag was $8 and a month out of reach for a kid who earned $2/week in allowance. The card alluded me for years, but I always liked the look of the three future stars gazing into their hopeful careers. What a career Mr. Ripken would have…who can forget Chris Berman covering the game Ripken passed Gehrig for consecutive games played. In typical Cal fashion of always coming up big in big moments, he homered that game too. Such an iconic sports moment as the game paused in recognition, and Cal walked the entire track shaking hands of the fans there to congratulate him. He is such a class act!
Now onto the results of this box. Here are the piles of stars and rookies that have built from all my breaks…
I also pulled this HOF RC. Not gradeworthy, so he will go into the piles like the others…
There were a very solid 14 candidates for PSA 10 in this box. Here are the first 8. Nothing better as a collector and fan of the 80s than to look at perfect examples exactly the way Topps intended them to be at the time of design. They are like little pieces of perfection 39 years later…
Here are the next three…
While not his best photo over the years, I was pretty happy to find this great looking Rose for submission…
Then my jaw dropped when I found this absolute blazer! This card is gorgeous and beautifully captures the young all-time stolen base leader as he goes to work…
I didn’t think it could get better until the last 75 cards in the box contained this. I was immediately taken back to 1987 as I stared at the Ripken RC in my LCS display case hoping that one day I would own the card. While I have owned many of this card over the years, this one ranks right up there on the perfection scale. Wow….just wow…what a thrill to pull this beauty…
Thanks to everyone for your comments. Sharing memories and stories is what makes this hobby great! Happy Thanksgiving to this outstanding forum.
Then my jaw dropped when I found this absolute blazer! This card is gorgeous and beautifully captures the young all-time stolen base leader as he goes to work…
Pretty amazing you pull this just after a poster says it's his all-time favorite.
How completely bad ass is that Henderson? So many great cards of the SB king, this one is right up there with those at the top.
What an 82 box to have opened! Perhaps the best you will ever open. After reading so many stories of tough grading, i hope that these do measure up to dime standards. Your sub, when that time comes, will be pretty epic in and of itself.
Is this the only 82T Ripken that you have set aside at this point? I don’t recall if you had others. My LCS never seemed to have This card in inventory. I might have owned one had that been the case. As it were it wasn’t until 2010 (when I got bak into the hobby) that I got my first one. A triplet of 9s actually.
Thanks again for sharing
John
Conundrum - Loving my unopened baseball card collection....but really like ripping too
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
@NJ80sBBC said:
Great to see Chris’ insanely epic thread revived once again! 1980 Topps as the opener, are you kidding me? No one does it like you my friend.
Please build up to 85-87 product at some point, along with historical reference to our oh so similar childhood collecting days.
John
Thanks for all the positive comments on the recent breaks everyone. It is always fun to open fresh material and see what treasure is inside. I certainly got lucky on the 1982 vending box.
John - that was the second Ripken RC that I plan to submit from my breaks. The first is a very clean card, but centered 48/52 L/R. This most recent one seems 50/50 all around to me.
Per John’s request to hero our key collecting era, up next is a fresh 1986 Topps rack box…
Another fun break on a simply gorgeous set design. Topps nailed it with the simplicity of this design and the outstanding action photos of many of the key cards. Here are the piles that continue to build from my rips…
I love this image of Mattingly! This one is only a contender for PSA 9 given the centering, but I might sub anyway if prices ever come back down, simply because clean examples look great in PSA holders…
Check out the dynamic 1986 World Series duo on this rack…how cool is this pack?!?!?!
This set is super tough to PSA 10, so I was pretty happy to find eight contenders in this break. Here are the first six…
I am loving the top two candidates. The Rickey Henderson “love” continues and the Nolan Ryan is sick. I pictured the Puckett because it just missed. It has a slight tilt to an otherwise perfect card. That fish will go back in the pond…
Wow!!! Those are some fantastic results on those 86s! That is my favorite year, as it was my first year. When they are clean, they look amazing. That Clemens-Gooden rack is just sick. Ironically, the only HOFer (to this point) on that rack is the Fisk. Back in 1986-1990, anyone you talked to would have told you that all three would be in Cooperstown at the end of their careers. Thanks for starting back up with the breaks! I've missed them.
kevin
@NJ80sBBC said:
Agree entirely with Kevin’s assessment. The rack is amazing and I would bet any HOFER 10 is a fairly big score for 86T.
Love that Rickey!
John
That is a sweet Ryan! I haven't followed the pops in a long time, but an 86 Ryan 10 used to be one of the more elusive HOFers out there. Besides all the other problems 86s are known for, there is usually a whole bunch of stray pink ink found in Ryan's hat and jersey. Sandberg is another one notoriously tough with the same PD issues.
Thanks for all the comments and sharing your love for 1986 Topps, Kevin. I agree that back in the 80s that pack was a lock for 3 HOFers on top. It’s a shame that drugs played a role in both Gooden and Clemens careers, albeit in different ways. Regardless, they are 80s HOFers in my eyes and I was pumped to find that pack smiling back at me.
Count - yeah, the Nolan is a tough 1986 Topps PSA 10. There are now 107 in the pop report, which is 3.5% of the ones submitted. The Ryne Sandberg is even tougher with a pop of 8 and only 1% of submissions. The other challenge is Eric Davis at a pop 4 and only 1% of submissions. I have a nice Davis to submit, but haven’t pulled a gem worthy Sandberg yet.
Joe - whoa, those are mighty fine 9s from the front. It just shows how subjective the grading process can be. I don’t mind strict grading standards, but when I see cards with tilt or noticeable print dots in PSA 10 holders it makes you go hmmmm….
I am working on setting up a 12 days of Christmas / New Year’s break that I will kick off on Dec. 21 and finish New Year’s Day. Seems like a fun way to spend the holidays! More to come on what will be included in the 1980’s love. Thanks to all those who continue to follow. Hard to believe this thread is now over 100K views.
@brad31 said:
Joe Those are some beautiful cards. Cannot see how they can really be improved upon.
Thanks, the Bando is centered a bit towards the top and the other two aren't quite perfect side to side. Low pop cards I thought would be worth a gamble.
2013,14 and 15 Certificate Award Winner Harmon Killebrew Master Set and Master Topps Set
Let me start by wishing everyone a healthy and happy holiday season! Hopefully everyone gets to enjoy time with their loved ones. Since I have time off over this holiday season, I wanted to enjoy some fun-filled rips. This will be a nod to the “12 Days of Christmas,” but with a slight modification. It will be the “12 Days of New Year” to better align with my time off and to not steal any thunder from fellow board member ssollars annual tradition.
Here is the plan for the carnage…
December 21: Pack potpourri of random packs I have laying around that will include (24) 1992 Fleer Jumbos, (4) 1990 Leaf Series 1, (4) 1990 Leaf Series 2, (9) 1989 Topps Cellos, (9) 1987 Topps Cellos and (1) 1987 Fleer Cello
December 22: 1987 Donruss Baseball Wax Box
December 23: 1987 Topps Baseball Wax Box
December 24: 1987 Fleer Baseball Wax Box
December 25: 1986 Topps Baseball Rack Box
December 26: 1985 Topps Baseball Vending Box
December 27: 1984 Topps Baseball Vending Box
December 28: 1984 Fleer Baseball Vending Box
December 29: 1983 Topps Baseball Vending Box
December 30: 1982 Topps Baseball Vending Box
December 31: 1982 Topps Football Vending Box
January 1: 1980 Topps Baseball Vending Box
Looking forward to sharing the results with this forum!
As a kid, the biggest LCS in my hometown always had a huge selection of unopened for sale. The store was set up with a few small kiosk style display cases with the key rookie and star cards everyone was chasing. What made the store unique was that the rest of the perimeter was filled with cases, boxes and packs for sale. You could literally just walk up to the year and brand you wanted and pick out some packs, or maybe a full box if it was my birthday. I remember seeing a guy come in and walk out with a full case of 1987 Topps and thought that was the coolest thing my 11-year-old self had ever seen! I dreamed what it would be like to open a fresh case and build a picture perfect display of boxes like a mountain of cardboard gold. In many ways it was what fueled me to get a good education and have a solid career. Funny how moments from our childhood seem to define who we become and what we desire as adults. I pulled a few cases out of storage this weekend and couldn’t help but smile when my project was done. For those who collected as kids in the 80s, I hope this picture triggers a few fond memories for you too. I know 11-year-old me is eating my heart out…
Love seeing those stacks! I have a vivid memory of my LCS and there being cases, with boxes on top just like this everywhere of 87 Topps, 88 Donruss, and 88 Score. My 10 year old self thought it was pretty cool I could get a box of something from 1987 in 1989. Haha I love those over produced cards more the older I get. Thanks for sharing!
@MParker79 said:
Love seeing those stacks! I have a vivid memory of my LCS and there being cases, with boxes on top just like this everywhere of 87 Topps, 88 Donruss, and 88 Score. My 10 year old self thought it was pretty cool I could get a box of something from 1987 in 1989. Haha I love those over produced cards more the older I get. Thanks for sharing!
You and I are in the same boat my friend! Thanks for following this thread and commenting along the way.
I want to start by recognizing Scott (ssollars) and his outstanding ninth annual 12 Days of Christmas football rip. Great thread and the hits this year have been amazing so far…Montana RC, Young RC, Allen RC, Cunningham RC to name a few. Great stuff!
Alright, let get this 12 Days of New Year underway now that I can relax and enjoy the holidays. First up on Day 1 is: Pack potpourri (24) 1992 Fleer Jumbos, (4) 1990 Leaf Series 1, (4) 1990 Leaf Series 2, (15) 1989 Topps Cellos, (9) 1987 Topps Cellos, (1) 1989 Fleer Cello, (1) 1989 Topps Wax, and (1) 1987 Fleer Cello…
Not sure that I’ve ever commented on this thread, but I absolutely love this project and have followed it from the very beginning. Thanks for the years of enjoyment Chris and looking forward to all of the rest of the story!!
Funny how these random packs accumulated over the years as afterthoughts to auction lots I won, where these were the extras thrown in. I started with the 1989 Topps cellos and wax. This set was central to my collecting years as a kid. The memories are certainly priceless even though the cards are largely worthless 🤣
If you were a kid collecting during this era, then you certainly recall all the buzz around the Jefferies FTC and Sheffield RC when these packs first dropped in December 1988. I remember my LCS getting a case just before Christmas that year, and limiting the packs to 10 per customer so everyone could have a few stocking stuffers. I bought my allocated 10 and remember the owner and his wife giving me two free packs for the holiday, since I was their most loyal 13 year-old customer. Amazing how those small moments of generosity stick with you and you adopt that same mindset to help others now that I am an adult. I was so blessed to have that LCS in my hometown. Thanks to Terry and Jan for all the amazing years of memories they created for me as a kid visiting their small card store!
Here are the stars and rookies from the packs. Nothing worthy of PSA 10 out of the collective 16 packs…
I ripped the nine 1987 Topps cellos next. This was the first year I went all in on collecting. I still love opening these. So many memories chasing the Canseco FTC and Mike Greenwell RC. Remember when FTC “First Topps Card” was a thing for the companies that missed the rookie boat the year before?!?!?
I did pull most of the key rookies, but again nothing worthy of PSA 10 consideration…
Up next were the two Fleer cellos. Nothing exciting in the 1989…
The best card in the 1987 Fleer cello was the Sierra RC on top of the pack. The Cooper has a shot at PSA 10, and is the only card I set aside for consideration so far…
Up next is the hunt for Frank Thomas. He became my favorite player as a kid once he began to terrorize pitchers in 1991. Hopefully we find a Leaf RC or the beautiful 1992 Fleer Rookie Sensation….
An anticlimactic start to the 12 Days rip fest, but I will not be deterred. No real love on the hunt for The Big Hurt. Here were the best from the 1990 Leaf packs. Such a simple, yet attractive design. Nothing worthy of PSA 10 this round…
I have opened 10+ boxes of 1992 Fleer Jumbo over the years. These are really hit or miss on the Rookie Sensations inserts. My experience has been 4-6 inserts per box collectively between the Rookie Sensations and Clemens Highlights cards. This box only yielded 4 total inserts, and unfortunately 3 were Clemens…
The lone Thomas highlight was this base card that looks like it has a shot at PSA 10. It will go in the sub pile for a time when fees come back down to Earth…
I’m going to call this the “Barry Christmas” box. More on that in a moment. Here are the stacks of stars and rookies that continue to build from my rips. All pack fresh, but each has some minor imperfection that keeps it from being a PSA 10 candidate…
Here are the key RCs that I pulled in this box. The Maddux actually came from the first pack I opened. This box collectively had five “Barry” rookies between Bonds and Larkin. Here are the first three of them. All are off-center, so nothing grade worthy…
I was happy to find 7 candidates for PSA 10 in this box, which is good for these dark bordered 1987 Donruss. Here are the first five. Some nice star power…
I was super happy about these last two Barry’s…both are strong candidates for PSA 10!
Ohhhhh man. You know 1987 is my first year collecting too so that pile of unopened goodness is an absolutely gorgeous sight.
Unlike you, I never saw a pile like that as a kid. A shop here or a shop there might have had a box of 87D or 87F on the counter, but that was definitely not a given. I always wondered why distribution wasn’t so poor to my area (Staten Island/Central NJ)?
Really do look forward to the the rest of the rips. 87D rarely disappoints in terms of collation / star power and you got a great box right there.
Loved that 87F Sierra card as a kid. He was a big deal for a few seasons and we hoarded his cards in my collecting circle. As almost always the case, the 87F was the card to have. And nothing brings me back quite so easily as sharp, pack fresh 1987 Topps baseball.
Thanks for sharing and happy holidays!
John
Conundrum - Loving my unopened baseball card collection....but really like ripping too
Thanks to Mike, John, Joe, Shane and others for the kind words and continued encouragement on this crazy project. It has been so much fun. Hard to believe this has been nearly a four-year journey at this point! I am so blessed to be able to continue this nostalgia-laced fun and to share it with others who love these cards too. Up next is 1987 Topps, where it all began for me. Wax is usually a nightmare for pulling anything worthy of a PSA 10, so I know to manage my expectations 🙂
So by the time I was crazily into this set it was all about pulling McGwire. Joyner, Canseco were big pulls too, as was Mattingly (anything Mattingly was still white hot coming off the 84-86 insane years).
To see that little green nameplate as you slid the card and the McGwire in the fun 87T lettering was such a thrill.
But pulling a Mac in 87D was just incredible - and I got to do it once back in early 88.
And that’s why I still open all this stuff. Chris’ thread is really giving me the itch. I will do a box of something for Xmas now.
John
Conundrum - Loving my unopened baseball card collection....but really like ripping too
Thanks for sharing John…love the memories of chasing McGwire and Mattingly. We are two peas in a pod! Sorry about giving you the itch to rip, but looking forward to seeing what you choose. Just be sure to protect your amazing Fleer Wax Rack packs 😎
As expected, the 1987 Topps wax was outstanding nostalgia surrounded by terribly centered cards. I bet less than 2% of 1987 Topps cards were cut dead centered, before you even start to look for print defects and corner issues. At any rate, I simply love these cards. Here are the piles of non-PSA 10 cards that continue to build…
As luck would have it, Big Mac made an appearance. I have opened enough of these that I know when I see Ray Fontenot, green greatness is about to follow…
I’m looking forward to getting into the 1987 Fleer tomorrow. Like John, these were the hardest to find in my area too. This is my favorite Fleer set design of the 80s and the Will Clark RC was THE card to own back then, peaking at $35-40 as he destroyed pitching in the 1989 NLDS and WS.
I found my 1987 album from when I was a kid. It’s awesome. A page devoted to each player. Eric Davis is the first page. 7 topps, 1 Donruss and 1 Fleer.
That was a “finished page” in my album.
By 1989 the 87F Clark was on fire and I didn’t own it. My Buddy bought one pack of 87F at the LCS and paid $5 for it
The Clark was pulled along with the usual Bonds in the sequence. Lights out pack for a kid.
Conundrum - Loving my unopened baseball card collection....but really like ripping too
Comments
He’s back!!!!!
Nic
Guides Authored - Graded Card Scanning Guide PDF | History of the PSA Label PDF
Awesome!!!! Good luck on pulling a Henderson and many other stars Chris. Can't wait to see them.
That was a fun slow break throughout the day. Seeing case fresh cards that are now 41 years old (wow, that is hard to believe) is always an awesome experience! That said, this was not the quality of break for which we were hoping. As you all know from my prior posts, typical hit rate of PSA 10 candidates is about 1.5% for 1980 Topps and this box was a dud. At any rate, here are the case fresh stars and rookies that continue to pile up from my rips. I particularly love the images for Bemch, Carter and Ozzie from this series…
I did manage to pull two nice Nolan Ryan from this box, but both are in the PSA 7 range. Sadly, Rickey did not appear this time…
Here was the lone candidate for PSA 10, but I might throw it back since the centering is not quite 50/50…
While this was not the start I was hoping for, the nostalgia makes it all worthwhile. Tomorrow is another day and that means it’s time to hunt for a clean Cal Ripken RC. Yep, this 1982 Topps vending box will be tomorrow’s feast. Thanks for all the kind wishes and comments from those who posted!
We’ll be…..(you know)…waiting to feast.
Live long, and prosper.
After some needed chores today, time to sit down and enjoy these fresh 1982 Topps cards after 39 years of hibernation…
Wake them gently, and you shall be rewarded!
My cards on COMC
I just found this thread. I’m really enjoying it and I don’t even collect baseball. I definitely wouldn’t have the patience for what you are trying to do but it’s fun watching you try to do it.
Come on Rickey! One of my favorite cards.
Great to see Chris’ insanely epic thread revived once again! 1980 Topps as the opener, are you kidding me? No one does it like you my friend.
Please build up to 85-87 product at some point, along with historical reference to our oh so similar childhood collecting days.
John
Happy Thanksgiving indeed! I took my time with the 1982 vending last night and it totally paid off. As a kid, I remember seeing the Ripken RC sitting in the display case of my LCS back in 1987 when I first got serious about collecting. The price tag was $8 and a month out of reach for a kid who earned $2/week in allowance. The card alluded me for years, but I always liked the look of the three future stars gazing into their hopeful careers. What a career Mr. Ripken would have…who can forget Chris Berman covering the game Ripken passed Gehrig for consecutive games played. In typical Cal fashion of always coming up big in big moments, he homered that game too. Such an iconic sports moment as the game paused in recognition, and Cal walked the entire track shaking hands of the fans there to congratulate him. He is such a class act!
Now onto the results of this box. Here are the piles of stars and rookies that have built from all my breaks…
I also pulled this HOF RC. Not gradeworthy, so he will go into the piles like the others…
There were a very solid 14 candidates for PSA 10 in this box. Here are the first 8. Nothing better as a collector and fan of the 80s than to look at perfect examples exactly the way Topps intended them to be at the time of design. They are like little pieces of perfection 39 years later…
Here are the next three…
While not his best photo over the years, I was pretty happy to find this great looking Rose for submission…
Then my jaw dropped when I found this absolute blazer! This card is gorgeous and beautifully captures the young all-time stolen base leader as he goes to work…
I didn’t think it could get better until the last 75 cards in the box contained this. I was immediately taken back to 1987 as I stared at the Ripken RC in my LCS display case hoping that one day I would own the card. While I have owned many of this card over the years, this one ranks right up there on the perfection scale. Wow….just wow…what a thrill to pull this beauty…
Thanks to everyone for your comments. Sharing memories and stories is what makes this hobby great! Happy Thanksgiving to this outstanding forum.
Nicely done. That does not help with keeping my two 1982 FASC vending boxes sealed though.
Bonner-riffic - nice hits! Thanks for the rips - am sure you are giving a lot of us the itch.
Bosox1976
Nicely done. Saw Cal play. Glad you got to pay tribute to his great career by pulling his card!!!!! Thanks for sharing.
Live long, and prosper.
Pretty amazing you pull this just after a poster says it's his all-time favorite.
what a great 82 topps box!
And that is why we break wax! No guts no glory, congrats!
Excellent!!
How completely bad ass is that Henderson? So many great cards of the SB king, this one is right up there with those at the top.
What an 82 box to have opened! Perhaps the best you will ever open. After reading so many stories of tough grading, i hope that these do measure up to dime standards. Your sub, when that time comes, will be pretty epic in and of itself.
Is this the only 82T Ripken that you have set aside at this point? I don’t recall if you had others. My LCS never seemed to have This card in inventory. I might have owned one had that been the case. As it were it wasn’t until 2010 (when I got bak into the hobby) that I got my first one. A triplet of 9s actually.
Thanks again for sharing
John
worth the wait
nice pulls
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
The '82 Ripken and Henderson are sweet looking!
Thanks for all the positive comments on the recent breaks everyone. It is always fun to open fresh material and see what treasure is inside. I certainly got lucky on the 1982 vending box.
John - that was the second Ripken RC that I plan to submit from my breaks. The first is a very clean card, but centered 48/52 L/R. This most recent one seems 50/50 all around to me.
Per John’s request to hero our key collecting era, up next is a fresh 1986 Topps rack box…
Another fun break on a simply gorgeous set design. Topps nailed it with the simplicity of this design and the outstanding action photos of many of the key cards. Here are the piles that continue to build from my rips…
I love this image of Mattingly! This one is only a contender for PSA 9 given the centering, but I might sub anyway if prices ever come back down, simply because clean examples look great in PSA holders…
Check out the dynamic 1986 World Series duo on this rack…how cool is this pack?!?!?!
This set is super tough to PSA 10, so I was pretty happy to find eight contenders in this break. Here are the first six…
I am loving the top two candidates. The Rickey Henderson “love” continues and the Nolan Ryan is sick. I pictured the Puckett because it just missed. It has a slight tilt to an otherwise perfect card. That fish will go back in the pond…
Wow!!! Those are some fantastic results on those 86s! That is my favorite year, as it was my first year. When they are clean, they look amazing. That Clemens-Gooden rack is just sick. Ironically, the only HOFer (to this point) on that rack is the Fisk. Back in 1986-1990, anyone you talked to would have told you that all three would be in Cooperstown at the end of their careers. Thanks for starting back up with the breaks! I've missed them.
kevin
Agree entirely with Kevin’s assessment. The rack is amazing and I would bet any HOFER 10 is a fairly big score for 86T.
Love that Rickey!
John
That is a sweet Ryan! I haven't followed the pops in a long time, but an 86 Ryan 10 used to be one of the more elusive HOFers out there. Besides all the other problems 86s are known for, there is usually a whole bunch of stray pink ink found in Ryan's hat and jersey. Sandberg is another one notoriously tough with the same PD issues.
All 9's
Thanks for all the comments and sharing your love for 1986 Topps, Kevin. I agree that back in the 80s that pack was a lock for 3 HOFers on top. It’s a shame that drugs played a role in both Gooden and Clemens careers, albeit in different ways. Regardless, they are 80s HOFers in my eyes and I was pumped to find that pack smiling back at me.
Count - yeah, the Nolan is a tough 1986 Topps PSA 10. There are now 107 in the pop report, which is 3.5% of the ones submitted. The Ryne Sandberg is even tougher with a pop of 8 and only 1% of submissions. The other challenge is Eric Davis at a pop 4 and only 1% of submissions. I have a nice Davis to submit, but haven’t pulled a gem worthy Sandberg yet.
Joe - whoa, those are mighty fine 9s from the front. It just shows how subjective the grading process can be. I don’t mind strict grading standards, but when I see cards with tilt or noticeable print dots in PSA 10 holders it makes you go hmmmm….
I am working on setting up a 12 days of Christmas / New Year’s break that I will kick off on Dec. 21 and finish New Year’s Day. Seems like a fun way to spend the holidays! More to come on what will be included in the 1980’s love. Thanks to all those who continue to follow. Hard to believe this thread is now over 100K views.
I had 9's of Reggie, Ryan and Carlton in that sub as well that are sold. All looked amazing.
PSA doesn't like giving out 10's. I did get a 10 on an '86 Sutcliffe, would have rather gotten that on the Ryan.
Joe Those are some beautiful cards. Cannot see how they can really be improved upon.
Thanks, the Bando is centered a bit towards the top and the other two aren't quite perfect side to side. Low pop cards I thought would be worth a gamble.
Let me start by wishing everyone a healthy and happy holiday season! Hopefully everyone gets to enjoy time with their loved ones. Since I have time off over this holiday season, I wanted to enjoy some fun-filled rips. This will be a nod to the “12 Days of Christmas,” but with a slight modification. It will be the “12 Days of New Year” to better align with my time off and to not steal any thunder from fellow board member ssollars annual tradition.
Here is the plan for the carnage…
Looking forward to sharing the results with this forum!
Awesome stuff Chris! Lots of 80s love going down right there. Looking forward!
John
Sounds like fun. I will be watching.
As a kid, the biggest LCS in my hometown always had a huge selection of unopened for sale. The store was set up with a few small kiosk style display cases with the key rookie and star cards everyone was chasing. What made the store unique was that the rest of the perimeter was filled with cases, boxes and packs for sale. You could literally just walk up to the year and brand you wanted and pick out some packs, or maybe a full box if it was my birthday. I remember seeing a guy come in and walk out with a full case of 1987 Topps and thought that was the coolest thing my 11-year-old self had ever seen! I dreamed what it would be like to open a fresh case and build a picture perfect display of boxes like a mountain of cardboard gold. In many ways it was what fueled me to get a good education and have a solid career. Funny how moments from our childhood seem to define who we become and what we desire as adults. I pulled a few cases out of storage this weekend and couldn’t help but smile when my project was done. For those who collected as kids in the 80s, I hope this picture triggers a few fond memories for you too. I know 11-year-old me is eating my heart out…
Love seeing those stacks! I have a vivid memory of my LCS and there being cases, with boxes on top just like this everywhere of 87 Topps, 88 Donruss, and 88 Score. My 10 year old self thought it was pretty cool I could get a box of something from 1987 in 1989. Haha I love those over produced cards more the older I get. Thanks for sharing!
You and I are in the same boat my friend! Thanks for following this thread and commenting along the way.
I want to start by recognizing Scott (ssollars) and his outstanding ninth annual 12 Days of Christmas football rip. Great thread and the hits this year have been amazing so far…Montana RC, Young RC, Allen RC, Cunningham RC to name a few. Great stuff!
Alright, let get this 12 Days of New Year underway now that I can relax and enjoy the holidays. First up on Day 1 is: Pack potpourri (24) 1992 Fleer Jumbos, (4) 1990 Leaf Series 1, (4) 1990 Leaf Series 2, (15) 1989 Topps Cellos, (9) 1987 Topps Cellos, (1) 1989 Fleer Cello, (1) 1989 Topps Wax, and (1) 1987 Fleer Cello…
Not sure that I’ve ever commented on this thread, but I absolutely love this project and have followed it from the very beginning. Thanks for the years of enjoyment Chris and looking forward to all of the rest of the story!!
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My PSA Sets
Funny how these random packs accumulated over the years as afterthoughts to auction lots I won, where these were the extras thrown in. I started with the 1989 Topps cellos and wax. This set was central to my collecting years as a kid. The memories are certainly priceless even though the cards are largely worthless 🤣
If you were a kid collecting during this era, then you certainly recall all the buzz around the Jefferies FTC and Sheffield RC when these packs first dropped in December 1988. I remember my LCS getting a case just before Christmas that year, and limiting the packs to 10 per customer so everyone could have a few stocking stuffers. I bought my allocated 10 and remember the owner and his wife giving me two free packs for the holiday, since I was their most loyal 13 year-old customer. Amazing how those small moments of generosity stick with you and you adopt that same mindset to help others now that I am an adult. I was so blessed to have that LCS in my hometown. Thanks to Terry and Jan for all the amazing years of memories they created for me as a kid visiting their small card store!
Here are the stars and rookies from the packs. Nothing worthy of PSA 10 out of the collective 16 packs…
I ripped the nine 1987 Topps cellos next. This was the first year I went all in on collecting. I still love opening these. So many memories chasing the Canseco FTC and Mike Greenwell RC. Remember when FTC “First Topps Card” was a thing for the companies that missed the rookie boat the year before?!?!?
I did pull most of the key rookies, but again nothing worthy of PSA 10 consideration…
Up next were the two Fleer cellos. Nothing exciting in the 1989…
The best card in the 1987 Fleer cello was the Sierra RC on top of the pack. The Cooper has a shot at PSA 10, and is the only card I set aside for consideration so far…
Up next is the hunt for Frank Thomas. He became my favorite player as a kid once he began to terrorize pitchers in 1991. Hopefully we find a Leaf RC or the beautiful 1992 Fleer Rookie Sensation….
An anticlimactic start to the 12 Days rip fest, but I will not be deterred. No real love on the hunt for The Big Hurt. Here were the best from the 1990 Leaf packs. Such a simple, yet attractive design. Nothing worthy of PSA 10 this round…
I have opened 10+ boxes of 1992 Fleer Jumbo over the years. These are really hit or miss on the Rookie Sensations inserts. My experience has been 4-6 inserts per box collectively between the Rookie Sensations and Clemens Highlights cards. This box only yielded 4 total inserts, and unfortunately 3 were Clemens…
The lone Thomas highlight was this base card that looks like it has a shot at PSA 10. It will go in the sub pile for a time when fees come back down to Earth…
Alright, time to move to case fresh, full boxes. Day 2 is a 1987 Donruss Wax Box. Great design and loaded with tons of key 1980’s RCs.
I’m going to call this the “Barry Christmas” box. More on that in a moment. Here are the stacks of stars and rookies that continue to build from my rips. All pack fresh, but each has some minor imperfection that keeps it from being a PSA 10 candidate…
Here are the key RCs that I pulled in this box. The Maddux actually came from the first pack I opened. This box collectively had five “Barry” rookies between Bonds and Larkin. Here are the first three of them. All are off-center, so nothing grade worthy…
I was happy to find 7 candidates for PSA 10 in this box, which is good for these dark bordered 1987 Donruss. Here are the first five. Some nice star power…
I was super happy about these last two Barry’s…both are strong candidates for PSA 10!
Ohhhhh man. You know 1987 is my first year collecting too so that pile of unopened goodness is an absolutely gorgeous sight.
Unlike you, I never saw a pile like that as a kid. A shop here or a shop there might have had a box of 87D or 87F on the counter, but that was definitely not a given. I always wondered why distribution wasn’t so poor to my area (Staten Island/Central NJ)?
Really do look forward to the the rest of the rips. 87D rarely disappoints in terms of collation / star power and you got a great box right there.
Loved that 87F Sierra card as a kid. He was a big deal for a few seasons and we hoarded his cards in my collecting circle. As almost always the case, the 87F was the card to have. And nothing brings me back quite so easily as sharp, pack fresh 1987 Topps baseball.
Thanks for sharing and happy holidays!
John
Beautiful Bonds cards! You got your Christmas present early.
Nice Bonds RC's. Dead centered to me!
I really admire your dedication to this project. This thing has been going on for years and you are still at it! Loads of fun!
Shane
Thanks to Mike, John, Joe, Shane and others for the kind words and continued encouragement on this crazy project. It has been so much fun. Hard to believe this has been nearly a four-year journey at this point! I am so blessed to be able to continue this nostalgia-laced fun and to share it with others who love these cards too. Up next is 1987 Topps, where it all began for me. Wax is usually a nightmare for pulling anything worthy of a PSA 10, so I know to manage my expectations 🙂
So by the time I was crazily into this set it was all about pulling McGwire. Joyner, Canseco were big pulls too, as was Mattingly (anything Mattingly was still white hot coming off the 84-86 insane years).
To see that little green nameplate as you slid the card and the McGwire in the fun 87T lettering was such a thrill.
But pulling a Mac in 87D was just incredible - and I got to do it once back in early 88.
And that’s why I still open all this stuff. Chris’ thread is really giving me the itch. I will do a box of something for Xmas now.
John
Thanks for sharing John…love the memories of chasing McGwire and Mattingly. We are two peas in a pod! Sorry about giving you the itch to rip, but looking forward to seeing what you choose. Just be sure to protect your amazing Fleer Wax Rack packs 😎
As expected, the 1987 Topps wax was outstanding nostalgia surrounded by terribly centered cards. I bet less than 2% of 1987 Topps cards were cut dead centered, before you even start to look for print defects and corner issues. At any rate, I simply love these cards. Here are the piles of non-PSA 10 cards that continue to build…
As luck would have it, Big Mac made an appearance. I have opened enough of these that I know when I see Ray Fontenot, green greatness is about to follow…
I’m looking forward to getting into the 1987 Fleer tomorrow. Like John, these were the hardest to find in my area too. This is my favorite Fleer set design of the 80s and the Will Clark RC was THE card to own back then, peaking at $35-40 as he destroyed pitching in the 1989 NLDS and WS.
In my 1987 circle that is a “MINT” mcgwire.
I found my 1987 album from when I was a kid. It’s awesome. A page devoted to each player. Eric Davis is the first page. 7 topps, 1 Donruss and 1 Fleer.
That was a “finished page” in my album.
By 1989 the 87F Clark was on fire and I didn’t own it. My Buddy bought one pack of 87F at the LCS and paid $5 for it
The Clark was pulled along with the usual Bonds in the sequence. Lights out pack for a kid.