Eric Davis is a solid choice to lead out any album, John! Here is one of the frames that hangs in my office as a reminder of the childhood cards I coveted as a kid. My grandparents lived in Cincinnati and took me to a Reds weekend series back in 1987. There was a rookie in town from the visiting Giants who launched three massive HR that series and I was instantly a Will Clark fan. Couple that with the speed and power of Eric Davis on display and I had to have their Fleer rookies. The next year, Mark Grace was hitting over .300 for the Cubbies who were always on WGN. My grandpa bought me a box of 1988 Donruss and I pulled my first Grace RC. This frame is a reminder of my grandparents and the role they played in my life.
Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas Eve. Now let’s bring on the 1987 Fleer and search for some Will Clark RCs…
This is such a classic and clean design. Never gets old ripping these packs! Here are the pack-fresh piles that don’t make the grade…
This box missed on 3 of the 4 key RCs. I did pull these two Will Clark RCs. As John noted earlier on his sequence comment, unfortunately one was the wax card on the back and the other was the second to last card in the pack. That equals no Bonds rookies to join them 😉
I did manage to pull an impressive 22 candidates for PSA 10 out of this box. Nice star power with a couple of Schmidt’s, Murphy, Galarraga and a Kruk RC….
I have been tucking these Will Clark cellos away for years. Thought I would share a pic…
Merry Christmas to this forum. I hope you are all getting to spend time with loved ones and take a moment to pause on the blessings in life. I know I am grateful for those around me, good health and the fun this hobby provides in pure nostalgia. Next up for Day 5 is a 1986 Topps Rack Box. Seems like a big-daddy rack box will provide lots of family entertainment between meals, presents, NBA and NFL games. Plus this is such a classic set design with gorgeous photos on key cards like Mattingly, Davis, Boggs, Puckett and Gooden. Maybe some will be hiding on the tops of packs after all these untouched years. Here we go…
@jordangretzkyfan said:
Merry Christmas to this forum. I hope you are all getting to spend time with loved ones and take a moment to pause on the blessings in life. I know I am grateful for those around me, good health and the fun this hobby provides in pure nostalgia. Next up for Day 5 is a 1986 Topps Rack Box. Seems like a big-daddy rack box will provide lots of family entertainment between meals, presents, NBA and NFL games. Plus this is such a classic set design with gorgeous photos on key cards like Mattingly, Davis, Boggs, Puckett and Gooden. Maybe some will be hiding on the tops of packs after all these untouched years. Here we go…
That was a fun day of enjoying fresh packs with the family. As good fortune would have it, a few Christmas treasures were found. First, here are the stars and rookies that didn’t make the cut for PSA 10 contention and continue to build from my rips…
It is always fun to find a few of my favorite childhood cards staring back at me from the top of a rack. These will stay unopened and be added to my collection of star racks…
I was able to find four candidates for PSA 10 this round. Here are the first two…
I am pretty stoked about this pitching duo and their GEM MINT perfection. Loved the Gooden card as a kid, and Nolan is no slouch either. That’s two clean Ryan’s from this same case! That bodes well for the other box still remaining…
This year is notoriously off-center and the majority of this box was no different. Here are the stars and rookies that didn’t make the grade…
Of the key rookies, only McGwire made an appearance. Thankfully he was in there twice, albeit off-centered like 99% of the cards. I still think McGwire’s RC is undervalued in dead centered PSA 9 and PSA 10 condition.
Here were the only two candidates for PSA 10 in the 500 untouched cards. These look amazing when dead on the way Topps intended in the design room…
Day 7 is a 1984 Topps vending box. Loved the Strawberry and Mattingly RCs from this set as a kid. Those were my first “big” purchases back in the day. Here we go…
Always fun to open 1984 Topps. A clean design and some great action shots. Here are the growing piles of stars and rookies that miss the PSA 10 mark…
My heart still skips a beat every time I pull Mattingly and Strawberry RCs. Love how childhood memories always keep this thrill intact. Unfortunately neither is centered well enough to sub. I also pulled these key 2nd year cards in this box…
I was happy to find 12 candidates for PSA 10 in this box. The Cobra was the biggest name in this group…
I’ve opened a lot of 1984 since I returned to hobby. I had never opened a pack in my life before the return and never owned the Mattingly. So much fun pulling his card now. It was a monster back in the day. Since then I’ve pulled a couple 84Donruss and several 84Topps. It certainly never gets old.
John
Conundrum - Loving my unopened baseball card collection....but really like ripping too
Thanks for sharing with us on you trip down memory lane. Always enjoy your posts. Have not been on this side of the forum in a while, been searching boxes of Kennedy Halves. Last box of BB that I ripped was 1992 UD some time ago. Happy New Year. Cheers.
Such a simple and classic design. Fleer knew what they were doing in 1984. When you add in the 1984 Fleer Update set, the collective 1984 Fleer effort might be the best of the decade. On that note, this vending box did not disappoint! First, here are the stars and rookies that missed the grade…
Two of the more comical cards of the 80s, so I thought I would show a photo of these…
As for PSA 10 candidates, there were a whopping 26 this round. This box was loaded! Here are the first 24 of them, headlined by the all-time stolen base king…
What made this box even sweeter were these two iconic RCs. The Strawberry is a stone cold PSA 10 beauty. The Mattingly has a solid chance at a dime, but the very, very slight centering shift might keep it at a high end PSA 9. Worthy of submitting either way. What a fun box!
Is the Mattingly blurry or are they all like that? Face looks out of focus?
Thanks Joe. The Mattingly looks to have the same focus as the others I have pulled over the years. Might be my poor photo skills 🙂
@erba said:
Great results with some serious star power. Congrats!!
I appreciate it!
Day 9 is a 1983 Topps vending box. Cheers to Brett (mrpeanut39) and his awesome quest to hand build a perfect 1983 set. That was part of my inspiration to start this crazy journey…
Is the Mattingly blurry or are they all like that? Face looks out of focus?
Thanks Joe. The Mattingly looks to have the same focus as the others I have pulled over the years. Might be my poor photo skills 🙂
@erba said:
Great results with some serious star power. Congrats!!
I appreciate it!
Day 9 is a 1983 Topps vending box. Cheers to Brett (mrpeanut39) and his awesome quest to hand build a perfect 1983 set. That was part of my inspiration to start this crazy journey…
I hand built my 1978 Topps baseball graded set (for the most part). Can't imagine doing something like that today.
This is my favorite Topps design of the 80s. Beautiful cards, particularly when they are dead centered gems. Here are the piles of stars and rookies that miss the mark…
These two cards are amazing, but too OC top to bottom for anything more than PSA 8-9 range.
I was elated to find 22 candidates for PSA 10 in this box though. Here are the first 21 of them headlined by Ozzie, Schmidt, Carter and Palmer…
Remember the incredible rookie class through the ‘82 season - Kent Hrbek, Chili Davis, Steve Sax, Von Hayes, Johnny Ray and of course the one we all still want - Cal Ripken, Jr.
@NGS428 said:
Glad you resumed ripping! Have a happy new year!
Thanks Nic. Always great to see your Griffey updates! Happy New Year.
@Rofles said:
Are you doing ‘81 topps too? Beautiful cards!!
Yes, I have broken some 1981 Topps along the way. Just not this round. It was nice of Steve to pinch hit on that one in another thread 🙂
Time to mix things up a bit with some early 80s football. Day 11 is a 1982 Topps football vending box. Great year loaded with HOF rookies, but condition is usually a mess on these!
Thanks Joe. The Lee Smith is not one I am planning to sub. It would be in the PSA 7-8 range. Just figured I would take a pic of it separate from the other piles, since he is one of the two key RCs in the set.
No love on the 1982 football rip. These are hyper condition sensitive with centering being the biggest challenge. Here are the growing piles…
Pulled two Montana, two Munoz RCs and a Collinsworth RC. Not a single LT or Lott base RC in this box. Just their IA cards. These give you a feel for the centering throughout the box.
Here was the one candidate for PSA 10 in the entire box. There are a few tiny print dots on the “NFL” that might keep it as a PSA 9. Oh well, still a fun rip. Tomorrow will conclude with a 1980 Topps Baseball vending box. Happy New Year everyone!
Let’s break in 2022 with a vending box that is now 42 years old. That seems so hard to believe, but I am clearly getting old. Here goes a 1980 Topps baseball vending box…
Happy New Year! Love the rips, I’ve said this before but when I got back in the hobby 1982 was the year to have from 1981-1985. Now it’s lucky to have 2nd billing behind 1983. With 85 and 81 breathing hard right behind it.
Good luck on 1980!
John
Conundrum - Loving my unopened baseball card collection....but really like ripping too
Such a fun rip and an iconic set. Regarded by many as the last “vintage” offering from Topps. I love the images on the Henderson RC, the Ryan, Bench, Reggie, Ozzie and Carter. Great photos!
Here are the piles of stars and rookies that missed the mark…
Pulled this Brett and Ryan which both have a chance for PSA 9…
Was stoked to pull two Rickey rookies in this box, even though neither will grade higher than a PSA 7. Same for this second Ryan in the box.
Overall, pretty happy to pull 12 candidates for PSA 10 in the box…
After the holiday rip fest, I thought it would be fun to share one of my side projects. I have been collecting what I consider to be the top baseball players who had their RC in the 1980s. Incidentally with the new ESPN “All-Time” Top 100 baseball players list just being published, it was fun to see a handful of these 1980s guys make the “all-time” list.
At any rate, I originally was targeting the top 25 rookies of the 80s, but my nostalgia got the best of me and I wound up with 32. There were a couple sentimental favorites that I just had to have from my childhood that will mean more to me than other fellow collectors. I have been collecting (2) dead centered PSA 9 or PSA 10 of each player’s key rookie and (1) autographed relic card. There is something cool to me about having a gorgeous rookie paired with their signature and a piece of game used material. These auto relic cards didn’t exist in the 80s, but are a beautiful addition to this awesome hobby.
I thought I would share one player a day over the next month, starting in 1989 and working backward to 1980. Hopefully this sparks some fun memories for folks and I always welcome debate on who should or should not have made my list.
This first player is one of the most inspirational to me. While certainly not an elite statistical player, Jim transformed what was possible when born without one hand. Not only did he dominate at the amateur level (winning a gold medal for Team USA), but he also competed at the MLB level. An MLB all-star and pitcher of a no-hitter make Abbott a must have on my 1980’s icons list. Plus his #1 Draft Pick rookie was absolute gold as a kid. Unfortunately, he is the only player I have not yet found an auto relic card for, so I am settling for this on-card auto for now…
@jordangretzkyfan said:
After the holiday rip fest, I thought it would be fun to share one of my side projects. I have been collecting what I consider to be the top baseball players who had their RC in the 1980s. Incidentally with the new ESPN “All-Time” Top 100 baseball players list just being published, it was fun to see a handful of these 1980s guys make the “all-time” list.
At any rate, I originally was targeting the top 25 rookies of the 80s, but my nostalgia got the best of me and I wound up with 32. There were a couple sentimental favorites that I just had to have from my childhood that will mean more to me than other fellow collectors. I have been collecting (2) dead centered PSA 9 or PSA 10 of each player’s key rookie and (1) autographed relic card. There is something cool to me about having a gorgeous rookie paired with their signature and a piece of game used material. These auto relic cards didn’t exist in the 80s, but are a beautiful addition to this awesome hobby.
I thought I would share one player a day over the next month, starting in 1989 and working backward to 1980. Hopefully this sparks some fun memories for folks and I always welcome debate on who should or should not have made my list.
This first player is one of the most inspirational to me. While certainly not an elite statistical player, Jim transformed what was possible when born without one hand. Not only did he dominate at the amateur level (winning a gold medal for Team USA), but he also competed at the MLB level. An MLB all-star and pitcher of a no-hitter make Abbott a must have on my 1980’s icons list. Plus his #1 Draft Pick rookie was absolute gold as a kid. Unfortunately, he is the only player I have not yet found an auto relic card for, so I am settling for this on-card auto for now…
Great project! It is somewhat similar to my 1975-1995 rookie set. Fun to build what you are interested in!
The 89T #1 draft pick cards still look great and the Abbott really highlights the set. This was probably the height of collecting for me as a kid. Opened a ton of those cards. Incidentally, the 88TT was also an epic set with the Team USA cards, including another Abbott.
What he accomplished is difficult to comprehend. Simply amazing.
Great project and looking forward to the next post.
John
Conundrum - Loving my unopened baseball card collection....but really like ripping too
Up next is who I view as the most undervalued rookie of the 1989 group. Gary was among the top prospects of 1989 alongside Griffey, Abbott, Ventura, Sabo and Sandy Alomar. While he admitted to using an external PED (“the cream”) to rehab his surgically repaired knee in the 2002 season, Gary never tested positive for any PED use once testing was implemented in 2004. He also never had a monster outlier year statistically, just a consistent all-star. With his 509 HRs and a .907 OPS that matches HOFers Mike Schmidt and Ken Griffey, Jr., Sheffield should be in the HOF. Add to it his 250+ stolen bases and 9x All-Star appearances and you have one of the most feared hitters of his generation. Now that the HOF is letting in known PED users (Ortiz), it seems only a matter of time.
In 1989 the new set to have was Upper Deck. These cards burst onto the scene and changed the hobby forever. The Sheffield RC has an error version where his “SS” position is actually upside down. This was pretty limited in similar fashion to the first print wave of the Dale Murphy reversed negative. While Gary’s Bowman Tiffany and Topps Tiffany carry significantly more value, his Upper Deck rookie was the nostalgic choice for me…
Up next is who I view as the most undervalued rookie of the 1989 group. Gary was among the top prospects of 1989 alongside Griffey, Abbott, Ventura, Sabo and Sandy Alomar. While he admitted to using an external PED (“the cream”) to rehab his surgically repaired knee in the 2002 season, Gary never tested positive for any PED use once testing was implemented in 2004. He also never had a monster outlier year statistically, just a consistent all-star. With his 509 HRs and a .907 OPS that matches HOFers Mike Schmidt and Ken Griffey, Jr., Sheffield should be in the HOF. Add to it his 250+ stolen bases and 9x All-Star appearances and you have one of the most feared hitters of his generation. Now that the HOF is letting in known PED users (Ortiz), it seems only a matter of time.
In 1989 the new set to have was Upper Deck. These cards burst onto the scene and changed the hobby forever. The Sheffield RC has an error version where his “SS” position is actually upside down. This was pretty limited in similar fashion to the first print wave of the Dale Murphy reversed negative. While Gary’s Bowman Tiffany and Topps Tiffany carry significantly more value, his Upper Deck rookie was the nostalgic choice for me…
Great comments on Sheffield. Being a Brewers fan, he was always one of my favorites and I had to go with a centered Tiffany for my choice.
Comments
Eric Davis is a solid choice to lead out any album, John! Here is one of the frames that hangs in my office as a reminder of the childhood cards I coveted as a kid. My grandparents lived in Cincinnati and took me to a Reds weekend series back in 1987. There was a rookie in town from the visiting Giants who launched three massive HR that series and I was instantly a Will Clark fan. Couple that with the speed and power of Eric Davis on display and I had to have their Fleer rookies. The next year, Mark Grace was hitting over .300 for the Cubbies who were always on WGN. My grandpa bought me a box of 1988 Donruss and I pulled my first Grace RC. This frame is a reminder of my grandparents and the role they played in my life.
Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas Eve. Now let’s bring on the 1987 Fleer and search for some Will Clark RCs…
This is such a classic and clean design. Never gets old ripping these packs! Here are the pack-fresh piles that don’t make the grade…
This box missed on 3 of the 4 key RCs. I did pull these two Will Clark RCs. As John noted earlier on his sequence comment, unfortunately one was the wax card on the back and the other was the second to last card in the pack. That equals no Bonds rookies to join them 😉
I did manage to pull an impressive 22 candidates for PSA 10 out of this box. Nice star power with a couple of Schmidt’s, Murphy, Galarraga and a Kruk RC….
I have been tucking these Will Clark cellos away for years. Thought I would share a pic…
Thanks for all the fun comments on this thread!
Merry Christmas to this forum. I hope you are all getting to spend time with loved ones and take a moment to pause on the blessings in life. I know I am grateful for those around me, good health and the fun this hobby provides in pure nostalgia. Next up for Day 5 is a 1986 Topps Rack Box. Seems like a big-daddy rack box will provide lots of family entertainment between meals, presents, NBA and NFL games. Plus this is such a classic set design with gorgeous photos on key cards like Mattingly, Davis, Boggs, Puckett and Gooden. Maybe some will be hiding on the tops of packs after all these untouched years. Here we go…
YES!
Bring it on.
I thought Sandberg was the key to the set?
That was a fun day of enjoying fresh packs with the family. As good fortune would have it, a few Christmas treasures were found. First, here are the stars and rookies that didn’t make the cut for PSA 10 contention and continue to build from my rips…
It is always fun to find a few of my favorite childhood cards staring back at me from the top of a rack. These will stay unopened and be added to my collection of star racks…
I was able to find four candidates for PSA 10 this round. Here are the first two…
I am pretty stoked about this pitching duo and their GEM MINT perfection. Loved the Gooden card as a kid, and Nolan is no slouch either. That’s two clean Ryan’s from this same case! That bodes well for the other box still remaining…
While others will ogle over the Ryan. That Gooden is lights out man.
He was as good as it gets in terms of impact player and his cards were insane awesome action shots.
I am one of those ogling over the Ryan.
That's a beauty!
Day 6 rip was a 1985 Topps vending box.
This year is notoriously off-center and the majority of this box was no different. Here are the stars and rookies that didn’t make the grade…
Of the key rookies, only McGwire made an appearance. Thankfully he was in there twice, albeit off-centered like 99% of the cards. I still think McGwire’s RC is undervalued in dead centered PSA 9 and PSA 10 condition.
Here were the only two candidates for PSA 10 in the 500 untouched cards. These look amazing when dead on the way Topps intended in the design room…
Haven't been on this site in a few months. First thing I did was check for updates on this. Love following what you are doing.
Chipper Jones Basic Topps Set - All 10's for 10
Sam Houston State Alumni Rookie Set
Thanks Bearkat21…I appreciate the kind words!
Day 7 is a 1984 Topps vending box. Loved the Strawberry and Mattingly RCs from this set as a kid. Those were my first “big” purchases back in the day. Here we go…
Good Luck!
Always fun to open 1984 Topps. A clean design and some great action shots. Here are the growing piles of stars and rookies that miss the PSA 10 mark…
My heart still skips a beat every time I pull Mattingly and Strawberry RCs. Love how childhood memories always keep this thrill intact. Unfortunately neither is centered well enough to sub. I also pulled these key 2nd year cards in this box…
I was happy to find 12 candidates for PSA 10 in this box. The Cobra was the biggest name in this group…
Awesome. Plus 2 Yanks cards!
I’ve opened a lot of 1984 since I returned to hobby. I had never opened a pack in my life before the return and never owned the Mattingly. So much fun pulling his card now. It was a monster back in the day. Since then I’ve pulled a couple 84Donruss and several 84Topps. It certainly never gets old.
John
Two HoFers and Parker is the big name???
Up next for Day 8 is a 1984 Fleer vending box, because pulling Mattingly and Strawberry RCs never gets old 😎
Thanks for sharing with us on you trip down memory lane. Always enjoy your posts. Have not been on this side of the forum in a while, been searching boxes of Kennedy Halves. Last box of BB that I ripped was 1992 UD some time ago. Happy New Year. Cheers.
Such a simple and classic design. Fleer knew what they were doing in 1984. When you add in the 1984 Fleer Update set, the collective 1984 Fleer effort might be the best of the decade. On that note, this vending box did not disappoint! First, here are the stars and rookies that missed the grade…
Two of the more comical cards of the 80s, so I thought I would show a photo of these…
As for PSA 10 candidates, there were a whopping 26 this round. This box was loaded! Here are the first 24 of them, headlined by the all-time stolen base king…
What made this box even sweeter were these two iconic RCs. The Strawberry is a stone cold PSA 10 beauty. The Mattingly has a solid chance at a dime, but the very, very slight centering shift might keep it at a high end PSA 9. Worthy of submitting either way. What a fun box!
That Strawberry is SWEET!
Is the Mattingly blurry or are they all like that? Face looks out of focus?
Great results with some serious star power. Congrats!!
Thanks Joe. The Mattingly looks to have the same focus as the others I have pulled over the years. Might be my poor photo skills 🙂
I appreciate it!
Day 9 is a 1983 Topps vending box. Cheers to Brett (mrpeanut39) and his awesome quest to hand build a perfect 1983 set. That was part of my inspiration to start this crazy journey…
I hand built my 1978 Topps baseball graded set (for the most part). Can't imagine doing something like that today.
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
This is my favorite Topps design of the 80s. Beautiful cards, particularly when they are dead centered gems. Here are the piles of stars and rookies that miss the mark…
These two cards are amazing, but too OC top to bottom for anything more than PSA 8-9 range.
I was elated to find 22 candidates for PSA 10 in this box though. Here are the first 21 of them headlined by Ozzie, Schmidt, Carter and Palmer…
And then some guy named Ryne…
SWEET!!!!!!
2 mint Mike Fischlins!
You should definitely grade the Hubbard. A 9 sold in September for over $300.
https://psacard.com/auctionprices/baseball-cards/1984-fleer/glenn-hubbard/auction/-5502882629739450923
I would have never guessed that. It is with the recycling center now 🤣
Day 10 is a 1982 Topps baseball vending box. Here we go…
Remember the incredible rookie class through the ‘82 season - Kent Hrbek, Chili Davis, Steve Sax, Von Hayes, Johnny Ray and of course the one we all still want - Cal Ripken, Jr.
Not the greatest box, but still a fun rip. Here are the piles of rookies and stars that don’t make the grade…
I pulled one of the two key HOF RCs, but it was not Mr. Ripken…
Great star power in the 6 contenders for PSA 10…
This has been a fun rip-fest. Only two days to go. Thanks to all those who have commented along the way.
Glad you resumed ripping! Have a happy new year!
Nic
Guides Authored - Graded Card Scanning Guide PDF | History of the PSA Label PDF
Are you doing ‘81 topps too? Beautiful cards!!
Thanks Nic. Always great to see your Griffey updates! Happy New Year.
Yes, I have broken some 1981 Topps along the way. Just not this round. It was nice of Steve to pinch hit on that one in another thread 🙂
Time to mix things up a bit with some early 80s football. Day 11 is a 1982 Topps football vending box. Great year loaded with HOF rookies, but condition is usually a mess on these!
>
>
WOW and another WOW!
I did notice a print dot to the right of his hat, but still WOW!
Thanks Joe. The Lee Smith is not one I am planning to sub. It would be in the PSA 7-8 range. Just figured I would take a pic of it separate from the other piles, since he is one of the two key RCs in the set.
No love on the 1982 football rip. These are hyper condition sensitive with centering being the biggest challenge. Here are the growing piles…
Pulled two Montana, two Munoz RCs and a Collinsworth RC. Not a single LT or Lott base RC in this box. Just their IA cards. These give you a feel for the centering throughout the box.
Here was the one candidate for PSA 10 in the entire box. There are a few tiny print dots on the “NFL” that might keep it as a PSA 9. Oh well, still a fun rip. Tomorrow will conclude with a 1980 Topps Baseball vending box. Happy New Year everyone!
The Lee Smith card is still beautiful.
Let’s break in 2022 with a vending box that is now 42 years old. That seems so hard to believe, but I am clearly getting old. Here goes a 1980 Topps baseball vending box…
Happy New Year! Love the rips, I’ve said this before but when I got back in the hobby 1982 was the year to have from 1981-1985. Now it’s lucky to have 2nd billing behind 1983. With 85 and 81 breathing hard right behind it.
Good luck on 1980!
John
Such a fun rip and an iconic set. Regarded by many as the last “vintage” offering from Topps. I love the images on the Henderson RC, the Ryan, Bench, Reggie, Ozzie and Carter. Great photos!
Here are the piles of stars and rookies that missed the mark…
Pulled this Brett and Ryan which both have a chance for PSA 9…
Was stoked to pull two Rickey rookies in this box, even though neither will grade higher than a PSA 7. Same for this second Ryan in the box.
Overall, pretty happy to pull 12 candidates for PSA 10 in the box…
Wishing everyone a healthy and happy 2022.
Thank you for these past 12 days, been great traveling back in time in a sense. Cheers!
Love the 80 and 81s. Thank posting these rips.
Thanks,
David (LD_Ferg)
1985 Topps Football (starting in psa 8) - #9 - started 05/21/06
Some real beauties!
I appreciate your comment. Sharing the results with others who love the hobby is what this is all about. Happy New Year!
Thanks David! There will be more of each in the future 🙂
Thanks Joe. I always enjoy your posts and your hobby knowledge. Happy New Year my friend.
Happy New Year to you and thanks for posting!
After the holiday rip fest, I thought it would be fun to share one of my side projects. I have been collecting what I consider to be the top baseball players who had their RC in the 1980s. Incidentally with the new ESPN “All-Time” Top 100 baseball players list just being published, it was fun to see a handful of these 1980s guys make the “all-time” list.
At any rate, I originally was targeting the top 25 rookies of the 80s, but my nostalgia got the best of me and I wound up with 32. There were a couple sentimental favorites that I just had to have from my childhood that will mean more to me than other fellow collectors. I have been collecting (2) dead centered PSA 9 or PSA 10 of each player’s key rookie and (1) autographed relic card. There is something cool to me about having a gorgeous rookie paired with their signature and a piece of game used material. These auto relic cards didn’t exist in the 80s, but are a beautiful addition to this awesome hobby.
I thought I would share one player a day over the next month, starting in 1989 and working backward to 1980. Hopefully this sparks some fun memories for folks and I always welcome debate on who should or should not have made my list.
This first player is one of the most inspirational to me. While certainly not an elite statistical player, Jim transformed what was possible when born without one hand. Not only did he dominate at the amateur level (winning a gold medal for Team USA), but he also competed at the MLB level. An MLB all-star and pitcher of a no-hitter make Abbott a must have on my 1980’s icons list. Plus his #1 Draft Pick rookie was absolute gold as a kid. Unfortunately, he is the only player I have not yet found an auto relic card for, so I am settling for this on-card auto for now…
Great project! It is somewhat similar to my 1975-1995 rookie set. Fun to build what you are interested in!
Nic
Guides Authored - Graded Card Scanning Guide PDF | History of the PSA Label PDF
The 89T #1 draft pick cards still look great and the Abbott really highlights the set. This was probably the height of collecting for me as a kid. Opened a ton of those cards. Incidentally, the 88TT was also an epic set with the Team USA cards, including another Abbott.
What he accomplished is difficult to comprehend. Simply amazing.
Great project and looking forward to the next post.
John
Thanks for the kind words Nic and John!
Up next is who I view as the most undervalued rookie of the 1989 group. Gary was among the top prospects of 1989 alongside Griffey, Abbott, Ventura, Sabo and Sandy Alomar. While he admitted to using an external PED (“the cream”) to rehab his surgically repaired knee in the 2002 season, Gary never tested positive for any PED use once testing was implemented in 2004. He also never had a monster outlier year statistically, just a consistent all-star. With his 509 HRs and a .907 OPS that matches HOFers Mike Schmidt and Ken Griffey, Jr., Sheffield should be in the HOF. Add to it his 250+ stolen bases and 9x All-Star appearances and you have one of the most feared hitters of his generation. Now that the HOF is letting in known PED users (Ortiz), it seems only a matter of time.
In 1989 the new set to have was Upper Deck. These cards burst onto the scene and changed the hobby forever. The Sheffield RC has an error version where his “SS” position is actually upside down. This was pretty limited in similar fashion to the first print wave of the Dale Murphy reversed negative. While Gary’s Bowman Tiffany and Topps Tiffany carry significantly more value, his Upper Deck rookie was the nostalgic choice for me…
Love the thread and project. Truly takes me back to memory lane.
Gretzky,Ripken, and Sandberg collection. Still trying to complete 1975 Topps baseball set from when I was a kid.
Great comments on Sheffield. Being a Brewers fan, he was always one of my favorites and I had to go with a centered Tiffany for my choice.
Nic
Guides Authored - Graded Card Scanning Guide PDF | History of the PSA Label PDF