1983 Fleer Set Deconstructed Added: UER's
Stone193
Posts: 24,439 ✭✭✭✭✭
Hi everyone
Boy did this take some time to put together! 
I decided to do the set a few years ago and purchased 2 wax boxes.
1983 Fleer Baseball
I just like the simple design.
This has been a fun project!
I want to say, I was pleasantly surprised that the collation was incredible. While the OCs, rough cuts, and in many cases average photography left me wanting more.
Now, if one is hoping for a few of each key RCs? Didn’t happen - 1 of each per box.
Also, this was the "era" of the error card but I have to say by 1983 they had stopped much of that since consumers were getting pretty annoyed by that time.
Key Rookie Cards: Boggs, Gwynn and Sandberg.
I will discuss at a later time the amount of "future" HOFer's that are in the set.
Good news?
I have a completed set with the 2 boxes. Now I know I could’ve purchased a set for a few quid but what fun would that be?
Early personal observation on viewing cards.
First, the lack of inserts made it more fun to pull the cards and look at them instead of thinking: “what insert will I pull?” Nothing? “Oh crap!"
Next - in viewing the cards - the order in which I viewed them was interesting - an epiphany of sorts.
Centering was the “first” thing I noticed.
That was followed by any pesky rough cuts (I was surprised at how many rough cuts and OC cards I pulled in the 2 boxes
I then looked at the “registration” and surprisingly last - the corners (perhaps because in general that wasn’t an issue?)
I decided it would be fun and interesting to break down the set using a host of different criteria. That will be the core of discussion moving forward in the “De-construction of my 1983 Fleer Set.”
Set size: 660 cards plus team stickers
Number of individual players: 628
Here's an interesting factoid:
My personal knowledge of the players:
Players I know/remember: 29%
Players I think I remember: 5%
Players I didn’t know: 66%
*that leads me to a future investigation of the players - idle curiosity? You bet!
1982 ROY’s:
AL: Cal Ripken; NL: Steve Sax
1983 ROY’s:
AL: Ron Kittle; NL: Darryl Strawberry
1982 MLB MVP:
AL: Robin Yount; NL: Dale Murphy
1983 MLB MVP:
AL: Cal Ripken; NL: Dale Murphy
1982 Cy Young Award:
AL: Pete Vuckovich; NL: Steve Carlton
1983 Cy Young Award:
AL: LaMarr Hoyt; NL: John Denny
Cal Ripken - HOF
21 yrs; 431 HRs; 3184 hits; .276 BA
Steve Sax
14yrs; 54 HRs; 1949 hits; .281 BA
Ron Kittle
10 yrs; 176 HRs; .239 BA
We could do a little spot on this guy alone with respect to his RC which had it’s highs and lows.
He was a big phenom in the minors - hitting 50 HRs in the year before being brought up from the Edmonton Trappers (PCL).
Pete Vuckovich
11yrs.; 93-69 record.
Steve Carlton HOF
24 yrs; 329-244 record
LaMarr Hoyt
8yrs; 98-68 record.
John Denny
18 yrs; 123-108
Aside from Carlton, these winners had what I would consider “respectable” careers. I’m sure further investigation may shed light on why Hoyt only played 8 yrs e.g. - who had drug problems and arrests which I’m sure considered heavily in his short career.
Robin Yount *HOF
20 yrs; 251 HRs; 3142 hits; .285 BA
Dale Murphy
18 yrs; 2111 hits; 398 HRs; .265 BA.
Darryl Strawberry
17 yrs; 335 HRs; 1401 hits; .259 BA - "NOT" in the set.
So, this was the start of a journey to really look into a set and the players.
I may - actually - write letters to all the players e.g.
TTM? I doubt it.
Thanx for viewing.
Next up? The rookies (RCs) that made it to the HOF!
Comments
Great thread! I love this set as it was collected by me back in my "heyday" of collecting with my grandparents. Love the Rickey/Reggie speed and power combo cards.
I remember every player given the above and the fact during the Christmas of 85 I started playing APBA.
Great memories and I look forward to more!
Matt
Awesome read. It is so fun (and almost guaranteed money loser) to put sets together from packs. The toughest I've had recently was the 1986 OPC baseball set. It took me 6 boxes to put the set together, finally getting the last card I needed in the very first pack of the 7th box.
Thanx guys.
I did this for fun and like Matt said, it rekindles old memories.
The 'trend' is going towards ROI and stuff like that in the hobby.
I do it for the pure pleasure of looking at cards and completing a run.
I learned something since I'm not a big set collector.
Just once, it's a great idea to - as I call it - deconstruct a set.
Look at the players: how many do you know, think you might have heard of him or really don't know?
I'm going to look at each player and see what - thru Facebook e.g. - they're doing today.
Most of these players are in their 50s/early 60s right now.
A special thanx Matt. Wish more would talk about what they're collecting.
We have some ongoing threads - and they're the ones I look forward to seeing.
Great idea Mike. Looks like a lot of fun. I enjoy threads that don't always look at the "Investment" side of collecting.
Doug
Liquidating my collection for the 3rd and final time. Time for others to enjoy what I have enjoyed over the last several decades. Money could be put to better use.
It's astonishing you got this whole set together from 2 boxes. congrats and what a great way to enjoy the hobby.
Collecting Unopened from '72-'83; mostly BBCE certified boxes/cases/racks.
Prefer to buy in bulk.
How bad was collation for this year? Over 3,000 cards to complete a 396-card set; do you have a lot of near complete sets from the dupes?
Congrats on completing the set!
buying O-Pee-Chee (OPC) baseball
Thanx guys!
Now to the next "part" in my 83F saga.
The Rookies
I'll be taking them in the order they appear in the set.
So first up:
David Green - St Louis Cardinals - #6 in the set
Played from 1981 to 87 with stints in the minors.
Career: 374 hits, 31 HR's, .268 BA
David Green is one of baseball’s big “what if” stories. The imposing Nicaraguan was often called “the next Roberto Clemente.” His talent has also been compared to that of Vladimir Guerrero, André Dawson, and Darryl Strawberry -- even Willie Mays. Alas, personal troubles and nagging injuries stopped him from realizing this vast potential. Looking back in 2009, David said, “I received some blows and I made bad decisions.”
This is definitely one of those "what if?" careers. Unfortunately baseball is full of those.
Just keep in mind that I didn't know 66% of the players and I watched a lot of baseball back then. Perhaps my memory?
Sure!
Have ya ever just looked at a card. Look at the face - the expression - how excited they were to be in the bigs only to fail?
That's the true "metaphor" of baseball to life IMO.
You are welcome and I agree 100%!
I do generally remember Fleer having the best collation from the era followed next by Topps then Donruss (81 Donruss is the most ridiculous collation I've ever seen).
There is pure and simple joy in putting a set together. It is more engaging and relaxing for me instead of just buying the set. It adds tons of value that outweighs the extra cost.
Speaking of David Green, I recall him being labeled a budding star at least two or three years before the bottom fell out. As you said, just one of countless players who have the skill set and present well on paper but for a multitude of reasons, can't put it all together. That "it" is special and elusive (otherwise we'd all be big leaguers).
Seriously though I'm still anxiously awaiting the write up on the Rickey/Reggie combo. "Rickey is Matt's all time favorite player." Reggie, on the other hand, always struck me as a turd especially since he about knocked me over, without offering an apology, running to an autograph table at a show when I was a kid. I wouldn't walk across the street to meet Reggie but would fly, and have flown, across the country for Rickey. (Off my biased horse and patently improper attempt to hijack your thread).
Matt
Didn't Vuckovich play one of the ball players in Major League??
I just concentrated on putting the one set together and then put all the duplicates in number order. I bought a case from BBCE and thought it would be a fun set to do...ugh! > @waxman2745 said:
One of my favorite sets of the 80's.
I picked up a box of 500 commons at my local flea market for $5.00 back in about 1986. I was 9. It took me several years to put together the rest of the set.
Enjoying the post!
CDsNuts, 1/9/15
I just highlighted the fact that it only took 2 boxes to complete the set.
Knew it was a keeper but had no idea compared to other experiences.
On that note - when UD first came out in 1989 - the "early" collation was just awful.
This is right from SCD:
Sure did Kirk.
Thanx David. Please offer up anything you may have remembered from the experience - this kind of stuff makes ya feel like a kid again.
Love the write up!
I always liked this set, the Pete Rose against the batting cage is a great card.
This thread is awesome. Thanks Mike for the writeup and am looking forward to more. I remember putting this set together in the mid 90's by going through card shop commons boxes and finding the stars separate. I still have it in a binder somewhere. I love the 80's!
Loved this. This was the first set I attempted as a kid (4 years old). My dad would pick up packs for me on his was home from work. I finally put them into a binder a few years ago and was about 100 or so cards short. I guess it's time to finish it.
Mike, thanks for this thread. Some great insight on this set and a great thread to follow.
Mike--neat project and thread. In addition to a Topps run I have done a Fleer run, 1923 ( still in progress) and 1959 to 2007 ( there are a lot of Fleer baseball related issues between the 1963 set and the 1981 set---see the Fleer Sticker Blog). Unfortunately all my Fleer sets post 1981 are still in boxes rather than binders.
I do like the 1983 Fleer set. For Topps sets I collect recognized variations ( Beckett/SCD/Registry), plus recurring print defects. For Fleer I only do the recognized variations. For 1983 the only variation I have is card 327 of Brookens, which can have a wide or narrow brown box on the bottom back. Have you come across any others ?
Bowman Baseball -1948-1955
Fleer Baseball-1923, 1959-2007
Al
Thanx a lot guys!
Hiya Al - I will be getting to variations down the road.
I have both copies of the Brookens - pretty lucky since I only have 2 cards from 2 boxes.
There's 2 UERs listed - Bedrosian and Reuss; no other variations yet.
I've got a list of things I want to accomplish with the set and look forward to writing.
Hiya Brian
I have dups - tho many are OC - but if you give me a list - I'll send you what I have - no charge of course.
I decided before I go to the next RC, I'll provide the variation cards for the set.
First off.
Tom Brookens #327a - VAR - “short” brown highlight in brown box
Tom Brookens #327b - VAR - “long” brown highlight in brown box
Can't believe I got "both" variations from the 2 boxes!
The next, not sure what's going on? If there's a "true" blank back that can be pulled from a pack? I'd call that a VAR.
Rick Dempsey #58 UER - reverse negative? - batting lefty
Rick Dempsey #58 blank back
I haven't found any info - on the batting lefty - did he do it as a spoof? Or was it a reverse negative?
According to his stats, he bats right, throws right.
The blank back - I've seen on eBay - but did it come from a pack? Or a backdoor thing?
My take? It's "not" a true VAR/variation.
Next up: the UER's.
I recall Dempsey being quite the jokester so I assume this was him just being funny. Its not a reverse negative as his last name ends correctly on the back (you can make out the "Y" in the end of this name) and the Orioles cap logo is in the right place.
This is classic and could you see a multi-million dollar athlete doing this today?
https://youtube.com/watch?v=_HHIpci-Edc
Thanx Matt - didn't even think of that.
UER Cards
Quote:
Rick Dempsey #58 UER - batting left
My first thought? A spoof by Dempsey.
A reverse negative? No - since the hat logo is going in the correct direction. As per Matt aka Mefer.
So Rick must've been one of the team's jokesters?
Ed Glynn #408 - UER - photo is actually Bud Anderson
Of interest, Bud Anderson was "not" in the set tho he did make the 83T set:
Glynn UER from the 83F set:
Now, for the curious? What does Ed Glynn look like?
Steve Bedrosian #129 - UER (reads height 6’33”)
For what ever reason, the scanner changed the brown to black?
So, let's do the math?
6' = 72"
72" + 33" = 105" or he's 8' 9" Tall!
Rick Miller #188 - UER (home is actually Wayland, MA - not ME)
Just for accuracy sake? There's "no" Wayland ME.
Jerry Reuss #216 - UER ( the word “Home” omitted - actual city/state present)
They left out the word Home
Oh the horror!!!!
If you were collecting a set would you rather find an UER or a variant ? Would it matter if the variant was an unintentional recurring print defect or an intentional change in the card by the manufacturer ? The value assigned by the hobby to these 3 types obviously differs but hobby recognition of variations is somewhat haphazard
Find any recurring variants beyond Brookens so far, Mike ?
Bowman Baseball -1948-1955
Fleer Baseball-1923, 1959-2007
Al
Hiya Al
Good to hear from you.
That's on my list to view.
I started with the stats I've talked about - what % of the players do I "know" e.g.
When I finish all the rookies and their contributions, I'll be going to the "future HOF'ers" in the set and then I'll be looking at the cards for "other" things that may have been over looked?
Mike, that is incredible thoughtful of you. I'll send you a pm shortly. Thank you again.
Great write-up so far Mike ! Enjoying the read !
Robbie
1963 Fleer
Lou Brock Master Set
So I mention how this was my first childhood set and I'm still about 100 cards short of completing it 34 years later. A few hours later, Mike sends me a PM asking for my want list because he wants to help me out. The man wouldn't accept anything in return and a few days later a Fort Knox like box appears in my mailbox, all but completing my set.
There is a lot of negativity out in society these days, but people like Mike remind me that decent, generous, and selfless people still exist today.
Thank you Mike for your generosity and thoughtfulness. I can't wait to finish the set and show my dad.
Brian
My pleasure Brian.
And thanx so much for the kind words buddy.
Mike-- can you help me finish my Dinosaur Attack set ?
Only kidding. I would have not had to worry about finishing it if you had not given me that unopened box of them. Very devious of you
Bowman Baseball -1948-1955
Fleer Baseball-1923, 1959-2007
Al