@JoeBanzai said:
Do you know about Bowman factory sets? Some came in plain blue boxes, but most had artwork.
Any reason that you know of for the difference?
My memory is that the artwork box with the image of Griffey, Jr. was the retail version sent to Walmart, Target and Kmart. This allowed shoppers to more easily identify what the product was if out of context near the checkout aisle and hobby aisle. The plain yellow cardboard version was primarily sent to hobby dealers to breakdown for singles or to sell in the LCS.
Wow, what an awesome 89 Bowman box! Funny, I still get a thrill from pulling the big cards from back in day. Jerome Walton in 89, Kevin Seitzer in 87Fleer. All part of the entertainment value for me. I was a big buyer of Bowman in 89 bc it had all of the rookies of the day. You could get all the first round drafts picks (Willie Ainsley anyone) as well as Dwight Smith, Walton and Griffey. What’s not to
Love?!
John
Conundrum - Loving my unopened baseball card collection....but really like ripping too
@JoeBanzai said:
Do you know about Bowman factory sets? Some came in plain blue boxes, but most had artwork.
Any reason that you know of for the difference?
My memory is that the artwork box with the image of Griffey, Jr. was the retail version sent to Walmart, Target and Kmart. This allowed shoppers to more easily identify what the product was if out of context near the checkout aisle and hobby aisle. The plain yellow cardboard version was primarily sent to hobby dealers to breakdown for singles or to sell in the LCS.
Thanks, that makes sense!
Congratulations on hitting the Griffey!! PSA 10's are going for $200.00......oh yeah, your going for complete sets.
Nice pull, great box! You might want to hit the casino soon. ;-)
2013,14 and 15 Certificate Award Winner Harmon Killebrew Master Set and Master Topps Set
Time for a quick mid-week rip and a departure from the 1980’s stuff. Never broke much 1992 Pinnacle back in the day, but have a few boxes of these laying around. The key RC is obviously Manny Ramirez, but the goal is to pull a Team Pinnacle dual sided card as the key chase insert. They are seeded at 1:125 packs, which is 1 per every 3.5 boxes. Odds are not on my side, but here goes nothing...
The early 1990’s unopened product gets very little love, and that is fair since these cards were massively over produced. However, it is fun to chase the more rare inserts from this era. I also forget how quickly I can rip through a box when I am only looking for the star cards and don’t care about the condition of the commons. That is a nice change of pace from my 1980s mission. This box was solid and I beat the odds, just not the way I was hoping. Here are the few star and rookie cards I set aside...
It was a rush to pull a Team Pinnacle card, since the odds were against me. Unfortunately, this is the second to worst one. Apologies to Mr. Abbott and Mr. Avery. I actually am a Jim Abbott fan, so I like the card for sentimental reasons...
I actually think these 2 Manny RCs have a solid chance at PSA 10, so I am adding them to my sub pile...
Let me know if you like me throwing in the occasional early 1990s rip, or if I should strictly keep it to the 80s?
Since Erba doesn’t discriminate against me ripping a few 90s boxes, I decided to pull another early 90’s case out of storage. I have always wanted to pull an Elite card from a pack. I did some searching online for an estimate of the odds of pulling one, since Donruss never published the pack odds. It seems the consensus is that Elite cards are seeded somewhere in the range of 1 per case or possibly 1 every other case. Time to put some data against this, since I have a few cases stored away. By current production standards, a card serial numbered to 10,000 would be worthless. When you factor in having to rip 20-40 boxes to find a single Elite card, it puts into context why these have held their value over the years. Add to it that this design is freakin’ awesome and the set contains the two predominate stars of the era in Griffey and Thomas...and you have the makings of early 90s magic! As a bonus, I can hunt for the more likely Frank Thomas DK while ripping. This was the first year Donruss made the DK set an insert. They are inserted at 1:9 odds. Here goes a box from a fresh case...
Great memories of being a kid in this set!!! Best of luck! I can still vividly remember the commercial...”sizzlin new for 92; Donruss, a radical new design!”...hopefully some of you know the rest😁
Fun rip, but as expected there was not an Elite in the first box of this case. No worries though, I will eventually break the other 19 and share results in this thread. As expected, there were 4 DK inserts in this box. Here are the stars, rookies and DKs...
I was a big Ryan Klesko fan growing up (He was a big prospect with the Braves and I was a huge IP minor league chaser). I always loved that 92D card of him. I just wished that had kept either the Greenville or Richmond Braves logo on his hat, or worst case, air brushed in an Atlanta Braves logo.
Wow! Prices have gotten crazy on 1980s unopened product. So much fun to see the surge of interest in this decade that I love so much. When I started this journey, it was no big deal to rip boxes from 1981-1985. Now I have to balance the pace of my breaks, since these boxes are all worth far more sealed than opened. The good news is that I still have plenty left. The bad news is that my appetite to rip to build perfect sets wavers, since I really am an unopened collector at heart and replacement costs are significantly higher. That said, I will still keep the mission alive, since enjoying these cards is what it’s all about.
How many folks are still ripping 1983 Topps at these prices? Here goes a 1983 Topps vending box from a case I opened about a year back...
Joe called it! More on that in a moment. It is always such a rush ripping early 80s. A complete roll of the dice and one that is not for the faint of heart if you worry about the value. If that is the case, best to leave them unopened. Every now and again the condition gods smile upon us. Here are the stars and rookies that continue to pile up from my breaks...
This is the most aesthetically appealing set of the 80s. Anchored by 3 iconic HOF RCs, this set really is a treasure and second only to the 1984 Fleer Update set in terms of 80’s set greatness in my opinion. I pulled 2 Tony Gwynn RCs from this box. The first looks like a PSA 8 at best, given the T/B centering. The second looks like a solid PSA 9...
There were a very respectable 18 candidates for PSA 10 in this box. Here are the first 17 of them...
And then this Boggs RC made an appearance. Really hoping this one lands in a PSA 10 holder. It is gorgeous in person...
@tunahead08 said:
Just wanted to say this is still the most amazing thread! I love seeing all these great cards. Keep up the awesome ripping and posting!
Hey Chris, glad to see you still going strong. I was afraid with the latest price run up it might curtail your ripping. It is crazy what 80's product is going for these days. Luckily we loaded up when prices were more reasonable.
Good luck with the latest rip and congrats on the 83 Topps Boggs and Gwynn pulls!
"The woods are lovely, dark and deep. But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep."
"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."
Collecting: Any unopened Baseball cello and rack packs and boxes from the 1970's and early 1980s.
@cpamike said:
Hey Chris, glad to see you still going strong. I was afraid with the latest price run up it might curtail your ripping. It is crazy what 80's product is going for these days. Luckily we loaded up when prices were more reasonable.
Good luck with the latest rip and congrats on the 83 Topps Boggs and Gwynn pulls!
I think the price run up DID effect even Chris. That's why we see football, basketball, and 90's stuff ripped now lol
Hey Chris, I see some chipping on the bottom of that blazer of a '83 Topps Boggs. Chipping has always been a grading enigma. Hope it works out in your favor
@cpamike said:
Hey Chris, glad to see you still going strong. I was afraid with the latest price run up it might curtail your ripping. It is crazy what 80's product is going for these days. Luckily we loaded up when prices were more reasonable.
Good luck with the latest rip and congrats on the 83 Topps Boggs and Gwynn pulls!
Thanks Mike. Agree that we were wise to load up on 80s material back when it was much cheaper. Getting harder to justify ripping pre-1986 material these days given the price run up. Still have lots left, but the ripping equation is getting worse by the day. Looks like I will be closer to your “never rip” approach 😉. Hope you are well my friend!
I think the price run up DID effect even Chris. That's why we see football, basketball, and 90's stuff ripped now lol
Yes sir...had to mix in some of the cheaper stuff to keep me sane and still enjoying opening boxes. Not to fear, I will still mix in some of the good stuff along the way 😎
@tulsaboy said:
Can you imagine being about 10 or 12 in 1992 and pulling the checklist as one of your four Diamond Kings? Ugh...my inner child grumbles for you.
kevin
@tulsaboy said:
Can you imagine being about 10 or 12 in 1992 and pulling the checklist as one of your four Diamond Kings? Ugh...my inner child grumbles for you.
kevin
You mean pulling a photo of the pensive Dick Perez as he mulls over why he selected Scott Sanderson as the Yankees representative rather than Mattingly or Bernie Williams in 1992 didn’t get 11-year-old you pumped?!?!
Yeah, I can say it was an equal letdown for me in my mid-40s too 🤣
89 Pro Set nice.. I think every raw card I have from that set looks like it has been worn down by kids playing with them all day.. they are some tough cards. Best of luck on your quest.
I loved this set as a kid. Thought it was so cool that the RCs were in their collegiate uniforms in action shots. This is the best looking Barry Sanders RC hands down. Here are the growing piles of stars, rookies and variations that miss the mark...
Always a thrill to pull these iconic RCs, even in less than perfect condition...
As Nic said, these cards pose a condition challenge even straight from the pack. There were only 7 candidates for PSA 10 in the whole box...
And at second glance only 6 candidates. The Robinson is OC L/R!
@jordangretzkyfan said:
Strike two. Pulled the standard stars and 4 DK, which was right in line with standard odds...
I loved these DK's when they came out. I was almost out of high school at the time. I remember going to shows and buying packs until I figured out where the DK's were in the box and get the 4 from each box. In hindsight, kind of a scummy move on my part.
@jordangretzkyfan said:
I loved this set as a kid. Thought it was so cool that the RCs were in their collegiate uniforms in action shots. This is the best looking Barry Sanders RC hands down. Here are the growing piles of stars, rookies and variations that miss the mark...
The second card in the first row and the first card in the second row encapsulate my memories of this set completely. Similar to 1989 Hoops, I just remember stacks and stacks of the individual cards. Mostly commons as the stars would sell eventually.
have you pull one yet? i hope you get a griffey or thomas.
Nope, but I appreciate the well wishes. Box 3 didn’t produce an Elite card either. Everything I have read online leads me to believe they are 1 in every 20-40 boxes (I.e 1 per 1-2 cases). Fun rip regardless. Here are the stars, rookies and DK inserts...
have you pull one yet? i hope you get a griffey or thomas.
Nope, but I appreciate the well wishes. Box 3 didn’t produce an Elite card either. Everything I have read online leads me to believe they are 1 in every 20-40 boxes (I.e 1 per 1-2 cases). Fun rip regardless. Here are the stars, rookies and DK inserts...
I loved these DK's when they came out. I was almost out of high school at the time. I remember going to shows and buying packs until I figured out where the DK's were in the box and get the 4 from each box. In hindsight, kind of a scummy move on my part.
I had never thought to look for a consistent pattern of the Diamond King placement until you made the comment. You are right, these are easy to cherry pick once you know the pattern from a fresh box. I wish I knew this as a kid. I would have avoided any opened boxes back in the day!
Busy day. Ripped these this morning, but just now posting the results. This set is a true condition challenge. I know 1986 Donruss gets more love due to the iconic Canseco RR, but the Fleer set is far more of a condition challenge in my ripping experience. Here are the piles of stars and rookies that continue to grow and miss the mark of PSA 10...
At first glance, I set aside these 3 as contenders for PSA 10. I think the Deleon is the only one that will get there. The O’Neal RC is a beauty, but has the slight rough cut right at the bottom left corner that I think keeps it at MINT 9. I will sub it anyway, since it is a key RC from this set...
At first glance, I set aside these 3 as contenders for PSA 10. I think the Deleon is the only one that will get there. The O’Neal RC is a beauty, but has the slight rough cut right at the bottom left corner that I think keeps it at MINT 9. I will sub it anyway, since it is a key RC from this set...
Now see if you go and sub nice but imperfect cards just because they are keys to the set, you'll never get a set in order with all PSA 10s.
The Elite continues to elude. Here are the stars, rookies and DKs in this box. This is the first box I have opened that only contained 3 Diamond Kings. No DK checklist this time at least...
Comments
Do you know about Bowman factory sets? Some came in plain blue boxes, but most had artwork.
Any reason that you know of for the difference?
Thanks Joe! Your luck worked. Here are the stars and rookies that miss the mark...
A nice Smoltz, but not perfect...
Really happy to find 19 candidates for PSA 10 in this box. Of course landing a perfect Junior was the icing on the cake...
My memory is that the artwork box with the image of Griffey, Jr. was the retail version sent to Walmart, Target and Kmart. This allowed shoppers to more easily identify what the product was if out of context near the checkout aisle and hobby aisle. The plain yellow cardboard version was primarily sent to hobby dealers to breakdown for singles or to sell in the LCS.
Wow, what an awesome 89 Bowman box! Funny, I still get a thrill from pulling the big cards from back in day. Jerome Walton in 89, Kevin Seitzer in 87Fleer. All part of the entertainment value for me. I was a big buyer of Bowman in 89 bc it had all of the rookies of the day. You could get all the first round drafts picks (Willie Ainsley anyone) as well as Dwight Smith, Walton and Griffey. What’s not to
Love?!
John
Thanks, that makes sense!
Congratulations on hitting the Griffey!! PSA 10's are going for $200.00......oh yeah, your going for complete sets.
Nice pull, great box! You might want to hit the casino soon. ;-)
Time for a quick mid-week rip and a departure from the 1980’s stuff. Never broke much 1992 Pinnacle back in the day, but have a few boxes of these laying around. The key RC is obviously Manny Ramirez, but the goal is to pull a Team Pinnacle dual sided card as the key chase insert. They are seeded at 1:125 packs, which is 1 per every 3.5 boxes. Odds are not on my side, but here goes nothing...
The early 1990’s unopened product gets very little love, and that is fair since these cards were massively over produced. However, it is fun to chase the more rare inserts from this era. I also forget how quickly I can rip through a box when I am only looking for the star cards and don’t care about the condition of the commons. That is a nice change of pace from my 1980s mission. This box was solid and I beat the odds, just not the way I was hoping. Here are the few star and rookie cards I set aside...
It was a rush to pull a Team Pinnacle card, since the odds were against me. Unfortunately, this is the second to worst one. Apologies to Mr. Abbott and Mr. Avery. I actually am a Jim Abbott fan, so I like the card for sentimental reasons...
I actually think these 2 Manny RCs have a solid chance at PSA 10, so I am adding them to my sub pile...
Let me know if you like me throwing in the occasional early 1990s rip, or if I should strictly keep it to the 80s?
A PSA 10 Jr in that set will get you at least $100, maybe $200. Funny thing, I just got my PSA 9 in the mail (cost $18).
Love that set!
Nic
Guides Authored - Graded Card Scanning Guide PDF | History of the PSA Label PDF
Rip it all!
Since Erba doesn’t discriminate against me ripping a few 90s boxes, I decided to pull another early 90’s case out of storage. I have always wanted to pull an Elite card from a pack. I did some searching online for an estimate of the odds of pulling one, since Donruss never published the pack odds. It seems the consensus is that Elite cards are seeded somewhere in the range of 1 per case or possibly 1 every other case. Time to put some data against this, since I have a few cases stored away. By current production standards, a card serial numbered to 10,000 would be worthless. When you factor in having to rip 20-40 boxes to find a single Elite card, it puts into context why these have held their value over the years. Add to it that this design is freakin’ awesome and the set contains the two predominate stars of the era in Griffey and Thomas...and you have the makings of early 90s magic! As a bonus, I can hunt for the more likely Frank Thomas DK while ripping. This was the first year Donruss made the DK set an insert. They are inserted at 1:9 odds. Here goes a box from a fresh case...
Great memories of being a kid in this set!!! Best of luck! I can still vividly remember the commercial...”sizzlin new for 92; Donruss, a radical new design!”...hopefully some of you know the rest😁
Good luck! Hope you pull an Elite. Never did find one myself.
Fun rip, but as expected there was not an Elite in the first box of this case. No worries though, I will eventually break the other 19 and share results in this thread. As expected, there were 4 DK inserts in this box. Here are the stars, rookies and DKs...
Nice photography on the action cards. Especially like the Henderson!
Overall a set with great eye appeal imo.
Good luck on the Elite!
I was a big Ryan Klesko fan growing up (He was a big prospect with the Braves and I was a huge IP minor league chaser). I always loved that 92D card of him. I just wished that had kept either the Greenville or Richmond Braves logo on his hat, or worst case, air brushed in an Atlanta Braves logo.
Wow! Prices have gotten crazy on 1980s unopened product. So much fun to see the surge of interest in this decade that I love so much. When I started this journey, it was no big deal to rip boxes from 1981-1985. Now I have to balance the pace of my breaks, since these boxes are all worth far more sealed than opened. The good news is that I still have plenty left. The bad news is that my appetite to rip to build perfect sets wavers, since I really am an unopened collector at heart and replacement costs are significantly higher. That said, I will still keep the mission alive, since enjoying these cards is what it’s all about.
How many folks are still ripping 1983 Topps at these prices? Here goes a 1983 Topps vending box from a case I opened about a year back...
OMG! Gwynn and Boggs, Gwynn and Boggs, Gwynn and Boggs, Gwynn and Boggs, Gwynn and Boggs.
Joe called it! More on that in a moment. It is always such a rush ripping early 80s. A complete roll of the dice and one that is not for the faint of heart if you worry about the value. If that is the case, best to leave them unopened. Every now and again the condition gods smile upon us. Here are the stars and rookies that continue to pile up from my breaks...
This is the most aesthetically appealing set of the 80s. Anchored by 3 iconic HOF RCs, this set really is a treasure and second only to the 1984 Fleer Update set in terms of 80’s set greatness in my opinion. I pulled 2 Tony Gwynn RCs from this box. The first looks like a PSA 8 at best, given the T/B centering. The second looks like a solid PSA 9...
There were a very respectable 18 candidates for PSA 10 in this box. Here are the first 17 of them...
And then this Boggs RC made an appearance. Really hoping this one lands in a PSA 10 holder. It is gorgeous in person...
Congrats, Best set of the 80's !!!
YOU NEED TO BUY A LOTTERY TICKET!
That's a SUPER BANZAI!
Thanks guys...I appreciate the kind words. And yes, beating the odds lately feels great. Lottery ticket forthcoming 🤣
Just wanted to say this is still the most amazing thread! I love seeing all these great cards. Keep up the awesome ripping and posting!
I appreciate it! Let the journey continue...
Time for the second box of 1992 Donruss from the fresh case. Let see if we can defy all odds and pull an Elite...
Hey Chris, glad to see you still going strong. I was afraid with the latest price run up it might curtail your ripping. It is crazy what 80's product is going for these days. Luckily we loaded up when prices were more reasonable.
Good luck with the latest rip and congrats on the 83 Topps Boggs and Gwynn pulls!
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep."
"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."
Collecting:
Any unopened Baseball cello and rack packs and boxes from the 1970's and early 1980s.
I think the price run up DID effect even Chris. That's why we see football, basketball, and 90's stuff ripped now lol
COPPER is gutter !
Hey Chris, I see some chipping on the bottom of that blazer of a '83 Topps Boggs. Chipping has always been a grading enigma. Hope it works out in your favor
COPPER is gutter !
Thanks Mike. Agree that we were wise to load up on 80s material back when it was much cheaper. Getting harder to justify ripping pre-1986 material these days given the price run up. Still have lots left, but the ripping equation is getting worse by the day. Looks like I will be closer to your “never rip” approach 😉. Hope you are well my friend!
Yes sir...had to mix in some of the cheaper stuff to keep me sane and still enjoying opening boxes. Not to fear, I will still mix in some of the good stuff along the way 😎
Strike two. Pulled the standard stars and 4 DK, which was right in line with standard odds...
Can you imagine being about 10 or 12 in 1992 and pulling the checklist as one of your four Diamond Kings? Ugh...my inner child grumbles for you.
kevin
Completely with you on that one.
Nic
Guides Authored - Graded Card Scanning Guide PDF | History of the PSA Label PDF
You mean pulling a photo of the pensive Dick Perez as he mulls over why he selected Scott Sanderson as the Yankees representative rather than Mattingly or Bernie Williams in 1992 didn’t get 11-year-old you pumped?!?!
Yeah, I can say it was an equal letdown for me in my mid-40s too 🤣
With my Fantasy Football draft tomorrow night, I’m in an 80’s football kind of mood today. As you know, I love me some Barry Sanders...
89 Pro Set nice.. I think every raw card I have from that set looks like it has been worn down by kids playing with them all day.. they are some tough cards. Best of luck on your quest.
Nic
Guides Authored - Graded Card Scanning Guide PDF | History of the PSA Label PDF
I loved this set as a kid. Thought it was so cool that the RCs were in their collegiate uniforms in action shots. This is the best looking Barry Sanders RC hands down. Here are the growing piles of stars, rookies and variations that miss the mark...
Always a thrill to pull these iconic RCs, even in less than perfect condition...
As Nic said, these cards pose a condition challenge even straight from the pack. There were only 7 candidates for PSA 10 in the whole box...
And at second glance only 6 candidates. The Robinson is OC L/R!
I loved these DK's when they came out. I was almost out of high school at the time. I remember going to shows and buying packs until I figured out where the DK's were in the box and get the 4 from each box. In hindsight, kind of a scummy move on my part.
The second card in the first row and the first card in the second row encapsulate my memories of this set completely. Similar to 1989 Hoops, I just remember stacks and stacks of the individual cards. Mostly commons as the stars would sell eventually.
Continuing the quest to understand the odds of finding a 1992 Donruss Elite card...
have you pull one yet? i hope you get a griffey or thomas.
Nope, but I appreciate the well wishes. Box 3 didn’t produce an Elite card either. Everything I have read online leads me to believe they are 1 in every 20-40 boxes (I.e 1 per 1-2 cases). Fun rip regardless. Here are the stars, rookies and DK inserts...
Wow! Two checklists in three boxes!
I had never thought to look for a consistent pattern of the Diamond King placement until you made the comment. You are right, these are easy to cherry pick once you know the pattern from a fresh box. I wish I knew this as a kid. I would have avoided any opened boxes back in the day!
Yep...living the Dream!!
Woke up with Jose on the brain for some reason today. Here go a few 1986 Fleer rack packs...
Busy day. Ripped these this morning, but just now posting the results. This set is a true condition challenge. I know 1986 Donruss gets more love due to the iconic Canseco RR, but the Fleer set is far more of a condition challenge in my ripping experience. Here are the piles of stars and rookies that continue to grow and miss the mark of PSA 10...
At first glance, I set aside these 3 as contenders for PSA 10. I think the Deleon is the only one that will get there. The O’Neal RC is a beauty, but has the slight rough cut right at the bottom left corner that I think keeps it at MINT 9. I will sub it anyway, since it is a key RC from this set...
Now see if you go and sub nice but imperfect cards just because they are keys to the set, you'll never get a set in order with all PSA 10s.
Time this morning for a quick continuation of the hunt for my first pack pulled 1992 Donruss Elite card. Here goes box 4 from the case...
The Elite continues to elude. Here are the stars, rookies and DKs in this box. This is the first box I have opened that only contained 3 Diamond Kings. No DK checklist this time at least...
So they spared you the checklist but did not put a card in its place. Not sure what is better.
Nic
Guides Authored - Graded Card Scanning Guide PDF | History of the PSA Label PDF
Looks like your run of luck has changed........for now.
Good luck on finding that Elite!
Thanks Joe. The streak was bound to dry up at some point. Here go a few more 1986 Fleer racks as the hunt for Jose continues...