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I love the 1980s! The ultimate unopened rip quest to build Topps, Fleer, Donruss PSA 10 sets...

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  • jordangretzkyfanjordangretzkyfan Posts: 2,417 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited March 6, 2022 8:23AM

    MLB has a handful of historic moments that transcend time, and one of those immortalized in our minds belongs to the Iron Man. Baseball needed a hero after the 1994 strike to bring class and humility back to the game. Enter Cal Ripken. I can still recall Chris Berman’s vioce as Cal officially broke Lou Gerig’s record for consecutive games played. Unscripted, the game paused and Ripken instinctively decided to walk the perimeter of Camden Yards shaking hands with the fans who made his childhood dream a reality. This is the stuff of legends. And oh, by the way, Cal won 2x MVP, is a member of the 3000 Hit Club, has over 400 HR and was a gold glove winning SS. He is among the pinnacle of baseballs top 50 and might be the classiest to ever play the game.

    For the best of the best, they get two RCs in my book. Both of these rookies are iconic and a mandatory addition to any 80’s collection. Simply one of my very favorites.

  • NGS428NGS428 Posts: 2,313 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Thank you for sharing!

  • 80sOPC80sOPC Posts: 1,332 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited March 8, 2022 6:15PM

    I love early Raines cards. Those expos colours plus Raines just being a badass makes those cards special. Have good memories watching games at Olympic Stadium, Dawson and Raines.

  • threeofsixthreeofsix Posts: 579 ✭✭✭✭

    @jordangretzkyfan

    Spectacular series!!!

    Thank you so much for adding such value to these collector boards.

    The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. Or the one.
    Live long, and prosper.
  • NJ80sBBCNJ80sBBC Posts: 731 ✭✭✭✭

    If you grew up collecting in the 80s, this has to easily go down as being one of the greatest CU threads of all time. It’s got unopened, it’s got unopened being opened, it’s got post after post after post of 1980s nostalgic awesomeness. And then a side step into features top rookie cards of the decade!

    Conundrum - Loving my unopened baseball card collection....but really like ripping too
  • NJ80sBBCNJ80sBBC Posts: 731 ✭✭✭✭

    As for your last couple showcased stars, to be honest Raines flew under my radar as a kid. He was a decent pull, but never made it into the binder. Big miss on my part.

    Henderson on the other hand was huge in my town. We were thrilled when he came to the Yankees. Snap catch and all! I was able to secure my 1980 specimen in a 3 way trade with my cousin and an unknown third party. I don’t remember all of the details, but fishing tackle was involved - true story.

    Of course I still have my Rickey, which is maybe a 4-5. Only one I own and probably will ever own.

    John

    Conundrum - Loving my unopened baseball card collection....but really like ripping too
  • jordangretzkyfanjordangretzkyfan Posts: 2,417 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited March 12, 2022 3:48AM

    @NGS428 said:
    Thank you for sharing!

    @80sOPC said:
    I love early Raines cards. Those expos colours plus Raines just being a badass makes those cards special. Have good memories watching games at Olympic Stadium, Dawson and Raines.

    @threeofsix said:
    @jordangretzkyfan

    Spectacular series!!!

    Thank you so much for adding such value to these collector boards.

    @NJ80sBBC said:
    If you grew up collecting in the 80s, this has to easily go down as being one of the greatest CU threads of all time. It’s got unopened, it’s got unopened being opened, it’s got post after post after post of 1980s nostalgic awesomeness. And then a side step into features top rookie cards of the decade!

    Thank you for all the kind words. I am blessed to have this forum of great collectors who enjoy a common nostalgia and to share memories with. Your comments are what keeps this fresh!

    @NJ80sBBC said:
    As for your last couple showcased stars, to be honest Raines flew under my radar as a kid. He was a decent pull, but never made it into the binder. Big miss on my part.

    Henderson on the other hand was huge in my town. We were thrilled when he came to the Yankees. Snap catch and all! I was able to secure my 1980 specimen in a 3 way trade with my cousin and an unknown third party. I don’t remember all of the details, but fishing tackle was involved - true story.

    Of course I still have my Rickey, which is maybe a 4-5. Only one I own and probably will ever own.

    John

    Love this admission and story. You know $h!t# is getting real when fishing tackle enters the trade 🤣🤣. Man we were funny as kids. I remember trading my Mike Tyson’s Punch Out video game along with my Vision Gator Skateboard for an 87/88 Fleer basketball set back in 1992. Like most kids, I missed the boat on 80’s basketball cards before the first Beckett Basketball Magazine hit the shelves. My buddy thought he had totally ripped me off since he bought the set back in 1988 for $5. Little did he know, I would have thrown in my Beastie Boys cassette too! 🤣🤣

  • JoeBanzaiJoeBanzai Posts: 11,712 ✭✭✭✭✭

    NICE!

    2013,14 and 15 Certificate Award Winner Harmon Killebrew Master Set and Master Topps Set
  • NGS428NGS428 Posts: 2,313 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I agree with you on that 87D Bo. I bought that single from a local shop in the early 90’s and it just felt like the coolest thing ever.

  • NJ80sBBCNJ80sBBC Posts: 731 ✭✭✭✭

    Love the Bo and Mac RR, they are and always will be epic cards to me. And for whatever reason the Santiago was always a huge fave as a kid. Didn’t hurt that it was his only regular issue 87 card for a kid starting out collecting in 87. He was bad ass throwing from his knees.

    Conundrum - Loving my unopened baseball card collection....but really like ripping too
  • tulsaboytulsaboy Posts: 284 ✭✭✭

    I always liked the Carlton card...the white jersey with a super dark, almost black background was a real stunner. I also think the Bo Jackson has the same sort of contrast going for it. The Gwynn card always puzzled me...for such a great player, I remember thinking the card was kind of a dud.
    Great cards!
    kevin

  • Stone193Stone193 Posts: 24,395 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited March 17, 2022 10:19AM

    Hiya Chris

    Just got caught up on your quest.

    Unbelievable!

    One of the best ongoing threads here.

    Thanx buddy.

    Mike
  • NJ80sBBCNJ80sBBC Posts: 731 ✭✭✭✭

    Always loved the Mattingly card. Was such a big pull for me back in the day when there was no one bigger in baseball and opening an 87D pack was a serious luxury.

    Conundrum - Loving my unopened baseball card collection....but really like ripping too
  • 80sOPC80sOPC Posts: 1,332 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Late to the party, but agree on the 87 Bo. That card captures how confident he was, kind of a whatevs pose, just a unicorn athlete.

  • tjhorn92tjhorn92 Posts: 37 ✭✭✭

    @jordangretzkyfan said:
    This is why it is always risky to rip early 80s vending. Amazing nostalgia, with less than stellar results. Here are the piles and piles of fresh 1980 Topps stars and rookies that miss the grade as PSA 10 candidates. Centering is the biggest obstacle as 95% of the cards are less than 50/50. Then the print dots, edge and corner wear take over. Most are PSA 7-8 condition untouched and direct from the factory. Makes me appreciate the GEMs that much more…

    No Henderson RC this round, but did pull this nice Ryan. Likely a PSA 7…

    There were three contenders for PSA 10 in this box…

    Thanks for sharing! I have a 79 and a 80 vending box that are calling me but I continue to stay strong. Maybe I should satisfy my urge to rip with a newly purchased 84 Donruss and look for that Donnie Baseball in a 10?

  • MParker79MParker79 Posts: 28 ✭✭
    edited March 22, 2022 5:22PM

    Thank you as always for sharing these rips! I love 1980s Topps. The last of something, and the first of something to me. The last vintage set, or first modern set depending on how you look at it. On a personal note I love it because the first Beckett I ever bought was a 1989 issue with Rickey Henderson on the cover with his ‘80s Topps rookie. A neighborhood kid came by with it, and I couldn’t believe there was a price guide for what I’d started collecting with ‘89 Donruss a couple months earlier. I didn’t even know card shops existed at this time, had just been getting them at corner stores, and super markets. I asked if he’d sell it to me, and got whatever money I had, probably 2 bucks…after we did the exchange I remember him under his breath to his younger brother saying “it’s cool, we can buy a the latest one now!…” haha. Ahhh, I soon realized it was a monthly thing, and not rare!

  • JoeBanzaiJoeBanzai Posts: 11,712 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @jordangretzkyfan said:

    No Henderson RC this round, but did pull this nice Ryan. Likely a PSA 7…

    Might not be a mint one, but it's still a beauty!

    2013,14 and 15 Certificate Award Winner Harmon Killebrew Master Set and Master Topps Set
  • As a 13 year old Cub fan, I really wanted Karl Pagel to be a star! Still the best thread on the board. Good luck!!

  • jimradjimrad Posts: 2,777 ✭✭✭

    I’m still sitting on 5 unopened boxes of 1982 Fleer from a case I bought back in the 80’s.
    If anyone wants to chase some Ripken rc……..

    Positive transactions with: Bkritz,Bosox1976,Brick,captainthreeputt,cpettimd,craigger,cwazzy,DES1984,Dboneesq,daddymc,Downtown1974,EAsports,EagleEyeKid,fattymacs,gameusedhoop,godblessUSA,goose3,KatsCards,mike22y2k,
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  • BBBrkrrBBBrkrr Posts: 1,206 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Good luck man. The 1980 rips are always 50/50 for me. Lots of cool cards but so much terrible centering.

    Here’s to yours all being perfect!

  • JoeBanzaiJoeBanzai Posts: 11,712 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Great to see you back in action! Too bad the Henderson and Ryan cards weren't better centered.

    2013,14 and 15 Certificate Award Winner Harmon Killebrew Master Set and Master Topps Set
  • daltexdaltex Posts: 3,486 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @jordangretzkyfan said:

    There were only three candidates for PSA 10 in the entire 500 card vending box, reiterating just how hard it is to find dead centered PSA 10 caliber cards…

    Trying to decide if Herr or Ward is the "key" rookie there.

  • jordangretzkyfanjordangretzkyfan Posts: 2,417 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @JoeBanzai said:
    Great to see you back in action! Too bad the Henderson and Ryan cards weren't better centered.

    Thanks Joe! With the grading costs still too high, breaking for PSA 10 commons doesn’t make sense…not that it ever did 🤣. I have been ripping lots of 1987 Topps, Fleer and Donruss still, but figured people would get bored with those so I hadn’t been posting. Planning to share more rips going forward. Hope you are well.

    @daltex said:

    Trying to decide if Herr or Ward is the "key" rookie there.

    Yeah, aside from Mike Scott and Dan Quisenberry the “Future Stars” predictions were brutal in 1980. I have always liked the look of the Rick Sutcliffe RC, but there is only one notable RC in this set.

  • frankhardyfrankhardy Posts: 8,088 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @daltex said:

    @jordangretzkyfan said:

    There were only three candidates for PSA 10 in the entire 500 card vending box, reiterating just how hard it is to find dead centered PSA 10 caliber cards…

    Trying to decide if Herr or Ward is the "key" rookie there.

    Tommy Herr all the way! No bias here at all.

    :D

    Shane

  • frankhardyfrankhardy Posts: 8,088 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @jordangretzkyfan said:

    @JoeBanzai said:
    Great to see you back in action! Too bad the Henderson and Ryan cards weren't better centered.

    Thanks Joe! With the grading costs still too high, breaking for PSA 10 commons doesn’t make sense…not that it ever did 🤣. I have been ripping lots of 1987 Topps, Fleer and Donruss still, but figured people would get bored with those so I hadn’t been posting. Planning to share more rips going forward. Hope you are well.

    @daltex said:

    Trying to decide if Herr or Ward is the "key" rookie there.

    Yeah, aside from Mike Scott and Dan Quisenberry the “Future Stars” predictions were brutal in 1980. I have always liked the look of the Rick Sutcliffe RC, but there is only one notable RC in this set.

    I was wondering how you were pulling this off. How many PSA 10's did you accumulate before the price hikes and backlog? I love looking at those 80s gems. I was a kid born in 1975, so those are etched into my mind.

    Shane

  • daltexdaltex Posts: 3,486 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @jordangretzkyfan said:

    @JoeBanzai said:
    Great to see you back in action! Too bad the Henderson and Ryan cards weren't better centered.

    Thanks Joe! With the grading costs still too high, breaking for PSA 10 commons doesn’t make sense…not that it ever did 🤣. I have been ripping lots of 1987 Topps, Fleer and Donruss still, but figured people would get bored with those so I hadn’t been posting. Planning to share more rips going forward. Hope you are well.

    I'd be bored if 10s had suddenly become more common. Always interesting to see how scarce they are.

  • JoeBanzaiJoeBanzai Posts: 11,712 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @daltex said:

    @jordangretzkyfan said:

    @JoeBanzai said:
    Great to see you back in action! Too bad the Henderson and Ryan cards weren't better centered.

    Thanks Joe! With the grading costs still too high, breaking for PSA 10 commons doesn’t make sense…not that it ever did 🤣. I have been ripping lots of 1987 Topps, Fleer and Donruss still, but figured people would get bored with those so I hadn’t been posting. Planning to share more rips going forward. Hope you are well.

    I'd be bored if 10s had suddenly become more common. Always interesting to see how scarce they are.

    Each card should be judged on it's merits.

    I ripped about 12,000 1987 Topps baseball just before the price jump and submitted 150 or so. I got a large amount of 9's that were/are perfect.

    Luckily I got enough 10's to actually make a small profit, but I ended up with a lot of cards that I can't sell for even the $9.00 grading fee that I paid.

    TPG's shouldn't be concerned with 10's becoming "too common", they should be grading each card individually, wether it's a common or a HOFer.

    That doesn't seem to be the case.

    2013,14 and 15 Certificate Award Winner Harmon Killebrew Master Set and Master Topps Set
  • JoeBanzaiJoeBanzai Posts: 11,712 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Hi guys!
    Reviving this thread as I just purchased a rack box of 1985 Topps from BBCE to rip.
    Celebrating the sale of my house that was a 5 month ordeal.
    A few years ago I bought a wax box of the same and was bitterly disappointed, no McGwire, no Puckett and one Clemens with a HUGE print spot on the back. Of course a lot of cards ruined by wax and melted gum. Decided never to rip wax again!
    While (impatiently) waiting for my item, I noticed there were some pretty good cards other than the "big three". Anyone out there have any thoughts on cards to look for?
    I would also be interested in selling any rack packs with stars showing if someone is interested.
    Let me know what you think!

    2013,14 and 15 Certificate Award Winner Harmon Killebrew Master Set and Master Topps Set
  • 19591959 Posts: 625 ✭✭✭

    SEAVER, ERIC DAVIS,(RC) RYAN , HERSHISER (RC)

  • NGS428NGS428 Posts: 2,313 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Lots of good options.. I listed a few below. They won't bring home millions, but these were some good players in their time.
    https://tcdb.com/Rookies.cfm/sid/103/1985-Topps

    23 Bret Saberhagen RC
    181 Roger Clemens RC
    193 Jimmy Key RC
    238 Jose Rijo RC
    280 Shawon Dunston FRDP, RC
    346 Terry Pendleton RC
    401 Mark McGwire OLY, RC
    493 Orel Hershiser RC
    536 Kirby Puckett RC
    620 Dwight Gooden RC
    625 Mark Langston RC
    627 Eric Davis RC

  • JoeBanzaiJoeBanzai Posts: 11,712 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Thanks guys!
    I knew about McGwire, Clemens and Puckett, but didn't think Davis would be worth much. Gooden can go for a nice amount too! Nolan Ryan always seems to be valuable.
    Of course I am assuming card must be a 10 to be worth grading.

    2013,14 and 15 Certificate Award Winner Harmon Killebrew Master Set and Master Topps Set
  • jordangretzkyfanjordangretzkyfan Posts: 2,417 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Joe,

    Looking forward to seeing the results of your rip! Congrats on selling your home…great way to celebrate. Nic nailed the list of key RCs. The only other I would add to your watch list is the Dwight Gooden Record Breaker. That card is notoriously off centered and worth good money in a PSA 10.

    Chris

  • BBBrkrrBBBrkrr Posts: 1,206 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Henderson.

    Always Rickey Henderson.

  • JoeBanzaiJoeBanzai Posts: 11,712 ✭✭✭✭✭

    YES! Hope you get some beauties.
    Still waiting for my box to be delivered.

    2013,14 and 15 Certificate Award Winner Harmon Killebrew Master Set and Master Topps Set
  • JoeBanzaiJoeBanzai Posts: 11,712 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Centering on the Rickey's VERY nice!
    Two possible mint Rose cards a bonus.

    2013,14 and 15 Certificate Award Winner Harmon Killebrew Master Set and Master Topps Set
  • baseballfanbaseballfan Posts: 5,456 ✭✭✭

    1980 topps my favorite set

    congrats!!

    Fred

    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

  • BBBrkrrBBBrkrr Posts: 1,206 ✭✭✭✭✭
    1. Probably my favorite Reggie, Henderson and Murphy cards of all time, but the absolute worst Yount. That thing is bad.
  • JoeBanzaiJoeBanzai Posts: 11,712 ✭✭✭✭✭


    2013,14 and 15 Certificate Award Winner Harmon Killebrew Master Set and Master Topps Set
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