Thirty years ago, lots of things were happening in the baseball card industry. Topps brought the Bowman label back from the dead while Upper Deck entered a market that was starting to become a little crowded. Add it all up, and it was a pretty revolutionary year for the hobby. Inserts are often the cards collectors want the most these days. But lost in the shuffle is that … [Read more...]
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30th Anniversary Brings Back Memories of Bowman’s Stunning Return
Bowman was one of the earliest post-war producers of baseball gum cards. However, after a run of sets issued from 1948 through 1955, the company packed it in. Bowman competed heavily with Topps once the latter began producing baseball cards. After a brief battle, Topps ultimately bought Bowman out. Rather than operate Bowman as a separate entity, Topps ended the production … [Read more...]
Jack of All Trades: Baseball Card Documentary Tells More Than 1 Story
A new documentary about the baseball card industry of the late 1980s and early 90s arrived Tuesday but the film promises much more than a wistful look back at an explosive time in the hobby. Jack of All Trades is described as a “unique personal tale with emotional family ties, outlining the details behind the boom, and bust of the once lucrative baseball card collecting … [Read more...]
15 Cards for 50 Cents: 1989 Topps Baseball Set Turns 30
There are some collectors who cringe about the 1989 Topps baseball card set. After all, it was one of the sets that was mass produced during the glut of cards from the late 1980s to the mid-1990s. Here's something more cringe-worthy, however: The ’89 Topps set turned 30 this year. Collectors who were 10 years old in 1989 are fast approaching middle … [Read more...]
1983 Topps Baseball Offered A ‘Real’ Improvement
After weathering the entry into the baseball card market by Fleer and Donruss in 1981, Topps needed a strong product by the time 1983 rolled around. As if to convince itself and baseball card collectors, Topps kept pushing the slogan “The Real One,” with “Real” underlined, on packs and boxes to remind fans who had held the license to produce baseball cards for so many … [Read more...]
2019 Donruss Baseball Offers More Odes to the 80s, 90s
Panini has announced plans for the latest version of its flagship baseball product. 2019 Donruss Baseball will be out over the winter with the usual assortment of throwback designs to the 1980s and 90s. Each box will contain 24 packs of eight cards. There will be 16 boxes per case of Donruss, which is licensed by the MLBPA but as usual, won’t be able to use MLB logos … [Read more...]
‘For Keeps’ Podcast Tackles 1989 Fleer Billy Ripken Saga
For those who grew up around 30 years ago, it remains a childhood icon. For everyone else, it’s still one of the hobby’s most recognizable cards. The 1989 Fleer Billy Ripken F***Face turned into a national story and offered some measure of immortality to Cal’s brother. In his latest ‘For Keeps’ podcast focused on all types of collectibles, David Peterkovsky chatted with Jon … [Read more...]
30 Years Later, 1988 Still a Giant Baseball Card Disappointment
1987 was a big year for baseball cards. Rookie sensation Mark McGwire was all the rage as he hit 49 home runs that year and was extremely popular. But other cards made big splashes, too. Collectors had the first Barry Bonds cards in packs. There was also Bo Jackson. And Will Clark. And Jose Canseco. All of these players were included in 1986 traded/update sets but, aside from … [Read more...]
Notes: Bobby Shantz at NBCD; Winning a ’52 Mantle; Gilmore Book Signing; Funny Stories
By most accounts, hobby shops saw good traffic for Saturday's Topps National Baseball Card Day promotion. The free packs and individual promotions came on the heels of the National Sports Collectors Convention where it got an added dose of free publicity. Giving away special packs, some of which included autographed cards, is good--but Carl's Cards in … [Read more...]
1980 Topps Superstars Brought Supersizing to Barren Market
They’re almost an afterthought now. Complete sets sometimes go unsold at $10 when you see them but most veteran show dealers don’t even bother to bring them. In their day, though, they had the hobby buzzing. The 1980 Topps Superstar 5x7 photos were big, bold and more importantly—something new from Topps. It was a year before Fleer and Donruss turned baseball … [Read more...]
