A pack of 1989 Topps baseball cards had 15 cards. Buy a handful and you were still a long way from completing the 792-card set. Even a couple of rack packs barely put a dent in your list and you probably wound up with a few doubles. If you wanted a big jump-start--or maybe scout out some packs that had stars and rookie cards on top--there was one place to … [Read more...]
Ramblings: Recalling the Show Vibe of 25 Years Ago
1990 doesn’t sound like ancient history if you were a working adult back then but I guess it’s time to face facts and admit that it was 25 years ago. I was recently asked to compare what card shows were like in 1990, compared to today. The hobby itself has gone through a huge transformation since then but has continued to move forward. While it’s not likely we'll see sports … [Read more...]
2015 Topps Archives Baseball Releases
Set for release Wednesday but already trickling into retail stores, 2015 Topps Archives Baseball continues the annual series of past meets present. Hobby box breakers can expect to find 24 packs per box, eight cards per pack and two autographs. A full checklist is linked below. The list of autograph singers is a fairly lengthy one and includes Kris Bryant, Joc Pederson, … [Read more...]
Ramblings: Past Not Always Better
We spend quite a bit of time talking about the "good old days" of the hobby but one should realize not everything was better years ago. Sometimes the past can’t compete with the present. There’s no debate that the dissemination of information is much better and more efficient than it once was. There was a time when everyone waited for the new Beckett magazine(s) to come out … [Read more...]
Ramblings: Fun With Busted Prospects
We really enjoyed sharing the memories about the hottest players in baseball as we turned the corner into the 1990’s but that me to thinking about some of the other incredible stories of hot cards that turned cold and never warmed back up. In some ways the overproduction age was like a penny stock market in that if you could buy cards at the right time for pennies and … [Read more...]
Recalling The Hottest Players, Products of 1990
When the calendar turns to a new year, there is there is always a new anniversary to commemorate. Last year, among other recollections, we recalled the 25th anniversary of the infamous Bill Ripken “Rick Face” card, which once again got a lot of reaction, especially on social media. To this day, collectors—especially those who were kids at the time-- love to reminisce about … [Read more...]