It's hard to believe but the 1991 Desert Shield baseball cards issued by Topps have turned 30. I remember those cards distinctly, even if finding them proved difficult. Here's a closer look at this impressive set that continues to generate collector interest three decades after it was first issued. About the 1991 Topps Desert Shield Baseball Cards The cards, if you're … [Read more...] about 30 Years Later, 1991 Topps Desert Shield Cards Remain Popular — and Valuable
1990s baseball rookie cards
Signature Rookies Broke New Hobby Ground; Then Faded Away
For longtime collectors who endured the hobby in the 1990s, it’s hard to believe that a quarter century has past since Signature Rookies began to fade away. While you rarely hear that card company's name much these days, how they changed the hobby has a huge influence on what is happening 25 years later. Signature Rookies emerged on the scene with the revolutionary idea … [Read more...] about Signature Rookies Broke New Hobby Ground; Then Faded Away
Greg Vaughn Talks Rookie Cards, Penmanship, Home Run Ball Collection
Slugger Greg Vaughn was born in Sacramento, California and excelled on the diamond from a young age. He starred at Kennedy High School before taking his powerful bat to the University of Miami and becoming a cornerstone at ‘The U’ during his time in South Florida. Vaughn was drafted in the fourth round of the 1984 MLB Amateur draft by the Milwaukee Brewers. A four time … [Read more...] about Greg Vaughn Talks Rookie Cards, Penmanship, Home Run Ball Collection
How Junky was the Junk Wax Era?
While junk wax era baseball cards have made an undeniable comeback in the past year, the fact remains that many of the cards were heavily overproduced. I was reminded of this fact in a recent discussion on cards, which prompted me to pull up a bit of old research I'd done on the population of cards from that era. Is it possible to determine the printing population of those … [Read more...] about How Junky was the Junk Wax Era?
30 Years Ago, Fleer Broke Into the Premium Marketplace with Ultra
By the early 1990s, the baseball card market landscape was changing. Really, the shift had begun a few years earlier. In 1988, new companies like Score were coming on board. In 1989, they were joined by Upper Deck and Topps' resurrection of the Bowman brand. Soon, it wasn't enough to simply have one brand as a baseball card manufacturer. Upper Deck had proved with its $1 … [Read more...] about 30 Years Ago, Fleer Broke Into the Premium Marketplace with Ultra
Card Back Q&A: Scott Elarton Talks J.R. Richard and Being Smartest Pitching Prospect
In our new series, we grab our 5,000 count boxes, open up those dusty albums, rifle through our complete sets, revisit our player stacks and simply flip over a ball player's trading cards and ask them to elaborate on some of the fun facts found on card backs. First up in the series is Scott Elarton. A few weeks ago, we chatted with him about some hobby-related topics but … [Read more...] about Card Back Q&A: Scott Elarton Talks J.R. Richard and Being Smartest Pitching Prospect
Popular Michael Jordan Baseball Cards Remain Mostly Cheap
Michael Jordan basketball cards are among the hottest collectibles in the market right now. But Jordan also has several baseball cards thanks mostly to a brief professional stint in the minor leagues with the Chicago White Sox. Jordan played in 127 games for the 1994 Birmingham Barons, stealing 30 bases in 48 attempts and driving in 51 runs but with slugging and on-base … [Read more...] about Popular Michael Jordan Baseball Cards Remain Mostly Cheap
Rookie Card Booms and Busts From 1990
1990 ushered in a whole new decade with all sorts of collecting trends. Most notably was the emergence of inserts and chase cards as manufacturers really began to prioritize 'hits' through wax packs. Inserts, autographs, parallels, and game used cards sort of took center stage as collectors became more and more fascinated with these non-base cards in unopened products. But … [Read more...] about Rookie Card Booms and Busts From 1990
5 Top Larry Walker Rookie Cards
Larry Walker once famously tagged up and ran from first to third on a fly ball when he was a minor leaguer. As a major leaguer, he handed a baseball to a young fan, believing his catch was the third out of an inning during a 1994 game. It wasn’t. Those mistakes were few and far between. On Tuesday, Walker became the second native-born Canadian to be elected to the Baseball … [Read more...] about 5 Top Larry Walker Rookie Cards
1990 Saw Debut of Unopened Traded Card Packs
By 1990, Topps had been issuing traded cards at the end of the baseball season for many years. But that year, the company tried a new innovation -- making those cards available in unopened packs. That might not seem like a bit deal these days. After all, traded and update cards have been available in unopened packs for some time now. In fact, many younger collectors probably … [Read more...] about 1990 Saw Debut of Unopened Traded Card Packs