Baseball cards in 1981 entered a new era. Competition was alive and well again, and it was important for Topps to produce a product that would be superior to longtime rival Fleer and newcomer Donruss. It was a turbulent time for Topps as it ended a long and winding legal road. That led to competition from the other two companies, but it also spurred Topps to produce a … [Read more...]
Raines Puts Expos Back on Topps as Beltre Gets NOW Card, Autograph Deal
It was a busy morning for the Topps NOW crew. The company cranked out ten new cards by early afternoon, including individual cards for the three newest Hall of Famers and other issues commemorative the latest member of the 3,000 hit club. Tim Raines, Jeff Bagwell and Ivan Rodriguez are featured on base cards with photos from Sunday's induction ceremony at Cooperstown. … [Read more...]
Hall Calls 3: The Market for Raines, Bagwell, Rodriguez
If you collect Hall of Fame rookie cards, adding the members of the 2017 class isn’t going to break the bank. If you collect autographed baseballs, the price for Tim Raines, Jeff Bagwell and Ivan Rodriguez is about to go up. Such is life for collectors in the wake of Wednesday’s news that the 2017 Hall of Fame Induction ceremony will feature three players—and just … [Read more...]
7 Fun, Early Tim Raines Baseball Cards
He owns 2,605 career hits, more career stolen bases than all but three players (all of whom are in the Hall of Fame) and batted .300 or better five times. 2017 will go down as the year Tim Raines was finally recognized as one of the game's true greats. In honor of his seven consecutive All-Star selections from 1981-87, here are seven worthwhile Tim Raines baseball … [Read more...]
1981 Topps Traded Introduced Mainstream Update Sets
Nowadays, traded and update sets are a popular staple of card collecting for most brands. That, however, wasn't always the case. Until the 1981 Topps Traded set was produced, collectors were forced to wait later to acquire cards of newly-traded players and individual cards of rookies. 1981 Topps Traded Introduction Topps actually introduced the idea of traded cards in the … [Read more...]
5 Underrated 1981 Donruss Baseball Cards
In 1981, Donruss and Fleer gave Topps some much-needed competition. Having earned the right to produce baseball cards in a court case with Topps, the 1981 Donruss set became the company's first baseball offering. There were tons of errors, collation inside boxes was hit and miss (mostly miss) and the cards were printed on a cheap, thin stock that sometimes stuck … [Read more...]
10 Underrated Baseball Rookie Cards of the 1980s
The baseball card hobby exploded during the 1980s, and nothing was hotter during the decade than the rookie card of the latest phenom. While the sets of the era are home to the debut issues of many Hall of Famers, plenty of other "budding superstars" fizzled out on the road to Cooperstown. In between is a group of players who put together stellar careers but who have slid in … [Read more...]
2012 Hall of Fame Election: Any Impact on Cards, Autos?
If you’ve been stockpiling rookie cards and autographs of this year’s potential Hall of Famers, you’ve got some courage. The 2012 BBWAA ballot features 27 players, including 13 new candidates and 14 returnees, none of which probably deserves the “legendary” label often applied to Hall of Famers. In fact, in recent years, the ballot has been devoid of huge star power. Bert … [Read more...]