Ranking the 13 best sets of the Junk Wax Era of baseball cards | Sporting News KAN MIN 1:10p -250 BAL DET 3:40p -127 CHC MIA 3:40p -120 PIT WAS 4:05p The following year, he made his major league debut, and his rookie card was included in the 1993 SP set. Even some cards in the 19851995 junk wax period, when the card industry pumped out millions more cards than anyone wanted, are valuable. He was voted Most Likely To Sell You a Timeshare. Earlier that day, in homeroom, Rivera was quoted as saying, Good morning, Miss Martinez. If theyre from this era, probably not much, A Mickey Mantle baseball card is selling for more than $10 million, PSA value of $360,000 for a condition grade of 10, The 12 most iconic (and valuable) rookie cards from baseballs junk wax era, 30 Standout Baseball Cards from the Junk Wax Era, Deseret News Week 37 high school star athletes of the week, The list of departures only continues to grow for Utah State, 3 Utah Jazz players, 3 former Utah college players make The Ringers list of 150 best NBA players, What to make of Kody Epps 11th-hour move, Grading the Jazz: Kelly Olynyk proved he has something left in the tank. In all, there were 133 pins/buttons issued, so youd need to buy at least two boxes to get the full set (which you could also buy all at once from dealers, then and now). I believe my 1984 set was made from those cards. The Rated Rookie subset first came out in 1985 and this logo became as iconic and important to the industry as the Topps All-Star Rookie Cup that debuted 25 years earlier. Baseball cards have been around for more than a century, and the hobby has seen a spike in collecting in the last few years. Or maybe the Willie Stargell rookie? Apparently, thats how Topps felt in 1984. Henderson's legendary career is attributed to his status as one of the greatest base stealers in baseball history. The Yankees drafted Jeter in 1992. Top 30 Most Valuable Football Cards From the Junk Wax Era As in, that lot is one pack shy of three boxes. (My other Mount Rushmore baseball cards? Its a moot point for me, because how could I ever even dream of opening those beautiful, perfect boxes?? I always loved previews of what was to come, so I thought Id start sharing those with you here! Can you imagine the White Sox offense with both Sosa and The Big Hurt throughout the decade? (Take it from someone who bought a lot of baseball cards during those years there were all kinds of options at the gas stations. Older entries below are some awesome unopened lots from years gone by. Thats what Fun Foods was counting on when they issued their set of 133 Major League buttons in 1984. Instead, the Big Unit took his talents to USC for a few years and the Expos eventually drafted him in the 1985 MLB Draft. All told, there were 112,500 Elite cards. Since rookie cards are generally considered the most valuable for any given player, Griffey cards are relatively affordable because of this era. Thanks to the Internet and thanks especially to shopping websites like eBay and Amazon, we can find most of the cards we dreamed about as kids just about any time we want. If youre a baseball card collector, dont miss our comprehensive guide to the Most Valuable 1973 Topps Baseball, Read More 15 Most Valuable 1973 Topps Baseball CardsContinue, Are you a sports card collector looking to add to your collection? Is This A New Junk Wax Era? - CardLines.com PSA 1.5 graded card was last sold for $3,000 on February 2023. Also, a better Hall of Fame candidate than Jack Morris. While many cards from this era are not particularly valuable, there are some notable exceptions. 10. The one-of-one 2009 Trout Superfractor has already been pulled, and it infamously sold for $3.9 million in 2020, making it the most expensive baseball card of the modern era. 9. But 1987 Fleer baseball was about as plentiful as summer days in Pittsburgh without a Barry Bonds scowl. Heads Up Baseball Stars. (8/26/2018), 10 Christmas Gifts Any 1980s Baseball Card Collector Will Love, Top 12 Places to Buy (or Sell!) The main cards in the set Thats because theyre part of the Pitch, Hit, & Run series that features a Burger King logo on card fronts. The 1990 Skybox Michael Jordan #41 appears in series 1 and 2, along with other notable hall of fame players. PSA 10 graded card was last sold for $8,000 on March 2023. Burger King cards have caused confusion in the hobby for 40 years or more because, generally speaking, they look just like base Topps cards from the same year but with subtle differences. When Fleer finally won the right to produce baseball cards in 1980 after decades of struggle, they wanted to make sure collectors knew they were here to stay. For those who have their own boxes of baseball cards stored away and are hoping for a payday, be aware that there is an era of baseball cards that is particularly not valuable. While his SP card is considered Jeters top rookie, Im still a bigger fan of the look (and price) of this version. The problem was that it was the early 1990s, right in the middle of what became known among baseball card collectors as the junk wax era. But these cards arent all football, and they dont tilt toward the later Junk Wax years of the run, at least not by much. You can buy one right now on eBay. Its the stuff from which collections and lifetime cardboard connections are made! Here is a list of five of the most expensive baseball card boxes to date. On the front, you have Dave Goltz, who was a pretty good pitcher for awhile and also played Ralph the Doorman on The Jeffersons. Even I, as jaded and homerish as I am, can admit the 1985 Donruss Pete Rose Expos card doesnt look all that bad from an aesthetic point of view. PSA 10 graded card was last sold for $1,900 on March 2021. Cards from the 60s and 70s were starting to appreciate in value as card collectors began to appreciate in age and look back fondly on their own childhoods. The card was produced in limited numbers, with only 241 copies ever made. Because that year, if you bought specially marked containers of Mrs. Butterworths syrup, you also got three 1980 Topps baseball cards PLUS ALL TIME RECORDS all packed in a handy cellophane package. Also, note that these listings contain affiliate links, which means if you click over to eBay or Amazon and buy something, Ill receive a small commission at no extra charge to you. I mean, theyre black-and-white, sure, but big. 1985 Topps Rack Packs are not, technically speaking, This lot offers up twenty (20) 1985 Rack Packs with stars on front(. Can you feel those old dreams stirring? WebJunkWaxCards.com is your global source for sports cards, gaming, and hobby supplies operating for over 10 years. A Google search will deliver several articles and videos on Junk Wax Era cards that have value. So, yeah, lots like this one four unopened boxes of 1987 Donruss wax packs make my old man heart go pitter-patter and leaves me with drool pooled at my feet. Interestingly enough, there are not many notable rookie cards in the 4th series (or high number series). Hitters entering their prime years (ages 26 and 27) often portend a breakout season in fantasy, which also makes them good buys before the season in collecting. So, in one fell swoop, you get moisture for your cakes, vintage cardboard, and coverage for the front of your rotation and the back of your bullpen. Its an age-old problem in this hobby you find a pile of unopened baseball card packs and you want to buy one and tear into it in the hopes that youll find something great like a Greg Gross rookie or Glenn Hubbards snake. But Maddux won four Cy Young Awards and dominated the 90s, more than half of which came when offenses were exploding. Its another strong pick from the junk wax era, and the French version vastly exceeds the value of the typical US UD card. 1994 Alex Rodriguez SP Foil Rookie Card #15. The set proved to be popular, so Topps continued it in 1982. After all, 1981 had been a rough year for the first-time cardmaker, from losing their right to sell gum with their cards to, well, the cards themselves. WebRecently, I came across an advertisement by a company called 49er Headquarters, who, by 1993, seemed to be holding a decent amount of rare and/or hard to find Pro Set items: The hobby was never the same, for better or for worse. There were three kinds of collectors in the early spring of 1987 those who had access to 1987 Fleer baseball cards, those who had access to 1987 Donruss baseball cards, and (mostly) those who had access to neither 1987 Fleer nor 1987 Donruss baseball cards. The SP Foil set was a limited edition run, with only 5,000 copies of the Rodriguez card printed. For that reason, there are a lot of cards out there from this era, which makes them relatively cheap. On the back, you have the small-man All-Stars. Did you know the Atlanta Braves drafted Randy Johnson in the 1982 MLB Draft? | We accept American Express, Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and More. PSA 10 graded card was last sold for $3,280 on March 2023. Who do you like? Among collectors, its fairly common knowledge that there are certain individual baseball cards that are worth a fortune, such as the iconic 1909 T206 Honus Wagner, the legendary 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth, or the glorious 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle. Its the most ever paid for any sports item, card or memorabilia, according to ESPN. ), 3. Damon was a fan favorite, a fantasy favorite and a hobby favorite. Upper Deck shook up the collecting world with improved glossy card stock, inserts worth chasing, counterfeit-defying holograms and foil wrappers instead of wax, Gonos wrote. So, when the Seattle Mariners Ken Griffey Jr. with the first pick of the 1987draft, the results were predictable , The first-ever Upper Deck baseball card (Non-Salesman Sample Division) . And, well, deckled. Rookie Card #220, 2. In his run-up to the record, all of Roses cards jumped up in demand and value, and he was arguably the hottest of all non-rookie players all across the land. As soon as you pick it up, the contents inside slide shift, just a little, and you know whats inside a folded up rack pack of baseball cards! ), See the full listing on eBay (affiliate link). Sosas controversial PED allegations, along with his denials and subsequent weirdness when the public wanted answers, tainted his legacy. At the same time, Fleer and Donruss had overcome their early growing pains to leapfrog over Topps in terms of card quality and values. Or maybe it was the folks at Mrs. Butterworths. You scoured the pages of Baseball Cards and Sports Collectors Digest waiting for word of any new releases, and then you planned your life around getting your hands on some. The box and packs are nice display pieces in themselves, and they showcase three of the sets All-Star/Hall of Fame denizens in Jim Rice, George Brett, and Fernando Valenzuela. Hes upside down, too. And so does the Will Clark rookie card, one of the iconic images of the decade. In the third panel is Buddy Schultz. They often have fuzzy corners and creases, and, somehow, about a third of the 1982 Fleers Ive ever encountered have marker marks on them. If it werent for an all-time great Topps issue that spring, the 1983 Fleer set would have been at the top of the heap upgraded brown-gray borders, Super Star Specials, copious stats on card backs, and oooooooooophotos on card backs. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. RC in 2019 Topps Archives. Oh, and Reggie Jackson, Robin Yount, Gwynn, and Boggs. And, finally, Rob Picciolo wasnt small at all, but his name is really close to piccolo, which is like a small flute. unopened 1982 Fleer cello packs. As a kid collector from the 1980s, this type of post does strike a chord with me! The challenge is keeping those boxes sealed over time and fending off that deep temptation to rip and pull one or more of the next generations most valuable baseball cards. If you love oddball baseball cards, the 1980s were the decade for you. That can be good or bad, depending on the blackness or redness of said organ, and on the context. Fuzzy up the photos just a bit because the sharpness of the 1983s was too much for the human eye to withstand. While their values may fluctuate over time, their place in the history of baseball and the world of sports trading cards is secure. Round, enameled, bright colored borders, full color photos, baseballs biggest stars these babies are great! The design was just so-so, for one thing. Anyway, how cool would it be to have a big ol cutout of Ken Griffey Jr.s head suction-cupped inside your locker? They dont fit well with other cards from a size perspective, theyre not beautiful, and you hardly ever hear anyone clamoring for them. If you grew up collecting cards in the 1970s or 1980s, this thing will take you back like that! Topps released it as part of their 1990 set, which included a subset of cards featuring famous people. These iconic players dominated the court from Michael, Read More 15 Most Valuable Basketball Cards 1990s for InvestmentContinue, Learn everything you need to know about Pokmon card grading with our guide. So, while this 1984 Topps rack pack with a Mattingly rookie on top doesnt hold quite the hobby sway that a Donruss version would, its still an awesome artifact from one of the great runs in hobby history. Someone is gonna have a lot of fun, in other words, and maybe feel just a little younger in the process. This card sold for $12.6 million at auction on Sunday. 1987 Topps Tiffany Barry Bonds rookie card #320, 9. Its all fiction. Since this was on the low end of production runs, its a little unfair to have this rank alongside these other junk wax cards, but here it is. ), Danny Cox, and Gary Pettis. You can relive the thrill of discovering those gorgeous cards all those many springs ago with this pristine cello pack featuring Hall of Famer on the front and Pedro Guerrero always in the discussion about best players in the game back in those days on the back. Web1990 score football series 2 most valuable cards. Maddux was the best pitcher of the past 50 years. While the 1985 Donruss set may not have one signature card that defined a whole hobby era, like the 84D Mattingly above, this set is loaded with big-name rookies . PSA 10 graded card was last sold for $1,930 on March 2023. The world of sports trading cards has seen many valuable cards over the years, but some of the most valuable cards come from the 80s and 90s. 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth, 1949 Leaf Jackie Robinson and 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle and I want to know who would make your hobby post-2000 Mount Rushmore in the comments section! Why is the Junk Wax Era considered the Dark Age of Baseball Card Manufacturing? You could see three players on the front and three players stats on the back. How Junky was the Junk Wax Era While his 1992 Bowman rookie is one of the iconic cards of the 1990s, it's actually his 1992 Fleer Update card that earns a spot on this most valuable list. Archives. You can buy them for pennies or less under circumstances like this. This eBay lot gives you 72 chances two full wax boxes for you to let 1981 Fleer Star Stickers get stuck on you. Especially one from the 1970s? The Mantle card reportedly came from a trove of untouched 1952 Topps baseball cards found in a basement, according to ESPN. For arguments sake, were going to use pricing based on PSAs Price Guide.