Reliving 1980s Baseball

[Buccaneer]

We all know that 1980s baseball was an interesting period (and that nearly all of the 1980s cards are worthless), so here's a site I ran across that makes fun of the players and the cards. Enjoy.

http://www.joesportsfan.com/CardCollection.html

[Dutch]

That's a great find, Bucc. Good stuff. I might have all of those worthless baseball cards. :)

[sovereignstar]

I just found a 90 Topps card.. what the fuck man?!!

[cuervo72]

Hahaha, the comment on the Laga airbrushed jersey is great.

[Buccaneer]

"Worthless" is an understatement. Remember those factory sets from the late 80s that you and I (ok, just I) bought for $15-20 back then? Last week, I put most of what I had of those sets and wax boxes for sale on eBay just so I can get them out of my closet (normally I sell vintage stuff but what the hell..). Well, I was lucky to get $0.99 for most of them. I had one lot of three sets: 88 Topps, 88 Score and 88 Fleer that went for that amount. I even lost money on charging $12 shipping. Now I think I would have been better off donating them and getting the tax deductable. (For what it's worth, what I got up on eBay this week will knock your socks off. )

My favorite comment on the Worthless site was:

When asked about his pre-game ritual of spitting out sunflower seeds and swatting at them with his bat, Rodney Scott responded “I have no clue where I am right now.”

[cuervo72]

Um, link?

[cthomer5000]

Lenn Sakata become a Baltimore folk hero when he set the Orioles clubhouse record on both Dig Dug and Galaga during a single rain delay in 1985.

LOL... so good.

[Buccaneer]

Sakata did look like he was 11.

[Buccaneer]

By the way, I know I'm getting old but I don't recall the Pirates stovepipe caps. Were they that bad?

[clintl]

I think John Henry Johnson was the first guy from the town I grew up in to make the major leagues.

[clintl]

By the way, I know I'm getting old but I don't recall the Pirates stovepipe caps. Were they that bad?

Yes, they were, and the rest of the uniform from that era was even worse. But not quite so bad as those yellow Padres uniforms from the '70s.

[cuervo72]

Kent Tekulve in his pillbox hat was a sight to behold.

[Schmidty]

I miss Sparky, and it makes me sick to see Willie Hernadez in a Cubs uniform.

Thanks for bringing me down, Buc. I miss the '80s. :(

[Buccaneer]

Yes, they were, and the rest of the uniform from that era was even worse. But not quite so bad as those yellow Padres uniforms from the '70s.

That's why I don't buy they argument about 70s baseball being tainted because of the greenies. I recall that it was like a men's rec league - overweight guys in outlandish softball uniforms. But I can't ridicule the Pads uniform that much because of all of the games I saw them when I was living there in the 70s and 80s. At least they had some semblance of historicalness.

[Schmidty]

The Lee Tunnel one was AWESOME.

[Desmond]

Normal looking people who were just good at what they did. I miss the 80's.
And those Padres uniforms were sweeet.

[Buccaneer]

Um, link?

Check your PM.

[cuervo72]

Danke. And here I am, stuck with the ugly cards from 1986.

[Buccaneer]

Danke. And here I am, stuck with the ugly cards from 1986.

Actually, of all of the cards during the garbage years (mid 80s to early 90s), 1986 Topps have a little bit of a resurgent. The reason is the black borders on the top part can be hard on grades and "perfectness" is the only that matters nowadays for modern cards. The same thing holds true for 1987 Donruss with their all black borders. I sold a 86T wax box last week for $14.50 and that's really good considering a 87T or 88T wax box will go for $1-2, if that.

[Pumpy Tudors]

Upon my first glance at the site, I was hoping for a Steve Jeltz Jheri curl reference, and it did not disappoint. :D

[st.cronin]

Steve Jeltz

The MOST under-rated player of ALL time.

[sovereignstar]

Maybe the most underrated player born in France.

[Swaggs]

Takes me back. :)

[Desmond]

Needs more Ivan DeJesus.

[Hurst2112]

I was so giddy when I got that 86 Topps series for xmas. that was 20 years ago and I still have it.

(worthless piece of shit):D

[Hurst2112]

holy shit!

Larry McWilliams...

Didn't he have that bizzare wind up? All contorted and stuff. Worse than Nomo.

Also, I always thought Quisenberry's side (or 3/4?) arm looked cool. Had a bunch of his cards for that reason.

[cuervo72]

Nino Espinoza is another good one.

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/pics/nino_espinosa_autograph.jpghttp://www.first-to-third.com/catalog/Oct23_67_NE_tn.jpg

So was Sid Monge for a while.

[Fouts]

Lenn Sakata become a Baltimore folk hero when he set the Orioles clubhouse record on both Dig Dug and Galaga during a single rain delay in 1985.

LOL... so good.


I must challenge Sakata to a Galaga duel!! 20 years later I can still put up the high score at the local scandia when I take my kids there. (Probably because most kids ignore it.)

Charlie Kerfield was a big guy, now we know why.

[PilotMan]

Porfirio Altamirano was a card that I always looked at a lot. I could never figure out how a guy with an ERA as low as his could not hit it big. Of course, I was 9 at the time. :)

84 Topps will always hold a special place for me. That was the first set that made me fall in love with baseball. And yes, I have about 20k cards from '84to '89.

I really liked the cards to read about the players and when they started to get expensive it just wasn't fun anymore.

Edit: For the life of me, I could never pronounce his name either!

[Fouts]

Baseball needs more mad hungarians.

[Bee]

Nino Espinoza is another good one.

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/pics/nino_espinosa_autograph.jpghttp://www.first-to-third.com/catalog/Oct23_67_NE_tn.jpg

So was Sid Monge for a while.

Those cards are from the late 70's right? I've got tons of cards that look like that and I'm pretty sure I stopped seriously collecting baseball cards around 1980 or so.

Are the cards from 75-79 worthless or are they worth trying to sort and sell?

[cuervo72]

Ok, technically those are, '79 and '78 I believe. Those are the first cards I actually can remember seeing - I started buying cards around at the corner deli in 1980, but a couple of kids in the neighborhood had cards from the couple of years prior.

Bucc probably knows better than I do, but I *think* cards (Topps, anyway) really got into the worthless area around 1986. Before that, I don't think the production run was quite as bad, and you had some notable cards in there. 1985 has the rookies for Clemens, Puckett, and McGwire (Olympic Team). Eric Davis used to be included in this list, once upon a time...I think that is worth more than 1984 (Don Mattingly, Strawberry [edit: I guess Straw was 83 Traded]), though I wouldn't say 84 is worthless by any means. 1983 has Boggs, Gwynn, Sandberg. 1982 has Ripken, 1981...well, 1981 wasn't too noteable. 1980 has Henderson. I think I got a 1980 set on eBay for like $40 though (thought that was a good price), so none of these are worth any *real* money (late 70s could be a couple hundred for a set, though something like NM Ozzie Smith rookie I assume could fetch more), but are worth a little at least.

[Buccaneer]

cuervo is right on. 75-79 cards are not bad by comparison but like everything else in the 70s (except 1971), they do have to be in really high grade to worth something. Most collectors are building sets in PSA 9 or 10 which translates to MINT and GEM MINT because PSA 9 can regularly sell for under $10 (for commons of course). 1977 and 1978 still have some demand and there is competition for those cards. By 1979 and into the 80s, it just becomes cherry pickings - picking out the stars and rookies. A couple of very highly graded rookies can sell for more than whole set in ungraded form. Late last year I sold some Boggs, Sandberg, Ripken and Gwynn, Clemens, McGwire in PSA 8 and 9 for $7-$30. And then certainly by 1987, that's when the garbage starts (not sure of what's really happening with 1986) and nothing is worth anything from then until the shiny shit cards started happening in 91 or 92.

[MikeVic]

Soo funny. I'm laughing at my desk here!

[korme]

I thought this was gonna be a discussion about 80s baseball... boo

[JeeberD]

There was a Chris Sabo card on that site. You should be happy, Shortstuff...

[rkmsuf]

I thought this was gonna be a discussion about 80s baseball... boo

Buc reminicing about 80s baseball is like you reminicing about how remember when Tampa Bay won the Super Bowl.

[korme]

Buc reminicing about 80s baseball is like you reminicing about how remember when Tampa Bay won the Super Bowl.

:D High comedy

[kcchief19]

That's why I don't buy they argument about 70s baseball being tainted because of the greenies. I recall that it was like a men's rec league - overweight guys in outlandish softball uniforms.
And shorts -- don't forget the shorts.


http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/exhibits/online_exhibits/dressed_to_the_nines/pictures/timeline_1976.jpg

The wild collars say, "I can't get enough of your love, baby, let's go back to my pad where it's nice and sexy," but the shorts say, "We'll have to wait for a ride until my mom picks me up."

[Wolverine]

That's great stuff. Definitely takes me back quite a few years. I find it all the more hilarious because I actually had an hour long conversation with Jim Leyland's brother last night. :D

[rkmsuf]

That's great stuff. Definitely takes me back quite a few years. I find it all the more hilarious because I actually had an hour long conversation with Jim Leyland's brother last night. :D


I porked Lee Tunnel's cousin.

[Ksyrup]

While packing for our move, I found cards I hadn't seen in years. For instance, I still had several Darryl Strawberry rookies in special plastic casings, and several unopened packs with Ben McDonald as the first card (you know, since he was guaranteed to be the next great pitcher!). I had a couple of years worth of basketball cards from the late 80s, too. Any idea how much David Robinson's rookie card is worth?

[Ksyrup]

I don't think I recall a guy named Razor Shines. I hope that was a nickname.

[Ksyrup]

OK, the site is funny and all, but it should be renamed Afros, Mustaches, and Big Glasses.

EDIT: to include mustaches.

[Ajaxab]

Ok, technically those are, '79 and '78 I believe. Those are the first cards I actually can remember seeing - I started buying cards around at the corner deli in 1980, but a couple of kids in the neighborhood had cards from the couple of years prior.

Bucc probably knows better than I do, but I *think* cards (Topps, anyway) really got into the worthless area around 1986.

Sadly, 1986 was precisely when I started collecting cards. That hobby lasted for six years. 20 years later I'm stuck with 15,000 darn near useless pieces of cardboard with Topps, Donruss, Fleer and Upper Deck on 'em.

[moriarty]

Damn, I did all my baseball card buying during the 80's. What a waste.

[SelzShoes]

I don't think I recall a guy named Razor Shines. I hope that was a nickname.
Ray Shines--I think he is managing Charlotte in AAA.

[Franklinnoble]

So, why exactly are 1980's cards so worthless?

[dawgfan]

Funny stuff. I started following baseball closely in the early '80's, so I remembered most of these guys. What's funny is being reminded just how much fashions have changed and how goofy most of these guys looked.

[bronconick]

So, why exactly are 1980's cards so worthless?
I think it's because there are enough copies of any 1980's card to give every man, woman, and child in America 20-25 of each player.

Before that, there weren't as many, and in the 90's and on (I think, I started in 1987 and quit in 1993ish) they came out with 15 different kinds of cards for each superstar, making some of the cards rare again.

[Franklinnoble]

Funny... I actually did some collecting in the 80's, and found it more enjoyable when they were easy to collect. When they started making the Upper Deck cards, and all of a sudden it seemed like there were a dozen baseball card companies out there, I got disinterested.

[Buccaneer]

I think it's because there are enough copies of any 1980's card to give every man, woman, and child in America 20-25 of each player.

Before that, there weren't as many, and in the 90's and on (I think, I started in 1987 and quit in 1993ish) they came out with 15 different kinds of cards for each superstar, making some of the cards rare again.

That's about right. My second hiatus from collecting was around 1990 when I moved to Colorado. Unfortunately (for many reasons) I lived in Kentucky in the late 1980s and that was when I worked in my spare time at a card shop. One of the problems was that I wasn't smart enough to spend on the high quality vintage cards that I saw but spent way too much on the new junk - which were so overproduced that we could have ordered 1987 cases for $95...in 1989. By 1990, UD, Score and Bowman had made their appearances and on the horizon there were talk about many other companies joining in (I forgot why).

Because of the overproduction, demand actually softened. That led to the idea of artificial rarities and scarcities to get demand back up. That is still with us today and it is shameful because it has turned adults and kids in lottery pickers (going through the packs to find the one insert and throwing the rest away).

It did work from a sales and marketing standpoint but it turned off a lot of traditional collectors, as well as many kids. The reason is that it is the adults that are primarily snatching up the newer shit (at $3/pack), putting high price tags on them and leaving the kids behind or disinterested.

That is why the madness has stopped somewhat this year when Donruss and Fleer are gone from baseball and MLB restricting how rookie cards should be producted. Maybe that'll bring some sanity back in but fortunately we will never see the vast overproduction of the mid-80s to early-90s again.

[PilotMan]

That's about right. My second hiatus from collecting was around 1990 when I moved to Colorado. Unfortunately (for many reasons) I lived in Kentucky in the late 1980s and that was when I worked in my spare time at a card shop. One of the problems was that I wasn't smart enough to spend on the high quality vintage cards that I saw but spent way too much on the new junk - which were so overproduced that we could have ordered 1987 cases for $95...in 1989. By 1990, UD, Score and Bowman had made their appearances and on the horizon there were talk about many other companies joining in (I forgot why).

Because of the overproduction, demand actually softened. That led to the idea of artificial rarities and scarcities to get demand back up. That is still with us today and it is shameful because it has turned adults and kids in lottery pickers (going through the packs to find the one insert and throwing the rest away).

It did work from a sales and marketing standpoint but it turned off a lot of traditional collectors, as well as many kids. The reason is that it is the adults that are primarily snatching up the newer shit (at $3/pack), putting high price tags on them and leaving the kids behind or disinterested.

That is why the madness has stopped somewhat this year when Donruss and Fleer are gone from baseball and MLB restricting how rookie cards should be producted. Maybe that'll bring some sanity back in but fortunately we will never see the vast overproduction of the mid-80s to early-90s again.

/me is sentimental.

*sniff*