Hey everyone. It is winter, and with few fishing opportunities locally besides catfish, I am trying a new venture. During the pandemic I started collecting baseball cards again, with a goal of getting at least one card for every hall of famer who has a card in the "wax pack era" ranging from 1952 to when I stopped collecting as a kid, 1992. I ended up getting every one except for a Jackie Robinson or a 1953 Topps Satchel Paige. But, more than the value of the cards, I like the history of sports. And, when you reach a certain age, there is a power in nostalgia.
So, I have started up an Instagram account @frenchsjunkwaxmemories. The plan is to do one video a day, looking back at some of my cards and telling stories (either a little bit about what I remember about a player, either by watching or by reading about him in library books, or about how I got the card.) Most of the focus will be on my peak window of collecting (cards from the late 80s and very early 90s), while mixing in some vintage cards along with some football, basketball, and hockey. If you are into collecting, feel free to follow.
It is crazy to think, I opened my first pack of cards (86 Topps) in May of 1986. It has been almost 38 years. Meanwhile on the same day I opened my first pack, I was only 34 years removed from those first Mickey Mantle 1952 Topps being put in the spokes of bicycles.
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This is awesome! As someone who collected around that time frame, and who just recently downloaded Instagram, I'll give a follow. I collected for the pure joy of pulling someone from my favorite team (Orioles). It really paid off a few years ago when, while living in Germany, Randy Johnson came on a tour of bases and I was able to get my picture taken with him with the oldest card I could find of him, a 1990 Topps, getting signed. Great memory!
Big trade today for the O's. At my peak fandom, the Orioles were really bad. (Ripken surrounded by Larry Sheets and Mike Boddicker.) I rarely saw them on TV other than Cal at the All Star Game.
Was there right with you. I would watch games as often as I could, regardless of how bad they were. And you can't mention O's and trade without me immediately thinking of the Glenn Davis trade which I remember hating at the time. Still makes me shudder thinking of the talent that was traded for him. But Cal Ripken was my idol growing up, always trying to wear #8 when I played in my glorious beer league softball teams
Access to games were a big deal to me. I was a Yankees fan as a kid, primarily because of a voracious school and public library reading habit. Don Mattingly was my guy. We didn't have cable, so I got to see him in the All Star Game, NBC Game of the Week, and maybe twice a year when ABC did the Monday Night Baseball specials. That was must watch TV for me.
My only regular team access was through a UHF station: WETO39 from Greeneville TN. Later it became a Fox affiliate, but while it was an independent, we got Reds baseball. I got a ton of those late 80s Reds (Eric Davis, Dave Parker, Tom Browning, Buddy Bell, early Barry Larkin, Paul O'Neil and Chris Sabo.) Davis (who was unbelievable but always hurt) was my little brother's favorite player, and I wore weedeater safety glasses once to little league to emulate Sabo. Then we lost the coverage right when the Reds hired Lou Piniella, and sure enough they became a World Series winner.
For me it was 78 Topps, I think (i have some 78 in my collection so I am assuming those were the first cards my parents bought me). I briefly started ripping packs again in 2021 but quickly realized the way sets are created today is just way too gimmicky. I picked up a few vintage cards of favorite players but the reality is that I just don't get a lot of satisfaction looking at an $80 card. I won't liquidate my collection but I doubt I'll purchase more cards.
I have a good group of 1978 Topps, although most were pandemic purchases and not stuff I got as a kid. I read the Bronx is Burning, so those 77-78 Yankees team are fascinating to me. It is funny that the guy Billy Martin disliked and distrusted the most (Reggie) pretty much is the only guy who made the Hall out of that core group (unless you count Gossage, who wasn't as good as Sparky Lyle was in 77.) Catfish Hunter's arm was toast, and unless I am forgetting someone he was the only other guy. The rest were all really smart, tough baseball players who understood the importance of situational play (Munson, Nettles, Randolph, Rivers, Chambliss, Pinella, Paul Blair) and good pitching (Hunter, Torrez, Gullett, Guidry.)
I agree on collecting the current product. The volume of offerings, the rare high value inserts, etc. seems to have priced out kids and the people who just want to get cards for their favorite players. Packs are insanely expensive. There was nothing like getting a 40 cent pack of cards as a kid. It felt attainable and made the game accessible. That was what I liked.
https://www.instagram.com/frenchsjunkwaxmemories/?igsh=MXhxOWgwdG9tNHVjM...
if anyone would like to follow and talk baseball/football/basketball/hockey card collecting, especially stuff from the 80s and 90s.
My mother-in-law owns the 10th Inning in Hampton. No idea what they have in inventory, but if there's a particular card you want, let me know and I'll ask.
I will check it out. At this point, I have got almost every card that I want other than two cards that would be Cadillac purchases. This project is as much about creating provenance for my step son and nephew when they inherit these some day.
Good luck French- this thread brings memories of one of my architecture fraternity brothers, Kim Clark (probably graduated tech around '82 or '83), who was somewhat of a mentor to me, and who owned a baseball card shop in Roanoake in the 90's and 00's. Sadly he passed away about 10 years ago from cancer. (FUCK YOU CANCER). Although baseball cards have never been a thing for me, thanks for stirring some fond memories of Kim.
Knowing you are(were) in the Richmond area, Sports Gear in Brandermill (Brad McNear Pkwy) has some packs of the 1991-92 Topps Stadium Club hockey set along with packs from the 1992 Donruss Triple Play set. Granted, they're about 4 packs lighter on the Stadium Club packs now after my last couple trips.
I went to a pawnshop in Lakeside and they had a boatload of 1990 Score Hockey. I grabbed a bunch of packs for a $1 a pack. I should have cleared out the box.