Category: Hobbies

I had to take my oldest daughter to school earlier this week because my youngest was sick. I don’t go to the school much anymore because Mrs. Dub takes her in the morning. But as I was passing one of the Primary Schools, for some reason I really noticed the bright plastic playground this time. This is a school that she had gone to before and I’ve been there a hundred times, but this time, it stuck out. I noticed how “safe” the playground looked and it made me think about my old playgrounds from the 80’s. Not that I want my kids playing in a minefield; it just took me back to the days of my childhood playgrounds and all the wild times I had.

Let’s be perfectly clear; I am an advocate for playground safety. Anyone who knows me will tell you that I go a little overboard when it comes to trying to protect my kids from getting hurt. But I think we (70’s-80’s kids) would have gotten bored pretty quickly with the playgrounds of today. Kids today have pocket video games, movies on iPads, and so many other ways to keep them entertained. In 1983, my entertainment came from trying to survive playground equipment made from steel and welded metal that would make Lord Humungus from “The Road Warrior” proud.

Let’s start with everybody’s favorite, the Metal Slide! There are several red flags here, so I will just rattle these off in no particular order. First, these slides were higher and steeper than any slide you will find today. They were also made out of a shiny material that could reach just below a melting point on a warm South Georgia afternoon (keep in mind that shorts were pretty short back then). So first, you had to climb this behemoth. Then, you had to mentally prepare yourself for the possible second degree burns you would receive on the back of your thighs. Perhaps the only saving grace for the heat of the slide was the otherworldly speed you could attain on this slick beast. If you were wearing the right fabric, you could be down the slide faster than if you actually fell off it. This created its own set of hazards; such as a proper landing, which was akin to a running stop if you could manage to land on your feet.

If heights weren’t your thing, you could challenge the old rusty Merry-Go-Round. I’ve never been a huge Merry-Go-Round guy because of the nausea it would cause when I would spin in a circle too fast. I do remember sitting in the middle of this death trap a few times while several of my friends would spin it as fast as possible to see who could stay on the longest. If you left the safety of the center because your stomach couldn’t take it, you risked getting pounded by the metal poles that were used to properly hang on. And once you were ping ponged through those, you were looking at a pretty nasty landing on the ground. Finally, you had to stay in the prone position where you landed to let the earth stop moving so your mangled equilibrium didn’t force you right back into this spinning contraption!

Some playgrounds had “The Rocket”, or some version of it. We didn’t have this exact model but it was similar. Look at the kids on this and you can surmise that this was about 30 feet tall, with the ability to climb almost all the way to the top of it on a steel ladder. While the height and potential for falling and smacking several floors of metal were enough to make this a disaster in waiting, they had the nerve  to add on something we discussed in the beginning; the metal slide, but with a much higher landing platform.

Now we are starting to get into some of the stuff that was really rough. This version of the Monkey Bars was pretty tame to what I will close with but it still had a lot of potential for injury. If kids just climbed the ladder and tried to swing from one end to the other, this wasn’t so bad. But when we were in 6^th grade, we would climb to the very top and try to sit and walk on the bars, above where it was actually intended to be enjoyed. In fact, I was sitting on the top of one of these on that fateful Valentine’s Day that my girlfriend (ex) threw a teddy bear in a mud puddle and rifled it at me in a fit of rage. But we have discussed this on the blog somewhere before so I won’t dredge up the details of that for this post.

Even the basic Swing Set could be quite an unforgiving device under the right circumstances. First off, just like the metal slide, this was much higher than the swings you’ll find today. We had the ability to reach tremendous heights with these swings. The seats were a hard rubber that would flex and were connected with a thick metal chain. If you were taller, you could roll the seat over a few times and it would shorten the chain so your feet wouldn’t drag the ground and slow you down. This swing set was all about the dismount though. Who could fly the highest and farthest? And there was also a high stakes game of “dodge’em” that we played that was epic. We would fill the full 8 person set with people swinging at various intervals. Then, one unlucky kid would attempt to run from one center pole to the other without being creamed, all while trying to be the fastest time. There were some NASCAR style collisions in this game!

Finally, the most deadly apparatus of them all, the Jungle Gym style Monkey Bars. Who in the world thought up this apparatus and how many years in prison did they eventually get? We had a version that looked exactly like this on the 3^rd grade playground and I saw more than my fair share of kids who fell off of it. The height was one thing to overcome as an 8 year old but if you fell in the middle, you ran the risk of clanking every rung on the way down. It gives a real meaning to “fell out of the tree and hit every limb on the way down”. In hindsight, nothing good could’ve come from us playing on this. There was nothing to gain from conquering this monster but there was a lot to lose;including teeth, blood, and dignity.

I was overjoyed when I was introduced to this piece of playground equipment. There was still a risk of injury but it was easily the most fun I had ever had at school. The heat didn’t bother us, bugs were an afterthought, and you could always find chicks standing around watching so it was the perfect place to try to impress somebody. We would eventually move on to fancier goals and equipment over time but I still remember the old rusty goal on the 5^th grade playground where I honed my jump shot. The worst days were the days after a good rain because the court was just a big puddle and we had to resort to other activities. I have a lot of fond memories of playing basketball in school when I was a kid.

As a part of those fond memories, I also harken back to certain basketball sets of my youth. I’m talking about sets that had some of the greatest players in the history of the game; 1989 Fleer, 1990 Hoops, 1991 Skybox, and of course, 90’s Topps. These were some of my favorite sets because I was only 9 when 1986 Fleer was out and by the time I had reached an age where I could fully appreciate the hobby, that particular set had really blossomed into a higher end set for rich kids. I still don’t own a 1986 Michael Jordan RC but I will one day, mark it down! I do own some 1990 Fleer Jordan’s and that is what we are reviewing today.

1990 Fleer had a really clean design, much like 1990 Baseball. While the Baseball set is not looked back on too fondly, the same can’t be said for the basketball release. It is still very popular among collectors.

The backs of Fleer in the 80’s and early 90’s were very recognizable with the alternating bland colors. I don’t mind these backs though because they provide a lot of information.

Another extreme positive of this set is that it is loaded with players that were included in the NBA’s Top 50 Players that was unveiled in 1996 at the All-Star Game.

Reggie Lewis did not get to fulfill the career that he began in such superstar fashion. I was a big fan and he will always be one of those “where were you when” type of players. When he passed away in 1993, I was at a church summer camp, playing basketball myself. I really wish we could have seen Reggie play a full career.

Another one of “my guys” back in the 90’s was Manute Bol. I still remember the game where he drained SIX 3-pointers in one half! In 1993, as a member of the 76’ers, Manute went 6-12 on his 3-pointers and was a fan favorite for me from then on.

A lot of modern collectors may not remember this Rodman. Before he was tatted up, wearing wedding dresses, and dating Carmen Electra; he was a fairly normal dude with his appearance. He still liked to mix it up quite a bit, but who didn’t in Detroit?!

This card captured the patented Patrick Ewing one hand dunk. He did this dunk so many times. He was really a stud but his teams always ran into a buzz saw from Chicago in the playoffs. Then one year, they had an amazing chance at a Championship berth but Ewing blew a very makeable layup against the Pacers in 1995. I felt horrible for Ewing at the end of that game!

A lot of modern fans think of Charles Barkley as the outspoken, hefty, announcer on TNT these days. In fact, Draymond Green doesn’t even give him the respect he deserves. In the 90’s, Barkley was a tremendous athlete who dominated the boards and has a highlight reel that Draymond Green can only wish he had!

One of my all-time favorite players was Akeem Olajuwon, who would later become Hakeem Olajuwon. The “Dream Shake” was one of the deadliest moves for a big man during that era. If you enjoyed good basketball and liked players who did the talking with their abilities, there was no way you couldn’t like The Dream!

Another super athletic center that did his talking on the court was David Robinson, “The Admiral”. Another favorite of mine, The Admiral was a tremendous scorer and defender and was later complimented by Tim Duncan, as they became Champs.

One of the reasons the Bulls went on the historical run of two separate 3-peats in the 90’s was Scottie Pippen. Pippen could score, and was a great compliment to Jordan; but he was most impressive on the defensive end of the court. He was long and was a turnover creating machine.

The All-Star Inserts remain popular in 1990 Fleer. The Jordan is the most sought after but the list includes Isiah, Magic, Barkley, Robinson, Olajuwon, and many other greats.

The crown jewel of any late 80’s through 90’s set is His Airness, Michael Jordan! Any card with Michael Jordan on it belongs in sleeves and top loaders. I won’t get into the whole “who is better discussion” but I will just say that there has never been another Jordan in my opinion. This card alone makes the box worthwhile.

The score for 1990 Fleer on the Dub-O-Meter is one of the biggest no-brainers since the inception of the blog. This set gets an easy “5”! The design is great, the checklist is unbelievable, and the All-Star chase is very memorable from the era. When you throw Michael Jordan in the mix, there is not much more you can say about the set. It’s phenomenal and I recommend taking a shot on a box whenever you can find one at a reasonable price.

J-Dub

My birthday was this past week and I had a moment as I walked out of the front door on the way to work that I didn’t expect. Because I spend so much time on eBay and trading on Twitter, I have come to expect a fair share of mail days. Most days it’s a Braves lot or an occasional Junk Wax Auto that I add to my “Dated Rookies” (copyright pending) collection.

But on this day, I had a momentary memory of receiving birthday cards from my grandmother “GaGa”, who passed away just a few years ago. I could expect a card on February 13th, like clockwork. It was always a “grandmother” type of card with flowers and heartfelt wishes for a great day; no jokes or cracks on my age. It hit me on this day that I wouldn’t be getting one; and I had a moment.

I say all of this to set up this next piece with a disclaimer. A lot of times, I write for myself. Actually, when it comes to my blog, I’d say it’s about 95% of the time. I am floored that so many others like to take this journey with me. But this blog serves a greater purpose; to document some of the best moments of my life. I love to incorporate cards because that is my passion, but I always tie some event from my life to the cards. It’s what works for me.

My GaGa spent the last several years of her life suffering from Dementia/Alzheimer’s. While it was heartbreaking to witness, I know that it was brutal for my mom and her two sisters. Anyone who has ever experienced it with a loved one knows what I mean.

So that is why documenting my memories is so important to me. I remember various points in my life vividly but others fade in and out depending on where I’m at, what I’m doing, etc. Selfishly, I write my blog to put myself back into those memories. In reality, I know that is not going to change anything for me if I were to ever suffer from the illness my GaGa did; but I’ll always have something to come back to and read. I’ll be able to go back and experience them over and over again. At least that is what I’m telling myself. The blog has a purpose.

So where am I going with all of this? I’m going back to 5th Grade; 1987. This is where the hobby began for me. It began with one card that made a lasting memory. But that is for later in the post. First, I want to lay out 5th Grade for Dub. Again, partially for you, the reader, but mainly to document the journey for me.

I recently went back to my old Middle School, which is no longer open as a school. The building serves as the Board of Education offices and most of the school appears to be empty. The only part of the school that felt like it was separated from the main campus was the 5th Grade Wing. It was a long outdoor hall that stretched away from the main building. And my class was the last class on the wing.

When I think of 5th Grade, the first thing I think of is not my first baseball card, unfortunately. I immediately think of the fluoride mouth rinse we had to do once a week. Each student received a small plastic cup and the teacher would come around and pump a couple squirts of this strange pink liquid for us to swish around in our mouths and then spit out. I don’t really know what the purpose of this was, other than to make students gag and want to puke. Some conspiracy theorists believe it was some sort of government testing. Whatever t was, it was awful.

There were some good parts to 5th Grade that offset the awful fluoride memory though. I remember the book fair and taking my “Troll” Book Flyer home with multiple books circled. It would later be replaced by “Scholastic”; but it was “Troll” when I was in middle school. I would usually wind up having to narrow my list way down but I always came away with something nice.

I also remember note passing becoming the main form of communication during class. Some people had really fancy ways of folding notes but paper footballs were the extent of my paper folding skills. All my notes got the standard folding treatment. Kids text in class now but “back in my day”, if you wanted to get communication to your friend across the classroom, you had to pass a note and risk the teacher catching you and reading it out loud in front of the class. Very few things were more embarrassing than that punishment.

I remember 5th Grade being the last year of actual recess. Every year after that allowed for an afternoon break but it was spent standing around gossiping and scheming up ways to ask a girl to go steady. In 5th Grade; we raced, played marbles, threw footballs, played tag, climbed playground equipment, and traded toys. And this is where the card comes in.

Up until that point, I had a stray card or two laying around from a box of cereal or a package of Purina that landed at the house. But I wasn’t a collector and didn’t seek out cards when we went to the store. I was still building my Transformer and WWF (now WWE) Action Figure collections at the time. But one of those WWF Action Figures would parlay into a now 33 year sports card hobby.

One of my favorite wrestlers in WWF during the 80’s was Junkyard Dog. I liked him on the cartoons and I liked his gimmick in the ring. I had a a few action figures but I’ll always remember that JYD. It was the centerpiece in a trade for my first baseball card. I don’t remember who I traded with but it was definitely one of my inner circle friends. I don’t know what made me pull the trigger other than the card being of a player I really liked.

This is the card that the JYD landed me. A 1979 Topps Ozzie Smith RC in less than mint condition. Condition didn’t really matter because JYD had taken his share of tumbles from the top rope by that time as well. The only thing that mattered to me was that the card seemed “really old” and was of one of my favorite players. As for “really old”, it is 41 years old now but was only 8 years old in 1987. It would be the equivalent of trading for a card from 2012 today. The mind of a 5th Grader works in strange ways.

But this very card led to a 1987 Topps Jose Canseco, 1989 Donruss Ken Griffey Jr., 1990 Leaf Frank Thomas; and now, 33 years later, a guy named Zion Williamson, who wasn’t even born yet. No matter what I ever pull, this card will be the most special card in my collection. It is where my journey through the hobby began and I couldn’t have asked for a better beginning than a Wizard RC.

We all have stories to tell; this one happens to begin in a little brick classroom in 1987. We all have memories, good and bad. They help shape who we are when we grow up; whether you cling to the memories and try to forever hold on to them or whether you take the memories and change the course of where you are heading. I don’t know if I’ll remember all of this when I’m 70, but I remember it now so I’m going to keep putting the memories in writing so I’ll have a way to remind myself of the tiny moments that made my life full. So as you read my posts, you may wonder from time to time why I’m including pieces of information that aren’t central to the story and seem out of place. But everything I write is calculated in some way. And sometimes it’s just for me.

Thank you for reading this blog and interacting with me on social media. We all share similar memories and they help create a bond among strangers that we may never meet face to face. But it reminds us that we have so much in common with our fellow collectors.

“We all live with the objective of being happy. Our lives are all different and yet the same.” Anne Frank

J-Dub

The beginning of November signifies a few important things around my house. It is really my favorite time of year. Unfortunately, it signifies the end of Baseball Season and Halloween, which are two of my favorite things as well. But those negatives are offset by a lot of the positives that November brings. And Baseball will be back in a few months, right?

First, being from South Georgia, this is the time of year when the weather finally starts to feel like Fall. The temperature on Halloween night was finally low enough to wear a sweatshirt and toboggan. Around here, a toboggan is a ski cap and not a sled. We almost never have a need for a sled around these parts. But I absolutely love the weather when it is hovering in that lower 50 region.

November also means that football season is getting serious. The College Football Playoff rankings are finally released and teams are in the thick of conference play. Nothing beats conference play when it comes to college football. Georgia played Florida on November 2 and has Missouri on the 9th, Auburn on the 16th, Texas A&M on the 23rd, and then closes the season with a non-conference rival, Georgia Tech on the 30th. What a month of football!

As for the NFL, the games really start to matter because the playoff race is shaping up. The teams that are going to compete have separated themselves from the teams that will be vying for the #1 Pick in the upcoming draft; with the exception of those few teams that are hovering around .500 and trying to make some second half magic. But football isn’t football until you reach November. That is truly when the temperatures drop and the match-ups heat up!

For me, I don’t need much else besides cool weather and football to put a spring in my step. But this time of year also means that the Holiday Season is upon us. We are just a couple of weeks away from Thanksgiving, which is a dream holiday for a fellow that likes to eat the way I do. We go to a couple of different houses on Thanksgiving and we eat and watch football all day long! 

Then, after Thanksgiving, my family’s favorite holiday is front and center; Christmas! Christmas brings back so many fun memories of childhood for me and I try to relive those with my kids every year. We watch Christmas classics like “A Christmas Story” and “Christmas Vacation”, we go see Christmas lights in surrounding neighborhoods, and we decorate our home while Christmas music plays in the background. And, we watch FOOTBALL!

Even though November signifies the end of the Baseball season, Topps takes the opportunity to release one of the more anticipated releases for my two daughters each year; Topps Holiday Boxes. Both of them enjoy opening packs throughout the year but they get excited with big hits like dad does. They want a card that “a player wrote on” and cards with pieces of a jersey in them. But when it comes to Topps Holiday Boxes, they love every card they pull. And this year, they loved them even more!

Topps Holiday Boxes are found at Wal-Mart and I have seen them at both $19.99 and $22.48. The boxes come with 10 packs of 10 cards each and contain 1 autograph or relic card. There are also Silver Metallic cards that are found 1:2 packs on average, so expect about 5 of those as well.

The set contains 200 cards and this year, there are some new short prints (SP), super short prints (SSP), and super rare super short prints (SSSP) to be found in the set. The SP’s are found 1:7 packs, SSP’s are 1:20, and the SSSP’s are 1:161 on average. Thankfully, as he normally does, Ryan Cracknell has provided collectors with a handy-dandy checklist with photos and codes so your search can be made a little easier. That article can be found HERE.

The set includes all of the top rookies from this year and the variations make some of them pretty valuable. If you are lucky enough to pull a hot rookie super rare variation that is a silver metallic, well, you need to go buy a lottery ticket! Also included in 2019 boxes is the chance to pull Santa Hat player worn relics and even a Santa Claus autograph! Paging 1990 Pro Set!!

The design is what makes this year’s version stand out for me over previous years. I have always been a “border guy” when it comes to sports cards. And 2019 Holiday does not disappoint. Last year, there were just snowflakes around the edges. This year, they brought a nice green border over half of the card that was infused with holly. The rest of the card edge has a snowy finish with more infused holly. Some people may think it’s corny, but I love it and so do the Lil Dub’s!

The variations are where things get super fun for the Lil Dub’s. I had them go through the cards and try to find the hidden objects. Some were pretty easy to find but some are more difficult. Fortunately, I pulled the base Shohei Ohtani here so they spotted the filled stocking pretty quickly.

As for the relics, some of these are still just plain one color swatches; but I still like the “Christmas Present” design they come with. Base relics fall at an average of 1:11 packs. The fun Holiday Relics are tougher and land at 1:638 packs. And while I have never been a “manufactured relic” guy, I think I would be fine with pulling one from this checklist that includes the likes of Ebenezer Scrooge, Santa Claus, and Frosty the Snowman. Those are REALLY difficult with stated odds of 1 in every 4,782 packs.

There are base autographs (1:334 packs), Relics Autographs (1:3,619 packs), and Holiday Relics Autographs (1:6,619 packs), and the autograph pulls are difficulty to say the least. With 10 packs per box, just a base autograph would fall 1 in every 33 boxes. That makes an autograph a really nice pull!

The set “is what it is” for most hardcore collectors; a novelty. But for $20, it is a great way to incorporate pack ripping with the rest of the family during the most festive time of the year. It has a way of making you forget about chasing some super-refractor of a player we’ve never seen play and just helps you focus on the cards. And that is really what made all of us start collecting, isn’t it? I give the 2019 Topps Holiday Box a “5” on the Dub-O-Meter and it is really pretty easy this year. The design is really fun for me in the setting that I am opening with my kids. And anytime you can combine cold weather, Christmas, fun with the family, and baseball cards, what else could you ask for?

J-Dub

The MLB playoffs are upon us and the Atlanta Braves find themselves right in the thick of the action. They won their 19th Division Title this year. And while it never gets old, I always harken back to the first one I remember in 1991. They won a couple before that, in 1969 and 1982, but I can’t really talk about either of those from experience.

The division title from 1991, which oddly enough was when the Braves were in the Western Division, was the capper of a worst to first turnaround that almost nobody was expecting. I was 14 years old and had spent most of my baseball youth watching the Braves lose 80+ games every year. I loved the game and loved the team. But I didn’t live and die with every game back then. I didn’t know any better because I didn’t expect to compete with the Darryl Strawberry’s, Ozzie Smith’s, Jose Canseco’s, and George Brett’s of the world.

For many years during my childhood, we only had one legitimate superstar in Dale Murphy. Murph was a fan favorite in Atlanta but was well liked throughout most of the league. A Dale Murphy poster in those baby blue uniforms was a kid from the south’s dream possession! Murphy was the big bat, the player on all the media material, the cover player for 1988 Donruss, and even a star in a milk commercial. He was also the player that we all pretended to be in the front yard in South Georgia.

But beyond Murphy, we relied on players like Gerald Perry, Bob Horner, Glenn Hubbard, Rafael Ramirez, and Bruce Benedict. And while I had my favorites among those players too, they weren’t perennial all-stars. Bob Horner hit four home runs in a game in 1986. Gerald Perry hit .300 and was an all-star in 1988. And Glenn Hubbard has one of the coolest baseball cards ever in 1984. But Dale Murphy was the only consistent star in Atlanta during the 80’s.

Then, things started to slowly change in the late 80’s. We had a couple of players coming up in the farm system that were about to change the course of history. We had a pitcher named Tom Glavine that chose baseball over hockey. There was a second baseman named Ron Gant that had a unique combination of speed and power. There was a left handed slugger named David Justice. And then there was a left handed pitcher drafted in 1988 named Steve Avery.

While our farm system was a big part of the surge that started in 1991, we also made some key trades and free agent signings along the way. We traded Doyle Alexander to the Detroit Tigers in 1987 for a minor leaguer with a 5-10 record named John Smoltz. We signed veterans Terry Pendleton and Sid Bream in December of 1990. We signed Deion Sanders in January of 1991. And we traded for Otis Nixon in April of 1991. It was these moves that would turn a 65-97 team in 1990 into a 94-68 team in 1991. That record was good enough to win the West by 1 game.

That year was full of exciting and memorable moments. Deion Sanders played for both the Braves and Falcons during the season. Otis Nixon stole 72 bases. Ron Gant was a member of the 30/30 club. Tom Glavine won 20 games. Terry Pendleton was the 1991 NL MVP. And three Braves pitchers combined for a no-hitter against the San Diego Padres in a 1-0 game.

But none of those highlights could prepare us for what would happen in the playoffs. First, we faced off against the Pittsburgh Pirates, who had the best record in the National League. The Pirates had three All-Stars in the outfield with Bobby Bonilla, Andy Van Slyke, and Barry Bonds. Their lineup was scary. The series went 7 games and included three games that finished with scores of 1-0. The Braves won Games 6 and 7 to take the series and send Atlanta to their first World Series appearance. Steve Avery won the NLCS MVP and John Smoltz pitched a shutout in Game 7, capping off a 22 consecutive scoreless inning streak for the Pirates in the series. 1-0 games will even give a 14 year old gray hair! I still remember my mom wearing the shirt with Greg Olson jumping in Smoltz’s arms for years after that.

Of course, we all know what happened in the World Series that year. I’ve written about it here before. That World Series went 7 games and featured FIVE 1 run games and 3 extra inning games. Life was an absolute roller coaster for a a couple weeks at my house. We had 10-15 people over for every game and it was my indoctrination into sports tension. I still believe it is the greatest 7 game series in the history of baseball. It’s too painful to dredge up game by game again; but it still marks the beginning of one of the most epic playoff runs by one team in history.

We had several more unforgettable moments over that stretch of 14 consecutive division titles. The very next year was one of the most memorable moments in Braves history with the Sid Bream slide in Game 7 of the NLCS against those same pesky Pirates from the year before. We finally won our World Series in 1995 against the Cleveland Indians and their tremendous offensive lineup. We welcomed players like Chipper Jones, Greg Maddux, Javy López, Fred McGriff, Andres Gallaraga, and Andruw Jones over the years. We enjoyed the greatest announcers of my youth; Skip Carey and Pete Van Wieren. We sent Maddux, Smoltz, Glavine, Chipper, and Manager Bobby Cox to the Hall of Fame. It was truly an amazing time to be a Braves fan.

And here we are in 2019, about to embark on another playoff appearance. Though the players aren’t the same as they were when I was 14, the excitement from this season reminded me a lot of those glory days. Ronald Acuña and Ozzie Albies are exciting youngsters. Freddie Freeman and Josh Donaldson are the cagey veterans. Mike Soroka, Max Fried, Dallas Kuechel, and Mike Foltynewicz lock down the rotation. Austin Riley provides some rookie pop. Nick Markakis is the calming force. Brian McCann is the fiery catcher. Dansby Swanson is the slick shortstop. Then the bench reminds me of the depth we had with Lonnie Smith, Vinny Castilla, Francisco Cabrera, and Deion Sanders. And lastly, Brian Snitker is channeling his inner Bobby Cox.

I’m hoping for a deep run to the World Series, as is the rest of Braves Country. We have our work cut out for us with a hot St. Louis Cardinals team in the NLDS. If we make it past them, we will either run into the best record in the National League with the Dodgers, Milwaukee, or possibly our old division nemesis, the Washington Nationals. The American League is stacked with the Astros, Yankees, Rays, Athletics, and….wait for it….those old Minnesota Twins that we faced way back in 1991. In a dream scenario, we would get another crack at them and slay the dragon of the past. I could fully heal and move on from one of the biggest heartbreaks of my childhood. And I could finally get @junkwaxtwins off my back!

Let’s Go Braves! Chop On!

J-Dub

I have learned a lot being a parent. Most of that has translated over into everyday life and decision making. I’ve become more compassionate, more aware of my surroundings, and more cognizant of the way I carry myself when I don’t think anyone is watching. Whether I was ready to grow up or not, being a parent has turned me into a full-fledged adult. I used to worry about what I’d be doing after work; playing ball, video games, hanging with the guys? Now I know what I’m doing; homework, cooking supper, and washing clothes. I’ve learned how to do ponytails, pick out matching clothes, and even convince a 4 year old to brush her teeth. Every day presents a new opportunity to learn.

One thing that I have most definitely learned over the last few years is that you can never have enough food in your house. This grocery cart represents the standard, “Daddy, we don’t have anything to eat” trip. G loves her Mac-n-Cheese, Juice, Goldfish, and Diet Dr. Pepper. Bug loves her Totino’s Pizza, Lunchables, Chips, and Mountain Dew. The Oatmeal Pies are Daddy’s treat. This cart of high quality sustenance will last about 3 days. Then I’ll be back for more. This doesn’t even count as part of the trips I make to actually buy legit meal food. I now understand what me and my brother put my parents though; we were boys and I ate everything you could put in front of me that wasn’t a green bean!

This wonderful place is like a fantasy land for me. I live about a half a mile from here and I can take off at a moments notice and my food problems at home are solved. I would estimate that in any given 30 day month, I spend 20 days here. In fact, I spend so much time here, I recently met a parent in FFA and the first thing she said was, “oh yeah, I see you at Publix all the time! Nice to formally meet you.” The cashiers know me by name, some have friended me on FaceBook, and the deli clerks know what I want before I ever order. The meat manager always gives me “the finger guns” when I walk by and the produce manager stops to catch up with me when I’m grazing the Granny Smith apples. I’m flattered at times, but sometimes embarrassed because I spend way too much time there.

Food has always been a very important part of my life. Unfortunately, I’m not as active as I once was, so my body has paid the price for my love of chicken-n-waffles. But while I battle occasionally with being unhappy with my waistline, I enjoy food far too much to turn my back on it and try to live off of salad or some sort of bread free diet. I’m certain that my poor diet choices will take me one day but I think I’d rather live 55 good years than 70 bad ones. I cut where I can but if I’m being honest, there are just some things I’ll never be able to cut; Oreos, Apple Pie, Reese’s, Pizza, to name a few.

A recent topic on Twitter has been the general pulse on non-licensed sports cards. This conversation led to an era in which I was able to enjoy two of my very favorite things together in the form of the Food Issue Baseball Card. During the 80’s and early part of the 90’s, the timeframe wasn’t dubbed “Junk Wax Era” just because of production numbers from Topps, Fleer, and Donruss. Compounding the glut of cards on the market, everybody and their brother was producing them; from Kellogg’s to Purina to KMart to Pepsi. Some of these “oddball sets” were licensed and some weren’t. I don’t remember it being as big of a deal back then but the lack of logos is more than obvious today.

While there are some companies that are wading back into the oddball releases, they are much less common than back in the 80’s. Hanes just released a set of Michael Jordan Fleer cards to celebrate the 30 year anniversary of his partnership with the company. A pack of 5 cards could be found within a package of t-shirts or boxers at participating Wal-Mart’s and a few other big box stores. These cards don’t even feature Jordan in a sporting event and collectors were immediately clamoring for them on eBay; nobody more so than Ivan (@watchthebreaks) on Twitter. Thanks to his enthusiasm for the release, I was able to keep up with the happenings during the early weeks. Maybe this will lead to a few more releases that will be fun to chase.

When I was a kid, Quaker Chewy Granola Bars were a huge afternoon snack for kids. They were easy to handle, tasted pretty decent, and didn’t have to be cooked. As was the case with many other products aimed at kids, they added a new dimension to their desirability when they released a 33 Card Baseball Set in 1986! They weren’t the first on the market but they were certainly my first. I still have a few of these in a binder but I recently picked up the whole set on eBay for a smooth $10.

The design is pretty memorable for a food issue and they had backing from one of the several licensed card manufacturers at the time, Topps, so we got the MLB Logos. It was very different from the flagship design so it had added collectibility with it also looking like a completely separate set. That Quaker Oats Yellow and Red remain very memorable to me. The set featured the collectible stars from that year and even doubled up on a couple of teams.

The backs aren’t too bad either. The red and blue are easy on the eyes and the back of the card has a basic grey stock. I wish there were more seasons outlined but that is the only complaint I have.

Doc was fresh on the scene and would be as dominant as anyone over the late 80’s. This guy was fun to watch!

Tony Gwynn was always one of my favorites but I’m not really in the minority on that. The Pads uniforms were not known as “good looking” but I do miss these old gems.

For many years, Murph was the only reason to tune in to the hapless Braves. I sure wish he had been around in the early 90’s to enjoy the good times.

The exact opposite of the Padres uniforms were those of the Expos. I can’t think of any reason you wouldn’t love these beauties. Raines was a legend on those teams!

Speaking of legends, there are two in this photo; Nolan Ryan and the Astros Jersey! I know he spent a good portion of his career with the Rangers but when it comes to cards, this is how I remember The Express.

The Wizard really was one of my favorites during this time. I’ve told the story many times about his rookie card being the first card I remember owning. I should’ve PC’d Ozzie!

The other Met I really liked was Strawberry. I’m conditioned to dislike the Mets but I made exceptions for Straw and Doc.

Donnie Baseball without the stache is always odd to me.

Speaking of Stache, “Chicken Man” always had a strong one in Boston!

No facial hair could compete with Eddie Murray though. After all these years, THIS is the card that I still vividly remember from this set. I loved this card when I was a kid.

Finally, the other Oriole on the checklist was the Iron Man himself. I’ve never met a Ripken card I didn’t like!

This was a pretty easy score for me. I love this set because it has a good design with fun colors, and the checklist is as solid as green oak. This is what oddball sets were meant to look like and the good folks at Quaker nailed it. I still think of this set when I pick up a box of Apple/Cinnamon Oatmeal or a Granola Bar. This set earns a strong “5”! What say you on the 1986 Quaker Set?

J-Dub

I really love the 1980’s! I think I have made that very clear over the last two years on the blog here. I have written numerous pieces on some of the random card sets from the 80’s to go with some of my favorite memories. I have so many memories from those days; and looking at sports cards from those years takes me back and makes those memories as vivid as the cards I am looking at. When I see certain cards, I remember exactly where I was. I am able to piece together parts of my childhood that have otherwise been forgotten. Some of the events are mundane but they are almost always important in the big book of life I have been writing.

What’s so interesting to me about card sets from the 80’s can be broken down into three main thoughts.

1. First, going back through those sets helps me temper expectations for some of the “big rookies” of today. In other words, I don’t easily fall victim to “recency bias” because I lived through the days of Ron Kittle and Ben McDonald. While that means I have ultimately saved some money by not over investing; it would be fair to say that I have missed on some guys too because I just had a “hunch” they would fall apart. I do collect rookies, but they are usually pack pulled and not purchased singularly. I’ll certainly sell when times are good but I am not always a big buyer unless they are PC items.
2. Next, the players from the 80’s have all played out their careers. So while the thrill of prospecting isn’t necessarily there, I do know what I’m getting with every pack I am opening. I know the players I am looking for, I know the subsets I like the most, and I know all about SP’s from those days without having to read tiny codes on the back of cards. Some people believe that familiarity breeds contempt. I, on the other hand, believe that familiarity breeds comfort.
3. Finally, I think every design from the 80’s is a little time capsule by itself. If you lived through those times, you understand why ’86 Donruss reminds people of “Max Headroom”, and why ’90 Topps has a “Saved by the Bell” vibe. In those moments, they were just what was popular and we didn’t expect anything different. Looking back, the designs themselves can be a snapshot of a moment in history; whether rooted in pop culture or otherwise.

That last point is why I am here with the first installment of my new series: “I Love the 80’s!” In this series, I am going to take each of the major card manufacturer releases from the 80’s and rank them by year. I’m going to start with Donruss because it was so available to me back in the day. I grew up a Donruss guy; though I have a lot of attachment to certain Topps and Fleer releases too. I might even slide into the early 90’s when I am done running this gauntlet because there are quite a few memorable, but not necessarily iconic, designs from those years as well. 

As you are likely aware, Donruss and Fleer had one less release than Topps in the 80’s because they began producing sets in 1981. I’ll rank the sets from worst to first and give my reasons for the rankings. I am combining multiple factors in ranking these sets. The foremost factor in the ranking will be the design; but I am also considering certain personal memories and memorable cards from each set as well. This is not necessarily about the checklist. It’s more about how fun the set was. I’d love to hear your thoughts and how you see the rankings differently. Let’s dive right in.

#9 – 1981

The set that comes in at #9 on the countdown was the easiest to assess. This was the first year that Donruss manufactured cards and it was nothing short of a train wreck in my opinion. The design itself was plain and boring. The colors were not consistent throughout the checklist and the photos were somewhat amateur. The set was groundbreaking in one aspect as it was the first year that Topps had competition. But overall, the set falls flat. In their defense, they only had about 6 months to put the whole set together and release it due to the timing of the court ruling. The backs of the cards look different from any other release from Donruss for the next 10+ years. I am not a fan. Tim Raines is easily the best card in the set for me, as he wound up being the only major rookie from that season, unless you include Danny Ainge.

#8 – 1982

While Donruss’ follow up release in 1982 was an improvement from the previous year, it is still not as popular as some of the later 80’s issues, as you’ll soon see. The addition of the bat and ball at the bottom of the card was a nice touch and it gave the team and player names a little more flair than in ’81. I also like the font from ’82 better than the previous release. There were better action shots in the set as well, along with a better group of rookies, led by Legendary Cal Ripken, Jr. The backs of the cards transitioned close to what we would become familiar with from Donruss. They only used 5 total seasons and a career line but it was easier on the eyes than the ’81 backs. They would choose some odd colors over the years but the blue backs were nice in ’82. You may find it odd though that I did not choose the Ripken as my favorite card from the set in 1982. From a visual standpoint, I loved this Nolan Ryan! The classic Astro’s jersey was just hard to beat!

#7 – 1983

I promise that I am not going in reverse order for this countdown. But the first 3 years of Donruss were certainly years of growth for the company. 1983 is my favorite of those first 3 years but not a HUGE change from 1982, with a glove replacing the ball, and the Donruss logo going back to the same position from 1981. The photos had become a little more vivid and the use of action shots improved. This was also the first year that they used a variation of the peach colored back that would be used several more times through the 80’s and 90’s. This was a very nice rookie set with Gwynn, Boggs, and Ryne Sandberg. My favorite from the set was this Gwynn. Like the Ryan in ’82, I loved the Padres jersey from the early 80’s. Don’t ask me why!

#6 – 1988

I sort of feel bad about this one because the design isn’t terrible. The set itself just does not evoke warm and fuzzy feelings. 1988 Donruss has received a bit of a bad rap and I suppose I am not helping the cause much with this ranking. I am just not blown away by anything in ’88 Donruss other than the Glavine and Gant rookies. I actually love the 1988 Retro Design in the 2018 Panini Football sets but I think that is more based in nostalgia than fondness of the set itself. The backs were good with Donruss returning to blue again, and they were no longer using the white border on the back, as that had changed by 1985. This is one of my favorite Ron Gant cards because it is a true rookie. I think the jersey matched up with the color scheme of the design well and I have always enjoyed this card.

#5 – 1984

This is really more of a love/hate design because of the competition with ’84 Topps and Fleer. It was the worst design of 1984 between the companies but I rank it 5 because it was the first major change in design for Donruss in their early production years. They removed the multi-color borders and went with a one piece white border, which was as close to a full bleed as you could get in the early 80’s. I like the move of the logo to the bottom of the card and within the team logo “swoosh”. The backs had an odd aqua color and this was the last year there would be a border there. This set hit on 2 key rookies with Darryl Strawberry and Don Mattingly but missed out on Puckett, Clemens, and Gooden, who would be found in either the update or traded sets with Fleer and Topps. Strawberry was a big chase for me in the 80’s as he was a legitimate superstar. This was my favorite card from the ’84 set, beating out the Don Mattingly.

#4 – 1987 Donruss

As you’ll see from the countdown, I really preferred the Donruss sets with the darker design. While they were hard to keep in mint condition, they were just different than anything else that was being produced at the time. I have 1987 lowest on the ranking for dark border design because I didn’t really like the baseballs on the side of the card. The backs were a variation of that peach color I mentioned with 1983 but closer to the color used in 1989, which we’ll see in a moment. One of the most infamous Donruss cards of the 80’s is found in this set; the RJ Reynolds/Barry Bonds error card. But my favorite is this Bo Jackson Rated Rookie. I will never pass up a Bo Jackson RC, no matter who manufactured it.

#2(B) – 1989 Donruss

Ok, so I have a tie in the second spot. I just couldn’t choose one of these over the other. This is one of the first full sets I put together, as I was 12 years old when it was released. It comes in at #2(B) on the countdown for multiple reasons. I really like the design because it has a clean and classy look to it that gets down to business. While the colors didn’t always match up as well as this Ken Griffey Jr., pictured above, many of the card colors complimented the player’s jersey nicely. The backs had that familiar Donruss peach variation, with this one being almost iconic (for Donruss) in my eyes. This is a VERY memorable Donruss set from the 80’s for me, just because of the timing. I was at peak collecting in 1989 and the chase for Ken Griffey, Jr. was unlike anything I had ever been a part of. This card is likely the most important card in my collecting history as it really cemented my love for the hobby.

#2(A) – 1985 Donruss

The other half of the tie for second is a vastly underrated set in collecting lore. The design is spectacular with the black border and red lines. The team logos are nicely done and the player names are clean. I should probably have more ’85 Donruss in my collection but the set is often overlooked with the true rookies of the big guys being found in ’84 Fleer Update and ’84 Topps Traded. Guess what we find on the backs? Why, it’s that familiar peach color with a little lighter tint. The back I’m showing here is actually a Leaf back and has English and French text. The Kirby Puckett card was an easy choice for me as I was a huge fan of Puckett in the 80’s. I do wish he had played with a different team but those Twins uniforms make some of his mid-80’s cards look even better.

#1 – 1986 Donruss

I gave consideration to ’89 Donruss for the top spot just because of how important it was to me and my growth within the hobby. But the 1986 Donruss design is one of the most popular designs of the ‘80s. There was really no way I could not put this set as #1. The front design was very “Max Headroom” and really encapsulates 1986. And while the front is awesome, the back uses that nice soft blue as well, making this design the total package; front and back. While the ’89 Ken Griffey Jr. is legendary, perhaps there is no card during the late 80’s that was more sought after than the Jose Canseco Rated Rookie from ’86. This was one of the first cards from the 80’s that hit triple digits in the Beckett Price Guide and was a MUST HAVE for collectors. The set actually produced two more stud rookies with Fred McGriff and Andres Gallaraga, but they couldn’t compete with Jose. This is such a beautiful and memorable card!

Bonus – 1988 Donruss Baseball’s Best

While ’88 Donruss checks in way down at #6 on the countdown, I had to include the 88 Donruss “variation”, Baseball’s Best. It had the same general design as the base ’88 Donruss, but it used an awesome orange color on the front that gave it some extra pop. This was such a fun design! I still have this set unopened in my stash because of how much I enjoyed it!

Donruss was really fun in the 80’s. 1990 started off rough with the ketchup red set and junk wax really started to take over. The did keep the sets lively with the introduction of “The Elite Series” but 80’s Donruss couldn’t be matched. What are your thoughts on one of the new kids on the block from that era? What do you think about the ranking? Let me hear from you!

J-Dub