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. Its also sad because the case itself is so beat up. Or popcornless movies? 1989 Bowman Tiffany Ken Griffey Jr. Below is a list of excellent cards of excellent players you should consider tracking down. And, well, deckled. The Yankees drafted Jeter in 1992. Is there anything better than sitting down with a box of fresh wax packs with dreams of uncovering your next big baseball card find? I mean, theyre black-and-white, sure, but big. While many cards from this era are not particularly valuable, there are some notable exceptions. And, some older entries that may be sold by now, but that are still fun to pick through . As a side note, 1987 was the year of Mitchells mini-breakout, two seasons before his monster MVP campaign in 1989. They dont fit well with other cards from a size perspective, theyre not beautiful, and you hardly ever hear anyone clamoring for them. Someday, somehow, we all know Bonds will get into the Baseball Hall of Fame. And, as luck would have it, Mattingly had a rookie card in that Donruss issue. The SP Foil set was a limited edition run, with only 5,000 copies of the Rodriguez card printed. 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? Youre not going to find any break-the-bank rookie cards or breathtaking beauty in this wax pack. You know, make the inset headshot square instead of round, fill it in with a garish color, add big block letters down the left-hand side. Upper Deck eventually persuaded Griffey Jr. to sign with them by offering him a share in the company's future profits. The unopened boxes that did survive are incredibly scarce and highly sought after, even though the only notable rookie card in the set is Chipper Jones (the Jeff Bagwell and Ivan Rodriguez rookie cards wouldnt arrive until Topps issued its Traded set that year). The card's popularity surged following President Bush's death in 2018, with many collectors seeking to add it to their collections to honor his legacy. You can buy them for pennies or less under circumstances like this. 1985 Topps Mark McGwire Team USA rookie card #401, 14. In a recent auction, a lot of eight unopened 1952 Topps baseball wax packs were sold for $873,300. $360,000 for a PSA 10, $7,800 for a PSA 9. In the third panel is Buddy Schultz. All Rights Reserved, What are your baseball cards worth? It was the 1963 Topps Pete Rose rookie that he shares with Al Weis, Pedro Gonzalez, and Ken McMullen. And all that argues that this pack should be kept intact, just the way it is, forever. Hes upside down, too. Except I always got distracted by Donruss and Fleer and Topps Stickers and Action All-Stars and Fun Foods. A T206 Honus Wagner card sold earlier this month for $7.25 million, a then-record that didnt last long. Then you have Gorman Thomas, whose whole demeanor screamed beer league but who slugged like Dave Kingman for the Milwaukee Brewers, including the 1982 Harveys Wallbangers team. Look Ive already told you how I feel about Pete Rose in a Montreal Expos uniform. Then, if you manged to tear open the pack without ripping the stickers themselves, you could affix them to the appropriate page in the accompanying sticker album. You could see three players on the front and three players stats on the back. This is the holy grail of 1984 baseball boxes, of course, as it possibly contains the fabled 1984 Donruss Don Mattingly rookie card that changed the hobby forever. The card is nothing but a comic. For arguments sake, were going to use pricing based on PSAs Price Guide. Bonds (whose HOF fate is up to the Era Committee now), of course, is the best of the bunch, and this card was just on the early cusp of the junk wax era. In 1991, the junk wax era was in full gear. Its gorgeous! The card was produced in limited numbers, with only 241 copies ever made. Over the years, Clemens' remarkable career and achievements, including seven Cy Young Awards, have made the card increasingly valuable. The popularity of the 1984 Donruss Don Mattingly rookie card can also be attributed to Mattingly's success on the field. Check out the full eBay listing (affiliate link). These scratch-offs came in three-player panels, and you could play a baseball game by scratching off the dots like a lottery ticket for Little Leaguers. Just like the Clemens from the box Ripken's card was part of the 1982 Topps Traded set released later in the year after the regular 1982 set had already been issued. And, finally, Rob Picciolo wasnt small at all, but his name is really close to piccolo, which is like a small flute. And so does the Will Clark rookie card, one of the iconic images of the decade. Fleer cleaned things up even more and put out a really nice, solid set. So dont worry about having lost out to some jerk from 35 years ago. In one 1975 Topps cello pack, graded PSA 9, you get both Hernandez and Schmidt. Depending on the year, that would have like quadrupled, tripled, or at least double my collection. But, hey, at least these beauties still deliver 36 cards per pack, which means youd score a cool 432 Topps cards for you $175. Who? The 1986 Fleer Michael Jordan rookie card is one of the most iconic, most popular, and yes, most valuable junk wax cards of all time. SAVE $10 OFF your 1st purchase when you sign up to receive our weekly sales special email! And this lot offers up a bunch of that all in one convenient package. Wax Pack Gods, 100 Most Expensive Magic The Gathering Cards Sold on eBay in the Last 30 Days, 1989 Upper Deck Baseball Cards 28 Most Valuable Wax Pack Gods. And again and again and again until I had retired at age 15. Blow it up to the size of a skyscraper and shine a light on it for all the world to see? Couple that happy occurrence with the general hobby explosion and the nascent rookie card craze, and you had a phenomenon that couldnt be stopped. There are also a lot of unopened boxes. Still, its pretty cool to see an unopened box of these things, like this lot offers up 37 years old and as fresh as the day they drove off the showroom floor. As in, that lot is one pack shy of three boxes. But Maddux won four Cy Young Awards and dominated the 90s, more than half of which came when offenses were exploding. Even though baseball is entering the stretch run, then, theres no way I can ignore tantalizing football product when it pops up right? In recent years, the value of the card has fluctuated due to Rodriguez's controversial career. 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. Highly coveted by 90s card collectors, CSG recently c" Certified Sports Guaranty on Instagram: "All junk wax is not created equal! Damon was a fan favorite, a fantasy favorite and a hobby favorite. This lot also includes a bunch of loose BK cards, like some fries that fell out of the box, but that the server plopped in your bag, anyway. 1984 Fleer Update Roger Clemens Rookie Card #U-27, 10. Rookie Card #98T, 8. Granted, most of those dudes fell short of Hall of Fame standards, but theyre still standards among 1980s rookie cards. The 1986 Fleer issue may not be en fuegomore than 30 years later, but it sure would be fun to crack open the 15 cello packs in this eBay lot to see if you can find your own Joe Orsulak RC prize. 1985 Topps Rack Packs are not, technically speaking, This lot offers up twenty (20) 1985 Rack Packs with stars on front(. If Donruss put Manny Trillo inside one of these sections, you can bet your sweet bippyManny is still there waiting for you. While hitters are generally more valuable than pitchers in fantasy play, pitchers are even less desirable in collecting. Their creation was almost too beautiful for words! This page is dedicated to reliving those thrills of youth by bringing to light one incredible (in some way) unopened lot of baseball cards each day. Posted by Adam Hughes | Baseball Cards for Sale, Experimental, Unopened | 6 |, (Check out our previous Wow! Ken Griffey Jr.s rookie year was 1989. 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. Cowabunga! Its like a Golden Corral buffet everything seems not that good, but the fried shrimp and the banana pudding aint bad at all! And then, theres Wayne Gross, who hit a lot of home runs for the post-Dynasty Oakland As and always looked very 70s-y. Sit back and enjoy the ride, and be sure to check back regularly to see what new goodies weve discovered. The headline for this 1979 Topps baseball rack pack says, GO 4 OZZIE SMITH RC.. I mean actual unopened boxes of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese from that same summer 1987! Certainly any boxes surfacing from the 1940s-1960s could be added to this list if any surface, and it would be mindblowing to see what a 1952 Topps box would go for these days! I mean, sure youd give up hard-earned money for your cardboard fix but would you chuck down box after box of gut-churning, cavity-inducing powdered, compressed, malted, generally blech wheat products? FREE UPS SHIPPING ON ALL ORDERS $175+. Because, even though Fleer managed to finally break the Topps monopoly and pulled Donruss into the market with them, the onslaught of new cards did little to excite the senses or capture the poetry of the game. Thats a great bonus, too, because you can take two of these abominations out of circulation at once. 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 late 1980s and early 1990s were fun but times in the hobby. (Speaking of beautiful Frank Thomas cards, his 1992 Topps card ranks among my all-time junk wax non-RC favorites.) They were amazing at the time (and now, too, imo). 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. And if its been awhile since your last Benny Ayala fix, this one has you covered there, too. This eBay lot lets you capture all that Super kitsch with three unopened boxes of 1984 Topps Supers, minus one pack. Theres not much to say about todays Wow! And these packs wont even send you to the dentist. By entering your email address you agree to receive email versions of the Wax Pack Gods newsletter. Jose Cruz was actually six feet tall but felt Patek-ish because he crouched like a tiger. Interestingly enough, there are not many notable rookie cards in the 4th series (or high number series). That is, if you were serious about this thing. Sure, we had a sneaking suspicion when the 1991 Anaheim National Convention became nothing but a promo fest and when we could still buy truckloads of 1989 Bowman for pennies a pack by 1993. #331 Bulls Team Checklist. Better grab yourTums. The hobby had no guarantee there would even be a 1982 Donruss baseball card set. And in case youve forgotten or dont want to read my original post on the subject, let me clarify: its an unholy sight to which no Cincinnati Reds fan hell, no Philadelphia Phillies fan should have ever been subjected. So they took 30 of their favorite 1984 cards, blew them up to 5 x 7, plopped them into plastic wax packs and called them super. I know that we all know now that 1987 Donruss is not rare, but its still awesome to me. 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 1984 Topps Don Mattingly rookie card fits that bill perfectly it wasnt the main attraction when Donnie Baseball was making his name during that fabled summer of 1984, but it became a hobby favorite in a flash and has maintained that status for nearly 35 years. If youre reading this, chances are pretty good you spent at least part of your childhood as I did ripping open (or carefully unflapping) wax packs of baseball cards. And thats why this eBay lot is so jaw-dropping. 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. Maybe the folks at Topps had the same experience sometime around 1980. Wax listingshere.). And they look great. On the back, you have the small-man All-Stars. Still, one sealed Topps Desert Shield wax box recently sold for $7800, making these some of the most valuable baseball cards of the junk wax era. Maddux was the best pitcher of the past 50 years. While the exact years of the Junk Wax Era are a bit fluid, well loosely define the period as the years from 1987-1995. These auctions are over, but the listings are still fun to peruse. Like Hardaway, Paytons most popular and valuable rookie card is , in a neck-and-neck battle, his 1990 Fleer Update and Skybox cards, both of which have Its freaking genius! Especially especially when the PSA Population Report shows ups that fewer than 50 of any particular card from said test issue has ever been submitted for grading? Its all fiction. And, like with just about everything else surrounding the hobby, Topps was the king of 1980s oddball issues. A completely far-out unopened pack of these sweet squares (rectangles)! If youre doing the math, that leaves about 75 other packs, and they all fall sorta in the same general vicinity of cardboard space-time as those Ive already mentioned. PSA 10 graded card was last sold for $1,930 on March 2023. 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. Jim Thomes Rated Rookies card highlights that subset but isnt even his rookie. 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! Pikachu Pokmon Card Value Its Worth More Than You Can Imagine! PSA 10 graded card was last sold for $8,000 on March 2023. 8. 12 Most Iconic Baseball Rookie Cards From the Junk Wax Era (1986-93). It may be time to head back to school, but that doesnt mean you cant have fun with it. It was the debut set from card manufacturer Upper Deck, who shook up the collecting world with improved glossy card stock, inserts worth chasing, counterfeit-defying holograms and foil wrappers instead of wax. I believe my 1984 set was made from those cards. Jr. initially hesitated to sign a contract with Upper Deck because he had already signed an exclusive deal with another card company, Score. 9. The 1984 Fleer set has basically the same lineup as the Topps set from that year, except with fewer cards overall (less special subsets, mostly). The Fleer cards also seem to be a bit more scarce, though the demand may also not be quite as strong. There were other versions of it, but this was the main one. 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! 1991 Dominik Hasek Upper Deck French RC #335 SHOP EBAY Dominik Hasek is one of the eras top goaltenders, and this is one of his more popular RC options. Damon might never make it into the Hall of Fame, but this guy was a huge fan favorite with two storied franchises (playing four of his 18 seasons with the Red Sox, and then four more with the Yankees). Thin cardstock, terrible photography, more errors than a Dick Stuart highlight reel, slightly self-indulgent card backs. Start hoarding away the latest baseball hobby boxes and take advantage of free shipping on orders over $175 and same-business day shipping at Giant Sports Cards. Its the new scene, cat. Baseball hobby boxes have some of the most valuable cards and are far more desirable because there is generally a greater chance of hitting parallels, numbered cards, memorabilia cards, and autographed cards than in a blaster box or retail pack. Lots of chances to perfect your no-tears tearing. Still, how cool is it to see these unopened cello packs that have somehow remained sealed since they came off the grill four decades ago? Would you rather have Keith Hernandez or Mike Schmidt on your team? 1983 Topps Tony Gwynn rookie card #482, 12. The 1980 Burger King cards in this lot (affiliate link) shouldnt cause quite as much confusion, though. The 1990 Score McDonalds set is the exception. So its always fun and nostalgic when a 1982 Donruss wax pack makes an appearance, as in this eBay lot. Customer Service: 800-601-2650info@giantsportscards.com, Mailing Address:1815 Hembree Rd., Suite 413Alpharetta, Georgia 30009, United States. Its one of the most valuable baseball cards of this era, and what makes it so special is that the 1993 SP Upper Deck release was one of the early super premium card sets and featured rare die-cut Platinum Power inserts. (Speaking of beautiful Frank Thomas cards, his 1992 Topps card ranks among my all-time junk wax non-RC favorites.). Because so many baseball cards were printed between roughly 1987 and 1993, the values plummeted significantly.. Sure, the cards inside are the same old cardboard youve always spruced up with your markers (youre the one! While his SP card is considered Jeters top rookie, Im still a bigger fan of the look (and price) of this version. Also, a better Hall of Fame candidate than Jack Morris. 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 . (Not sure why I didnt make the set because I once tied for the Major League lead among all fans for fewest games attended in person.). Whether youre a longtime Shaq fan, Read More 10 Most Valuable Shaquille ONeal Rookie CardsContinue, Knowing the exact value of your cards can help you save money with any new purchases or trades, Read More Pikachu Pokmon Card Value Its Worth More Than You Can Imagine!Continue, There are many valuable 1990s basketball cards on the market. | We accept American Express, Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and More. Chipper Jones, a prospect for the Atlanta Braves, was included in the Desert Shield set, and his rookie card quickly became one of the set's most valuable and sought-after cards. Out of over 21,000 of these submitted to PSA to grade, only 21 have received a Gem Mint 10 as of April 2023! (My other Mount Rushmore baseball cards? ), Danny Cox, and Gary Pettis. PSA 10 card is currently selling on eBay for $22,200 in 2021. And thats Schmitty there on the back, but facing out. Topps released it as part of their 1990 set, which included a subset of cards featuring famous people. Several hundred rack packs. The following year, he made his major league debut, and his rookie card was included in the 1993 SP set. Or recessless schooldays? In recent years, weve seen a rise in collectors acquiring unopened wax boxes and hobby boxes, and some of these sealed boxes go back 50 years, making them some of the most valuable factory-sealed baseball cards on the market. As this column continues to evolve, were taking suggestions from readers and commenters on how to make it more helpful, entertaining and informative! My, thats a very smart blouse you have on today!. The Junk Wax Era roughly covers the period of 1986 to 1993, which is when card companies were overproducing cards, and leagues were over-licensing to anyone who wanted in on the gold rush. The greatest closer in baseball history looks like hes posing for his high school yearbook editors photo, and somehow, it makes Mo even cooler than he already is. OK, so this is not really *wax* in the strict sense, but wax is really a state of mind right? In the in-between are goodies like six 1985 Topps baseball wax packs, three 1982 Donruss wax packs, two 1981 Topps baseball cello packs, and three 1989 Upper Deck baseball packs. 1982 Topps Traded Cal Ripken Jr. In the summer of 1984, Don Mattingly came out of nowhere to win the American League batting title, snatching it away from New York Yankees teammate Dave Winfield. Its crazy to think he also played at least one season with Kansas City, Oakland, Detroit, Tampa Bay and Cleveland. That card was already popular among collectors when Pete headed back to the Cincinnati Reds in August 1984 as player-manager, but it was then we all realized hed be taking aim at Ty Cobbs all-time hits record on the Riverfront. https://moneymade.io/learn/article/most-valuable-upper-deck-baseball-cards Do you remember the first old rookie card to explode in popularity based on what was happening on the field? The Junk Wax era is mostly considered from 1986 and 1993. And it would have yielded 15.15 repeating copies of every card in whichever set was involved. Rather than write Bill, he apparently chose to make his baseball card PG-13and found his way into memorabilia history. We often talk about iconic cards, but The Kids rookie card was a signal for change. Its hard to be happy with 15.15 repeating of a bunch of things when you have to have one of everything. Keep the comments coming! Think I got the Yaz/Bench card, but dont remember the others for sure. But dont completely turn your nose up at this era just because of the name. Will you find the Rose rookie here in this one-cent wax pack up for auction on eBay right now? ), but they look somehow brighter sitting there under plastic, all new and stuff. If youve been around the hobby for awhile, youve undoubtedly run across 1981 Topps Scratch-Offs. Even at their peak, those cards held minimal value. Yep, and hes looking pretty svelt there, too. The Mantle card reportedly came from a trove of untouched 1952 Topps baseball cards found in a basement, according to ESPN. #365 Gary Payton Rookie Card. Buying and flipping unopened baseball card boxes is fairly common in the modern collecting era. The two hobbies are ridiculously similar in that you are investing in players you believe will perform well, and when they do, thats good for you. April 2023; January 2023; December 2022; November 2022; Sosa was traded from the South Side of Chicago to the North Side for George Bell, and many people dont realize that Sosa and Frank Thomas were on the same team in the early 90s. And thats what this eBay lot is about more Junk Wax product than just about any other listing out there. And as the story goes, most of the unsold boxes were dumped into the Atlantic Ocean after years of collecting dust in a warehouse. Of the sealed boxes that were sent overseas, some were opened, some were tossed, and apparently some were used as kindling for fires. If you continue to use this site, we'll assume you're OK with that. These cards are ranked by PSA 10 values. Whichever something inspired someone to marry the two Topps and Mrs. Butterworths, that is. 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. As the decades have passed, the value of our baseball cards have ebbed and flowed, but something else has happened something amazing. The card collecting hobby has its own language, so people returning to the hobby might need a glossary! For $7 per box you can hardly go wrong, and truthfully you can probably find boxes for less. 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. But Hernandez has a stronger Hall of Fame case than you might remember, so you really couldnt go wrong with either guy. And, at this moment, what could be more tantalizing than and unopened wax pack box of 1978 Topps football cards? It used to be that you had to do something pretty special, like hit three home runs in one World Series game, before you could have your own baseball-themed candy bar. 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. An Elite card of Rickey Henderson was an 11th and came with a print run of 7,500. Why not just give us powerless video games? Unless, of course, you have the willpower to keep it intact. 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. I mean, look at this 1983 Donruss rack pack up for sale right now on eBay . Like, say, some 1974 Topps Deckle Edge cards. Unlike retail boxes, hobby boxes are sold directly to dealers and distributors, and collectors must acquire these outside of traditional retail outlets. the little mermaid script jr,