1988 Baseball card story

[Jim3k]

by Jim Caple of ESPN. What a great year that was for my starry eyed 9-year old son, able to watch his heroes Canseco and McGwire in person. And, his Little League team was enthralled with the Orel Hersheiser scoreless innings run. Plus, there was the Bo Jackson story. It was great to be a Dad with all that going on with him and his team. The chatter took me back. And I loved it.

Much of it crumbled later as the PED stuff came out. But look at the young 1988 bodies on Bonds, McGwire and the others and marvel at how they looked as their careers came to an end 15 or so years later.

[throatybeard]

Much of it crumbled later as the PED stuff came out. But look at the young 1988 bodies on Bonds, McGwire and the others and marvel at how they looked as their careers came to an end 15 or so years later.

I don't know why, but the spent potential of those guys reminds me of a friend of mine in HS.

I'm not sure if he actually graduated, because he was a stoner. He came to class at times. Once with a straw hat and a box of Nilla wafers at 12:30. But he loved baseball. He had a Rickey Henderson rookie card. Topps or whichever, I forget, but he had it. Mint. Straight up mint. This was back when baseball cards mattered, probably during their last Indian Summer, sometime around late-80s early-90s.

One night he was messing around with darts and accidentally dropped a dart straight through the middle of his Rickey Henderson rookie card.

[Tom B.]

This was back when baseball cards mattered, probably during their last Indian Summer, sometime around late-80s early-90s.

That sounds about right. Baseball cards had a resurgence in popularity from the late 1980s until about 1993. My younger brother was really into them for a while. He had all the big names -- Mattingly, Boggs, Ripken, Canseco, McGwire, Puckett, Hershiser, Ryan, Clemens, etc. Everyone from Mr. Burns' ringer softball team on The Simpsons, and then some. His big prizes were a couple of Bo Jackson and Ken Griffey, Jr. rookie cards that he found organically (i.e., he didn't buy them individually from a card dealer -- they just happened to be in a couple of random card packs that he picked up for a buck or two at the corner drug store).

Then the strike happened in '94. The card market cratered and never really recovered, even after the McGwire/Sosa PED-enhanced home run chase of '98.

[A-Tex Devil]

That sounds about right. Baseball cards had a resurgence in popularity from the late 1980s until about 1993. My younger brother was really into them for a while. He had all the big names -- Mattingly, Boggs, Ripken, Canseco, McGwire, Puckett, Hershiser, Ryan, Clemens, etc. Everyone from Mr. Burns' ringer softball team on The Simpsons, and then some. His big prizes were a couple of Bo Jackson and Ken Griffey, Jr. rookie cards that he found organically (i.e., he didn't buy them individually from a card dealer -- they just happened to be in a couple of random card packs that he picked up for a buck or two at the corner drug store).

Then the strike happened in '94. The card market cratered and never really recovered, even after the McGwire/Sosa PED-enhanced home run chase of '98.

That, and the market was flooded and the supply was much greater than anyone ever let on. When people figured it out, the market cratered. And there were lots of men ripping off preteens with little remorse.

[sagegrouse]

That sounds about right. Baseball cards had a resurgence in popularity from the late 1980s until about 1993. My younger brother was really into them for a while. He had all the big names -- Mattingly, Boggs, Ripken, Canseco, McGwire, Puckett, Hershiser, Ryan, Clemens, etc. Everyone from Mr. Burns' ringer softball team on The Simpsons, and then some. His big prizes were a couple of Bo Jackson and Ken Griffey, Jr. rookie cards that he found organically (i.e., he didn't buy them individually from a card dealer -- they just happened to be in a couple of random card packs that he picked up for a buck or two at the corner drug store).

Then the strike happened in '94. The card market cratered and never really recovered, even after the McGwire/Sosa PED-enhanced home run chase of '98.

Market cratered on baseball cards? Well,... After there were big bucks in ancient and not-so-ancient cards starting in when? -- the 1970's? -- the manufacturers wised up. I am sure there are ample supplies of all baseball cards now kept in humidity-controlled conditions should there be a strong demand for early cards of future staes. Ain't no one gonna find a oner any more.

sage

[OZZIE4DUKE]

Market cratered on baseball cards? Well,... After there were big bucks in ancient and not-so-ancient cards starting in when? -- the 1970's? -- the manufacturers wised up. I am sure there are ample supplies of all baseball cards now kept in humidity-controlled conditions should there be a strong demand for early cards of future staes. Ain't no one gonna find a oner any more.

sage

My 14 year old nephew has quite an Ebay business going, selling and buying baseball cards. He's been doing it for about 5 years and is quite an entrepreneur!

[pamtar]

I was 7 in '88, playing my first season of real baseball. I really didn't get into cards until Little League a few years later. I can remember mowing the lawn all summer just to save up enough to buy the '91 Topps Stadium Club Box Set which held the now infamous Brien Taylor rookie card.
front.jpg
I think the set also had RC's of Cliff Floyd, Manny, Shaun Green and a few others, but Taylor was the card EVERYBODY wanted. As luck would have it the East Carteret grad, who was the No. 1 pick by the Yankees, messed up his arm in a bar fight and never amounted to jack. Luckily, I ended up trading that card for a Bonds rookie card and this gem...
Bo Jackson.jpg

[throatybeard]

Shortly after Gary Carter was diagnosed with the cancer of all cancers, glioblastoma, I tripped over a mint 1989ish card of his at Soulard Market. Outdoors. On the ground. I guess it had not rained in a while. I still have it, because I knew he was done for.