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Fleer progress report

Ever since I decided to try to complete most of the 1980s Fleer baseball sets, I have been swimming in 1980s Fleer.

The 1984 Fleer set is complete. The 1981 Fleer set is about a dozen or so cards short. Meanwhile I am still attempting to dig out of huge boxes of cards sent to me by both ARPSmith's Sportscard Obsession and Johnny's Trading Spot that each contain copious amounts of Fleer, mostly '83, '85 and '86 with a little '82 sprinkled in there.

That brings me to '88 Fleer.

Recently, a reader answered my plea for the last few 1988 Fleer cards that I need by sending me two of them.


Thank you very much James. I never like it when players who competed for the Giants -- as both of these guys did -- end up as the final card.

However, sadly, I'm still lacking that final card.

What might be that final card, you ask?

Nolan Ryan?

Bo Jackson?

Rookies Mark Grace or John Smoltz?

No. It's none of those.

It's some dude named Jay Aldrich.

Yeah, I don't know that guy either.

I know he's in the 1988 Topps set. I can see his sunny smile in my head, but I couldn't tell you a single thing about him.


Oh ... there you go. He's a ROOKIE.

That's why people are hanging on to Jay Aldrich cards. Investment Potential.

Gotta be the only reason it's going for a buck to $1.25 on COMC. No 1988 Fleer card should be selling for more than a quarter.

Maybe I should let a few people in on a secret: Jay Aldrich stopped playing major league baseball in 1990. Like I said, I don't know a lot about him, but I think that career 4.72 ERA might have played a part.

Anyway, it's the last card I need for my second complete Fleer set.



James also kindly sent a couple of 1977 Topps football wants that I've already crossed off my list.

I think we might need to send Charlie Davis out to find that Jay Aldrich card.


He's coming for you, Aldrich.







Time to give it up.

Comments

Jeff S said…
Let me check to see if I have a Jay Aldrich 88 fleer I can send you.
Jeff S said…
GOT IT !!! send me email at fasportscards at gmail dot com with name and address and I will send to you. Will also check your other wants to see if I can send you a few more items.
I picked up my final base card of 1988 Fleer today as well. However, I made the decision early on to chase the errors/variations and a few insert sets from it (not the stickers) because I had started with a factory set. It just didn't seem fair to call a factory set "complete" immediately. Funny you mention Aldrich's 1988 Topps card too...because I can picture it as well.
SumoMenkoMan said…
1988 Fleer was a great set to collect growing up. Glad you got the final card via Jeff. Whoop!
Fuji said…
Flying home today. I'll go through my 81 Fleer and try to help you wrap up that set as well.