Skip to main content

May the '70s and '80s always reign

 
I hope you know that I'm never going to stop writing about '70s and '80s cards on here.

To me, that's the greatest era for cards and the most appealing cards. It's the most appealing time period, too, for ... well, just about everything. Then we hit the '90s and pretended everything was the same but knew it wasn't and now we're in the 21st century and nobody knows what a radio is anymore.

The beauty of cards is I can collect the same period over and over without anyone getting on me for living in the past (well, some people still might, but that would be rude of them).
 
I once worried that I was running out of cards to collect from this time but I now know that's absolutely not true and won't be for as long as I'm dragging myself around.
 
One of the best sources for '70s and '80s cards continues to be Dime Box Nick, which is a bit strange as I'm pretty sure he never set foot in either decade. He certainly understands the glory of that time period, the colorfulness of the baseball teams and all that.
 

So I got a bunch of stuff like this. All modern cards but with players from the golden era. I still love those Greatest cards from 2019. Don't love how confusing Topps made tracking all the cards but they're still beautiful.
 
 

I also received several oddballs because that's what the '70s and '80s did best. The Lite Beer card is actually from the '90s but there's a fine '70s/'80s player on the front.
 
 

Here is maybe the best example of why I'll be collecting '70s an '80s cards (and writing about them here) for the rest of my days. These three are 1978 SSPC cards, which are not exactly plentiful in the wild. There are a bunch of them and I still need a mess of Dodgers and they're never cheap individually when I look for them. Check out the crazy variation in size. These are the definition of hand-cut.
 
 
 

Just one O-Pee-Chee card in this Nick package but he picked out somebody I've interviewed so nice going!
 


Nick sent Discs! I just mentioned how I'm on a kick for getting as many of the Cey discs I can. The Cey and Garvey discs are actually dupes, but I did just get in two new Ceys the other day ...
 


Crane and Orbaker's, home of the Giant STEAKS apparently.
 


Probably my favorite of the '70s/'80s cards that Nick sent. I've always liked these Coca-Cola minor-league cards from the late '70s and this one is key because Stormin' Gorman had already been to the majors for a few years and then was sent down before he became a well-known Brew Crew slugger. This is a nice transition card.
 
 

 Nick didn't forget the Dodgers. These aren't from the '70s or '80s but they are about 25 years old and that's got to make someone feel old.



Here we go, new shiny stuff. Some of this is so new that I haven't even bothered to see what I need for some of these sets. Those purple cards are from 2022 Chrome Update, which was released at Christmas time. So, yeah, not a clue that was a thing, let alone finding parallels.
 
 
 

Nick's always good for a few A&G minis, too. The K-Rod could make the frankenset binder, the other two will find a good home.

I am very close to not needing any more (non-Dodger) A&G minis. That will be a post for the near future.
 


Just a few randoms to finish up the send from Nick. Dustin May's looked pretty good for the Dodgers this year, which means I'll struggle again to find his rookie-type stuff, I appreciate the Pro Debut insert.

I may be done with Nick's cards, but I received another envelope recently that also contained some cards from that great time period.


The Collective Mind during his recent run of card shows found some stuff off my 1983 Kellogg's want list.

I now need just six cards to finish this set. Wee! And none of them have cracked because '83s aren't mean like those earlier Kellogg's sets from the '70s.
 
So, you know, not everything about the '70s and '80s was great. But let's just say there were less things back then that made me think TURN THAT OFF RIGHT NOW.

Comments

Nick packed a punch with that one.
Isn't a radio an app on your phone?
That Gorman is AWESOME!!!!
John Bateman said…
I think the 80s really ended in the early 1990s- where 4 things happened

1. Cheap baseball card died (and Football and Basketball.....)

2. Great Movies came to an end in the mid 1990s (I think there were more great movies in the early 1990s than the 70s and 80s combined)

3.Great Songs and Bands died by the mid 1990s (Music in the late 1980s and early 1990s had some unbelievable stuff - late 1990s you had Britny, Christina, Back Street Boys... etc - Now in the 21st Nickleback maybe the greatest group)

4. College Basketball ended (The best players came out earlier and earlier then the High School kids went straight to the pros)
Nick said…
I had a feeling you'd like that Gorman Thomas - found that one in a 50-cent bin at the local card show. I wasn't sure what to do with it (I somehow don't collect him) but I knew I couldn't leave it behind. I have to admit I had no idea Thomas had a short "transition" phase in the minors between major league stints.

Glad there a few other hits in there! Like you, I can't get enough of '70s/'80s oddballs so I'm certainly happy to share any extras that come through here.
Chris said…
Nick sent some great stuff! The amount of oddballs/minor league issues from the '70s and '80s blows my mind. It's great that one of the youngest bloggers in the cardsphere has such an eye for cards released well before he was born.

And those '83 Kellogg's cards don't crack? Good to know. Might have to get a copy of that Yount for my PC.
Anonymous said…
I'm with you here. Probably 99.9% of my collection is from the 70's & 80's.
Jon said…
It's kind of interesting that Gorman's bat says "AAA" on it. And that Faber is easily one of the better images from that particular Fleer Greats set.
Old Cards said…
Hoping you don't stop writing about '50s and '60s either. Thanks for helping us all live in the past for just a few moments each day!
I fully support continuing content related to 70s and 80s cards.
Fuji said…
That Red Faber is pretty cool. He looks like he's smelling his fingers... or about to dig his nose.
1984 Tigers said…
John B,
1. The explosion of multiple sets from the same company (donruss, leaf, triple play) each with a higher price tag turned me off so much that I stopped buying new cards, save upper deck, in 1992. By 1994, even before the strike, I completely stopped buying new. Thankfully, I plowed my money into 50s and 60s stuff that has real value today.

2. Prior to 1992, when I'd go to a show and want to buy cards, the beckett high price seemed to be the floor if the card was in nice shape. Some dealers charged even higher than the beckett price because people were buying them anyway. This finally started to change in late 1991. I remember going to a huge card show in metro Detroit and one dealer from KC has some pretty solid stuff exmt quality that he sold me for half beckett price. This was for 1960s stuff when exmt at the time got about 80 percent of high beckett price. Got a really nice 1961 Marichal rookie for about 50 bucks.

3. As for college hoops, even guys like Jordan stayed around for 3 years. Ewing played all 4 years. Same for Danny Manning. By the 90s you had guys going pro like kobe and garnett, but not everyone out of HS was ready.

4. I will say, turning 60 this summer, that 1980s had a great run of coming of age movies like Breakfast Club, St. Elmos Fire, vision quest, etc.

Paul t
1984 Tigers said…
Gorman Thomas rookie card was in 1974, since he played a decent amount in 1973. He actually had two stints back at triple A. 1974 when he crushed 51 home runs and got a Sept call up. That Spokane card is from 1977 when he spent the full season in the minors. He finally broke through in 1978 and had a bigger year in 1979.

I went to a few games in Milwaukee in summer 1983 after he had been traded to Cleveland for rick Manning. The fans were really tough on Rick even though he had nothing to do with the trade decision.

Paul t
Doc Samson said…
Fantastic post, Mr. Owl. One of your best. This is just my opinion, but once Stadium Club arrived in 1991, that changed everything. Yes, everybody knows that was Topps’ answer to Upper Deck. But expectations were suddenly raised by collectors everywhere. They now demanded every set had better photos, better card stock, better everything. And along with it, a higher price per pack. Thanks again!
Nick Vossbrink said…
I need to search for Gardners more often.
Adam Ryan said…
Wow, Nick really covered a lot there with the oddballs. His trade packs are always so cool and littered with variety. And I agree, 70s and 80s cards are really so much fun.
Matt said…
Even tho they are releasing new cards everyday, nothing brings me more joy than discovering cards from the 70s & 80s that i never knew existed before. Great post!
I think everyone (naturally) feels the era they started collecting cards was the best era. For me, it was the 1960s.

I started collecting in '67 so that is my sentimental favorite, but I've come to like the '65, '63, and '60 sets as well.
gregory said…
It's nice to have the reassurance that you won't ever stop writing about cards from the '70s and '80s. Great assortment of oddballs and food-issue stuff here. Orbaker's must have been a happening spot!
Jafronius said…
Great stuff from Nick!
jacobmrley said…
I just got that same Molitor Gardner's card, oddball synchronicity!
ned said…
That Faber card with him loading a spitball is something that even in the 60s the kids didnt understand but possibly the best card in a set I loved but most kids didnt when it came out