Nostalgia doesn't come in a standard size

 

By 1983, I had adjusted to the growing number of card products on the market.

 

That total seems laughable now, but just two years prior there had been just one brand and suddenly I had discovered two selling rivals to Topps in Donruss and Fleer, and somehow I had to collect all three.

 

Gradually, and even before 1981, those companies were putting other card-type things on store shelves. I found most of them for sale in a deli, which was on the way to the drug store where I bought most of my cards. I don't know what caused us to go into that deli, maybe someone told me, "hey, they sell cards!"

 

I know the first time I bought cards in that deli was 1980 because that's when Topps issued the large, glossy Superstar Photos, which I ate right up. 

The increased competition created more card product in the deli and I bought Fleer sticker packs there, 1981 and 1982 Topps stickers (and the sticker book), the 1983 Fleer Stamps and the 1983 Donruss Action All-Stars. I had finally realized I couldn't complete everything, which had been the M.O. previously, but I still attempted to buy everything available ... thank goodness I don't still do that now.

 

So anyway, I've got a couple of packs of the 1983 Donruss Action All-Stars. I received them from Jim, who just sent me that nifty Ron Cey drinking cup.

 

I'll open one here and the other one over at A Pack To Be Named Later -- at some point.

 

Here is the first pack:

 

8 - Jason Thompson, Pirates

 

I remember liking these right away. I wasn't big on Donruss at all at the time and I was impressed they had something like this in them. It is reminiscent of 1956 Topps and I liked that what I had known only as "boring postcard size" could produce something this attractive and informative (I'll show the back in a bit).

 

 

2 - Dwight Evans, Red Sox

 

Thank goodness, he won't be the last card I need if I ever decide to complete this set. He almost always is in the final 10.

 

 

56 - Robin Yount

This is already quite the pack. I love the players from this time period.

 

34, 35, 36 - Mickey Mantle puzzle pieces

Oh boy, these things. The packaging lists the puzzles first, like this is the reason collectors are buying these. I can't stress how lame I thought the puzzle pieces were in Donruss. I had company among my friends, too.

22 - Rickey Henderson, Athletics

Every time I pull a player like Henderson or Nolan Ryan or one of the big targets of player collectors, I breath a sigh of relief, even if I have no concrete plans to finish the set. One pain-in-the-ass card out of the way.

 

16 - Hal McRae, Royals

Ever since pulling McRae's '75 Topps card in one of the first three packs I ever bought, I've loved pulling his cards. It's amazing I can still do that 48 years later. 

 

 

40 -  Buddy Bell, Rangers

Bell makes me think of the Johnny Wockenfuss story I wrote and the home plate collision between Wockenfuss and Bell. I suppose I'll always think of that now.

That's the end of the pack but I promised to show the back.

Look at that attention to detail! That puts anything Panini has ever done to shame. That's how thorough card backs were when I was going to school. It's why our test scores were better.

 

I really like these and I'm super-happy I have pages to fit them. These are the only versions of the Action All-Stars that I bought. I moved on to college in late '83 and had no time for extras like that, besides what was with making them vertical?

OK, that's it for now. Check over At A Pack To Be Named Later in the next week or so for the other one.