Maybe completing junk wax sets is the way to go

 

It's growing more and more difficult for set collectors in this hobby. Let's review:

 

1. Flagship. You must contend with inserts and parallels filling spots that were once the domain of "base cards," i.e., the cards that complete the set.

 

2. Heritage (and other spin-off brands). You'll come across inserts and parallels here, too, but also short-printed base cards.

 

3. Vintage. The demand grew once more people entered the hobby six years ago and the increased cost is fueled by the gem-mint crowd.

 

When it comes to sets I desire, it seems like no set is immune to the changes of the last 20, 30 years.

 

No set, that is, except for sets from one particular era: 1986-93. The overproduction era. Junk wax. Nothing about modern day collecting has affected these sets (stuff like collecting copyright and asterisk variations on the back has grown over time but that's easily ignored if you're not into it).

 

I was reminded of this again when I wrote about my intent to complete 1989 Score. That was less than three weeks ago, when I received a box of cards from the set from Marc that took me from owning 215 cards from the set forever to needing around 130 to finish it.

 

And that touched off a series of sends to my residence. My TCDB trade offers lit up immediately. One offer, no there are two, no, that's three! Mark Z. sent a whole bunch that is the stack at the start of this post. Bo of Baseball Cards Come to Life! had some 1989 Score for me, too.

 

Suddenly there were small stacks of 1989 Score scattered in the card room. I had to get a binder. Before I knew it, I was paging the set. I found a binder that could house both my complete 1988 Score set and the 1989 Score set.

 

I probably need a slightly larger binder, but it's late '80s Score, I'm not all that protective.

 

 

I like that I can represent both sets in the binder spine (the sticker on the spine did not come off well so there's a lot of residue I'm not sure how to remove).

 

I just finished adding the cards that Bo sent. The next part of the project is adding the Dodgers from my box of team dupes -- no concerns at all that I will be missing any.

 

So after that tornado of '89 Score passed through, here is what is left to gather:

 

220 - Tim Wallach

350 - Roger Clemens

412 - Wes Gardner

581 - Dave Stapleton

597 - Terry Francona

598 - Paul Zuvella

621 - Ted Simmons

 

I still need to check my general dupes shoebox where I might find the Francona and Zuvella -- I was sure I had both of those checked off. So if anyone has an overwhelming desire to get the above seven cards out of the house, go at it. Otherwise I can add them to my growing sportlots order, which is filled with the most inconsequential cards this time around.

 

Except ...

 

No card that completes a set is inconsequential. Not even one from a junk wax set. And if you're wondering why I didn't just go online and buy a $12 complete set -- It's a lot more fun seeing '89 Score swirl chaotically into my home.

 

Sure, I sometimes wish I was a child during the late '80s/early '90s so these sets would have more meaning to me than they do -- but hand-collated sets are about the last thing this set-collector has to connect me to the way I collected as a kid. Thank goodness the junk wax era still can do that for me (P.S.: 1990 Donruss, 1991 Fleer, don't get your hopes up).