tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2700049103080920994.post7092376890279822419..comments2024-03-28T09:03:24.735-04:00Comments on Night Owl Cards: Best set of the year: 1981night owlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11673973790245316059noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2700049103080920994.post-72914581300000666732021-02-07T23:24:51.500-05:002021-02-07T23:24:51.500-05:00No one who opened wax packs and collected cards in...No one who opened wax packs and collected cards in 1981 could rate Donruss #1. Photos were too blurry, card stock too thin and the gum ruined at least one card in every pack. And the worst collation of any set ever released in packs in the history of baseball cards. Three of the same cards in a single pack? Only two or three teams represented in an entire wax box? That's 1981 Donruss. <br /><br />I give Topps a slight edge over Fleer, though Fleer did have some great cards that year. Donruss comes in a distant third. Overall a very poor effort from all three producers. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2700049103080920994.post-83628002610218872442020-07-27T00:26:10.629-04:002020-07-27T00:26:10.629-04:00Love this blog. I, too think 1981 Topps is the bes...Love this blog. I, too think 1981 Topps is the best design that year. Interesting how the card colors don’t match the team colors. The accurate cap design reminds me of the pennants of 1965 Topps which used pink and gold for Yankees and Dodgers (also many cards not matching the team colors in that set either). I believe you pointed that out as a drawback in your Topps countdown. That 1965 Topps deserves high ranking. But, for me, I really like the 1981 Topps design. Of the decade, I rate it in the top 5!!Brian O'Marrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05317658981904044160noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2700049103080920994.post-50259466330880395842017-10-01T22:53:36.754-04:002017-10-01T22:53:36.754-04:00I am a fan of 1991 Fleet for one reason only...a t...I am a fan of 1991 Fleet for one reason only...a true Sunset Card of Willie McCovey. Mr. McCovey's last game played was 7/6/1980, but Fleet still produced a card for him; one that gives you his entire career stats on the back. One of my favorite cards!<br />Jim Joneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00796603644804935850noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2700049103080920994.post-31944479522735185802012-08-08T13:24:16.870-04:002012-08-08T13:24:16.870-04:00The thin stock of this Donruss set drives me crazy...The thin stock of this Donruss set drives me crazy. Also, the backs are a cluttered mess of worthless info. <br /><br />My Grades<br />Topps 8.6<br />Fleer 7.9<br />Donruss 2.3Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2700049103080920994.post-13208359825193430542012-02-28T22:12:33.145-05:002012-02-28T22:12:33.145-05:00I agree with what you said but I'm a little bi...I agree with what you said but I'm a little biased with 1981. It was the first year I collected and the Topps were a lot more readily available.<br /><br />I read in the book "Mint Condition" that MLB gave Donruss and Fleer their license with very little time to get the set out to compete with Topps. Hence on the mistakes and errors in rushing the product.Jeff Lawshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14325109853869480569noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2700049103080920994.post-29816497331468135122012-02-27T09:34:02.990-05:002012-02-27T09:34:02.990-05:00I'd go:
1) Donruss
2) Topps
3) Fleer
I like ...I'd go:<br /><br />1) Donruss<br />2) Topps<br />3) Fleer<br /><br />I like those backs on the Donruss card - different, in a good way. I just have to knock the 81 Topps set down to not being #1. It's not awful, but the design isn't great and the photography wasn't all that good either.<br /><br />(Lifetimetopps)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2700049103080920994.post-26723148357182225162012-02-25T01:19:04.013-05:002012-02-25T01:19:04.013-05:00Wow, what a great post! and then awesome replies!
...Wow, what a great post! and then awesome replies!<br /><br />As someone that collects PSA Cards, 1981 is a real nightmare. SO tough to grade due to issues mentioned already, and the lousy "mush-like" paper stock used by Topps and Donruss.thosebackpageshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16526214016039177237noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2700049103080920994.post-86024041701716611652012-02-24T10:58:28.326-05:002012-02-24T10:58:28.326-05:00First Place - Topps
Over the years, I've grow...First Place - Topps<br /><br />Over the years, I've grown to love the 1981 set design with the hats. Sort of how I slowly grew to love the 1986 Topps set design. I didn't like either of these designs ten years ago.<br /><br />Second Place - Fleer<br /><br />I'm not a fan of either the Fleer or Donruss designs from 1981. But Fleer gets a sentimental vote, because it was the first set I ever received from my parents. Two years ago, I found several cheap boxes and rebuilt the set. I can't remember a product that was off-centered as this stuff.<br /><br />Third Place - Donruss<br /><br />No Diamond Kings. End of story.Fujihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00749100861086458307noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2700049103080920994.post-2045420660377657412012-02-24T01:55:54.180-05:002012-02-24T01:55:54.180-05:00The best part of 1981 was it was the year I starte...The best part of 1981 was it was the year I started collecting. Fleer first, then Topps and eventually Donruss at 8 packs for a dollar.Play at the Platehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14231140141558021698noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2700049103080920994.post-91491320992512299442012-02-24T01:42:06.527-05:002012-02-24T01:42:06.527-05:00My order would be
1. Fleer - I liked the fact tha...My order would be<br /><br />1. Fleer - I liked the fact that they organized the set by team, so when you put the cards in sheets you have each team set all together. I also have a bias towards the set since it was Fleer that sued Topps and won which allowed the competition to flourish starting in 1981 with the release of this set. Without Fleer wanting to produce this set, who knows how the hobby would have progressed if they had not sued Topps. I have a hard time looking at the set without taking into consideration the significance of what the set meant to the explosion of the hobby that followed.<br /><br />2. Donruss - I liked the design, but the quality control is horrendous. The centering on the cards is horrible, and trying to track down all the error variations is quite a challenge (not that finding all the Fleer variations is much easier).<br /><br />3. Topps - I really don't like the design. If they would have actually used the cap logos instead of the colors and the team name, I would have a much different opinion as that would have made for a much better looking card.Fleerfanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15864097341083255908noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2700049103080920994.post-61083654331249539962012-02-23T23:52:05.604-05:002012-02-23T23:52:05.604-05:00Back in the actual year of '81, I opened a pac...Back in the actual year of '81, I opened a pack of Topps and thought it was really ugly. I don't believe I bought much of it. With time, I think the '81 Donruss set has grown on me.Anthony Hugheshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12235433322648199652noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2700049103080920994.post-70997499990562826152012-02-23T22:23:45.080-05:002012-02-23T22:23:45.080-05:00I loved the look of '81 Topps when I first saw...I loved the look of '81 Topps when I first saw it back in '82, but nowadays I find the Fleer '81 set to be the best '81 set IMHO. Although I almost love the Donruss... the Donruss that year had too many errors on the backs and stuff.<br /><br />Ahhh i can just feel the dissin' of the '82 Topps coming up next :-P nobody loves my set.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2700049103080920994.post-61181733052172867472012-02-23T21:19:01.506-05:002012-02-23T21:19:01.506-05:00nice post - really well done! i am looking forwar...nice post - really well done! i am looking forward to more in this series!<br /><br />my ratings would be:<br />1)topps<br />2)donruss<br />3)fleer (too much white border on the front of the card, right? it's like they didnt know how to work to the edges and left way too much margin leeway!)<br /><br />ps- i was rating the sets in general - i didn't realize until a second check that the poster before me was rating GUM!Kevhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14360197447177100463noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2700049103080920994.post-64247112082934517032012-02-23T20:55:06.263-05:002012-02-23T20:55:06.263-05:00You didn't throw it into the review but as som...You didn't throw it into the review but as someone who also collected in 1981, I'd rate the gum included in the packs in the following order: <br /><br />#1 Donruss (very sweet)<br />#2 Topps (familar classic flavor)<br />#3 Fleer (bland taste that came with too much powder).steeleherehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17413236126581293109noreply@blogger.com