Friday, August 14, 2009

Pack Attack: Blast(s) From the Past

The only thing I love more than a couple of packs of Allen & Ginter (a sacrilegious statement, I know) is busting random 80's and 90's wax. After roughly 100 packs or so of A & G (I really wish I was exaggerating, you should see my room) it was time for something fresh, even if the packs were past their expiration date (unless they had been kept in a freezer). It's always great to buy old packs and pull cards of players that are now retired and/or players that rekindle some special memories from years past. Jose Guillen as a Pirate? Mike Mussina in an Orioles uniform? You won't find either of those in 2009 products, unless of course Topps is pulling out some more of its "beloved" gimmicks. Anywho, back to the crux of the matter. I bought a lot of 4 packs of eBay that included: 1983 Fleer, 1996 Sportflix, 1998 Bowman's Best and 1998 Topps Stars. I don't think I have ever opened any of these particular packs yet, so let's dig in and see what awaits!

1998 Bowman's Best (I'm not sure whether or not I want to pull an Atomic Refractor, aren't they a leading cause of lung cancer?):
Geoff Jenkins (RC)
Donnie Sadler (RC)
Mike Mussina
John Olerud
Brady Anderson
Mark Grudzielanek

1996 Sportsflix (I really thought these cards were the future of the industry, but alas, Sportsflix has gone the way of Sarah Palin's political career.):
Alex Ochoa (RC)
Ken Griffey Jr. (Checklist)
Jim Thome
Frank Thomas
Reggie Sanders

1998 Topps Stars (every card is serial-numbered...to #9799! Remember when cards numbered to 10,000 were hard to find? By howdy this pack makes me feel old.):
Mike Lansing (#7021/9799)
Curt Schilling (#5548/9799)
John Valentin (#404/9799)
Butch Husky GOLD (#1290/2299)
Jose Guillen SILVER (#1491/4399)
Javy Lopez (#2670/9799)

1983 Fleer Valu-Pak (look for Sandberg, Gwynn, Boggs Rookies, grainy pictures and poor centering.):
Dennis Martinez, Buck Martinez, Gary Carter/Bo Diaz "Base Stealer' Threat", Don Robinson, Larry McWilliams, Gary Lavelle, Dave Hostetler, Willie Stargell/Pete Rose "Fountain of Youth", Charlie Lea, Wallace Johnson, Gene Richards, Wayne Gross, Ben Oglivie/Reggie Jackson "Home Run Threats", Tom Niedenfuer, Dave Parker, Bobby Castillo, Gorman Thomas, Ben Hayes, Eddie Milner, Chris Speier, Bud Black, Hubie Brooks, Dickie Noles, Jody Davis, Steve Yeager, Jerry Turner, Pete Rose, Terry Harper

P.S. Sorry for the pictures. I don't have a scanner as of yet. Any ideas on where to pick one up on the cheap?

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