I wish this was still the way people collected. Building a set and enjoying the cards as a lot rather than by a graded card is the way it was meant to be. Great video.
I opened these sets when I was a kid and I'm a sucker to buy a couple of junk wax era packs when I see them. I think junk wax starts in '86. Nice video.
This was fun and kinda sad too! I love building sets! I have all the sets you shared here and SO want them to be worth much more😁😕 Great video and it was really fun to follow along! Thanks man! I think I have 4 sets of the 1991 Topps! I just feel the need to build one when I get a huge stack, I have a problem 😁😁😁
I agree with your Donruss and Fleer comment except for the Donruss 1984 and 1985 sets. They were gorgeous, and I treasure my hand-collated binder sets collected when the wax was issued.
Another great video by you. Bummed, I can't look forward to a Phils World Series, but I will look forward to your next video every week. Keep them coming. You are very entertaining and informational at the same time.
Great breakdown. I too was shocked by where 1990 fell on the list. I was big into Score as a kid and upon getting back into the hobby learned how valuable those cards are 😂
@@PhilliesBaseballCards haha yeah… I still really like the 92 Score set and have taken on a massive autograph project with it. I say massive since there are something like 900 cards in the set 💀😂
6:20 1994 video games were becoming huge with kids and most kids stopped caring about sports cards. In the 80s sports and sports cards were boys first interest but when the 1990s came around video games started to be really good and attractive and were now definitely first interest of boys over sports and sports cards. In the early to mid 90s a boy was asking for that cool new baseball video game rather than a box or set of cards for instance
The sets can sell surprisingly well locally, as people factor out shipping and the noxious internet sales tax. Anyone who can use the word "disparate" correctly is a literate human being in my book. You're casting a wide net beginning the era at 1981, but I won't quibble. I like your analytic parameters for this study. Viewing anything evidence-based is so refreshing.
I collected all these sets by packs. As I recall, 1983 packs were pretty easy to find in drug stores and toy stores. 84 and 85 weren't as plentiful but 86 and beyond were everywhere.
I have all those taking up space in my closet. Surprised they are worth anything. Sorry about your Phillies and hope you have done enough grieving by now
As a 60 year old man now and have collected cards since the early 70's, I grew up in the 80's. I will say this, yes after 1981 cards were overproduced, especially starting 1988 and beyond, my advice to those buying. Buy anything unopened packs from 1989 and before. I see people ripping packs all the time from these years and will bet in 5 years, they'll be fairly scarce.
I have them all !! 70'S through 2002. The birth of INFLUENCER'S, GRADERS, and the actual fact junk era is the 2nd era of players. Industry ran out of Player's.
I feel like the whole "We were supposed to retire off of these cards" sentiment is a bit overstated. I started collecting in 1986 and never once thought the cards I was buying for pennies a piece were going to be worth hundreds or thousands in the future.
Just a couple of notes here. For anyone who didn't catch it, these prices INCLUDE shipping so any set that sold for $20, $25 etc, the majority of that price went for shipping. The set itself only sold for a few dollars. Lastly, most would be shocked that the BEST possible investment with these sets happen to be the cheapest set, 1991 Topps. But it has to be a hand collated set, not factory, as there's a small chance that the pricey error cards were included by mistake. These errors were ignored or not known for years after this set was issued.
@@PhilliesBaseballCards For Tony? Nope… in all seriousness, showing it but not mentioning it comes across as it’s not that important of a card in the set. Just my 2 cents. Thanks for the video!
I have tons of this stuff, 3500 count boxes, maybe 60,000 cards. Im thinking of going through them and separate the stars and semi-stars then trashing the rest.
nice Video, thanks for sharing it with us. new subscriber here. you have any videos of phillies autographs or do you collect them? my boss has over 500 different phillies players autos that's different people no doubles of any person. that's a bunch of phillies.
Welcome and thanks for the sub! I haven't made an auto-specific video yet, but it's on the horizon. I made a vid on building a shelf to display my autos, which is the closest so far.
@@PhilliesBaseballCards are you local to philly? and I will tell my boss to check you out since he is always on the lookout for phillies autos and you guys may be able to do some trading....
I think your analysis shows that 1986 is really the beginning of junk wax. Every set before that is above $40. There’s also a weird PSA set registry factor to some of these values. More difficult to get 10’s in 87 and 86, and I think those sets are generally more popular for nostalgia reasons. Also, outliers not mentioned: 1984 and 1985 Donruss. I believe even a hand collated ‘84 set goes for at least $100.
i buyout 40 collections a year and now I just bust any sets.. take the sellable cards and pile the rest for the guy that buys all my base for $20 per 5k.
I picked up 82 83 84 and 85 Topps complete sets last year for $300 i took the time to put them all in binders. Why have them in boxes where you can't appreciate them
not all are cut off center. Those are the gems! Worth big money if you send off to be graded by PSA! A 1982 topps traded ripken jr books at $5500 in 10 gem PSA!
ungraded hand collated sets dont tell the full story of value. The real value is finding PSA 9 or PSA 10 examples of certain key cards in these sets. Also, sealed wax boxes of some of these sets are certainly not junk.
I feel a certain responsibility to rescue these sets when I see them in the wild.
I agree, I’m the PETA of Junk Wax.
I love the 82 set, it was my first love.
I wish this was still the way people collected. Building a set and enjoying the cards as a lot rather than by a graded card is the way it was meant to be. Great video.
Some of us still collect this way. Some of us.
I opened these sets when I was a kid and I'm a sucker to buy a couple of junk wax era packs when I see them. I think junk wax starts in '86. Nice video.
This was fun and kinda sad too! I love building sets! I have all the sets you shared here and SO want them to be worth much more😁😕 Great video and it was really fun to follow along! Thanks man! I think I have 4 sets of the 1991 Topps! I just feel the need to build one when I get a huge stack, I have a problem 😁😁😁
Love these sets, whatever they're worth.
Great stuff, thanks for sharing
Do you have any of these sets?
87 Topps was my ticket to early retirement. Hahahahaha. Great video.
I have two 87 sets, so I could sell one and keep the other. Welp.
Cool video! Love the 83 Topps set
I agree with your Donruss and Fleer comment except for the Donruss 1984 and 1985 sets. They were gorgeous, and I treasure my hand-collated binder sets collected when the wax was issued.
Another great video by you. Bummed, I can't look forward to a Phils World Series, but I will look forward to your next video every week. Keep them coming. You are very entertaining and informational at the same time.
great video , love the sets
Awesome video on things I didn't know I wanted to know! Thanks!
Great Video as always. Keep up the good work
Great breakdown. I too was shocked by where 1990 fell on the list.
I was big into Score as a kid and upon getting back into the hobby learned how valuable those cards are 😂
Oooofffff. The Score sets. I've seen them at shows for $5 and not sell.
@@PhilliesBaseballCards haha yeah… I still really like the 92 Score set and have taken on a massive autograph project with it. I say massive since there are something like 900 cards in the set 💀😂
6:20 1994 video games were becoming huge with kids and most kids stopped caring about sports cards. In the 80s sports and sports cards were boys first interest but when the 1990s came around video games started to be really good and attractive and were now definitely first interest of boys over sports and sports cards. In the early to mid 90s a boy was asking for that cool new baseball video game rather than a box or set of cards for instance
Good point.
The sets can sell surprisingly well locally, as people factor out shipping and the noxious internet sales tax. Anyone who can use the word "disparate" correctly is a literate human being in my book. You're casting a wide net beginning the era at 1981, but I won't quibble. I like your analytic parameters for this study. Viewing anything evidence-based is so refreshing.
1991 Topps: my gateway drug. The first set I ever completed through wax packs and trade. Quite possibly the most beloved set in my entire collection.
That's 87 for me, but the sentiment is the same.
I threw out so many of those cards when I de-cluttered a few years ago. Filled contractors' bags full of them.
Full sets or bags of duplicate commons?
Top 3 sets of the 80's in no particular order:
1989 Upper Deck
1983 Topps
1984 Donruss
Many have a soft spot for 84 Donruss. Must be the Mattingly.
I collected all these sets by packs. As I recall, 1983 packs were pretty easy to find in drug stores and toy stores. 84 and 85 weren't as plentiful but 86 and beyond were everywhere.
Me, too. The 87 packs were EVERYWHERE!
I have all those taking up space in my closet. Surprised they are worth anything. Sorry about your Phillies and hope you have done enough grieving by now
I've grieved, and am already looking forward to spring training!
Interesting. Thx for the research. My hand collated sets are from 1958-1962. None are completed. 60 yrs later still adding to them.
Those are big boy sets. Keep at it!
As a 60 year old man now and have collected cards since the early 70's, I grew up in the 80's. I will say this, yes after 1981 cards were overproduced, especially starting 1988 and beyond, my advice to those buying. Buy anything unopened packs from 1989 and before. I see people ripping packs all the time from these years and will bet in 5 years, they'll be fairly scarce.
Great video love from Australia.
I used to collect basketball cards whos your favourite player?
Basketball? Michael Jordan, of course.
@@PhilliesBaseballCards wow I thought you were going to say Yao Ming
I have them all !! 70'S through 2002. The birth of INFLUENCER'S, GRADERS, and the actual fact junk era is the 2nd era of players. Industry ran out of Player's.
Set collectors are the best collectors!
I feel like the whole "We were supposed to retire off of these cards" sentiment is a bit overstated. I started collecting in 1986 and never once thought the cards I was buying for pennies a piece were going to be worth hundreds or thousands in the future.
But yet the ones from the 60's & 70's are.
Just a couple of notes here.
For anyone who didn't catch it, these prices INCLUDE shipping so any set that sold for $20, $25 etc, the majority of that price went for shipping. The set itself only sold for a few dollars.
Lastly, most would be shocked that the BEST possible investment with these sets happen to be the cheapest set, 1991 Topps.
But it has to be a hand collated set, not factory, as there's a small chance that the pricey error cards were included by mistake. These errors were ignored or not known for years after this set was issued.
Perhaps not surprisingly, the price+shipping ebay fee is pretty much what these sets cost cash at a show.
@@PhilliesBaseballCards At card shows dealers ask for these prices, but they don't move.. at least in the New England card shows
How do you not mention the Tony Gwynn rookie in the 1983 set?
I showed it, and put it center. Figured thay was enough.
@@PhilliesBaseballCards For Tony? Nope… in all seriousness, showing it but not mentioning it comes across as it’s not that important of a card in the set. Just my 2 cents.
Thanks for the video!
I have tons of this stuff, 3500 count boxes, maybe 60,000 cards. Im thinking of going through them and separate the stars and semi-stars then trashing the rest.
Consider donating them to charity for kids that have nothing.
Complete the sets! Complete the sets!
nice Video, thanks for sharing it with us. new subscriber here. you have any videos of phillies autographs or do you collect them? my boss has over 500 different phillies players autos that's different people no doubles of any person. that's a bunch of phillies.
Welcome and thanks for the sub! I haven't made an auto-specific video yet, but it's on the horizon. I made a vid on building a shelf to display my autos, which is the closest so far.
@@PhilliesBaseballCards are you local to philly? and I will tell my boss to check you out since he is always on the lookout for phillies autos and you guys may be able to do some trading....
@@boomslang024 not anymore, I grew up there but now live in parts afar.
I think your analysis shows that 1986 is really the beginning of junk wax. Every set before that is above $40.
There’s also a weird PSA set registry factor to some of these values. More difficult to get 10’s in 87 and 86, and I think those sets are generally more popular for nostalgia reasons.
Also, outliers not mentioned: 1984 and 1985 Donruss. I believe even a hand collated ‘84 set goes for at least $100.
You can make the argument that vintage begins in 86.
I used to have every single topps tiffany sealed set produced. 84-91 including the traded sets. I sold them all on ebay. I am so ashamed. :(
Don't be ashamed! None of us could have predicted any of it.
@@PhilliesBaseballCards i got around $6k for them but i loved those sets!
i buyout 40 collections a year and now I just bust any sets.. take the sellable cards and pile the rest for the guy that buys all my base for $20 per 5k.
Bust the sets! Nooooooo! 🤣
You didnt mention Tony Gwynn in the 1983 topps set, arguably the best player in the entire decade
No, but I put his card front and center.
@@PhilliesBaseballCards nice compilation...just wanted to hear Gwynns name even though its right in front he he
❤
I picked up 82 83 84 and 85 Topps complete sets last year for $300 i took the time to put them all in binders. Why have them in boxes where you can't appreciate them
1991 had to be the ugliest year for sets. The Topps design was the best by a wide margin, but Fleer and Donruss?? 🥴lol
Some of these card designs have a genuine classic appearance. Some are very meh and always cut off-center! - Heather
True, and I have a Pavlovian need to complete the sets either way! 🤣
not all are cut off center. Those are the gems! Worth big money if you send off to be graded by PSA! A 1982 topps traded ripken jr books at $5500 in 10 gem PSA!
The '84 Donruss is way better than most of those sets.
You're not the first person to say this.
@@PhilliesBaseballCards to me out of all the Topps sets in this video. I like the 83 the best
ungraded hand collated sets dont tell the full story of value. The real value is finding PSA 9 or PSA 10 examples of certain key cards in these sets. Also, sealed wax boxes of some of these sets are certainly not junk.