How the 90's killed the Player Collector Completest in 10 Steps

[gracecollector]

The 1990's were an exciting time to collect cards, with many new ideas taking hold and changing collecting forever. In many ways, the new offerings spelled the death of the player collector completest - those collectors that collected "one of everything" of their player. By the end of the 1990's, it was impossible to find every card ever made of your baseball hero. How did this come to happen? Here's my take on the 10 most impactful releases that spelled the death of the completest player collection. Presented in chronological order. I'd argue #7 was the nail in the coffin.

Please feel free to discuss other specific releases you would include in a Top 10 list of 1990's products that contributed to the fall of player collection completest possibility.

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#1: 1991 Donruss Elite:
Well the Reggie Jackson auto chase in 1990 UD was interesting, but this is crazy. Auto cards machine numbered to 10,000? I've busted boxes of this stuff and still haven't pulled one. How am I going to afford one when I do finally find it?

#2: 1992 Leaf:
Hmmm, a one per pack Black Gold card? That's a bit of a challenge to find my guy. Hope someone at the card show has it! This "parallel" design concept is interesting. Something new to chase!

#3: 1993 Topps Finest:
What's this "refractor" parallel everyone is talking about? Some sort of rainbow effect, how do you tell? Oh my god, they're selling for that much! This is going to seriously hurt my wallet. Why can't anyone tell me what the print run of these cards are though?

#4: 1994 Topps Super Star Samplers:
Special "preview" cards for upcoming releases? And you can only find them in factory sets? What will they think of next.

#5: 1996 Score Select:
Mirror Golds only have 30 copies made? Plus Mirror Blues and Reds? Oh man this "rainbow" of parallels is going to be super tough, and expensive! I'll never find them all.

#6: 1996 Studio:
Silver press proofs with only 100 copies - it says 1 of 100 right on the card! Plus they are only distributed in hanger packs (magazine packs)? I don't even have a chance of pulling this card out of a hobby box, gotta find some dang retail store that sells those fat packs!

#7: 1997 Flair:
Oh my god. They've gone and done it. A "Masterpiece" card with 1 of 1 stamped on it - "The Only 1 of 1 Masterpiece!" I can own a card no one else can have? Well that does it, I'll never have a complete collection again.

#8: 1997 New Pinnacle:
Are you kidding me? They're cutting up the printing plates they used to make the cards, and there's only 1 per color? How the heck am I supposed to find these? Eight (front and back plates were made) 1 of 1's from one product - just ridiculous!

#9: 1997 Upper Deck:
Whoa... they're cutting up actual game-worn jerseys and putting the swatches into the card! How can I keep collecting my guy with these $100 cards coming out?

#10: 1998 Topps Tek:
Seriously, 90 different cards of my guy, plus 90 super rare diffractor parallel versions of it? This is getting insane - I quit!

 

[DeliciousBacon]

Were the Superstar Samplers highly collected on release? I remember seeing mention of them in the annual Beckett but that was it. Granted, I was 14 when they came out, not spending much money and cards, and no internet, so I didn't have much of a way to hear about them.

 

[gracecollector]

Were the Superstar Samplers highly collected on release? I remember seeing mention of them in the annual Beckett but that was it. Granted, I was 14 when they came out, not spending much money and cards, and no internet, so I didn't have much of a way to hear about them.

I'd say that you are right that of the ten items on the list, they were probably last in terms of collector appeal. I included them because they ushered in the aspect of having to collect "preview" and "sample" cards for player collectors. Those types of cards became a very real challenge by the end of the decade, especially for Ripken, Junior, Thomas, and Ryan collectors, but also almost universally to some extent for every all-star caliber player.

 

[nosterbor]

And what would us player collectors do without the chase? When I see a card I do not have from the 90's come up for auction it gets me very pumped up!
Just got this two weeks ago. What a RUSH!
1999 Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems #9 Juan Gonzalez/50

 

[TNP777]

#7 . Definitely #7 .

<shakes fist at Chinese collector with deep pockets>

 

[DaClyde]

I wouldn't include the Leaf Black Gold here any more than the Topps Gold cards. Those things are a dime a dozen, though they did launch an unfortunate trend. Maybe that was your point.

Similar to the Superstar Samplers, 1992 Donruss Update cards were only found in the red 1992 Donruss factory sets, though they had a much smaller "superstar" footprint. I'm sort of thankful the 1992 Donruss set is so completely worthless since it took me buying 4 sets (the first was in the blue box before I understood what I was looking for) to find my Winfield card.

 

[gracecollector]

And what would us player collectors do without the chase? When I see a card I do not have from the 90's come up for auction it gets me very pumped up!
Just got this two weeks ago. What a RUSH!
1999 Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems #9 Juan Gonzalez/50

I've very specifically said that the 90's killed the player collector completest, but don't get me wrong... in just as many and more ways the decade spurred player collecting as a whole, and gave rise to the "supercollector," a collector that set their PC apart by acquiring all the new and hard-to-find parallels and inserts. True supercollectors pre-1998 were hardcore guys, before eBay and other internet sites made it much easier to find the rare stuff. Their chase was much harder than it is these days. There was a palpable fear in 1997-1998 that player collecting would fall off with the impossibility of finding cards numbered 100 or less, let alone the new "1/1" cards being introduced. Fortunately, eBay came along at the right time to make finding the rarities much easier. It gave collectors universal geographic coverage, instead of regional coverage, in the chase.

 

[gracecollector]

I wouldn't include the Leaf Black Gold here any more than the Topps Gold cards. Those things are a dime a dozen, though they did launch an unfortunate trend. Maybe that was your point.

I had that exact same thought when writing that, almost included Topps Gold as a hyphen to that entry, but decided to just list the Black Golds because they had more of a Wow factor and Leaf had such an impact as a "premium" product at the time. But as you say, my point was that they - both Topps Gold and Leaf Black Gold - ushered in the "parallel" concept, a card with the same design as the base set but with a color change and much more limited availability.

 

[weight333]

As a 15 year old, I started collecting Bonds almost exclusively in '98. With so many products coming out I knew I had to start to specialize and narrow my collection. I have fond memories of going to Target and buying Leaf/Pinnacle/Pacific products trying to pull rare Bonds issues. Fast forward 16 years later and I'm still chasing many of these issues and as nosterbor said the chase and infrequent sighting of these cards is the best part. Yes, it is impossible to track them all down given the 1/1 but it's still a great challenge!

 

[gracecollector]

Yes, it is impossible to track them all down given the 1/1 but it's still a great challenge!

I agree, a certain nobility in knowing that your task is impossible, but trying your hardest to complete it anyway. Best of luck in the continued pursuit. I think the majority of us player collectors who collect a guy that played both in the 90's and 00's much prefer adding a tough 90's card over a 00's card.

 

[cbrandtw]

Great read thanks. All very good points. However, I'm still trying for the impossible (minus 1/1's).

 

[thelesquad]

I didn't become a hardcore 90s collector for my player until a few years ago, but I can relate to everything but #9 and #10 . There is one card that I would have to add because it seems to be specific only to my guy, and I honestly know very little about it. I have only seen one come up in auction and know of two collectors with a copy.

http://www.beckett.com/baseball/1991/pacific-prototype

 

[ASTROBURN]

Were the Superstar Samplers highly collected on release? I remember seeing mention of them in the annual Beckett but that was it. Granted, I was 14 when they came out, not spending much money and cards, and no internet, so I didn't have much of a way to hear about them.

Some good points in the list overall, but as a player collector i never knew much about the superstar samplers other than they were on the list of cards to get. 19 years after i started collecting i finally got mine. Nothing like taking my time trying to locate a set at a decent price.

 

[predatorkj]

Some good points in the list overall, but as a player collector i never knew much about the superstar samplers other than they were on the list of cards to get. 19 years after i started collecting i finally got mine. Nothing like taking my time trying to locate a set at a decent price.

Slowpoke!

LOL...Just kidding.

To the OP, I think the idea that we can't have it all is true. But I won't say I believe you won't ever find the cards. It's my honest opinion that with people the way they are(where they think everything is worth money), and the availability of ebay (which should help your chances over them going to some random brick and mortar store and selling it there only for it to truly never be seen again), I think at one point in time, every card will eventually pop up. Even if offered for sale by a person it was passed down to. And, say the original collector of the item still owns it and knows what they really have, where do you think they are going to sell it?

All this hobby boils down to now is timing, and money.

 

[Brewer Andy]

I didn't make it past #1 as a kid. After the Elites came out I was out of the hobby within a year and was gone for over a decade. Had such a bad taste in my mouth (and my $16/week first job) that they would make collecting so hard for kids

 

[gracecollector]

Slowpoke!

LOL...Just kidding.

To the OP, I think the idea that we can't have it all is true. But I won't say I believe you won't ever find the cards. It's my honest opinion that with people the way they are(where they think everything is worth money), and the availability of ebay (which should help your chances over them going to some random brick and mortar store and selling it there only for it to truly never be seen again), I think at one point in time, every card will eventually pop up. Even if offered for sale by a person it was passed down to. And, say the original collector of the item still owns it and knows what they really have, where do you think they are going to sell it?

All this hobby boils down to now is timing, and money.

I disagree strongly. I know personally I have over 10 1/1 cards of players I don't collect but pulled and never listed. They've just sitting in a box. And if I do that, surely others do to. Plus there are cards in unopened product, cards that were damaged, cards that collectors kept just for the novelty of being a 1/1 they pulled, and cards that weren't recognized for what they were and put in common boxes. There's absolutely no way every 1/1 will surface and be made available for public sale. Impossible.

 

[mrmopar]

For me, since my player had just retired a few years before your timeline started, 1999 was the end when the UD Retro set featured a Platinum 1/1 parallel. I have never seen that one offered for sale. It might sit in a collection or it may still reside in a pack somewhere. It was downhill from there….

 

[joey12508]

#10 topps tek when it came out i said no way am i am going to go after 90 base cards. now i am at halfway for the set. It keeps me busy while i wait for rarer 90's cards to pop.


Sent from my iPhone using Freedom Card Board mobile app

 

[predatorkj]

I disagree strongly. I know personally I have over 10 1/1 cards of players I don't collect but pulled and never listed. They've just sitting in a box. And if I do that, surely others do to. Plus there are cards in unopened product, cards that were damaged, cards that collectors kept just for the novelty of being a 1/1 they pulled, and cards that weren't recognized for what they were and put in common boxes. There's absolutely no way every 1/1 will surface and be made available for public sale. Impossible.

My answers to that is all unopened product will eventually be opened and everyone eventually passes away. What your family does with your stuff at that time is how things can surface on eBay.

 

[Philip J. Fry]

Unless the family has no idea what they're doing and they decide to trash the cards.