S.I. The Last Iconic Baseball Card: '89 UD Griffey

[Philip J. Fry]

[quote="Philip J. Fry":1fi2vtjz]How is this not iconic?? :twisted:

I know you posted this jokingly, but ironically, as highly collected as this set has been, I think a case could be made for the inclusion of draft picks in street clothes being the beginning of the prospecting movement and along with it, the diminishing of the true rookie card and the fragmentation and marginalization of the hobby a lot of us grew up with.

/flame on...[/quote:1fi2vtjz]


No, you're correct. It was a joke but also posted because that was the first Bowman set to start the prospecting craze, until 1997 Bowman Chrome hit the streets. How many players were in 1992 Bowman that didn't appear on other cards til years later, or even not at all?

 

[sportscardtheory]

[quote="Billy Packer":knayc6lf]
[quote="Philip J. Fry":knayc6lf]How is this not iconic?? :twisted:

I know you posted this jokingly, but ironically, as highly collected as this set has been, I think a case could be made for the inclusion of draft picks in street clothes being the beginning of the prospecting movement and along with it, the diminishing of the true rookie card and the fragmentation and marginalization of the hobby a lot of us grew up with.

/flame on...[/quote:knayc6lf]


No, you're correct. It was a joke but also posted because that was the first Bowman set to start the prospecting craze, until 1997 Bowman Chrome hit the streets. How many players were in 1992 Bowman that didn't appear on other cards til years later, or even not at all?[/quote:knayc6lf]

I think 1991 Bowman had prospects as well.

 

[Philip J. Fry]

[quote="Billy Packer":142t02m4]
[quote="Philip J. Fry":142t02m4]How is this not iconic?? :twisted:

I know you posted this jokingly, but ironically, as highly collected as this set has been, I think a case could be made for the inclusion of draft picks in street clothes being the beginning of the prospecting movement and along with it, the diminishing of the true rookie card and the fragmentation and marginalization of the hobby a lot of us grew up with.

/flame on...

No, you're correct. It was a joke but also posted because that was the first Bowman set to start the prospecting craze, until 1997 Bowman Chrome hit the streets. How many players were in 1992 Bowman that didn't appear on other cards til years later, or even not at all?[/quote:142t02m4]

I think 1991 Bowman had prospects as well.[/quote:142t02m4]

Could be, I just remember the card shop owner telling me that if 1992 Bowman didn't sell, Topps was going to ditch the brand since the 1989-1991 sets didn't bring in much revenue for them.

 

[championMan]

Everyone n '89 wanted and/or had a Fleer Bo Jackson. How many '09 cards do all kids want and/or have?? There are too many choices today, they all seem meaningless to kids.

Back in the old day collecting was actually fun and simple. There were only few set to worry about. Collector decision on buying card were base on picture and design. Today market is too expensive for kids to even consider complete a set. There is too much product and over price for kids to buy.

 

[G $MONEY$]

This card was the 89 Griffey before the 89 Griffey existed!

 

[G $MONEY$]

I don't know why you guys are so against the hobby as it is now. I can do FAR more with $20 now than I could when I was a kid buying 1989 Fleer Bo Jacksons. Just because you let the hobby get the best of you, doesn't mean kids can't enjoy it. Kids still buy and love baseball cards.

I love lamp.

me too........

 

[G $MONEY$]

Everyone n '89 wanted and/or had a Fleer Bo Jackson. How many '09 cards do all kids want and/or have?? There are too many choices today, they all seem meaningless to kids.

I don't know why you guys are so against the hobby as it is now. I can do FAR more with $20 now than I could when I was a kid buying 1989 Fleer Bo Jacksons. Just because you let the hobby get the best of you, doesn't mean kids can't enjoy it. Kids still buy and love baseball cards.

What is this 1989 Fleer Bo Jackson you all are talking about? The only Bo Jackson card i can remember that "everyone" wanted was his 1990 Score not 1989 Fleer. I guess that card wasn't very "ionic" to you two, you guys can't even remember what set or even what decade the card was made :shock:

 

[MattinglyAlexander]

The article is pretty concise - we actually get to hear what Griffey thinks of the card [apparently not very much] and the back story of how it was chosen to be #1 for Upper Deck's first baseball card set - there is even a mention of Dan McGwire, which doesn't happen at all these days.

It maybe the last iconic, mainstream card - when card collecting was at its peak.

Maybe the 2001 Bowman Chrome Albert Pujols is comparable - but it seems like it doesn't have the reach - unless of course you are an advanced collector with $5,000 to spend.

Griffey doesn't care for his hair cut, hat or clothes in the photo... he's ...lol....
..."advanced collector" = plenty of money

 

[uniquebaseballcards]

No, the point is everyone wanted the '89 Fleer Bo Jackson (at least for me). And '89 Topps Bo Jackson. And the '89 Score Bo Jackson. And the '89 UD Bo Jackson.

Nobody seems to want the '09 Topps Albert Pujols or Derek Jeter, or the '09 Albert Pujols or Derek Jeter UD... (..add next eighty sets here)

When '90 came around that Score card was nuts. A twenty couldn't buy too many '90 Score Jacksons back then. '89 Fleer and '90 Score look absolutely nothing alike.

Everyone n '89 wanted and/or had a Fleer Bo Jackson. How many '09 cards do all kids want and/or have?? There are too many choices today, they all seem meaningless to kids.

I don't know why you guys are so against the hobby as it is now. I can do FAR more with $20 now than I could when I was a kid buying 1989 Fleer Bo Jacksons. Just because you let the hobby get the best of you, doesn't mean kids can't enjoy it. Kids still buy and love baseball cards.

What is this 1989 Fleer Bo Jackson you all are talking about? The only Bo Jackson card i can remember that "everyone" wanted was his 1990 Score not 1989 Fleer. I guess that card wasn't very "ionic" to you two, you guys can't even remember what set or even what decade the card was made :shock:

 

[MattinglyAlexander]

I don't remember everyone wanting any '89 Bo Jackson. '86 Topps Traded, yes.

 

[braden]

The '89 Griffey transcended card collecting. Aside from kitschy stuff like the Jeter/Mantle/Bush, it's the last card that I can remember being an actual news item. Hell, my grandparents knew about the card. It's an icon if the era. I'd be dumbfounded if we ever see something like it again.

I miss those days.

 

[Pinbreaker]

One issue for the Pujols being "iconic" is he will never attain the popularity of Griffey...

Rob, I wholeheartedly disagree with you on this.

Case in point: I live in a city that is ruled mostly by Cubs fans, and everyone here respects and admires everything about Pujols.

One anecdote does not make a case in point. Nobody cares about Pujols out here the same way people do/did about Griffey. Pujols doesn't have the same electricity to her personality and his game that Griffey did in Seattle.

All right then, I'll add another: his charity work.

http://www.pujolsfamilyfoundation.org/

Griffey has done more silently than Pujols has done with publicity.. Back when Griffey was with the M's the first time, when he would win the Gold Glove Award, MVP Award, etc.. he would take that money and use it to load up a 757 with kids and fly them down to Disneyland.. No fanfare, he just did it..I don't think I ever heard of Pujols buying the fans waiting in line pizza because they were waiting to get season tickets..

Granted Pujols does some charity stuff, but his is on a different level than Griffey.. I would put Jamie Moyer higher on the charity level than Pujols for that matter..

 

[nborton]

[quote="Philip J. Fry":2bqasd7i][quote="Billy Packer":2bqasd7i]
[quote="Philip J. Fry":2bqasd7i]How is this not iconic?? :twisted:

I know you posted this jokingly, but ironically, as highly collected as this set has been, I think a case could be made for the inclusion of draft picks in street clothes being the beginning of the prospecting movement and along with it, the diminishing of the true rookie card and the fragmentation and marginalization of the hobby a lot of us grew up with.

/flame on...

No, you're correct. It was a joke but also posted because that was the first Bowman set to start the prospecting craze, until 1997 Bowman Chrome hit the streets. How many players were in 1992 Bowman that didn't appear on other cards til years later, or even not at all?[/quote:2bqasd7i]

I think 1991 Bowman had prospects as well.[/quote:2bqasd7i]

Could be, I just remember the card shop owner telling me that if 1992 Bowman didn't sell, Topps was going to ditch the brand since the 1989-1991 sets didn't bring in much revenue for them.[/quote:2bqasd7i]

I was told by the Topps photographer that took all the pictures for the set that they had already determined that it was the last Bowman set. Which was the reason they intentionally put so many minor league players in it. They wanted to fill it with so many guys that weren't collected at that time, that people would be glad to see it go. He said it was almost a joke set in a way among the company. Then the total opposite happened and everyone bought it like crazy, and it became the biggest brand in the company. He said that Bowman (and all the subsequent releases) is THE set Topps makes every year now, and they know it.

 

[nborton]

A couple of things about the condition of the hobby at the moment I thought about while reading the article.

1. The peak of the 90s probably will never be reached again. There are just too many different things for a kid to spend time and money on compared to the 90s.

2. It's not disastrous that it isn't at the 90s level currently. We might just be back to the levels that typically occurred during the 50-70s. Which could also mean the cards we are currently collecting (made in smaller numbers), could be highly sought after if collecting increases again.

If the changes coming in 2010 lead to the hobby being more like it was in the 90s and earlier, and kids somehow did jump back onboard, the low production of the 2000s could be huge.

 

[uniquebaseballcards]

Set collectors and player collectors were bigger then than they are today...because there were more collectors then. People actually wanted base cards of STARS!! (gasp)

Not everyone knew of the traded sets, which were only available in hobby stores.

I don't remember everyone wanting any '89 Bo Jackson. '86 Topps Traded, yes.

 

[nborton]

Set collectors and player collectors were bigger then than they are today...because there were more collectors then. People actually wanted base cards of STARS!! (gasp)

Not everyone knew of the traded sets, which were only available in hobby stores.

I don't remember everyone wanting any '89 Bo Jackson. '86 Topps Traded, yes.

I don't remember anyone wanting an 89 Jackson either. There wasn't a clamor for them at least. :?

 

[MattinglyAlexander]

Set collectors and player collectors were bigger then than they are today...because there were more collectors then. People actually wanted base cards of STARS!! (gasp)

Not everyone knew of the traded sets, which were only available in hobby stores.

I don't remember everyone wanting any '89 Bo Jackson. '86 Topps Traded, yes.

Even so, '86 Topps traded.... then '87 Bo Jackson issues were "hot" I don't recall any demand for '89 Bo Jackson issues. The 1990 Score card, yes.

I think most collectors...and even kids knew about traded sets.

 

[uniquebaseballcards]

Everyone wanted Bo... but it seems like you had pretty dull experiences here then, sorry about that

Even so, '86 Topps traded.... then '87 Bo Jackson issues were "hot" I don't recall any demand for '89 Bo Jackson issues. The 1990 Score card, yes.

I think most collectors...and even kids knew about traded sets.

I don't remember anyone wanting an 89 Jackson either. There wasn't a clamor for them at least. :?

 

[sportscardtheory]

Guys, I only brought up the 1989 Fleer Bo Jackson because it was one of the first cards I ever purchased. I never said it was iconic. I was commenting on how much more I can get with $20 today than I could then. The hobby is just fine, it's you that have changed. Sure, the hobby was DIFFERENT then, but it is alive and kicking. It's not a kids hobby anymore, but kids can enjoy it just the same. Like I said, a kid can do more with $20 today than they could have in 1989. The hobby has simply evolved, as expected. Some of us are no longer kids, but that doesn't mean kids don't enjoy the hobby just as much as we did when we were their age. Basically, what you are trying to say is, "Kids now days don't enjoy the hobby like I did when I was a kid." And how would you know that???

 

[Mozzie22]

Guys, I only brought up the 1989 Fleer Bo Jackson because it was one of the first cards I ever purchased. I never said it was iconic. I was commenting on how much more I can get with $20 today than I could then. The hobby is just fine, it's you that have changed. Sure, the hobby was DIFFERENT then, but it is alive and kicking. It's not a kids hobby anymore, but kids can enjoy it just the same. Like I said, a kid can do more with $20 today than they could have in 1989. The hobby has simply evolved, as expected. Some of us are no longer kids, but that doesn't mean kids don't enjoy the hobby just as much as we did when we were their age. Basically, what you are trying to say is, "Kids now days don't enjoy the hobby like I did when I was a kid." And how would you know that???

A kid may have more options than 25 years ago but I don't think he can "do more" with $20. In 1985 I could buy 40 packs of the most current cards on the market. 40 packs!! A kid could, in theory, go on Ebay today and buy a crap load of 1988 Donruss for $20 if he wanted to but it just isn't the same.
In 1989 $1.25 could get you a pack of the hottest cards on earth, today you can't sniff a "good" pack for under what, $3-$5?

The hobby I knew in 1986 is dead. This isn't just an opinion by some over 30 guy who longs for the old days. The hobby morphed and changed into something so unlike what it was that it actually killed it and replaced it with what we see now, 12 year olds doing Youtube box breaks with $1000 worth of chrome crap in the hopes of sending a couple pieces into a third party who will then grade them 9.5 so he can flip it for a profit.

It isn't a hobby if you prospect, it's a business.