A lot of good opinions and information here, I'll add my own. I think that the year is 1981, with the exception of 1984 Donruss which has always been explained to me was in short supply. The fact that stuff from 81-86 kept some relative value while 87-94 basically became worthless doesn't really paint the whole picture. My 1981 price guides list complete 81 topps, donruss and fleer sets higher than prices now. That's 33 years with an inability for saturation to lead to higher prices. The answer to why could be low demand, but it can't be the only answer. Plus you go from 1 company to 3. I like the stuff from 1981-87, and I had to get by my own bias to see that the only difference between it and the stuff from 88-94 is that people weren't quite totally soured on it and have positive memories surrounding it. I loved pulling Clemens and Gooden and Boggs and Puckett and Ripken and Gwynn rookies. The fact that I enjoyed it means they've at least been able to tread water, in my opinion.
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