Quote:
Originally Posted by MU Wally
I agree with you I am being harsh in applying the term to 1980, but I think that way from about 1978 until cards went all glossy (which is where my interest ends).
My feeling is that, from a collecting stand point (I'm not a seller), the difference between nearly 1 million (early 80's) and 3 million card print runs (late 80's) isn't as significant as the numerical difference indicates. If you believe the post on this site from JUrsaner on print runs (and if I'm reading it correctly) 800,000 of that card was produced. That's a significant supply. Of course, the 10 grade is the X factor here, but I'm guessing there is a significant supply of high grade protected but undergraded versions of this card out there still. Long term I think that will bear itself out in the price, just based on supply and demand.
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Back in 1980 I bought hundreds of wax packs Cello packs and grocery packs and then purchased 3 vending boxes of cards. Still no complete set. But I ended up with 12 off centered Henderson rookie cards. Sold them at a Strongville auction back in 1992 for something like 35 dollars total.
There can be an argument for calling 1980 the start of the Junk Era. In the Complete Book of Baseball Cards (1976) by Steve Clark. It is Quoted that according to Topps company records in 1975 they sold 250,000,000 cards.
That figure probably includes other sports and non sports, But Baseball was their huge seller.
Fast forward to 1980 and Baseball card collecting started to explode with the yearly Beckett guide selling like hotcakes (I was elated the 1957 Koufax I bought for 2 bucks was now a whopping 20) and DEALERS sucking in collectors with this rookie card nonsense. I wouldn't be surprised if Topps printed a billion cards that year.