The 1985 Topps McGwire got me hooked. It was the first single card I ever purchased. It was $20 in late 1987. Over the last 10 or 15 years it seems like I have always had a PSA 10 or even once I had a BGS 10. However, now I have no Gem Mint copies. Wish I would have kept the BGS as it is now out of my price range.
The most exciting card I ever opened from a pack was the 1986 Donruss Canseco in 1988. Once again it always seems like I had a PSA 10 or even once I had a BGS 10 and now only a PSA 8
In 1990 I opened a pack of Leaf that had TWO Frank Thomas rookies. It was nice but didn’t match that original Canseco feeling. That is one of my only PSA 10s that I do have.