The Junk Wax Era- when did it start?

[Hot Springs Bathers]

I agree with Rich's note on 1981-86 being added to the over-production years. The "guessed at" number for pre-81 would mean that the mushroom happened in 1981.

While Rich won't like this, the explosion and over-production began with Rickey Henderson and the monthly Beckett introduction. At that point the manufacurers knew they had a good thing going and we will never know how many of these cards were printed.

In 1991 I had a part owner of one of the big three come into our wholesale warehouse to ask me if I wanted cases of past years cards going back to 1981. If I bought "x" number of cases he promised me several cases from an other sport that happened to have a rather hot rookie card from 1986/87. His inference was that they had stockpiled tons of them.

My partner has always maintained that anything that could be printed over and over again perhaps even today could not be worth anything. With what we know about some of the folks running the card companies during this era I think it is possible that anything and everything went on during the boom years.

[Rich Klein]

Beckett did not go monthly till the end of 1984. However, there is no doubt CPU had a major impact on pricing in the 1979-84 period as a monthly rag (and I do mean rag because of the paper quality)

Rich

The 5.00 dollar a pack is an example for the recent to new packs that have game used and or autograph cards that are geared towards collectors not kids

[Hot Springs Bathers]

Rich we all enjoyed the guide during the crazy 80s!

[Rich Klein]

when the strike concluded, the card companies have started focusing on older collectors and probably on one level correctly so. If you have dwindling income, it's easier to get the low hanging fruit then to plant seeds and hope for the future.

Whether the card companies made the right decisions is another subject but I will point out that Topps, who was the most conscious of having some truly affordable products, is the one with the MLB exclusive till 2020. Only two companies are left extant from 1995 and UD survived a near death experience in 2010. Fleer and Pinnacle both left (2005 and 1998 respectively)

(UD and Panini have contracts with the MLBPA and Panini with the HOF as well)

Rich