The Junk Wax Era- when did it start?

[1963Topps Set]

Originally Posted by gopherfan

Better question is when will it end?

Well put!

[ALR-bishop]

The wax era actually ended many moons ago. What was the last real wax pack you opened ?

[gopherfan]

1991 Topps Traded

[1963Topps Set]

I last opened packs in 2014 when I bought the Topps Heritage cards due to the fact they had the 1963 Topps design. This only made me realize why I love the old cards the best, Topps can never recapture the magic they once had. Junk indeed.

[valediction]

I think most people look way too hard to find fault with things they didn't grow up with, and ignore the faults in those they DID grow up with. Part of human nature, things that we are familiar with seem 'better' than other things. It happens all the time the music today sucks, the movies aren't as good, TV shows are terrible, sports cards are junk, etc.

[1963Topps Set]

Originally Posted by valediction

I think most people look way too hard to find fault with things they didn't grow up with, and ignore the faults in those they DID grow up with. Part of human nature, things that we are familiar with seem 'better' than other things. It happens all the time the music today sucks, the movies aren't as good, TV shows are terrible, sports cards are junk, etc.

I completely agree with that statement! However, if you check carefully, you will see that the quality in most things have gone down considerably. To coin a well worn phrase, they don't make 'me like they used to!

[valediction]

Originally Posted by 1963Topps Set

I completely agree with that statement! However, if you check carefully, you will see that the quality in most things have gone down considerably. To coin a well worn phrase, they don't make 'me like they used to!

Depends on what you're looking at.

In sports cards, it's been a fair while since I opened boxes with 70+% off center rates, miscuts so bad you can see two distinct cards, 90% or so rates of print spots/dots, cards stained with wax, gum eating through the cards like I saw regularly in the 80's. I get less wrong/blank backs or fronts, the card stock is better, print quality is better, less rough cut edges...

[mortimer brewster]

I purchased a baseball book back in 1978, written in 1976. In the book Cy Berger mentioned that Topps sold 500 Million baseball cards in 1975. With a 660 card set you can do the math.

To me the wax era officially began with the introduction of Pro Set in 1988 (football) then score etc.


I remember in 1991 buying a pack of Upper Deck baseball cards at my local Vix drug store. When I opened a pack, right in the middle was a pro set card. Packs were pretty much tamper proof. Were they using the same print facilities? If I remember the President of Pro Set was a shady character.

[mortimer brewster]

I should have typed Junk Era

[wdwfan]

My collecting started in 1987 when my grandmother gave me the green Christmas boxed set for Christmas that year. We sat there and looked at the fronts and backs of every card. She didn't follow baseball and didn't care anything about it nor cards, but she sat there to spend time with me. I still have that set and box today.


That said, 1987 through about 1991 was my heyday for collecting. After school on Fridays, we'd go get ice cream. It was next door to a Piggly Wiggly, and my parents would let me walk over there to buy packs of cards. I really picked up football in 1990 and 1991 when I started playing in school.

But to answer the original OP, I think 1987 started the overproduction era. But I still do buy packs of that stuff when I see them. I bought 3 1989 Donruss packs last weekend at the flea market for $1.

[1963Topps Set]

Originally Posted by valediction

I think most people look way too hard to find fault with things they didn't grow up with, and ignore the faults in those they DID grow up with. Part of human nature, things that we are familiar with seem 'better' than other things. It happens all the time the music today sucks, the movies aren't as good, TV shows are terrible, sports cards are junk, etc.

I wanted to comment on the above. I started collecting as an 8 year old in 1971. I got my love of the cards from the late 1940s, 1950s and 1960s retroactively. So I didn't quite "grow up with them", I just fell in love with their incredible beauty and simplicity. It is part of an era that is lost forever. Thankfully, we have the surviving collectables to enjoy from that time.

[glynparson]

I will take Any 1954 Topps card over any BASe 2014 card. Especially in another 20 years.