1981: Topps, Donruss or Fleer?

[Steve D]

I grew up about 20 miles east of San Diego, and remember buying all three companies' cards at the local Price Club (it was later bought out by Costco). I vividly recall going into the Price Club and seeing literally shrinkwrapped pallets of all three waxboxes there.

My favorite was Fleer because of all the variations, the fact that the photos were so clear...Rod Carew!! (and so many were portraits), the great collation, and the numbering of the cards by team. Donruss was my least favorite, due to the lousy collation (multiples of the same card in a pack), and bad quality (thin stock, off-centering, damage). 648 cards in a Donruss box (and 600 cards in the set), and after two boxes, you'd still be missing over half the set.

I put together multiple (8-10) Fleer sets just from wax packs. With both Donruss and Topps, I had to take my wantlist and buy/trade the cards at the local monthly card show. I think I only completed one Donruss set, and two or three Topps sets.

Steve

[Harliduck]

Thirty miles north of Seattle and the two c-stores where I was used to buying my cards only carried Donruss. As an 11 year old, I was ticked. I bought a few boxes and remember all the doubles in the same pack, and I also remember there were multiple cards of the stars, like Pete Rose and Reggie, and for some reason I hated that.

Made my mom look elsewhere for Topps and she found some and bought me enough packs until I completed the set. Topps was still king. I couldn't find Fleer anywhere and had heard about all the errors. I remember buying the complete set at the card shop in 82 and bummed that I didn't get one error.

Those two c-stores sold 81 Donruss for like two more years to get rid of all that wax no kids wanted. I reluctantly bought enough to put a set together. I think the stores were scorned as I could never find Donruss again locally for years, had to get complete sets at the shop in Edmonds each year (great Christmas presents). 82 and after Fleer and Topps were everywhere...

[REG1976]

No preference here, just have unopened boxes of 1981 Donruss, Fleer & topps along with these sheets of Donruss. The boxes I got where from a certain stand along the boardwalk at Seaside NJ when I was 20 yrs old on a Saturday night

[bk400]

Originally Posted by REG1976

No preference here, just have unopened boxes of 1981 Donruss, Fleer & topps along with these sheets of Donruss. The boxes I got where from a certain stand along the boardwalk at Seaside NJ when I was 20 yrs old on a Saturday night

Seaside! Definitely no shenanigans happening there.

[REG1976]

Originally Posted by bk400

Seaside! Definitely no shenanigans happening there.

Chatterbox

[bigfanNY]

From 1979 until 1982 summers were spent at 40 Webster Ave. 2 houses off the boardwalk right by the spinning lemon on top of the lemonade/ Sausage sandwich stand.

[bk400]

You know what the best thing is about Jersey girls? When they kiss you, they give you their gum.