What is the most overhyped, overpriced Junk Wax era card?

[D. Bergin]

Originally Posted by Brent G.

Is there any chance the Griffey is the most printed card of all time? I read somewhere that 1991 Topps were printed at a rate of 4 million apiece. With the initial '89 UD printing and other nefarious printings that apparently filled 800-count boxes and trunks full of uncut sheets, could it have reached that number? It's definitely the most seen card at shows and the most graded, but I guess that still might not compare to peak junk wax numbers.

Even with the extra printings of Griffey, I doubt it comes close to any random card in even the 1987 Topps or 1988-89 Donruss print runs.

Dealers were openly selling 50-100-500 and 1000 count lots of Bonds, McGwire, Mattingly, Ryan, Greenwell, Bo Jackson, etc...from 1987 Topps, just from Vending cases they were breaking up. Forget the wax boxes that were piled up in every nook and cranny of America at the time.

I don't remember much about the 91's. I was pretty much on my way out of the game by then.

Upper Deck was still pretty limited (and much more expensive) compared to the other 3 major players. I'd guess they made more then Score and Sportflics....but literally nobody cared about those 2 brands, even back then (at least for baseball).

I would also guess Upper Deck printed a lot more in 1990, then they did in 1989.

Not to say there wasn't a ton of Upper Deck out there in 1989, and there weren't a lot of extra Griffey's printed...but still nowhere near other issues.

[Brent G.]

Originally Posted by D. Bergin

Even with the extra printings of Griffey, I doubt it comes close to any random card in even the 1987 Topps or 1988-89 Donruss print runs.

Dealers were openly selling 50-100-500 and 1000 count lots of Bonds, McGwire, Mattingly, Ryan, Greenwell, Bo Jackson, etc...from 1987 Topps, just from Vending cases they were breaking up. Forget the wax boxes that were piled up in every nook and cranny of America at the time.

I don't remember much about the 91's. I was pretty much on my way out of the game by then.

Upper Deck was still pretty limited (and much more expensive) compared to the other 3 major players. I'd guess they made more then Score and Sportflics....but literally nobody cared about those 2 brands, even back then (at least for baseball).

I would also guess Upper Deck printed a lot more in 1990, then they did in 1989.

Not to say there wasn't a ton of Upper Deck out there in 1989, and there weren't a lot of extra Griffey's printed...but still nowhere near other issues.

Dave, was it the overproduction and the resulting change in the economics what made you get out?

[D. Bergin]

Originally Posted by Brent G.

Dave, was it the overproduction and the resulting change in the economics what made you get out?

I'm sure it had something to do with it, but it was mostly me being a teenager and turning into an adult at the time, with all of the responsibilities that came with that.

The local shows were also getting pretty stale and listless by that time. Working two jobs, taking college courses and juggling a girlfriend (future wife), didn't make me too excited about setting up at a show and struggling to make table fees on my days off.

I liked busting boxes of new stuff (and old stuff) and trying to make my money back, but also loved oddball older material that nobody else seemed to care about...and I never had any interest in being the "new card dealer", with stacks of expensive and often money losing unopened boxes on my table.

...and I don't think it was really the "overproduction" of the traditional sets that got to me. It was the constant introduction of new issues in all the major sports by all the various companies that eventually killed it for me.

I remember really liking OPC Premier (especially the Hockey) and Stadium Club when they first came out, and then within a year I began to dread when they were coming out again.

Mostly though, life got in the way, and my high school brained plan of making a living being a weekend warrior card show guy, was busted wide open for the bad idea that it was.

[Exhibitman]

When it comes to hype, any junk wax card in a PSA holder would be my choice, especially a 10. I doubt that 1 in 100 of the people who fervently buy 10s could pick a 10 out of a lineup of 9s. There are so many pack-fresh examples of these cards that there is no rational basis for the 10 worship. To quote the great philosopher Gordon Gekko: "The illusion has become real. And the more real it becomes, the more desperate they want it. Capitalism at its finest."

[Balticfox]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

When it comes to hype, any junk wax card in a PSA holder would be my choice, especially a 10. I doubt that 1 in 100 of the people who fervently buy 10s could pick a 10 out of a lineup of 9s. There are so many pack-fresh examples of these cards that there is no rational basis for the 10 worship. To quote the great philosopher Gordon Gekko: "The illusion has become real. And the more real it becomes, the more desperate they want it. Capitalism at its finest."

Truth!

[BioCRN]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

When it comes to hype, any junk wax card in a PSA holder would be my choice, especially a 10. I doubt that 1 in 100 of the people who fervently buy 10s could pick a 10 out of a lineup of 9s. There are so many pack-fresh examples of these cards that there is no rational basis for the 10 worship.

Any time I've ever graded multiple of anything and it came back a 10, the 10 gets sold and I hang onto the 8 or 9 for the personal collection unless the difference between the 8/9/10 are minimal. When I was looking to buy a card I know is not rare, I'm looking an 8 or 9 unless the 10 is the only option (or the 10 is cheap enough).

I'd rather have the 10 money than the 10 card.