Toughest Topps Baseball Issues 1981-2006

[toppcat]

Branching out a little in my collecting of Topps type cards and moving to the post 1980 baseball era. With the lack of centralized information and cessation of annual guides (which didn't always match listings or ID everything anyway), I'm trying to figure out the toughest obscurities of the post-Vintage, pre-Eisner era.

There's issued test sets, sets produced for third parties and then proofs/protoypes which never saw the retail light of day and I consider them vastly different things both in terms of untent and scarcity. I'm curious as to what folks think are the toughest 10-15 Topps cards or sets in each category (Test, Third Party and Prototype/Proof) during this period.

For this exercise I'm ignoring variations, parallels and intentional scarcities that are numbered (x of x, one of one's etc) and the like but including sub-brands like Bowman. I am aware of most of the 80's tougher issues but I'm sure I missed a few in my research.

As an example, 1989 Heads Up would be an issued test while 1992 Round Trippers would be a proof/protoype. A good third party example would be the early 90's Golden Spikes cards.

TIA and quite curious what you all may think!

[ripfan008]

Hi Dave,

I recently came upon this thread from 2013 about 1993 Stadium Club Executive Gold Edge cards:

https://www.freedomcardboard.com/for...e-gold.123256/

I have no idea if they are a legitimate Topps issue or not but I thought it might be the type of thing you are looking for.

Enjoy your website, please keep it up,

Mike

[toppcat]

Originally Posted by ripfan008

Hi Dave,

I recently came upon this thread from 2013 about 1993 Stadium Club Executive Gold Edge cards:

https://www.freedomcardboard.com/for...e-gold.123256/

I have no idea if they are a legitimate Topps issue or not but I thought it might be the type of thing you are looking for.

Enjoy your website, please keep it up,

Mike

Interesting Mike, thanks for posting that link-it's exactly what I'm after. There's a number of "sets" like this and Topps has a history of doing these going back to Joe Garagiola's 1973 Topps-looking business card, if not even earlier.

[homerunderby]

1988 and 1989 Topps Mets/Yankees Double-Headers.

They were those little frames that had the rookie card on one side and the current year side on the other. There are a few 1988's that surfaced on ebay in the past year, I didn't even know they existed until last year.

There are 1989-1990 Double Header sets with all teams that were mass released, the Mets/Yankees ones were released to just a few candy stores in Brooklyn as a test.

[ALR-bishop]

Dave-- for me these were the toughest Topps sets of the 80s to assemble

80 Coins
82 Blackless
84 Encased or Head In The Box
85 Minis ( blank backs harder than regular backs)
88 Cloth
89 Big Head Suckers
88 Mets/ Yankee Stand Up Prototypes
89 Mets/ Yankees Stan ups

For 90-94 ( after that I just did base sets, updates and Heritage

90 President Bush card
90 Mylar Stickers (6)
90 Golden Spike Fernandez
91 Golden Spike Kelly
91 Garagiola business card
92 Golden Spike Nevin
93 Golden Spike Dreifort
93 Rockies and Marlins inaugural issues
94 Bilingual set
93 and 94 Black Gold uncertified redemption cards

[toppcat]

Originally Posted by ALR-bishop

Dave-- for me these were the toughest Topps sets of the 80s to assemble

80 Coins
82 Blackless
84 Encased or Head In The Box
85 Minis ( blank backs harder than regular backs)
88 Cloth
89 Big Head Suckers
88 Mets/ Yankee Stand Up Prototypes
89 Mets/ Yankees Stan ups

For 90-94 ( after that I just did base sets, updates and Heritage

90 President Bush card
90 Mylar Stickers (6)
90 Golden Spike Fernandez
91 Golden Spike Kelly
91 Garagiola business card
92 Golden Spike Nevin
93 Golden Spike Dreifort
93 Rockies and Marlins inaugural issues
94 Bilingual set
93 and 94 Black Gold uncertified redemption cards

Thanks Al:

A 1980 coin is probably not going to happen, although I've come close once or twice but that was years ago. I generally collect a type of anything sold in a Topps retail pack (including tests) and just add proofs/protoypes as I find them without worrying about the latter stuff being complete. Never say never though as I've found and won rarities over the years I never thought would pop up or fall into my lap. I think I have all but an 85 mini from the first list otherwise and I may even have one of those around here

I waver on the Bush card as it seems like some shenanigans may have led to a handful being inserted in packs but do hope to nail one of those someday. I think I have the latter day Garagiola card but am still pulling stuff out of deep closet storage, I definitely have the one from the 70's. That last Black Gold entry, is that the insert redemption card?

[BaltOrioles]

Originally Posted by ALR-bishop

Dave-- for me these were the toughest Topps sets of the 80s to assemble

80 Coins
82 Blackless
84 Encased or Head In The Box
85 Minis ( blank backs harder than regular backs)
88 Cloth
89 Big Head Suckers
88 Mets/ Yankee Stand Up Prototypes
89 Mets/ Yankees Stan ups

Al,

Do you have the 1988 Cloth Nelson Simmons? I would love to see a scan of the card.

[toppcat]

Originally Posted by homerunderby

1988 and 1989 Topps Mets/Yankees Double-Headers.

They were those little frames that had the rookie card on one side and the current year side on the other. There are a few 1988's that surfaced on ebay in the past year, I didn't even know they existed until last year.

There are 1989-1990 Double Header sets with all teams that were mass released, the Mets/Yankees ones were released to just a few candy stores in Brooklyn as a test.

Tkankfully Al Richter (Hi Al!) alerted me to the 88's and I nabbed on a couple of years ago. A good example of what the guides missed on those.