1988 Score Samples

OhioLawyerF5 · 12-11-2023, 02:17 PM

My recent pickup for the Larkin PC is a 1988 Score Sample. These cards are extremely scarce and I'm happy to have it in my collection.

According to baseballcardpedia.com:

Early in 1988, Score prepared some samples to show prospective dealers and buyers of the new Score cards what they would look like. These sample cards are distinguished by the fact that there is a row of zeroes for the 1987 season statistics since the season was not over when these sample cards were being printed. The cards are standard size and are virtually indistinguishable from the regular 1988 Score cards of the same players except for border color variations in a few instances.

The checklist includes:

30 Mark Langston
48 Tony Pena
71 Keith Moreland
72 Barry Larkin
121 Dennis Boyd
145 Denny Walling

As you can see, Larkin is really the only HOF type name of the group.

The regular Larkin card has a purple border. The sample has a green border.

These cards are different than the "proof" cards that were produced for the first 6 cards in the set as Score was working toward their first major set release.

There are only 4 copies of the Larkin graded by PSA, with the highest being a 7. So the grade doesn't bother me much with this card. I'm just happy to have it.

I just wanted to share a card that many people may not have known exists. If you have one of these, or have additional information on the set, please share. Happy collecting.

Edit to add: Here is a website I came across (not mine) dedicated to these cards: https://rarebaseballcards.myfreesite...baseball-cards

ThoseBackPages · 12-11-2023, 04:29 PM

Right on! have not thought about these in some time

FatButcher · 12-11-2023, 04:59 PM

Cool to see one of these again, pretty nice eye appeal for a 5 too.

DioBrando · 12-11-2023, 05:07 PM

Very cool

BOOMER7 · 12-11-2023, 05:43 PM

Very cool. If looking for some the most elusive of the junk wax era are the 1990 upper deck samples. There was a Larkin proof/ sample
After almost 35 , it’s been pretty much accepted in the hobby that less than 50 copies exist per player..

Saw a Larkin sell at the National a few years ago for $100. Even at the national, it’s rare to see even 3-4 different players. Ultra rare.

https://junkwaxgems.wordpress.com/20...promos-proofs/

soey10 · 12-11-2023, 06:10 PM

That is a cool card for sure. I really like pre-internet scarce cards. There is some aura about them that people that didn’t live through those times can’t appreciate.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

OhioLawyerF5 · 12-11-2023, 06:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BOOMER7

Very cool. If looking for some the most elusive of the junk wax era are the 1990 upper deck samples. There was a Larkin proof/ sample
After almost 35 , it’s been pretty much accepted in the hobby that less than 50 copies exist per player..

Saw a Larkin sell at the National a few years ago for $100. Even at the national, it’s rare to see even 3-4 different players. Ultra rare.

https://junkwaxgems.wordpress.com/20...promos-proofs/

Thanks for that. I'll be on the lookout for one. I would have snapped it up for $100 in a heartbeat.

junkwaxgems · 12-11-2023, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OhioLawyerF5

My recent pickup for the Larkin PC is a 1988 Score Sample. These cards are extremely scarce and I'm happy to have it in my collection.

According to baseballcardpedia.com:

Early in 1988, Score prepared some samples to show prospective dealers and buyers of the new Score cards what they would look like. These sample cards are distinguished by the fact that there is a row of zeroes for the 1987 season statistics since the season was not over when these sample cards were being printed. The cards are standard size and are virtually indistinguishable from the regular 1988 Score cards of the same players except for border color variations in a few instances.

The checklist includes:

30 Mark Langston
48 Tony Pena
71 Keith Moreland
72 Barry Larkin
121 Dennis Boyd
145 Denny Walling

Edit to add: Here is a website I came across (not mine) dedicated to these cards: https://rarebaseballcards.myfreesite...baseball-cards

There are several other players in 1988 Score test issue set (and I believe that some of the sample players can also be found in that set but not 100% on that). The test cards have either missing names on front, missing stats on back or blank photo spaces on front.

OhioLawyerF5 · 12-11-2023, 07:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by junkwaxgems

There are several other players in 1988 Score test issue set (and I believe that some of the sample players can also be found in that set but not 100% on that). The test cards have either missing names on front, missing stats on back or blank photo spaces on front.

The proof set is detailed in the website I linked. They are different from the samples. Cards 1-6 have the proof tests. The cards I listed are the only ones from the sample set.

rogueriver · 12-11-2023, 10:06 PM

On a side note Oil Can Boyd was one of the first players I collected...I have his card from this set, but had to say something as I think this is the only time in the history of Blowoutcards he has been mentioned

OhioLawyerF5 · 12-11-2023, 10:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rogueriver

On a side note Oil Can Boyd was one of the first players I collected...I have his card from this set, but had to say something as I think this is the only time in the history of Blowoutcards he has been mentioned

I remember in the 80s not understanding what his nickname meant. Beckett used to have that feature each month where people would draw on cards and submit them, usually related to the player's name. One was a picture of Boyd pitching with an oil can oiling under his pitching arm like he was the Tin Man. That always stood out to me and I assumed his name was related to that type of oil can. It wasn't until years later I realized that oil can referred to something else in the south.

PuddleMonkey · 12-11-2023, 10:55 PM

These are cool, didn't know they existed. I always thought the '88 Score was gonna be the best of the '88 sets so I bought more packs of those than anything else. The non-wax wrapper was groundbreaking stuff!

junkwaxgems · 12-11-2023, 11:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OhioLawyerF5

The proof set is detailed in the website I linked. They are different from the samples. Cards 1-6 have the proof tests. The cards I listed are the only ones from the sample set.

I missed the link on the first read, very cool info! Kind of amazing to see all of them gathered by one person.

OhioLawyerF5 · 12-12-2023, 08:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PuddleMonkey

These are cool, didn't know they existed. I always thought the '88 Score was gonna be the best of the '88 sets so I bought more packs of those than anything else. The non-wax wrapper was groundbreaking stuff!

Loved the trashbag wrappers in Score in 88. Until I opened the first foil wrappers from Upper Deck in 1989. There was just something about the feel of that foil tearing open that felt right.

f2tornado · 12-12-2023, 11:30 AM

Thanks for sharing. I never knew these existed. It's always fun seeing something new, especially from that era.

HarryLime · 12-12-2023, 11:50 AM

Yeesh, talk about rare. Congrats. I still say the '88 Score set has the best photography of the decade.

Arthur

OhioLawyerF5 · 12-12-2023, 02:03 PM

Here are the pop report numbers for the "big 3":

PSA: 4 total graded
SGC: 1 graded
BGS: 2 total graded

Granted the base 1988 Score cards aren't graded that often either, but it seems to show these are likely hard to come by. Larkin is far more popular than the others.

PSA has graded 2 Tony Penas and 1 Oil Can Boyd, but none of the other 3. It doesn't appear that SGC nor BGS has graded any of the other player samples (a couple of the test proofs of cards 1-6 show up).

12-11-2023, 02:17 PM	#1
OhioLawyerF5 Member Join Date: Feb 2022 Posts: 7,127	1988 Score Samples My recent pickup for the Larkin PC is a 1988 Score Sample. These cards are extremely scarce and I'm happy to have it in my collection. According to baseballcardpedia.com: Early in 1988, Score prepared some samples to show prospective dealers and buyers of the new Score cards what they would look like. These sample cards are distinguished by the fact that there is a row of zeroes for the 1987 season statistics since the season was not over when these sample cards were being printed. The cards are standard size and are virtually indistinguishable from the regular 1988 Score cards of the same players except for border color variations in a few instances. The checklist includes: 30 Mark Langston 48 Tony Pena 71 Keith Moreland 72 Barry Larkin 121 Dennis Boyd 145 Denny Walling As you can see, Larkin is really the only HOF type name of the group. The regular Larkin card has a purple border. The sample has a green border. These cards are different than the "proof" cards that were produced for the first 6 cards in the set as Score was working toward their first major set release. There are only 4 copies of the Larkin graded by PSA, with the highest being a 7. So the grade doesn't bother me much with this card. I'm just happy to have it. I just wanted to share a card that many people may not have known exists. If you have one of these, or have additional information on the set, please share. Happy collecting. Edit to add: Here is a website I came across (not mine) dedicated to these cards: https://rarebaseballcards.myfreesite...baseball-cards Last edited by OhioLawyerF5; 12-11-2023 at 02:20 PM.

12-11-2023, 04:29 PM	#2
ThoseBackPages Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Long Island Posts: 90,439 ThoseBackPages	Right on! have not thought about these in some time __________________ Pumpers Paradise #YouCryIBuy Four things that we cannot change each others minds about: Politics, Religion, Third Party Grading, and 2021 Bowman's Best Rookie Cards

12-11-2023, 05:07 PM	#4
DioBrando Member Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: Cincinnati Posts: 2,616	Very cool __________________ 1312 no gods, no masters On leg day we do chest

12-11-2023, 05:43 PM	#5
BOOMER7 Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: retired CHICAGO TO AZ GOLF COURSE Posts: 1,932	Very cool. If looking for some the most elusive of the junk wax era are the 1990 upper deck samples. There was a Larkin proof/ sample After almost 35 , it’s been pretty much accepted in the hobby that less than 50 copies exist per player.. Saw a Larkin sell at the National a few years ago for $100. Even at the national, it’s rare to see even 3-4 different players. Ultra rare. https://junkwaxgems.wordpress.com/20...promos-proofs/ __________________ CHICAGO TO THE AZ golf course LIVING retired Last edited by BOOMER7; 12-11-2023 at 05:45 PM.

12-12-2023, 11:50 AM	#16
HarryLime Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Spaceball 1 Posts: 4,794	Yeesh, talk about rare. Congrats. I still say the '88 Score set has the best photography of the decade. Arthur __________________ I wish these cards would scan themselves.

12-11-2023, 04:59 PM	#3
FatButcher Member Join Date: Jan 2022 Posts: 1,139	Cool to see one of these again, pretty nice eye appeal for a 5 too.

12-11-2023, 06:10 PM	#6
soey10 Member Join Date: Aug 2019 Location: Bakersfield, CA Posts: 1,589 Soey	That is a cool card for sure. I really like pre-internet scarce cards. There is some aura about them that people that didn’t live through those times can’t appreciate. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

12-11-2023, 10:06 PM	#10
rogueriver Member Join Date: May 2020 Location: Texas Posts: 970 rogueriver	On a side note Oil Can Boyd was one of the first players I collected...I have his card from this set, but had to say something as I think this is the only time in the history of Blowoutcards he has been mentioned

12-11-2023, 10:55 PM	#12
PuddleMonkey Member Join Date: Mar 2019 Location: Pacific Northwest Posts: 4,620	These are cool, didn't know they existed. I always thought the '88 Score was gonna be the best of the '88 sets so I bought more packs of those than anything else. The non-wax wrapper was groundbreaking stuff!

12-12-2023, 11:30 AM	#15
f2tornado Member Join Date: Dec 2019 Location: Bismarck, ND Posts: 2,404 f2tornado f2tornado	Thanks for sharing. I never knew these existed. It's always fun seeing something new, especially from that era.

12-12-2023, 02:03 PM	#17
OhioLawyerF5 Member Join Date: Feb 2022 Posts: 7,127	Here are the pop report numbers for the "big 3": PSA: 4 total graded SGC: 1 graded BGS: 2 total graded Granted the base 1988 Score cards aren't graded that often either, but it seems to show these are likely hard to come by. Larkin is far more popular than the others. PSA has graded 2 Tony Penas and 1 Oil Can Boyd, but none of the other 3. It doesn't appear that SGC nor BGS has graded any of the other player samples (a couple of the test proofs of cards 1-6 show up).