Cost of Wax Packs 25 Years Ago

[mouschi]

In 1990-1991, I remember going to card shops and looking at the prices of wax packs. From what I recall (if memory serves) is this:

1986 Donruss $10
1987 Donruss $5
1987 Fleer $7

Does anyone else remember how much packs of the older wax was going for?

[anusinha]

I was a wee lad back then and mainly buying topps.... I remember Topps being like 50 cents for new releases. And maybe $1-2 for a year or 2 older sets. I remember buying a pack of 83 Donruss for like $4 at my LCS... but it looked like it was resealed or opened already.

[2ssYankees7cf]

Originally Posted by mouschi

In the late 80s/early 90s, I remember going to card shops and looking at the prices of wax packs. From what I recall (if memory serves) is this:

1986 Donruss $10
1987 Donruss $5
1987 Fleer $7

Does anyone else remember how much packs of the older wax was going for?

I’d imagine they were much cheaper than that.

[prospectorgems]

Originally Posted by 2ssYankees7cf

I’d imagine they were much cheaper than that.

Originally Posted by mouschi

In 1990-1991, I remember going to card shops and looking at the prices of wax packs. From what I recall (if memory serves) is this:

1986 Donruss $10
1987 Donruss $5
1987 Fleer $7

Does anyone else remember how much packs of the older wax was going for?

I remember that time range and 1987 Donruss was in large demand at that time, at least in my area. I remember my brother traded a Gretzky Topps rookie for a case of 1987 Donruss. It's crazy to think about that now.

[EldoEsq]

Originally Posted by 2ssYankees7cf

I’d imagine they were much cheaper than that.

At release yes...not 5 years after.

[Scottish Punk]

I seem to recall going to the local drug store and getting a Coke, a Snickers bar, and a pack of topps cards for like a buck or just over. This was obviously before upper deck entered the market and started the "premium" cards and inserts craze.

[88horsepower]

I remember in 1990 seeing '90 Leaf packs selling for $12-$15 each and they sold like hotcakes. That set was unstoppable for awhile there with each Beckett showing virtually everything with up arrows.

[MarvinGardens]

Mouschi,

Im sure you know this, but from my memory, Canseco hit his (card) peak after the 88 season (first 40/40 club). I met him in the fall of 88 I believe at a signing event in NJ and I remember being so nervous to say hello. The week before that, I pulled an 86 Donruss from a wax box at my LCS and I believe he was charging $4 a pack (which was insane back then). The look of disgust on the owners face was unforgettable. He was actually upset I pulled it, and I have no idea why.

So, I don't think they ever got as high as $10 a pack.

Sent from my Motorola Razor Flip Phone

[REGGIE206]

25 years ago? Man, time sure flies.

Originally Posted by 88horsepower

I remember in 1990 seeing '90 Leaf packs selling for $12-$15 each and they sold like hotcakes. That set was unstoppable for awhile there with each Beckett showing virtually everything with up arrows.

I actually remember that! Yes, all the arrows pointed up with all 1990 Leaf cards in Beckett.

[LVDan]

Originally Posted by mouschi

In 1990-1991, I remember going to card shops and looking at the prices of wax packs. From what I recall (if memory serves) is this:

1986 Donruss $10
1987 Donruss $5
1987 Fleer $7

Does anyone else remember how much packs of the older wax was going for?

pretty close as I recall in 90'ish-
84 Donruss $10-
85 Donruss $8-
85 Fleer $6-$8

[CitizunKane]

I remember being at a card show (Midway Motor Lodge, Madison, WI) in 1989 when the 1989 Upper Deck high number packs came out. I think they were selling at $8-$10 each.

Dealers were paying $10 for Dwight Smith and $20 (!) for Jerome Walton - two Cubs rookies who lighting it up that autumn.

[3kingsofcards]

Originally Posted by 88horsepower

I remember in 1990 seeing '90 Leaf packs selling for $12-$15 each and they sold like hotcakes. That set was unstoppable for awhile there with each Beckett showing virtually everything with up arrows.

This is the one I was going to mention. I still have a box of 1990 Leaf Series 2 with a $12 per pack sticker/sign on it from when I was doing card shows lol

[MarvinGardens]

Let's not even get into the 1991 O-Pee-Chee Premier baseball card shenanigans.......

"This stuff is on fire......lets print lots more!!!"

[kyle1707]

As a teen I remembering not being able to afford

84 donruss
86 donruss
89 ud
90 leaf

[anusinha]

Originally Posted by MarvinGardens

Let's not even get into the 1991 O-Pee-Chee Premier baseball card shenanigans.......

"This stuff is on fire......lets print lots more!!!"

I remember loving the clean look of those as a kid, and then seeing the $4 pack price tag (or was it $7) and the super thin pack with few cards and thinking.... nope.


I also remember the first day Stadium Club hit the LCS, with its $7-10 a pack price tag and thinking to myself.... wow.

[Chrisyork33]

I remember in 1990 my LCS had a box of '86 Donruss for $300. I can remember because I calculated how long it would take to save my allowance to get it, 60 weeks. Over one year. I decided to just ask my parents for the Canseco that year for Christmas than wait one year to buy something.

[Ryansito1]

I’ll pull out an old SCD when I get home see what was being advertised price wise for sale and post it... I do remember in 1994 I paid 10$ for a 1979 opeechee pack of Topps.


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[Ryansito1]

Originally Posted by anusinha

I remember loving the clean look of those as a kid, and then seeing the $4 pack price tag (or was it $7) and the super thin pack with few cards and thinking.... nope.





I also remember the first day Stadium Club hit the LCS, with its $7-10 a pack price tag and thinking to myself.... wow.

Have 5 sets of premier sitting since than. Should have sold along time ago...


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[tedwilliamsfan]

In 1989 I could buy Topps or Donruss packs for $.45 practically anywhere. Baseball cards were sold all over the place. Upper Deck came out at $1.25 a pack and I refused to buy them. 1990 Leaf was also out of my price range. My favorite players back then were Will Clark and Jerome Walton. I still have my childhood Will Clark collection.

Also, I received a 1989 Bowman Factory set that year. I laid out all of the "good" cards on my floor. I spilled water on Jerome Walton's RC somehow. It had little raised bumps on the surface then. I am still pissed at myself for that.

The 80's and early 90's were fun times in the card world. Packs everywhere and I passed on the "Premium" ones. Beckett magazine arrived in the mail and we all got together to trade and see who was "skyrocketing." Things were a bit simpler back then.

[djohn]

I remember 1985 Topps being close to $20 a pack in the late 90s when the McGwire USA rookie was hitting triple digits, and then there was also Clemens and Puckett RCs that people were wanting too.
I also remember buying a case of 1987 Topps around that time for $5/box, then selling a bunch of them off in 2001 when Bonds stuff went through the roof and getting $20/box for them.

[mmier118]

The funny thing is we were all chasing $80 1986 donruss Canseco’s and walking right by the 1986 fleer basketball sets for $12, heck even the 1986 topps football sets ended up being better and I think those were only $20 or so. If I could go back and tell my 12 year old self to go for the basketball cards instead of box after box of 1987 topps lol. But the wood boarders were so cool, and Bo Jackson was way cooler than Jordan anyway, right?

[CitizunKane]

and walking right by the 1986 fleer basketball sets for $12

I vividly remember 86-87 and 87-88 Fleer basketball being available, cheap, in the late '80s. It only started drying up after Hoops came out in 1989 and basketball cards got hot.

Yet me, an idiot, used all my money from bussing tables to buy packs of '87 Topps, looking for Dave Magadan, Wally Joyner, and Rob Deer rookies. Smh . . .

[dherm360]

1985 Shopko had topps on sale 10 for a buck---I bought all I could

In 1986 a general store had a new box of Fleer basketball
I bought some sticker album instead with Pete Rose on the cover and a bunch of sticker packs---not my best move

[BlowoutBuzz]

Originally Posted by mouschi

In 1990-1991, I remember going to card shops and looking at the prices of wax packs. From what I recall (if memory serves) is this:

1986 Donruss $10
1987 Donruss $5
1987 Fleer $7

Does anyone else remember how much packs of the older wax was going for?

I remember $50 per box -- upon arrival -- for 1990 Fleer and Upper Deck boxes. Those weren't the days. Thankfully, more and more stores started stocking cards and nixed that problem locally for me.


My favorite old wax story was a store having a shopping cart filled with 1985 Fleer rack packs for 25 cents apiece sitting at the front door. One of my earliest experiences opening baseball cards. I remember having probably 1,000 cards based on stack sizes -- didn't save many of them, though, because I wasn't a regular collector until a couple years later.

[shrevecity]

Originally Posted by CitizunKane

I vividly remember 86-87 and 87-88 Fleer basketball being available, cheap, in the late '80s. It only started drying up after Hoops came out in 1989 and basketball cards got hot.

Yet me, an idiot, used all my money from bussing tables to buy packs of '87 Topps, looking for Dave Magadan, Wally Joyner, and Rob Deer rookies. Smh . . .

I remember buying 2 packs of 1986-87 Fleer Basketball at a gas tation in Hooks Texas for 1.00. I also did pull a Jordan from one of them. That was before anyone really cared about Basketball cards. The card ended up pretty dinged up but I had it up until 1998 when a house fire claimed it.