Life Before The Strike #8

The only positive thing to come out of the drop-off in baseball card collecting and subsequent closing of every street-corner card shop we grew up with, is that old cards are now affordable and the same people we once purchased our cards from at flea markets and card shows are now looking to unload their boxes of unopened cards. Be it the fact they have little room in the garage or basement, or perhaps "the wife" has insisted they get rid of them, guys like you and me can now purchase cards from our childhood at an excellent price.

Enter today's acquisition of nearly 3,500 cards from unopened wax packs. For a small amount of cash, and a quality '75 rookie card that shall not be named, I was able to make a trade w/ a retired Boeing exec. from east Seattle who is looking to sell off his shares in a card-selling partnership that has since ended, and the proverbial "wife" has insisted he get back some of that initial investment.

Tonight I dove in to the box of 1988 Topps cards...a favorite childhood set of mine, for one reason...(enter the Wayne's World flashback squiggly screen). It's the summer of '88, and it's a hot day in western Wisconsin. My younger brother decides that it'd be a great idea to place all of his brother's baseball cards in a large bucket, and fill that bucket with water.
Needless to say, every single pre-'89 card that I owned at the time was destroyed. Today's acquisition of the '88 wax box helped my brother redeem himself, in that I was able to replace a number of cards I remember having back then.

At any rate, let's get going w/ today's cards. I will share with you the first pack of that box of '88 Topps...which showed us the remnants of the Reagan administration on their packaging.


#717 Jay Baller
Loving the spring training photos that used to grace nearly all of the baseball cards back then. This photo shows us the "personal" side of Jay, complete with Guido chest hair and gold chains...I had to check the back of the card to make sure he wasn't from Jersey.
#70 Roger Clemens
The folks at Topps used to tell us who signed a recent major leaguer...Roger was signed in 1983 by scout Danny Doyle...good to know, Topps.
#522 Bob Patterson
#512 Alex Trevino
#263 Glenn Braggs...ya, Brewers!

#639 Brewers Leaders
I love how these cards used to grace the packs we'd collect. At the time, we hated getting them because they were worth nothing, but looking back, it's something that needs to return. #423 John Smiley
Clearly trying to make up for his name by proving to fans he is to be taken seriously...seriously.
#281 Jerry Hairston
After time, it becomes apparent to a card collector that either A) They are getting old, or B) Their cards are getting old...and sometimes both. Especially true when you get a card of the father of a current major leaguer...
#349 Bob Walk...great name for a pitcher.
#431 Casey Candaele
#145 Bill Madlock
#78 Dan Petry
#397 Jack Clark All Star
#6 Nolan Ryan '87 Record Breakers

#608 Charlie Kerfeld
Not only does he look like a coach in this photo, but he is sporting two wonderful '80s baseball cliches (this with "Wild Thing" Rick Vaughn in mind)...a mullet, and an earing. Lovely.
And of course, the 20-year old piece of bubble gum. Note to readers: do not attempt to chew said gum, said gum will fall apart in reader's mouth and result in a really dry mouth.