Flashback Friday #7: 1983 Donruss HOF Wax Box Break

[sanjosefuji]

My cardboard collecting roots are firmly embedded in the 80's and that's where they will always be. Cardboard from that decade is a constant reminder of my childhood and some of the best years of my life. So when I need a little pick me up, that's where I turn my cardboard collecting focus.


Last week, I bid on a wax box of 1983 Donruss Hall of Fame Heroes:

I've been looking to buy a box of this stuff since last May when Markz shipped me a Jackie Robinson from the set. The card took me back 28 years, when I used to buy this stuff at the local pharmacy. Well, I finally pulled the trigger and bought a box.


Back in 1983, these packs sold for 30¢. The box cost me $18.45 ($10.50 + $7.95 shipping) and included 38 packs, so each pack cost me just under 50¢. Who says 80's"junk wax" doesn't hold its value?


It took me roughly 45 minutes to rip these open, sort them, while I took a trip down memory lane.

And when I was done, I had a total of 5 complete sets, 1 complete Mickey Mantle puzzle set, and a handful of singles.

Donruss only included 44 cards in the set, 42 of them being portraits of hall of famers drawn by Dick Perez, who's famous for his Diamond Kings cards. Card #43 is a drawing of the completed Mantle puzzle.

And the final card is a double sided checklist. As you can see, some of the greatest to play the game are included in the set: Ty Cobb, Ted Williams, Jimmie Foxx, Cy Young, Mickey Mantle, Jackie Robinson, Stan Musial, and Hank Aaron all headline this set.

IMHO, the set is a must have for baseball card collectors... especially since you can pick these up for under $10 on a regular basis. And ironically, that's exactly what they book for on Beckett ($4 to $10). But if you're not willing to dish out the funds, don't worry... I'll be giving one of these sets away in my annual contest this summer.

Okay, today's question is...

What is your favorite 80's oddball set?


If you didn't collect during the 80's, then what's your favorite oddball set from any decade?

Sorry Donruss, you definitely had some cool oddballs, like the Pop-Ups, Action All-Stars, and the Super DK's. But, if I had to pick one, I'd have to go with the Kellogg's 3D (Lenticular) baseball card sets from the early 80's. Over the years, I've purchased a couple of these sets off of eBay.


But I'll always remember my buddy showing me his complete 1982 set back in the day. If I'm not mistaken, it was part of some mail in promotion and all of us were insanely jealous of those cards.


Happy Friday everyone... have a great weekend & sayonara!

Extra Edition!

Is anyone else building the Mickey Mantle puzzle? If so, I'm looking to trade for these 2 cards: #3(puzzle pieces 7, 8, & 9) & #19(puzzle pieces 55, 56, & 57).


I have a stack of extras and would love to work out a deal.

More...

[dunkjez]

That is so awesome. I'm also a huge fan of 80's wax. In fact, the first cards I collected were 1984 Fleer and I had to crack open a box just last week. It took me back to the good ole days. It was so refreshing. There's something about the '80s cards. Don't get me wrong, I'll crack new boxes but it's not the same. Thanks for posting that break.

[thebighurt035]

No auto's or game used but I just love the way they look.

I also remember buying some packs of these back then,to bad I lost those cards.

Thanks for the memories.

[sanjosefuji]

Glad to see another fan of 80's wax. That 1984 box must have been a blast to bust. I picked up four boxes of 1983 Fleer baseball (2 cello & 2 wax) a few years ago. Unfortunately, they're sitting in my parents' garage 500 miles away, so I can't get to them. I keep telling myself to bring a box home when I visit them, but I always forget.

Thanks for supporting the blog!

That is so awesome. I'm also a huge fan of 80's wax. In fact, the first cards I collected were 1984 Fleer and I had to crack open a box just last week. It took me back to the good ole days. It was so refreshing. There's something about the '80s cards. Don't get me wrong, I'll crack new boxes but it's not the same. Thanks for posting that break.

[sanjosefuji]

Yeah... no autographs or game used cards... but they have a sweet Mantle puzzle ;-)

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog post.

No auto's or game used but I just love the way they look.

I also remember buying some packs of these back then,to bad I lost those cards.

Thanks for the memories.

[jwgreen68]

[QUOTE=sanjosefuji;274241]Unfortunately, they're sitting in my parents' garage 500 miles away, so I can't get to them. I keep telling myself to bring a box home when I visit them, but I always forget.

Perhaps, you could ask your parents to mail the boxes to you? Medium flat rate box -$11.

[azdbacks1998]

Dontcha love the smell of those old boxes...they aughtta make a air freshener of that smell!!! .....lol

[sanjosefuji]

LOL... I just went to visit them earlier this week. And asking them to dig through boxes, would probably do more "damage" than "good".

I'll probably head down there again this summer... but whether or not I remember to bring up a box or two... well... that's another question.

Perhaps, you could ask your parents to mail the boxes to you? Medium flat rate box -$11.

[sanjosefuji]

Heck yeah! I kept the box... along with a few wrappers. Although... I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do with them.

Dontcha love the smell of those old boxes...they aughtta make a air freshener of that smell!!! .....lol