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Flashback Friday #11: 1988 Topps Oddballs
Can you believe that it's been 25 years since 1988 Topps baseball was released? It makes me feel old just thinking about it.
I was still in my "bulk busting" phase, where I was spending every last dime busting wax boxes of this stuff. Unfortunately, it's one of the worst products of the decade and one of my darker memories from the collecting period. If I never bust another pack of 88 Topps, I can assure you I won't be disappointed.
In fact, I don't even want to talk about the stuff. But if you're a fan of this product, The Night Owl wrote an awesome post about them earlier this week. He even called it "one of the best-designed sets ever", which is a bit of a stretch in my humble opinion.
But that's what I love about our hobby. There's thousands of cardboard options for us to choose from and some things float your boat, while others don't.
So instead of focusing on the Topps base set, I figure I'd write about three other Topps related items from 1988.
First up... my 1988 Topps Super Shot Portfolio of Tony Gwynn:
I was still in my "bulk busting" phase, where I was spending every last dime busting wax boxes of this stuff. Unfortunately, it's one of the worst products of the decade and one of my darker memories from the collecting period. If I never bust another pack of 88 Topps, I can assure you I won't be disappointed.
In fact, I don't even want to talk about the stuff. But if you're a fan of this product, The Night Owl wrote an awesome post about them earlier this week. He even called it "one of the best-designed sets ever", which is a bit of a stretch in my humble opinion.
But that's what I love about our hobby. There's thousands of cardboard options for us to choose from and some things float your boat, while others don't.
So instead of focusing on the Topps base set, I figure I'd write about three other Topps related items from 1988.
First up... my 1988 Topps Super Shot Portfolio of Tony Gwynn:
If you're into oversized cards, then these are for you. They're huge compared to your standard 2.5" x 3.5" trading card, but are very affordable. I picked this one up a while back at the flea market for a buck.
On the opposite end of the size spectrum are the 1988 Topps Gallery of Champions. Here's my Benito Santiago from the set:
On the opposite end of the size spectrum are the 1988 Topps Gallery of Champions. Here's my Benito Santiago from the set:
As you can see, they're made of metal (mine is the aluminum version). However, they're smaller than the standard cards, measuring only 1.25" x 1.75".
And last, but not least... here's my October 1988 issue #282 of Mad Magazine:
And last, but not least... here's my October 1988 issue #282 of Mad Magazine:
This was easily my favorite magazine to read as a kid. I loved everything from the movie parodies to Spy vs. Spy to the "fold-in" back covers.
This issue featured Alfred E. Neuman on a 1988 Topps parody card. The back cover added eight more cards of all-star flops like George Bush and Cher. This seems fitting, since I personally think that the 1988 Topps baseball card design was one of the decade's biggest flops.
What about you...
How do you rank the 88 Topps design compared to other Topps designs of the 80's?
One of the best? One of the worst? Close to the middle?
Happy Friday and sayonara!
Extra Innings
Okay. If Greg & John are willing to take a few minutes out of their busy schedules and rank the 80's... I guess it's only fair that I do the same. So here's how I break down the Topps baseball card designs for the 80's:
Favorite
#1 - 1983
#2 - 1982
#3 - 1984
#4 - 1980
#5 - 1985
#6 - 1981
#7 - 1986
#8 - 1987
#9 - 1989
#10 - 1988
Least Favorite
#1 - 1983
#2 - 1982
#3 - 1984
#4 - 1980
#5 - 1985
#6 - 1981
#7 - 1986
#8 - 1987
#9 - 1989
#10 - 1988
Least Favorite
I'm pretty sure I've ranked them before... and I'd be willing to bet my lists have fluctuated. Things can happen over a few years. Heck... who knows... next week my rankings might shift a little... with the exception of the top spot. 1983 will always be my favorite design of the decade.
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