Throwback Thursday: 1987-1994

I received a great trade package yesterday from Trading Bases member Mike D. that sent me back to my early collecting days.  I opened my first pack of cards in 1985.  My mother bought a few packs of Topps for my 2 brothers, my sister, and I from the local grocery store.  Yes my sister did collect for a few years before high school.  The first Cardinals card I ever found in a pack was the Vince Coleman Record Breaker card.  From there my first player collection was born.  The first card out of the trade envelope took me back to those days.

Back in my early collecting days I thought Sportsflics were so much more cooler than Topps, Fleer, and Donruss.  I was shocked this 1987 card scanned to show Vince Coleman.  It also has Jose Cruz and Tim Raines on it.  It completed my team set.

 



 

By 1989 cards were being massed produced, but 1989 Score Traded and Pacific Legends were a couple of brands not found in every store.  The Hill finished my team set.  I do not think I would call Hrabosky a legend, but he was a colorful player who earned the nickname the Mad Hungarian. 

 



Mass production was in overdrive in 1993.  Upper Deck Fun Pack was not as widely found as the regular UD set, but it is just as affordable.  Fleer debuted its first premium brand with Flair.  These were nice cards with full bleed photos and a high gloss finish.  Hard Hittin Mark Whiten finished my team set.

   

Sportsflics was still going strong in 1994, but the cards only featured 2 images instead of 3.  Todd Zeile, Bernard Gilkey, and Ozzie Smith finish this set.

 



Look at the colors on the 1994 Score Traded Stan Royer.  Royer is one of 2 MLB players born in my hometown.  He completed another set for me.  UD Fun Pack also had a colorful border going on.  Flair stuck with its same design as 1993, but redid the name plate.  Perez finished that set for me. 

 



I have mentioned before how lacking my collection is for early Finest sets.  These 6 1994 cards brought me down to just needing the Ozzie Smith to complete it.  Great looking cards.