18 From the 80s

I grew up in the 1980s.  My childhood is full of great memories from those years.  From playing outside until dark, to watching cool cartoons like He-Man and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles there were so many things to love.  I wish MTV would re air some of the "I Love the 1980s" shows so I could relive some of those times.  Whenever there is a movie from then on TV like Police Academy, I usually sit down and watch.  

It was during that decade when my love for the Cardinals grew.  The Cardinals played in 3 World Series during the decade.  I vaguely remember some of the 1982 World Series, but was glued to the TV during the 1985 and 1987 playoffs.  Those Cardinals teams were so fun to watch with so much speed and great defense.  What they lacked in power, they made up for it with hustle.

It was also during this time that I first started collecting cards.  1986 was the first year that I really remember opening packs.  Cards were everywhere back then.  From Wal-mart, to local stores like Big Johns grocery and Super X pharmacy, cards were very easy to find.  Far cry from what is going on today in the retail world.

A trade last week with TCDB member Packsux brought a large lot of  Cardinals from the 1980s that reminded me of all those good times and great teams.

Hendrick was about the Cardinals only power source in the early 1980s.  From 1981-1983 he led the team in home runs with less than 20 each year.  This 1984 Drakes card shows off the famous baby blue uniforms from that time period.  

There are 133 different pins in the 1984 Fun Foods set, 5 of them being Cardinals.  Silent George makes his second appearance along with fan favorite Willie McGee and funny man Andujar.  You do not see too many players were those type of pullovers anymore.

These may look like regular 1988 Fleer cards, but they are the Glossy version.  Quite a few of the main guys from 2 World Series teams are included like Coleman, Clark, McGee, and Ozzie.  You also get a Dough Decinces card for a guy who played all of 4 games for St. Louis.

Oquendo played 10 straight years for the Cardinals starting in 1986.  While he was a very steady player, I am not for sure I would call him a Super Star like this 1989 Super Star Disc.  

I really wish I would have been able to drive in the 1980s.  The Cardinals Triple A team was in Louisville, and the Double A team was in Springfield, IL.  Both are a little over 2 hours from me.  Check out the Durham card from the 1989 ProCards set.  He began his career with the Cardinals in 1980 and ended there in 1989 with a 29 game stint.  The other 4 guys all saw time in a Cardinals uniform.

That is all 18 cards from the 1980s, but that was not all that I received in the trade.

Fleer made it very easy for collectors to tell they pulled a Ultra Gold Medallion card in 2004.  I believe these were one per pack pack then.  1999 Warning Track cards were also seeded one per retail pack, but for some reason I have a hard time finding these.  

The chase for Topps Gold cards continues with a team card from 2004 and a 2005 Suppan.  

I do not miss the Walmart blue parallels, but it would be nice for the Red Hot Foil cards to make a comeback.  Maybe Topps will make a Chrome version this year.

Finishing up the package with 2 cards not even closely related, but I was too lazy to scan them separately.  Yadi is a 2019 Gold Label Class 2, Mac a 1999 SP Authentic Home Run Chronicles insert.