The "Junk Wax Era" (roughly 1986–1994) saw a time when card manufacturers like Topps, Fleer, and Donruss saturated the market with immense print runs, far exceeding demand. While financially disappointing for investors, these cards hold significant sentimental value for those who collected them as children, representing a specific period in the history of the hobby.
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In 1985, Pete Rose, playing for and managing the Cincinnati Reds, notably broke Ty Cobb's long-standing all-time career hits record on September 11. His 4,192nd career hit made him baseball's "Hit King.”
This 1985 Topps set is a 120-card checklist dedicated to Pete Rose. The set was packaged similarly to Topps' Traded sets and was distributed by Renata Galasso, Inc -- one of the top Hobby dealers of the era. The first three cards feature traditional statistical backs and the last 30 cards (91-120) feature backs that form a puzzle which, when completely assembled, shows in color all of Pete's Topps baseball cards up through 1985. In the set there are several cards which picture paintings of Pete at various stages of his career by artist Ron Lewis. This card was personally signed by Pete Rose before his passing.
In 1987, Tony Gwynn had one of the best seasons of his career, winning his second National League batting title with a .370 batting average. He also led the league with 218 hits and 119 runs scored, while batting in 54 runs and stealing 56 bases. Gwynn was also named an All-Star in 1987, one of his 15 career selections. He became the only NL player ever to record a .370+ batting average and 50+ stolen bases in a single season, a feat that remains unmatched. This is a PSA authentic sample of the card featuring his own hand-signed auto as well!
1988 Topps Baseball is largely shunned by today's collectors, due to its’ seemingly near-endless supply. In actuality, it's a simple and attractive set that many view as a bargain. The 792-card checklist features several rookies, the most notable of which is two-time National League Cy Young winner, Tom Glavine. In addition, 1996 NL MVP Ken Caminiti has a rookie card in the set. Subsets included Record Breakers, Future Stars, Turn Back the Clock, and All-Stars, which adds League Leaders on the back. The manager cards also double as team checklists. The 1988 Topps Baseball design is one of the company's simplest. Large player photos have a thin-colored frame, which gives way to a white border. The player's name is in block letters in a diagonal strip at the bottom-right of the card. The team name stands out at the top of the card, hovering behind the player image. Card backs are orange and have complete player stats. Many cards also have a caption called "This Way to the Clubhouse," which explains how the player came to join the pictured team.
In 1989, Joe Girardi made his MLB debut and played in 59 games as a catcher for the Chicago Cubs. He batted .248 with one home run and 14 runs batted in (RBIs) during his rookie season Girardi made his Major League debut on April 4, 1989, against the Philadelphia Phillies. In his first at-bat, he hit a single and later scored the Chicago Cubs' first run of the season.
This attractive 800-card standard-size set was introduced in 1989 as the premier issue by the then-fledgling Upper Deck company. Unlike other 1989 major releases, this set was issued in two separate series - a low series numbered 1-700 and a high series numbered 701-800. Cards were primarily issued in fin-wrapped low and high series foil packs, complete 800-card factory sets and 100-card high series factory sets. High series packs contained a mixture of both low and high series cards. Collectors should also note that many dealers consider that Upper Deck's "planned" production of 1,000,000 of each player was increased (perhaps even doubled) later in the year due to the explosion in popularity of the product. The cards feature slick paper stock, full color on both the front and the back and carry a hologram on the reverse to protect against counterfeiting. Subsets include Rookie Stars (1-26) and Collector's Choice art cards (668-693). The more significant variations involving changed photos or changed type are listed below. According to the company, the Murphy and Sheridan cards were corrected very early, after only two percent of the cards had been produced. Similarly, the Sheffield was corrected after 15 percent had been printed; Varsho, Gallego, and Schroeder were corrected after 20 percent; and Holton, Manrique, and Winningham were corrected 30 percent of the way through. Rookie Cards in the set include Jim Abbott, Sandy Alomar Jr., Dante Bichette, Craig Biggio, Steve Finley, Ken Griffey Jr., Randy Johnson, Gary Sheffield, John Smoltz and Todd Zeile.
Chipper Jones played third base for the Atlanta Braves from 1993 to 2012. The Braves chose Jones with the first overall pick in the 1990 MLB draft. He was also a member of their 1995 World Series championship team. An eight-time All-Star, Jones won the 1999 National League MVP, and the 1999 & 2000 Silver Slugger Award for third basemen. He was the MLB batting champ in 2008 after hitting .364.
One of the greatest switch hitters the game has ever seen, he remains a favorite for many collectors. Like many players of his era, he has several rookie cards across different brands, some rarer than others. You can tell from a mile away that this is a Score baseball card based on the design alone- the color scheme, the layout, the fonts, the background...this is pure Score through and through. These cards were so heavily-produced that the market remains flooded with them and that puts a big drag on their value, but it is nice to see that this card was personally-signed on the front, but also was hand-numbered on the reverse as well!
The 1991 Fleer baseball card set consisted of 720 cards, which are in order by player alphabetically within each team. The teams are in order based on their respective performance during the prior year. A number of the cards in the set can be found with photos cropped (very slightly) differently as Fleer used two separate printers in their attempt to maximize production. Cards were primarily issued in wax packs, cello packs and factory sets. This set does not have what had been a Fleer tradition in prior years, the two-player Rookie Cards and there are less two-player special cards than in prior years. The design features bright yellow borders with the information in black indicating name, position, and team. The set is again ordered numerically by teams, followed by combination cards, rookie prospect pairs, and checklists. There are no notable Rookie Cards in this set. Key chase cards included the #33 Barry Bonds, #302 Nolan Ryan, #450A Ken Griffey Jr. and #710 Griffey/Bonds.
Ryne Sandberg and Andre Dawson were iconic Chicago Cubs teammates and Hall of Famers, forming a legendary duo known for their incredible talent, MVP awards (Sandberg '84, Dawson '87), and strong bond, with Dawson viewing Sandberg as a consummate professional, learning immense work ethic from him, despite Sandberg's quiet nature, a dynamic that evolved into a deep friendship. This 1991 card was pulled from a close friend and given to me as a wedding gift, but first .. it had to travel! Andre Dawson, nicknamed “the Hawk” and “Awesome Dawson,” played 21 seasons in the MLB. He led the league with 49 home runs and 137 RBI in 1987, becoming the first player ever to win the MVP award while playing for a last-place team. He also won the Gold Glove Award and Silver Slugger Award that season. In 2024, the card was carefully shipped down to Miami Beach for Andre Dawson to autograph and then returned to Kentucky..
Ryne Sandberg was an iconic Chicago Cubs second baseman, a Hall of Famer, 10-time All-Star, and the 1984 NL MVP. He is most remembered for his blend of power, speed, and defense, and is considered one of the franchise's all-time greats. Sandberg spent 15 of his 16 Major League seasons with the Cubs (1982-1994, 1996-1997) after a trade from the Philadelphia Phillies. His breakout season saw him bat .314 with a league-leading 19 triples and 114 runs scored, leading the Cubs to their first postseason appearance since 1945. The "Sandberg Game": On June 23, 1984, he rose to national stardom with two game-tying home runs in the ninth and tenth innings against the St. Louis Cardinals' Hall of Fame closer Bruce Sutter. He won nine consecutive Gold Glove Awards at second base from 1983 to 1991, a National League record for the position at the time. This specific #713 yellow card was then taken to the Chicago suburbs for the search of Sandberg to autograph in early 2025. It was then presented to my at our wedding in July of 2025, and I thankfully sent it straight to Beckett to protect such a timeless treasure. As fortune would have it, come Monday, July 28th, 2025, we would lose the Chicago Cubs Hall of Famer but I have this dual-signed, on-card autographed 1991 Fleer to cherish for life.
In 1994, Alex Rodriguez made his professional debut in the minor leagues and his highly anticipated MLB debut with the Seattle Mariners at just 18 years old. He remains the last 18-year-old to play in a Major League Baseball game as of the end of the 2024 season The Mariners selected Rodriguez first overall in the 1993 MLB draft, and he debuted in the major leagues the following year at the age of 18. In 1996, he became the Mariners' starting shortstop, won the major league batting title, and finished second in voting for the AL MVP Award. His combination of power, speed, and defense made him a cornerstone of the franchise.
1994 Flair was a 450-card set produced by Fleer. Series One featured the first 250 cards while Series Two had the last 200. Each card was printed on 24-point thick cardstock, with three additional points of UV gloss on each side; making it twice as thick as a traditional trading card. The order forms for Series Two were due in mid-August, just after 1994 MLB Players' strike commenced. For years, it was thought that Series Two boxes were produced in much smaller quantities than Fleer originally intended. However, shortly after Alex Rodriguez was acquired by the New York Yankees in 2004, a large number of Series Two boxes mysteriously emerged onto the market. The cards in the base set were grouped alphabetically by team within each league, with the AL preceding the NL.
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