Tiny update!

[BMW]

Originally Posted by Curtis

I know what you mean.

And, no, we didn't have Fleer when I was growing up. There were only three places that sold cards (two variety stores and a news stand), and they all sold Topps. This was 1972-6.

Originally Posted by Mntwins

Ahh yes, the good old days. I remember going to a tiny grocery store and buying Topps cards for .15 cents a pack.

I started in earnest in 1985, buying Fleer packs for 40c a pop. That's as cheap as I ever got them.

Fleer and Donruss came into the market as major producers in 1981. From the mid-50s to 1980, Topps had an aggressive monopoly - they bought out their only competitor, Bowman, and ended the line. They had legal battles with Fleer all through the 60s and 70s to prevent them from selling cards.

Ironically, Topps now has a monopoly again, but (I believe - admittedly I don't follow the trade as much anymore) largely from the result of mergers, buyouts and bungling from competitor.

[Curtis]

Originally Posted by Mntwins

Ahh yes, the good old days. I remember going to a tiny grocery store and buying Topps cards for .15 cents a pack.

15 cents, yes. I remember the guy who owned the news stand refused to sell more than a dollar's worth to any one kid on any day. He reasoning was that it wouldn't be fair to the other kids to let two or three (or one?) monopolize his stock. If you happened to come in the day before he expected a shipment, he'd let you buy half of what was left.

I remember the only time I ever bought a box, it was from the Daffy Discount variety store, and the whole thing was the same 96 players (four from each team), over and over….

[endgame]

You guys make me want to get into the Rubbermaid tote that Mrs. endgame provided to store all the cards from my short-lived card-collecting phase. I think that was about '83 to maybe '93? I'm just guessing. Problem is, I've been a fictional guy for so long, I might not know an interesting card if I found one, but for the stats on the card! I'd recognize the real superstars of the day, but may be hard-pressed to find those that evolved into one later. Interesting. Well.....this has become the Tiny Hijack, eh? Looking back now, I can recall a few choice cards that just fascinated me . . .