Derek’s (Re)collections As a fan of the Fleer design for the first five years that I collected baseball cards, the 1988 Fleer design stands out in a negative way to me. It was a bland, boring, by-the-book choice which in…

Derek’s (Re)collections A half-decade of innovative design came to a screeching halt as the 1988 Donruss offering featured a rather bland format on the card fronts. The photography remained on par with previous efforts but the border and overall layout…

Derek’s (Re)collections While the changes from the previous year’s effort were subtle, I immediately appreciated the design of the 1987 Fleer baseball cards. I made multiple attempts to acquire the cards but they were very difficult to track down. My…

Derek’s (Re)collections Hands down, the ‘87 Donruss cards are one of my favorites from the Eighties. I’m a fan of the company’s regular season issues from 1984 to 1987 but this particular set delivered rookies by the dozens and the…

Derek’s (Re)collections My collecting days began as Fleer really hit their stride. Following an uneven debut in ‘81 and a lackluster ‘82, Fleer ironed out the rough spots and delivered a solid effort through the next half-decade. The ‘86 effort…

Derek’s (Re)collections Impressed with both the standard and subsets of Donruss products from the two previous years, I anxiously awaited the release of the 1986 cards. They did not disappoint! I rushed to my local card shop and other vendors…

Derek’s (Re)collections I remember having great expectations for the 1985 Fleer baseball cards after their previous effort garnered my attention and fed my obsessive need for order. Not only did Fleer offer quality photography and a legible table of player…

Derek’s (Re)collections The calendar turned to 1985 and I was knee-deep in my baseball card collection. I subscribed to the Beckett Baseball Monthly Price Guide and purchased several binders with sleeves to display nine cards per page along with hard…

Derek’s (Re)collections As a young baseball card collector in 1984, I didn’t have a clue about the potential value of my purchases. I simply bought wax packs from the local shops and jumped head-first into my new hobby. I soon…