When was the end of Junk era?

[Exhibitman]

The initial overproduction started in 1974 when topps moved to a single series set. Until 1980 there are tons of cards but topps' poor QC makes it challenging to find certain cards in 'mint' condition, e.g., 1976 George Brett without print haze or 1975 Garvey without the white dot on his nose or a 1976 Reggie without a white streak on the bottom yellow stripe.

True junk wax started in 1981 and reached its apex in the early 1990s after the insanity of the 1991 Anaheim national.

The irony of it is that 20-30 years out there are some really nice cards of HOFers that are obtainable on the most modest budget even in a PSA 9 holder, if that floats your boat. I've started buying junk era cards of players I like and in designs I find impressive because I am a collector. I picked up one of my favorite junk era cards, 1988 Score Nolan Ryan for a few bucks in PSA 9. I really get a kick out of the more creative parallel issues like the Topps Stadium Club matrix from 1997 or the 1996 Pinnacle Starburst. There are also some incredibly interesting inserts like the intricate die cut cards or the cards make with non-paper materials like acetate or metallic foil. The TSC Midsummer Matchup set is a favorite; the flocked iridescent foil makes for a really striking look.

I completely agree with the criticism of the throwback designs. At least the junk wax manufacturers were trying with new materials and interesting graphics. The revisited designs are just lazy IMO.

The pop art reference is spot on too. Art even met cards when Peter Max did sets for topps. Another issue I now collect.