I don’t think 1980 or 1970 make sense as cutoff years. 1974 (end of the Topps series era) and 1981 (end of Topps Monopoly) do.
The Topps sets become more junky with pretty much every year, in the sense production tended to go up over time and value today decreases over time. I don’t think they were “junk” in the sense we use for the 80’s though. Production was still honest, in that it increased to meet a higher natural demand as time went on and more kids bought cards as the years ticked by. The speculative demand from investors that spiked 80’s production in a less natural way is what makes it junk, people buying immense quantity with no intent to open or use the cards as intended. That’s why there are 100 unopened 1988 wax boxes for every person in America still and a 1976 box is tough and worth a lot of money. I wouldn’t call a period in the vintage era “junk”, because production was always tied to actual natural demand.
The junk can be gold though. I love the 1987 Topps design and set and that it is worth like $5 is a sweet bonus to an enjoyer of cards instead of cash. That we all call this era junk seems to say more about peoples priorities than the cards themselves. That which they may profit off of is gold, that which they do not is junk, the actual cards themselves don’t really even enter the equation.
|