Any other Topps Big fans here?

[roarfrom34]

Here is some original artwork from Cal & Bill Ripken's Big Baseball cards

[ALR-bishop]

I have the sets....and variations....and like them. Waiting for Ray B to weigh in on them

[RayBShotz]

Originally Posted by ALR-bishop

I have the sets....and variations....and like them. Waiting for Ray B to weigh in on them

Love the images shown in this thread.
Thanks for the shout out Al.
Yes, The 1988 Topps Big set is my all-time favorite set of the 80's.
In fact I've taken this junk era, penny product to a new level as I've acquired, accumulated and even self submitted cards from this set for my PSA Registry examples.
Here's a link to where I am at to date:
https://www.psacard.com/psasetregist...timeset/256338

The stellar front design, a homage I believe to the 1956 Topps set is off the charts. The color jumps off the cheap cardboard. Even the fact that this was released in 3 series and that each series had a border color designation is an indication that Topps, despite it's less than hearty popularity, put some effort into its lay-out.
The content is stellar too with lots of HOF'ers and major 80's stars of the day.
Although 89' and 90' to follow were neat, nothing tops the 88' Big set to me.
Here's a few scans to wet your whistle.
RayB

[midwaylandscaping]

I didn't when they first got released. Those and 89 Bowmans I passed over. Have a few ungraded ones now and a graded Robbie. Thinking about picking up a box or 2. They are cool cards to display IMO

[IMG][/IMG]

[Bigdaddy]

Shameless plug here - I just posted three boxes (1st, 2nd and 3rd series) of 1988 Topps Big Baseball on the BST for someone looking for a good rip.

[seanofjapan]

What gets me is that the quality of these are just so much higher than the regular Topps sets from those years.

Topps should have used these designs (maybe minus the big size) for its regular sets.

[gonefishin]

Nice cards. My problem with collecting them, and other Jumbos, is the size and storage. I know, weak excuse, but true.

[RayBShotz]

Originally Posted by seanofjapan

What gets me is that the quality of these are just so much higher than the regular Topps sets from those years.

Topps should have used these designs (maybe minus the big size) for its regular sets.

Quality of the images? Yes I would agree.

Quality control at Topps for these was lacking.
You would be lucky to pull two dozen PSA 9 quality cards from an entire box of these.
They were very tightly wrapped packs in cellophane wrappers. The corners often get pinched and the edges are often dinged. Something they must do while packaging these.
If the top card has an edge ding you can expect most or all will have it too in that pack.
The top and bottom couple of cards are usually garbage. The 3 cards in the center of the pack are best bet for MINT.
Lastly; there is similar collation in these packs. So if a HOF'er is the top card (garbage) then in that box the same card is more likely to show up on top again at some point in the rip.

All this said; the gloss is off the charts, the color is stunning and the 56T layout is genius. I love the larger card size. More to see and still retain the rich white borders which I like.

If you've ever contemplated a graded set, I would grab the PSA 9's and 10's that are on eBay now. Getting those grades will become tougher.
Nice raw sets in a binder look great as well.

A little more eye candy.
RayB

[Rad_Hazard]

Originally Posted by roarfrom34

Here is some original artwork from Cal & Bill Ripken's Big Baseball cards

Wow! Those are some unique Topps pieces!

[saucywombat]

I like them a lot now.

Back in the day they weren't listed in the Beckett price guide - the thrilling up/down arrow monthly report for your prized valuables - so no interest then from this 11 year old.

Also they did not fit in pages you could get from Wal-Mart

[mortimer brewster]

I was thinking lately about putting one of the sets together the old fashioned way, by buying individual packs. They are pretty cheap.

I always liked the 1956 feel to these cards. I remember buying one of the
1988 series for 5 bucks at a show at the height of the junk wax era.

[GrewUpWithJunkWax]

I think they're great, and still have 1988 and 1990 Big cards I opened.

Nostalgia plays a part, and I have a soft spot for cards outside the main, flagship line. They are a little quirky, and a larger format for a larger view of the player.

[cubman1941]

I also remember when these came out. I hung out at a shop and we had a ton of fun buying boxes and opening them. I put together sets but sold them long ago.

[AustinMike]

I also liked them. I had all three sets at one time and still may, if they survived the purge. But then I also like the 1994 Fleer Extra Bases set, which I may also still have.