Why I collect… bringing me back to ‘79

[Belfast1933]

I thought I would share this addition to my collection – I just picked up my first, and probably only, unopened vintage rack pack. I went to the national and saw some of these and got inspired to find an unopened rack pack from my youth.

This 1979 unopened pack with Jim Rice showing would have been a prime target of mine is a 13-year-old who would buy packs all day long at the old country store on Long Sands in York Beach Maine. (Bonus points if anyone here remembers that store)

I can vividly recall walking into the country store many many times looking to see if a new box of cards had just arrived. I would fiddle through the box looking for any Red Sox player who might be on the front or back of the pack. Of course, I would immediately tear that sucker open as soon as I left the store!

It’s fun to add something unique like this to my collection and I thought I would share the experience.

Happy Collecting and reminiscing, Jeff/Belfast1933

[quitcrab]

Man, that green paint on the bookcase is a direct match of the Fenway green!
Very nice display of your cards .
Scott

[campyfan39]

Great look and pickup

[Zach Wheat]

Nice pickup! Love that Fenway Case....

[Mike D.]

Very cool display. Wow, rack pack for 59 cents...those were the days.

And for those who aren't New Englanders, yes, "Green Monster Green" is an actual color you can get at the paint store. I should know, it's the color my son's room was repainted a few years back.

[mrreality68]

Love the look and feel of that display and nice cards.

Your next card should be King Kong Kingman.

Does anyone no WHY? What is the RedSox Connection???

[Harliduck]

Funny you should post that pic of the 79 rack pack. 79 was the first year I was buying packs like mad as a 10 year old...and being in Seattle I couldn't get enough of the Mariner cards. I would sift through the rack packs looking for M's players. The town corner store sold wax packs, but the big Kmart next town over had the rack packs and they were a special treat. That M's Tom House card showing would have had me buying that one, screw Jim Rice...haha.

79 was the first set I completed from packs and for a while I saved some unopened packs when my set was done, only to be opened a couple years later looking for Ozzie Smith cards. 79 will always hold a special place for me, so thanks again for posting that...

[mrreality68]

This was the relationship with Kingman and Boston in 1916

David Ortiz Passes Dave Kingman for Most HRs by a Player in His Final Season

[mrreality68]

This was the relationship with Kingman and Boston in 2016

David Ortiz Passes Dave Kingman for Most HRs by a Player in His Final Season

[Kurri17]

Great thread. Love the personal stories regarding collecting. 1979 was my last year to collect seriously as a kid, I was 15. I started with '71 football, and '74 when I was ten is my cornerstone year. Beautiful rack pack, congrats on a great collection.

[mrmopar]

My throwback year is 1978. I don't recall ever seeing rack or cello packs though when I was buying them, only wax. I wish I had clearer memories of the whole process, but I guess it wasn't all that special at the time. I probably saw my first rack/cello in the early-mid 80s, but even then I don't recall. I do remember finding them around 87 and searching for the stars on top.

I still find a lot of joy in just seeing the various 1978 Topps cards across all of the sports. Raw, sealed in packs, graded, autographed, etc. They are just elevated slightly higher than anything else.

[deweyinthehall]

Originally Posted by mrmopar

My throwback year is 1978. I don't recall ever seeing rack or cello packs though when I was buying them, only wax. I wish I had clearer memories of the whole process, but I guess it wasn't all that special at the time. I probably saw my first rack/cello in the early-mid 80s, but even then I don't recall. I do remember finding them around 87 and searching for the stars on top.

I still find a lot of joy in just seeing the various 1978 Topps cards across all of the sports. Raw, sealed in packs, graded, autographed, etc. They are just elevated slightly higher than anything else.

1978 was my "initiation" year as well...I was lucky enough to have stores swimming in cellos and racks, though.

To this day, when I look through my '78 binder, I think I have stories about at least 80% of the cards - even if only whether I found the card in a pack myself, or I had to rely on friends' duplicates. The ones I really had to hunt for - the last couple dozen or so I needed - still have a different 'look' to me.

The very first cards I ever owned were a quad of '78s that came out of the old Scholastic mag, Dynamite - Cecil Cooper, Darrell Porter, Al Oliver and Tony Perez. I can remember how excited I was when a friend showed me the also came in packs in stores - I was like "wait - there's MORE?" - as my wife can attest today - not only is there more, there's a whooooooole lot more!

[mortimer brewster]

My throwback year is 1978 also. For 27 dollars I purchased the 1977 and 1978 complete sets from an ad in the Sporting News.

First year for packs was 1979. Great memories.

I love threads like these. There are not enough that just center on the love of collecting.

[deweyinthehall]

Since the subject of this thread is 1979, I can say that since 1978 was my first year collecting, I was pleasantly surprised to see 1979 roll around - "Wait - you mean they do this EVERY year??!"

My first look at 1979s was in a huge bin at a Kresge-esque store called McCrory's in Waterbury, CT. The store had emptied what must have been a case of cellos loosely into one large bin. I remember seeing the Prospects cards on top - Black and White? Better not get one of those - they must be something different.

It was interesting seeing cards of guys that had changed teams - Reggie Cleveland is with Texas now? Or of 1978 rookies now on their own cards - Dave Bergman anyone? And then there were those guys I still needed to complete my '78 set and now with different teams - talkin' about you, Mike Jorgensen.

Because it was my second set - and because there's never a set as nice as your first - 1979 has always looked 'lesser' to me - the design, the photography, those darn B&W prospects.

[mrmopar]

What did you think of the All Time Record Holders? I think it was the then current season leader with the all time leader in that same stat category. Old timers WITH current players! Then there was Lou Brock, both spots. i loved them, but not as much as those Sporting News All Time cards of 76. That was such a great design for me and those action shots of players I could only read about. Fantastic stuff.

Originally Posted by deweyinthehall

Since the subject of this thread is 1979, I can say that since 1978 was my first year collecting, I was pleasantly surprised to see 1979 roll around - "Wait - you mean they do this EVERY year??!"

My first look at 1979s was in a huge bin at a Kresge-esque store called McCrory's in Waterbury, CT. The store had emptied what must have been a case of cellos loosely into one large bin. I remember seeing the Prospects cards on top - Black and White? Better not get one of those - they must be something different.

It was interesting seeing cards of guys that had changed teams - Reggie Cleveland is with Texas now? Or of 1978 rookies now on their own cards - Dave Bergman anyone? And then there were those guys I still needed to complete my '78 set and now with different teams - talkin' about you, Mike Jorgensen.

Because it was my second set - and because there's never a set as nice as your first - 1979 has always looked 'lesser' to me - the design, the photography, those darn B&W prospects.

[deweyinthehall]

Originally Posted by mrmopar

What did you think of the All Time Record Holders? I think it was the then current season leader with the all time leader in that same stat category. Old timers WITH current players! Then there was Lou Brock, both spots. i loved them, but not as much as those Sporting News All Time cards of 76. That was such a great design for me and those action shots of players I could only read about. Fantastic stuff.

I clearly recall seeing at least a couple of cellos in the first '79 bin that had an All Time Record Holders card on top. I steered clear, worried that those were some sort of 'different' set of cards. It was only my second year collecting, and I had never seen the '76 Sporting News AS cards or the 1973 Record Holders.

[steve B]

Originally Posted by deweyinthehall

Since the subject of this thread is 1979, I can say that since 1978 was my first year collecting, I was pleasantly surprised to see 1979 roll around - "Wait - you mean they do this EVERY year??!"

My first look at 1979s was in a huge bin at a Kresge-esque store called McCrory's in Waterbury, CT. The store had emptied what must have been a case of cellos loosely into one large bin. I remember seeing the Prospects cards on top - Black and White? Better not get one of those - they must be something different.

It was interesting seeing cards of guys that had changed teams - Reggie Cleveland is with Texas now? Or of 1978 rookies now on their own cards - Dave Bergman anyone? And then there were those guys I still needed to complete my '78 set and now with different teams - talkin' about you, Mike Jorgensen.

Because it was my second set - and because there's never a set as nice as your first - 1979 has always looked 'lesser' to me - the design, the photography, those darn B&W prospects.

McCrorys was always a great place for cards. I got my few packs of 86 fleer basketball there.

[steve B]

79 was a bit of a letdown after 78 which had lots of odd issues available locally . But it wasn't bad, there were the 79 comics, which were briefly a big deal and were supposedly only in NJ. Dad had a school superintendents thing there and somehow found the time to find me one pack, which I still haven't opened. Later the set became widely available either as singles or uncut strips.

The super cellos were also a thing, I got the insert card from one from the local dealer, but not a pack. They also weren't around locally.

My parents also took a trip to Nova Scotia, and brought me back a box of OPC! that was fun.

Plus the usual hostess and Kelloggs cards.

And when I went to the park there was a set sold by some guy outside the park. I eventually bought a set late in the year, and it had extra cards that as far as I know still aren't cataloged.

[JimmyC]

Love the Fenway Case and I am a New York Fan! The green is a perfect match!

[phillyfan24]

The 79 Topps cards are my favorites and the best looking IMHO. Just nice and clean, no frills or fancy anything. Love the way the All Star cards look.

Brings back great memories! Now if only I can find that ever-elusive centered Ozzie Smith rookie in a PSA/SGC 8 slab...

[tonyo]

"country store" and McCrorys - two familiar names from my early collecting days in the 70's .

My granddaddy used to call stores like McCrorys and Woolworth "the dime store"

I spent many a day pouring thru bins of those rack packs while my mom did her shopping.


also: I'm sure we all know Tom House's claim to fame other than a cog in the mariners staff .

[Belfast1933]

Originally Posted by tonyo

"country store" and McCrorys - two familiar names from my early collecting days in the 70's .

My granddaddy used to call stores like McCrorys and Woolworth "the dime store"

I spent many a day pouring thru bins of those rack packs while my mom did her shopping.


also: I'm sure we all know Tom House's claim to fame other than a cog in the mariners staff .

(hope he kept the ball!)