The junk wax era in baseball card collecting spans roughly from 1987 through the early 1990s. This era got its name due to the overproduction of baseball cards during this time period, which greatly devalued the entire hobby.
Production numbers went through the roof during the late 1980s as companies like Fleer, Donruss, Score, and Upper Deck all got into the baseball card business. The demand from collectors was simply not there to support the massive amounts of cards being printed. This caused a massive bubble in the baseball card market that would eventually burst.
In 1987, Fleer produced around 1.8 billion cards for its flagship set. Donruss and Topps also issued cards in the billions that same year. As production climbed higher and higher each subsequent year, it became clear that sets from this era would be relatively worthless long-term since so many examples existed.
One factor that led to the spike in card production was the entry of new brands like Donruss, Score, and Upper Deck into the baseball card market in the late 1980s. These companies sought to compete with industry leaders Topps and Fleer by offering flashier designs and novel promotion techniques.
The ensuing rights battles between the established companies and new upstarts only led to increased production as each vied for shelf space at retail stores. Market saturation soon occurred as demand couldn’t keep pace with the rising tidal wave of cardboard.
Another major issue was that packs from 1987 through the early 1990s contained far more cards than in previous decades. A typical pack from the 1970s or earlier might have held 5 cards. But junk wax era packs ballooned to include 18-36 cards apiece. This was disastrous for the long-term collectibility of the sets.
Promotions by manufacturers also contributed to the overproduction problem. Sets from Donruss, for example, were sold in rack packs holding hundreds of commons instead of traditional wax packs. Upper Deck teamed with McDonald’s for an ill-advised worldwide distribution that ended up burying the hobby.
As a result of the increased production, finding mint condition Junk Wax cards in collection is relatively easy today. Prices for unopened packs and boxes from this era are nominal compared to previous decades as well. Almost no individual player cards hold significant value unless it’s a true superstar or a short-print parallel variation.
Rookie cards from the late 1980s that were once highly-regarded, such as Ken Griffey Jr. or Barry Bonds, sell for just a fraction of their peak prices from the 1990s as huge reserves still exist. Mass producing cards hurt the traditional scarcity and collectibility that the hobby was founded upon.
The Junk Wax era is also cherished by some collectors who enjoy reliving their childhoods or building full junk wax sets at bargain prices. And the abundance has allowed for innovations like autograph relic redemption programs by manufacturers targeting this age group. Upper Deck even released specialsubsets to boost flagging later junk wax series.
In hindsight, it’s easy to criticize the decisions made by card companies during the 80s boom. But at the time, huge profits seemed justifiable given growing popularity. Eventually the market did self-correct after the crash of the early 1990s, leading to more responsible production practices resuming around 1995.
While short-lived, the Junk Wax era left an indelible mark on the baseball card collecting world. Its legacy endures as a cautionary tale about unchecked commercialization damaging a beloved hobby. But it also remains a nostalgic period for those who were kids during the time, amassing mountainous collections on a shoestring budget. Despite being cheap and plentiful now, cards from 1987 to 1994 still hold special memories for many enthusiasts.
The overproduction of baseball cards from 1987 to the early 1990s greatly devalued the entire hobby and created a massive bubble that eventually burst. But the Junk Wax era also made assembling complete sets more affordable and left an important lesson about responsible stewardship of a collecting community. Its impact, both positive and negative, still resonates with enthusiasts today.
