1981 FLEER BASEBALL CARDS

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The 1981 Fleer baseball card set was significant for being the first major competitive product to Topps’ monopoly on baseball cards since 1955. Fleer produced and distributed 550 baseball cards as part of their inaugural major league release that year. The cards featured action photos of players from the 1980 MLB season on the front, with basic career stats on the reverse.

In 1980, Fleer had scored a legal victory in a lawsuit against Topps, allowing them to officially produce baseball cards once again. This broke Topps’ long-held exclusive license to photograph and produce cards featuring active major leaguers. While there had been some lesser regional and independent baseball card releases over the decades, 1981 marked the legitimate re-entry of a serious competitor after Topps had enjoyed reigning as the lone nationwide brand for a generation of collectors.

The early 1980s represented the dawn of a new era in the baseball card industry. No longer would a single company control all licensing and production. Competition brought increased creativity, new photography, and variable card stocks and designs that collectors and players welcomed. But the 1981 Fleer set also demonstrated some growing pains and shortcomings inherent in a startup brand establishing its first major product line from scratch.

Some initial criticism of the 1981 Fleer offering centered around lackluster action photography and drabness of card designs compared to the established look that Topps had built. While the players were clearly recognizable, many images lacked dynamism or visual appeal. Basic black borders and fonts came across as plain compared to Topps’ more ornate styles at the time. This was an understandable result of Fleer finding its footing against an entrenched competitor with decades more experience.

Additional concerns involved lack of key information provided on the back of cards that Topps listings included routinely, such as batting and pitching stats from the previous season. Basic career totals and highlights were omitted in many instances as well. This made collecting and comparing players more difficult. Issues also arose from Fleer’s printing and quality control. Some experts argue the card stock felt thinner and more prone to damage versus Topps’ stock. With 550 cards to produce from scratch, imperfections were inevitable in year one.

On the positive side, the 1981 Fleer set captured emerging young stars who would go on to have outstanding careers, like Wade Boggs, Cal Ripken Jr., and Tony Gwynn in their early days. Seeing these future Hall of Famers in their rookie Fleer cards added immense future value, especially considering the smaller initial print run versus Topps. Other rookie stars included Joe Carter, Rickey Henderson, and Fernando Valenzuela, who would become the first Mexican-born player to win a Cy Young Award just months later.

Beyond rookies, the 1981 Fleer set featured many familiar franchise pillars and superstars who defined the sport in the early 1980s like Mike Schmidt, Nolan Ryan, Tom Seaver, and George Brett. Simply having these huge names included in an alternative product line to Topps for collectors to choose from increased interest and prestige for Fleer overnight. Thanks to the influx of new competition and investment in the business, the quality and scope of baseball card offerings rapidly expanded industrywide over subsequent years benefitting fans.

In hindsight, Fleer’s groundbreaking 1981 release seems humble considering how much the card market exploded in the decades after. But it was a mammoth undertaking and risk for the company at the time, representing millions invested with no guarantee of return. While not a perfect first effort, the set proved Fleer was serious about becoming a major supplier. Their commitment to innovation and expanding the hobby helped spark unprecedented growth and involvement that enriched the player-collector relationship for generations to come in redeeming Topps’ former monopoly. For these reasons, 1981 Fleer baseball cards stand out as a landmark breakthrough among collectors.

AUCTION WEBSITES BASEBALL CARDS

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Auction websites have become hugely popular places to buy and sell sports collectibles like baseball cards. With the click of a mouse, collectors from around the world can now participate in auctions to add to their collections or sell off cards they no longer want. Some of the biggest auction sites that cater specifically to the baseball card market include eBay, COMC, and Heritage Auctions.

eBay has long been the 800-pound gorilla of online auctions. Founded in 1995, it was one of the earliest e-commerce sites and helped pioneer the concept of online auctions. Today, eBay remains the largest auction marketplace on the internet by a wide margin. On any given day, there are tens of thousands of baseball cards listed for sale on eBay from dealers and individual collectors. The sheer volume of listings means that with some searching, collectors can usually find even the most obscure or rare cards they are looking for.

The massive size of eBay’s marketplace can also make it difficult to navigate at times. With so many listings, it takes effort to weed through what is actually for sale versus just people feeling out interest. Quality can vary widely between sellers since virtually anyone can list items. For high-end vintage cards or valuable modern rookies, collectors may feel more comfortable using a site like Heritage Auctions which provides more buyer protections.

Heritage Auctions is one of the leading auction houses in the collectibles industry. While they do offer fixed-price sales, Heritage is best known for their live auction events which are conducted both online and in-person. Major card collections and individual superstar rookie cards often sell for six or even seven figures through Heritage. Their auctions are very well-organized and transparent, with high-quality photos and thorough grading reports provided on each lot. Buyers pay a premium compared to other sites, but get the security of knowing the item is being sold through a respected, established auction house.

COMC (short for Cardboard Connection) takes a different approach than eBay or Heritage. Rather than running live auctions, COMC acts as a centralized marketplace where individual collectors can list cards they want to sell at fixed prices. Buyers then place orders which the site fulfills by pulling cards from various consignors’ inventories. This model eliminates the uncertainty of auctions. It also gives collectors a way to easily sell off large bulk lots of common cards. COMC takes a small cut of each transaction but charges no listing or selling fees. They have built up one of the largest online supplies of baseball cards available.

While the “Big 3” sites dominate, there are also many specialty auction houses that focus specifically on sports collectibles. Some other notable auctioneers in this space include Steiner Sports Memorabilia, Grey Flannel Auctions, and Lelands. These companies tend to run higher-end sales catering to serious vintage card investors and big-budget collectors. Sites like Steiner also sell game-used equipment, autographs, and other memorabilia alongside rare cards. For collectors with deep pockets, the specialty houses provide access to some of the most valuable sports collectibles that change hands each year.

No matter the specific site, online auctions have greatly expanded the reach of the baseball card market. Whereas deals used to be confined to local card shops and shows, collectors worldwide can now participate. This has driven up prices for the most coveted vintage rookies and stars into the millions. At the same time, sites like COMC give everyday fans an easy way to build collections by piecing together more common cards from different eras. The internet auction boom shows no signs of slowing, ensuring sports collectibles like baseball cards remain a vibrant hobby well into the future.

BASEBALL CARDS COLLECTED FAR CRY 5

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Baseball cards have long been a popular collectible item for sports fans across the globe. One unexpected place collectors have been finding baseball cards is in the post-apocalyptic setting of the 2018 first-person shooter video game Far Cry 5.

Set in Hope County, Montana, Far Cry 5 places players in the middle of a violent standoff between a doomsday cult called Eden’s Gate and local law enforcement. Amidst the chaos of this unfolding conflict, players can search barns, abandoned buildings, and other locations around the open world map to find various collectible items. Surprisingly, stashes of old baseball cards are among the scattered treasures that can be uncovered.

While the inclusion of baseball cards may seem like a strange detail in such a dire scenario, it fits with the developers’ goal of crafting an immersive open world with believable environments. Barns and homes in rural Montana would realistically contain all sorts of forgotten memorabilia and possessions from past generations stored away in nooks and crannies. Finding baseball card collections undisturbed for decades gives players a small glimpse into the ordinary lives that were once lived in these places before the cult overran the county.

The baseball cards found in Far Cry 5 range from the 1950s all the way up to the modern day. Franchises represented include the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, and many more. Rarer finds include vintage cards of legends like Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, and Willie Mays in near mint condition. More common are cards from the late 80s and 90s featuring stars like Ken Griffey Jr., Cal Ripken Jr., and Greg Maddux.

In total, over 200 unique baseball cards can be collected in Far Cry 5. They are scattered randomly throughout the map in sets of 3 to 5 cards stashed together. Locations include dilapidated barns, dusty attics, abandoned vehicles, root cellars, sheds, and other tucked away places you might expect to find forgotten boxes of memories. Some cards are easy to spot, while others require eagle-eyed searching or breaking objects to reveal hidden stashes.

Once a baseball card is collected, it is added to the player’s inventory to be viewed up close with details on the back. While purely cosmetic, the cards provide a fun historical element and serve as a tangible in-game representation of the past lives that were lived on the land before the cult takeover. They also encourage exploration of every nook and cranny in buildings to find all the hidden memorabilia stashes.

In addition to being collectible items, the baseball cards in Far Cry 5 tie into the game’s narrative and themes in interesting ways. The cult that has seized control of Hope County believes the end of the world is coming and stockpiles supplies accordingly. Storing away boxes of baseball cards could represent holding onto remnants of past Americana and childhood nostalgia even in doomsday preparation.

Likewise, finding the cards undisturbed in abandoned homes represents both the mundane lives that were lived there before and how completely the cult has now overtaken the area, with no time or interest to rummage through such trivial belongings. It shows a world that has moved on from such ordinary pastimes as collecting sports memorabilia.

In the post-apocalyptic setting of Far Cry 5, the inclusion of baseball card collections to explore adds believable historical world-building elements and nostalgic touches that help immerse players. While a strange inclusion at first glance, the cards represent ordinary past American lives and provide insight into the narrative and themes of a county overtaken by radical ideologies. They encourage thorough searching and provide a fun tangible reward for players to enjoy as a small glimpse into Hope County’s history before the events of the game.

BASEBALL CARDS FOR SALE 2002

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Baseball cards from the year 2002 provide collectors and fans with a snapshot from a unique time in the sport’s history. The early 2000s saw many established stars continuing to produce, while a new generation of talent was beginning to emerge. For those looking to acquire cards from this era, here is an in-depth overview of the 2002 baseball card market and what collectors can expect to find.

2002 was the first season after 9/11 and Major League Baseball played a role in helping the country heal in its own small way. Attendance rebounded that year after declining in 2001. On the field, the Anaheim Angels won the World Series, led by MVP Troy Glaus. Barry Bonds of the Giants hit his 200th career home run. Ichiro Suzuki had a historic rookie season with the Mariners, setting the single-season hit record.

The biggest card manufacturers in 2002 were Upper Deck, Topps, and Fleer. Upper Deck focused on star players and included parallels, autographs, and memorabilia cards. Their base set had 396 total cards with several insert sets also available. Topps produced the flagship set as always with 792 total cards between the series 1 and 2 releases. Fleer also had a large base set of 720 cards plus various inserts highlighting top rookies and veterans.

Some of the most sought after rookie cards from 2002 include Angels slugger Albert Pujols, Cubs pitcher Mark Prior, Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki, and Yankees third baseman Alfonso Soriano. Pujols went on to have a Hall of Fame caliber career and his rookie is one of the most valuable from the decade. Ichiro’s explosive debut season makes his cards very desirable as well.

Veteran stars who remained prominent in 2002 and thus have valuable base cards include Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson, and Greg Maddux. Bonds in particular skyrocketed in value as he chased the single season home run record. Autograph and memorabilia cards for these superstars can fetch hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

Rookies who showed promise but didn’t pan out like Prior and Soriano still have collectors interested in their 2002 rookies, though values are not as high as the top stars. Other young players like Josh Beckett, Lance Berkman, and Carlos Beltran debuted and started strong careers, making their early cards decent long term investments.

Upper Deck’s set had a sharp design with players photographed against a black background. Their inserts included Sterling, MVP Material, and Hall of Famers. Topps stuck with classic design cues and had popular inserts like All-Star Rookies and Topps Gold Label. Fleer also kept things traditional but added inserts like Special FX and Future Stars highlighting up-and-coming players.

When buying individual 2002 baseball cards today, prices can vary widely depending on the player and specific card variation. Common base rookies for stars can usually be found for $5-20. Top rookies like Pujols and Ichiro in good condition might run $50-100. Rare parallels and autographs obviously command much higher sums. Vintage stock and online auctions are good places to browse current values.

Complete sets can sometimes be acquired more affordably if a collector is interested in owning cards for all teams rather than singular stars. Unopened 2002 packs have also increased in popularity and hold nostalgic appeal for those who enjoyed them as kids. Wax boxes containing factory sealed packs and factory sets are a fun way to experience the original product.

The 2002 baseball card market provides opportunities to build a collection highlighting the transition period between eras of the sport. Ranging from affordable commons to high-end memorabilia, cards from this year capture a memorable season in MLB history that baseball fans enjoy preserving and revisiting through the hobby. With stars from the past and future featured, 2002 remains a popular vintage set for collectors two decades later.

1973 TOPPS BASEBALL CARDS COMPLETE SET

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The 1973 Topps Baseball Card set is one of the most recognizable issues from the 1970s era of Topps. Issued during another turbulent time in America during the post-Vietnam War period, the ’73 Topps set showcases the biggest stars and personalities from that season. It marked another classic design from Topps with a red backing and team logo screen on each card.

The set contains 792 total cards including 660 player cards, 88 manager and coach cards, 20 team cards, and 24 special player cards including the backs of the cards that featured player stats and career highlights. Some of the massive stars featured included Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Pete Rose, Roberto Clemente in his final card issue before his tragic death in a plane crash, Nolan Ryan, and Tom Seaver among many others. The manager cards provided a who’s who of legendary skippers like Walter Alston, Sparky Anderson, and Dick Williams.

In terms of player design, the photos were in classic mid-70s colored action shots with team logos at top. Standouts from the design included the Atlanta Braves powder blue and red uniforms, the Baltimore Orioles intricate orange and black sleeve designs, and the classic Dodgers home whites. On the reverse, each card displayed the team logo screen again with player stats and career notes. One unique feature was that rookie cards from that season were not always labeled as such, making determining a true rookie print more challenging for collectors.

Conditions during the era affected the 1973 set both positively and negatively. On one hand, the national pastime was thriving with stars entering their prime and new talent emerging. Attendance was strong. The onset of the OPEC oil embargo impacted the Topps Gum company’s plastic supplies, forcing the cards to be issued without the usual gum pack enclosures. This led to many cards surviving in better preserved condition without gum stains or gum adhesive on the edges over the decades.

In terms of value today for a complete near-mint set, prices range between $800-1200 depending on overall condition assessed on a card-by-card basis. Key individual cards that can be quite valuable include Nolan Ryan’s Angels rookie (PSA 8 value around $500), Johnny Bench (PSA 9 near $200), Tom Seaver (PSA 8 over $150), and Hank Aaron (PSA 9 topping $100). But even lower-grade common player cards can hold value of $5-10 each due to the iconic designs and star-studded roster.

For collectors looking to build the set, finding a complete set in higher grades can prove challenging given the volume of nearly 800 cards issued and the natural degradation over five decades. In PSA 8 condition, estimates value the full collection at $3,000-5000 depending on the population of high graded examples. Individual teams can also be collected and hold value in the $50-150 range depending on condition. For example, the Baltimore Orioles team set with their powder blue glory is a popular pickup.

What’s remarkable about the 1973 Topps set is that despite lacking the gum packs, the cards have maintained excellent eye appeal and staying power in the hobby. The straightforward yet timeless design featuring classic action shots and solid production values have ensured they remain a highly collected vintage issue. For baseball card historians, it represents a true “defining set” from the early 70s era when the hobby truly began to emerge from its early beginnings. Today, the ’73 Topps set continues to be a terrific way for collectors to showcase the biggest stars and best uniforms from that memorable season nearly 50 years ago.

The 1973 Topps Baseball Card set marked another highly successful annual issue from the iconic brand that has entertained collectors for generations. While conditions of the era created some initial challenges, the straightforward yet timeless design has ensured the cards remain widely collected and appreciated today for capturing the nostalgia and talent of that late 60s/early 70s period in baseball history. Whether seeking a complete near-mint set, key rookie cards, or individual team collections, this classic Topps release from 1973 endures as one of the most iconic and affordable vintage issues to build.

MOST IMPORTANT BASEBALL CARDS OF ALL TIME

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The baseball card collecting hobby has been around for over 150 years, with the earliest known cards dating back to the late 1860s. Since then, thousands upon thousands of baseball cards have been produced chronicling the history of Major League Baseball. Within that massive collection of cardboard, several cards truly stand out as being the most important and impactful in the hobby’s long history. These are the cards that drove immense interest, skyrocketed values, shattered records, and helped popularize collecting itself. Below are some of the most noteworthy baseball cards of all time.

Honus Wagner – 1909 T206 – The King of Cards
Without question, the single most famous and valuable baseball card ever printed is the ultra-rare 1909 Honus Wagner T206 card. Produced by the American Tobacco Company as part of their landmark “T206” series, it’s estimated only 50-200 examples exist today in varying conditions. What makes this card so special is that Honus Wagner, a superstar of the early MLB era, asked the tobacco company to withdraw his card from production out of objection to marketing cigarettes to children. As a result, very few of his cards ever made it into circulation. For decades, it was also the highest valued trading card in the world, with a PSA NM-MT 8 copy selling for $3.12 million in 2016. Its beauty, rarity, story and record-breaking prices have cemented it as the pinnacle card that started a collecting craze.

Mickey Mantle – 1952 Topps – Taking Over Topps
The early 1950s marked the rise of the modern sports card boom, led primarily by the Topps Company. Their 1952 set featured 6 great young rookies, but none would have a bigger impact than the iconic Mickey Mantle. As Mantle blossomed into a Yankee superstar and one of baseball’s first true “national heroes”, demand for his ’52 rookie skyrocketed. PSA 10 copies now sell for over $1 million each as the card came to represent the entire post-war Topps era. It was also a watershed moment that marked Topps’ transition from bubblegum into a billion-dollar trading card business – helped greatly by the soaring popularity of cards like the legendary #303 Mantle rookie.

Mike Trout – 2009 Bowman Chrome Draft Picks & Prospects Refractor – The New Standard
While legends like Mantle, Wagner and Ruth set records decades ago, a modern-era star is rewriting the books. Superstar outfielder Mike Trout has arguably become the greatest player of his generation since debuting in 2012. His immense talent and future stardom were evident much earlier in his prospect cards from 2009-2010. None of those are more significant than his hugely scarce Bowman Chrome Draft Picks & Prospects Refractor rookie from 2009. The card captures “The Millville Meteor” as a fresh-faced 17-year old prospect and, as Trout went on to otherworldly accomplishments, values for this ultra-premium refractor skyrocketed. A PSA 10 now sells for over $400,000, making it the most valuable modern card and showing Trout has created a new stratosphere for rookie card values. The card defines what’s possible for prospect issues going forward.

Honus Wagner – T206 “Back” Variation – A True Unicorn
While his standard ‘09 T206 is the king of cards, Honus Wagner also has an even rarer variation that could be considered the single most valuable card period. Around 2009, a hobby researcher discovered that some examples of Wagner’s famed tobacco card exist with the image “flipped” or on the card “back.” Remarkably, only five of these inverted “Back” Wagners are known today. In recent private transactions, two have sold for over $2 million each, including one that brought a staggering $3.12 million price. Such mind-boggling values, for which there is no comp in the entire collecting universe, cement this Wagner variation as perhaps the ultimate target card for wealthy investors and collectors hoping to own the undisputed rarest piece of cardboard in the world.

Michael Jordan – Fleer – The Crossover King
While baseball cards were around far longer, it was truly the arrival of Michael Jordan and the explosive popularity of the NBA in the 1990s that brought mainstream attention to basketball cards. Jordan’s iconic Fleer rookie from 1985, with its bold image of him in mid-air, became immensely popular as his on-court legend grew. PSA 10s now sell over $100,000 as arguably the most famous and collectible basketball card ever made. No rookie has crossed over into popular culture more and shown the power of cards to chronicle true sporting greatness from the very beginning. Jordan’s Fleer helped hoops cards break out from their niche and paved the way for basketball to be the dominant modern force in trading cards it is today.

Babe Ruth – 1914 Baltimore News – The Bambino’s Start
Looking back even further finds some remarkably early and important cards from the deadball era. Among them is Babe Ruth’s sole rookie card, produced way back in 1914 by the Baltimore News newspaper as an advertisement. This single image of a fresh-faced Ruth in an Orioles uniform was one of the earliest baseball stars ever depicted on card. While there are no high grades known, even low-end examples sell for five figures given the Babe’s iconic status and this capturing the start of his baseball career before his legendary home run pacesetting with the Yankees. In today’s retro market craze, this humble newspaper promo helps tell the story of how even the earliest cards were beginning to chronicle our national pastime a century ago.

1909-11 White Border – T206 – Capturing a Legendary Set
While the Wagner stands above, the entire monumental 1909-11 White Border T206 set produced by American Tobacco merits recognition as one of the most pivotal releases of the early 20th century. Featuring over 500 players across an estimated 20 million printed over three years, it was easily the largest and most complete baseball card set yet. Stars of the day like Mathewson, Chance and Lajoie took cardboard form alongside the emerging legends of Ruth, Cobb and Johnson. High grade examples from this true “set building” release still sell for six figures. Its unmatched scope and quality captured a pivotal time in the game and brought unprecedented attention to card collecting during baseball’s breakout Golden Age.

Sandy Koufax – 1957 Topps – Pre-Stardom Greatness
While the likes of Mantle, Mays, Aaron and others had their early years well documented, few showed their superstar potential quite as early as Sandy Koufax. His stunning rookie card from 1957 Topps is especially eye-catching for how it portended future excellence while he was still an unknown with the Dodgers and Braves. Sporting a warm-up jacket with bold blue “SFK” initials, the lanky lefty looks poised for greatness even before his storied dominance. High grades now sell for over $100K, an impressive feat considering it was produced when he was just another prospect. Koufax’s ’57 stands out as an early spotlight on a pitcher who evolved into perhaps the greatest of all time.

Honus Wagner – 1909-1911 American Caramel – Such Sweet Rarity
While the T206 set and Wagner’s place within it stole most attention in the early 1900s, another tribute set from that era showed prescience in its choice of subject. Around 1909-1911, American Caramel produced a series of cards as promotional inserts with their candy. Among the massive selection was a single image of Honus Wagner, and it remains one of the great rarities in the entire hobby. Only a small handful are believed to still survive, graded examples sell for millions. For capturing a legend so early and now in such scarce form decades later, this candy wrapper tribute is a remarkable case showing how even lesser-known sets were aiming to build on themes and names already developing followings before the modern boom.

Mike Trout – 2009 Bowman Sterling – A Diamond in the Rough
The sheer dominance of Trout’s career and record-setting 2009 Bowman Chrome rookie card overshadow that within the same year, he also had an extremely scarce parallel issue. Like the base card but produced on sterling silver stock instead of paper/plastic, Trout’s true “rookie” status is officially recognized for this striking Silver edition card numberd /125. Only a handful are known to exist, and it established Trout as a serious chase item for elite collectors from the earliest days. While far fewer saw this special parallel compared to the standard Chrome card, it stands as the true “unicorn” issue from his early prospect years – a true diamond pulled from the baseball card rough.

While thousands of notable baseball cards have been produced over the decades, these provide some of the strongest examples of pieces that drove interest, shattered records, and helped popularize the entire hobby through iconic stars, incredible rarities, and capturing pivotal moments. As the collecting craze only intensifies from growing nostalgia and new speculation, cards like these cemented their place in history and showcase how the cardboard medium has chronicled America’s pastime since the earliest days. They made household names out of players, players out of collectors, and collecting itself into a multi-billion dollar industry.

BENCHWARMERS BASEBALL CARDS MOVIE

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Benchwarmers is a 2006 American sports comedy film directed by Dennis Dugan and starring Rob Schneider, David Spade and Jon Heder. The film follows a group of middle-aged men who were ridiculed as children for never being chosen for sports teams and decide to form their own amateur baseball team in order to prove themselves.

The film opens with Mel (Schneider), Richie (Spade) and Clark (Heder) as children attending baseball tryouts. Despite their best efforts, they are never picked for any of the teams and are forced to sit on the bench and watch the other kids play. This experience leaves deep emotional scars and the three grow up still bitter about never getting a chance to play as kids.

Flash forward to the present day and Mel, Richie and Clark are middle-aged losers still living in their hometown. Mel works a dead-end job at Globo Gym, the sports facility that sponsors all of the local kids’ sports teams. Richie works as a telemarketer and Clark is still living with his mother. They all continue to feel the pain of their childhood rejections.

Gus (Vince Vaughn), the arrogant leader of the town’s dominant little league team, the Evil Orphans, is now the smug owner of Globo Gym. He continues to rub salt in the wounds of Mel, Richie and Clark by constantly reminding them that they were never good enough to play for him as kids. Fed up with being ridiculed, the three friends decide to form their own amateur baseball team so they can finally get a chance to play.

Mel recruits some other social outcasts to join their team – a group of quirky misfits including a new age hippie, a tech nerd, a flamboyantly gay man and a new father struggling with parenthood. Despite their obvious lack of athletic ability, Mel is determined to lead the team to the championship tournament where they will face off against Gus and his Evil Orphans.

Gus does everything he can to sabotage the new team, including trying to get their field shut down. But through perseverance and teamwork, Mel, Richie, Clark and their eccentric teammates come together and begin improving their baseball skills. Along the way they also rediscover their youth and start to overcome their childhood traumas.

The climactic championship game sees the underdog Benchwarmers team squaring off against Gus’s dominant Evil Orphans. In a series of comic set pieces, the Benchwarmers surprise everyone with their newly developed baseball prowess. In the end, through an amusing sequence of slapstick plays, the Benchwarmers are able to defeat the Evil Orphans, finally winning the game they never got to play as kids.

Mel, Richie and Clark have triumphed over their childhood demons and found acceptance. The film ends with them no longer defined by their past rejections, but celebrating their newfound confidence and friendships. Benchwarmers uses its idiosyncratic characters and silly humor to tell a heartwarming story about overcoming adversity, believing in yourself and proving your critics wrong through perseverance and teamwork.

While the movie received mostly negative reviews and was considered a box office disappointment, it has developed a cult following among fans of crude comedy. The performances by Schneider, Spade and Heder are very physical and cartoonish in nature, which some found off-putting but others appreciated. The heart of the story about never giving up on your dreams has also resonated with many viewers.

Overall, Benchwarmers uses a wacky comedy premise to explore deeper themes of self-esteem, male bonding and conquering childhood fears. Despite its flaws, the film endures because it celebrates underdogs who refuse to accept failure and instead find triumph through unity, humor and refusing to let bullies like Gus keep them down. It remains an inspiring sports comedy for anyone who has ever felt like an outsider or doubted their abilities.

1985 TOPPS BASEBALL CARDS COMPLETE SET

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The 1985 Topps baseball card set is one of the most iconic and valuable complete sets from the golden era of the 1980s. Issued annually by Topps, the 1985 edition marked the 54th year of production for the popular trading card brand. The set consists of 792 total cards including base cards, manager cards, and special insert cards. It features all 26 Major League Baseball teams from 1984 along with retired legends and rookie stars.

Some key things to know about the 1985 Topps complete set include:

Design: The design featured a simple team logo at the top with the player’s name and position below. Statistics from the 1984 season were included on the back. The border was colored to match each team. This basic yet classic design scheme remained largely unchanged for Topps sets throughout the 1980s.

Roster: All teams included their full 25-man active roster as of opening day 1985. Notable rookies included Barry Larkin, Mark McGwire, and Roger Clemens. Legendary players like Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, and Sandy Koufax received “retired” cards as well.

Short Prints: The set included several short printed cards that were much harder to find in packs than the base cards. Some of the key short prints were Don Mattingly’s base card, Nolan Ryan’s Astros card, and Ozzie Smith’s Cardinals card. These scarce cards are highly valuable to collectors today.

Star Cards: Players like Wade Boggs, Ryne Sandberg, Dwight Gooden, and Kirby Puckett had some of the most visually striking and desirable cards in the set due to their on-field success and popularity. Their mint condition rookie or star cards can fetch thousands today.

Insert Cards: In addition to the base roster, the 1985 set included 22 special “Traded” cards showing players who were dealt to new teams mid-season in 1984. Highlights included Dave Parker, Rick Sutcliffe, and Gary Ward.

Managers: As was customary, Topps issued cards featuring all 26 big league managers from 1984, including legends Sparky Anderson, Whitey Herzog, and Dick Williams.

Checklist Card: The traditional checklist card was #770, serving as a guide for collectors to ensure they obtained all other cards in the set. This is a key card for any complete 1985 Topps collection.

Upon its release, the 1985 set was sold in wax packs, factory sets, and rack packs at stores across America and abroad. While production numbers were high overall, demand was huge among the collector base of young boys in the 1980s. As a result, many of the star cards and short prints were pulled early and have remained scarce ever since.

Grading and preservation became much more common for sports cards starting in the late 1980s as the hobby really took off. As a result, high-grade copies of key 1985 rookie and star cards are extremely difficult to acquire. Even in EX-MT condition, complete sets with several highly graded cards can fetch thousands of dollars today. Pristine mint sets in the 9.0-10.0 BGS or PSA range regularly sell for $5,000 or more when they surface at auction.

For advanced collectors, assembling a true gem mint 1985 Topps set in the highest available grades is considered a true achievement and can take years to complete through careful hunting, patience, and deep pockets. Subsets of just the star rookie cards or select teams can also carry substantial value.

The lasting popularity, design simplicity, and abundance of stars have kept the 1985 Topps baseball card set firmly entrenched as one of the most iconic issues from the golden era. Its widespread distribution also means examples remain obtainable for most collectors, whether seeking affordable common cards, key stars, or the elusive quest of attaining a pristine graded complete set. Over 35 years later, the 1985 Topps cards retain their nostalgic appeal and strong collectible demand.

DYLAN BUNDY BASEBALL CARDS

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Dylan Bundy is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels. Since making his Major League Baseball debut in 2011, Bundy has established himself as one of the more interesting young pitching prospects over the past decade. As a result, Bundy’s baseball cards have captured the attention of collectors looking to invest in the potential of a talented arm.

Bundy was considered one of the top pitching prospects in baseball when he was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles with the fourth overall pick in the 2011 MLB Draft out of Owasso High School in Oklahoma. Scouts were impressed with Bundy’s mid-90s fastball and sharp breaking pitches at a young age. He quickly rose through the Orioles system, making his MLB debut in 2012 as a 19-year-old. Bundy’s prospect status led to some valuable early baseball cards.

One of Bundy’s most sought-after rookie cards is his 2012 Topps Heritage Minor League card. Topps Heritage captures the classic design aesthetic of cards from the 1950s and 1960s. Bundy’s smooth mechanics and baby face made him a prime candidate for the retro-style design. With a printing of only 99 copies and Bundy’s top prospect pedigree at the time, PSA 10 gem mint examples of this card recently sold for over $1,000.

Bundy’s official MLB rookie card came in 2013 Topps. Like most Topps flagship cards, it captured an action shot from Bundy’s debut season in Baltimore. While common in most sets at around $10-15 raw, high-grade versions with perfect centering have climbed up near $100 due to Bundy’s name recognition and status as a former top pick. His 2013 Bowman Chrome Prospect card also gained value since Bundy was still considered one of baseball’s brightest young arms.

Injuries slowed Bundy’s career progression starting in 2014. Elbow troubles led to Tommy John surgery and a long road back. But collectors still saw potential and his cards held value. One of his scarcest from this time is the 2014 Topps Heritage Minor League Variation card, with an even rarer printing than the 2012 version. Just a handful are known to exist, making it a true key card in any Bundy collection.

Bundy started to regain his form in 2018 after bouncing between the minors and majors in previous seasons. He posted a career-best ERA and started to flash the potential that made him a hyped prospect years earlier. This resurgence was reflected in the rising prices of his rookie cards and earlier prospect issues as hope for Bundy’s career was restored. Even common cards saw new interest from collectors taking a chance on his revival.

In 2019, Bundy agreed to a multi-year contract extension with Baltimore, providing stability in what had been an injury-plagued career. He continued improving that season and looked like he might finally be realizing some of the potential that once made him such a blue-chip pitching prospect. This solidified his status as a collection-worthy player and kept attention high on his vintage cards at the time.

After being traded to the Los Angeles Angels ahead of the 2021 season, Bundy enjoyed the best year of his career to date. He posted career bests in wins, ERA, strikeouts and WHIP while making his first All-Star team. This breakout season at age 28 reaffirmed there was still promise in Bundy’s powerful right arm. As a result, his cards, especially those from his early prospect days, gained renewed interest from a new wave of collectors.

Bundy’s mix of high-profile prospect pedigree, injury history, ups and downs, and recent success make him a fascinating player to follow both on the field and in the baseball card market. For collectors, his rookie cards and earlier prospect issues offer a relatively inexpensive way to invest in the potential of a talented arm who may still have more to prove. Even if Bundy’s career peaks have passed, his story and the intrigue surrounding his cards will continue engaging collectors for years to come.

BASEBALL CARDS BRANDS

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The history of baseball cards spans over 130 years and has seen many brands come and go as the collectible card industry has evolved. Some of the earliest and most iconic baseball card brands still in existence today got their start in the late 1800s as the hobby began to take shape.

In the earliest days of the baseball card industry during the 1880s, brands like Goodwin & Company and Old Judge Tobacco were producing cards as promotional incentives included in tobacco products. In 1886, the American Tobacco Company began including baseball cards in packages of cigarette brands like Pearl cigars and Sweet Caporal cigarettes. This helped popularize the inclusion of sports cards in tobacco products and marked the beginning of what would become some of the most legendary brands in the industry.

In 1887, the American Tobacco Company launched the famous Allen & Ginter brand. Their ornate designs and use of color lithography helped establish baseball cards as a true collectible. Allen & Ginter produced cards until 1891 and their issues from this early period are among the most coveted and expensive cards available today for collectors. Also in the late 1880s, the tobacco company Mayo Cut Plug started including baseball cards with their products, distributed by Buck Card Company. The Mayo Cut Plug and Buck brands produced some of the earliest star cards featuring players across the major leagues.

In the early 20th century, tobacco brands continued to dominate the baseball card industry. In 1909, the American Tobacco Company launched perhaps their most iconic brand – T206. The ornate T206 set featured 511 total cards including the most famous and valuable baseball card of all-time, the 1909-11 T206 Honus Wagner. Produced until 1913, high-grade T206 examples are among the holy grails for vintage collectors. In 1911, Goodwin & Company issued their Red Sox Caramel baseball cards, another early tobacco brand still pursued by collectors today.

In the 1920s-30s, tobacco brands like M101-4 Murads, Sweet Caporal, Iran Turkish, and Play Ball continued producing popular sets. The rise of gum and candy companies in the post-war era would help transform the baseball card market. In 1948, the Bowman Gum Company launched the first modern gum-included baseball card set. Their designs featured color photos on the fronts for the first time. Bowman Gum produced highly regarded issues annually until 1956.

Topps Chewing Gum became the dominant baseball card brand starting in 1951 with their iconic design still used on most modern issues today. Topps purchased the rights to Bowman in 1956, consolidating the market. Other memorable post-war gum and candy brands included Fleer, Leaf, and Play Ball. Fleer emerged as Topps’ chief competitor in the 1960s with innovative parallel sets and rookie cards of legends like Hank Aaron.

In the 1980s, Donruss entered the market and produced memorable rookies of stars like Cal Ripken Jr. Upper Deck also had a major impact when they started in 1989, known for innovative technology, higher quality card stock, and the infamous Ken Griffey Jr. rookie that exploded the hobby. In the 90s, brands like Score, Leaf, and Pinnacle produced sets alongside the giants Topps and Upper Deck.

In today’s licensed card market, Topps remains the exclusive Major League Baseball producer. Brands like Panini, Leaf, Bowman, and Stadium Club release well-regarded unlicensed sets featuring current players. Vintage and antique tobacco era brands still excite collectors with their history and iconic designs from the earliest days of the hobby. While brands have certainly come and gone, some stalwart producers from over a century ago remain household names for collectors today. The evolution of the baseball card industry has been defined by the memorable brands that helped establish it as a beloved pastime.