30 Day Baseball Card Challenge

Thursday, October 22, 2020

Classic and Colorful Cardboard

Today is National Color Day.  Yup.  Just another day to celebrate something and in the case of this card blog... it's an excuse to show off colorful cards.


While flipping through my binders looking for colored refractors, I noticed that the Classic cards from the late 80's and early 90's also featured colorful borders.  And since Classic cards don't receive the same amount of hobby love as refractors, I decided to focus on them for this post.  Don't worry, I'll probably run with the refractor idea next year.

For now... feast your eyes on my Classic rainbow:






Honestly... I didn't pay a lot of attention to Classic cards when they were in production.  Yes.  I wanted the famous Bo Jackson card that Nolan Ryan is holding.  But when it came to spending my hard earned money, I spent it buying packs or boxes.

These days, I'll target specific Classic singles for my player collections on Sportlots and will pick up hall of famers when I find them in dime boxesWhat about you?

What are your thoughts on Classic cards?

Is there a particular design or colored border that you like more than any other?

And since it's National Color Day...

What's your favorite color?

Happy National Color Day and sayonara!

16 comments:

The Lost Collector said...

Always fun to see some Classic cards! They had some wild designs.

I don't have a favorite color, although as a Syracuse alum, I tend to gravitate toward Orange.

The Diamond King said...

Back to back Orange! Even if The Lost Collector is a little ambivilent.

John Sharp said...

My favorite color is Blue...as in Go BLUE!

I liked/like the Classic cards, especially I could get a Tigers player.

Good Job. 👍

Elliptical Man said...

I don't know. Black or purple I guess.

Nick Vossbrink said...

Love the pink and blue squiggle (either combo) here for that peak "you had to be alive then" feeling.

Fuji said...

the loss collector - one of my favorite clothing items is this orange tnf parka. absolutely love it and receive comments almost every time i wear it

the diamond king - lol. i love eating oranges, can i join your club?

john sharp - blue is one of my favorite colors.

elliptical man - i went through a purple phase in the 90's (because it was the favorite color of this girl i liked). when she left, my interest in purple did too

nick vossbrink - that was a very 1990 look. remember those pants that weightlifters used to wear to the gym with that design?

night owl said...

I go for the Zubaz Classics. I'd never wear them and I hate to even see people wearing them in old NFL videos, but on cards? Sure!

My favorite color is blue. You know, Dodger blue. It's a big deal with us Dodger fans.

Section 36 said...

I had bought the Classic green game, but luckily it wasn't much fun to play so I only tried it once or twice before the Jackson card took off. After that I always bought a set when it came out. They were fun and different and had a nice mix of cards and players. Not sure what happened to the sets at this point, broken up and scattered over the years. I should really try to hunt down a copy of the Jackson, just to have that one again.

For some reason the pink 1990 design calls to me. Although, generally I prefer red and blue.

Matt said...

When I think of Classic I think of the neon Zebra stripes. I always say I don't have a favorite color but I prefer the cooler end of the color spectrum - greens, blues, and purples.

GCA said...

My friend Stuart collected all the Classic sets a year or so ago. Figured he would comment that here (but anonymously). I still need a few PC guys myself. They're not scarce, but I think it would be difficult to build a set from singles.
No single favorite color really, but like Matt, I lean more toward greens etc.

Spyda-Man said...

Man, I am still hunting down that "Nolan Knows Bo" card! Still can't believe Ryan took a Bo hit to the face and still had the sense to grab the ball and throw him out at first. Amazing pitcher and one of the toughest to ever play the game!

Peter K Steinberg said...

What a great post! Classic cards are fun but I'm not sure I could pick my favorite. Maybe the first year just because it's the first year? The really colorful ones seem dated in some ways. I think my favorite color is blue. It's predominant in my wardrobe and matches my eyes.

Matt said...

Blue is my favorite color

CinciCuse Bill said...

Well, the scripted answer would be red, then orange, but I really don't give it much thought.
Love that Ryan card, and would like to know what Jackson card he is holding - I don't recognize it.
I have many many Classics in my PC collections and enjoy them greatly, but I don't think I ever saw a pack to buy - a;; were singles, mostly from quarter dollar boxes. Not a fan of the space on the backs for autographs.
Be well!

CinciCuse Bill said...

all

Fuji said...

night owl - thank you. i was racking my brain for the name of those pants.

section 36 - the jackson card is an iconic one for sure. never owned one, but keep hoping i'll stumble across one in a dime box one day

matt - i love the different names for the 1990 design as much as the design. zebra stripes. zubaz classics.

gca - it'd be cool to have all of these sets in a binder (maybe two). your best bet would be to buy set lots on ebay. i feel like trying to build these one card at a time would be a money pit

spyda-man - yeah, nolan ryan was a badass. don't forget the robin ventura beat down

peter k steinberg - i feel like the 1990 design is as dated as it gets. blue is my favorite color too, but black, beige, and greens dominate my wardrobe

sport card collectors - me too

cincicuse bill - the bo card is his 1987 classic (first run) which features him holding a bat while wearing his football uniform. it was a very popular card in the 80's... and based on comments and ebay prices... it still is. as for packs, classic cards weren't distributed in packs. they were sold as complete sets used in a game. each of the different colors/designs represented a different series.