2017 Bowman 70th Anniversary Buybacks "1990"

Card Review: 9.2
This card looks better without the 70th logo.  You can read about my profuse praise for the original, or un-altered copy (as this is technically an original too), here.  As far as the "buyback" logos go, this is probably the best that I've seen.  It's actually very well done, especially compared to the "Rediscover Topps" nonsense that I've seen so much of this year.

I don't know much about these cards.  I didn't know they were a thing until I saw a couple on eBay, and I had to do a google search just to figure out what it was called and what packs they were falling out of.  There really wasn't much out there on them, with differing opinions as to whether they exists with different color stamps, and if they how many different colors, and which colors are the most/least common.  I'm not losing any sleep over it, as I don't consider these "unique" cards and view my collection as complete without them.  I have plenty of 1990 Bowman.  Some dude stamping copies in a factory 27 years later doesn't make them "new."

Number of Copies in my collection: 1

1990 Collect the Stars Magnet #26

Card Review: 2.5  This magnet has spent the last two and a half years sitting atop my "Most Wanted List."  By no means did I believe it was the rarest card remaining on my Most Wanted List, which made it's elusiveness all the more frustrating.  These magnets are relatively easy to come by, but for some reason I could not track down a copy of the Wallach.  Then this comment was posted to my Most Wanted List:

Needless to say, this comment did not instill a whole lot of confidence in me as to the prospects of ever finding one.  I had more or less given up on it, and had actually considered removing it from my list with the assumption that they were never actually printed.  Then this showed up on ebay last week.  I did a quick double take, and immediately pulled the trigger.

As a "card" it's not much to get too excited about.  It's small, and for obvious reasons, has nothing on the back.  But it's got some things going for it.  For one, the random "Phoenix" written on the front is the kind of weird stuff that I really like.  That's the name of the company, but it could be confused as the "Phoenix Expos," which is kind of awesome.  Adding to the weirdness is that "Phoneix Ind." is actually located in Missouri (don't ask me, I have no idea).   I also like the back of the packaging with it's suggestions for use.  The front features a very strong photo.  At first glance the picture seems rather bland, but upon closer inspection, it's actually a very cool photo of a common shot.  The angle of the photo is different than the vast majority of Wallach cards with similar pictures.  For whatever reason, this particular photo stands out to me in a positive way.  It also gives a great look at the "Mims Band" on Wallach's left forearm.  It's a different color than the one I own, so now I have to go track down one of those. 

Further complicating things for me is that this "card" is still sealed in the package.  If I'm only going to have one, I prefer it be sealed like this, but now I want one to stick somewhere even more than I did before.  So the search will continue, even if it's now coming down off of the "Most Wanted List."

Number of cards in my collection: 1




FYI: A 2005 Topps Rookie Cup Rookie Reprint Gold Refractor #/1 (that's a mouthful) is now the number one card on my most wanted list.  I'm not very optimistic of ever finding it. I say "it" because there's only one.  Which is annoying.

 

1990 Donruss Aqueous Test #220

Card Review: 8.9  This card is identical to appearance to the standard 1990 Donruss but for the "Aqueous Test" printed across the back.  Aqueous is a reference to the gloss used on the front.  That seems to be a universally agreed upon element of these aqueous test cards.  There seems to be little consensus on much else about them.  Most people seem to agree that these were printed by Donruss in 1990 in effort to find a different coating for cards.  Depending on who you ask it was either an attempt to cut cost, improve duribility, improve appearance, differentiate from the standard set for a Canadian issue, just done in the name of science, or some combination of those factors.  Some collector's seem to be pretty invested in their respective theory, and willing to grossly over pay for a few of the Hall of Famers. 

Allegedly only 224 of the 660 cards in the base set were done in this aqueous test format.  How and why they were distrubted also seems to be a matter of some dispute, but I think it's safe to say they were leaked out the back door in the form of unopend packs (maybe cello packs) by a donruss employee and sold to private collectors.

I've seen this Wallach "Aqueous Test" pop up on ebay on and off for years.  Usually it had an asking price of $9.99 and a few times at $19.99.  I never bit, and always let it pass.  It just seemed like way too much.  My patience paid off, as this card was recently sent in by a very generous reader in Texas.  It's one of only a couple of cards that I obtained my first copy of in that manner.

Number of this card in my collection: 1

1990 U.S. Playing Cards #5D Silver Series

Card Review: 4.9  As an individual card this "Silver Series" is nearly impossible to distinguish from the standard '90 U.S. Playing card.  The only real discernible difference is the way the corners are cut.  This Silver Series card has sharply cut corners, while the standard card has more traditional rounded playing card corners.  I've posted a picture below for comparison.

Thats the standard card on the left, and the Silver Edition on the right.  When looking at a full deck of these cards, and I don't have any other cards from this deck/set, the other difference is much easier to see.  The edges of these cards are painted silver.  Even knowing it was there, I had to tilt this card in just the right light to see the silver paint.

Below are some pictures I lifted from an ebay listing.  I didn't take the pictures and don't have the cards, but they clearly show that when a complete deck of cards is stacked that the borders are silver.

Number of this card in my collection: 1

1990 Red Foley Stickers #99

Card Review: 0.5  I'm not a fan of these Red Foley stickers.  I don't remember ever seeing them back when they were being made, so there's no sentimental attachment, and they're just way too small.  On top of that the photo quality isn't very good and the paper stock is very thin.

Number of this card in my collection: 2
2014 update: 3

1990 Topps Stickers #74

Card Review: 3.5  1990 was the first year that O-Pee-Chee didn't do a sticker set as well, or Topps didn't do an OPC set, I'm not sure which one is the tail wagging the dog.  In any event, this Topps Sticker is the only one.  It's just a couple of weird looking photos on the front.  That's Mike Greenwell sharing the front with Wallach, and Wade Bogss on the back as the "super star."  Wallach was also given the "super star" treatment in this set.  I don't know if they exists, but I'd love to find a Wallach Sticker with the Wallach Super Star back.

Number of this card in my collection: 1
2016 update: 2

2017 update: n/a

2017 update: n/a

2018 update: n/a

2019 update: n/a

2020 update: n/a

2021 update: n/a

2022 update: n/a

2023 update: n/a

2024 update: 3

1990 Panini #285

Card Review: 7.0  A much better than normal effort from Panini.  It's quite a bit larger than normal Panini stickers, I'd say about 66% the size of a regular card.  The color stripe at the bottom is a bit dated, but it's far from obnoxious.  I don't remember seeing any Panini stickers in 1990, but they must have been out there.  All in all, I really like this as far as stickers go.

Number of this card in my collection: 1
2014 update: 3
2015 update: n/a

2016 update: 5 

2017 update: n/a

2018 update: n/a

2019 update: n/a

2020 update: 7

2021 update: 8

2022 update: n/a

2023 update: 15

1990 Topps Coins #60

Card Review: 0.6  The more I deal with these the less I like them.  It's a stupid concept.  They're difficult to store, hard to look at due to the always present glare, and really bring nothing to the table.  It's not that surprising that no one is demanding that Topps start producing these things again. That said, if you have any Wallach's of these, feel free to send them my way.

Number of this "card" in my collection: 2
2013 update: 3
2014 update: 5
2015 update: 8
2016 update: n/a
2017 update: n/a
2018 update: 9

2019 update: n/a

2020 update: 10

2021 update: 11

2022 update: 13

2023 update: n/a

2024 update: 17

1990 Publications International Stickers #189

Card Review: 0.3  This thing is tiny.  I'm not sure if it came like this or if they came in sheets and had to be hand cut.  The cut is sloppy, so neither would surprise me.  This is a 2nd rate effort all-around.  It's tiny, nothing on back, and the photo is fuzzy.

Number of this card in my collection: 1

2015 update: 3

2016 update: n/a

2017 update: n/a

2018 update: n/a

2019 update: n/a

2020 update: n/a

2021 update: n/a

2022 update: n/a

2023 update: n/a

2024 update: 4

1990 Topps Tiffany #370

Card Review: 8.7  I'm a big fan of the 1990 Topps set design.  But of all the border colors there are to be found, these dark blue ones are probably my least favorite.  A distinction that I feel even more strongly about with the Tiffany set than I do the base set.  This photo also isn't my favorite.  I see what Topps was going for, with the 3D effect for the bat, but it just doesn't work.  It's also dark for my liking.  Topps would later get it right with the 2003 Fan Favorites Wallach.

Number of this card in my collection: 5

1990 Sportflics #182

Card Review: 3.5  I don't think it's an accident that Sportflics stopped making cards after this lack-luster set.  Granted, it's not any worse than any other Sportfilics' sets.  In actuality it's actually one of their better efforts.  It just couldn't compete by 1990.

When Sportflics debuted in 1986, there were three other options for regular sized cards.  There was room, albeit a tiny spot in the corner of the collecting world, for Sportflics to cut out a little niche of their own.  By 1990, in addition to Topps, Donruss, and Fleer, there was also Score, Upper Deck, Bowman, and Leaf, and I'm sure the people at Sportflics weren't naive to the onslaught of new sets that were being planned for 1991.  They could have tried to press on, and fight for their little corner, but I think ultimately they made the right call by ending their run when they did.

Number of this card in my collection: 4
2016 update: 5
2017 update: 10
2018 update: n/a
2019 update: n/a
2020 update: 12

2021 update: n/a

2022 update: n/a

2023 update: n/a

2024 update: n/a

2025 update: 14

1990 Fleer Canadian #364 (Previously labeled "Fleer Glossy")

Card Review: 4.8  Feel free to jump in if I'm wrong, but this is a glossy version of the 1990 Fleer set.  I believe these were sold in factory sets like the other Fleer Glossy efforts, but I can't find proof of this anywhere.

Keeping with tradition, 1990 Fleer Glossy is nearly impossible to distinguish from the base set without close examination.  At least the backs on the '90 set make it a little easier.

****UPDATE APRIL 2013****

It has come to my attention that this is not in fact a "glossy" set but rather a Canadian set.  Hence, the near-impossible to detect "gloss" is not in fact there.  Now there are some varying opinions out there as to whether or not a "glossy" set was produced.  I'm not calling the people arguing that there was wrong, but based on my research I just think they're making the same mistake I was.  Maybe there is in fact a glossy set out there, but for now I'm comfortable assuming there is not.  This card has been relabeled in the title.

So the distinguishing feature is not extra gloss, but just the "PTD in Canada" shown below.  Not very exciting.

Number of this card in my collection: 2
2013 update: 3
2014 update: 5

2015 update: n/a

2016 update: n/a

2017 update: n/a

2018 update: n/a

2019 update: n/a

2020 update: n/a

2021 update: n/a

2022 update: 6

1990 Topps Super Star #9

Card Review: 3.5 Basically this is just an uglier version of the 1988 Topps Super Star set.  I'm not complaining, I was always happy just to see Wallach included in sets like these.


Number of this card in my collection: 2
2013 update: 4
2014 update: 5
2015 update: 8 
2016 update: 19
2017 update: 20
2018 update: 21

2019 update: n/a

2020 update: n/a

2021 update: n/a

2022 update: 25

2023 update: 26

2024 update: 34

1990 Donruss Baseball's Best #55

Card Review: 8.8  I like these blue variants of the red '90 Donruss design.  It's too bad they didn't do something similar with Baseball's Best set in '89.  Instead of changing the color pattern in 1989, they just used an identical design.  It's impossible to tell the difference looking at the front.  This color variation makes the set stand out on it's own, while keeping with the theme of the year, and I much prefer that.  And it's not like this idea just occurred to Donruss in 1990, because in '88 this set also was a color variation, changing the base blue/black design to an orange/black design.

Number of this card in my collection: 1
2012 update: 2
2013 update: 6
2014 update: n/a
2015 update: n/a
2016 update: n/a
2017 update: 8
2018 update: 10
2018 update: 12
2019 update: n/a
2020 update: 14

2021 update: 15

2022 update: 19

2023 update: 20

2024 update: n/a

2025 update: 21

2026 update: 22

1990 U.S. Playing Cards #5D

Card Review: 5.0  There's nothing really wrong with this.  It's just a playing card.  As a playing card it more than works.  As a baseball card, it's really only half a card.

I'd like to have the whole deck of these.  I don't.  Just this one.  Not sure how Wallach didn't end up an Ace or at least on a face card.

*Update* A generous reader sent me a whole deck of these.  They're great, I highly recommend dropping to $2 or $3 on ebay to pick one up.

Number of this card in my collection: 2
2012 update: 6
2013 update: 7
2014 update: 23
2015 update: 25
2016 update: 27
2017 update: n/a
2018 update: 34
2019 update: n/a
2020 update: 35

2021 update: n/a

2022 update: 36

2023 update: 38

1990 Donruss Learning Series #28

Card Review: 6.2  These cards were given out to school kids as a 55 card set.  Everyone of them features a boring close up of the players face.  For more on the set itself click here.  Allegedly they're very rare, and I guess compared to regular 1990 Donruss they are.
Number of this card in my collection: 1 
2012 update: 9
2013 update: n/a
2014 update: n/a
2015 update: n/a
2016 update: n/a
2017 update: n/a
2018 update: 10

2019 update: n/a

2020 update: n/a

2021 update: n/a

2022 update: n/a

2023 update: n/a

2024 update: n/a

2025 update: 11

1990 Fleer League Leaders #41

Card Review: 9.8  Fleer put out a lot of these small sets in the 80's and early 90's, sold in packaging resembling a deck of cards.  For the most part I liked them, with a few glaring exceptions.  I happen to like really this one, and am always a fan of any card featuring the Expos red batting practice jersey.

It's also a photo from the batting net used during batting practice.  Cards featuring players around the batting net/cage used to be common practice by Topps in the 60's and 70's (and I think '81 Fleer is has a good amount too), but had gone by the wayside by the time Wallach started showing up on cards.

Number of this card in my collection: 2
2012 update: 3
2013 update: 4
2015 update: 6 
2016 update: 8
2017 update: 9
2018 update: n/a
2019 update: 12

2020 update: n/a

2021 update: n/a

2022 update: 13

2023 update: n/a

2024 update: n/a

2025 update: n/a

2026 update: 14

1990 O-Pee-Chee #370

Card Review: 9.2  This card is nearly indistinguishable from the 1990 Topps card.  1990 was the 1st year that it said "Topps" on the front of these cards instead of O-Pee-Chee.  I much prefer the OPC logo on OPC cards, than a Topps logo on OPC cards.  The most noticable difference is the french on the back, and the card stock is slightly lighter in color.  The cut is still a little fuzzy due to the dull blades in the OPC factory, but it's better than it had been in previous years.

Number of this card in my collection: 1
2013 update: 3

2014 update: n/a

2015 update: n/a

2016 update: n/a

2017 update: n/a

2018 update: n/a

2019 update: n/a

2020 update: n/a

2021 update: 15

1990 Bowman Tiffany #114

Card Review: 8.8  This card just doesn't lend itself well to the Tiffany treatment.  In fact, the colors look better on the standard '90 Bowman, a set that has a very nice retro feel to it. Still, as a whole, I like this card, and am always a fan of the red batting practice jersey. 

It's also, as far as I can tell, relatively scarce.  Which makes sense given the relative (compared to other sets of the time) scarcity of '90 Bowman.  I don't have any production numbers to back up these claims, I'm just going off my own numbers.  Which given the general cross section of locations and cards sent to me over the years, as well as my own efforts to purchase, I believe my numbers and patterns they present have some legitimacy to them at this point.

Number of this card in my collection: 2
2012 update: 4
2013 update: 5

2014 update: n/a

2015 update: n/a

2016 update: n/a

2017 update: n/a

2018 update: n/a

2019 update: n/a

2020 update: n/a

2021 update: n/a

2022 update: n/a

2023 update: 7

1990 Topps Mini Leaders #64

Card Review: 6.5  I'm not wild about these mini cards.  They're not easy to store, or display, and the size issue is only compounded when you amass more of them as they create issues in the storage box rows.  On top that, this '90 Topps mini leader set isn't that nice to look at.  The front design is similiar, but not identical to the '90 Topps, which is actually a set I really like. However, the color deviations along the border of this mini set, really take the card in the wrong direction.  The absence of the "name box" is also an unfortunate deviation from the base set.


Fun Facts: *1989 was the 2nd time that Wallach led the NL in doubles.
*Both years ('87/'89) Wallach led the NL in doubles, he did so with 42

Number of this card in my collection: 1
2013 update: 2
2014 update: 3 
2015 update: 4
2016 update: 13
2017 update: n/a
2018 update: 15
2019 update: 16

2020 update: n/a

2021 update: n/a

2022 update: n/a

2023 update: n/a

2024 update: 17