Monday, August 12, 2019

Finding Tiffany at the Mall

Time for more stuff I picked up at the monthly Portland card show at Mall 205 this past weekend. Back in the late 80s, it wasn't uncommon to find Tiffany at the mall. But turns out here in 2019, you can still sometimes find Tiffany at the mall if you're lucky.


When I came across a modest cache of Topps Tiffany in a 50¢ box, the beating of my heart was the only sound. (Sorry; a reference to Tiffany's hit single.) This Strawberry is a great looking card.


Just in case you're unfamiliar: Topps Tiffany Baseball cards are basically fancy versions of the company’s sets from 1984 through 1991. These premium "Collectors' Edition" factory sets had relatively small print runs. The cards are on bright/white cardstock and the fronts are glossy. The gloss can be tough to spot if the cards are in sleeves or if you're in dim lighting, but the bright backs usually give them away. (There are also Topps Tiffany Traded cards, which are harder to spot since standard Traded cards already feature the better cardstock.)


Pudge! Man, this is a nice card.. even nicer when tiffanied.


SEE?!! Glossy!!


I doubled up on Fisk, also grabbing an '85 record breaker.


Howbout this All-Star trio of First-Balloters? Tiffany! I love it. I even took a look on eBay last month to see what complete sets go for. And ouch-- even the "crappy" sets like '88 Topps are pretty pricey in Tiffany versions. Maybe if I live long enough and amass enough disposable income, I'll put a run of Topps Tiffany sets on my collecting-goals list, but odds are I'll just have to be content with picking up a some singles here and there.


HOFers keep coming with Lasorda and Berra.


And some more that aren't exactly bullseyes for my collection (not guys I collect), but I had to add them to my stack anyways. I could probably be talked out of these above 8 cards in trade, though I may hang onto them just in case I start working on Tiffany sets someday down the line. But even then, it'd likely make more sense to watch for decently priced complete sets on eBay rather than try to piece together by hand.


Ok, ok... These aren't Tiffany, but close, in that they look like standard Topps flagship at first glance, but upon closer inspection are more special. Cousins to the North, O-Pee-Chee. Like Tiffany, I could see myself going after complete sets of these someday once I eventually finish my other collecting pursuits, if that ever happens. But yeah, a nice quartet of stars here I dug up from the same box.


Thanks for reading. If anyone has any stray Topps Tiffany cards among their tradeables, I'd likely be interested in 'em!

8 comments:

  1. Nice haul of Tiffany's there. the 80s had some great designs and music

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  2. I noticed the tiffanied '86s have less chipping around the black at the top. That's a bonus for sure.

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  3. Just did a quick check of the Braves Tiffany's I had. Hardly any (and not either of those Murph's), mainly 86'. I thought I had most of them, Wow. As for OPC, I spent the first half of this year loading up on them.

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  4. Almost all the Tiffanys I currently own came from a big stack of 'em I found in a 5/$1 box at a card show a while back. The glossiness and the brighter back are a bit jarring at first sight, but I really like them.

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  5. Nice Tiffanies for sure! Man, the 1980s are so nostalgic. Great video and song!

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  6. My wife recently went to a concert that had Tiffany performing as one of the acts. Unfortunately, she didn't sound nearly as good as she used to...

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  7. It would be cool to complete a couple of OPC sets from the 1980s. Each set only has 396 cards instead of 792. Much more manageable!

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  8. That's one area my collection hasn't explored. I think I have a 1989 Topps Tiffany A's team set, but that's about it. I've wanted to grab key rookie cards, but they're too pricey.

    P.S. Great song. Wasn't a big fan of it when I was younger, but I've grown to appreciate it over the years.

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