NFL, Fleer, and Shell Takes You to School

One of packs I picked up at Houston Sports Connection for a quarter and its the one I never seen or heard before. Fleer and Shell teamed up producing these cards known as Fleer Shell FACT. Research showed they produced these from 93 to 96 splitting into five sets gearing toward school kids. I don't know how the packs are distributed. The one I got is from set 4 of 96 Fleer Shell. Back of the cover card is a scoreboard on notching points from the words problems and questions they asked.

Set 4 featured these players with Chester McGlockton being macho, Ricky Running Watters, QB Slash catching a ball, Troy Drayton, Aaron Hayden, Ken Norton running with a ball from a turnover,  Rick Mirer (Jets fan trying to forget he played for them), Hardy Nickerson, Henry Ellard, Aeneas Williams showing who's no. 1, Terrence Mathis, the late Eric Turner, Carl Pickens, and Prime Time homing on a target. This is very good selection with blurb on front of the player's greatest game. The back have no stats just word problem questions.

As for the questions its "Are You Smarter Than 5th Grader?" on cardboard. Not all the cards have the answer key. Can you able answers those questions on the back

How many points did you get at the end? This isn't bad for quarter.

Book on Baseball Cards from 30 Years Ago

Here's a book I remember looking through at book store when I was a kid. I end up picking this book up few years ago from used book store. It feature baseball cards of 600 players from Topps, Donruss, Fleer, and Score. Upper Deck didn't make the print here. Investment advice are given as well. Say what? Investment advice? Yep, they wrote advice on investing player's baseball cards along a summary of the player's 1988 season. It mention a price and trajectory investment of the card will go from end of the season to long term. In their opinion which of four brands will be best to invest in of a player. Junk wax era was a crazy time in the hobby. Regular joes with no knowledge of the hobby buying cards and hoarding them hoping to get rich in the future til they found out it was overproduced and the baseball card market tanked. The opening pages talked about booming baseball card industry and its investment.You can read all eight pages of it.

First cards to appear on the pages are Shawn Abner and Jim Acker. Don Aase didn't make the list despite having two cards that year. I didn't count Topps Traded as it was released later in the year.

Who was hottest players at the time? Jose Canseco for one as he was first player to hit 40 homeruns and stole 40 bases in a same year. They predicted his cards in $1.50 range with Score as the best pick. I do like his Topps card that year.

Another is Mark McGwire who is next to Fred McGriff. McGwire at $1 while McGriff is at dime, but with "long term" investment.

Wade Boggs and Barry Bonds shared the same page. Boggs listed over a $1 and will soar once he gets to Hall of Fame. Bonds priced at commons but tell collectors to load up his cards because of his increase homerun and stolen base production in the future. They got one thing right.

Also on the hot list? Will Clark, Roger Clemens, Eric Davis, Dwight Gooden, and Cal Ripken, Jr.

Speaking of Ripken let's check his little brother Billy.

It printed the infamous Fleer "Fuck Face" card on it.

Let's go to the rookies and second year players. The hottest rookie of that year's sets.....

Gregg Jefferies was hottest prospect at the time. How many pulled his card thinking they are gonna get rich quick? I remember his cards was selling $5-$10. He didn't turn to Hall of Fame player many predicted. His cards ended up in common pile years later.

Another set of rookies how about Alomar brothers, Roberto and Sandy?

Sandy expected to be better brother to invest in. Turns out to be other way as Roberto went on to Hall of Fame career. And c'mon, 89 Donruss is best to invest in? I prefer his Topps and Score cards.

Another Hall of Fame player, Craig Biggio listed as quarter and good long term buy.

Flash Gordon and Ramon Martinez were one of top pitching prospects at the time. Flash went on longer career. Ramon was eclipse by his brother Pedro.

Big Unit at quarter range. He went on to Hall of Fame career. His Fleer card turned out be better investment, but only if you have his Marlboro variations.

Phillies teammates Ron Jones and Ricky Jordan with Jones at 40 cents mark, but proceed investment with caution. Jordan was up to $1 listing as good investment. Neither end up making a dent. Jones tore his knee up and was out of the league after 91 season. Jordan peaked in 89 season last appearing in 96 season with Mariners.

Gary Sheffield starting investment range up to 75 cents with buy now before his card prices goes up.

Let's go to Tom Glavine and John Smoltz.

Wow. Rough on Glavine going far to list it to nickel prices. Smoltz at 20 cent prices with speculative investment on him. Both players are now in the Hall of Fame.

They list Cameron Drew at 35 cents investment prices. He never returned back to the majors after 1988 stint.

Mark Grace and Mike Greenwell shared the page and listed their investment prices to a $1.

Ellis Burks started out at 50 cents with potential of doubling at end of the year.

Jay Buhner 1989 card investment price starts at 20 cents with his 1988 rookie card going up. Phelps for Buhner trade end up being a line on Seinfield.

Final page end with Mike Young and Hall of Famer Robin Yount.

Good look into junk era of cards. It printed out a coffee-style book with advice on investing. I wonder how many used this book as advice. It still goes on to this day under the name "Prospecting" banking on prospect's Bowman, Panini, and Leafs cards.