It's been a long time since I've written a post on football cards. We really don't see enough of these on the blogs. Even though the football season has wound down, I'm still excited to find football cards from sets that date way back, especially those sets I've been meaning to get to. So for the last 36 years, I've been meaning to complete the Topps Football set from 1988.
I'm not really sure why I had put this off for so long. Maybe it's because like most cards from the late 80's and 90's, I took them for granted and assumed they will always be cheap and affordable. For the most part that is still true. And it is still true for this set.
I've always liked the design of these cards and the helmets harken back to the 1982 set. The border color that match the team's colors and the All Pro/Super Rookie tags are nice. If anything the only distracting feature is the Topps logo.
Speaking of Super Rookies, this guy was at the top of everyone's list back then. He made quite the splash before injuries took their toll. Bo played in only 38 NFL games.
The 'Boz' also made a splash and the much anticipated matchup between these divisional foes was must see TV (the Seahawks and Raiders were in the same division back then). Like Bo Jackson, his career was also cut short due to injuries. The Boz played in only 24 NFL games.
In case you missed it here's a link to
Bo vs The Boz
Of course the set has all the usual stars from the era.
Another notable rookie is the Nigerian Nightmare. I'm not sure who punished more defensive backs - Okoye or Earl Campbell.
I'm not a fan of the color gradient Topps chose, but the photo is cool. Not sure what stadium that is.
Topps made Walter Payton part of the RB subset but why not a regular card?
And just for fun, Topps first gave us the Fridge looking left and then the Fridge looking to the right.
My set is hand collated but I know Topps also released a factory set that if unopened carries a premium. It's been my experience the factory set is tougher to find in the wild, but I will probably 'upgrade' if I come across one.
So there you have it, 1988 Topps football in a nutshell. An attractive 396 card set full of stars and rookies that won't break the bank. Now I need to go track down the 1000 Yard Club glossy set.
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ReplyDeleteI don't think you see football posts very often, because even though a number of people say they'd like to see more of them, when someone does actually do one all they end up getting is crickets.
ReplyDeleteI certainly like reading football card articles. I'll make more of an effort to respond when I see them. Stomp those crickets!
DeleteNice write-up, Crocodile. I didn't realize Payton didn't appear on a regular card in the 1988 set.
ReplyDeleteBlast from the past - I collected these in '88, and rarely come across them since, either in person or on blogs.
ReplyDeleteI'm totally with Jon in regards to the "crickets". I've cut down my football posts over the years... but I still enjoy reading them on other blogs. By the way, the 1988 Topps football set is really cool. Love the helmets. Just not a fan of being reminded of Bo running over the Boz :D
ReplyDeleteHeh, I rated the Topps '80s football sets in a post in December and '88 was at the bottom.
ReplyDeleteHa! I read that. I don't know where I'd rate this set but it wouldn't be at the bottom.
DeleteI bought a few football cards from the mid 80s but it was mostly baseball for me.
ReplyDeleteI remember the only ones I really bought were from the small corner drugstore near my grade school. Still remember sneaking over there after finishing crossing guard duty before school started and buying a pack. That was around 35 years ago!