Junk Wax

5 Surprisingly Expensive 1991 Topps Desert Shield Cards

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The 1991 Topps Desert Shield set was a special run of 1991 Topps cards (identical but for a gold foil Desert Shield logo) made for military members deployed as part of the Gulf War.  The set is incredibly popular today for a few reasons: Topps did not make that many cards; some estimates are around … Read more

This Week in Sports Cards #3

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Is it still considered “junk wax” if it costs over $50? I cover a few boxes that Reed Kasaoka, the head buyer for DA Card World (and previously for Baseball Card Exchange), once said people considered junk but aren’t junky later in this post. Observations from Mudrick Capital’s Investor Presentation on Taking Topps Public via … Read more

Pulling the Bill Ripken FF Error from 1989 Fleer Wax Boxes

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I previously discussed the 1989 Fleer Bill Ripken #616 FF Error card in the article 4 Expensive Baseball Card Printing Errors – Modern Edition. Basically, Fleer began printing the 660-card set in late 1988. The card with the profanity made it through quality control and was released in packs to the public. Once Fleer realized … Read more

6 Pricey Junk Wax Era PSA 10 Graded Hockey Cards

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The junk wax era of sports cards ran from 1988-1994, during which production totals jumped significantly, and beyond what anyone thought was happening. The flood of cards on the market devastated supply vs. demand curves and values dropped dramatically. However, third-party grading has made some cards from this era particularly popular and costly. In this … Read more