The Fireworks Die-Cuts in 1997 Pacific Crown Collection were the first firework themed insert set in sports card history. The 20 card set was inserted in 1 of every 73 packs. 

The 20 players featured included nine future Hall of Famers, and four more players that will likely be in the Hall some day.

The '97 Pacific set was also notable for being bilingual, having notes written in spanish and english on the back.

Last weekend, we were lucky enough to be reminded what is truly awesome about the hobby in Springfield, MO & Sparkman, AR!

We met Ethan Bryan, who uses a game of catch & baseball cards to teach character values and leadership skills.

We also learned how Jeremy Dunson used his cards to transform a part of his home that he hated spending time in after his parents had passed away, into a remarkable space that reminds him of a childhood collecting cards.

These inspiring stories and more coming on our July episode from Arkansas and Missouri.

The 1988 Griffey Jr. rookie card, that almost was!

Did you know that in 1988, Legends Sports Memorabilia magazine attempted to bring licensed baseball cards to market under the name T&M Sports Cards?

The proposal for the new set would have included a Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card, and some other revolutionary ideas in the card world:

-Special “Mint Cards” would be inserted in random packs. 64 players that had earned honors or awards the previous year would get cards on high-gloss paper stock with two-color foil stamping. The cards would be consecutively numbered, which would have created the first serial numbered cards.

-The first chase autographed card in history! Paul Molitor autographed cards would be randomly inserted in packs.

-660 card set would have included current and retired players

-players would have had the option to choose their own photo for the next year’s card

Former Fleer card photographer Lou Sauritch described the cards to us in an interview as “absolutely beautiful” and that they were “years ahead of their time”.

Sauritch shared with us photos of the cards presented to apply for licensing.

MLB and the MLBPA granted a card license to Upper Deck instead of T&M in 1988, and the cards never came to be.

The perfect card for a baseball card & stat nerd collection 🤓

A piece of game used base from 2024 when Danny Jansen played for both the Blue Jays and Red Sox in the same game.

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Last year, we profiled how the Milwaukee Brewers renewed a tradition from the 1980’s & 90’s, providing baseball cards to police departments to hand out to kids.

Why? To foster conversations between young people and police officers.

This year, instead of individual cards, it’s packs. Each wax pack comes with the six card set designed by Pop Fly artist Daniel Jacob Horine, famous for his baseball themed comic book covers.

10,000 total packs were created with participating police departments across the state of Wisconsin getting 2,000 packs each.

Packs have already sold for $100+ on eBay.

In addition, a short printed Bob Uecker card was spotted on top of a pack recently listed on eBay.