These Binders Were Too Cool for School

Back in the 1980s, there was a particular type of binder that schoolkids everywhere wanted. I mean, really wanted.

The Trapper Keeper.

In fact, if you were to create a list of the most popular items of the decade, the Trapper Keeper might find itself pretty high up there, alongside items like Swatch watches, Bubble Tape, Transformers, the Nintendo Entertainment System, and the Walkman.

Now, the particular Keeper you see above is not an original. It's a reproduction. Around the year 2021, the Mead company decided to release some new designs inspired by the originals. As of this writing, it seems like they're still at it. 

The 1980s rule!

I won that Trapper Keeper in a contest a few years ago. And for a while after that, it just sat around with nothing inside. But recently the muses fell upon me:

Why not fill the Trapper Keeper with cards from the era?

It's only fitting, right?

I gave it a little more thought, and narrowed down the options. A complete set of 1980s sports cards wouldn't work, because the rings of a Trapper Keeper have a very small diameter. They just wouldn't be able to hold so many 9-pocket pages.

And actually, sports trading cards in general didn't seem like a very novel idea, because I had so many of those in binders anyway.

But what about non-sport cards?

Yeah, that put me on the right track. The 1980s boasted quite a lot of iconic non-sport and oddball sets, along with some multi-sport sets and food-issue sets. And I already had a bunch of examples in my collection, just sitting in boxes, in the closet, in the dark. How much better would it be to keep them in pages—in this binder—so I could rip open that trademark Velcro flap and enjoy them every once in a while?

So, I started looking through my collection on TCDB. Soon enough, I found some excellent candidates for the binder. Want to see the results so far?

Let's roll.

 

 

  

I'm going to start off by sharing a reproduction of one of those classic Trapper Keeper–branded folders. So far, the only thing I have slotted into this one is my Project P.R.I.D.E. police workbook from 6th grade. (Complete with "hockey guy" illustrations by young Gregory Ninepockets.) 

I'm wondering if I have any other schoolwork saved somewhere in a box in the attic. If I do, that's the sort of thing that I'd also slot into this folder.

Next up, we have the cards. And there was no doubt about which ones I'd display in the first few pages.

I'm not sure if there's a brand of non-sport trading cards more synonymous with the 1980s than Garbage Pail Kids. I've got such good memories of opening packs with my sister and my mom, and laughing at all the zany—if not mildly rude—illustrations and names. You just never knew what you'd uncover in those packs. 

All the cards in my collection are from Series 2 (1985) through Series 7 (1987), and I enjoy them so much that I've got six full pages in the Trapper Keeper. All the card brands that follow are limited to one page each.

How many of you '80s kids were psyched when Sports Illustrated for Kids magazine debuted in 1989? I'm pretty sure I had a subscription for part of that first year, and I remember wondering with excitement about which athletes would be featured on the perforated 9-card insert that was placed inside each issue. 

Unfortunately, none of the cards you see on the page above are originals from my childhood collection. On the positive side, this has allowed me to select the cards that you do see above based on personal nostalgia. For example, I remember Carl Lewis being one of America's darlings during the 1988 Summer Olympics. And if you were into skateboarding back then, Mike McGill was a hot name, right alongside guys like Tony Hawk, Steve Caballero, and Christian Hosoi. (Note: I kind of cheated a little bit with that Boris Becker card in the bottom right corner. It's from the 1990 set, so it's technically not an '80s card.)

 

The first five stickers on this page are from the 1983 Topps Video City set, and feature classic arcade games of the era like Donkey Kong, Zaxxon, and Frogger. The last four are from the 1980 Fleer Pac-Man set. Even though my young collecting days wouldn't start until a few years after the Pac-Man wax packs were available for sale in stores, I do remember having some of them in my collection. I don't know how. Maybe I got them from an older kid in the neighborhood. Regardless, it's a good indication of how wildly popular the arcade game was back then.

 

I didn't have any of these 1985 Hasbro Transformers cards when I was a kid. In fact, I didn't even know they existed back then. But a few years ago, I discovered them and added a handful to my collection. I'm not sure an '80s binder would be complete without a page of these. As for the little guy in the bottom right pocket? That's an example of a sticker that was issued one per hanger pack.

 

These 1987-88 New York Islanders Police cards certainly don't fall into the non-sport category, but they were the cards that came along with that Project P.R.I.D.E. police workbook I mentioned earlier. I was a young kid who was just getting into the sport of hockey back then, so these cards bring back enough fun memories to grant them a spot in the Trapper Keeper.

And what would an '80s binder be without some wrestling cards? I mean, sheesh, that era had so many larger-than-life characters. Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, Andre the Giant, Rowdy Roddy Piper, Jake the Snake Roberts, Jimmy Superfly Snooka, King Kong Bundy, The Honky Tonk Man, Ric Flair. The list goes on and on. The first few cards you see on the page are from the 1987 Topps WWF set. The bottom three are from 1989 and 1990 Classic WWF. And that Ric Flair card? 1988 Wonderama NWA. Woooo!

I know, I know. This is not a 1980s set. But I had to include these 1977 Topps Three's Company cards and stickers in the binder anyway. I have some pretty special memories of sitting on the living room floor, watching reruns of this show with my mom and sister back in the mid-80s. John Ritter was so brilliant with his physical comedy. 

How popular was the mascot featured on the first three cards of this page? Well, Donruss decided to include him in their flagship set for three years running! The San Diego Chicken was (and still is) baseball mascot royalty.

Speaking of royalty, the next three cards feature some guys who briefly fit that description in the late-80s. They're from the 1988 Zoot The California Raisins World Tour set. If you like dad jokes and corny puns, this set is for you.

As for the three 1990 Confex Fun Stuff and Nasty Tricks cards on the bottom row, I know they're not from the 1980s, but they FEEL like they are. If I did have some of these cards in my collection back then, they would have definitely been in the Trapper Keeper. Young Gregory appreciated that brand of humor. 

 

 

  

 

Years ago on the blog, I mentioned how some of the light cycle cards from this 1982 Donruss Tron set are more like little pieces of futurist art. I still feel that way, and I think the original film maintains enough cachet to earn some representation in this '80s binder.

 

 

Super Mario Brothers, The Legend of Zelda, and Mike Tyson's Punch-Out were all made legendary by the Nintendo Entertainment System, so these cards from the 1989 Topps Nintendo set were absolute must-haves for the binder. I can still hear the soundtracks to all three of these games in my mind, and it's not just because I spent quite a number of hours playing the video games. The music itself holds more than enough merit. I mean, various professional orchestras have covered the soundtracks to Mario Brothers and Zelda over the years. That should tell you everything you need to know.

Speaking of memorable music, can you hear the theme song from this franchise? The 1989 Topps Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cards you see on this 9-pocket page are taken from a set that's fun, action packed, and actually tells a story as you progress through it. I was a touch too old to be consumed by Turtle-mania when this set of cards was released. My stepbrother, on the other hand, was a few years younger than me, and he had some of the action figures and was really into it. Apparently, so was my dad. It's all given me a solid appreciation for how Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo captivated so many people at the time.

 

And that's my 1980s binder so far. There's still room for a few more pages, and there are plenty of other iconic 1980s sets out there, so we'll see where I go next. 

Until then, I've got a couple of questions for you readers and collectors:

(1) If you were to put together a Trapper Keeper full of non-sport cards from the era, which sets would you include?

(2) If you went to school during the '80s, did you have a Trapper Keeper? If so, what design did you have? (I had the one with the red Lamborghini on the front.)

Let me know in the comment section. I'm looking forward to your answers!

Classic Baseball on the Radio: 1980s Style

A few years ago, I shared a YouTube channel here on the blog called Classic Baseball on the Radio. As you can gather by the name, the channel shared full radio broadcasts of Major League Baseball games from past decades.

For a long while, the broadcasts ranged from the 1970s all the way back to the 1930s. And that's amazing, don't get me wrong. I've thoroughly enjoyed listening to games from those eras.

 

But at some point this past year, I noticed that a few broadcasts from the 1980s started appearing on the channel. And then more. And then even more. 

 

And that's the decade of my childhood. 

 

So I wanted to post an update here, for all you fellow '80s kids and '80s baseball lovers.

 

Just think about it for a moment. The decade gave us a lot.

• You had Big League Chew, the San Diego Chicken, The Baseball Bunch, and bullpen carts that were essentially giant baseballs wearing giant baseball caps.  
• You had managers taking risks with hit-and-run plays, stolen bases, and squeeze bunts. (And don't forget all their heated confrontations with umpires.)
• You had guys who played for keeps. Pitchers threw high and tight. Baserunners slid hard to break up a double play. And if there was a play at the plate? You'd better be ready.

What an amazing combination of goofiness, fun, excitement, and toughness!

And now you can listen to all of that '80s goodness on Classic Baseball on the Radio.

Think of the player names you haven't heard in ages. The legendary broadcasters you haven't thought of in ages. The way they called the game. Those guys were studs. You didn't analyze what they were saying. You didn't pick apart their commentary.

 

You just listened. And appreciated. And enjoyed the game.

Part of the reason was that they didn't bombard you with data and analytics for two and a half hours. But a larger part of it was because they were entertaining. You looked forward to the actual game, sure, but you also looked forward to hearing those guys on the radio, because you knew they were going to make the game that much better—thereby making your day better. And it wasn't limited to certain teams or regions. It seemed like every team back in the '80s had legendary voices. Phil Rizzuto for the Yankees, Bob Murphy for the Mets, Harry Kalas in Philadelphia, Vin Scully for the Dodgers, Bill King in Oakland, Bob Uecker in Milwaukee, Jack Buck in St. Louis, and of course Harry Caray for the Cubs, drinkin' a beer and callin' the game.

 

And whether you were sitting in a lawn chair with a cold drink on the ground beside you, working on the car in the garage, or driving home from your shift, guess what? As long as you had even the simplest little transistor radio, those broadcasters were right there with you.

 

And you just listened. And appreciated. And enjoyed the game.

Even if you were a little kid, opening packs of cards on a Saturday afternoon with one ear listening out for the ice cream man. . . 

. . . you still listened. And appreciated. And enjoyed the game.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that baseball was more simple back then. Life was more simple back then. And that's one reason why channels like Classic Baseball on the Radio mean so much to me. Open up a game from any of the playlists. Listen to some legendary broadcasters describe the sights and sounds of baseball.

For a short amount of time, life will be simple again.

If you haven't checked out the channel yet, I hope you will. 

  

Now a question for you:

Did you have a favorite baseball radio broadcast back then? If so, what was the radio station's call sign? Who were the broadcasters? 

In my area we had the Yankees on WABC 770 AM, and the Mets on WHN 1050 AM and WFAN 660 AM.

Share yours in the comment section, and thanks for reading!

From the Favorites Box: Rick Schu, 1987 Topps #209

A series where I post some thoughts about favorite cards. Previous cards in the series are available here.

 

 

There's so much 1980s goodness on this Rick Schu card, I don't even know where to start. 

 

 

You've got the powder blue uniforms. The maroon three-quarter sleeves. The flip-down shades under the brim of his cap. The mustache. The I-web glove with "SCHU" written in black marker along the thumb. The batting glove for some extra padding. The stirrup socks. And then you've got the dirt-stained pants and ripped knee.

 

Rick Schu was having himself a game. Just look at that posture. Despite the wear and tear, he's ready for the next pitch to be hit right at him.

 

And I can only guess that the rip in the knee was caused by another '80s staple: 

Astroturf.

 

Look at the background of the card one more time. It's hard to tell for sure if that really is turf behind the ankles of Mr. Schu, but based on the green wall with yellow top line, and the lighter green backdrop behind him, it might be Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati. Or maybe Three Rivers stadium in Pittsburgh. (Bo from Baseball Cards Come to Life! might have a better idea. He seems to be quite the stadium expert.) Regardless, if either of those stadiums is the correct answer, we're talking about turf.

 

And that stuff would burn you up if you slid on it. But I know I can't be the only '80s kid out there who wanted to play on a turf field so badly anyway, even if you came home with a ripped knee in your new baseball pants and would feel the wrath of mom as a result. 

 

Watching teams like the Phillies, Cardinals, Royals, Pirates, Expos, or Astros was too cool. You'd see fleet-footed players like Vince Coleman, Willie McGee, or Andy Van Slyke slapping grounders through the hole, and then leading off first base—trail foot in the dirt, front foot on the turf—before trying to swipe second. Or other guys like Tim Raines and Willie Wilson smacking doubles into the gap and hustling around the bases, trying for an inside-the-park home run. Then on the defensive side, you had guys like Dave Concepcion and Ozzie Smith doing the intentional bounce-throw from deep shortstop over to first base. It was all so fun to watch.

 

And that brings us back to the hard-working, ever-ready Rick Schu.

 

He put up workmanlike numbers over a 9-year career, finishing up with 386 hits in 580 career games. His best season was 1985 in Philly, where he put up career highs in games (112), at-bats (416), hits (105), doubles (21), triples (4), and walks (38) with a .252/.318/.373 slash line. At third base that season, he finished with 86 putouts, 191 assists, 19 double plays, and a .933 fielding percentage. He also finished second in the NL with 20 errors committed. Ouch. 

 

But that image on his baseball card up there reveals that it wasn't for a lack of effort.

 

And for showing us you've always got to be ready out there, especially on those awesome turf fields of a time gone by, 1987 Topps #209 has a spot in my box of favorite cards.

The Old Norris Division, in Sticker Form

Back in the late 1980s, the NHL's conferences and divisions were named differently than they are today. You had the Clarence Campbell Conference (i.e., today's Western Conference), which was separated into the Smythe and Norris Divisions. Then you had the Prince of Wales Conference (i.e., today's Eastern Conference), which was separated into the Patrick and Adams Divisions. All those names refer to men who made early contributions to the league. It was just one way that young hockey fans like me could learn about the history of the game. It also made for some great-looking 1980s all-star uniforms.

 

 

 

Another interesting thing about the NHL back then is that there were only 21 teams in the league, believe it or not. This means teams played each other a lot more during the season than nowadays—especially if they were in the same division. And this created some big rivalries. 

 

In the Adams Division, you had Boston vs. Montreal. You also had Montreal vs. Quebec, which was serious.

 

In the Patrick Division, you had Islanders vs. Rangers, and Flyers vs. Penguins.

In the Smythe Division, you had the battle of Alberta (Calgary vs. Edmonton).

And in the Norris Division? Well, all five teams—the Blackhawks, Red Wings, North Stars, Blues, and Maple Leafs—just beat up on each other. It was such a tough division that longtime football sportscaster Chris Berman still sometimes refers to NFL matchups that share the same geographical region as the NHL teams, like Vikings vs. Bears, as an "NFC Norris Division battle".

Why am I detailing all this information about a time in the NHL that's quite a ways in the rear-view mirror?

 

Well, recently Mark from the Chronicles of Fuji posted some flea market finds. And amongst his haul was this:

 

 

 

A sheet of 1980s puffy stickers from the old Norris Division!

 

Hockey fan that I am, I left a comment on that post to express how cool the stickers were, and guess what arrived in my mailbox not long after?

 

Yep. The very same sheet of stickers. Mark, you're a legend.

 

It turns out the company made stickers for all NHL divisions, as well as individual player stickers. There was even an album with designated spots to adhere each sticker! I'm tempted to open the wrapper of mine and stick some of those classic logos on an old hockey card binder, but I'm going to resist the urge. Maybe if I pick up some duplicates. (You can find some listed on ebay.)

 

And you know what else I've got to do? Be more like Mr. Fuji and send out some RAKs to fellow collectors. If you're reading this and we haven't sent some cards to each other in a while, feel free to leave a comment or send an email. I'd really like to get some good hobby mojo going.

Thanks again for the sweet RAK, Mark. And I've got something to send to you in return, so stay tuned.

Don't You Forget About [This Custom Card]

I've created a custom card that features quite an interesting assortment of characters.

There's a Brain. 

 

An Athlete. 

 

A Basket Case. 

 

A Princess. 

 

And a Criminal.

 

 

If you're a fan of '80s movies, you might have already solved this one.

It's The Breakfast Club!

 

On Saturday, March 24, 1984, those five students—each from different cliques and with different attitudes—reported for detention at the Shermer High School library. And if you've seen the film, you know that it turned out to be quite a memorable day for all of them. What better way to commemorate it than a custom card?

 

Regarding the design, I felt John Bender was a natural fit for the middle spot. (He's probably the guy who was in detention the most that year, right?) And the text across the top worked out very well. I was able to add the year, name of the high school, and title of the film. Nice and neat.

 

Let's have a look at the card back now.

Similar to the card backs in the 1980s film stars set, I added a graphic across the top, based on the design that was used for some of the film's movie posters and VHS cassette boxes. Along the bottom I've added the "stats" line, which provides a nice bit of history for all the movie buffs out there. The card number is 2 because it follows the first card in this growing set, which was based on the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

As for the actors on this card, wow. You've got some 1980s legends. In fact, they were all members of a star-studded group called "The Brat Pack". Various combinations of The Pack appeared in big films of the era like The Outsiders, Sixteen Candles, St. Elmo's Fire, Pretty in Pink, Weird Science, and more. 

 

But I don't think any of the other Brat Pack films were as big as The Breakfast Club. I mean, come on. Scroll back up and read the title of this blog post again, and tell me you won't immediately have that song from Simple Minds in your head.

So that's that. Another custom card complete. Hope you enjoyed it!

 

Do any of you collectors have detention stories from your high school days? Did you ever have trading cards confiscated by a teacher? Feel free to share your experiences in the comment section. (As long as they're rated PG.)

 

Custom. . . Custom. . . Custom Card, Ho!!!

Watch this introduction:

 

 

 

 

All around, I think it was a fantastic effort from the creative team—animators, musicians, lyricists, writers, producers, you name it. I mean, tell me you don’t want to watch at least one episode of the show, just to see those ThunderCats battle the bad guys.

 

There's just one thing: The mid-1980s marked a golden age of animated shows, and the ThunderCats were up against some stiff competition. I only speak for myself, but the time I did spend watching cartoons back then was split more between The Transformers and G.I. Joe than anything else. (And that's not to mention other big action hits, like Voltron.) Those ThunderCats just didn’t manage to squeeze themselves into my TV time very much. 

 

However, they did have a cult following. And they still do. So a few months ago I decided to give them a fair shake by watching the first dozen or so episodes.

 

Here's what I'll say. Although it’s difficult for a show to live up to such a captivating introduction and theme song, I was definitely impressed by the creative storylines and various characters. If you were a kid who was into Lord of the Rings fantasy-type stuff back then, you'd have really been into this show.

 

I’d still rank it below some of those other notable franchises of the '80s, but I was inspired enough to create a custom card. After all, as far as I know, the original ThunderCats series didn’t receive an official trading card set like some of the other big hitters of the era. And with four main characters, a “team leaders” style of card was perfect. Here it is.

 

 

 

I used the 1974-75 Topps hockey card design as a base. You'll see that I added each character's occupation/skill underneath their name, which works out nicely in a "gaming card" sort of way. As for the larger design, my first idea was to replace the hockey stick that ran down the left side of the original card with the fabled Sword of Omens. However, the curved handle-guard of the sword took up too much real estate. It would have covered over part of Panthro, much of that terrific ThunderCats symbol, and some of the text to the right as well. So I went without it.

 

Besides, the Sword of Omens represents the good guys, and I couldn’t just make a card for them when there were four memorable villains to feature as well.

 

 

 

 

I went with the terrifyingly transformed musclebound monster version of Mumm-Ra, but his weak, decrepit mummy form would have been an equally terrifying choice. As for the mutant henchmen, all three of them made appearances right from the start of the series, so they're fitting entries for sure.

 

So that's that. Another two customs completed. I'm happy with the way the cards turned out, and I especially like the way they look together. I'm interested to see what kind of reception they receive.

Any ThunderCats fans out there? Favorite character?

Share in the comment section, and thanks for reading!

 

New Custom Card Set: 1980s Film Trios

It's summertime.

 

School is out, blockbuster movies are in. And during the 1980s, the decade of my childhood, there sure were some absolute classics, starring some legendary actors. 

 

Well, at some point this past year my nostalgia for these films began to mix with my creative itch to design. I started thinking about the best way to capture some of these folks—and some of the films they starred in—on custom cards. As I was going over a big list in my mind, I discovered that there were quite a few films that specifically featured a trio of big actors, all sharing the starring roles to some degree. Those film trios, as you might be thinking already, make a perfect match with a three-player rookie card. (And there are plenty of card designs to choose from there.) So with a little more thought and analysis, I narrowed down the pool to six great options, and one great card design. 

Here's a look at all six cards in the set.

 

 

(1) I thought for sure that The Karate Kid would have hit the #1 weekly rank at the box office at some point during its theater run in 1984. However, it only made it as high as #3. If you're wondering how that's possible, just look at this list of other films that were in theaters that year: Ghostbusters, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Gremlins, Beverly Hills Cop, and The Terminator. That's a heck of a lot of star power to contend with. But that year of big films aside, The Karate Kid did have the highest total box office gross of the 6 cards featured in this set. Crane kick for the win.

 

 

 

(2) Trading Places finished as high as #2 in the weekly film rankings for 1983, outdone only by Return of the Jedi. Akroyd, Curtis, and Murphy were all fantastic in this film, as were most of the other characters. If you haven't seen this one yet, I highly recommend adding it to your watch list.

 

 

 

(3) This was the first card I thought about when getting ideas together for the set. Talk about legendary trios. Ferris, Cameron, and Sloane are hard to beat. I'm surprised the film didn't earn a little more at the box office in 1986, but all the thrills and depth from James Cameron's Aliens, Oliver Stone's Platoon, and Stand by Me—an adaptation of a Stephen King novella—probably stole some of Bueller's comedy thunder that year. Still, this 6-card set just wouldn't be a set without Bueller and company.

 

 

 

 

(4) For a card set that features great film trios of the 1980s, Ned, Dusty, and Lucky were a natural fit. This is the one movie in the set that was released for the Christmas season instead of the summer. Must have been an absolute hoot to see this in theaters back then.

 

 

 

 

(5) Weird Science isn't one of my all-time favorite films from the '80s, but it's a total classic, featuring huge 1980s starlet Kelly LeBrock, plus Anthony Michael Hall, who was on an incredible run of films like National Lampoon's Vacation, Sixteen Candles, and The Breakfast Club.

 

 

 

(6) To round out the 6-card set, we've got a trio starring in what I consider a vastly underrated film of the decade. Before his more serious roles in films like Top Gun, The Doors, Tombstone, and The Saint, Mr. Kilmer showed off his comedy chops in Real Genius, and even earlier than that, in another wacky film called Top Secret! Just as with Trading Places, I highly recommend you add this film to your watch list if you've never seen it. Or even if you have.

 

And there's your 6-card set.

 

As for the card design, although it's from the 1970s (1972 to be specific), which doesn't match up with the 1980s release dates of the films in this set, I think it does feel perfect for film cards. That font running across the top of each card is called "Broadway". And the whole look on the card front resembles a movie theater marquee, or even a movie poster that you'd see outside the main entrance of a theater. So I think it works just fine. The different colors from the original 1972 set really help this special 6-card set stand out, too.

For the backs, I wanted to capture the unique look of each movie title, as well as add some "back-of-the-card" stats of some type. I went with Release Date, Running Time, Box Office Gross, No. of Theaters, and High Weekly Rank. They help tell the story of each film, while simultaneously helping to fill out the space toward the bottom of each card.

 

I will also say that I thought about representing some other film trios of the '80s. For example, there's Rocky, Adrian, and Mick from the Rocky films. And then there's Indiana Jones, Short Round, and Willie Scott from Temple of Doom. But trading cards already exist for those films, and in both of those cases the entire franchise wouldn't have been represented. I didn't want to have the name on the front of a card be something like "Rocky III" or "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom". It just seemed incomplete. So I stuck with a 6-card total.

So now it's time for you to share something in the comment section. Do you have a favorite film of the bunch? Have you seen all six of them? Is there another 1980s film trio that you would have liked to see included in the set?

Let me know, and thanks for reading!