Random 80's Crap from my Hobby Closet, Pt.1

Recently I pulled a random box out of my 'hobby closet' and opened it just for the hell of it. I have about a dozen of these boxes, most are the document storage-type things and I haven't looked at them in years. Inside the one I chose I found all sorts of junk I had picked up in the 80's. There is no logic to any of it. I bought whatever struck my fancy back in those days and I saved everything.

I found small boxed sets that I had pulled the Orioles out of, commercially produced and team issued postcards, odd ball TCMA trash, unlicensed photo cards, pocket schedules, ticket stubs and much more. While I'm off visiting New York (just like I pictured it) I thought I'd put up a few posts showing the 'stuff' I once valued so highly.

So here we go.....

I found a small stash of these stickers. The photos are the same as the 1967 Dexter Press issue Coca Cola premiums, spring training shots, but these are smaller, on very thin paper, and instead of a short bio the back can be peeled off. I'm not a Joe Morgan fan at all but I love the 'Shooting Star' uni the Astros wore in that era. It was what they were wearing when I first moved to Houston in '67.

Each of the ones I have and every Dexter Press card I own is a portrait shot very similar to these. Here is The Rock. Now he's a player I really liked back in the day. And that Indians vest jersey with the red sleeved undershirts? Dyn-o-mite!

And Yaz...

Here is a shot of the back.

 I really didn't think much of them until I pulled out an actual Brooks Robinson Dexter Press. First the Brooks Robinson 'sticker'....

And then the 5x7 Dexter Press...

Side by side the quality of the image is much better, much clearer on the original, and all-in-all it's a much higher quality piece. These 'stickers' turned out to be something called 'Starliner stickers' and they were put out in 1983. I tend to think they were not a legit product and were made by someone who merely ripped off the pictures used by Dexter Press. The name comes from the Starliner adhesive paper that they are printed on. At least that's how I have understood it.

If you are interested the Fleer Sticker Project blog has a great in depth article that will tell you more than you could possibly want to know.

btw... these were the days when players used Spring Training to get into shape. From the fit of that jersey it looks like my man Brooksie had some work to do!!