In 1989 i was on leave from the US Army 20 years old. Chasing packs a lot and brought two packs to show my 10 year old brother. Tamper proof packs, holograms, high quality and this rookie Griffey everyone wanted...he hardly cared! I gave him one pack to experience it even though he did not even collect. One caveat...he keeps all the cards except Ken Griffey jr. Of course he pulled it in his only pack ever! It was amazing! And I still own it to this day. My plan is to give it to him on his 50th birthday in 5 years.

OUTSTANDING !!!! One of the most iconic cards ever printed !

Awesome! I’ve pulled two Griffey’s one from low one from high, but seeing it pulled still drops my jaw.

The Jim Abbott rookie card is awesome as well!!

I can't believe you found one in the high series. Well done sir 🎩

Back in 89 spending $1.00 per pack and the Griffey was valued at $10.00. A massive card back then. I pulled around 6 of them. Last being in 1998. I can still remember the smell.

These were the best packs to open back in the day. they felt so premium in those foil packs.

Love it, took me over 40 years to pull one of my own. A must have! Congrats

Glad there were only 12, because I'm dizzy from all the spinning. We got a Griffey! You can put it on the board...Yes! Nice pull and congrats.

Good to know about the centering of the hologram on the back. I always wondered why all these seemingly perfect Griffeys weren't 10s

@Gigdriver

3 ай бұрын

Exactly what I always thought about. Went and checked mine and now I know I should get it graded

@chrismiles6694

3 ай бұрын

I had a couple with a repeated microscopic paper kink on the left back that doinked 'em down to a PSA 6.

5 years ago I circumspectly purchased 3 packs of 1989 Upper Deck for fun from eBay. I figured people probably found the pack and pulled the Griffey out of the box and sold the remaining packs individually. But out of my 3 packs, we pulled 2 Griffey’s and one Randy Johnson RC. First pack was Griffey, second pack was Randy. Thinking there wouldn’t be anything else, I let my young son open the third pack and he pulled the second Griffey! I couldn’t believe it! We never send stuff off to be graded so we kept one and sold the second (my pull) on eBay. We got $90 for it and the following year the buyer messaged us and said it came back a PSA 10! We were so excited for him, no regrets in selling it whatsoever. We had our fun and since we never would have had it graded, we were really happy this card goes on to live as a perfect PSA 10 to be enjoyed the rest of its life! Cards are so fun.

I'm embarrassed to say i have never owned a Griffey UD

@terrymyers699

3 ай бұрын

Bummer. I pulled two from a '89 pack of UD (stuck to one another). And I just pulled an '89 Fleer last week.

@cardwolf

3 ай бұрын

I haven’t either, Lee 🤔 Perhaps we just have discriminating tastes 😀

@jcwheeler9706

3 ай бұрын

I Have 90 upperdeck not 89 I share your passion

@jasoncole4089

3 ай бұрын

I pulled one in 1989....Willets store in Asheboro NC. Will never forget

@davidmyers6342

3 ай бұрын

Me either. I feel like it's one I need to add to my collection

Nice going Jon....your luck rubbed off

Love seeing this card pulled! A dream of mine as a kid to pull, spending all my money at the card show at the Lycoming Mall just to come up short…had to pick one up about 7 yrs ago when I got back into collecting.

Thanks again 44 4 & Jon!!🎉🎉

I can’t think of a pack I would rather see opened more than a 1989 Upper Deck pack. My favorite set of all-time.

You can see Jon's reflection in Holo stickers. Looking like a 90s alternative video 😊

I have owned a few of those in my time, but never packed pulled one. Congratulations!

The kid the card of my generation!

I bought fifty of these at 8 bucks a pop back in 89. I'll need to get them graded.

Back in the day when Dwight smith and Jerome Walton’s were going for over $20 I remember these packs were more than the low series

@farlow126

3 ай бұрын

Yeah that Jerome Walton with that bright blue Cubs helmet is seared into my brain from my childhood😄

Great video, nice pull! One of my all time favorite packs to open back in 89. Always liked the Canseco, McGwire, Bo, Nolan’s as well. Just an all-around great set.

What an amazing feeling that must have been. And you managed not to damage with your giant ham hands!

@thepastisalive

3 ай бұрын

You know what they say about giant ham hands? They require giant mittens. 😀

Congratulations on the Griffey, and thanks for the trip back in time.

@thepastisalive

3 ай бұрын

Thanks Dave! Appreciate you watching!

While watching on my tv I had to stop what I was doing, pause, and come over to my PC to say that your opening of packs is fun! You have a great speaking voice too and your takes are hilarious on what the players are doing action wise! Thanks for the fun entertainment! Good that you got at least one Jr too! Nol, Kelowna, Canada. (:

There’s also a very small crease on the back left edge on many of the Griffey UD rookies. Someone from Beckett had mentioned that to me a few years ago.

Glorious presentation of the packs at the beginning

@thepastisalive

3 ай бұрын

Thanks Kevin!

Awesome to see it come out. I have never pulled it before and I don't currently own it.

Waiting for the first of the month.....

Aaaaarrrrgggghhh Ken Griffey jr, I used to put matchbox cars in the hvac vents as a kid…..🤪

As everyone goes to eBay lol nice video man I don’t catch all yours but always enjoy the ones I do

I never pulled one of these as a kid. My local card shop could never keep packs in stock. I'd check every day after school. Congrats on the pull!

@thepastisalive

3 ай бұрын

Thanks man! Always a great feeling pulling any iconic rookie but this one hits harder!

@Wolf-xu1fj

3 ай бұрын

How much is that Griffey card worth?

I have the Griffey rookie from the factory set. I have only opened two packs of these in my life.

I got my Griffey out of a sealed set when I was a kid, I was so happy until I turned the card around and there was only half of the back hologram. I put the card back in the set and sold it off a few years later.

Still love the cards pulled from this set....they were the first "decent quality" cards with stock, and photography in some time.. a welcome change for the hobby at that time...however, I'm all in on the 'look and feel' of the Topps cards prior.

Still love that Jim Abbott!

Very cool! Too bad the Jerome Walton RC didn't come out, or that would have been the perfect rip.

My dad was a major card collector. When I was a kid, he would buy cases, not boxes, cases of cards. We would sit and open card packs all day looking for the errors and the special cards. I absolutely loved it. These ‘89 Upper Decks were definitely part of the fun.

@Wolf-xu1fj

3 ай бұрын

What’s the most expensive card you guys found?

I once pulled two of the Griffey's in the same pack. It was back in 1989, and I bought a pack at a card show in Marietta, Ohio. The pack was like $5 and I got two of the Griffey Jr's in that one pack. I felt like I hit the lottery. At that time, it was going for around $10-$15. I know longer have one, becauuse...well...when you grow up you sometimes end up selling your collection to pay bills. UGH!!!!!!!!!!!

I was 18 when these came out,I would visit my aunt every weekend and would buy 1 pack at a convenience store near her house,never got the damn card!

Sweet pull there Jon-O.

Lovely

Congrats Mikey G nice pull Jon !

@Mikeygee99

3 ай бұрын

Thanks!!

High series packs say high series included on the front of the pack. Low series says something about winning a 52 mantle on the front

Super mega lucky. These boxes were so easy to search back in the day, I'm really surprised you got one with the loose packs and not a sealed box.

That’s awesome

I pulled a KGJ as part of a $5 full team grab bag Seattle Mariners team. Junior was sitting right on top. I was 10 years old. Still have the card.

Sorry I missed this, nice hit 6:26

My favorite upper deck

I used to tell everyone in law school that I was there so I could make enough money to buy the baseball cards I wanted. My first bonus check as a lawyer went straight to Griffey cards and I can now say that I am the proud owner of all 6 major brand rookies in PSA 10. Lifelong quest fulfilled.

@thepastisalive

3 ай бұрын

Congrats man! Thanks awesome. I have one of each but all raw. You definitely have bragging rights!

Good luck MikeyG. Will give my congrats or better luck next time after I watch!

@paulfarrar5593

3 ай бұрын

Congrats MikeyG! That is awesome, also pumped on that Jeffries! Lol

@Mikeygee99

3 ай бұрын

Thanks Paul!!

My biggest Griffey success came from the high number packs

Love your videos and I did buy a Beckett PSA 10 on late night TV in mid 90s still got it

@thepastisalive

3 ай бұрын

Thanks Michael! Hang on to it!

I ended up pulling 3 of the Griffey as well as other cards during middle school. I showed and tell to a guy at school named Robert who where he went to Costco and pulled out all Griffey's and Mark Grace's in the set boxes to show me. He ended up finding out my locker number and stole all the cards. I beat him up a bit but he never gave the cards back

Put that in a friggin case asap.

OOOO YES

First! The Iconic Card! Let's Go!

Awesome

If you find a freshly opened box it is supposed to be in one of the fourth packs from the top.

Great Video Jon and I've never owned a Griffey Upper Deck Rookie Card myself its on my wish list for someday nor have I ever opened any '89 Upper Deck Packs either 🤷🏻 Any way a fun video but GAH man I really suck at riddles SO I don't ever wanna know the answer 😂😂😂 Good Stuff man

SEND IN MOSES!

I have several of this very card. have not looked at them for many years as they have been stored away.

I have that KGJr card that was put in a sleeve and never touched again.I should get it graded.

Are you aware of the offensive signage Easter egg on the back of Jose Uribe’s 89 Upper Deck?

Nice break! So what is the story on the Bittiger 1989 Topps?! Never heard it...

We are tiny hologram intolerant here at T.P.I.A.🙅‍♂🚫

Hey Jon, is that POSSIBLE Hall of Famer Dickie Thon? Haha

@thepastisalive

3 ай бұрын

😂

Man! How many ball players had the name “Ozzie” in 1989? I noticed three of them just from these cards.

I've heard a rumor that UD printed tons of Griffeys and almost used them as currency.

22.5% shot! Go buy a lottery ticket, maybe you're on a heater!

Griffey wasn't too hard to pull.UD,90Leaf 2nd,3rd year cards were more desirable than over printed 87,88 rookies.

The only griffey I pulled was from a high series box

Just found out recently that the photo of Ken Griffey Jr. was a photo of him from Single A that was photoshopped

Congrats on pulling the Griffey! And you missed out on pulling one of the worst Kevin Bass cards made. He looks like a grumpy Sammy Davis Jr.

I probably have duplicates of everything in that set, but have never pulled a Griffey and to this day still do not own that card

i like turtles

I have a sealed 1989 Upper Deck set, is it worth cracking it to get the Griffey out?

@thepastisalive

2 ай бұрын

It’s a gamble, but I would leave it sealed personally.

What about the dale murphey error that was big bucks when i was a kid

@farlow126

3 ай бұрын

It still is. PSA 10’s will set you back close to a grand.

@thepastisalive

3 ай бұрын

The Murphy RevNeg is definitely the most notable error in the set and one of the most of that era. I totally spaced on mentioning it 😂

@cincytino9153

3 ай бұрын

@thepastisalive I remember when 89 u.d. was in the shop I was 9 and it was u had to be privileged to afford lol weren't packs like 5 bucks?

@markterpening4395

3 ай бұрын

​@cincytino9153 most were at .99 cents at the time. At least at convenience stores did anyways.

@5:20 put Jeff Bittiger on the watch list.

Is John Moses any kin to Amos Moses?

What's creepy about the Jeff Bittiger 89 Topps card?

1989, what a year the break-up of the Soviet Union, the Gulf War, upper deck baseball, truly life changing stuff.

So the cards that sell for millions, are found in packs just like these?

@thepastisalive

2 ай бұрын

Not millions, but a couple thousand in the highest grade.

@Wolf-xu1fj

2 ай бұрын

@@thepastisalive Sorry, I meant cards like the LeBron James which sold for $5.2 million or the Stephen curry , which sold for $5.9 million

psa 10 is worth $2,500 or less this year just an fyi

I solved the riddle in 15 minutes.

Can I buy one?

Sounds like Jabs

@thepastisalive

3 ай бұрын

That is my last name.

I'll trade you an '89 UD Jay Buhner for that Ken Phelps. j/k 😆😆😆

Little known fact that card is a photoshop. I had a feeling after pack 3 u we’re gonna hit it

And now Griffey card has all kinds of finger oils on the surface. Never touch the surface. Always touch edges only.. geez people

@thepastisalive

3 ай бұрын

I’ve been in the hobby since 1989. Pretty sure I’m familiar with handling cards. Cleaning the surface only matters if you’re submitting for grading. This Griffey would not grade high so there’s really no point.

First

@timlugovoy9123

3 ай бұрын

Dang you beat me by seconds lol

@Novinsld

3 ай бұрын

@@timlugovoy9123 yes !

I had Randy Johnson Ud rc card, but never had this gem , if I did it was stolen by the neighbors kid named , who the Frick cares, bustard Also stole my miscut ff bill ripken

Such a shame that an iconic card like this is the reason all the late 80s and early 90s cards are worthless, completely killed the hobby because upper deck had to get greedy