Back to 1987 (and some Tony Gwynn cards this time!)

I decided these cards were too nice to just tack on to the end of yesterday's blog post, which was already quite long. I hope you agree that it was worth the wait.

Card Number 516: Fleer Award Winners, 1987; #19

This is from one of Fleer's small sets that were sold in packets that look like playing cards. Tony has card number 19, which might just be a fluke as these cards were usually numbered in the alphabetical order of players' surnames.

It is also a very rare baseball card with a photo of Tony sans headgear. He is almost always depicted with a cap or batting helmet on.

What is really quite funny about this card is that is commemorates Tony winning a fielding award, with a picture of him holding a bat! 

Tony had won his first of five Gold Glove Awards in 1986 - fielding was something he really worked on when he broke through into the major leagues and his hard work paid off.

The cardback is unremarkable. Cards from these sets generally had boring cardbacks.

Card Number 517: Fleer Limited Edition, 1987; #19

See, this would have been an ideal photo to put on a card about winning a fielding award!

This looks really nice in the card page next to Tony's Limited Edition card from 1986.

It's another dull cardback.

Card Number 518: Fleer Baseball All Stars, 1987; #20

I have a thing for cards with red borders. Also note the photo on this card marks a trifecta of headgear in the post - sans, cap, helmet.

Given that this set was players who were All Stars, I think Fleer could have done something on the cardback about the All Star Game.

I've also noticed that it says "Fleer Limited Edition" on the cardback. The packaging was actually branded as Fleer Limited Edition Baseball All Stars on the box the cards came in.

The cards from these Fleer sets released in the 1980s are high quality compared to the cards released as part of the main sets. The photography is always fairly good, with a lot of posed portraits. I now have nine of these cards in a nine-pocket page and they look great together considering they are 33 years old!

Total:518 cards