Junk Era Rarities - Topps Golden Spikes cards

[ScooterD]

I have collected these since learning about them 10 years ago.

From 1990-1993, Topps sponsored the Golden Spikes Award. As the sponsor, Topps created cards of the winners for those years and distributed them at the awards luncheon/dinner. 600 of each was produced in 1990, 1991, and 1992, but only 400 in 1993.

These don’t appear often and are very condition sensitive due to the in-person distribution.

1993 - Darren Dreifort (with the invitation/RSVP pamphlet)




1992 - Phil Nevin




1991 - Mike Kelly




1990 - Alex Fernandez (I have 436 of the 600 produced)

[tjforce]

Okay... gotta hear the story on how the hell you've tracked down 436 Alex Fernandez's and what your therapist says about it.

[ScooterD]

Originally Posted by tjforce

Okay... gotta hear the story on how the hell you've tracked down 436 Alex Fernandez's and what your therapist says about it.

Lol - she’s actually very supportive.

I linked up online with a retired sportswriter from NJ around 2011-2012. He had attended the events in New York each year, and he said that Topps didn’t really make clear to Alex or the attendees that the cards were theirs to keep, so most people left them on the tables when the event was over. When he was leaving, the Topps rep that he interviewed for his piece noticed that people left the cards and told him (the writer) that he could take them or they would be destroyed. He had 412 copies, and I bought them for $500

[tjforce]

Originally Posted by ScooterD

Lol - she’s actually very supportive.

I linked up online with a retired sportswriter from NJ around 2011-2012. He had attended the events in New York each year, and he said that Topps didn’t really make clear to Alex or the attendees that the cards were theirs to keep, so most people left them on the tables when the event was over. When he was leaving, the Topps rep that he interviewed for his piece noticed that people left the cards and told him (the writer) that he could take them or they would be destroyed. He had 412 copies, and I bought them for $500

That's awesome. I assume that there are some Topps collectors who would love a copy of the ultimate topps bottleneck you've created.

[ewokpelts]

Originally Posted by ScooterD

Lol - she’s actually very supportive.

I linked up online with a retired sportswriter from NJ around 2011-2012. He had attended the events in New York each year, and he said that Topps didn’t really make clear to Alex or the attendees that the cards were theirs to keep, so most people left them on the tables when the event was over. When he was leaving, the Topps rep that he interviewed for his piece noticed that people left the cards and told him (the writer) that he could take them or they would be destroyed. He had 412 copies, and I bought them for $500

As a Sox fan, I’d love to have one of these.

Can you post a shot of just one card?

[bavariancream]

Originally Posted by ewokpelts

As a Sox fan, I’d love to have one of these.

Can you post a shot of just one card?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/23457348080...kAAOSwaUJilVba

[soey10]

These are so cool and interesting. Not very well known and pretty rare. Thanks for sharing.


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[nevermore]

Great story! Was not aware of these existing, I enjoy seeing odd balls like this.

[soey10]

Just sent you a PM about these


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[abaseballjunkie]

Interesting...I collect Team USA cards, so now I need to find the Nevin and Dreifort you listed.

[junkwaxgems]

I discovered a variation on the Fernandez in 2005 (ish): the cards can be found with or without a registration symbol next to the Topps logo on front.

Im curious what the breakdown is for your 436 copies.

[ScooterD]

Originally Posted by ewokpelts

As a Sox fan, I’d love to have one of these.

Can you post a shot of just one card?

We can work something out - PM me

Originally Posted by junkwaxgems

I discovered a variation on the Fernandez in 2005 (ish): the cards can be found with or without a registration symbol next to the Topps logo on front.

Im curious what the breakdown is for your 436 copies.

I think I read about this online when I was collecting these through the years. I don’t have any without the trademark, but I’ll double check to make sure

Slightly related - if anyone has or knows of a 1984 Topps Darryl Palmer promo for the movie The Slugger’s Wife (Starring Danny Noonan from Caddyshack), I’ve been searching in vane for a copy for about 15 years

[junkwaxgems]

Originally Posted by ScooterD

I think I read about this online when I was collecting these through the years. I don’t have any without the trademark, but I’ll double check to make sure

Slightly related - if anyone has or knows of a 1984 Topps Darryl Palmer promo for the movie The Slugger’s Wife (Starring Danny Noonan from Caddyshack), I’ve been searching in vane for a copy for about 15 years

The Alex Fernandez card was also distributed as the "promo" or pre-production card for 1991 Topps Debut. It is possible that the non-registration symbol variant was printed for that. I believe that I sold my last pairs in 2009 or so. Until this thread I hadn't looked into this card much, mostly due to the fact that the last few sold so cheaply at that time.

Edit: CU Discussion on these with a pic of the no-reg symbol version and the Daryl Palmer card

[sportzking]

Interesting, never heard of these. Always cool to hear about oddball card.

[richtree]

anyone selling any ?

richtree@gmail.com

or for that matter rare oddities, errors or variations ?


* I need 1987 Donruss Mike Greenwell with red slash on sleeve and a 1981 topps art howe with black smear on hat aka witch hat...

[LCM1223]

Originally Posted by richtree

anyone selling any ?

richtree@gmail.com

or for that matter rare oddities, errors or variations ?


* I need 1987 Donruss Mike Greenwell with red slash on sleeve and a 1981 topps art howe with black smear on hat aka witch hat...

Do you happen to have images of these two? I’d love to see what they look like