Buzz Break: 1984 Donruss Baseball Champions (six packs)

From time to time, Buzz will break a box of something and post the results here. Like this and want to see more? Or maybe there's a box you'd want to see busted? Send Buzz an email at BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com.

The packs: 1984 Donruss Baseball Champions
Where to buy: Check throwback spots ... hit BlowoutCards.com for newer MLB cards

Keep reading for a breakdown and gallery for what was in this one.

Cards per pack: 5 (plus one Duke Snider puzzle card)
Base set completion: 23 of 60 (40 percent)
Duplicates: 7

Base cards – Mickey Mantle, Ted Williams (2), Ty Cobb, Rogers Hornsby (2), Gary Carter (2), Nolan Ryan (2), Bert Blyleven (2), Al Oliver (2), Johnny Bench, Cal Ripken Jr., Joe Morgan, Dale Murphy (2), Keith Hernandez, Carl Yastrzemski, Craig Nettles, Gaylord Perry, Bill Madlock, Ken Griffey Sr., Jim Rice, George Foster, Dave Kingman, Eddie Murray, Hal McRae

Rookie Cards – N/A

Insert/short-prints cards: None (unless you count the puzzle pieces ... I don't)

Autographs/Memorabilia: None.

What's Buzz-worthy: My second six-pack here delivered a few of the names I didn't last time -- most notably Mickey Mantle -- and then more duplicates than last time but it was still a simple and comfy cheap break from the past. ... I picked up a small lot of this favorite throwback of mine on the cheap -- well under $1 per pack -- and opted to break this one into some smaller lots for some quick throwback Buzz Breaks here. (The last one will come at some point soon.) Why rip these? I like this one among the run of over-sized (these are 5-by-7s) card sets from Donruss made from 1983 to 1987 because of the second part of its formal name ... "Yesterday & Today." The inclusion of all-time greats here on Dick Perez paintings gets us some big names and then the grouping of All-Stars from this era who are Hall of Famers now makes this one a nice package. More than half of my cards found here were Hall of Famers. Really, there are only three worries here ... the cello packs showing the cards mean the best names can be pulled out of a box just after looking at the pack, the oversized format (not as easy to store) and then the inset photo here shows the only real concern ... acid from the puzzle pieces has seeped into the card touching it since that unfinished side also has its own acids in the paper. Not a major issue as you can find cards that don't have that issue within just a few packs. The set here is simple and small -- 60 cards -- and 36 of those are Hall of Famers and the larger size can make these nice cards for autographs from living players here, too. Notables I didn't find this time or last time? Babe Ruth and Walter Johnson ... I suspect I'll see them next time. In short, there's a lot to like here in a small set.

Product Grade: A (of all of the oversized Donruss sets from this era, I like this one for its throwbacks)
Lot Grade: A-
Fun Grade: B (just the basics here ... and some rough centering at times)

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