Buzz Break: 1990 Bowman baseball cards (two wax 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 lot: 1990 Bowman baseball cards (two packs)
Where to buy: Check junk bins ... hit BlowoutCards.com for newer MLB cards

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

Packs per lot: 2
Cards per pack: 15 (14 cards, one contest entry card)
Cards in this lot: 28
Base set completion: 28 of 528 (5 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Jose Canseco, Ryne Sandberg, Carlton Fisk, Harold Baines ... see 'em all in gallery.

Rookie Cards (5) – Sammy Sosa, Scott Scudder, Mike Fetters, Lee Stevens, Milt Cuyler

Insert/short-prints cards: None in this pack format ... unless you count these contest entry cards
Contest entry cards (2) – Gregg Olson, Dwight Gooden

Autographs/Memorabilia: None.

The prospect card back with no stats ... and the gum-oil stain card surprise you can sometimes get here.

What's Buzz-worthy: I was too busy for a #TBT break yesterday but here's a quick Flashback Friday break. Just like my 1989 break awhile back, ripping this one makes one thing come to mind ... what if Topps had used its cleaner printing and bright white Traded stock for everything though the 1980s and into the first three years of this Bowman reboot that started in 1989? Yes, there are rare Tiffany cards to give us the idea here but this one is arguably an overlooked set from this year as it's very simple -- perhaps too simple in what was a changing time in the cardboard world. (By 1992, Bowman had a cleaner and more-modern feel.) This set has a strong RC volume -- 138 cards among that 528 -- but a lot are not big deals now (just like everything else here, really). Among them? Darryl Kile, Jose Cano (Robinson's dad), Japanese home run star Karl "Tuffy" Rhodes, Hall of Famers Frank Thomas and Larry Walker, Moises Alou, Sosa, Chuck Knoblauch, Greg Vaughn, Bernie Williams, Kevin Maas, Juan Gonzalez and John Olerud for starters. This one started the Bowman advantage that kind of blew things open in 1992 when players who hadn't played in an MLB game started appearing on the checklist and that was much of everything by 1992. Bowman had the advantage of having basically the only RCs by definition in MLB releases despite plenty of card companies (only Topps could sign players to individual deals while others had to use a blanket MLBPA deal) and that issue is what led to the RC logo by 2006.

Product Grade: B (I think this set/design has aged well but will always be cheaper)
Lot Grade: A- (a perfect pair of packs back then with a couple of top stars and a rookie who turned into a big deal later)
Fun Grade: C- (it is what it is ... not much going on in these by today's standards)

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