1988 Topps Insert - Ozzie Smith

Topps '88 jumbo packs came with an All-Star insert card. They were a 26-card set distinct from the main set of 792. They did a subset in 1989 as well, but I am not sure about other years. The weird part was that I don't remember anyone caring about these cards. Weird because the were a better quality than the base set, were comprised of All-stars, and because there was a subset craze in the early 90s. I even remember being super interested in putting together the whole 1,000 yard club subset from the '87 Topps football set. So why didn't we care about these?

Here is my guess - from what I remember, these cards were on the top of one of the jumbo pack stacks. The packaging was clear plastic so you could see which one you were going to get. You could pick your pack based on the All-star card you wanted. In a sense, the supply was readily available, you knew what you were getting. And so demand went out the window. A big part of collecting cards via pack buying is the thrill of not knowing what you are going to get. If these cards didn't play along with that thrill, they must not be desirable. That's my theory anyway.

This is an Ozzie Smith card. Ozzie is a Cardinals legend, defensive wizard at shortstop, and HOFer. I thought Ozzie was cool even before I moved to St. Louis because he would do a backflip on the bouncy astroturf of Busch Stadium II. I went to his restaurant at Westport Plaza. It had baseball cards under the glass top of the tables and bar. I ordered the potato skins.