• Home
  • First Bowman
  • Blog
  • Podcast
    • Thad Bosley
    • Norman Smiley
    • Tyrone Nesby
    • Online Sites
    • NFL Team Addresses
    • MLB Team Addresses
    • NHL Team Addresses
    • NBA Team Addresses
    • WNBA Team Addresses
    • NWSL Team Addresses
  • About Me
  • Contact Me
  • Privacy
Menu

WaxPackHero

  • Home
  • First Bowman
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Player Collections
    • Thad Bosley
    • Norman Smiley
    • Tyrone Nesby
  • Resources
    • Online Sites
    • NFL Team Addresses
    • MLB Team Addresses
    • NHL Team Addresses
    • NBA Team Addresses
    • WNBA Team Addresses
    • NWSL Team Addresses
  • About Me
  • Contact Me
  • Privacy
×
Nolan Ryan graced the cover of issue #2.

Nolan Ryan graced the cover of issue #2.

Topps Magazine - A Look Back at Issue 2

Michael Sommer April 9, 2020

The Premier issue of Topps Magazine was released in January 1990, and the second issue arrived in stores in April.  The cover featured Nolan Ryan and promised to highlight Ryan, Robin Yount, Bo Jackson, and Will Clark.  Rookie Fever was the only virus in town, and once you took a look at the free poster, you’d be able to dig in to learn “All About Errors”!


The Breakdown


Here are some of the highlights of Issue 2:


  • A reader from Florida wrote in to report that he was driving 65 mph, and Jose Canseco passed him while driving a Jaguar.  The reader found this behavior very immature.


  • Topps broke the news that Bowman would be back in June of 1990 and would “shrink” to the standard size of 2.5” x 3.5”.  They also announced that Bowman football would return that fall using the same design as the baseball release.


  • A quick story recapped the presentation of the 1990 George Bush cards to the President.


  • A review of the Topps #1 Draft picks cards correctly predicted that Frank Thomas would make his major league debut that coming summer.  The careers of Earl Cunningham, Paul Coleman, and  Donald Harris didn’t quite match Frank’s.


Here are four of the eight cards found in issue #2.

Here are four of the eight cards found in issue #2.

  • 8 cards of current and former players were included. Bo Jackson, Nolan Ryan, Will Clark, Robin Yount, Joe Morgan, Jim Palmer, Ben McDonald, and John Olerud were al included to delight collectors.




  • A pretty awesome calendar covering both player birthdays and interesting facts which occur on each date between April and September.


Two pages were dedicated to the winning pitcher of the Little League World Series.  That pitcher was 13 year old Chris Drury.  He collected baseball cards (Don Mattingly was his favorite), loves golf and fishing, and he was worried about finding his hockey stick.  Well, it seems he finally found it as he went on to play parts of 12 seasons in the NHL!  That’s pretty cool.


It also turns out that fraud and general shadiness are not unique to present day eBay and Facebook scammers.  Topps spent two pages guiding collectors on how to avoid counterfeit cards and mail-order fraud.


As promised, Ryan, Yount, Jackson, and Clark all received special attention.  Each received a three page spread which combined an article, photos, and a few other interesting infographics.  In my opinion, it was good blend of card info, career info, and some personal details.  These aren’t hard hitting pieces, nor do they go as deep as some of the conversations Brad Balukjian includes in Wax Pack Book, but they are perfect for what Topps Magazine was trying to be.



Here’s a look at some artwork and the poster that was included in Issue 2.

Here’s a look at some artwork and the poster that was included in Issue 2.

Another thing I really like about these first couple issues is they also helped educate readers about the game.  In the first issue, instructions about keeping an official scorecard were provided, and here in episode 2 we learned how to calculate Slugging Percentage.  They didn’t just include the formula, but also some real life examples and a discussion on why the stat matters.


As you look through the issue in its entirety, you can see the efforts to focus on more than just one sport.  While baseball was(and continues to be) Topps’ bread and butter, they clearly tried to throw some bones to other hobby interests.  Football and Hockey had shoutouts and some small articles, and the magazine even closed out with an article about the 1962 Mars Attacks set. So even Non-Sports got a fair shake!


Man, I wish this magazine would have lived longer than 16 issues.  I’m having a ton of fun going back through these old copies and reading about the old sets and predictions.  This was a perfect compliment to Beckett, and I’m looking forward to digging through some more issues I have tucked away! 

I didn’t see any copies available on eBay at the time of this post, but it was available on Amazon if you want to get a copy of your own!

Also, if you haven’t heard, I started a new Podcast called the WaxPackHero Sports Card Minute!  It’s available here directly on the site at the Podcast link at the top of the page, or on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, and TuneIn!  Check it out, let me know what you think, and tell your friends!

This issue even discussed why slugging percentage matter.

This issue even discussed why slugging percentage matter.

In Memories, Industry Tags Topps Magazine, Topps, Nolan Ryan, Bo Jackson, 1962 Mars Attacks
← 2017-18 Topps Premier League Gold Review and ChecklistTopps Future Stars Club Review →

Autographed Collectibles and Memorabilia

Search Posts

COMCSPONSOR.jpg
Featured
Apr 24, 2025
The Diamond King
Apr 24, 2025
Apr 24, 2025
Apr 5, 2025
I Tried Live Selling?
Apr 5, 2025
Apr 5, 2025
Mar 1, 2025
Barry Sanders: Then and Now
Mar 1, 2025
Mar 1, 2025

Index and Recent Posts

  • Set Review 171
  • Checklist 83
  • Breaks 76
  • Memories 63
  • Industry 58
  • Making Money 23
  • site review 8
  • Book Review 2
  • 1
Featured
Jun 9, 2020
Topps Living Set Stats
Jun 9, 2020
Jun 9, 2020
Featured
Apr 17, 2025
2024 Cryptozoic A Christmas Story
Apr 17, 2025
Apr 17, 2025
Mar 16, 2025
2025 Topps Hobby Rip Night Set Review and Checklist
Mar 16, 2025
Mar 16, 2025
Jan 25, 2025
20 Most Expensive Barry Sanders Cards: 1998 vs 2025
Jan 25, 2025
Jan 25, 2025
Jan 15, 2025
Collecting College Cards?
Jan 15, 2025
Jan 15, 2025
Jan 8, 2025
1993 Nabisco All-Star Autographs
Jan 8, 2025
Jan 8, 2025
Nov 14, 2024
1980-81 Arby’s University of Illinois Fighting Illini Basketball Card Team Set
Nov 14, 2024
Nov 14, 2024
Oct 30, 2024
2022-23 O-Pee-Chee Platinum Hockey Cards
Oct 30, 2024
Oct 30, 2024
Oct 23, 2024
Harold Miner: A Look Back at the 90s Fan Favorite
Oct 23, 2024
Oct 23, 2024
Oct 14, 2024
1965 Donruss Spec Sheet Auto Racing Set
Oct 14, 2024
Oct 14, 2024
Oct 10, 2024
5 Awesome Aaron Judge Cards
Oct 10, 2024
Oct 10, 2024
COMC is a proud sponsor of WaxPackHero.com!

COMC is a proud sponsor of WaxPackHero.com!

 
Sidebarebay.jpg
 
  • December 2017 3
  • January 2018 9
  • February 2018 8
  • March 2018 9
  • April 2018 6
  • May 2018 4
  • June 2018 3
  • July 2018 2
  • August 2018 1
  • October 2018 2
  • November 2018 1
  • December 2018 1
  • January 2019 6
  • February 2019 5
  • March 2019 6
  • April 2019 7
  • May 2019 5
  • June 2019 3
  • July 2019 6
  • August 2019 7
  • September 2019 5
  • October 2019 4
  • November 2019 5
  • December 2019 5
  • January 2020 6
  • February 2020 5
  • March 2020 5
  • April 2020 5
  • May 2020 5
  • June 2020 3
  • July 2020 2
  • August 2020 4
  • September 2020 5
  • October 2020 3
  • November 2020 3
  • December 2020 3
  • January 2021 4
  • February 2021 3
  • March 2021 4
  • April 2021 2
  • May 2021 2
  • June 2021 4
  • July 2021 1
  • August 2021 1
  • September 2021 2
  • October 2021 2
  • November 2021 3
  • December 2021 1
  • January 2022 2
  • February 2022 4
  • March 2022 2
  • April 2022 1
  • May 2022 2
  • July 2022 1
  • August 2022 1
  • September 2022 1
  • October 2022 1
  • December 2022 4
  • January 2023 2
  • February 2023 1
  • March 2023 1
  • April 2023 1
  • June 2023 2
  • August 2023 1
  • September 2023 1
  • October 2023 2
  • November 2023 2
  • December 2023 6
  • January 2024 7
  • February 2024 4
  • March 2024 2
  • April 2024 2
  • June 2024 1
  • September 2024 4
  • October 2024 5
  • November 2024 1
  • January 2025 3
  • March 2025 1
  • April 2025 1

Join Our Community!

Subscribe today to make sure you don't miss a post as we celebrate this hobby we love!

We respect your privacy.

Thank you!

Affiliate Links

Some posts may include affiliate links, which share a commission with the blog at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I believe in; if they have an affiliate program, I add it, and if they don't I recommend them anyway. 

Privacy and Affiliate Notice

© Copyright 2024 WaxPackHero - All rights reserved