1995 Pacific Collection #20

Type: Base Card

Acquired: Purchased Online

How can you not love the prismatic effects on this card. It is almost blinding in it's beauty! The shot could have been better, but once again we get an over the shoulder look at Mr. Jackson during his California Angels days. The back photo looks like someone just said something that mad Bo angry. You wouldn't like Bo when he's angry. Also, It's interesting to me that the English verbiage is the smaller of the two languages on the back.

1992 FLEER #86

Type: Base Card

Acquired: Pulled From Pack

I do like the color scheme of this 1992 FLEER set. I just like the way the metallic green color blends into white down towards the bottom. The picture of Bo himself though, is a lacking a little. I see what they were going for here with an over the shoulder look at Bo at the plate, but it just doesn't work for me. This is one of the few times we get to see the back of Bo's jersey and it is unique in that way. The picture on the back is the better of the 2 in my opinion.

1988 FLEER #260

Type: Base Card

Acquired: Bought at Card Show

I love the look of this FLEER card set. The red and blue stripes on the white background are classic Americana. The backs are clean, give complete stats and also give us a nice split of night/day & home/away numbers for each player. I also really dig the "candid" shot of Bo on this card. He's got a smirk on his face that says "I'm ready to crush some balls"!

1988 Donruss Baseball's Best #119

Type: Base Card

Acquired: Bought at Card Show

I didn't even know Donruss Baseball's Best was a thing when I picked this card up. I thought it looked weird and the colors were different from the regular issue set. I just thought it was some sort of special card from the 88 Donruss base set. I like the picture on the front, but the orange, red and black color scheme does little for me. I prefer the blue, red and black of the regular set.

1991 Score #692 MASTER BLASTER

Type: Base Card

Acquired: Trade

A few months ago we took a look at the 1992 Score RIFLEMAN card and just like that one I absolutely love this card! If you are a Bo collector this is a must have for your collection. The red laser graphical background was mind blowing in the 90s and it still gives me goosebumps today. The photo on the front is a nice action shot, but the back has an outstanding shot of Bo smiling while out on the diamond. Great job Score!

1992 Donruss Triple Play #164

Type: Base Card

Acquired: Pulled From Pack

I really liked the Donruss Triple Play set. It was a nice looking product at a lower price point than most packs at the time. The photography was clean and this Bo card shows it. This card came out around the time Bo was still new to the White Sox and it looks like he is happy to be there. My only hang up with this set is that I wished the backs had more stats, but the trivia is always a welcome addition!

1987 Donruss #35

Type: Base Card

Acquired: Traded For

Rated Rookie cards were the best. That stamp on the front boosted the value of the card in my eyes by 100 percent. When I still see that graphic today it takes me back to great collecting memories as a kid. This card is nothing really special for the likes of Bo. The pose is boring and the design is bland, but it's a Bo Rookie card so it deserves a nice spot in my collection!

1990 Bowman #378

Type: Base Card

Acquired: Bought at Show

I really like this card! Most cards during this point of Bo's career feature him at the plate either getting ready to slam a homer or already doing so. This one feels like more of a behind the scenes at the ball park feel to it. Also, it doesn't hurt that his hat is haphazardly hanging sideways on the top of his mighty melon!

1990 Classic #T25

Type: Base Card

Acquired: Bought at Show

This card is totally rad! From the sweet neon pink border with neon blue slashes to the extreme font style on the front this card is definitely of it's time. I believe that's what really makes this a great card. It doesn't hold back in it's reflection of what was popular in the 90s. I also love this card because it shows Bo holding his All-Star game MVP trophy. During the 1989 mid-season classic, Bo went 2 for 4 with 1 home run and 2 RBI.

1991 Fleer Pro Vision #5

Type: Insert Card

Acquired: Pulled From Pack

This has to be my most favorite Bo Jackson card of all time! This card was released in the early 90s well Bo was at the height of his legendary prowess on the diamond and the gridiron. The things he did were superhuman and it was no stretch to believe he was built like the Terminator. This card provided all the evidence we needed to prove that point. The art is classic and the design is simple but impressive. I loved this card so much that I had my Dad make me a t-shirt for my birthday with this image printed on it!

2011 UD Goodwin Champions #M-BJ

Type: Memorabilia Card

Acquired: Purchased Online

I have been a fan of the Upper Deck Goodwin Champions cards sets for a while now. I love the old timey look and feel of the graphics and design. The only problem I have with this series of cards is that the paintings of the athletes are hit or miss. Some look strikingly like the athlete while others seem a little off. This Bo card seems a little off to me. It's not a terrible representation of Mr. Jackson, just not the best I've seen. Oh well, at least it comes with a piece of game worn Raiders jersey! 

2003 Donruss Team Heroes #241

Type: Base Card

Acquired: Purchased Online

I really like the design of this card. It has a retro feel with a modern twist. The image on the front is crisp and clean and the back gives a limited amount of stats with a nice brief synopsis of Bo's time in Kansas City while also providing some Royals team facts. I usually don't care for these "after retirement" Bo cards, but this one is a nice piece to have in any collection.

2005 Donruss Champions #127

Type: Subset Card

Acquired: Purchased Online

This is one of the few Bo Jackson cards that I really don't care for. I feel like there is a huge waste of space on the front of the card. I know this is because there are relic variants of this cards with jersey swatches and such, but the base version just seems lack luster and lazy. The least they could have done id thrown up a second picture of Bo. The back is pretty standard. Not a lot of stats and minimal info.

1992 Donruss #470

Type: Base Card

Acquired: Pulled From Pack

The 90s were not the best decade for baseball card designs, but this 1992 Donruss set is one of the few exceptions to that statement. I really like the blue chrome look to the border and the silver name font on the front stands out well against the blue. This card was released around the same time as Bo Jackson's long awaited return to Major League Baseball with the Chicago White Sox. As a kid I thought he would come back and be his old self again. I was wrong. He was still an exciting player, but was just missing some of the super heroics Bo was known for. I still watch his old highlight reels and wonder what could have been.

1990 Fleer "Superstar Specials" #635

Type: Subset Card

Acquired: Bought at show

Here we go! These cards were the best. You put 2 baseball superstars together on 1 card and it is a must have! I grabbed this card because Bo was involved, but you cannot argue with the baseball greatness that was Kirby Puckett! Over 12 seasons in Minnesota, Puckett had lifetime BA of .318, 1085 RBIs and 2304 hits. In addition to his excellent batting stats, Puckett also won 6 Gold Glove awards. A great all-around player with the greatest athlete all on one 1990 card by Fleer! It doesn't get much better than that!

1990 Sportflics #200

Type: Base Card

Acquired: Bought at show

I absolutely love Sportflics cards! They were awesome 30 years ago and they are still awesome today! The magic motion of the cards was unique back in the 80s & 90s then you began to see the fad everywhere, but in my opinion these baseball cards did it the best. You could actually see your favorite slugger smash the ball, you could witness your favorite pitcher throw a fastball down the middle. This was pure magic to a young collector and I still have a soft spot for these cards today. Also, the backs of the cards were very well done. Utilizing half the card for a color photo of the player and the other half for some stats. Well done Sportflics! Please make a comeback sometime soon!

1990 Fleer Baseball MVP #21

Type: Limited Set

Acquired: Bought at show

This card eluded me for a while. I would see pictures of it online in my search for Bo Jackson cards, but I never physically saw the card until a visit to a local NJ card show. There it was and for only 50 cents! The shot on the front is a unique look at Bo attempting to outrun a tag. A nice picture for sure. I would have liked to see a little more flair on the back, but this was the 90s and card companies had not hit their stride yet on producing nice looking backs with stats and multiple player photos. Overall a nice card from an elusive set!

1991 Fleer #561

Type: Base Card

Acquired: Pulled From Pack

I really feel like the 1991 Fleer set doesn't get the props it deserves. The bright, bold, yellow color of the border helps it stand out from all the other cards put out around this time. The photos on the front are decent and the inclusion of a candid color photo on the back is a nice inclusion. All in all not a bad card from a pretty good looking set.

1988 Star Limited Set #2

Type: Limited Set

Acquired: Bought At Card Show

STAR card sets are not my favorite to collect. There are so many "limited" sets that were put out in the late 80s & early 90s that it is hard to keep them straight. Every now and then, I do discover some of these cards in the bargain bins at card shows and I will pick them up if they are cheap. The borders are kind of plain and the backs lack a lot of color and style that other card companies did so well at the time. This card however, features Bo in his minor league Memphis Chicks uniform and recaps his stats from those early years. These two aspects alone make it one of my favorite STAR cards ever produced!

1991 Fleer Ultra Team #6

Type: Insert Card

Acquired: Bought At Card Show

This 1991 Fleer Ultra Team set was one of the first insert sets that I remember collecting. Sure there were subsets before this like Diamond Kings, but getting one of these cards was like playing the odds in the lottery. I never did hit the jackpot in the packs I bought, but I did pick up this card for a decent price at a card show in the 90s. The graphics are nice, the photos are crisp and the write up on the back tells us all about Bo's super human like performances on the field. This is a great card from a cool set that I would like to finish collecting some day.

1995 Fleer #227

Type: Base Card

Acquired: Bought Online

As card designs go, this set is one of my least favorite. The back of the card is pretty nice with the closeup shot offset to the right and leaving space for the career stats on the left. It has a nice clean look and solid balance. The front on the other hand is kind of a mess! We have a nice photo of Bo swinging the hammer, but it is brought down a notch due to the psychedelic swirls of color in the background. If that wasn't enough, they decided to squeeze in an unnecessary second photo of Bo jogging the bases. It is all very distracting and could have been a decent card if they went with the simplicity of the batting photo without the crazy digital graphics. This is just my opinion though! 

1986 Donruss Highlights #43

Type: Subset Card

Acquired: Bought at Card Show

These "Highlights" cards were a great addition to the Donruss sets of the 80s & 90s. Mostly they showed off award winners and personal highlights such as no-hitters or league leaders. This one however features the exploits of one Bo Jackson and how he slugged the farthest home run in Royals Stadium history. I did know that Bo held that record for a while, but I didn't know that was his first Major League home run! What a way to say hello to the fans, opposing pitchers and the world! 

1988 Classic #208

Type: Base Card

Acquired: Bought at Card Show

Classic does it again! Giving us another unusual pose on our Baseball Cards. It looks like Bo is either getting ready to wind up for a softball style pitch or take off like Superman. You be the judge. Although it is an awkward stance, it still is something unique that Classic gives us. Oh and don't forget the Classic trivia on the back! Who knew Tom Seaver started 16 opening day games?

1987 Fleer Sticker #132

Type: Sticker

Acquired: Bought at Card Show

Kids love stickers. Kids love baseball. This card was a marriage made in heaven for a 6 year old boy like myself. Not only because it had Bo Jackson, but it also included Eric Davis. He was never one of my favorite players, but I could acknowledge his skills on the diamond. I always enjoyed these types of cards/stickers that had 2 or more players from different teams featured on them. It was a break from the usual, typical card. It was almost like a 2 for 1 sale printed on cardboard!

1990 Donruss Diamond King #1

Type: Subset

Acquired: Card Pack

Last week we looked at the 2005 Donruss Diamond King card of Mr. Jackson, this week we look at the original from 1990. A lot of people don't care for the look of this set, but I like it! It's recognizable from a mile away because of the bright red border and splatters of color. Compared to more recent releases the artwork on the cards isn't too amazing, but it still was a new and unique way to collect your favorite ball players back in the day. I still love finding these Diamond King cards in bargain bins or repacks!

2005 Donruss Diamond King #288

Type: Subset

Acquired: Online

Back in the 80s & 90s it was euphoria when you would pull a "Diamond King" card out of your wax pack of Donruss cards. The art was great and you didn't get one in every pack. I am glad Donruss has kept up this tradition of recognizing the best players with a portrait and nice card design. This card is a little after Bo's time in the league, but I'm not complaining. He was one of the greatest athletes of all-time after all!

1993 Bowman #415

Type: Base Card

Acquired: Card Show

The photography of Bowman cards has always been excellent and this card is a good example of that commitment to getting the best photo. I have seen a million cards of guys at the plate or smiling at the camera with their bats over their shoulders, but this is a unique shot of Bo getting ready in the batters box. and the back of the card has the standard Bo at the bat shot. The card design is simple but it works.

1991 Score #773 BO BREAKER

Type: Subset Card

Acquired: Given As A Gift

This is one of my favorite Bo Jackson cards of all-time! It shows off what Bo was all about in one sweet picture! He was powerful, a beast and very temperamental. With one swing of the bat he could knock a ball out of the park, with another he could miss completely and his bat would have to face the consequences. Score had some really great card designs in the 90s and this is a prime example of that creativity.

1994 Upper Deck Fun Packs #151

Type: Base Card

Acquired: Purchased Online

I really enjoy the look of these cards. I remember them being advertised in Marvel comics back in the mid 90s, but none of my usual card places carried them. This Fun Pack card was also one of the first times I had seen Bo in his California Angels uniform. I bought this online for about a quarter and am glad I did. The comic on the back alone is worth that!

1995 SportFlix #140

Type: Base Card

Acquired: Purchased Online

I really enjoyed the SportFlix brand of cards when they were introduced in the mid 80s. Not only did you get a photo of your favorite player on the front of the card, but you got an ambition of your favorite player hitting a home run or making a great catch. This was revolutionary! Then these cards disappeared for a few years from the market, only to return in the mid 90s! This time the cards had better graphics and more color added to the backs. We need more SportFlix on the shelves today!

1988 Star #6 of 12

Type: Limited Set

Acquired: Purchased at Show

Anything that features Bo in his Memphis Chicks uniform must become part of my collection. No matter the price, I will purchase these cards! I was happy to add this STAR '88 card to my collection for under a buck. I don't have the rest of this set, but I am continuously on the lookout for it!

1989 Topps Ames Card #17

Type: Retailer Exclusive

Acquired: Purchased at Store

My Mom would shop at Ames all the time! If you are not familiar with Ames, it was very much like a K-Mart. This 20/20 Club Topps series was sold as a small boxed set of 33 cards that celebrated the players who achieved 20 Home Runs and Stolen Bases during the 1988 season and you could only buy it at Ames stores. On one trip to Ames with my Mom, she used this as a reward to myself and my brother. If we could behave, we would get the set. I'm sure we were okay on that trip because we did receive the sets and I have had this Bo card in my collection ever since. Thanks Mom!

1990 Bo Football Oddball card #6

Type: Oddball Card

Acquired: Card Show

During the late 80s/early 90s I was at the peak of my Bo Jackson fanaticism! My Dad would take me and my brother to any card show we could find around NJ. This is where I was introduced to the "Oddball" card. These were cards put out by small companies or individuals who were attempting to cash in on the trading card boom of the 20th century. For the most part these cards were done pretty well and I would buy anything I could find with Mr. Jackson on it. This card is a pretty thick stock, with glossy front and select stats on the back. Not the coolest card in my collection, but still Bo at his finest on the gridiron!

1991 Score #412 RIFLEMAN

Type: Subset Card

Acquired: Card Pack

I adored this Score subset when it came out. The colors were vibrant, the graphics were high tech and the players they included were some of my favorites! I was able to "Score" this card from one of the many packs I had bought. My friends were in awe. Sure there were other great subsets in the 91 Score set like "The Franchise", "Dream Team" and "All-Stars". These were great looking cards also, but my favorite will always be the green, laser emblazoned Rifleman card of my favorite player Bo Jackson!

2003 Leaf Certified Materials

Type: Memorabilia Card

Acquired: Via Ebay

This was the first memorabilia card I ever purchased of Bo Jackson. I grabbed it off Ebay for around $15. It is cut from an authentic game worn jersey from the 1990 MLB season. Of course this was Bo's last season as Royal before his hip injury caused him to be released by the team. My goal is to collect enough of these cards so I can eventually make my own authentic Bo Jackson jersey. That may take a little time to pull off, so maybe I'll just sit back and admire the card I have before me?

1990 ProSet Football #155

Type: Base Card

Acquired: Via Trade

I remember really wanting this card when I was a kid. One of our neighbors had it and I just loved the action shot in the photo and the majority of my Bo Jackson card collection was baseball cards. To add this great looking card to my collection would be an achievement! I threw everything at my neighbor trying to get him to budge on a trade. I threw Mattingly, Winfield and even a Sandy Alomar rookie card! It took a combination of Yankees and Jets cards to finally put this Bo card in my grasp and this is the card you see above!

Bootleg Bo/Bart card

Type: Bootleg

Acquired: Via Card Show

I really don't know too much about the card. It really doesn't give too much info. No date, no copyright, not anything. I do know that when I saw this for 50 cents at a card show I had to have it. This piece of cardboard showcases two of my idols from the 90s. The mischievous Bart Simpson and the mighty Bo Jackson. I have seen some other Bo/Bart cards online, but have yet to see them in person. Hopefully I'll stumble upon some somewhere for a cheap price and relive the glory days of these two American icons from the past. 

1990 Bowman Sweepstakes Card

Type: Sweepstakes Card

Acquired: Via Card Show

This was always an odd card to me. There was a whole series of these artistic sweepstakes cards in the 1990 Bowman baseball set, but this is the only one I own. You could fill out this card and send it in for your chance to win a complete set of 11 baseball superstars paintings by artist Craig Pursley valued at $110 thousand! Did anyone actually fill these cards out and send them in? I know I would have rather kept the card in my collection then send it out. What would you have done?

1990 Donruss Learning Series #38

Type: Learning Series

Acquired: Via Ebay

This is a card that I never knew existed! I have a bunch of different Bo cards from the 1990 Donruss set including MVP, All-Star and base cards, but I never heard of the Donruss "Learning Series"! I did some digging and according to BaseballCardPedia.com the "1990 Donruss Learning Series is a 55-card set that served as part of an educational packet for elementary and middle school students." DANG! I wish I had these as a kid. I would have learned so much more! Who am I kidding...I would have just hoarded these and continued to be a solid straight C student.

1989 Classic #157

Type: Base Card

Acquired: Via Trade

Classic always had great shots on their cards, and this one is no exception! Bo in the batting cages! I used to work with a guy who was a pitcher in the KC Royals farm system around the time Bo was playing for them and he said anytime Bo took BP, everyone stopped whatever they were doing to see how far he would smash the ball. He was that kind of talent. Another great thing about the early Classic cards was the trivia at the bottom. These cards were part of a game, but I don't know of anyone who ever played it. They were a good source of sports knowledge nonetheless! 

1987 Topps #170

Type: Rookie Card

Acquired: Via Card Pack

This was the first Bo Jackson card I ever had in my collection and the 1987 Topps set is what really got me into card collecting. I am a huge Mets fan and 1987 was the year after they won the World Series, so I had to collect the cards of my fave Mets. These included Gary Carter, Keith Hernandez, Dwight Gooden, Ray Knight and Darryl Strawberry to name a few. My Dad would bring home packs of these cards every so often and I was hooked. We used to sit at the kitchen table and unwrap those wax packs at night and my Dad would tell us all about the players and managers as we hung on his every word, we would chew on the chalky, sugary gum that was in every pack. It really was a great bonding experience for us and really solidified my love for the game. It wasn't until a year later that Bo really caught my attention with his mammoth home runs and laser precision throws, but when he did I was glad I had this card in my collection. I know it's not worth a heck of a lot today, but it has a ton of sentimental value to me.