1990 Shanks Best Hitters II #30

Type: Oddball Card

Acquired: Bought at Card Store

Back in the 90's, you had your Donruss, Upper Deck, Topps & Fleer sets, but when you went to your local card shop, they always had these weird off brand cards of your favorite players available for purchase. One of the most seen in the stores I visited were "Shanks" cards. The fronts of the cards were pretty nice looking and had some never before seen shots of some great players, but the backs were extremely generic as seen on the reverse side of this Bo card. Nevertheless, I thought they were cool and had to have any card that had Bo on it. I have a few of these cards in my collection today and when I see them it reminds me of those times where I would go to the card shop with my Dad in search of some sweet baseball cards.

2008 Donruss Timeless Treasures #TT-15

Type: Insert Card

Acquired: Bought Online

I really don't collect many of the newer Bo cards, but I make an exception from time to time. This Donruss Timeless Treasures card is very nice looking. The black & white picture on the color card really helps make the action pop. There are no stats and the back is pretty generic, but I still enjoy this post-playing career card of Bo. Also, only 100 of these cards were made and I own #74.

1990 Post #14

Type: Limited Set

Acquired: Bought Online

There was nothing cooler than getting free stuff in your cereal box in the morning. Little toys, stickers, decoders and of course cards were some of the amazing things within these boxes of sweetened corn breakfast delights. I loved getting these cards and treasuring them for the greatness that they possessed. This Bo card was from Post and features Mr. Jackson just chilling out at the ballpark. Back in the day, the exclusion of any team logos or names really confused me, but as an adult I understand licensing and why you need to pay to use these trademarked items. I do like the layout and colors of this card. It really stands out in my book of Bo! 

1995 Upper Deck Collectors Choice Special Edition #36

Type: Special Edition

Acquired: Bought Online

Nothing special to see here, just Bo giving you 2 tickets to the gun show! DAMN! That guy was jacked! No wonder he was able to be that unique combination of size, power and speed during his football & baseball career. Also, I'm sure his peak fitness helped in his recovery from what many deemed a "Career Ending" hip injury. Bo proved them all wrong and was able to continue his home run smashing ways for a few more seasons in the MLB. This card shows him in his twilight as a California Angel where he was able to knock out 13 home runs and bring in an additional 45 RBI.

1991 ProSet #42

Type: Base Card

Acquired: Pulled From Pack

This card highlights Bo's 1985 Heisman trophy win as the best player in college football. If memory serves me correct his win was one of the closest in Heisman voting history when he narrowly edged out Iowa QB Chuck Long by 45 votes! Some other notable players that reeived votes that year were Vinny Testaverde, Thurman Thomas, Napoleon MaCallum, Jim Everett & Lorenzo White. Bo beat out all these great college football athletes by running for 1,786 yards and 17 touchdowns. That season gave Bo totals of  4,303 yards and 45 touchdowns in his college career. Records at the time for Auburn University and a snapshot of the greatness that was to come from Mr. Jackson on the gridiron!

1989 King B Disc #11

Type: Limited Series

Acquired: Bought Online

Last week I posted the 1990 King B Bo Jackson Disc that I bought online a few years ago. After some research I discovered that Bo was also in the 1989 series. I searched ebay and found a copy for $1 and now I am proud to say that this oddity is part of my Bo Jackson card collection. This disc takes away a little of the mystery from the 1990 set by stating that King B is "Quality Meat Snacks". Before last week, I had no idea what King B was! I read that these were available in bags of beef jerky, but a commenter says they came in jersky chew tins. Either way it's cool that you could have some delicious cured meat and enjoy a free card at the same time. Is there anything better than that?

1990 King B Disc #17

Type: Limited Series

Acquired: Bought Online

This item was a bit of a mystery to me. I never knew what King B was until I researched it today. I honestly thought it was some kind of regional convenience store, but I was wrong. It turns out King B is a brand of jerky and these discs were randomly inserted into specially marked bags from 1988 - 1994. Bo was also included in the second series of these oddball "cards" in 1989. I may have to search that one out, since I see they go between $1 - $3 on ebay!

1991 Upper Deck #93

Type: Base Card

Acquired: Pulled From Pack

Usually I am not a fan of these art/checklist cards. The majority of the time the artwork is iffy at best, but this one is actually pretty good. The likeness of Bo Jackson is solid and the little splash of color in the word "BO" at the bottom ads a little something to the card. The back is just a checklist of all the Raiders players that were included in the 1991 Upper Deck Football card set. Nothing too amazing. Overall, I do like this card. Not because it's Bo...okay MOSTLY because it is Bo.

1991 ProSet Platinum #136

Type: Base Card

Acquired: Traded With Friend

I love this card and the Pro Set Platinum set! The photos on these cards were fantastic, they featured a glossy UV coating and the backs featured more great photos! The only thing I would have wanted were some stats, but I guess that's what the standard Pro Set cards were for. The photo of Bo on the front shows him running and shaking Bengals defenders and the back does the same. It gives me great pleasure to know that the game mentioned on the card back is what is featured in the photos! YES! I still can't believe that Bo ran 88 yards, but was tackled before he reached the endzone by Rod Jones! I'm pretty sure I traded more for this card than I should have, but it is a great card and I'm glad I own it!

1991 Fleer #110

Type: Base Card

Acquired: Pulled From Pack

Back in the day, I really didn't care for this card design. Sure it showed the highlighted player in an action pose, but the rest of everything was cropped out! No defense, no offensive line, no crowds cheering on our NFL heroes, it just seemed lame! Over the years though, I have come to appreciate the 1991 Fleer football cards simplicity. By no means is this one of my favorite sets, but the photos are pretty clean and the backs of the cards feature those cool "candid" shots. I n this one Bo is seen rockin an F-14 cap on the sidelines. Another bonus is a pretty good crop of stats for each player. Luckily the insert cards (Provisions & All-Pros) kick this set up a notch. 

1990 Diamond Sports NO#

Type: Oddball Card

Acquired: Traded With Friend

There were so many unofficial cards released during the hobby boom in the 90s. I don't know where many of these came from or how they were acquired. This week's featured card though, is definitly odd. Still it has a charm to it. The front is made up to look like a magazine cover and features Bo famously breaking a bat over his knee. I give credit to whoever made this card, because this is a shot that I have not seen on another card. My dislike for this card stems from the fact that the front features Bo playing baseball and references his Kansas City Royals MLB days, but the back gives his 1989 NFL stats from his days with the Los Angeles Raiders! This type of thing annoys me, but what would you expect from an early 90s oddball release?

1991 Bowman #243

Type: Base Card

Acquired: Pulled From Pack

I remember pulling this card from a pack of Bowman in 1991 and being in awe of the fantastic photograph on the front. It shows Bo at his shiftiest on the gridiron ready to bust off another unbelieveablt touchdown run! Typically Bo is known for running over & bulldozing defenders, but it was his quickness and ability to cut on a dime that gave him those scoring opportunities. Power, speed and the ability to slip away from defenders, can you imagine if he was able to play in the NFL fulltime in his prime?

1991 ProSet #346

Type: Base Card

Acquired: Pulled From Pack

This card literally & figuratively hurts to post. Pro Set created a card for their "NFL Newsreel" subset that highlights Bo Jackson's football career ending injury that occured during a playoff game against the Bengals on January 13th, 1991. It's a crazy thing to think that an injury would make it into a major card series, but I guess that shows how big of an icon Bo was. As we all know, Bo was able to recover from this devastating hip injury, but he was never able to play in the NFL again. What really surprised me was how quick the Kansas City Royals were to release him just 2 months after the injury on March 18th, 1991! Luckily for us the Chicago White Sox took a gamble and signed him as a free agent on April 3rd, 1991. What a roller coaster of a year! Eventually it paid off as Bo still had a few good MLB seasons left in the tank and even helped them win the American League West in 1993.

1991 Pacific #234

Type: Base Card

Acquired: Pulled From Pack

Thanks to the AWESOME blog "Collecting Cutch" we have a bonus Bo Jackson football card post this week! Collecting Cutch is hosting a contest to raise the profile of Breast Cancer Awareness Month over at their site. This is something that hits home since my Grandmother passed away from breast cancer before I even had the chance to know her. They are asking bloggers to post a "pink" card to their sites in hopes of winning a Babe Ruth relic card. I would have taken part even if there wasn't a prize involved. I know it's not a ton of pink, but I already posted my '90 Classic Bo Jackson card, so this was the next best thing I could find and man do I love it! I really like how this cards screams 90s with the teal & pink color stripe motif, but I also like that behind that motif is a really well put together card. The graphics don't deter from the great front & back photos and there are just enough stats and info on the card to keep me satisfied! I believe I pulled this card from a pack that was in a box of Pacific cards my Dad bought for us on clearance. I wonder why the Pacific cards were always clearanced around the area I lived in NJ? They are decent enough cards, but maybe just not good enough to compete with the big boys like Upper Deck & Topps?

1990 Score #591

Type: Base Card

Acquired: Pulled From Pack

This card commemorates Bo Jackson's 92-yard touchdown run against the Cincinatti Bengals in week 9 of the 1989 NFL season. At this point Bo was the only NFL running back to have ever ran for multiple 90 yard runs. His other run came in 1987 against the Seahawks. I find it odd that the card talks about his record breaking run against the Bengals, but the photo on the front shows him eating up Broncos defenders. Why would they do that? Was this shot more dynamic? Did Score not have a shot from that game? Maybe it was a mistake by the company? Either way, it's a nice looking card that shows off the dominating run skills Bo had back in the late 80s/early 90s!

1990 Baseball Cards Presents #4

Type: Magazine Card

Acquired: Cut From Magazine

I vividly remember getting this card from one of my Uncles at a family reuinion. As a kid, we never really saw my Dad's side of the family, but when we did it was a party. There were so many people at this reunion that I didn't know and as a 9 year old in a strange place with unknown people, you can believe I was a little stand-offish. The one thing that helped me come out of my shell was hearing the older folks talk about sports. I joined right in and talked about my favorite team (New York Mets) and favorite player. When my Uncle heard Bo was my favorite player, he went to his car and grabbed a baseball card album and let me pick out any cards I wanted. Of course I grabbed some Bo cards, including the one above. Beside the sentimental value of the card, I love the appearance of Bo's "Dwayne Wayne" flip up glasses. Totally 90s & totally classic!

1987 Toys R Us Rookies #13

Type: Limited Set

Acquired: Purchased Online

The photo in this card is really not all that amazing, but what really catches my eye is the design of the front and the back of the card. I love the look of the bold neon pink "ROOKIES" graphic over the black border and the cartoon drawings on the back interwoven in the orange background color really stand out. I miss these store exclusive sets. Toys 'R' Us, Aames, K-Mart, they all had some pretty cool sets back in the day.

1986 Topps Custom #327 (Custom)

Type: Custom Card

Acquired: Created at Home

Not many people know that Bo Jackson was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with their #1 pick in the 1986 draft. The story goes that Bo told the team not to draft him because he wanted to focus on baseball. The Bucs didn't listen and drafted him anyway. Bucs team officials then told Bo to come with them to Florida for a physical. They said it was cleared by the NCAA & SEC, but when Bo went back to play baseball for Auburn he was ruled inelligible because of the plane ride he took to see team doctors. Bo thought the Bucs did this on purpose to keep him from playing baseball, which would give him no other option than to play for Tampa Bay. As we all know this tactic did not work and Bo never played a down for the Bucs. His rights expired by the 1987 draft and the Raiders picked Bo in the 7th round and the rest is history. I created this card as a commemoration of this "What If?" moment in history and I think it looks pretty cool!

1991 Topps Magazine #TM52

Type: Magazine Card

Acquired: Cut From Magazine

I was still in shock that Bo had become a player for the White Sox at the time this card was released. It was such a change from seeing him in the Royals blue uniforms I had been accustomed to. Of course I had to have anything and everything that included a snapshot of Bo in his new pinstripes. I remember buying the Topps magazine this card was in just for this card. Not sure if you can tell, but my 10 year old self did a pretty crappy job of cutting the card above and that's okay. That makes this card uniquely mine. I'm sure no one else has this Bo card cut just like this one. Cool design from a great time in my collecting life.

1991 Pacific Flash Cards #54

Type: Base Card

Acquired: Pulled From Pack

In 1991 Pacific had the unique idea to try and use trading cards as a way to teach kids math. Not sure if it made it past this release, but I can applaud the effort. I have quite a few of these Bo math cards in my collection since my Dad bought a box of these cards for us kids. I know he got them very cheap and I thought it was a cool idea just for the fact that the set featured some of the best players of the era and thanks to this card I never forgot that 17 x 2 = 34!

1994 Pinnacle Tribute #TR4

Type: Insert Card

Acquired: Traded With Friend

When it came to Bo collecting, I was all in! If you had a Bo card I didn't have, you had better have been ready to trade on the schoolyard after lunch. I gave up a lot of some of the "HOTTEST" cards from the 90s to acquire some of these cards and this one was no different. I gave up a 1992 Deion Sanders Upper Deck SP3! Looking back that trade really wasn't a bad deal for me as I gave up one multi-sport star to acquire another. This card had me at "Bionic Bo"!

1994 Fleer #U18

Type: Base Card

Acquired: Bought Online

I don't know why I have a fascination with Bo's years in an Angels uniform? It wasn't his peak, but there is something so magnetizing to me about these years? Maybe it's because it was the last time I'd ever see Bo play in the MLB or maybe it's the oddity of seeing him out there in a new uniform. Whatever it is, I appreciate the drive this man had to continue his professional career after many would have hung up the spikes. It gave kids like me the confidence that we could do anything as long as you believed you could. Thanks for the motivation Mr. Jackson and for the entertaining way you played the game with emotion and passion! By the way I like this card! 

1994 Donruss #173

Type: Base Card

Acquired: Pulled From Pack

1994 was the year where Donruss really stepped up their baseball card game. There graphics were tamed down a bit and foil stamping was added to keep up with the more premium cards of the time. The photo on the front of the card doesn't do much for me, but at least it's something different. It's the dugout shot on the back that is the highlight of this card to me. I am a sucker for dugout shots! That's where you see the real emotions of the players. The joy after getting a big hit or the tantrums after striking out. It looks here like Bo is just waiting his turn at bat and patiently watching the batter at the plate. Maybe it was Frank Thomas or Robin Ventura?

1993 Fleer Ultra #534

Type: Base Card

Acquired: Pulled From Pack

This is a beautiful card! The photo on the front really captures Bo's determination to rip the guts out of any fastball that came speeding his way. The back shows a rare photo of Bo in the field and has limited stats, but I will forgive this shortcoming due to how nice this card looks with it's minimal graphics and foil stamping. Fleer Ultra truly was the standard in baseball cards during the 90s and year after year they continued to put out a great product that collectors clamored for!

1990 Score #280

Type: Base Card

Acquired: Pulled From Pack

This is a pretty cool looking card from early in Bo's career. The shot on the front of the card perfectly captures that moment of action where bat is milliseconds away from hitting speeding fastball. The layout of the graphics is kind of blah, but not terrible. The back features an unimpressed photo of Bo followed by a great set of stats. I was on the hunt for this card for a long time as a kid and one magical day, I opened a pack of 1990 Score and BAM I was given this great card. Not a bad pull at all!

1994 Score Select #356

Type: Base Card

Acquired: Bought Online

I'm usually not a fan of the landscape style of baseball cards. They always look clunky when you put them in your binder next to the other cards, but I will give this Score release a pass due to how well it is put together. The front features two action poses of Bo. The main photo is large and in full coloe, while the other is smaller and monotone. I like this because the smaller photo doesn't feel like it distracts from the main focus shot and it's there more as an accent. The back features limited stats and a nice "candid" shot of Bo in the dugout. Not a bad card from Bo's forgotten days as an Angel.

1994 Score #513

Type: Base Card

Acquired: Bought Online

I really like this card. The front design is nice. It definitely is dated, but I kind of like the dark blue border with the small graphic touches near the name. The back has a great candid photo of Bo smiling and comes with complete stats, tells the story of him smashing a home run in his first at bat since hip surgery and includes a quote from Frank Thomas! Score really nailed it with this release!

2004 Fleer Greats #67

Type: Base Card

Acquired: Bought Online

The look of this card is modern with a touch of vintage. I like how they have the front photo clear and in full color while the background is blurred and muted. It shows the action and also preserves the feel of a ball game. The stats on the back are complete and the design is simple yet effective. This is one of my more liked recent cards of Bo. Usually newer cards have a rushed feel to them , but this one seems to have been done with care and it shows!

1990 Fleer #110

Type: Base Card

Acquired: Pulled From Pack

Typical 90s Bo Jackson baseball card here. Nice photo of an at bat action scene on the front. No bonus photos on the back, but we do get some great career stats and the "Vital Signs" stat is always cool to see. This design really is not one of my faves. In my opinion it's pretty plain and the colors are dull. I do enjoy the set-up on the back though and once again you can always win me over with stats!

1994 O-Pee-Chee #116

Type: Base Card

Acquired: Bought Online

This is the latest Bo Jackson card to my collection and let me say, I like it! I like the graphics and photo on the front of the card. I think we need more cards that show Bo in the outfield. His arm on defense was just as deadly as hit bat on offense, but there doesn't seem to be a lot of cards out there that highlight this overlooked aspect of Bo's game. The back is nice and has an intense looking photo of Bo on top of his total career stats! Let's not forget that this card is bi-lingual and includes a French translation to the English text! Nice card from the twilight of Mr. Jackson's career!

1994 Panini Sticker #49

Type: Sticker

Acquired: Bought Online

Recently while reading one of my favorite card collecting blogs, The Chronicles of Fuji, I saw that he had purchased some cards for 10 cents apiece via the website baseballcardstore.ca. I decided to take a look at what this site had to offer and saw they had all their cards on sale for a dime! I went a little crazy and bought about 200 cards from the site including a few new Bo Jackson cards. One of these new acquisitions is the 1994 Panini Sticker you see above. I actually like the simplicity of the green border and pennant featuring the team logo and player name. As would be expected the back does not offer anything except the sticker number that shows you where to place it in the album. Another cool thing about this sticker is that it is just shy of being the same size as a true baseball card. Not bad for a few cents! 

1991 Fleer Ultra #149

Type: Base Card

Acquired: Bought at Card Shop

Fleer Ultra was one of the first if not, the first premium sets of cards that flooded the market in the 90s. I like the look of this set from 1991. I remember going crazy for these cards! The muted silver border on the front does not detract from the great shot of Bo at the plate and the three photo back is also an excellent touch. Throughout the years Fleer would improve on their Ultra line of cards by including UV coating and foil accents, but in my opinion the layout of this early set really is a standout. As is typical with Fleer Ultra, the card does not include full career stats.

1990 Donruss #650

Type: Subset Card

Acquired: Pulled From Pack

This card commemorates Bo Jackson's one and only All-Star Game appearance in 1989. Not only was Bo voted into the game, but he won the MVP award due to his monster lead-off home run. In the end Bo drove in 2 runs, scored a run and stole a base in the 60th Mid-Season classic.

1990 Classic #2

Type: Base Card

Acquired: Trade With Friend

Nothing too notable about this base card from Classic. The front totally screams 90s and could have been used in the intro to "Saved By The Bell". I actually like the blend of hot pink tears on the dark blue background. The back is classic Classic (see what I did there?), lack of season stats, inclusion of career stats and of course baseball trivia! Photo on the front is okay. Not great, but okay.

1989 Sportflics #70

Type: Base Card

Acquired: Bought at Show

I have no real attachment to this card. I love Sportflics, but this one card seems to be more of the same. The photos are okay, but not great and the stats are slim. The only thing I like about this card and I feel makes it stand out, is the nice, large, centered photo on the back on Bo running the bases. It's a pretty unique photo and a nice way to present it on the back, even if it takes away room from his stats.

1989 Score Young Superstars #5

Type: Limited Series

Acquired: Bought at Show

This card was from a limited set put out by Score in 1989. This set highlighted a lot of the up and coming baseball stars including Bo Jackson. I like the front pic of Bo in the batters box. It's a nice angle that isn't used too often on Bo cards. The back includes a photo I know I have seen before in other Score offerings, but the layout is nice nonetheless. It includes stats, some decent coloring and a little blurb about Mr. Bo.

1994 Fleer #U18

Type: Base Card

Acquired: Bought Online

Here we have another 1994 Fleer product, but this one is from the Update series and depicts Bo in the last uniform he would wear in the MLB, as a California Angel. Just like the previous post, the layout of this card is very nice and I really like the photo on the back depicting Bo taking off after hitting the ball. Look at that determination in his face. It is still odd to see Bo in this uniform, but nonetheless it is a nice card featuring my favorite player in the twilight of his outstanding career.

1994 Fleer #84

Type: Base Card

Acquired: Bought Online

I really like the layout of this card. It may be too simple for some collector's liking, but I think the white border along with the smaller logos and limited gold foil stamping add to it's charm. Stats on the back are great and the photo may not be an action shot, but at least it's a different look for a Bo photo. 

1994 Fleer Flair #23

Type: Base Card

Acquired: Bought Online

I love the Flair brand by Fleer. The glossiness, the thick card stock and the abundance of gold foil made this one of my favorite brands of the 90s. Not to mention, the photography was fantastic and the graphics don't interfere with the overall look at all. I mean look at the double shot of Bo on the front, who would have thought these two action shots would work so well together. The card back is also excellent with it's abundance of stats and full card photo. Great design from an amazing set.

1991 Score #5

Type: Base Card

Acquired: Pulled From Pack

I have fond memories of this 1991 Score Baseball Card set. I asked for it for my birthday that year, mostly due to the fact that it included multiple Bo Jackson subset cards like the awesome "Bo Breaker" card and "Rifleman" card. What a cool looking set. Even the base cards had a nice design. I like the shot of Bo watching the ball after a hit on the front and the typical head shot on the back is nice due to the inclusion of the ballpark behind him. Solid card from one of my favorite sets.

1990 Leaf #125

Type: Base Card

Acquired: Bought At Show

Unlike the previous card that was reviewed this one really stands out for it's simplicity. There are very few graphic elements on the front, but those elements pop and don't take anything away from the photography. I always seem to like the batting shots of players waiting for a pitch to be delivered more so than the actual impact shots. It's probably because you can see the focus and determination in their eyes right before they connect. The back has a decent photo of Bo and my favorite, complete stats!

1989 Score #330

Type: Base Card

Acquired: Traded With Friend

As bland as baseball cards could have been back in the 80s, this set from Score may be the blandest. The front features little in the way of graphics and those that are there really don't stand out. The color choice seems a little off to me. Why not go with team colors instead of purple and orange. The photos are the standard batting stance and the back has shot I swear I have seen before in other Score offerings. All around, not one of my favorite cardboard iterations of Bo, but this still is a snapshot of him at his peak.