Saturday, May 30, 2020

Even Deeper Down the MSA Rabbit Hole!

Help!

I keep falling deeper and deeper into the MSA rabbit hole!


Here's a tile of nine ugly logoless cards.  Logoless, just like the MSA discs.

Now flip the cards over.



Take a closer look at the backs.



MSA wasn't limited to discs.  They did cards too.

And so down further into the rabbit hole I went.  How many different card sets did MSA produce? This wouldn't be as easy as the discs, when I could search the TCDB using the keyword "discs."  

Instead, I first paged through my Cubs binders with all the product cards and store brand cards.  I checked the backs of any of the logoless cards for the telltale ©MSA.  That got me a pretty big list of sets that ran from 1986 through 1996.

Figuring that there were more, my next step was to look over the PSA master lists of a few players that were superstars in the late '80s and early '90.  I settled on three players, figuring at least one of them would have been in every MSA set.  I used the registries for Ryne Sandberg, Robin Yount, and Cal Ripken.  That added several more MSA sets to my list.

I've ended up with a list of 49 different sets.  As with the disc list, I expect this one to be very fluid.  Look it over and let me know if I've missed any.  Also, on Monday I'll have three sets that look like they should be added to the list but the cards are missing the ©MSA.

Here are the 49 I've come up with:


1986    Burger King
Dorman's Cheese
Drakes
General Mills
Kellers
Meadow Gold
True Value
1987 Burger King
Drakes
General Mills
Kraft
M&M's
Ralston Purina
Stuart Superstars
1988 Chef Boyardee
Drakes
Nestle
1989 Cereal (Ralston Purina) Superstars
Gardners
JJ Nissen
1990 All American
Jumbo Seeds
Post
Wonder
1991 Jimmy Dean
Jumbo Seeds
Mootown Snackers
Post
1992 Diet Pepsi
French's
Jimmy Dean
Jimmy Dean Living Legends
Jimmy Dean Rookie Stars
Jumbo Seeds
Mootown Snackers
Post
1993 Duracell
Hostess
Jimmy Dean
Jimmy Dean Rookie Stars
Metz Bakery
Milkbone
Post
1994 Post
Tombstone
1995 Kraft
Post
Tombstone
1996 Pizza Hut

6 comments:

  1. Yep that's definitely a rabbit hole you've got yourself into! Generally ugly group of cards, yeah. Although I do like the Sandberg Diet Pepsi and the back of the Dawson Mootown.

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  2. I wish MSA would make cards again... I miss food issued cards even without the logos!

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  3. This is like watching youtubers discover Led Zeppelin for the first time.

    Also, they are NOT ugly.

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  4. I vaguely remember discovering MSA made non-disc cards while looking at some card packs. If I were to guess, I'd say I was checking out the Burger King, Tombstone, or Duracell cards. I've come across a fair share of those digging through dime boxes over the years.

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  5. Great set of the era (but not an MSA product) is 1992 Mr. Turkey Superstars. There's a Sandberg card in the set for you to chase, if you don't have it. Maybe you'll have this set in the Monday wrapup!

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    Replies
    1. I do have the Sandberg Mr. Turkey, and thought it might be from MSA since it lacked logos, but there is no MSA mark on the card, so it’s not on my list.

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