Sorry about the lack of images for this first post. Images to join us for the second post. Now then, let's see how many of the guys I get, I can recognize without prompt.

Pack 1 Guesses: Mike Krukow, Rufino Alvarez, nope, Tony Perez, Alfredo Griffin
Pack 1 Actual: Krukow, Chris Chambliss, Rob Wilfong, Perez, Griffin
5/5 NEW!

Here's what's funny about this: I don't think "Rufino Alvarez" is a real person. I think I just made that name up.



Pack 2 Guesses: Fernando Valenzuela, Al Oliver, Larry Dierker, Dave Kingman, Bruce Benedryl
Pack 2 Actual: Valenzuela, Oliver, Art Howe, Kingman, Bruce Benedict
5/5 NEW!

These sticker packs just fall apart like paper. I hope the stickers will stay in the album for more than one day.



Pack 3 Guesses: Nope, Nope, Dave Stieb, Fuck Yeah Dave Winfield, Butch Hobson
Pack 3 Actual: Milt Wilcox, Jim Spencer, Stieb, Winfield, Hobson
5/5 NEW!

I forgot that 1982 would be the first year with Carlton Fisk as a White Sock and that mammoth Angels/Red Sox trade.



Pack 4 Guesses: Mike Torrez, Gorman Thomas, AL All-Star Dwight Evans, AL All-Star Ken Singleton, Butch Wynegar
Pack 4 Actual: All Correct!
5/5 NEW!

The most innovative thing about stickers from the Topps 1980s is the inclusion of gold and silver foil. I think it was really just metallic ink, but man does it look cool.



Pack 5 Guesses: Lou Whitaker, Jose Cruz the First, Nope, Toby Harrah, Jim Sundberg
Pack 5 Actual: Whitaker, Cruz, Doug Corbett, Bill Stein, Sundberg
5/5 NEW!

Who are some of these guys? Were they actually in the major leagues?



Analysis
Packs 1 through 5 yielded 25 new stickers. Fifteen from the American League; Two AL All-Stars in gold foil; Two highlight stickers; Six from the National League. What's most interesting is that many of the stickers followed each other in the checklist. Art Howe is followed by Jose Cruz, Mike Torrez is followed by Tony Perez, Bill Stein Highlight is followed by Fernando Valenzuela Highlight. Why is this? I opened the first five packs from the box. Was the collation really this bad? Or is it more logical that Topps thought kids would, on average, buy five packs (a dollar's worth), at a time? I don't have answers to any of these questions.

More analysis after Packs 6 through 10.