Flashback Product of the Week: 1989 Topps Baseball Talk Collection

Talking baseball cards.  Isn’t that how the Terminator started?  My cards have been talking to me for years… without the Sports Talk Player.

If you thought the regular 1989 Topps Baseball set was too much to handle, just you wait until you see the 1989 Topps Baseball Talk Collection.  Its going to blow your mind.

Topps and toy maker LJN teamed-up to bring collectors the Baseball Talk Collection in 1989.  At first glance these cards look exactly like your standard 1989 Topps baseball cards.  But they’re far from that.  These cards are much bigger, made of plastic, contain a facsimile signature on the front, and have a record-like disc on the back.  Just place one of these cards in the official Sports Talk Player and watch them come to life.  The disc contains player interviews and famous calls depending on the card.  Included with the Sports Talk Player were four cards – checklist, Hank Aaron, Don Mattingly, and Orel Hershiser.  More cards could be purchased separately and came four to a pack.  The entire set consists of 164 total cards.

Collectors didn’t react well to the whole talking card thing (imagine that).  The player could damage easily and the audio quality wasn’t that good.  Even though many of these things were returned to the stores, there are still plenty of them out there.  Packs originally sold for $4.00, and the player for $25.00.  They can be found for much less than that now.