Under The Tree: 1999 Racing Champions MLBPA Superstar Yo-Yos Series 1

Happy Holidays! Time to look back and remember some of those favorite sports related toys you received as a kid.

When I was in middle school there was a major yo-yo fad. Where it got started and how it began still remains a mystery. All I remember one day is that yo-yos began to popup everywhere. It wouldn’t surprise me if some teachers still have those confiscated yo-yos at the bottom of their desk drawer.

In 1999 Racing Champions (yes I said Racing Champions) known specifically for their die-cast race cars issued a set of MLBPA licensed yo-yos.

The set consists of (10) player yo-yos:

• Kevin Brown #1
• Ken Griffey Jr. #2
• Tony Gwynn #3
• Derek Jeter #4
• Greg Maddux #5
• Mark McGwire #6
• Mike Piazza #7
• Cal Ripken Jr. #8
• Ivan Rodriguez #9
• Sammy Sosa #10

Another set of baseball yo-yos was issued by Racing Champions. This set consists of the same (10) players. The images differ from Series 1, and use holographic foil. Instead of a solid color the yo-yo itself is transparent with glitter.

I believe Racing Champions even had some specially made yo-yos for the National Sports Collectors Convention. You rarely see these.

The Racing Champions brand is still around today. It is currently owned by the Round 2 Corp. They make models, die-cast cars, slot cars, and model train accessories.

Flashback Product of the Week: 1991 Topps Superstar Stand-Ups

Topps has tried a lot of crazy products in it’s day.  Pairing sports figures with candy seems like a great idea, but it hasn’t always been received well by collectors.  In 1991 Topps decided to try it again with their Superstar Stand-Ups.

The 1991 Superstar Stand-Ups set consists of 36 candy containers.  Every box has 36 blind packs each with 1 container inside.  On the front of each container is a baseball player.  Green containers indicate the National League and red for the American League.  Clear versions can also be found for each player.  The clear containers hold the most value.  Although that may not mean much because everything from this set is very affordable considering it was a test issue.  Sealed boxes can be picked-up for $10.00.  I wouldn’t suggest eating the candy either.  It probably wasn’t that good to begin with, but who knows.  Maybe sitting around for 23 years has helped improve the flavor.

It would’ve been nice if Topps included rookies within this product.  Instead they stuck with veterans.  Having Chipper Jones in this product would have made for an interesting rookie.

Flashback Product of the Week: 1991 Topps Superstar Stand-Ups

Maybe this is what the hobby needs.  Forget autographs, relics, inserts, parallels, and fancy gimmicks.  Lets brings back collectible candy containers.  THAT WOULD FIX EVERYTHING!!!  🙂

The 1991 Topps Superstar Stand-Ups set was another gimmicky test issue by The Topps Company.  The set consists of 36 candy containers that came 1 per package.  The National League players are in green and American League in red.  You will also find clear versions which are a little more difficult to find, but the price won’t be all that more.  The candy inside tasted like sweet-tarts.  I’m sure if you tried it today, it wouldn’t taste all that good.

Despite being a test issue, these can easily be found for a few dollars each.