For me, 2010 Razor Pop Century was one of the more intriguing sets of the year. All autographs and celebrity Goodwill donations, the release offered a multitude of one-time music, television and movie stars, most of whom have been long forgotten.
The pattern is similar to that of Panini’s (and Donruss) Americana line. But while the Americana and Upper Deck Spectrum of Stars sets captured most of their “stars” as they are today and not how we remember them, Razor did a great job of getting pictures for many of their subjects from back in the day.
When I buy a Todd Bridges autograph, I would much rather be reminded of his being on the receiving end of a “Wach you talkin’ about, Willis?” than see him as a grown man.
Erika Eleniak, to me, is Shauni from Baywatch. Not to mention, to a lesser extent, the girl Elliott kissed in E.T. amidst the Great Frog Escape.
Pop Century offered a ton of nostalgia, most of which can be found very reasonably priced. The wardrobe cards don’t do anything for me, but I haven’t bought any packs of the stuff either, just singles.
Two of my favorites really do go together as a pair — Gil Gerard and Erin Gray, the two main stars of the short-lived series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. Watching episodes on DVD remind me of the power of nostalgia — often the memories of something are better than the actual product. Still, I watched this cheesy sci-fi show a lot as a kid and when I saw both were a part of the checklist, I started to hunt. And it didn’t take much to land them.
I paid about the price of one pack for each of these. I don’t know if prices have softened since and I don’t really care. I got what I was looking for. Knowing my luck, had I bought a couple of packs, I probably would have ended up with a shirt that just happened to be worn by the person I was watching on Blu-ray or the signature of an American Idol runner-up that hasn’t been gone long enough to be considered nostalgic.
Buck Rogers had its own set from Topps back in 1979, complete with stickers and dated visual effects. Felix Silla, the man who played the robot Twiki, has also had a couple of autograph cards released by Rittenhouse Archives (Complete Battlestar Galactica and Star Trek: 40th Anniversary Series 2).
In case you’re wondering why Buck Rogers didn’t last long, here’s a small taste:
