Home
Blog
Spokane Washington

Spokane Washington

Minor-league mallrats make for a weird baseball card set
Silent Bob would be proud of this pack of Mallrats.
Sometimes when you think you've seen it all in card collecting, it just takes a glimpse into the bargain bin to discover something that's been there waiting for you for years. This time? Well, it's an oddity that Buzz found in a recent buy of some MiLB team sets.
It's a Sport Pro set for the 1989 Spokane Indians ... a simple 26-card release for the San Diego Padres' A-ball affiliate at the time -- a championship squad no less -- where the players, coaches and manager you will know all went to the University City Mall to take their baseball card photos.
No, really. They went to the mall.
The mall is no more -- it was demolished back in 2015 after a 50-year run (for those who don't know what a mall is, go ask your parents) -- but the cardboard lives forever because of some memorably stupid scenes that make for cardboard treasure if you ask me.
Outfielder Brian Span's card from his second and final season as a pro -- he hit just .213 for Spokane that summer -- is a textbook example of the oddities in this set. He's posed with a cardboard cutout of Whitney Houston holding a big bag of tapes (Too early for CDs, right?) from DJ’s Sound City, a chain described as "a fixture in Spokane's Music Market for almost 20 years." Its mall shops died in 1996 citing "stiff competition with discount stores and decreased traffic at music stores in malls." (Just wait for iTunes and iPods, guys.)
There are other cameos and other cards that will make you want to go shopping right now and grab an Orange Julius before you hit the arcade. Keep reading among the cardboard oddities that can offer a trip back in time.
Continue reading →

This entry was posted in Baseball, Fun with collecting, MiLB Madness and tagged MiLB, San Francisco Giants, USA Baseball, Jose Canseco, San Diego Padres, Steve Martin, Texas Longhorns, Whitney Houston, JCPenney, Brian Span, Spokane Indians, 1989 Sport Pro Spokane Indians, DJ’s Sound City, Spokane Washington, K-B Toys, John Phelan, Hickory Farms, Kevin Higgins, Bruce Bochy, University Pipe Square, Dan Deville, Bobby Sheridan, ALF, B. Dalton Bookseller, University City Mall, Sheer Madness, Terry Rupp, Saad's Shoe Repair, Joe Buckley, Steve Bethea, Regis Hair Stylists, Tom Brassel, Dave Staton, Eddie Zinter, Kevin Towers on July 8, 2020 by BlowoutBuzz.

SEARCH BUZZ'S ARCHIVES

WHAT'S BUZZING ...

What's new? See all of our First Buzz previews by clicking above.

Making The Grade: What Buzz slabbed or grabbed each month is here.

Collecting Game-used: Buzz photo-matches and talks about memorabilia every month.

Buzz Buys: Buzz shows off new pick-ups and tells us why he likes them.

Book it, Buzz: Collect autographs on a budget? Check out this monthly series about autographed books.

MiLB Madness: A monthly look at oddities found in minor-league baseball card sets.

Buzz's Fantastic Four A new series looking at four interesting or must-own cards each time.

Ticket Stud or Ticket Dud? Collecting tickets on the cheap in this regular series.

NEW RELEASES

Baseball (all dates subject to change)
Oct. 1 - 2025 Panini Three & Two
Oct. 1 - 2025 TRISTAR H.T. Gr. Slam
Oct. 8 - 2025 Bowman Chrome Mega
Oct. 22 - 2025 Topps Diamond Icons
Oct. 22 - 2025 Topps Holiday
Oct. 23 - 2025 Pulse Series 2 Retail
Oct. 24 - 2025 Leaf Lumber
Oct. 30 - 2025 Onyx Vintage Extended
Oct. 31 - 2025 Leaf A Bronx Legacy
Oct. TBD - 2025 Leaf Vivid
Oct. TBD - 2025 Pulse All Star
Oct. TBD - 2025 Pulse DSE
Oct. TBD - 2025 Pulse Foundry
Oct. TBD - 2024 Pulse Lumin HSE
Oct. TBD - 2025 Pulse Stratos HHS
Oct. TBD - 2024 Wild Card 5 Card SD
Oct. TBD - 2024 Wild Card Splat

Basketball
Oct. 16 - 2025 Donruss WNBA
Oct. TBD - 2024-25 Prizm Black

Football
Oct. 1 - 2025 Leaf Vivid
Oct. 8 - 2025 Panini Black
Oct. 9 - 2024 Panini Flawless
Oct. 10 - 2025 Panini Certified
Oct. 10 - 2025 Donruss Hobby Tin
Oct. 10 - 2025 TRISTAR H.T. Minis PSE
Oct. 15 - 2025 Panini Impeccable
Oct. 16 - 2024 Panini Eminence
Oct. 17 - 2025 TRISTAR H.T. Jerseys 2
Oct. 22 - 2025 Panini Absolute
Oct. 23 - 2025 Pulse Retail 2
Oct. 24 - 2025 Panini Mosaic
Oct. 29 - 2025 Panini Phoenix
Oct. 31 - 2025 Panini Prizm Draft
Oct. TBD - 2025 Pulse Foundry HSE
Oct. TBD - 2025 Pulse Meridian HSE
Oct. TBD - 2025 Pulse Stratos HSE
Oct. TBD - 2024 TruMystery Chips
Oct. TBD - 2025 Wild Card Comix R&L
Oct. TBD - 2025 Wild Card Metallix PD

Hockey
Oct. 8 - 2024-25 Ultimate Collection
Oct. 15 - 2025-26 UD Series 1
Oct. 29 - 2024-25 UD Premier
Oct. TBD - 2024-25 Engrained Icons

Other/Multi-sports
Oct. 1 - 2025 Topps Triumphant Tennis
Oct. 3 - 2025 Leaf Metal Halloween
Oct. 3 - 2025 Panini Absolute K League
Oct. 3 - 2025 Panini Turn Four Racing
Oct. 3 - 2025 Wild Card Haunted Hits
Oct. 6 - 2025 Futera World Unique 21
Oct. 10 - 2025 Leaf History Book SE 2
Oct. 15 - 2025 S.B. Supercharged 2
Oct. 17 - 2024-25 Panini Noir Soccer
Oct. 17 - 2025 Topps UFC Knockout
Oct. 22 - 2025 Panini Impeccable LIV
Oct. 24 - 2025 Panini Prizm NASCAR
Oct. 29 - 2025 Panini Combat Anth.
Oct. TBD - 2025 AEW SP Game Used

Non-sports
Oct. 1 - Topps Chrome Spongebob
Oct. 9 - Keepsake Invincible S1P
Oct. 10 - Topps Chrome Dune
Oct. 15 - Historic Autos 15th
Oct. 15 - Historic Autos WWII
Oct. 15 - Topps Disney Wonder
Oct. 17 - Pieces of Past Royalty
Oct. 30 - Decision Color Cut SE
Oct. TBD - Keepsake Bob Marley
Oct. TBD - Pieces of Past Asia

Gaming
Oct. 10 - Pokemon ME Build & Battle
Oct. 10 - Pokemon Mega Latias EX
Oct. 10 - Pokemon S&R EX PC
Oct. 10 - Yugioh CD: Fallen & Virtuous
Oct. 24 - Pokemon Trainer's Tool Kit
Oct. 24 - Pokemon Gengar/Diancie
Oct. TBD - Pokemon S&V Pri. Ev. PFC

Click here for future dates.

MORE BUZZ-WORTHY ...