The 1985 Circle K Topps baseball card set was a special promotion produced by Topps in conjunction with the Circle K convenience store chain. It marked the first time that Topps produced cards exclusively for distribution through a retail partner other than the traditional baseball card shops and drug stores.
The 1985 set contained 398 total cards and featured current major league players and managers from the 1984 season. Unlike the standard Topps issue of that year which was sold in wax packs, the Circle K cards came packaged individually in plastic sleeves. Each cardboard sleeve had the Circle K logo prominently displayed and also included trading card facts and statistics on the back.
Circle K sold the 1985 baseball cards exclusively at their stores for 49 cents each throughout the spring and summer of 1985. According to company records, over 30 million individual cards were distributed through their nearly 5,000 locations across the United States and Canada during the promotion.
For collectors at the time, the Circle K set offered an alternative to the traditional Topps wax packs. The cards had the familiar Topps design but were only obtainable at gas stations rather than the usual sporting goods shops. Many aficionados took the opportunity to try and complete the set by visiting multiple Circle Ks to find cards they needed.
Topps produced the cards specifically for Circle K on thicker card stock than a standard baseball card of the era. This was likely done both for durability since the cards would be individually handled rather than sealed in wax and also as a marketing tactic to differentiate the set from what collectors could find elsewhere. The card backs listed each player’s career statistics through 1984.
Some key characteristics that distinguish 1985 Circle K cards from the standard Topps issue include the lack of any gum or trading card puzzle/game component since it was a basic stand-alone card promotion. The fronts had no reference to the card number whereas Topps packs always denoted the player’s numerical spot in the set. There was also no copyright year marked on the Circle K cards.
While the player photos and basic design were identical between the Circle K and Topps issues, the back of each card was customized for the promotion. Along with career stats, it advertised other Circle K marketing promotions and included the slogan “Good things come from Circle K” at the bottom in addition to the company logo.
Of note from the player roster featured is that 1985 marked Don Mattingly’s rookie season and he was included in the Circle K set along with superstars such as Ryne Sandberg, Mike Schmidt, and Nolan Ryan who were all in their baseball primes. Other notables were future Hall of Famers George Brett, Cal Ripken Jr., Jim Rice, and Eddie Murray. Future managers Dusty Baker and Tony La Russa also had cards.
Some key short prints and rare cards that have drawn additional collector interest in the years since include cards featuring Steve Sax (SP), Len Dykstra (SP), Dwight Gooden, Oddibe McDowell, and Howard Johnson. The Robin Yount card is also one of the standouts from the set. Many of these players went on to have Hall of Fame caliber careers.
In the mid-1980s, Circle K began scaling back their baseball card promotion as the market became flooded with offerings from an increasing number of companies besides just Topps. They last distributed cards through the brand in 1987. The 1985 set holds pride of place as the initial retail partner crossover by Topps and the first time many collectors could obtain cards outside of the standard avenues.
While not as iconic or valuable on the whole compared to the Topps flagship issue of that same season, the 1985 Circle K cards remain a unique and fun subset of cards for collectors to seek out of players from that era. Their distribution method through gas stations added an interesting wrinkle. TheCircle K promotion helped spark baseball card sales outside of the traditional sports and hobby shop outlets. Its rarity also gives the set its own allure for dedicated collectors some 35 years later.
