1985 was a special year for baseball card collectors and Leaf Trading Card, Inc. sought to capitalize on the surging popularity of the hobby by releasing their first ever dedicated baseball card set. The 1985 Leaf Baseball set offered collectors 231 cards featuring players, managers, and umpires from both the American and National Leagues.
Some key things to know about the 1985 Leaf baseball card set:
Size and design: The cards measured 2.5 inches by 3.5 inches, similar in size to Topps cards of the era. They featured a simple but attractive design with the player’s image on a white background with team logo and stats displayed prominently.
Player selection: Almost every notable active MLB player at the time was included, from startes like Wade Boggs, Ryne Sandberg, and Ozzie Smith to up-and-comers like Don Mattingly, Dwight Gooden, and Roger Clemens. Even past stars like Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays made the set as retired players.
Rookies and stars: Some key rookies included Clemens, Gooden, Billy Hatcher, and Kal Daniels. Superstars of the day like Mike Schmidt, Dave Winfield, and Nolan Ryan also received Leaf cards. Managers and umpires rounded out the checklist.
Parallels and variations: Unlike competitors Topps and Donruss, Leaf did not issue parallels, rebates, or short prints in 1985. All 231 cards were equally available in factory sets and packs. This simplicity helped drive strong initial collector interest.
Production and distribution: The 1985 Leaf baseball card set was produced by Sherri Printing in the United States and Leaf distributed the cards through authorized retail distribution. Packs retailed for around $0.50 each and factory sets with all 231 cards sold for around $20.
Initial reception and popularity: The debut Leaf baseball issue was met with enthusiastic reception. Supply met early demand and cards remained reasonably easy to find. The set fulfilled a collector need to obtain cards of all MLB players and built Leaf’s brand in the sports card market.
Secondary market and grading: Even newly released, the ’85 Leaf cards had modest collector demand driving initial secondary market prices. Today, raw commons are quite affordable while key rookie cards of Gooden, Clemens, etc. can reach into the hundreds of dollars graded gem mint. The set overall remains reasonably collectible and affordable for builders.
In the following years of 1986-1987, Leaf continued to issue high quality dedicated baseball card sets with similarly designed horizontal cardboard cards. These later issues also achieved popularity among collectors of the era. However, Leaf’s parent company Diamond Partners filed for bankruptcy in 1990 due to over-expansion. Their sports division was acquired by Studio in 1993.
The 1985 Leaf baseball card set remains an iconic release that well represents the booming collectors market of the 1980s. It achieved the goal of providing a single-issuer set containing photos and stats of every notable MLB player—something Topps and competitors had not done before. While remembered more nostalgically today than actively collected, the ’85 Leaf set established the brand and remains a landmark issue in the history of licensed baseball cards. For the time, it offered collectors what they wanted and its quality execution solidified Leaf’s presence in the baseball card market.
In summarizing the 1985 Leaf baseball card set:
It was the first dedicated baseball card set from Leaf Trading Card, Inc.
Included 231 cards covering all notable MLB players, managers and umpires
Had simple yet attractive horizontal design on white cardstock
Achieved widespread distribution through retail outlets
Fulfilled collector demand for a complete MLB player checklist in a single set
Helped launch Leaf as a major player in the baseball card industry
Remains a nostalgically remembered and reasonably collectible vintage issue
The popularity and commercial success of its debut 1985 baseball card release set the stage for Leaf to subsequently release additional highly regarded MLB sets in the 1980s before the company’s eventual bankruptcy. For collectors and the hobby itself, the ’85 Leaf set represented both the boom times of the decade and Leaf’s importance as a historical issuer.
