The 1986 Topps baseball card set was the 65th year Topps had produced cards and featured 660 total cards in the base set. Some key things to know about the 1986 Topps set include:
Design – The design featured a player photo in color on the front and career stats and biographical information in multiple colors on the back. The team logo/name was in a colored banner at the top of the front of the card. The Topps logo was in the bottom left corner and the player’s name and position were typed in white lettering across the bottom. Topps used this basic design template for several years in the 1980s.
Rookies – Notable rookie cards included Roger Clemens (Red Sox), Barry Bonds (Pittsons), Greg Maddux (Chicago Cubs), and Tom Glavine (Atlanta Braves). All would go on to have Hall of Fame careers. Other rookie cards included Will Clark (Giants), Mark McGwire (Athletics), and John Smoltz (Braves).
Traded Players – For the first time, Topps included update cards showing players who had been traded to new teams after the initial cards were produced. For example, Rickey Henderson’s initial card showed him as an Athletic but he was later included with an Oakland A’s updated card after being dealt to the New York Mets. This set an important precedent for Topps to acknowledge trades throughout the season.
Short Prints – Topps featured several short printed cards that were rarer in packs than the standard base cards. Some of the most notable short prints included Ryne Sandberg, Wade Boggs, and Ozzie Smith. These scarcer cards are valued higher by collectors today.
Design Variations – A few cards had minor design differences compared to the standard issue cards. For example, Jesse Barfield’s photo is slightly wider than the typical size. A small number of cards are printed on a slightly thicker stock of cardboard as well. These variations add to the collecting challenge.
League Leaders – Topps included statistical leaders from 1985 at the end of the base set. Leaders were noted for Home Runs (Don Mattingly), Batting Average (Wade Boggs), Wins (Bert Blyleven and Dwight Gooden), and Strikeouts (Roger Clemens).
Stained Glass – For the 9th consecutive year, Topps included “Stained Glass” parallel insert cards showcasing a player photo within a stained glass design. These parallel cards are rarer than the standard base cards.
Mini Cards – Topps also included over 100 mini cards (roughly half the size of a standard card) featuring players and managers in the waxed paper packs. These unusual inserts add appeal to completing the full oddball and insert checklist.
High Numbers – The base set ran consecutively through card #660. However, Topps produced additional “high number” cards from #661 onwards to account for additional players and new call-ups throughout the season. These high number cards carry the same design but are considered less common than the standard base issues.
Checklist – The complete 1986 Topps checklist includes:
660-card base set (cards #1 – #660)
Traded/Update cards (un-numbered variations)
Stained Glass insert cards (un-numbered parallels)
Mini cards (un-numbered oddities)
High Number cards (#661 and above)
League leaders (un-numbered wrap-up cards)
Condition Issues – The 1986 Topps set had some issues with card quality control that cause condition problems today. Some cards are prone to staining, edge wear, and centering issues due to the thin cardboard stock used for production. Mint specimens can be challenging to obtain for popular stars.
Legacy – while not the flashiest design compared to some other Topps sets of the 1980s, 1986 Topps cards established some key concepts like traded updates that are still utilized today. The impressive rookie class and scarcer insert cards give collectors enduring reasons to seek out complete 1986 Topps sets decades later. With Hall of Famers on almost every team, the 1986 set showcases the depth of talent that drove Major League Baseball in the mid-1980s.
The 1986 Topps baseball card set is considered a classic among collectors for good reason. Its memorable rookie crop, parallel and oddball inserts, checklist variations, and pioneering approach to traded updates established key precedents that are still used by card makers today. While condition challenges exist, completing a 1986 Topps set remains appealing due to the historic talent featured from that era of MLB. The design is sturdy if simple, focusing collector attention rightly on enjoying the players, stats and stories preserved from a great baseball season of the past.
