The year 1986 was a pivotal one for baseball cards. Several major events occurred that year that had huge implications for the hobby going forward. Two new brands, Upper Deck and Score, entered the market and challenged the dominance that Topps had long enjoyed as the sole producer of baseball cards. At the same time, some of the most iconic rookie cards in the history of the hobby were released that year. The 1986 season was truly a watershed moment.
Topps had been the exclusive maker of major league baseball cards since returning to the market in 1954 after a four-year hiatus. In the early 1980s, the baseball card market began growing rapidly due to increased interest from collectors. Seeing the potential for big profits, other companies eyed entering the lucrative baseball card sector. In 1985, Donruss obtained a license to produce gum-less cards and Fleer followed suit the next year.
The two biggest challengers to Topps emerged in 1986 – Upper Deck and Score. Upper Deck was founded by entrepreneurs Richard McWilliam and The Fleer Corporation. Their cards featured much higher quality cardboard, printing, and photography than what collectors had seen before from Topps. The Upper Deck brand exuded luxury and exclusivity which appealed greatly to collectors. At the same time, Score also debuted as a competitor with a similar focus on premium quality compared to Topps’ offerings.
The entrance of these new brands meant collectors in 1986 had more options than ever when it came to buying baseball cards. It also led to one of the most intense bidding wars for player contracts in the history of the hobby. Topps, Donruss, Fleer, Score, and Upper Deck were all vying for exclusive deals with stars and promising young players. Prices skyrocketed to unprecedented levels, with some players inking contracts worth over $100,000. This marked the start of an era of big money in the baseball card industry.
While the competition drove up costs, it also had the effect of increasing interest and excitement around the hobby. More kids and collectors were buying packs of cards in 1986 than ever before. The influx of new brands and heightened competition pushed creative boundaries, as each company aimed to one-up the others with innovative card designs, extra content, and novel marketing strategies. This ushered in a golden age of baseball cards during the latter half of the 1980s.
From a collector’s perspective, one of the biggest impacts of 1986 was the release of some truly legendary rookie cards. Perhaps most iconic of all was the debut of Toronto Blue Jays outfielder George Bell’s rookie card produced by Fleer. Only 250,000 copies of this ultra-rare card were printed, and it has since become one of the most valuable cards ever made. Another hugely significant rookie that year was New York Mets pitcher Dwight Gooden. His Topps card is considered one of the crown jewels of any baseball card collection.
Two other rookies burst onto the scene in 1986 that have since become all-time greats – Roger Clemens of the Boston Red Sox and Greg Maddux of the Chicago Cubs. Their respective Topps and Fleer cards from that season are extremely coveted by collectors today. And who could forget the debut of slugger Mark McGwire for the Oakland A’s or California Angels pitcher Chuck Finley? Their ’86 rookies ignited card investments that have stood the test of time.
The 1986 season also featured stellar veteran performances that translated to valuable issue cards. The iconic photo of New York Mets first baseman Keith Hernandez jumping in the air with a toothpick in his mouth graced his Topps card that year. Cincinnati Reds pitcher Tom Browning’s Topps card captured his perfect game moment on September 16th. And Baltimore Orioles first baseman Eddie Murray achieved the rare feat of 500 career home runs – commemorated by Topps in one of their most popular cardboard releases ever.
While competition drove up costs for the card companies, it also had the effect of increasing creativity. Donruss and Fleer led the way with innovative sets like ‘Diamond Kings’ highlighting players’ on-field accomplishments and ‘Super Stars’ focusing on stats and milestones. Score also introduced team-centered subsets highlighting individual clubs. And Upper Deck truly changed the collector experience by including additional information on the back of each card and even short bio cards in many packs.
The baseball card market hit new heights in 1986 in terms of production, competition, and collector interest. Iconic rookie cards were issued that have become extremely valuable decades later. Veteran stars delivered memorable on-field performances memorialized in now-classic cards. And new brands like Score and Upper Deck shook up the industry, pushing creative boundaries and quality to new levels. The stage was set for an unprecedented boom in the hobby during the late 1980s, with 1986 serving as the spark. For both collectors and the card companies, it was truly a year that changed the game.
In conclusion, 1986 was a watershed year that had enormous ramifications for the baseball card industry. Not only did new competitors like Score and Upper Deck enter the fray, some of the most legendary rookie cards of all time were released. Players like Gooden, Bell, McGwire, and Clemens had their careers immortalized in cardboard at the start. Meanwhile, stars like Hernandez, Murray, and Browning delivered iconic on-field moments captured in classic cards. The competition and player contract bidding wars marked the beginning of big business in the hobby. Overall, 1986 set the stage for unprecedented growth, interest, creativity and investment that transformed baseball cards into a multi-billion dollar industry. It was truly a seminal year that collectors to this day look back on as incredibly pivotal.
