The 1986 Topps baseball card set is considered one of the top years and set designs in the entire history of the brand. Topps released 792 total cards in the 1986 set as the company continued their run as the primary producer of baseball cards during the peak of the collecting hobby in the 1980s. Some notable rookies debuted in the 1986 Topps set and several hall of fame players are featured that adds to the investment potential and popularity of this vintage issue over 35 years later.
One of the iconic aspects of the 1986 Topps design was the thick cardstock paper used to print the cards on. The thicker card stock made the cards feel premium in the hands of collectors and also showed off the vibrant color photos nicer than other years. The design itself featured a solid colored border around each card with the player’s name printed at the top in bold yellow letters. In the center is the large player photo with their team logo printed small in the bottom right corner. On the back, stats and a short bio ran vertically along the sides with ads promoting other Topps products towards the bottom.
Some of the top rookies found in the 1986 Topps set that still hold value today include Roger Clemens, Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds, Greg Maddux, and Tom Glavine. Each of these future hall of famers’ rookie cards can still fetch hundreds or even thousands of dollars depending on condition for their debut issues. Other notable players like Wade Boggs, Ozzie Smith, Don Mattingly, and Nolan Ryan are some of the biggest stars featured that season adding to the card’s popularity. The vast majority of the set is still obtainable for enthusiasts to collect today despite being over 35 years old.
While the base cards can be found for under $1 in bulk lots, there are several short printed and serially numbered parallel subsets that drive up the value dramatically. Topps produced short prints of certain player cards that were inserted less frequently into packs. These short prints are rarer and hold premiums upwards of $50-$100 per card depending on the player featured. Topps also issued ‘Traded’ variants that swapped the team logo and uniform to depict a player after being traded to another club midseason. The ‘Traded’ versions are quite valuable for certain big name players.
Topps also included several special parallel insert sets that were not as ubiquitous as the base cards. The ‘Glossy Sendbacks’ were available by mailing two wrappers and 50 cents to Topps for specialty high gloss reprinted cards of the biggest stars. These are very rare to find in pristine condition today. The ‘Legends of Baseball’ insert set honored 10 star players from baseball history like Babe Ruth with intricate vertical card designs. Only 125 parallel sets were produced by hand making each individual card incredibly valuable to collectors. Other subsets included ‘Record Breakers’ and ‘Turn Back the Clock’ focusing on milestone stats achieved that year.
In terms of grading and preservation, the thicker 1980s Topps paperstock has held up fairly well compared to modern ultra thin card materials. The photo edges can still show wear and corners may be rounded from years of being shuffled through. To maximize value, collectors generally prefer 1986 Topps cards that grade GEM MINT or better at services like PSA and BGS. Even lower graded EX-MT and VG-EX copies can often be found affordable to just enjoy and complete the set. Premium graded rookies and parallels still move frequently on auction sites like eBay for hundreds or thousands depending on the specific card and attributes received.
The 1986 Topps baseball set holds a storied place in the history of the hobby as one of the most iconic issues ever produced. Packed with hall of fame talent, memorable rookie debuts, and scarce specialty parallels, the 1986 Topps cards maintain mainstream popularity among investors and collectors alike over three decades later. With sharp color photos on thick durable paperstock and an iconic simple design, the 1986 Topps baseball cards are truly a benchmark release that any vintage collection aims to obtain. Whether pursuing complete sets, individual stars, or chasing parallel premium cards, 1986 Topps is sure to remain a driving force in the trading card market for many years to come.
