Renata Galasso’s 1984 Baseball Card Collection

Renata Galasso is known worldwide among collectors for her impressive and rare collection of 1984 Topps baseball cards. At the young age of 12, Galasso became fascinated with collecting cards and dreamed of one day owning one of every player featured in the 1984 set. Nearly four decades later, her dream has been realized in full. What started as a childhood hobby became an all-consuming passion that has defined much of Galasso’s life. Her prized 1984 collection stands as a testament to dedication, perseverance, and the joy that baseball cards can bring to people of all ages.

The 1984 Topps set featured 660 total cards, starting with San Diego Padres outfielder Luis Salazar and ending with Chicago White Sox reliever Britt Burns. It was during that same year that Galasso received her first pack of cards as a gift and was instantly hooked. What she didn’t know then was how elusive some of those rookies and commons from the ‘84 set would become in the future. Names like Dwight Gooden, Frank Viola, and Willie McGee went on to have Hall of Fame caliber careers, making their rookie cards highly sought after by collectors.

For Galasso, the quest was never about monetary value. It was about the nostalgia of her childhood and completing a goal that many deemed impossible. Over the years, she tracked down cards through trades at card shows, PSA-graded auctions online, and sheer luck at flea markets. Her collection grew slowly but surely, with each finding filling Galasso with immense pride. Along the way, she gained fame in the hobby for her single-minded focus on 1984 Topps. While other collectors flipped valuable cards for profit or moved onto newer sets, Galasso remained dedicated to her original mission.

In the early 2000s, Galasso estimates she was around 90% complete with just a few elusive prospects and stars remaining. The last real hurdle was tracking down the iconic rookie card of Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg, which was one of the most scarce and highly-priced cards from ‘84 Topps. After making offers to several prominent dealers without any luck, fate intervened for Galasso in 2007. While browsing on eBay, she noticed a PSA 8 copy of the Sandberg had been listed with a surprisingly low “Buy It Now” price. With lightning-quick reflexes, Galasso swooped in and won the auction, crossing another major card off her list.

In the following years, Galasso worked tirelessly to find replacements for heavily playedcommon players like Garry Templeton and Juan Beniquez. Thanks to collaborations with fellow collectors and some educated gambles on raw condition copies she hoped to slab and restore, her stack of missing cards dwindled. On August 7th, 2020, Galasso got the phone call she had dreamed of for decades. A local collector was emptying his attic and discovered an unopened 1984 Topps wax pack. Inside was the pristine Luis Salazar card to complete Galasso’s master set. Tears of joy were shed as she added that final piece, a true once-in-a-lifetime happening.

Galasso’s 1984 Topps collection is now regarded as the finest known to exist. All 660 cards have been professionally graded and encapsulated by PSA or BGS, a process that took years and tens of thousands of dollars to complete. She has lovingly assembled the entire set into 16 individual factory-sealed full sheets, preserving the authentic experience of opening a fresh wax pack from that year. Now in her 50s, Galasso has taken her collection on the road to various card shows, museums, and pop-up exhibits to share her story with fans of any age. Though offers in the millions have been made, the collection is considered priceless to its devoted owner.

For Galasso, her 1984 Topps journey was about so much more than accumulating cardboard. It was about capturing a glimpse of her childhood every time she looks at her dazzling set spread across the sheets in protective cases. Her collection stands as proof that with dedication and passion, even seemingly unattainable goals can be achieved. Nearly four decades after that first pack, Galasso’s prized collection lives on to inspire collectors around the world to dream big and never give up.