The 1985 Topps baseball card set is arguably one of the most iconic issues in the modern era of the hobby. It was the 24th series issued by Topps and contained artwork on the fronts featuring player photographs from the 1984 season with stats and info on the back. The set totaled 792 cards and included future Hall of Famers like Ryne Sandberg, Andre Dawson, Jack Morris, and Tony Gwynn among many others.
Because it was produced during the height of the junk wax era from the mid 1980s to the early 1990s, there were massive printed runs that left many of the cards comparatively common even in high grades. For collectors seeking gem mint graded specimens to hold long term, PSA has become the premier third party authentication and grading service. Here is an in-depth look at what 1985 Topps baseball cards look like when professionally slabbed and graded by PSA.
PSA started in 1991 with a mission to bring uniformity, consistency and credibility to the collectibles marketplace. For sports cards especially from the 1980s and 90s, PSA grading has helped add clarity to conditions and assigned numerical values based on a clearly defined 10-point scale. This allows collectors to easily ascertain the quality and value of a card at a glance.
For the 1985 Topps set specifically, PSA population reports show most examples submitted have graded between a 2-6. As with many vintage sports sets, truly flawless copies directly out of packs that achieve a PSA 10 Gem Mint are extremely rare and valuable. In a set with such massive print runs, to find that have maintained pristine surfaces without any handling wear or production flaws is quite uncommon.
Cards that grade a PSA 8-9 still represent excellent examples deserving of a modern holder though. An 8 would have very minimal signs of use while a 9 tips just shy of gem quality. These middle graded specimens are quite attainable and affordable for many collectors looking to upgrade and showcase prized members of the ’85 Topps set in slabs. PSA 8s of superstars like Ryne Sandberg,Don Mattingly, or Kirby Puckett can usually be found for well under $100.
On the lower end, most common ’85 Topps cards in average circulated condition grade between PSA 4-6 without issues that warrant even lower grades. These represent nice display copies to checkboxes in a collection but have noticeable edge/corner wear or print defects. They appropriately sell for just a few dollars per in the plastic cases. true PSA 1-3 examples would either be damaged qualifiers or demonstrate extensive problems beyond light/moderate play wear.
Collectors should note that surfaces are the primary factor considered in PSA evaluation. A touch of grime here and there may dock just a point but won’t typically sink a grade on its own. Creases, tears, strong bends or multiple edge nicks can indeed push grades into the qualifier/qualifier+ territory depending on the severity of defects present. Proper surface preservation and potential resubmissions for re-evaluation are thus important to maintaining or potentially upgrading grades over time.
High-grade 1985 Topps rookie and star cards command significant premiums today befitting their iconic status when fresh from packs over 35 years ago. Recent PSA 10 sales of Mario Soto, Ozzie Smith, Kirby Puckett, and Wade Boggs have all topped $1000. But for the set as a whole, PSA 8s remain a terrific everyday collectible option at affordable prices that still offer the third-party authentication, quality assurance and preservation that slabbing provides.
The 1985 Topps baseball set endures as one of the cornerstones of the modern collecting era. While high grades prove elusive due to massive production, PSA certification has helped create a standardized system to both objectively assess conditions and protect cards long-term. Their graded holders serve collectors well by verifying authenticity and quality through assigned numerical values for this iconic issued celebrated by many as the pinnacle of the junk wax period.
