The 1985 Topps baseball card set featured several interesting errors that have become collector favorites in the decades since. The 1980s was an era of transition for Topps as the company worked to keep up with the increasing complexity of cardboard production and incorporate new technologies into their baseball card manufacturing process. This period of change likely contributed to some of the mistakes that found their way into the 1985 sets.
One of the more famous errors is card #432 featuring Montreal Expos ace Steve Rogers. On the actual printed card, Rogers’ name is misspelled as “Rogers Steves”. This is believed to have occurred due to the printing plates being incorrectly aligned, resulting in the first and last names being swapped. The Steves Rogers error has become one of the most sought-after pieces from the 1985 Topps set. In high grades, uncorrected examples regularly sell for hundreds of dollars due to their scarcity and iconic status among collectors.
An equally well-known flub appears on card #477 showcasing St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Terry Pendleton. On the rear of the issued Pendleton card, the biography that normally describes a player’s stats and history from the previous season instead reprints generic text about the Topps company and the upcoming 1986 set. How this placeholder copy found its way onto Pendleton’s card rather than his 1984 performance notes remains a mystery. Like the Steves Rogers, pristine Pendleton biography-less cards have reached the 3-figure price point.
One error with multiple reported variations occurred on Cubs reliever Lee Smith’s card (#521). Somewhere in the printing process, parts of Smith’s face were omitted or replaced with strange shapes. While all versions are scarce, the most valuable display Smith seemingly missing his eyeballs. Other sightly less rare versions show amorphous blobs where Smith’s eyes should be. Regardless of exact defect, pristine Smith eye errorexamples in the $100s are attainable for well-heeled collectors.
Moving beyond specific player cards, the 1985 Topps set featured errors across entire box subsets that expanded issues way beyond single cards. Most notably, the entire “Traded” subset checklist was botched. These 80 cards were intended to feature players who switched teams in the 1984-1985 offseason. At least a dozen players pictured had not actually been traded. The culprits include Ted Simmons with the Angels (#T53), Mets pitcher Walt Terrell (#T70), and Phillies hurler Bruce Ruffin (#T78).
Adding another layer of complexity, at least three cards in the Traded subset depicted players wearing the wrong uniform entirely. Cubs second baseman Ryne Sandberg is shown in a Phillies cap despite never playing for them (#T29). The reverse is true of Phillies pitcher Willie Hernandez, who dons Cubs pinstripes on #T38 despite never suiting up for Chicago. Most notoriously, #T65 features Houston Astros starter Nolan Ryan wearing a Mets jersey, even though he hadn’t pitched for New York since 1979. Sets containing multiple inaccurate Traded cards can exceed $1,000 due to their extensive, entertaining errors.
While not technically mistakes, the 1985 Topps set also included several intriguing variations that stem from errors made earlier in the player photo process. For example, #92 Mets batter Hubie Brooks appears with and without a batting helmet across different prints. The helmetless version is considerably rarer. Additionally, Cubs third baseman Ron Cey’s card (#150) exists with both the “Cey” and “Coy” spellings of his surname due to a mix-up at the engraving stage. High-grade Cey/Coy variations can hit $200-$300 figures.
Throughout the 1980s, Topps took strides to modernize their production lines. But the advancements hadn’t entirely rooted out defects by 1985. As a result, the set became legendary among collectors for memorable mistakes like Steves Rogers and the mishandled Traded cards. Over time, as the errors were publicized in the growing hobby press/newsletters, demand grew. Today, 35+ years later, pristine examples of 1985 Topps misprints remain a holy grail for collectors due to their rarity, significance in cardboard history, and simply fun, quirky nature. The set’s errors ensure it will continue captivating fans for generations to come.
