Baseball cards were extremely popular in 1985 as the hobby was booming. Kids across America were collecting cards of their favorite players and teams. The big three card companies – Topps, Donruss, and Fleer – were all releasing full sets with the latest stats and photos of Major League Baseball players.
Topps remained the dominant brand and released their standard red, white, and blue design. However, Donruss and Fleer were starting to gain popularity with their glossier photography and innovative designs. Donruss featured action shots on a white background while Fleer had colorful borders around each image. All three companies also produced special subsets highlighting rookie cards, All-Stars, league leaders, and more within the base sets.
Some of the most coveted rookie cards from 1985 included Dwight Gooden, Will Clark, and Barry Larkin. Gooden was coming off an incredible rookie season where he won Rookie of the Year and helped lead the Mets to the World Series. His iconic smiling photo made his Topps rookie one of the most sought after cards of the era. Will Clark’s smooth left-handed swing made him a fan favorite in San Francisco from the start. Fleer was ahead of the other companies by featuring Clark in their set as a rookie. Barry Larkin brought skill and style to shortstop for the Reds and his rookie cards showed why he would go on to a Hall of Fame career.
Trading and speculation were in full force during the mid-1980s card boom. The emergence of the secondary market allowed collectors to buy, sell, and trade cards they no longer wanted in order to complete their sets or acquire new cards. Popular stars like Ryne Sandberg, Wade Boggs, and Roger Clemens saw strong demand for any of their available cards. Minor stars and role players also gained value based on what team they played for. For example, cards of Mets and Cubs players were more desirable than those from the Royals or Pirates due to larger fan bases in key markets.
In addition to the standard baseball cards, specialty products captured collector’s attention. The most popular were annual oddball issues released outside the big three companies. Cal Ripken Jr. graced the cover of the ’85 Sports Eye set while O-Pee-Chee put Bo Jackson on theirs north of the border in Canada. Other unique sets included Stadium Club, Glossy Sendbacks, and Premier League Leaders. These diverse products helped fuel the boom by giving collectors new cards to chase outside the main releases.
Trading card shows also started popping up across the United States, providing a fun social experience for collectors. Vendors, dealers, and collectors would gather in hotel ballrooms or convention centers to buy, sell, and trade with one another. Some of the largest and most famous shows in 1985 were held in Rosemont, Illinois and New York City. Here, collectors could complete sets, acquire rare vintage cards, or find oddballs they had never seen before by browsing hundreds of tables of merchandise.
While the modern baseball card industry has changed dramatically since 1985, that year marked the peak of the first great boom period. Kids were fully immersed in collecting their favorite players on cardboard and the hobby brought communities of fans together. The stars, rookies, oddballs, and speculative frenzy of ’85 created lifelong memories and help shaped baseball card collecting into the billion dollar business it is today. Though fads come and go, the allure of collecting cards from that magical year remains as strong as ever for those who experienced the boom firsthand.
