The set had a standard issue of 6 cards per pack with 22 packs per wax box. The cardboard backs featured baseball stats and career highlights for each player. The iconic Topps design was familiar with yellow borders and team logo at the top. This was the first Topps set to have foil stamped logos instead of the previous printed logos.
In addition to the 572 base cards, there were several inserts and subsets included. One of the most popular subsets was the “Traded” series which highlighted 36 players that were traded during or after the 1983 season. These cards had a unique blue colored trademark logo on the front and noted the player’s former and current teams.
Another notable subset was the “League Leaders” cards. These 11 cards highlighted the stat champions from the 1983 American and National Leagues in various categories like batting average, home runs, RBI’s, wins, saves and more. There were also 9 career milestone cards that recognized players who reached major career statistical milestones in 1983.
For the first time, Topps included “Turn Back The Clock” flashback cards reimagining what players would have looked like in the early days of their careers. There were 18 cards in this fun subset trying to envision what a young Nolan Ryan, Pete Rose or Carl Yastrzemski would have looked like in the late 1960s for example.
In terms of teams, the set featured cards for all 26 Major League teams as well as separate Puerto Rico and USA Winter League position player and pitcher cards. There was also an Olympic preliminary squad card that highlighted future major leaguers who tried out for the 1984 USA Olympic baseball team.
Rookie cards for future stars like Dwight Gooden, Darryl Strawberry, Ozzie Smith and Don Mattingly were included in the set among the various rookie and prospects scattered throughout. In total, there were 51 cards dedicated to first year players trying to make their mark in the big leagues.
The 1984 Topps set is regarded as one of the iconic issues from the classic design era of the 1970s and 80s. While production and print run estimates for this particular set are unavailable, it remains a popular and affordable vintage release for collectors today thanks to the renowned rookies, stars and attractive visuals of the cards. The detailed statistical and career highlights information featured on the backs also add appreciable collector value and nostalgia. The 792 total cards of the 1984 Topps baseball card set provide an engaging historical documentation and snapshot of the baseball landscape of the early 1980s.
