The 1985 baseball card sets are highly collectible and contain many rare and valuable cards from that era. 1985 was a transition year for the baseball card hobby as it moved away from the junk wax era of the late 1980s towards a resurgence in interest and value. While not quite as valuable as the classic pre-1980 sets on average, there are still several highly coveted rookie and star player cards that can fetch thousands of dollars in mint condition today.
One of the most famous and valuable 1985 baseball cards is the rookie card of pitching legend Tom Glavine. Glavine had a Hall of Fame career that spanned 22 seasons with the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets. His rookie card comes from the Topps set and features a clean photo of the left-handed pitcher in a Montreal Expos uniform. Only his second year in the big leagues, Glavine was just starting to break out as a top starter when this card was issued. In pristine mint condition, a Tom Glavine rookie fetches well over $1000 and can sell for $2000 or more in auctions against serious competition between collectors. The card is highly sought after due to Glavine’s enormous success and the fact he remains one of the best pitchers of his generation.
Another huge star from 1985 with an equally desirable rookie card is Greg Maddux. Like Glavine, Maddux went on to have a Cooperstown worthy career and is considered one of the top pitching talents in MLB history. His rookie card comes from Topps and Donruss sets showing him as a young righty for the Chicago Cubs. Maddux rookie cards in top gem mint condition regularly sell for $500-800 but an absolute mint example could break $1000. Both he and Glavine made big impacts right away but their true greatness was still ahead of them when collectors first handled these cards in packs as kids.
Aside from star pitcher rookies, there are also some highly valuable 1985 update and traded issue cards. One is the Update Ken Griffey Jr RC which features the rookie of the former Cincinnati Reds and Seattle Mariners slugger, seen grinning in a Mariners uniform. Considered one of the most iconic baseball cards ever due to Griffey’s status as a fan favorite, a mint Griffey Jr. Update rookie has sold as high as $1600. The card was the only Griffey RC issued after his early season MLB debut and is much tougher to find in pristine condition compared to his more widely produced Donruss and Topps cards.
Another hugely popular traded player is Don Mattingly of the New York Yankees. Mattingly’s stellar career was cut short by injuries but he remained a fan favorite and elite hitter when at his best in the 1980s. His 1985 Fleer Update ‘Traded’ card, showing him after his trade from the Yankees to the San Diego Padres, is one of the rare promoted cards from that year. In gem mint condition, a Mattingly Fleer Traded card has reached the $800-1000 price range before. It marked a significant change and remains a highly collectible piece of his baseball memorabilia relics over 30 years later.
The vast majority of 1985 cards are relatively affordable despite the era they come from. There are a select few that regularly sell for big money. The Chicago Cubs phenom Ryne Sandberg has two such cards – his flagship Topps regular issue RC and a rare Blue Back refractior parallel printing that is much tougher to find in pristine condtion. A Sandberg regular RC can reach $200-300 depending on centering and edges, with the ultra-elusive Blue Back parallel selling well above $1000. The cards highlight Sandberg’s emergence as a superstar with the NL East powerhouse Cubs squad.
Another NL East star with pricey cards is the Mets’ Dwight Gooden. His regular Topps and Donruss rookies from 1984 are very expensive due to Doc’s widespread fame. But his scarce 1985 Fleer Update card, with a close-up headshot photo in menacing pose, has reached the $400-500 price range for a true gem. Gooden was well on his way to Cy Young caliber performances by 1985 and remains one of the most dominant pitchers when at his peak in the mid 1980s. Fleer Updates are usually shortprinted so his posed photo stands out among the sea of typically blander Update cards from the series.
While the glut of production from the mid 1980s onward makes most baseball cards from 1985 fairly inexpensive, there remain some true rarities and rookie cards of future Hall of Famers that can fetch serious money. Carefully grading and preserving examples of star talents like Glavine, Maddux, Griffey Jr., Mattingly, and others is key to potentially owning valuable pieces of baseball memorabilia history three decades later. With just the right combination of player performance, production scarcity and collector demand, even relatively everyday cards from the early modern era can take on greater significance and value years after first being packed and enjoyed.
