Favorite Football set of 80's

NHLfightguy

My top 3 80's football sets
1. 86 topps....Rice rookie, tough to find in nice shape, sweet green and white borders
2. 85 topps ...sweet black borders, a close second
3. 89 Score...colorful, packed with hof rookies

The worst set of 80's has to be the 1980 set, about as dull of design as you could of come up with...a two year old could have came up with something better than that. I cringe every time i see 1980 football card, i bet the topps employee who came up with that set design didn't cash many checks from them after that set came out.....

achtey

I have to agree with your first 2, the 1986 and 1985 are the top two sets in 80's football. I love the borders, the rookies in them and how rare it is to get a high grade because of the sensitivity of the sets. But for my 3rd set, I would have to go with the 1982 topps set. Just because of it being my birth year and all.


Josh

Wayne8348

I guess that I'll come out of the closet with this post. I've started a 1985 topps football set a while back. Two of my favorite sets has always been the 71 topps baseball in high grade (which are way too expensive to collect) and the 72 topps football (because of the vertical cards). This set offers the best of both worlds AND I even know who the players are!

I bought a wax box and couldn't find any cards to submit but they arent real expensive on ebay. It may be a modern set, but it will be the best looking set I own when it's complete.

Wayne

JasP24

I would have to go with the :

1-1984 Topps
2-1986 Topps
3-1985 Topps

I like the '84's the best. They have the clean white borders that are MURDER on centering issues. Also with the Marino, Elway, Dickerson, Long, Slater, and Stephenson HOF RC's, plus future HOFer Darrell Green.

Worst set has got to be 1988 Topps. They are ugly. They are WAY too plentiful. There are virtually ZERO HOF rookies in the set with the exception of MAYBE the Testeverde and Kevin Greene. It's no wonder you can still find these packs for about $1.00 a piece..lol

JasP24

aro13

I would agree on the 84 Topps.
jasp - What does Slater's rookie card go for in PSA 9? The mention of his name brings back the memory of the game against the Jets where Gastineau had a sack and started to dance and Slater nailed him. Almost started a brawl.

1. 84 Topps
2. 86 Topps
3. 82 Topps

I always liked 82 because of the Taylor and Lott rookies.

Bkritz

Hi guys,

I read your thread and I may be able to help you guys out if you are looking to make a dent in a psa set of 1986 topps football. I recently opened up a rack case and a cello case of 1986's. I pulled the Rice's and Young's and graded them at psa. (Mostly 8's and some 9's, these are tough). I still have probably 10,000+ commons, rookies and stars. I am interested in selling them as a bulk lot. I also collated a few sets (around 15) that are complete minus the Rice. Let me know if you are interested. They are really sharp, I just don't have the time to go through them all.

Thanks

Brian

JasP24

I paid $45 for the PSA 9 Slater I have. They are pretty hard to comes by in PSA 9 with only 3 at that grade so far.

JasP24

Kid4hof03

Brian,
I know you said you want to sell the lot as a bulk lot, but would you be interested in selling one of the sets (minus Rice)? If so how much? You can PM or e-mail me at abekulynych@aol.com

Thanks,
Abe

thefootballcardstore

Brian - email me and let me know what you need for them, thanks. Jeremy

TheFBCardStore@aol.com

AlanAllen

Ugh, do I have to pick only three??

1. 1989 Score. Clean design, an unbelievable number of future HOF RCs (including some first-tier HOFers), and they look so so nice in gem mint. Not too tough to find in gem mint, either. I actually bought about 10x as many Pro Set cards back in '89, but I've corrected that recently

2. 1984 Topps. Again a very nice design, and a set I collected heavily as a kid. Elway and Marino RCs High grade is deceptively tough, with centering, chipping, print dots, soft corners and diamond cuts prominent.

3. 1981 Topps. Montana's RC, and the first set I collected seriously as a kid. I like the design, ans they are murder in high grade. Chipping and centering kill most cards.

Honorable mention: 1986 Topps, 1989 Pro Set.

Joe

KallMaloneSay

I'll be the antagonist here, I'm a 1980 Topps junky. Maybe they have more sentimental value to me since I was probably the first significant grader of this set, although I was later blown out by 4_sharp_corners. I had the first PSA 9 on several stars and got very solid money for them. I opened rack packs and if I was lucky I'd get one gradable card per 51 cards in the pack. They remind me of the 69 Topps baseball as they have next to no border, but when you get one that is 50/50 both ways it's like you'd died and gone to heaven. I think the Simms and Ottis Anderson RC's are two of the most underprcied cards in the hobby, although PSA 9's command solid premiums. I'd say all of the designs from the 80's topps sets are atrocious, but the 85's are probably the nicest. As far as best set of the 80's you can't go wrong with the 89 Score for the great Rookie selection, photo's and design. Jason

goodriddance189

1. 86- first fb pack i remember buying
2. 89 score
3. 84

thefootballcardstore

I agree Jason, the 1980 Topps are harder than they appear - horrible year for quality. Lots of cards cut really bad. I think Topps was on a low budget that year. Keep sending them in! Jeremy

shouldabeena10

1988
1987
1983

Not really..... but no one else was taking them!




Brian - How much for one of those cherry 86 sets (minus the 2 stars). PM me please

Thanks - Mike

achtey

I have to agree that the 1980 cards are terrible for quality, but to get a 1985 or 86 in 9 or 10 is very difficult. They have some of the worst borders but they are some of the nicest cards I've ever seen. But, it probally doesn't help that these are some of the oldest cards I've seen, lol. Talk about a young pup.


Josh

baseballfan

brian please email me if you are interested in selling one of those 86 sets minus the rice
email me at fmoase@hotmail.com
thanks
fred

Fabfrank

#1 89 Score. Great RC selection as well as chuck full of HOF'ers in the middle of their careers. The three color borders give the impression that the set was issued in series. Great photography and the set that led the resurgence of football card collecting.

#2 89 ProSet. Huge set with many RC's. This set rode the football wave started by Score. Extremely plentiful (have they stopped the presses yet?) and cheap, but that's what added to this sets popularity. I wouldn't undertake this set in graded form, but it does look nice in its binder.

#3 85 Topps. Black borders, miscuts and chipping make this a tough year to find high grade examples. The good news is once you find a card worthy of 9 or 10 stature, it's a blazer with fantastic gloss and eye appeal. Moon RC and second year cards of Elway, Marino and Dickerson also make this set a great value.

Southsider

1985 Topps. I love the black borders and the large names next to the picture. Great set.

Skycap

I vote for 1989 Score. Certainly better looking than any 1980s Topps set.

Skycap

JasP24

Only reason I didn't put the 89 Score on my list, is that I kind of consider it a 1990's set...When I think 80's sets, I think Topps...1989 is the first year that the flood gates opened and all the other companies started putting out product. 89 Score is by far the best card set from 1987-1995 though...The shear number of HOF and future HOF players is staggering..Just too bad there is SOO much product still out there, and getting a PSA 10 is actually fairly easy in comparison to the early 80's Topps sets.


JasP24