Iconic "so to speak" cards of the 80's + 1 more
olb31
Posts: 4,237 ✭✭✭✭✭
1 - 1980 Topps Rickey Henderson
2 - 1982 Topps Traded Cal
3 - 1983 Topps Tony Gwynn
4 - 1984 Donruss Don Mattingly
5 - 1985 Topps Mark Mcgwire
6 - 1986 Donruss Jose Canseco
7 - 1986 Tiffany Bo and Barry and Jose
8 - 1987 OPC Bonds
9 - 1989 UD Griffey JR
These are the ones that kind of stand out to me. COuld be a few more. BUt my point is coming up. All of these cards have risen to pretty decent heights. I guess the 1986 Donruss Canseco is the lowest valued one at about $1,000.
Now let's go to 1990. The Leaf set was considered the set of the century (tongue in cheek). The Gem of that set was the Frank Thomas. This card at the time kind of rivaled the 1989 Griffey UD card. But currently it sells for barely more than a 1989 Topps Randy Johnson card. The last sell was $225. or so.
This kind of blows my mind that the Thomas card wouldn't be pretty darn highly sought after.
ANy thoughts on this one?
Comments
If you really want to closely adhere to "iconic," then I think there is no question that the 1980 Henderson, 1984 Mattingly, 1986 Canseco, and 1989 Griffey Jr. meet that definition. The others are big cards, and desirable in their own ways, but in the 1980s and early 1990s, those 4 were unquestionably the biggest. The others are also part of a group of cards that have had their moments, and in some ways continue to have moments. You could also probably include the 1991 Stadium Club Nolan Ryan in there, the 1984 TT Gooden, the 1984 Topps and Donruss Strawberry, the 1985 Clemens, the 1984 Fleer Update Puckett and Clemens, the 1985 McGwire, and I'm sure I'm missing a few more...most of which were really, really big cards at some point (and some still are.)
Just my two cents.
kevin
I don’t think there are any iconic opc baseball cards.
Is that list in any particular order?
1984 Topps Traded Dwight Gooden was iconic for a few minutes
are you talking iconic or strictly value? psa 10 i assume?
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
To answer the OP re: Frank Thomas, the ‘90 Leaf RC wore out its welcome gradually after he retired. His popularity remained stable, but demand for cards diminished. Griffey Jr, on the other polar opposite hand, has transcended generations with his popularity and stayed relevant to the current fans of the sport. That’s why his RCs and inserts get consumed so heavily.
mago hit on some good stuff -- but for several years the 90 leaf thomas was hot as a firecracker. craig yes psa 10.
The 1984 Fleer Update Roger Clemens seemed to be #1 expensive card to get in the 80's... Maybe also the Kirby Puckett from that set. That set was kinda of a grail back then...
Still is. I've seen plenty of interest in the set and the key rookies.
I don’t know how you can have 83 topps Gwynn on the list without Boggs and even Sandberg on it.
They are known as the Big 3 and usually get mentioned together. Sandberg wasn’t as good a hitter as the other two but certainly the best all around when factoring in defense and speed.
the 84 FU clemens rookie in PSA 10 commonly sells for $2.5k his 85 tiffany in a 10, however, has sold for north of $20k!!!
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
"These are the ones that kind of stand out to me. Could be a few more." I wasn't trying to name all the big time cards in 80's. Obviously all of you are correct about the ones that you are naming. I am just pointing out that all of the other big time ones are selling at multiples of the 1990 Leaf Thomas, which for a decade was just as big of card as the 1986 Donruss Canseco, at least.
the griffey/thomas contrast is interesting to me. having lived throught the 90s, they seemed pretty neck and neck at the time. thomas the better hitter and griffey the better all around player.
i find it interesting that post retirement griffey has lapped thomas price wise. after retirement, griffey seemed to have just "gone away" while thomas is broadcasting MLB and has commercials on all the time. he is in front of eyeballs about 100x more than griffey, yet his cardboard is far far behind ken.
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
1991 Stadium Club Frank Thomas
1992 Fleer Rookie Sensations Frank Thomas
1992 Fleer Update Mike Piazza
1995 Bowman's Best Andruw Jones
Back then that was highly sought after. Just about every collector wanted it
The first week the cards went on-sale, I was at a small local show. The packs were $5 each, which was a lot of money at the time. More than I had to spend on a single new pack. Some kid buys one opens it right there and pulls a Thomas. A crowd gathered to see it and one of the dealers offered him $40. The kid took it. Dealer puts it in his display case for $75. Memories...
It's the singer not the song - Peter Townshend (1972)
Not even a minute do I buy the whole buh buh buh I'm a man-child japery - Me (2025)
I’d add 1990 OPC Premier Jaromir Jagr. I remember being a snot nosed kid just out of college in the early 90’s down in the NYC financial district and seeing the guys selling card on top of folding tables on the sidewalk and grown men out on lunch with their 4-figure hand tailored suits, Shell Cordovan bespoke shoes and cashmere overcoats buying that card on the street for $100 a pop raw back then
IMHO it's Thomas' best looking card. The 90 Leaf Image I feel is lame in comparison!
I have only 11 post 1986 PSA slabs and the 91 Stadium Thomas is one of them.
It's the singer not the song - Peter Townshend (1972)
Not even a minute do I buy the whole buh buh buh I'm a man-child japery - Me (2025)
81T Update Valenzuela had a run when the 1st update sets came out.
Had a local shop selling 91 stadium packs 3 for $5 when they first came out. Guess we were lucky.
1985 Topps Eric Davis was a very popular card. Had a great year in 1987 7.9 war. Then he started getting injured, I believe.
Of course most show prices never reflect reality. Seemingly the business model relies on a combination of Rubes+FOMO
1 or 2 months later my local Caldor had them and they were $1.25 which they soon lowered to .79 a pack. I would search through box after box after box of them. I still have a full box of packs from back then all with Thomas, Griffey Jr, Ryan, Juan Gonzalez, and Ripken on top or bottom -- and one, go figure, with Kevin Maas
Did the same with the 1st Football and Basketball Stadium Clubs. Then even as as a teen I lost interest with the new card treadmill and have been a vintage collector ever since.
It's the singer not the song - Peter Townshend (1972)
Not even a minute do I buy the whole buh buh buh I'm a man-child japery - Me (2025)
Couldn't agree more, maybe my favorite "early" card of his and much more important to me as a kid since 1990 Leaf never showed up where I grew up. I couldn't even afford 1991 TSC packs and just drooled over this card in display cases back then.
If you are talking about cards that were iconic when they were released in the 80s the 1988 Greg Jefferies cards were some of the hottest cards in 1988.