1984 Sports Design Products Doug West Set

Artist Doug West painted 24 beautiful illustrations for this nifty set of retired baseball greats. Released in 1984 by Sports Design Products, the set came in a clear plastic box that featured the SDP logo on the front. According to the company, 5,000 sets were released and another 250 uncut sheets were issued. A second series of another 24 cards would be released the following year, featuring a similar design on both the fronts and backs.

Cards measure the standard 2 1/2" by 3 1/2" size, and are printed on white cardstock. The player's illustrations fill the majority of card fronts, with names and positions in a blue or red box across the bottom. The SDP logo appears at the lower right. Card backs feature short player biographies and career statistic totals, printed in either blue or red.

Only the best of the best are found in this set, with Yankees catcher Thurman Munson being the lone player not enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. The artwork is excellent, but seems to be unceremoniously hindered by the ever-present borders found on cards of the day (Mother's Cookies were just releasing their first borderless baseball cards right about this time). I kinda like the 1960s minimalist industrial feel of the cards, but they look like something the Department of Defense could have released during the Vietnam War. These same illustrations, released today on borderless, canvas cards would truly be breathtaking.

Doug West was only 23 years old when this set was released, and is still going strong in the world of sports art. You can learn all about Doug and his art right on his website. 

I like these cards and I like Doug West. Having an original release price around $8, a fresh set in the original box is worth around $10 to $15. I can't remember the last time I found one of the 250 uncut sheets for sale, but I imagine it would sell in the $20 to $30 range to the right buyer. Collectors have always given a cool reception to sets featuring retired players, and this set is no exception. With the release being over thirty years old now, these cards should be of interest to baseball fans who are seeking to collect limited editions that were produced before the "junk wax" era of the late 1980s and early 1990s. 

Random Fact: Joe DiMaggio is the only card in the set with a horizontal layout.

Click here to hunt for Doug West sets on eBay

1. Jackie Robinson, Dodgers

2. Luis Aparicio, Orioles

3. Roberto Clemente, Pirates

4. Mickey Mantle, Yankees

5. Joe DiMaggio, Yankees

6. Willie Stargell, Pirates

7. Brooks Robinson, Orioles

8. Ty Cobb, Tigers

9. Don Drysdale, Dodgers

10. Bob Feller, Indians

11. Stan Musial, Cardinals

12. Al Kaline, Tigers

13. Willie Mays, Giants

14. Willie McCovey, Giants

15. Thurman Munson, Yankees

16. Charlie Gehringer, Tigers

17. Eddie Mathews, Braves

18. Carl Yastrzemski, Red Sox

19. Warren Spahn, Braves

20. Ted Williams, Red Sox

21. Ernie Banks, Cubs

22. Roy Campanella, Dodgers

23. Harmon Killebrew, Twins

24. Duke Snider, Dodgers

Topps Football Production Photos (1984 Darrell Green and 1985 Jim Kelly)

Countless steps were undertaken by Topps designers during the course of creating sports (and non-sports) cards in the 1980s. Many of these processes remained similar to the steps used back in the 1940s, when Topps was new to the card business, and some printing principles are still in effect to this very day.

One of the production steps performed religiously by Topps during the 1980s was the creation of "match print" photos... These were full-color photographs, usually printed on commercial photo paper or similar stock, that allowed designers to not only eyeball the content itself, but also play with border cropping ideas and color corrections. These match photos often reveal a view larger than the one used on a card, and these one-of-a-kind gems are a welcome collectable for team and player collectors.

The photo shown above was used on Jim Kelly's 1985 Topps USFL card, which is pictured on the right. In this case, the photo was ultimately cropped on all four sides, and Kelly's lower legs were obscured by the Gamblers team name. During an era when bench shots were featured on the majority of Topps football cards, this superb action shot remains a collector favorite within the 132-card 1985 USFL boxed set.

Another interesting match print photo that surfaced recently features the image used on Darrell Green's 1984 Topps rookie card. Unlike the Kelly example, this match photo would undertake considerable airbrushing, and the removing of the lower 20% of the pic, before finding its' way onto Green's card. For years card geeks have wondered what exactly (or who exactly) was removed from the background of this card, and seemingly transformed into a questionable cloud that suggested Green was in need of a shower. Only now do we know that a couple of Soviet KGB agents, in full dress uniform, were there on the RFK sidelines to doubtlessly steal copies of team playbooks.

Keep match print photos in your thoughts; they are unique, in-house production items that will be sure to compliment any collection.

Click here to find Topps Match Photos on eBay

1984 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Police

If these cards aren't the ones you're looking for, take a peek at the 1980 Buccaneers Police Set. The easiest way to tell the difference between the two sets is to look at the backs. The 1980 cards will have either a Coca-Cola or Paradyne logo, while the 1984 cards have neither.

The Tampa Bay Bucs, in conjunction with local area law enforcement agencies, released a second local "police" set in 1984 (the first one was the '80 set linked above). Both sets are complete at a whopping 56 cards each, which allowed a buttload of players the chance to make their lone card appearance as a professional NFL player.

Police sets from the late 70's to mid 80's had a general format for both the card fronts and backs, and this set followed the said formula faithfully. Fronts feature a large photo and basic biographical information for the pictured player. A small Bucs helmet with an old-school two-bar facemask is also featured on card fronts. Card backs feature a football definition and a safety tip that warns kids not to be kids ("When you fly a kite, stay away from overhead wires!") The three sponsors listed across the bottom are The Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce, Community Security Council and Your Local Law Enforcement Agencies. The cards are not numbered.

One opportunity we feel this set missed was the chance to show the players in all of their Sunday glory on the playing field -- every player card except for one features a boring studio closeup shot, and the players are shown wearing either a blank orange jersey, or a shirt that has a number that isn't theirs. The lone exception on a player card is that of linebacker Danny Spradlin, who may or may not have existed, and who is pictured on his card in full pads and helmet. To the credit of the set, extra action cards of running back James Wilder, defensive end Lee Roy Selmon, linebacker Hugh Green, and the overall defense were added to the set to spice things up a bit. Cards were also made for the Shwash-Buc-Lers cheerleading squad, head coach John McKay and team owner Hugh Culverhouse.

Any Bucs fan, police set collector or obscure player enthusiast should seriously consider grabbing these cards. With larger, more inclusive nationally-released football sets still being a good five years away, many players made their lone cardboard appearance in this '84 gem of an oddball set. Kicker Obed Ariri, offensive tackle Ken Kaplan, running back Melvin Carver, our friendly linebacker Danny Spradlin... The list seemingly goes on and on. Add to that the large number of veterans pictured for the first (or only) time with the Bucs, and now you're really talkin' football. One example is offensive guard Steve Courson, who snagged two Super Bowl rings with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1978 and 1979, and played for Tampa during the '84 and '85 seasons. Courson was never pictured on a Topps card, but did manage to make the 1983 Steelers Police Set. Offensive tackle Ron Heller is pictured here as a Buc during his rookie season, and would not receive a Topps card until their 1989 Traded Set was issued five years later (when he was pictured as a Philadelphia Eagle).

This set is probably easier to find than it's older 1980 brother, but you still won't see these all too often. After being released in modest quantities over thirty years ago, the supply has seemingly dried up, and to our knowledge no large hoards of these have ever been dumped on the market. Random singles can be found here and there, but complete sets seem to be fairly elusive. Regarding value, the lack of superstar players keeps the set price reasonable. Hall of Fame defensive end Lee Roy Selmon is the biggest name to be found, with a trail of respectable players following somewhere behind (quarterback Steve DeBerg, coach John McKay, running back James Wilder, linebacker Hugh Green). 

We'd estimate this set to be somewhere in the $50 range, give or take a few bucks to the right buyer. How do you go about finding a set if you'd like to add one to your collection? Well, the answer is simple...

Start Spradlin' the news.

Click here to find Bucs Police Cards on eBay

(1) Buccaneers Artwork Card

(2) John McKay, Head Coach

(3) Fred Acorn, DB

(4) Obed Ariri, K

(5) Adger Armstrong, RB

(6) Jerry Bell, TE

(7) Theo Bell, WR

(8) Byron Braggs, DE

(9) Scot Brantley, LB

(10) Cedric Brown, DB

(11) Keith Browner, LB

(12) John Cannon, DE

(13) Jay Carroll, TE

(14) Gerald Carter, WR

(15) Melvin Carver, RB

(16) Jeremiah Castille, DB

(17) Mark Cotney, DB

(18) Steve Courson, OG

(19) Jeff Davis, LB

(20) Steve DeBerg, QB

(21) Sean Farrell, OL

(22) Frank Garcia, P

(23) Jimmie Giles, TE

(24) Hugh Green, LB

(25) Hugh Green Action

(26) Randy Grimes, OL

(27) Ron Heller, OT

(28) John Holt, DB

(29) Kevin House, WR

(30) Noah Jackson, OG

(31) Cecil Johnson, LB

(32)  Ken Kaplan, OT

(33) Blair Kiel, QB

(34) David Logan, DT

(35) Brison Manor, DE

(36) Michael Morton, KR

(37) James Owens, RB

(38) Beasley Reece, DB

(39) Gene Sanders, OT

(40) Lee Roy Selmon, DE

(41) Lee Roy Selmon Action

(42) Danny Spradlin, LB

(43) Kelly Thomas, OT

(44) Norris Thomas, DB

(45) Jack Thompson, QB

(46) Perry Tuttle, WR

(47) Chris Washington, LB

(48) Mike Washington, DB

(49) James Wilder, RB

(50) James Wilder Action

(51) Steve Wilson, C

(52) Mark White, TE

(53) Richard Wood, LB

(54) Defensive Action

(55) Hugh Culverhouse, Owner

(56) Swash-Buc-Lers, Cheerleaders

1984/85 Tacoma Stars Set (Pierce County Credit Unions)

We know very little about this simple, but glorious, Tacoma Stars card set. What we do know are the following facts:

1. The Stars were a franchise in the MISL from 1983 to 1992. This set was apparently released in 1984/85.

2. This set consists of sixteen numbered player cards and an unnumbered card that lists the locations of participating Pierce County Credit Unions.

3. Card fronts feature a posed color photo of the player, along with his name and position across the top. The Tacoma Stars team logo is pictured at the bottom.

4. Card backs are all similar except for the card number, which is listed at the top right corner. Backs say, "Compliments of the Pierce County Chapter of Credit Unions who have adopted the Stars."

5. Cards are printed to thin, white card stock.

6. Even though there are 29 different participating Credit Unions listed on the locations card,  this damned set is really tough to find.

Lord knows what the value of this set might be. As is the case with virtually every other regional soccer release, most collectors probably have no idea this issue exists. With that being said, fans of 1980s soccer will recognize several names found within these cards. Defender Jimmy McAlister was the 1977 NASL Rookie of the Year, and earned six caps with the United States national team from 1977 though 1979. Ralph Black was a defender whose professional career spanned the years 1982 through 1999. Forward Mark Peterson had six appearances with the United States national team from 1980 through 1985, and played professionally from 1980 to 1987.

Click here to find Tacoma Soccer Cards on eBay

1. Ralph Black, Defender

2. Neil Megson, Defender

3. Mark Peterson, Forward

4. Gary Heale, Forward

5. Chris Hellenkamp, Midfielder

6. John Barretta, Goalkeeper

7. Paul Roe, Midfielder

8. Flemming Pehrson, Forward

9. Dale Mitchell, Forward

10. Danko Grgic, Forward

11. Ray Evans, Defender

12. Geoff Wall, Midfielder

13. Frank Barton, Midfielder

14. Jim Sinclair, Defender

15. Mike Enneking, Forward

16. Jimmy McAlister, Defender

(NNO) Pierce County Credit Union List Card