1985 St. Louis Cardinals Postcard Set

Team-issued baseball postcards that were given away and sold during the 1960s-1980s era are all but impossible to checklist accurately. There are a few reasons for this. For starters, many teams would add or subtract players from the sets as needed during the season. This was usually done informally, with few efforts made to alert collectors of any changes. Often the basic design of these sets would not change for several years, meaning a team could carry over their remaining postcard inventory to their next set the following season. Yet another twist is when a team would run out of a player's card in the middle of the season, and order up new cards that were different than the previous ones.

A collector who ordered their set in May might receive a set that was significantly different than one ordered in September.

Consider the above writing a disclaimer; I have no way of knowing if I am indeed presenting the complete 1985 St. Louis Cardinals team-issued postcard set. But here goes nothing.

My set consists of 32 black and white postcards, featuring a manager, six coaches and 25 players.  Each measures approx. 5-1/2 by 3-1/4 inches and the backs are blank. A facsimile autograph is featured at the front bottom, just below the large, posed portrait of the subject. Regarding the design of this set, this is a perfect example of a team that used the same look for several years (and has undoubtedly caused much collector confusion for over 30 years). 

The '85 Cards were a heck of a baseball team, as evidenced by their appearance in the famous "I-70 Series" versus the Royals that October. Their postcard set does not disappoint, including all the starters and stars such as Ozzie Smith, Vince Coleman, Tom Herr, Andy Van Slyke, John Tudor and NL MVP Willie McGee.

Speaking of the base-swiping Coleman, he is pictured here during his rookie season and would not appear on a major card release until the late-year update sets were printed. Infielder Terry Pendleton is pictured the same year as his Topps, Donruss and Fleer rookie cards. On the flip side, light-hitting veteran infielder Ivan DeJesus is pictured during his lone year with the Cardinals, where he managed to spray a mere 16 hits in 78 plate appearances. 

My postcard set features pitcher Neil Allen, who was sold to the Yankees on July 16, but does not have outfielder Lonnie Smith, who was shipped to the Royals on May 17 (I'm not sure whether Lonnie was in the set or not prior to that date, but he was the starting left fielder). 

One can see how  frustrating it may be to research postcard sets.  I'm aware of a few collectors back in the 1970s and '80s who attempted to chronicle them, but I've never been privy to their work... It would be nice to see the fruits of their labor published online.

I'd estimate the value of the 32-card set to be in the $20 to $30 range.

Click here to find Cardinals postcards on eBay

(1) Ozzie Smith, IF

(2) Red Schoendienst, CO

(3) Dave Ricketts, CO

(4) Mike Roarke, CO

(8) Hal Lanier, CO

(8) Johnny Lewis, CO

(9) Terry Pendleton, IF

(11) Ivan DeJesus, IF

(12) Tom Lawless, IF

(13) Neil Allen, P

(15) Darrell Porter, C

(16) Nick Leyva, CO

(18) Andy Van Slyke, OF

(19) Mike Jorgensen, IF

(21) Tito Landrum, OF

(22) Jack Clark, OF

(23) Tom Nieto, C

(24) Whitey Herzog, MGR

(25) Brian Harper, OF

(26) Steve Braun, OF

(28) Tom Herr, IF

(29) Vince Coleman, OF

(30) John Tudor, P

(31) Bob Forsch, P

(32) Jeff Lahti, P

(34) Danny Cox, P

(39) Bill Campbell, P

(46) Ken Dayley, P

(47) Joaquin Andujar, P

(49) Ricky Horton, P

(50) Kurt Kepshire, P

(51) Willie McGee, OF

1985 Philadelphia Eagles Team Issue Set

Oddball football collectors love this type of issue, which was released at a time when Topps still had a monopoly on releasing a nationally-distributed yearly NFL football set (Fleer did release yearly sets during this time, but were only licensed to show action photos without mentioning player names).

One problem with the yearly Topps sets is that they were not large enough to include much depth within the rosters they chose for any given team; frankly, most casual collectors probably liked it that way. In Topps' 1985 football set, for example, only twelve cards were used to represent the Eagles, including their team card that featured an action shot of running back Wilbert Montgomery... And speaking of action shots, that team card is the only card out of twelve that features one. All of the eleven Eagles player cards feature tightly-cropped sideline shots. As a fourteen year old lad at the time, it was frustrating to see these boring cards endlessly come out of the wax packs I opened.

The Philadelphia Eagles themselves released a welcome alternative to Topps early in the 1985 season. Of course, as a young teen who lived in Deer Park, Texas, I didn't know the cards existed until several years later. These days, I'm thrilled to have a set in my collection. Consisting of a whopping 53 cards to make a complete set, there's room for just about anyone who did or didn't make the team that season. The cards are sized a generous 3 -7/8 inches tall by 2-17/18 inches wide, give or take 1/16th of an inch or so (the cards in my set vary quite a bit within that range). Medium-weight, semi-glossy cardstock was used. The vast majority of the fronts are occupied by large, color action shots with the player's name, position and uniform number printed across the bottom. Backs feature a fairly lengthy bio of the the player, and most cards include one or more obscure personal facts (did you know that Mark Dennard worked during the off-seasons as a loan officer at the First National Bank in Bryan, Texas?) The cards are not numbered except for player uniform numbers.

Of the 53 cards, 48 of them feature Eagles players. Quarterback Ron "Jaws" Jaworski, wide receiver Mike Quick, safety Wes Hopkins and running back Wilbert Montgomery are featured as expected. For the hardcore Eagles collectors, they may be just as excited to find cards of quarterbacks Dean May and Jeff Christensen, who were both cut before the 1985 season even began (May tossed exactly one pass in 1984 during his Eagles stint, while Christensen did absolutely nothing). Cornerback Andre Waters and linebacker Mike Reichenbach are featured two years before their Topps rookie cards were printed. 

The five non-player cards in the set include a helmet/header card, 1985 schedule card, Eagles logo card, and cards featuring team president Norman Braman and head coach Marion Campbell. 

The downside to this set is that no cards were made for two promising rookies -- quarterback Randall Cunningham and defensive end Reggie White. As the set was probably produced before the season even started, I'm guessing that no photos were available for these new players. Of the fourteen rookies who made the Eagles roster in 1985, not a single one is featured in this set.

I can tell you firsthand that this set ain't easy to find. I'm not sure how the Eagles originally distributed the cards, but there don't seem to be many of them floating around. My estimate for a current, fair market value would be in the $50 to $75 range.

Eagles Helmet/Header Card

(2) Mike Horan, P

(5) Dean May, QB

(7) Ron Jaworski, QB

(8) Paul McFadden, K

(11) Jeff Christensen, QB

(20) Andre Waters, CB

(21) Evan Cooper, DB/KR

(22) Brenard Wilson, S/CB

(24) Ray Ellis, SS

(25) Joe Hayes, RB/KR

(26) Michael Haddix, FB

(29) Elbert Foules, CB

(31) Wilbert Montgomery, RB

(32) Michael Williams, RB

(34) Hubie Oliver, FB

(39) Major Everett, FB

(43) Roynell Young, CB

(46) Herman Edwards, CB

(47) Andre Hardy, RB

(48) Wes Hopkins, FS

(51) Reggie Wilkes, LB

(52) Rich Kraynak, LB

(55) Mike Reichenbach, LB

(56) Jerry Robinson, LB

(58) Anthony Griggs, LB

(59) Joel Williams, LB

(63) Ron Baker, G

(64) Dean Miraldi, T

(65) Mark Dennard, C

(67) Gerry Feehery, C/G

(68) Dennis Harrison, DE

(71) Ken Clarke, NT

(73) Steve Kenney, G

(74) Leonard Mitchell, T

(79) Rusty Russell, T

(81) Kenny Jackson, WR

(82) Mike Quick, WR

(83) Tony Woodruff, WR

(84) Vyto Kab, TE

(85) Melvin Hoover, WR

(86) Gregg Garrity, WR

(87) Lawrence Sampleton, TE

(88) John Spagnola, TE

(93) Tom Strauthers, DE

(94) Byron Darby, DE

(95) Jody Schultz, LB

(96) Harvey Armstrong, NT

(98) Greg Brown, DE

Marion Campbell, Head Coach

Norman Braman, President

1985 Eagles Schedule Card

Eagles Logo Card

1985 Sports Design Products Doug West Set (Series II)

Click here to see the blog post detailing the 1984 Doug West Set (Series I).

For the second and final time, another set of 24 retired baseball stars was printed by a company called Sports Design Products. Released in 1985, this set shared virtually the same design as it's predecessor, which was released the year before. As far as I can tell, the only real difference in design between the two sets is that this second series was printed with red and blue backs, as opposed to red or blue backs. 

Sets were released in clear plastic boxes that were similar to the year before, complete with the SDP logo on the front. Cards in the newer set are numbered 25 through 48. Artist Doug West once again painted 24 original illustrations for this set. Being just 24 years old at the time this set was released, West remains an active sports artist today.

According to Sports Design Products, 5,000 Series II sets were released, with an additional 250 uncut sheets also being printed. As an active follower of the various uncut oddball sheets that surface on the market, I can't remember the last time I saw an uncut sheet from either of these two series available. Though the production runs for both sets are 5,000 each, it seems like the Series II set is slightly harder to find today. This doesn't translate to more dollars, however, and both sets maintain a current value in the $10 to $15 range. If an uncut sheet were to surface, I'd estimate it's value in the $20 to $30 range.

Random Fact: Five subjects in the set are pictured playing for two different teams (as noted below).

Click here to hunt for Doug West sets on eBay

 

25. Lou Gehrig, Yankees

26. Hoyt Wilhelm, Angels/White Sox

 27. Enos Slaughter, Yankees

28. Lou Brock, Cardinals

29. Mickey Cochrane, Tigers

30. Gil Hodges, Dodgers/Mets

 31. Yogi Berra, Yankees

32. Carl Hubbell, Giants

33. Hank Greenberg, Tigers

34. Pee Wee Reese, Dodgers

35. Casey Stengel, Bees/Yankees

36. Ralph Kiner, Pirates/Indians

 37. Satchel Paige, Indians

38. Richie Ashburn, Phillies

 39. Connie Mack, Athletics

 40. Dick Groat, Pirates

41. Tony Oliva, Twins

42. Honus Wagner, Pirates

43. Denny Mclain, Tigers

44. Johnny Mize, Giants/Cardinals

45. Bob Lemon, Indians

46. Ferguson Jenkins, Cubs

47. Babe Ruth, Yankees

48. Ted Kluszewski, Reds

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

1985 Chicago Renaissance Society White Sox Set

 

Consider yourself fortunate if you own these. If you've ever seen a set of 1980s baseball cards that were not marketed to 1980s baseball card collectors, this 1985 Chicago Renaissance Society White Sox set would probably be the best example.

In honor of both the 75th anniversary of Comiskey Park and the 70th anniversary of The Renaissance Society, a set of 18 cards was created featuring fifteen White Sox players, manager Tony LaRussa, Comiskey Park and a header card with the "75 Years" logo. Cards measure approx. 5 inches by 4 inches and are printed on semi-glossy cardboard. The cards have blank backs, are unnumbered, and come packaged in a small white cardboard portfolio.

In the words of the Society, "This unique 1985 exhibition brought together seventeen Chicago artists to offer their interpretations of seventeen White Sox players. The format, the baseball card, provides a creative link with our youth that is as refreshing as it is colorful." And boy, are some of these cards colorful indeed. And unique. Each artist was given full rein to paint their picture in the style of their choosing, which makes the set much different than all the others in our collection. First Baseman Greg Walker is painted in a realistic style, with the exception of the strange thing he's swinging at the plate. Ron Kittle looks to be the subject of expressionism, as he's pictured with a large oval head that's branded with the "Special K" cereal logo. Our favorite card is perhaps of Luis Salazar, who is depicted in action with a butterfly net, toilet plunger and straw broom. Eight naked female admirers are holding up the letters of Salazar's name, and based on the generous bulge found in the crotch of his pants, I can certainly guess why.

A limited amount of posters picturing the cards were created, and 100 special sets were signed by both the artists and players. I'm not sure how many "regular" sets were issued, but you simply don't find these anywhere (when I picked up my set off of Ebay five years ago, I had never seen them before). Update: We found an advertisement in the March 1986 issue of Beckett, which stated that 850 unsigned sets were printed... See photo at the bottom. As a general rule, we never picture every card in a set because we want purchasers to have the satisfaction of seeing many of their cards for the first time. In this case we will make an exception, as there is virtually no information regarding these cards to be found on the web. If you'd like to see all of the set, just click this small photo.

It's difficult to establish a value for the set when examples rarely surface on the market. The original asking price for a set back in '85 was $25, and a signed set was $450. Fifty dollars might be a good starting point today, and piecing out the singles may net considerably more -- most Carlton Fisk, Tom Seaver, Ozzie Guillen and Tony LaRussa collectors don't even realize that these cards were printed. 

The October 28, 1985 edition of Sports Illustated published a story regarding the original artwork for the cards, which was sold by auction at Comiskey on August 24. It can be found here on the SI website: 1985 Sports Illustrated Article.

Click here to find White Sox Renaissance Cards on eBay

The checklist below gives the names of both the players and artists.

(1) 75 Years Logo Header Card

(2) Harold Baines/Ed Paschke

(3) Floyd Bannister/Mark Jackson

(4)Britt Burns/Phyllis Bramson

(5) Julio Cruz/Karl Wirsum

(6) Richard Dotson/Paul LaMantia

(7) Carlton Fisk/Richard Hull

(8) Scott Fletcher/Hollis Sigler

(9) Ozzie Guillen/Robert Barnes

(10) Jerry Hairston/William Conger

(11) Ron Kittle/Jim Nutt

(12) Tony LaRussa/George Cohen

(13) Rudy Law/Don Baum

(14) Tom Paciorek/Robert Donley

(15) Luis Salazar/Gladys Nilsson

(16) Tom Seaver/Ellen Lanyon

(17) Greg Walker/Margaret Wharton

(18) Comiskey Park/Buzz Spector