1981 Atlanta Braves Police Set

The Atlanta Braves, in conjunction with Hostess, Coca-Cola and the Police Athletic League, released the first of six yearly safety sets in 1981. A complete set features 27 cards; twenty-five active players, manager Bobby Cox and Braves legend Hank Aaron.

These cards are typical of the police sets released during the first half of the 1980s. Measuring a bit larger than the standard card size, these measure approx. 2-5/8 inches wide by 4-1/8 tall. Cards were printed on soft white card stock with a nice coating of semi-gloss across the fronts. Every card but Hank Aaron and Terry Harper features a studio portrait with a neutral background (Aaron and Harper are pictured at the ballpark). Though the year of issue is mentioned nowhere on the cards, they are easily identifiable as '81s because of the green ribbon graphic found at the top right of each card front. A Police Athletic League logo is found at the top left; this logo appears on all six Braves police sets. Card backs feature Coca-Cola and Hostess logos, as well as a short player biography and a "Tip from The Braves." Cards are not numbered except for uniform numbers.

Braves fans were treated to good baseball in the 1980s, and this set offered a preview of what would be many of the key players. Infielder Jerry Royster, 1978 Rookie of the Year Bob Horner, Hall of Fame pitcher Phil Niekro, All-Star outfielder Claudell Washington and two-time NL MVP Dale Murphy are just some of the players who contributed to the success of the club during the first half of the decade. Hall of Fame pitcher Gaylord Perry is also found in the set, his lone year with the Braves. Four-time Manager of the Year and Hall of Fame skipper Bobby Cox is also pictured, one year before heading to the Toronto Blue Jays. Cox would return to the Braves in 1990, and the rest is baseball history with his fourteen first place finishes in fifteen years.

It was reported that 33,000 sets were printed. Allegedly, the Terry Harper card is a bit harder to find than the other cards; while it isn't scarce by any means, it is technically a short print. The Hank Aaron card, on the other hand, was triple-printed (I saw an uncut sheet several years ago to verify this) and is by far the easiest card in the set to find. This means that approximately 99,000 Aaron cards rolled off the presses back in 1981, and examples are easily found these days.

A NRMT complete set is valued in the $10 to $15 range today, including the "slightly" short-printed Harper. This set, along with the other five '80s Brave police issues, are loaded with quality cards and should be a part of every baseball oddball portfolio.

Find Braves Police Sets on eBay

 (1) Jerry Royster

(3) Dale Murphy

(4) Biff Pocoroba

(5) Bob Horner

(6) Bobby Cox, MGR

(9) Luis Gomez

(10) Chris Chambliss

(15) Bill Nahorodny

(16) Rafael Ramirez

(17) Glenn Hubbard

(18) Claudell Washington

(19) Terry Harper (SP)

(20) Bruce Benedict

(24) John Montefusco

(25) Rufino Linares

(26) Gene Garber

(30) Brian Asselstine

(34) Larry Bradford

(35) Phil Niekro

(37) Rick Camp

(39) Al Hrabosky

(40) Tommy Boggs

(42) Rick Mahler

(45) Ed Miller

(46) Gaylord Perry

(49) Preston Hanna

(NNO) Hank Aaron

1981 Dallas Cowboys Police Set

In 1981, the Dallas Cowboys appeared in a police card issue for the third year in a row. As a matter of fact, the 'Boys appeared in two police sets in 1981, issued over 1,200 miles apart from one another! 

Police cards were at the peak of their popularity in the early 1980s, and someone came up with the idea of releasing Dallas Cowboys sets in two different regions; one set in the Dallas area, as would be expected, and a second one in Thousand Oaks, California, where the Cowboys held their yearly training camps from 1963 through 1989 (California Lutheran College). The only obvious difference in appearance between the two sets is the sponsor logo found at the lower right of all card fronts; Cards issued in the Dallas area feature the blue and round Kiwanis Club logo, while the cards issued in the Thousand Oaks area feature a design that shows a boy and girl holding hands, with the words "Light Up A Life" appearing above.

One might make the case that both issues could be combined to make one set, as totally different players are featured within each. The set released in the Dallas area seemingly received the short end of the stick, as most of the team's star players are hosted in the Thousand Oaks issue; Hall of Famers Tony Dorsett, Randy White and Tom Landry, along with starting quarterback Danny White, are all found in the elusive California set.

Cowboys fans will still want to grab a copy of the Dallas-area set. Tight end Doug Cosbie and safety Michael Downs make an appearance a year before their Topps rookie cards were issued, and backup quarterback Glenn Carano wasn't featured on a Topps card until the 1984 USFL boxed set was released. Shoring up the set are Cowboys legends Ed "Too Tall" Jones and Butch Johnson, both of whom contributed greatly during the Staubach-era years of the team.

Though the designs found on the card fronts and backs are classic and liked by most oddball collectors, the fact that there were virtually no format changes during the five-set run has been known to cause much confusion... Cowboys Police Sets were released in 1979, 1980, 1981 (x2) and 1983, and they all basically look alike. The year of issue in not noted on the cards.

A complete set of the '81 Dallas set consists of 14 cards. Many of the specimens from this year seem to be "diamond" cut, where the side borders are not cut at a 90 degree angle and don't run parallel to the photo; it's just something to look for when purchasing a set, because this type of defect does hurt the value. While on the subject of value, I'd give the set a current price range of ten to fifteen dollars. 

Random Fact: The most obscure Cowboy to make the set is probably center Robert Shaw. Though he was taken by the Cowboys in the first round of the 1979 draft, the Tennessee alumnus never really had the chance to play as he was stuck behind veteran Tom Rafferty. Starting just six games in three seasons, Shaw was out of the NFL after the 1981 campaign.

We have previously featured the 1979 Cowboys Police Set, 1980 Cowboys Police Set and 1983 Cowboys Police Set. 

Click here to hunt for Cowboys Police Sets Sets on eBay

 (18) Glenn Carano, QB

(20) Ron Springs, RB

(23) James Jones, RB

(26) Michael Downs, S

(32) Dennis Thurman, CB

(45) Steve Wilson, CB

(51) Anthony Dickerson, LB

(52) Robert Shaw, C

(58) Mike Hegman, LB

(59) Guy Brown, LB

(61) Jim Cooper, T

(72) Ed Jones, DE

(84) Doug Cosbie, TE

(86) Butch Johnson, WR

 

1981/82 Georgetown Hoyas Basketball Police Set

The Georgetown Hoyas basketball team was the subject of yearly police card sets that were first issued during the 1981/82 season, and continued through the late 1990s (up to the 1996/97 season, I believe). Quick backstory: The modern police card era began with the NBA's 1977/78 Portland Trailblazers set, while with college basketball the first modern examples were released in 1980/81 for both the Arizona Wildcats and Wichita State Shockers; Georgetown followed with their first set a year later.

The 1981/82 Hoyas police set consists of 20 cards, and consists of fourteen players, four coaches, a team photo, and a mascot card. Card fronts feature black and white portraits, flanked by a dark, large blue border with white edges. Each player's name, uniform number, position, height, college year and home town are listed across the bottom fronts. Each card back features a basketball term and safety tip, as well as a Safeway sponsor logo across the bottom. Sets were printed on very thin white cardboard stock, which makes them very condition sensitive to corner wear and "toning" on the backs.

Whether by design or luck, Georgetown's first police set has the distinction of featuring a card of freshman center Patrick Ewing, who would of course go on to make eleven All-Star appearances in the NBA, be a two-time inductee into the Basketball Hall of Fame, and be voted to the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team (Ewing is also featured in the next three Georgetown police sets). Senior Eric "Sleepy" Floyd, who is also represented, went on to play thirteen productive seasons in the NBA. Another card of note is that of legendary head coach and Hall of Famer John Thompson, who guided the team quite successfully from 1972 through 1999.

These 80/81 cards seem to be pretty scarce. I have been on the police card prowl for many years, and rarely do I see these sets hit the market; even on eBay at the time of this writing, only one incomplete set and two graded Ewing singles are to be found on the entire site. I'm not sure if the production numbers were ever released for any of the Georgetown cards, but later Hoyas issues are certainly much easier to find than this inaugural set. 

The next year's 1982/83 set is very similar in appearance, but lacks "GEORGETOWN BASKETBALL" across the top fronts of the cards. On the lower backs of the 1982/83 cards, the "GAMES PRODUCTION, Inc." name is found in the place of Safeway.

At one time, during the glory years of Patrick Ewing as well as the glory years of speculative card collecting, this 1981/82 set was known to sell in the $100 to $120 range. Today's value is more likely in the neighborhood of $75 to $100.

Random Fact: According to the back of the mascot card, collecting a complete set of these cards would have won two free tickets to a Georgetown basketball game. 

Click here to find Hoyas Police Sets on eBay

1. Jack the Bulldog

2. Elvado Smith, G, Freshman

3. Eric Smith, F, Senior

4. Pat Ewing, C, Freshman

5. Anthony Jones, F, Freshman

6. Bill Martin, F, Freshman

7. Bill Stein, Asst. Coach

8. Norman Washington, Grad. Asst. Coach

9. Ed Spriggs, C, Senior

10. Eric Floyd, G, Senior

11. Gene Smith, G, Sophomore

12. Fred Brown, G, Sophomore

13. Mike Hancock, F, Senior

14. Kurt Kaull, G, Junior

15. Ed Meyers, Asst. Coach

16. Ron Blaylock, G, Senior

17. David Blue, F, Junior

18. John Thompson, Head Coach

19. Ralph Dalton, C, Freshman

20. Team Photo

1981 Pittsburgh Steelers Police Set

When your favorite team played the Steelers in the mid-1970s and early 1980s, the end result probably wasn't a favorable one for the ___________ (insert the name of any team that isn't the Steelers).

Widely considered the greatest dynasty in NFL history, the Steelers of this era showed up on Sundays with the intention of beating all comers. Badly. Just imagine being the defensive coordinator that was tasked with controlling the Steelers offense... Where do you begin? You need to cover a Hall of Fame center (Webster), who's hiking the ball to a Hall of Fame quarterback (Bradshaw), who's handing the ball off to a Hall of Fame running back (Harris), or perhaps throwing the ball to one of his two Hall of Fame wide receivers (Swann and Stallworth).

Whaaaaaat?

Offensive coordinators didn't fare much better against the Steelers defense. Running the ball wasn't easy against a Hall of Fame defensive Tackle (Greene) and a soon-to-be Hall of Fame defensive end (Greenwood).  Two Hall of Fame linebackers (Lambert and Ham) provided an unmatched second line of defense. A Hall of Fame cornerback (Blount) and possible Hall of Fame safety (Shell) were willing and able to handle the best opposing wide receivers.

The 1981 set is the first of a long line of yearly Steelers police sets that changed very little for over a decade... And this first set appeared none too soon, as the Steelers dynasty was coming to a close. Consisting of 16 player cards, every player mentioned above is featured in this remarkable issue. Card fronts feature a Steelers helmet and "stenciled" team name across the top. with a large action photo adorning the middle. Below each photo is the player's name, position, height and weight. Backs have a Coca-Cola and Kiwanis logo at the top, with a "Steeler's Tip" occupying the middle. The set sponsors are listed at the bottom (the local Kiwanis Club, Coca-Cola, the local Police Department and the Pittsburgh Steelers). Cards are not numbered except for uniform numbers on the fronts.

Because of the high-profile status of these players, most were well-represented in the yearly Topps football sets. One exception is legendary wide receiver Lynn Swann, who decided not to sign with Topps after the 1977 season (he is found in Topps sets from 1975-1977). He makes a welcome appearance in the Steeler's first police set four years later, and makes his final appearance in the second police set released by the team a year later in 1982.

I would challenge anyone to find a team set containing at least 16 cards where over half of the players are in the Hall of Fame. It's a fool's errand. For this reason alone, you need to own this set (you'll be a huge hit with the ladies at your next party when you whip out this baby.... women love winners!) The cards aren't impossible to find, but these '81s are probably a touch scarcer than the police sets the Steelers would release in the years following. Expect to pay around $15 for a set that's in nice shape.

Random Fact: Larry Brown was converted from tight end to offensive tackle before the 1977 season began, but is mistakenly listed as a tight end in this set.

Click here to find Steelers Police Sets on eBay

(9) Matt Bahr, K

(12) Terry Bradshaw, QB

(31) Donnie Shell, DB

(32) Franco Harris, RB

(47) Mel Blount, CB

(52) Mike Webster, C

(57) Sam Davis, G

(58) Jack Lambert, LB

(59) Jack Ham, LB

(64) Steve Furness, DT

(68) L.C. Greenwood, DE

(75) Joe Greene, DT

(76) John Banaszak, DE

(79) Larry Brown, TE

(82) John Stallworth, WR

(88) Lynn Swann, WR

1981 Chicago Bears Police Set

The Chicago Bears were woefully underrepresented in the 1980s oddball set world. During the decade, the team would be the subject of a mere two police sets -- a remarkable, action-packed set released in 1981, and a set in 1986 that featured both Bears and Patriots players, in honor of their meeting in Super Bowl XX. This post will focus on the 1981 release.

Modern-day football police sets were first released during the 1979 NFL season, with the Cowboys, Chiefs and Seahawks issuing small sets in their respective home areas. A few more teams followed suit in 1980, with Chicago hopping on board the safety card bus in 1981. Considered a mid-sized police set at 24 cards, fronts feature game-day action shots taken by team photographer Bill Smith, who continues to retain his legendary Bears pic-takin' position to this very day. The cards are not numbered except for player uniform numbers on the fronts, found at the bottom with player names, a small Bears helmet, and Kiwanis Club logo.

The Bears weren't a great team in 1981, finishing at the bottom of the NFC Central Division with a 6 and 10 record. Regardless of their pesky win-loss totals, the club (and this set) featured many names that are still beloved by Bears fans. While it's tempting to do a write-up for each and every player, here are five notable guys who make this police issue a must-have for any football collector:

Quarterback Vince Evans - Pictured the same year as his Topps rookie card, Evans was originally drafted by the Bears in the sixth round of the 1977 NFL Draft. An exciting player to watch, Evans managed to play NFL football through the end of the 1995 season (with two years away to play USFL ball in 1984 and 1985). 

Running Back Walter Payton - Precious few oddball cards were created for Payton during his playing career, and this ranks as one of the nicer ones. A struggling offensive line hampered Payton's performance in 1981, and though he gained an impressive 1,222 yards rushing that season, he averaged only 3.6 yards per carry.

Strong Safety Gary Fencik - Decorated defensive back Fencik was a mainstay with Chicago from 1976 through 1987, and was the team's starting free safety throughout the 1985 playoffs and Super Bowl XX. A huge fan-favorite and Chicago native.

Defensive Tackle Alan Page - One of the greatest defensive linemen ever to play professionally, Page played his first eleven and a half pro seasons with the Minnesota Vikings. He finished his career with the Bears, where he played another three and a half years. I believe this '81 Bears police card is the final issue printed during his active playing career.

Defensive End Dan Hampton - Chicago's first-round pick in the 1979 NFL Draft, Hampton is represented during his Topps rookie card year. A member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, "Danimal" was a fixture on the Bears defensive line from 1979 through 1990.

These sets aren't everywhere, but I wouldn't consider them scarce either. A nicely centered, NRMT set is worth in the neighborhood of $20 to $25. Anyone who collects oddball football sets should have this one in their sights.

Click here to find Bears Police Cards on eBay

(8) Vince Evans, QB

(34) Walter Payton, RB

(35) Roland Harper, RB

(44) Terry Schmidt, CB

(45) Gary Fencik, SS

(46) Doug Plank, FS

(48) Allan Ellis, CB

(52) Dan Neal, C

(54) Tom Hicks, LB

(58) Jerry Muckensturm, LB

(59) Gary Campbell, LB

(64) Ted Albrecht, T

(65) Noah Jackson, G

(68) Jim Osborne, DT

(69) Revie Sorey, G

(70) Dennis Lick, T

(73) Mike Hartenstine, DE

(80) Rickey Watts, WR

(81) Robin Earl, TE (Pictured wearing #39)

(82) Alan Page, DT

(84) Brian Baschnagel, WR

(89) James Scott, WR

(99) Dan Hampton, DE

Head Coach Neill Armstrong

1981 Topps Football Red Border Stickers

Topps went full steam ahead with sports stickers in 1981, releasing a set of 262 Major League Baseball players and a set of 262 National Football League players. These stickers were sold in sealed packs of five, and an optional album was available to house them. 

A lesser-known football sticker set was also made available by Topps in 1981, which featured just 28 players (one per NFL team). Considered by some collectors to be a test issue, these somewhat scarce stickers feature red borders and a large, color photo of each player. Unlike the regular stickers mentioned above that were sold in packs of five, we believe these red border beauties were sold as singles inside small, plastic gumball machine containers. Many of the stickers we see today are in high-end condition, meaning they were never stuffed inside the capsules. 

Topps did a nice job with their player selection, including a balanced blend of young stars and superstar veterans. Hall of Fame wide receiver Art Monk is featured in his rookie card year, along with running backs Billy Sims and Joe Cribbs, and quarterback David Woodley. Hall of Famers Walter Payton, Tony Dorsett, James Lofton, Jack Youngblood, Franco Harris, Steve Largent and Lee Roy Selmon each contribute to the value of this oddball offering. A Joe Montana rookie sticker would have been a welcome addition indeed, but entering the 1981 NFL season Montana had only started seven games for the 49ers, making it understandable why Topps would instead choose veteran wide receiver Freddie Solomon to represent San Fransisco.

Red border stickers are the same size as their "regular" cousins, weighing in at 1 15/16 by 2 9/16 inches. Stickers are numbered 1 through 28 on the fronts and backs. Backs feature a small amount of biographical information and the 1981 copyright date. A light watermark from the MACtac Corporation of Soignies, Belgium can also be found on the backs of the stickers. Still going strong today, the graphics and label printing company continues to employ over 19,000 workers worldwide.

Ebay is a fairly accurate barometer to gauge how scarce an oddball set might be, especially when you keep an eye open over the course of weeks, months and years. A small hoard appeared on the site about a year ago (maybe ten or so sets), which allowed me to purchase my set for ten dollars delivered. With that event being long gone, complete sets seem to be elusive and offered in the $25 range. A nicely-centered Walter Payton could easily be worth $10 or more by itself.

Click here to find 1981 Topps Football Stickers on eBay

1. Steve Bartkowski, QB, Falcons

2. Bert Jones, QB, Colts

3. Joe Cribbs, RB, Bills

4. Walter Payton, RB, Bears

5. Ross Browner, DE, Bengals

6. Brian Sipe, QB, Browns

7. Tony Dorsett, RB, Cowboys

8. Randy Gradishar, MLB, Broncos

9. Billy Sims, RB, Lions

10. James Lofton, WR, Packers

11. Mike Barber, TE, Oilers

12. Art Still, DE, Chiefs

13. Jack Youngblood, DE, Rams

14. Dave Woodley, QB, Dolphins

15. Amhad Rashad, WR, Vikings

16. Russ Francis, TE, Patriots

17. Archie Manning, QB, Saints

18. Dave Jennings, P, Giants

19. Richard Todd, QB, Jets

20. Lester Hayes, CB, Raiders

21. Ron Jaworski, QB, Eagles

22. Franco Harris, RB, Steelers

23. Ottis Anderson, RB, Cardinals

24. John Jefferson, WR, Chargers

25. Freddie Solomon, WR, 49ers

26. Steve Largent, WR, Seahawks

27. Lee Roy Selmon, DE, Buccaneers

28. Art Monk, WR, Redskins

1980 81 82 Tampa Rowdies Police Sets - How to Tell the Difference

The Tampa Rowdies soccer club was the subject of three police sets in the early 1980s. All three sets utilized a design format that was typical for safety sets of the time, with the fronts of all three being exactly the same. Here's a look at a card front from each:

I don't know about you, but I can't see much of a difference on the fronts. The key to discovering the year of issue lies on the backs of the cards, as there are subtle but unmistakeable differences. Each of the three years features a different set of sponsors listed on the back bottoms of the cards. Here they are:

You'll immediately notice that the 1980 set features two logos near the bottom, with the circular logo representing the Exchange Club of Tampa. This is the only year that the Exchange Club was a sponsor. In 1981, the two sponsors listed were the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce and Law Enforcement Council. Luckily, between the printings of the 1981 and 1982 sets, the Law Enforcement Council changed their name to the Community Security Council, with the 1982 set reflecting the name change accordingly.

We will spend more time detailing these sets in the future. These really are some great oddball cards that feature cards for players, cheerleaders (Wowdies), the band (Loudies), the stadium, and even mascot "Krazy George."

Click here to find Rowdies stuff on eBay

1981 Drake's Big Hitters

Click here to find Big Hitters Sets on eBay

The card collecting "snowball" slowly began rolling downhill in the late 1970s, gradually increasing in size until running out of steam in the early 1990s. It was during this time, in the late 70s to early 80s, that speculators -- in numbers previously unseen by the collecting hobby -- began buying cards with the intention of holding and selling them for a future profit. One of the card issues purchased heavily by speculators of the day was the 1981 Drake's Big Hitters set.

Produced by the Topps Company for Drake's, there was much to like about these cards. They were packaged with Drake's cake products that were only sold in certain areas of the country. Putting a complete set together required purchasing numerous Drake's products, as the buyer never knew which cards would be included inside the packages. The player lineup was nothing short of fantastic, with 33 bona fide Major League stars being represented in the set (ten Hall of Famers, plus Pete Rose for good measure). Three players were

featured with their new teams, even before the 1981 Topps Traded Series was released -- Carlton Fisk of the White Sox, Fred Lynn of the Angels and Dave Kingman of the Mets.

Collectors and speculators far and wide purchased Drake's cakes by the case, and the cards were popular sellers in the hobby newspapers of the day. It was common to pay $20 or more for a set in 1981, if the dealer in question even had a set in stock.

The bubble burst on these card values near the end of the 1981 season, when the New York marketing firm handling the promotion found out about a major "leak" within the distribution process. Apparently, complete sets of the cards had made their way directly into the hobby and were selling for high prices. Of course, the cards purchased directly from this unknown source had never been packaged with baked goods and were in mint condition. Though the original plan had been to not release complete sets, Drake's decided to do so in light of the high prices collectors were paying for these leaked cards. The sudden availability of complete sets drove the value down, as planned by Drake's, in order to make sets affordable for collectors.

Drakes and Topps once again released a very similar set in 1982 (and others in 1983, 1984 and 1985), but speculators had learned their lessons. These future sets never gained the acclaim or hype initially given to the inaugural 1981 set.

Today, the 1981 Drake's issue suffers the same fate as the other sets that were overproduced during the 1980s. Over thirty years later a complete, mint set of the cards usually costs less than the $5 to $8 range it was selling for in 1982. How's that for a great investment?

2025 Update: Near Mint examples of this set can still be found on eBay for ten dollars plus shipping... Well over forty years after release.

Click here to find Big Hitters Sets on eBay

1. Carl Yastrzemski, Red Sox

2. Rod Carew, Angels

3. Pete Rose, Phillies

4.  Dave Parker, Pirates

5. George Brett, Royals

6. Eddie Murray, Orioles

7. Mike Schmidt, Phillies

8. Jim Rice, Red Sox

9. Fred Lynn, Angels

10. Reggie Jackson, Yankees

11. Steve Garvey, Dodgers

12. Ken Singleton, Orioles

13. Bill Buckner, Cubs

14. Dave Winfield, Yankees

15. Jack Clark, Giants

16. Cecil Cooper, Brewers

17. Bob Horner, Braves

18. George Foster, Reds

19. Dave Kingman, Mets

20. Cesar Cedeno, Astros

21. Joe Charboneau, Indians

22. George Hendrick, Cardinals

23. Gary Carter, Expos

24. Al Oliver, Rangers

25. Bruce Bochte, Mariners

26. Jerry Mumphrey, Padres

27. Steve Kemp, Tigers

28. Bob Watson, Yankees

29. John Castino, Twins

30. Tony Armas, Athletics

31. John Mayberry, Blue Jays

32. Carlton Fisk, White Sox

33. Lee Mazzilli, Mets