1980 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Police

If these don't seem to be the cards you're searching for, check out our post on the 1984 Buccaneers Police Set. The 1984 cards do NOT have Coca-Cola or Paradyne logos on the backs.

The 1980 Bucs police set was released in two versions -- one has Coke advertising on the back, while the other has an ad from the Paradyne Corporation. Both versions are complete at 56 cards, and the card fronts are similar for both. This set is considered to be the scarcest NFL police issue of the decade (regardless of the sponsor), but since the "Paradyne" version is much scarcer than the "Coke" one, the 1980 Bucs Paradyne police set is without a doubt the toughest football safety set of the 1980s to find. There are 44 players represented in the set, as well as several cheerleaders (Swash-Buc-Lers), the head coach, owner and mascot. Card backs feature "Tips from the Buccaneers" and list the sponsors; Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce, Law Enforcement Council, local law enforcement agencies, and either Coca-Cola or Paradyne. Many players in the set are featured on their only NFL card, including USFL standouts Mike Hawkins (Gamblers) and Chuck Fusina (Stars).

A complete set of Coke backs should be worth no less than $50, while the Paradyne backs should be worth at least $100 to the right buyer.

In the "Coke" version of the 1980 Bucs police set, 28 cards have the "Enjoy Coca-Cola" logo on the backs, while the other 28 have the "Have a Coke and a smile." campaign. Card backs are printed in red.

The "Paradyne" version of the 1980 Bucs police set is the scarcest NFL police issue of the decade. Backs were printed in a maroon hue, whereas the "Coke" version was printed in red. It is estimated that only 20% to 30% of the 1908 Bucs police cards were printed with the Paradyne backs.

(1) Ricky Bell, RB

(2) Rick Berns, RB

(3) Tom Blanchard, P

(4) Scott Brantley, LB

(5) Aaron Brown, LB

(6) Cedric Brown, DB

(7) Mark Cotney, DB

(8) Randy Crowder, DL

(9) Gary Davis, RB

(10) Johnny Davis, RB

(11) Tony Davis, RB

(12) Jerry Eckwood, RB

(13) Chuck Fusina, QB

(14) Jimmie Giles, TE

(15) Isaac Hagins, WR

(16) Charley Hannah, OT

(17) Andy Hawkins, LB

(18) Kevin House, WR

(19) Cecil Johnson, LB

(20) Gordon Jones, WR

(21) Curtis Jordan, DB

(22) Bill Kollar, DL

(23) Jim Leonard, C

(24) David Lewis, LB

(25) Reggie Lewis, DL

(26) David Logan, DL

(27) Larry Mucker, WR

(28) Jim O'Bradovich, TE

(29) Mike Rae, QB

(30) Dave Reavis, OT

(31) Danny Reece, DB

(32) Greg Roberts, OG

(33) Gene Sanders, OL

(34) Dewey Selmon, LB

(35) Lee Roy Selmon, DE

(36) Ray Snell, OG

(37) Dave Stalls, DE

(38) Norris Thomas, DB

(39) Mike Washington, DB

(40) Doug Williams, QB

(41) Steve Wilson, C

(42) Richard Wood, LB

(43) George Yarno, OG

(44) Garo Yepremian, PK

(45) 1980 T.B. Buccaneers (Team Photo)

(46) T.B. Buccaneers Logo Card

(47) Hugh Culverhouse, Owner

(48) John McKay, Head Coach

(49) Captain Crush, Mascot

(50) Swash-Buc-Lers (Group Photo)

(51) Swash-Buc-Ler (Buzz)

(52) Swash-Buc-Ler (Check with me)

(53) Swash-Buc-Ler (Gap-2)

(54) Swash-Buc-Ler (Gas)

(55) Swash-Buc-Ler (Pass Protection)

(56) Swash-Buc-Ler (Post Pattern)

1977/78 Portland Trailblazers Police

Considered the first "modern" police/safety set, the 1977/78 Blazers issue established the prototype look, size and feel for the majority of future public service giveaway sets. Consisting of fourteen cards (eleven players and three staff members), the semi-glossy fronts feature large game-day photos surrounded by thick, white borders. A Trailblazers logo can be found at the top right of the photos. Backs are white with a square red border surrounding a "Tip from the Blazers" and a basketball term. Near the bottom of card backs is an NBA logo and a line stating, "Courtesy of your area Kiwanis Club and Police Dept." Cards are not numbered except for player uniform numbers, and the year of issue is not mentioned. The majority of the 1976/77 NBA Champion squad is represented, with the key cards being early issues of Hall of Fame center Bill Walton and forward Maurice "The Enforcer" Lucas.

These cards may be a bit tougher to find than most other police sets of the era, but are certainly not scarce. A fair current value for a nice set is in the $25 to $40 range.

(10) Corky Calhoun, F

(13) Dave Twardzik, G

(14) Lionel Hollins, G

(15) Larry Steele, G

(16) Johnny Davis, G

(20) Maurice Lucas, F

(23) T.R. Dunn, G

(25) Tom Owens, C

(30) Bob Gross, F

(32) Bill Walton, C

(36) Lloyd Neal, F

Ron Culp (Trainer)

Jack McKinney (Asst. Coach)

Jack Ramsay (Coach)

1975 Herfy's San Jose Earthquakes

Herfy's hamburger restaurants in the San Jose area gave these cards away in 1975. Complete at 22 cards, little else is known about the set. Cards are not numbered and the backs are blank. Featured in the set are 20 players (Buzz Demling is the subject of two cards) and fan/mascot "Krazy George" is the only non-player (George shows up a few years later in the Tampa Rowdies police sets). The cards are quite a bit larger than the standard size, roughly measuring 5 1/4 inches tall by 3 inches wide. Soccer fans will recognize many players from the era, including Boris Bandov, Gary St. Clair and Dan Counce.

This set is quite scarce and does not come up for sale often. A good starting point value-wise would probably be in the $40 to $50 range.

 

March 2024 Update: These days, the price of a nice set should be at least $100... Eleven years after my original post, I'm still amazed at how truly scarce these cards are.

(1) Boris Bandov

(2) Laurie Calloway

(3) Paul Child

(4) Dan Counce

(5) Derek Craig

(6) Buzz Demling (daytime, kicking)

(7) Buzz Demling (nighttime, heading ball)

(8) Mark Demling

(9) Gabbo Gavric

(10) Mani Hernandez

(11) Mike Ivanow

(12) Dave Kemp

(13) Terry Lees

(14) Ilija Mitic

(15) Johnny Moore

(16) Bill Quiros

(17) Archie Roboostoff

(18) Gary St. Clair

(19) Art Welch

(20) Zee Zaczynski

(21) Jim Zylker

(22) Krazy George (Head Earthquake Rumbler)

1979 Seattle Seahawks Police

The 1979 Seahawks police set was the first of nine police sets produced of the team through 1990 (none were released in 1981, 1983 or 1984). Sponsors for the 16-card inaugural issue were the Washington State Crime Prevention Association, Kiwanis Club, and Coca-Cola (all listed on card backs). A football definition and safety tip are also given on card backs, and the year "1979" appears in tiny numbers on the right bottoms below the border. Cards are not numbered. Hall of Fame wide receiver Steve Largent is the key card of the set, accounting for over half of the set's value. Fan-favorite quarterback Jim Zorn is another notable player in the set.

Seahawks police sets are not difficult to find. The 1979 issue is the most valuable because it's the oldest, and usually sells in the $8 to $10 range.

(1) Steve August, T

(2) Autry Beamon, S

(3) Terry Beeson, LB

(4) Dennis Boyd, DT

(5) Dave Brown, CB

(6) Efren Herrera, K

(7) Steve Largent, WR

(8) Tom Lynch, G

(9) Bob Newton, G

(10) Jack Patera, Head Coach

(11) David Sims, FB

(12) Sherman Smith, RB

(13) John Yarno, C

(14) Jim Zorn, QB

(15) Sea Gals, Keri Truscan

(16) The Seahawk (Mascot)

1979 Dallas Cowboys Police

The 1979 season marked the release of the first Cowboys police set. Originally slated to be a 14-card issue, troubled player Thomas Henderson was removed from the set and replaced by fellow linebacker D.D. Lewis in the middle of distribution. Both cards were printed in lesser quantities than the others, but enough were released for both to be considered a part of a complete set. Hall of Fame quarterback Roger Staubach makes an appearance during his last year as a player, and Hall of Fame head coach Tom Landry is the subject of a card for the first time since his 1965 Philadelphia Cowboys "play card." Featuring game-day photos on the fronts, the backs gave "Cowboys Tips" and listed the sponsors (area Kiwanis Club, law enforcement agency, and the Dallas Cowboys Weekly). Cards are not numbered except for player uniform numbers.

The 1979 Cowboys set is not scarce, but was still printed in quantities modest enough to maintain a reasonable value. Today, the set can be found online in the $15 range.

Click here to hunt for Cowboys Police Sets Sets on eBay

(12) Roger Staubach, QB

(33) Tony Dorsett, RB

(41) Charlie Waters, S

(43) Cliff Harris, S

(44) Robert Newhouse, RB

(50) D.D. Lewis, LB (shortprint)

(53) Bob Breunig, LB

(54) Randy White, DT

(56) Thomas Henderson, LB (shortprint)

(67) Pat Donovan, T

(79) Harvey Martin, DE

(80) Tony Hill, WR

(88) Drew Pearson, WR

(89) Billy Joe DuPree, TE

Tom Landry, Head Coach