1984 Topps Baseball Cards: Five Fun Facts
The 1984 Topps set is best known today for its rookie cards of Don Mattingly and Darryl Strawberry, both of which were red hot in the 1980s but have cooled down considerably since. While both were (and still are) overshadowed by their tougher Donruss counterparts, finding either of these cards for under $2 back in 1984 would have felt like the deal of the century, which is where the first fun fact comes in.
FUN FACT #1: Mattingly and Strawberry Rookie Cards Cost a Nickel
Wait, what! How could this be? Weren't these the two most expensive cards in the set? Absolutely, but here's the thing. Topps didn't seem to care.
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Sure enough, collectors could buy the Mattingly, the Strawberry, and 18 other cards of their choice direct from Topps in 1984 for only a dollar and some wrappers. That comes out to a nickel a card.
FUN FACT #2: The 1984 Topps Set Has No Hall of Fame Rookie Cards!
Though no collector would have believed it at the time, not one of the 93 rookies in the 1984 Topps set has made it to Cooperstown! About the closest the set comes to a Hall of Fame rookie card is a Brewers pitcher with a Hall of Fame name,
FUN FACT #3: Ditto the 1984 Topps Traded Set!
Throw in the 132 cards in the Topps Traded set, 19 of which are "extended rookie cards," and the result is the same: zero Hall of Famers!
FUN FACT #4: Six Players Had Their Only All-Star Card in the Set
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In an era filled with perennial all-stars, it's perhaps surprising that the 1984 set included six one-and-done all-star star cards. Of the sextet, Lou Whitaker is by far the most surprising since he certainly seemed to be the American League's best second baseman just about every year. Also in the one-timer camp for 1984 are Lloyd Moseby, Lamarr Hoyt, George Hendrick, Johnny Ray, and Jesse Orosco.
FUN FACT #5: Two Kevin Cards Have the Same Bio
What are the chances that two different Kevins in the same set would both have the same height, the same weight, the same birthday, the same birthplace, and even the same hometown? Zero, of course, that is unless somebody goofed! (In case you're wondering, the bio data shown belongs to Kevin Gross.)
So there you have it...five fun facts about the 1984 Topps set. If you knew all five, consider yourself a cardboard savant. And if you knew even one of the five, shoot...that's probably good enough for cardboard savant status also!
Jason A. Schwartz is a collectibles expert whose work can be found regularly at SABR Baseball Cards, Hobby News Daily, and 1939Bruins.com. His collection of Hank Aaron baseball cards and memorabilia is currently on exhibit at the Atlanta History Center, and his collectibles-themed artwork is on display at the Honus Wagner Museum and PNC Park.