5 Missing Topps Baseball Cards of the 1980s
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The 1980s will likely go down in the annals of Hobby history as the Decade of the Rookie Card. Not only was it in the 1980s that rookie cards took over the collecting world like never before, but it was also during the 1980s that the perfect mix of immortals, fan favorites, and—let's face it—busts made their cardboard debuts. Not surprisingly, Topps was all over this rookie card mania, doing two things during the decade that only added to the rookie card craze. For one thing, Topps moved away from the dreaded multi-player rookie card format to give each rookie his own card. For another, Topps increased the proportion of rookies in its sets. Oh, and of course there were the Traded sets to add just about anyone Topps missed in the flagship set. And yet, there were still some major league whiffs, or at least missed opportunities.
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1982 Topps Traded Ryne Sandberg
Ryno only came to the plate six times in 1981, so it's not surprising there was no Ryne Sandberg card in the 1982 Topps set. However, following a January trade from the Phillies, Ryno became an immediate regular in the Cubs lineup, making it quite surprising he had no card in the 1982 Topps Traded set. Fortunately for Sandberg collectors, Topps did partner with the Cubs in 2013 to produce a 1982-style card of Sandberg for a stadium giveaway set. Still, how much sweeter would this card have been 31 years earlier?
1983 Topps Traded Don Mattingly
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Collectors know all to well that the biggest hit of the 1983 Topps Traded set was New York Mets phenom Darryl Strawberry. Just imagine though if Topps had also included Donnie Baseball in the same set. After all, Mattingly played 91 games that year and took over as the Yankee starter at first base in late June. More than likely, however, the Topps Traded checklist was already determined by then, meaning collectors had to wait until the 1984 Topps flagship set. Still, for those looking for a "card that never was," there's the 1983-style Don Mattingly from the 2018 Topps set, among others.
1984 Topps Traded Roger Clemens and Kirby Puckett
Where production deadlines likely cost Mattingly a spot on the Traded checklist, the same can't be said for Red Sox phenom Roger Clemens. After all, Rocket famously made the 1984 Fleer Update set. For whatever reason, however, he is nowhere to be found on the Topps Traded checklist of that same year. Ditto Kirby Puckett.
1986 Topps Jose Canseco
Unlike the players mentioned previously, Jose Canseco did legitimately make his debut in a Topps Traded set. However, as with these other players, it's still far to ask what took Topps so long! After all, Fleer had a Jose Canseco rookie card in its flagship set, even if Jose was forced to share real estate with teammate Eric Plunk. More famously, Donruss had a flagship Canseco rookie, which was not only the Hobby's hottest card of the year but perhaps of the entire decade. Even Sportflics had a Jose Canseco rookie card. It's probably not a stretch to say the lack of baseball's first 40-40 man in the 1986 Topps flagship set cost the company several million dollars in sales. Even today, you might well pick up a box of 1986 Topps for the same price as a single pack of 1986 Donruss.
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.