1985 Topps Football Cards: A Unique Set with Scarce PSA 10s
No football set like 1985 Topps football has been created before or since. The cards are distinguished by their horizontal orientation, black borders, and player names in large font.
The distinct black borders, however, make for the most intriguing part of the set. Like 1971 Topps baseball's black borders, 1985 Topps football cards are tough to come by in top shape. The black borders are prone to chipping and easily show edge and corner wear.
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With just three Hall of Fame rookie cards, the set has some of the most difficult-to-find cards in Gem Mint condition. For example, PSA graded Hall of Famer Richard Dent's rookie card more than 1,800 times with only 22 examples designated Gem Mints (a 1.2% Gem Rate).
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However, not all Gem Mints are handed out equally. For instance, fullback Gene Suhey, a Chicago Bears legend, has had his card graded just 159 times by PSA, but it has yielded 28 Gem Mints - six more than Dent with 1,600 fewer submissions.
Or take nine-year veteran cornerback Willie Tullis' card. The card has received 23 Gem Mint grades in just 94 submissions for a 24.4% Gem Rate. By comparison, Walter Payton's All-Pro card has 15 Gem Mints with 2,631 submissions - a 0.57% Gem Rate. There are various explanations for these discrepancies, but it's easy to see that the marquee names are difficult to come by in PSA 10s.
1985 Topps Football might be my favorite football set. These cards are beautiful. pic.twitter.com/YzULhRVMnx
— Junky Wax (@junkywax) February 22, 2025
The result is that cards in the best condition, as graded by PSA, can get expensive. Dent's PSA 10 is the most expensive card to come by. The most recent publicly known sale for Dent's PSA 10 rookie card was $7,200. Payton's #33 PSA 10 card sold for $1,955 in 2019.
Hall of Famer Mike Munchak, whose rookie is also in the set, had his PSA 10 sell for $1,011 in January 2025. The card has a 3.1% Gem Rate.
According to Gem Rate, the set has an 8% Gem Rate. The star players like Marino, Montana, Elway, and Payton are the main attraction. Its unique design makes the cards easily distinguishable in an era when cards started being produced in mass quantities. If set builders are looking for PSA 10s, the set's stars are difficult to come by and come at a premium, considering the cards' mass production.
