Top 1983 Topps Football Cards to Collect

The 1983 Topps Football set is one that sometimes gets forgotten about, especially when you line it up against the other releases of the decade. The card design for 1983 is fairly bland compared to other years. You do still have a full photograph of the player, but all that surrounds it is a white border, a smaller colored border that is based on team, and the team lettering in white block letters at the top of the card. While the player name and position are still at the bottom of the card, the design itself does leave a little to be desired when talking about eye appeal. Despite this, there are some key cards that can still be found in the set, including some Hall of Fame rookie cards.

1. Marcus Allen RC (Card #294)

The top card to chase in the set is the rookie card of Marcus Allen. Most notably, he was a running back on the Super Bowl winning Los Angeles Raiders teams of the 1980s, and by the time he finished his career with the Kansas City Chiefs, he ran for 12,243 yards and 123 touchdowns. Allen was also elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2003. Ungraded copies of Allen's rookie sell for between $10-$15, with condition being a key factor, mainly centering. High grade PSA copies can sell for a good chunk of money, with a PSA 9 selling earlier in July for $79.

2. Mike Singletary RC (Card #38)

A key part of Chicago's Super Bowl winning team in the 1985 season, Mike Singletary's rookie can also be found in the set. While value of defensive players tends to be lower than players on offense, Singletary is a member of the Hall of Fame, and accumulated some seriously good statistics during his career: 10 Pro Bowl appearences and 2 Defensive Player of the Year nods. Copies of Singletary's rookie can be obtained for between $4-$10.

3. Jim McMahon RC (Card #33)

Another member of the Super Bowl winning 1985 Chicago Bears was Quarterback Jim McMahon. His rookie is part of the 1983 release. Interestingly enough, McMahon's market does not carry the weight of being a Super Bowl winning Quarterback, likely due to the fact that the Bears team that one the Super Bowl has largely been famous for it's defense, and not the offense. In either case, McMahon still has a Super Bowl Championship, and was a key figure of the 1980s. His rookie can be purchased for as low as $2, but recent PSA sales have ranged from $25 (PSA 8) to $70 (PSA 9).

4. Joe Montana (Card #169)

As previous looks at sets of the 1980s have shown, Joe Montana has some serious hobby value, even when it comes to his base cards. While regular ungraded copies of his 1983 Topps card can be obtained for a reasonable price, collectors looking to put together a PSA high grade set will have to pay a premium for the Montana. A PSA 10 sold back in May for $850. Granted, PSA 9s are much more affordable for collectors, with copies recently going for a range of $50-$70.

5. Walter Payton (Card #36)

The last card on the list goes to another frequent member of the "Top 80s Football" lists, Walter Payton. While he may have more notable Topps base cards, anyone looking to complete a full set knows that the Payton is still a key card. Copies can be found ranging between $3-$12, depending on condition.

The 1983 Topps Football Set is one that tends to be forgotten about, but it does contain key cards. The set itself is not too expensive for collectors to put together, so it does have the potential to be part of just about anyone's collection if it suits their interest. While other sets of the 1980s have better eye appeal, 1983 Topps Football still deserves it's time in the spotlight as well.