The Most Valuable Topps Baseball Cards of 1984
Topps’ 1984 flagship runs 792 cards in a single series and is instantly recognizable for its dual-photo front, which includes a large action image plus a small inset headshot, paired with the team name printed vertically along one edge and clean white borders. It’s a bright, modern look that follows 1983’s two-photo concept but with sharper typography and layout.
The checklist mixes stars with several recurring subsets: 1983 Highlights, League Leaders, All-Stars, Team Leaders, and Active Career Leaders and the key card of the set is the rookie card of Don Mattingly, aka “Donnie Baseball,” who was an immediate star but injuries shortened his career and he has not been inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Topps introduced a “Topps Tiffany” set that looks nearly identical to the base card but were produced a glossy stock and had a limited run. The Tiffany set isn’t included here but, due to their limited run, they have become much more valuable than the cards from the regular set.
Put together, 1984 Topps bridges late-70s simplicity and mid-’80s polish that keep it a go-to early-’80s set.
Here at Remarkable Artworks we think value is in the eye of the beholder and the greatest value you can get from your cards is to appreciate them in our unique display solution. If you want to learn more about the display, click below.
#8 Don Mattingly - $1,390
Mattingly’s rookie card is one of the most sought after cards of the 1980s. Mattingly took the baseball world by storm, winning the 1984 American League batting title by beating out future Hall of Famer’s Dave Winfield and Wade Boggs. Mattingly was the 1985 American League MVP and was second in MVP voting in 1986. Mattingly seemed on his was to the Hall of Fame, but back problems effectively cut his career short. His last All-Star season was 1989, when he was twenty-eight and should have still been in his prime, and he was out of baseball by thirty-five.
#42T Dwight Gooden - $660
He wasn’t traded, but Topps would put rookies into their Traded set to try and keep it as current as possible. The nineteen year old rookie was an instant sensation as he led the league in strikeouts as well as advanced metrics (even though they were not really in use then) such as Wins Above Replacement and Fielding Independent Pitching. Gooden won Rookie of the Year honors and was second in voting for the Cy Young award.
#470 Nolan Ryan - $657
It’s a Ryan card, so it is one people want. Ryan was cruising along in his age 37th year posting a very solid 3.04 ERA. He didn’t hit any major milestones in the year, but its Nolan Ryan and he is a legend.
#284 Howard Bailey - $602
Bailey didn’t actually play in 1984 after an uninspiring 1983 season where he want 5-5 and posted a 4.88 ERA. But you will really struggle to find this card in pristine condition and, if you do, you will have to pay to get it.
#251 Tony Gwynn - $520
While not his rookie card, Gwynn second card is highly sought after as well. Gwynn won the first of his eight National League batting titles in 1984 and the first of his fifteen All-Star nods. Gwynn led the Padres to their first World Series appearance, although they lost in 5 games to the Detroit Tigers.
#561 Whitey Herzog - $455
Herzog was a beloved manager of the Cardinals, leading them to six division titles, three National League titles, and one World Series title in 1982. Herzog did play in the majors for eight years, but he was elected to the baseball Hall of Fame on the strength of his managerial career. As a general rule, however, managers cards are not the most sought after. But finding a 1984 Herzog in gem mint condition is very difficult, hence the reason it is one of the most valuable cards in the set.
#273 Charlie Puleo - $430
Puleo did play in the majors for eight seasons, which is no small feat, but he lost more games than he won and had an above average ERA. Finding his card in gem mint condition is nearly impossible, however, as PSA has only one on record.
#134 Stolen Base Leaders - $365
We have the all-time career stolen base leader, Henderson, with the fourth all-time career stolen base leader, Raines, on one card. They are also both Hall of Famers with impressive career peaks and impressively long and productive careers. A great card.