The Most Valuable Topps Baseball Cards of 1985
Topps’ 1985 flagship returns to a single-photo front with white borders and a distinctive angled team name box near the bottom left, paired with a team logo and player name/position along the lower edge, giving it a clean, bright early-’80s look. The checklist spans 792 cards and is loaded with subsets: Record Breakers, Father & Son, All-Stars, a First Draft Picks run, and the popular 1984 USA Olympic Team.
While it only includes the rookie card for one future Hall of Famer in Kirby Puckett, the set includes the rookie cards for some of the most famous players of their day including Roger Clemens, Dwight Gooden, Bret Saberhagen, Eric Davis, Orel Hershiser along with McGwire’s Team USA rookie card.
Collectors also chase the Topps Tiffany version, an all-gloss, factory-set parallel on premium stock, widely believed to have an approximate 5,000-set print run, which boosts scarcity for key rookies. The Tiffany cards are much more valuable than the regular set and are not included in this analysis.
Overall, 1985 Topps blends a memorable, straightforward design with a deep rookie class and fun subsets making it one of the decade’s signature, accessible sets with true long-term appeal.
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.
#721 Bob Knepper - $2,946
Knepper pitched for fifteen years, was a two-time All-Star, and was a slightly above average pitcher throughout his career. The key to the value of this card, however, is finding it in gem mint condition because if you did you would double the PSA population count. Happy hunting!
#362 Craig McMurtry - $1,477
McMurtry was a league average pitcher for eight seasons. Like the most valuable card, the key to this card is how difficult it is to find in pristine condition. If you happen to have an untouched set from 1985 you could hit the mini lottery.
#181 Roger Clemens - $1,300
The rookie card of Clemens, one of the steroid-era players that make it so difficult to judge their careers. Just on statistics alone Clemens, like Barry Bonds, would be considered the greatest of all-time at his position. This card would certainly be worth a lot more if the Hall of Fame accepts him and public perception around the steroid era players softens.
#416 Wayne Gross - $1,252
Gross was an average to slightly above average major league third baseman in his eleven years in the big leagues. Again, it is the rarity of finding this card in gem mint condition that creates its value.
#3 Dwight Gooden - $1,035
Expanding on his historic rookie season, 1985 was the year of Gooden as he had one of the most dominant seasons by a pitcher ever. He had the most wins, most strikeouts, and lowest ERA in the National League and earned the Cy Young award for his achievements. At twenty years of age, Gooden is the youngest person ever to win the Cy Young.
#242 Greg Harris - $885
Harris was a good enough pitcher to play for fifteen seasons and had a slightly above average ERA, but he lost more games than he won and was traded nine times. Like the other most valuable cards from this set, the value is in finding one of these cards in gem mint condition.
#536 Kirby Puckett - $866
The other key rookie card of the set, Puckett is one of the greatest players in Twins history and a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Puckett’s career wasn’t quite as long as many other Hall of Famers as he only played twelve seasons, but he was one of the best every year. He was Rookie of the Year in 1984, twenty first in MVP voting in 1985, and an All-Star for the final ten seasons of his career. Puckett led the Twins to two World Series championships before he was forced to retire due to vision issues.