Thursday, August 13, 2020

Topps Glossy All-Star Cards (1984-1991)

Starting in 1984 and ending in 1991, Topps inserted Glossy All-Star cards in rack packs. The cards feature the manager and players from the starting lineup of the previous years All-Star game along with a card of a Captain (retired player). So the cards from 1984 showcase the 1983 All-Star team and so on. 22 cards each year.

I know that these cards were distributed in rack packs, but I'm curious if they were ever available from Topps as complete sets, possibly as a mail in option. If you have any insight, please let me know.

There is a lot to like about the sets in my opinion. Probably first and foremost on my list is the nostalgia factor. To me these scream, my childhood. I also really like the red, white and blue classic, but simple design. You've also got the game's best players. 

There are a few drawbacks in my opinion as well. I could live without the manager card, but it is a good reminder of the previous years World Series teams, which is somewhat confusing because again the cards from 1984 feature the 1983 All-Stars and the managers from the 1982 World Series. The set contains the starting lineup for each league, which is a must, but that will sometimes leave out players who impacted the game. For example, the MVP of the 1987 All-Star game was Tim Raines, but he wasn't a starter, so he doesn't have a card in the set. The backs also leave a little something to be desired. Even just their stat line from the game or a sentence about their performance I think would have added to the very plain backs. Finally, including a card of the Captain from each team also has me scratching my head a bit. I guess I'm just not familiar with the All-Star Captains.

Alright, so when I put in all down, there are more drawbacks than positives, but I still think the positives outweigh the negatives and so I'd like to get the complete run. I will add each set to this post as I get them.

1984

1985




1986




1987

1988 






1989




1990

1991

3 comments:

  1. I love the All-Star Glossy sets! I've got a pending trade that'll help me finish off the 1987 set!

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  2. I like these only because they continue the tradition that Topps had in its base set from 1975-80 of highlighting the All-Star starters from the previous year (no manager or captain though). But by the time these were appearing in rack packs, my collecting had diminished quite a bit.

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  3. Love these cards. I am working on the same exact project. Well... I haven't added anything to the binder in quite some time... but it's definitely a backburner project.

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