It’s hard to believe the USFL has been gone for 35 years. As the first league to challenge the NFL since the American Football League took the field in 1960, the USFL was innovative. The league introduced ideas that are now common in the NFL — the 2-point conversation, coaches’ challenges and the salary cap. The USFL also holds a soft spot for football card collectors. The … [Read more...]
1989 Kicked Off Football Traded/Update Card Era
As was the case with baseball cards, Topps and Bowman led the way in producing the first post-war football cards in the late 1940s and early 1950s. After Topps acquired Bowman, they had little competition in the football card market (Philadelphia Gum and Fleer aside) until the 1980s. In 1974, Topps got the idea to create a small subset of cards for baseball players that were … [Read more...]
2019 Score Football Will Pay Tribute to Inaugural ’89 Set
In a year when the football card market began to explode with new manufacturers, Score is the brand that emerged with the most long-term respect. The brand is still alive, courtesy of Panini America, and the release of 2019 Score will offer some 30th anniversary touches when it arrives as the first major NFL-licensed product of next season. A full checklist is … [Read more...]
All PSA 10 1986 Topps Football Set at Auction
It's been sitting atop the PSA Registry chart for a long time, but by Sunday night, the only 1986 Topps set made up completely of PSA 10-rated cards will have a new owner. Long-time collector Kevin Roberson of Sacramento, CA, is selling the set on eBay where bidding has already surpassed $55,000 ahead of Sunday night's close. He spent several years chasing … [Read more...]
Underrated Rookies Highlight 1983 Topps Football Set
The 1983 Topps football set doesn't include the big name rookies found in other 1980s sets. But it is an affordable set that's nearly 35 years old and includes some key players. Here's a closer look at the issue. 1983 Topps Football Basics Topps' focus appears to have shifted slightly in 1983. That year, they produced their smallest set in more than a decade. You have to go … [Read more...]
1980 Topps Football Kicked Off Exciting Decade Of Cards
Let's face it. While the 1980s produced some significant football releases, the one to start that decade isn't heralded as a great one by most fans. The 1980 Topps football set is lacking quite a bit, particularly when it comes to key rookie cards. But other than being the first set of an important decade for football releases, there are some reasons to pursue this set. 1980 … [Read more...]
1985 Topps Football A Sleeper Set For Collectors
The 1985 Topps football set presented a radical design change for collectors. For the first time since the 1966 set, the company elected to portray players in the base set in a horizontal design. It also took a trip back in the football card time machine, utilizing jet black borders. 1985 Topps Football Design The player’s photo takes up about 75 percent of the … [Read more...]
1984 Topps Football Loaded With Key Rookies
The 1984 Topps football set is easily the most sought-after product of the 1980s and beyond, especially because of the great crop of rookies. Start with quarterbacks John Elway and Dan Marino; add running backs Eric Dickerson, Roger Craig and Curt Warner; and throw in wide receivers Mark Duper and Willie Gault, and that’s quite a rookie card class. And on defense, … [Read more...]
Star of the 1981 Holsum Bread Football Set? Mustachioed Montana
An odd world we live in. Football card collectors swoon over Joe Montana’s Topps rookie card and ignore not just a card that’s about 10,000 times harder to find but pictures the Hall of Famer in a sort of Fu Manchu style mustache. Behold, ye unenlightened, the 1981 Holsum/Gardner’s football card set and its glorious depiction of a young quarterback on the … [Read more...]
1986 Topps Football Set Among Decade’s Most Memorable
Thirty years ago, Topps produced a football card set in a baseball card era. As was generally the case then, the cards were never all that popular compared to their baseball counterpart and a lot of product went unsold. However, the 1986 Topps football set now stands out as one of the better products from the 1980s in any sport. 1986 Topps Football Basics Putting it bluntly, … [Read more...]