1980 Topps Baseball

By Patrick Mondout

There were a few improvements in the 1980 Topps baseball card set over its predecessor. For starters, the design is more attractive and does not have the awful Topps logo from the era. The "future stars" subset also features color photographs this year.

The 726 card set was once again distributed in 25¢ wax packs containing 15 cards and a stick of gum. Tray packs of three wax packs were marketed in supermarkets and drug stores for a suggested retail of 69¢. Cello packs of 25 cards for 39¢ and rack packs of 42 cards for 69¢ were also produced. Vending boxes of approximately 500 cards were also produced for hobby dealers.

Separated at Birth? The 1974 and 1980 Topps baseball cards have a similar design.

It was clear from the beginning that this set had one clear winner among the rookie class. The Rickey Henderson rookie card was one of the hottest in the hobby in the early Awesome80s. Other rookies who looked good at varying stages of their careers include Dave Stieb, Dan Quisenberry, Dickie Thon, Tommy Herr, Mike Scott/Jesse Orosco, and Mike Morgan. The latter two are remembered more for their longevity than season-to-season achievements  The lack of other superstar rookies has kept this underrated set - the last from the pre-competition days with Fleer and Donruss - in the affordable range.

There is one variation in this set. The #387 Fred Stanley card was printed with his name in both yellow and red. The yellow version is worth a few dollars while the other is not.

A checklist for all 726 cards is available here. 

1980 Topps at a Glance Back Checklists Wax Pack Future Stars Team Checklists Leaders Highlights AL All-Stars NL All-Stars

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