When I look back at the 1985 Topps baseball card set, I have mixed feelings.
There are some fantastic rookie cards to chase and plenty of star power.
But, the set almost seems to be a collection of "what might have been" stories...
Scandal caught up with Clemens and McGwire.
Drugs and alcohol caught up with Gooden and Strawberry.
Injuries caught up to Mattingly and Davis.
Don't get me wrong, there are many positive vibes to this set and it's packed with plenty of Hall of Famers.
It's just that there could have been even more Hall of Famers packed within.
Regardless, the set has held up well over time and remains quite popular in the baseball card community.
And in this guide, I'll run through the ten most valuable.
Let's jump right in!
1985 Topps #401 Mark McGwire Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $2,200
First on the list is the instantly recognizable Mark McGwire rookie card.
Part of a subset (cards #389-404) that paid tribute to several members of the 1984 U.S. Olympic team that took silver in Los Angeles that year, McGwire's card is clearly the key.
For some reason, Topps did not include every member of the team as they notably left out players like Barry Larkin and Will Clark, among others.
Despite the controversy that will forever surround McGwire, the card can still be worth a lot of money in high grade.
But, finding them in top condition can be difficult because of its position on the printing sheet.
Since it was located along the left side, you'll often find this card cut in such a way that throws off its left-to-right centering which prevents it from achieving gem mint status.
1985 Topps #181 Roger Clemens Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $1,200
Next on the list is the rookie card of fireballer and pitching icon, Roger Clemens.
Like McGwire, Clemens' legacy will forever hang under a cloud of controversy due to his involvement in the PED scandal.
That said, there's no questioning how talented Clemens really was as he was mowing down opposing batters right from the beginning of his career well before the PED scandal took place.
With 354 career wins, 7 Cy Young awards, and 4,672 strikeouts (just to name a few of his unbelievable achievements) he certainly has the numbers to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
But, we'll just have to wait and see if voters will ever end up giving a pass to guys like Clemens, Barry Bonds, etc.
In today's market, expect to pay around $1200 for this card in gem mint condition.
1985 Topps #627 Eric Davis Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $1,000
During the mid 1980s to early 1990s, Eric Davis was considered one of the best outfielders in the business as he would consistently rack up great power-hitting numbers and Gold Gloves to boot.
And growing up in Central Indiana where there are lots of Reds fans, I remember this guy's name being tossed around a lot in the card collecting community.
However, injuries piled up and sidelined Davis for the majorities of multiple seasons putting a damper on a once All-Star caliber ball player.
While Davis never did put up a Hall of Fame resume, he put up a solid career overall and his popularity remains incredibly high which is why his rookie card can be worth hundreds of dollars in top condition.
1985 Topps #536 Kirby Puckett Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $750
Kirby Puckett was one of my favorite players as a kid and this card was always among the top of my want list as a young collector.
The ten-time All-Star who could hit and field with the best of him and his charismatic personality made him quite the popular ball player among not only Twins fans but baseball fans in general.
There are many Hall of Famers in this set.
And there are several rookie cards in this set.
However, Puckett is the only player to meet both of those criteria making this card the only Hall of Fame rookie card in the set.
Sadly, Puckett died of a stroke at the young age of 45 but collectors throughout the hobby will always remember him and his rookie card as one of the best.
1985 Topps #620 Dwight Gooden Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $500
Yes, Dwight Gooden's career never matched up to the absolute brilliance of his first two pro seasons.
But, dang, those two seasons were historic in their own right.
At age 19, Gooden posted one of the most eye-popping rookie campaigns ever, let alone by a teen.
The New York Mets righty and his MLB-best 276 strikeouts were a no-doubt pick for NL Rookie of the Year.
Year two was even wilder.
The youngest player ever to win 20 games (20 years, 9 months, 9 days), Gooden finished the year as not only the NL Triple Crown winner, but the MLB Triple Crown winner.
The charismatic Mets ace paced everyone in wins (24), ERA (1.53), and strikeouts (2.68).
Gooden's 12.2 WAR remains the highest by a pitcher since Walter Johnson in 1913.
To put this into perspective, his adjusted ERA+ of 229 is comparable to Paul Skenes' electric 2025 debut. (234).
That's with over double the innings (277) of Skenes, an NL-best 16 complete games, and the harsh spotlight of NYC baseball.
1985 Topps #665 Don Mattingly
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $500
Donnie Baseball was one of the hobby's most sought-after players during the late 1980s and early 1990s because of his Hall of Fame trajectory and status as the leader of the legendary New York Yankees.
However, his is another case where injuries caught up to him and slowed down a once red hot career.
The 1985 season was his finest as he'd go on to hit for a .324 average, smash home runs, drive in 145 runs and score 107 runs which was all good enough to earn him MVP honors for that season.
He'd also pick up a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger award that year, too.
For the rest of 1980s he was still playing at a high level on both sides of the ball but in the 1990s his hitting production began to decline drastically.
He was still winning Gold Glove sin the 90s but his hitting just wasn't what it used to be.
Despite that, he is still one of the most popular players from that era and his cards are still in high demand in top grade.
1985 Topps #670 Tom Seaver
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $500
Tom Seaver punched Father Time in the mouth with a great age-40 season.
Seaver's second season with the Chicago White Sox is often lost to time, considering Seaver's Hall-of-Fame history with the Mets and the fact that it came in the 68th year of Chicago's epic Series drought.
Regardless, it was a remarkable return to form.
The leader of a rotation in which the other four pitchers averaged 26.25 years of age, Seaver led all White Sox players in WAR (5.0), a number that placed him eighth among AL hurlers.
The first-ballot Cooperstown inductee landed in the top ten in multiple other AL pitching categories, including ERA (3.17, 6th), wins (16, 9th), and WHIP (1.223, 10th).
It was arguably Seaver's best season since his final year with the Mets (1977).
With their veteran ace leading the charge, Chicago finished with their fourth winning record (85-77) in five years.
They would not finish above .500 again until the turn of the decade.
1985 Topps #760 Nolan Ryan
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $500
And finally, we're down to Nolan Ryan's base #760 card which shows a fantastic image of the legendary workhorse ready to blow one by an opposing hitter.
As I mention in my article about his key cards, his is one of my favorite Nolan Ryan cards of all even though it's not close to being his most valuable.
The imagery is just incredible as it captures him doing exactly what we all know him for: throwing heat.
In top grade, this card will cost you around $500 even though there are tons of them in circulation in PSA 10 condition.
That just goes to show you how popular Ryan is in this hobby and with baseball fans in general.
1985 Topps #3 Dwight Gooden Record Breaker
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $475
As a 19-year-old rookie phenom, Dwight Gooden burst onto the scene in 1984 as one of the game's most dominant pitchers after he led the league in strikeouts (276) and would win an impressive 17 games.
From that point on, the hype surrounding the young gun was huge.
Sadly, drugs and alcohol use would catch up to Gooden and derail what was then considered a sure-to-be Hall of Fame career.
And although Gooden actually made his cardboard debut in the 1984 Topps Traded and 1984 Fleer Update sets, his true rookie card would be his 1985 Topps #620 issue.
1985 Topps #30 Cal Ripken Jr.
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $475
It may surprise you that Ripken's card can be worth so much but it's true: in PSA 10 condition, expect to shell out hundreds of dollars for this one.
Heck, even some of his rookie cards are in that price range.
So why would his 1985 Topps base card be worth so much?
Much of that steep price has to do with just how few of them there are in circulation in that PSA 10 grade versus how many Ripken collectors and 1985 Topps set builders are searching for them.
It's just old-fashioned supply and demand.
One of the most iconic players of the 1980s and 1990s, Ripken left a legacy as a durable, consistent hitter who some would argue was the greatest shortstop to ever play the game.
1985 Topps #547 Pete Rose
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $350
Pete Rose appeared as both a manager (card #547) and player-manager (card #600) in the 1985 Topps set.
And he also had his own "Record Breaker" card for most singles in a career.
But, his #547 manager card is much more expensive than the other two in PSA 10 grade as there are far fewer of them in circulation.
Compared with only 12 copies of his manager card in PSA 10 condition, there are about eight times as many "Record Breakers" and fifteen times as many player-manager cards in PSA 10 condition, respectively.
Like other cards in this set, you can easily get a sense of how supply and demand can really push up a card's value with so many player collectors and set builders fighting to own them.
1985 Topps #7 Nolan Ryan Record Breaker
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $325
1985 Topps #100 George Brett
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $250
1985 was the year of George Brett, even if it didn't come with an AL MVP award.
The Kansas City Royals third baseman already had the 1980 MVP in the bag, and would have had another if not for Don Mattingly and his MLB-leading 145 RBIs.
As it was, Brett finished second with baseball bests in slugging percentage (.585), OPS (1.022), and intentional walks (31).
The 32-year-old also paced the AL in OPS+ (179) while placing second in the Majors in on-base percentage (.436) and third in batting average (.335).
The raw numbers were undeniable.
Brett's most important impact, though, came in the postseason.
Kansas City's first-ever World Championship came on the strength of Brett's torrid October.
He cut through the Toronto Blue Jays in the ALCS, winning series MVP honors with a .348 average, three home runs, seven walks, and six runs.
It continued against the Cardinals in the Fall Classic with a .370 average and five runs scored in the Royals' seven-game victory.
1985 Topps #115 Rickey Henderson
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $225
The New York Yankees assembled the new court of the Stolen Base King in 1985.
After six years in Oakland and five consecutive AL stolen base titles, Rickey Henderson was dealt to the New York Yankees in the offseason before the '85 campaign.
The five names that went back to the Yankees never added up.
Henderson, on the other hand, played at an MVP level in his first year in pinstripes, ultimately placing third.
Leading off for a resurgent Bombers squad in the thick of a high-stress pennant race, Henderson put together the most complete performance of his Hall-of-Fame career.
The 26-year-old center fielder once again topped the Junior Circuit in stolen bases with 80.
He also scored an MLB-best 146 runs while posting baseball's top WAR at 9.9.
Henderson even hit for power, crushing a new career-high 24 home runs for the second-place Yankees.
His previous best was 16.
1985 Topps #278 Darryl Strawberry
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $200
Before the 1985 season, the last time the New York Mets drew over 2 million fans was in 1972.
Those New York teams of the early 1970s were beloved.
However, brutal mismanagement, a barren farm system, and bad bets on aging free agents doomed the team to a baseball black hole for the next decade or so.
It was a bad time to be a Mets fan, and attendance reflected that.
At the team's nadir in 1979, Shea Stadium played host to just 788,905 fans.
It remains the only full season, other than their 1962 unveiling, that the Mets drew under 1 million fans.
By '85, though, the vibes had changed.
These Mets used the tabloid power of rising stars like 23-year-old outfielder Darryl Strawberry to draw a franchise-record 2,761,601 fans.
Two years after winning '83 RoTY, Strawberry played his best season yet for the second-place Mets.
He posted the second-best OPS of his 17-year career (.949) and hit 29 homers with 79 RBIs despite missing 43 games with a thumb injury.
1985 Topps #493 Orel Hershiser Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $200
From 19th-round pick to Cy Young-caliber ace, Orel Hershiser took a big step into the Hollywood spotlight in 1985.
It was a big year in Chavez Ravine after the team's breakdown the year before.
The 1984 Dodgers underperformed miserably due to a string of injuries, falling below .500 after the previous year's division title.
The Dodgers bounced back in '85, though, outdistancing the Cincinnati Reds to claim another NL West title.
And they couldn't have done without Hershiser.
Employing a surgical-like approach and one of the most deadly sinkers in Major League Baseball, Hershiser went 19-3 with the third-best ERA in the NL (2.03).
His .864 winning percentage in 36 appearances (34) starts was the best among all qualifying starters, as was his minuscule 0.3 homers allowed per nine.
Hershiser's last regular-season win secured the West for the Dodgers, a scene he still remembers well.
"I could watch my teammates celebrate in the dugout," Hershiser said. "It was like I was a fan, watching them."
1985 Topps #5 Joe Morgan Record Breaker
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $175
1985 Topps #340 Robin Yount
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $150
Robin Yount's 1985 season was snake-bitten and bookended by injury.
One month after the '84 campaign, Mr. Brewer went under the knife to clean up bone spurs in his shoulder and strengthen tendons.
He was expected to make a quick recovery.
Yount's shoulder continued to struggle, however, and he was forced away from shortstop for the first time in over a decade with the team.
The 30-year-old bounced between left and center field and never looked comfortable.
He hit .277 for his worst batting average since the '81 strike-shortened year, and his 1.9 WAR was his fewest since his age-20 season in 1976.
"The year just became one of those wasted seasons," Yount said. "Eventually, I realized that something had to be done to clean up the shoulder."
With the Brewers mired in another sixth-place season, Yount shut it down in late August and underwent his second shoulder surgery in under a year.
1985 Topps #460 Ryne Sandberg
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $150
On July 28, 2025, the baseball world lost Ryne Sandberg to cancer at the age of 65.
It was an emotionally devastating day for a Chicago Cubs fan base that found hope in the sturdy, quiet second baseman.
From 1984 to 1993, Sandberg made ten consecutive All-Star teams, eight Gold Gloves, seven Silver Sluggers, and an MVP.
In an era where second basemen were still doomed to the reputation of light-hitting defensive specialists, Sandberg hit both average and bombs. He was a near-perfect player.
1985 was Sandberg at his peak.
A year after winning the MVP award for the most fun Cubs team in recent memory, the 25-year-old turned in a worthy encore.
Sandberg slashed .305/.364/.504 with new career highs in home runs (26) and stolen bases (54).
In doing so, the future Hall-of-Famer joined Joe Morgan and Cesar Cedeno as the only members of the 25/50 Club.
1985 Topps #660 Tony Gwynn
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $150
Tony Gwynn's career stat sheet is a history book unto itself.
There had never been a more consistent and prolific singles hitter before he joined the San Diego Padres in 1982, and there hasn't been since.
Look at Gwynn's 1985 season for reference.
The reigning NL batting champ was fantastic in his second full year as the Padres' starting right fielder, placing fourth in the league with a .317 batting average and third with 197 total hits.
For many players, All-Stars or otherwise, that would count as peak performance.
For Gwynn, it was actually a pretty ho-hum output.
Gwynn won seven more batting titles, only one of those with an average under .317 (1988, .313).
He posted five 200-hit campaigns better than his '85 showcase.
This wasn't even Gwynn at his most efficient and dialed-in.
He still had years left to master the art of videotape and advanced scouting.
By the time he did, he was already a Cooperstown resident-in-waiting.
1985 Topps #522 Paul Molitor
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $125
The Milwaukee Brewers didn't have much to lose in 1985 (or win, for that matter).
So, it made sense to take it easy with franchise hitter Paul Molitor in his road back from Tommy John surgery.
Under the guidance of returning manager George Bamberger, Molitor was locked in at third base with an alternating role at designated hitter.
Bamberger also shuffled the 28-year-old out of the heart of the lineup and back to the top of the order.
After playing just 14 games before surgery in 1984, Molitor looked refreshed.
His bat was back to his normal speed, his eye looked sharp, and his durability was helped by a playing regimen that called for no more than four consecutive games in the field.
By season's end, Molitor was an All-Star and one of the lone highlights of Milwaukee's second consecutive losing campaign.
He ended the campaign hitting .297 in 140 games with ten home runs, 21 stolen bases, and 93 runs scored.
1985 Topps #694 Joe Carter Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $125
Joe Carter was raw in 1985.
In retrospect, there were still signs of the guy who'd become a multi-time All-Star and World Series hero.
Carter played his first full MLB season for the '85 Cleveland Indians, alternating between the two corner outfield positions and first base.
His swing was longer and less calculated than it would be even a year later, but there were still plenty of moments where he left his teammates speechless with a majestic bomb or violent, high-velocity line drive.
"He has a lot of talent," teammate Pat Tabler said. "I'll tell you he has a heckuva lot of talent, and he is still learning.
Considering the Indians were awful and heading towards a last-place finish, Carter had plenty of time and runway to learn.
He appeared in 143 games for Cleveland, slashing .262/.298/.409 with 15 home runs and 59 RBIs.
It was often all or nothing for the kid, and the all was pretty awe-inspiring to watch up close.
1985 Topps #350 Wade Boggs
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $100
As Tony Gwynn ripped through the National League for batting titles in the mid-1980s, Wade Boggs did the same in the Junior Circuit.
And the young Boston Red Sox third baseman made sure to make a little history along the way.
In 1985, Boggs won his second AL crown in three years and his first of four consecutive.
His .368 batting average and .450 on-base percentage both paced the Majors, as did his 750 plate appearances.
The really impressive number, however, was 240. Boggs logged 240 hits for the fifth-place Sox, by far the most in the Majors.
It was the most, in fact, for any hitter since 1930.
That wasn't all Boggs offered, though.
He also played all 161 of his games at third base and turned in a strong showing worthy of Gold Glove consideration.
It all calculated out to 9.1 WAR for the Hall-of-Famer, good for second among all position players.
1985 Topps #420 Andre Dawson
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $100
Andre Dawson's career remains a cautionary tale about the dangers of playing on astroturf.
By 1985, Dawson was a former NL Rookie-of-the-Year, three-time All-Star, and five-time Gold Glover.
He hit for power, he hit for average, and he was among the most intelligent and athletically gifted outfielders the game had ever seen.
Who knows how much more he would have been able to display that athleticism if not for the harsh field conditions of Montreal's Olympic Stadium.
Responding to balls and limbs more like concrete than grass, the Expos' home turf was a wasteland of leg injuries.
Dawson wasn't immune.
When the 1985 season started, his ninth full campaign north of the border, Dawson's knees were in serious trouble.
Even though he was able to secure another Gold Glove, his closing speed was compromised, and the constant pain led to erratic results in the batter's box.
Dawson ended the year hitting just .255 with 23 home runs.
His .295 on-base percentage would remain his worst until the strike-shortened '94 season.
1985 Topps #605 Ozzie Smith
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $100
Ozzie Smith's iconic home run in the 1985 NLCS comes off even more unlikely when you look at the numbers.
It's not that Smith had a bad year at the plate.
The St. Louis Cardinals shortstop had one of his better hitting performances for the 101-win NL East champs, slashing .276/.355/.361 with 31 stolen bases and 70 runs scored in 158 games.
Smith was a below-average hitter in terms of OPS+ for his career (87). He swung at an above-average clip (101) in '85. "The Wizard" also hit six homers, by far the most of his 19 years in the Bigs.
Regardless, Smith was still a light hitter, much more likely to leg out an infield single than hit a bomb.
So, when he hit his infamous "Go Crazy" walkoff in Game 5 of the NLCS against Los Angeles, it was as shocking a swing as shocking can get.
In fact, it was Smith's only homer in 169 postseason plate appearances and the switch-hitter's first pro dinger from the left side.
1985 Topps Baseball Cards In Review
When you look back at the 1985 Topps checklist, you can quickly tell just how much star power and great rookie cards there are in this 792-card set.
To this day, the set remains popular with collectors of that era who are looking to build the set in top grade and those who collect some of the big names of the 80s.
Within the set were also several different subsets, including:
- Record Breakers (#1-10)
- Father/Son (#131-143)
- USA Olympic Team (#389-401)
- All-Star (#701-722)
- Checklists
- Managers
Time will tell if guys like McGwire and Clemens get into the Hall of Fame.
If so, the demand for this set would likely see even more of an uptick.
For now, it remains a solid set which enough of a fan base to keep top grade specimens in demand for quite some time.