This is the continuation of a series I started in February, about how that even for the 1980s, there are elusive cards for team collector types.
I went through what I still need from sets issued between 1980-83 in the first post. Today I'm going through what I need for Dodgers from 1984-85. Yeah, just two years this time. The amount I need increases as the '80s progress. Who would've figured that, huh?
Like I said before, this probably has limited interest, but the first one was so successful to my collection I have no choice to continue it. A look at what I added from the last post:
The top two cards wrapped up the 1980 Laughlin Famous Feats set as far as the Dodgers. The Walter Alston finished the 1981 TCMA The 1960s II team set. The 1982 Fleer Ron Cey stamp didn't finish any team set -- because they're stamps, come on -- but at least I righted a horrible wrong of not owning a rather common Cey Dodger item.
So, to me, that's well worth investigating farther and putting together this pretty long post. Join me if you have the willpower.
1984
1984-85 Sport Design Products
This set featuring the paintings of artist Doug West was spaced out over two years with the first 24 cards issued in 1984 and the second 24 in 1985. There are four Brooklyn Dodgers. I have all except Roy Campanella.
1984 Coca-Cola Los Angeles Dodgers
This is a postcard team set of 30 cards, I'm guessing was a stadium issue, but not sure. I'm not above collecting postcards of my team, I have plenty from the '70s and '80s. But knowing that it's a postcard set decreases the interest for me. It doesn't seem readily available either. In other words, I have none of these cards.
1984 TCMA Hall of Fame Induction Day
A two-card set issued by TCMA in honor of Dodgers' Don Drysdale and Pee Wee Reese being inducted into the Hall. I think these are oversized, almost like a large commemorative envelope you'd get from the post office, which I know TCMA liked to do. So I'm in no rush to acquire these. It's a nice momento though, even if the card above can't spell strikeout or shutout.
1984 TCMA 1946 Play Ball
I mentioned these in the previous Elusive post as TCMA issued "What If" Play Ball sets in 1983 and 1984 that covered years 1942-46, in which there were no Play Ball sets. There are three Dodgers in the '46 set, including the coveted Dick Whitman for "Mad Men" fans. I said in the last post that these interest me a lot and there's a guy on ebay selling all the Dodgers. I just haven't been able to pull the trigger thanks to many other interests.
1984 7-Eleven Super Star Sports Coins: West Region
Like in 1983, 7-11 issued a set of plastic coins, actually multiple ones in 1984 separated by region. There are four Dodgers in the West Region set and I own only the Fernando Valenzuela. I picked up a couple of the 1983 ones in giveaway over on Bluesky a couple of months ago. Yay progress!
1984 O'Connell and Son
This set ran from 1983-89, I probably should have covered it all in 1983 as I'm not crazy about the art, which is by T.S. O'Connell, and probably will never think to add them. The cards are oversized, too. There was one Dodger issued in 1984, Van Lingle Mungo.
TCMA not only produced special oversized cards of the two Dodgers inducted in 1984 but a separate five-card set of all the '84 inductees including Drysdale and Reese. I ain't got either of them.
1984 All-Star Game Program Inserts
The All-Star Game program continued to release a sheet with a picture of every player who made the All-Star Game that year and people were still cutting them up into individual flimsy "cards". There are 10 of these for 1984 and I will need to be pretty desperate to start throwing money at these things.
1984 TCMA Greats
A 4-by-6 set of 33 cards from TCMA. I own three of the Dodgers in the set already but need the one of Willie Mays and Don Drysdale as well as the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers team. Having three-fifths of the set might get me to overcome my diminished interest in oversized cards.
1985
1985 Topps mini test issue
This set was never sold to the public but dealers got their hands on them. Ebay prices tell me I can stop looking for the Dodgers in the set, of which there are seven. The cards are 10 percent smaller than the regular 1985 Topps cards, with weird measurements -- 2 3/8 by 3 9/32 -- which is different than the 1975 minis, which are 2 1/4 by 3 1/8.
1985 Baseball Cards Magazine Repli-Cards
Woo, the Repli-Cards! (What a terrible name). I loved these when Baseball Cards Magazine came to the house. I remember the Ted Williams and Dale Murphy on the 1953 Topps design well. There were six "Repli-Cards" issued in 1985 and I remember the Pete Rose in the 1965 Topps design coming to my door. But 1985 was when my subscription stopped (I left for college in the summer), so I missed that there were TWO Chuck Conners cards issued, one for the Dodgers and one for the Cubs. It's difficult to remember a time when hobby magazines not only issued their own cards, but cards of historical figures, not exclusively stars or rookies.
Anyway I need that Connors card.
1985 Subway Discs
The ubiquitous MSA discs from the 1970s bled over in the 1980s in various forms, but the same ol' look. There are two Dodgers that I don't have. The backs are blank -- no Subway advertising, which is disappointing.
1985 Topps Stickers
It's odd that I do not own one single Dodger sticker from the 1985 set, yet I have the entire 1984 set. I don't know how that happened. As I've mentioned before, I've been very casual in collecting stickers, most of the time I don't know how they even came to my collection.
1985 Donruss Super Diamond Kings
I did a pretty good job pursuing Donruss' oddball-shaped sets in the mid-1980s but I have a feeling pulling back from collecting in '85 cost me discovering these 5x7 cards. Mike Marshall isn't the most inspiring subject, even at the time, which also might be why I don't have this.
1985 Leaf
More Mike Marshall Diamond King action! Ten cards in the Dodgers team set and I own all of them except the Marshall DK, and I know it's because it doesn't have Leaf's trademark Leaf on the front!
1985 O-Pee-Chee Stickers
Again, if I'm not chasing Topps stickers all that much, what chance do O-Pee-Chee stickers have? But OPC does have an edge on Topps for '85 as I own one Dodger for the set, as opposed to none with Topps.
1985 Coca-Cola Los Angeles Dodgers
Same deal as the 1984 set. Team issue postcards, maybe at the ballpark. Don't own any.
1985 Big League Collectibles National Pastime
This boxed set first appeared in 1983 and the paintings focused on 1933 All-Star Game participants. I have the one Dodger in that set (not a lot of All-Stars on Brooklyn teams in the 1930s). The 1985 set covers the decade of the 1930s. There are six Dodgers. I don't have any. The set originally sold for 10 bucks. I see it's mostly going for $50 on ebay.
1985 All-Star Game Program Inserts
OK, so, they are flimsy, cut from a sheet and they reuse photos? Pass.
1985 TCMA Home Run Champions
TCMA issued multiple sets at this time of various award winners through baseball history. Although these cards are mostly in color, they are flimsier than the late '70s/early '80s decade sets TCMA and Renata Galasso issued that were black-and-white, and I like those more. But I should have this Duke Snider already. I've got some weekend shopping to do.
1985 TCMA Photo Classics
This is a postcard set of black-and-white photos, but many interesting photos and some in action. There are three Dodger cards and I don't think I've seen these live before.
1985 KAS Discs and Thom McAn Discs
Two more Michael Schecter Associates discs, and I need Fernando Valenzuela for both, along with Pedro Guerrero for Thom McAn. KAS sold potato chips and Thom McAn shoes and unlike the Subway discs, these both have backs:
KAS even gave you stats.
And that's it for 1984 and 1985 as far as what I need for the Dodgers. I know that this will get me to land a couple of Dodgers very soon. But there are also a whole bunch here that I know I can't get or won't bother for reasons already detailed.
I think I'll divide the rest of the '80s into two-year chunks for the next episodes. I hope it doesn't get out of hand. I'm depressed enough as it is with everything I need from a decade known for readily available cards.
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