In the Cards

In 1984, Topps produced USFL cards, issued as a complete set, loaded with the league’s stars and future NFL legends. It’s the most valuable of any football card set of the 1980s, despite being roughly one-fourth to one-third of the size of most sets from the decade. At just 132 cards, the 1984 set needed just one checklist card. The 1984 Topps USFL set was labeled “Premier Edition,” and delivers a perfect nostalgia for the adventurous league. Cards feature a large league logo with a red-white-and-blue border. The player’s team helmet appears in the bottom-left corner with team logos as a great reminder of the league’s uniqueness. The card backs feature “USeFuL” facts for each player. The set features the first cards of Jim Kelly (#36), Steve Young (#52), Reggie White (#58), Herschel Walker (#74) and Marcus Dupree (#76), which were given the XRC designation since they were not issued in traditional packs. Mint 9 and Gem Mint 10 graded versions of the key cards have recently sold for $300 to $500. Gem Mint examples have brought $1,500 to nearly $2,000. Their first NFL rookie cards appeared a couple years later, but none are valued as much as the USFL cards. Kelly’s card is believed to be the most counterfeited. The major giveaways are the grainy trademarks (TM)—appearing near the USFL logo and team helmet on the front—and the card number on the back. The 1985 set features Doug Flutie’s first card, and the secondyear cards of the aforementioned stars still top out at around $20$40. The design is slightly different with a mostly red border and no player helmet. Topps issued a New Jersey Generals eight-card perforated team sheet as part of the “1985 Generals’ Infantry” fan club. It features Walker and Flutie, along with a season schedule. “The USFL cards are much more popular than the first NFL cards of those players,” says Beckett Media pricing analyst Justin Grunert. “For example, Steve Young’s USFL XRC has a high book of $100 whereas his 1986 Topps RC card has a high book of $20. I think that collectors still chase after the USFL cards.”