1985 Durham Bulls TCMA

Set size: 31 cards

Front Design: The photo is surrounded by a thin black border, while the rest of the card is blue, with the team name across the top and the player's name and position sideways on the left side.

Back Design: Team and league names and the player's name, position, and jersey number are at the top, followed by vital statistics and 1984 stats. The bottom half of the card contains local sponsor logos and a TCMA advertisement banner.

Parallels and Similars: 1985 TCMA cards all carry the same design. Note that this card is a reprint, used in collector starter sets, and can be easily distinguished from regular 1985 TCMA cards by the white border.

Distribution: Team sets were sold through TCMA, hobby channels, and the team itself.

Thoughts: Not all TCMA sets contain sponsor logos, which in my mind add a bit of local flavor to an otherwise nonspecific team issue. Assenmacher is another player who made the majors, which most likely explains all the players who were reprinted - recent callups. He had a decent career, though it mainly came in on-save relief.

1985 Richmond Braves TCMA

Set size: 26 cards

Front Design: The blue-bordered cards have the player's name and position sideways along the left border, and the team name across the top. The photo is surrounded by a thin black frame.

Back Design: The backs are black on white, with the team and league names at the top, followed by the player's name, position, and jersey number. The vitals and 1984 stats are followed by sponsor logos and a TCMA banner advertisement.

Parallels and Similars: All 1985 TCMA minor league sets follow this design. Note that my example is a reprint most likely distributed with collector sets issued in the 1980s. The reprint is distinguished easiest by the white border seen in the scan - originals do not contain the white border. Several TCMA cards were reprinted (many of which I have featured on this blog), but usually there are only a few cards from any given year, and no more than one from any team.

Distribution: Cards were sold in team set form through TCMA, hobby means, and teams themselves.

Thoughts: This is one of TCMA's less attractive designs, with the blocky 45-degree angled borders and excessive use of capital letters on the front. On the other hand, I always appreciate a minor league set.

1985 Syracuse Chiefs TCMA

Set size: 31 cards

Front Design: The cards feature a blue border with the team name at the top, and the player's name and position sideways on the left. The color player photo is surrounded by a thin black frame. (Note: my card contains a white border as it was apparently reprinted by the company for use in a collecting kit.)

Back Design: The backs are black and white, with the team and league name at the top, followed by the player's name, position, and uniform number. Vitals and prior-year statistics follow, with a TCMA advertisement in a banner across the bottom.

Parallels and Similars: As noted, this card is part of the reprinted issue; real 1985 TCMA cards would have a blue border that reaches the edge of the card. All 1985 TCMA minor league sets follow the same design.

Distribution: The team sets were given to teams for sale or distribution at the ballpark; additional quantities were sold through hobby channels and the manufacturer. Approximately 3000 sets were made. The entire set was not subject to reprinting, and I believe only the Tom Filer card should be expected to be part of the reprinted cards.

Thoughts: The black border confines the image a bit more than necessary, as does the big cut taken out for the player's name. The card has about the same feel as any other TCMA issue in terms of design and quality.  I'm not sure why Tom Filer was chosen for reprint, except than he had a pretty good year with Toronto in 1985, going 7-0. He must have had an injury, because he didn't pitch anywhere in 1986 and 1987, and wasn't really successful when he returned in 1988. He's a coach with the Altoona Curve now, according to his sparse Wikipedia page.

1985 Fleer Update

 Set size: 132 standard-sized cards

Front Design: A color player photo sits inside a cup-shaped dual-border design, with the player's name, position, and team logo appearing at the top. The cards have a gray border.

Back Design: The backs are printed in black ink with red highlights, and contain the player's name, team name and position, as well as a small black-and-white photo along the top. The player's statistics fill the middle of the card, and the bottom of the card contains biographical trivia and vital statistics.

Parallels and Similars: The cards are identical to the 1985 regular Fleer issue, except for a U- prefix on card numbers.

Distribution: Cards were sold through hobby stores in a box containing team logo stickers.

Thoughts: When I first started collecting in '89 and the early '90s, Donruss and Fleer sets before 1988 seemed so exotic. They had white card stock and a completely different design feel than Topps. This issue isn't exactly amazing, but even the simple designs can be attractive at times. It's not cluttered but it isn't plain, either. It's not my favorite '80s Fleer design, but it's better than 1985 Topps and at least as good as 1985 Donruss.

Additional Images: Card back:

1985 Angels Smokey

Set size: 24 cards, 4-1/4" x 6"

Front Design: A color player picture appears in the middle of the card surrounded by a large white border. The player's last name appears at the top, while the Smokey The Bear, Angels, California Forestry, and US Forest Service logos appear at the bottom.

Back Design: The black and white backs contain the player's name, position, and vital statistics, and an anti-wildfire message or graphic.

Parallels and Similars: None known, though from 1984-1997 there were over 125 Smokey sets released, any of which could have a similar layout. The Angels had Smokey sets from 1984-1991, with varying designs.

Distribution: Cards were given out at the July 14, 1985 game at the stadium.

Thoughts: The card photo didn't scan very well, due to low printing quality, but it isn't as bad as it looks. Being oversized and fairly generic in style (larger than but similar in design to police issues of the era), the set isn't very attractive except for player and team collections. I always enjoy the non-baseball content on cards like these, such as the cartoon on this card's back. The two bears are breaking a match in half, but I'm not sure why, because there's no explanation with the image. Perhaps it's to reduce the chance of it being lit by children, or if it becomes accidentally lit, it won't burn long enough to affect surrounding brush. I guess we'll never know without looking it up (something you couldn't do in 1985).

Additional Images: