Even More Impossible Baseball Cards of the 1980s
If you're looking to get rich off your 1980s card collection, good luck! Sadly, nearly every card you pulled from packs, picked up at card shops, or took home from card shows is worth less than a carton of eggs these days. Still, that doesn't mean every card was a bust. In this series, we've already profiled numerous 1980s baseball cards that are worth a small fortune, and today we're back with several more.
1981 Perez-Steele Hall of Fame Satchel Paige (SIGNED)
If you collected cards in the 1980s, the name Dick Perez was synonymous with the popular Donruss Diamond Kings subset that debuted in 1982. However, Perez was hardly a rookie when those cards came out. In addition to other works, Perez was also the artist behind the highly collectible Perez-Steele Hall of Fame postcards that began their 22-year run in 1980.
Though there is no shortage of Perez-Steele postcards signed by Hall of Famers Hank Aaron, Yogi Berra, or Stan Musial, the Satchel Paige postcard is extremely rare signed, owing to the legendary pitcher's passing shortly after the card was issued. Want the exact card pictured in this article? The current owner is asking $12,500, which means you either need to pay up handily or start searching your old shoeboxes!
1982 Fleer Steve Garvey (SIGNED)
Few superstars were more gracious and obliging with their fan base than Dodgers/Padres legend Steve Garvey, who even today is extremely generous when it comes to signing autographs through the mail.
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Still, good luck finding an autographed 1982 Fleer card of the National League Iron Man! (And if you do find one, there's a VERY good chance it's a fake!) As accommodating as Mr. Clean is with signature hounds, this is one card he has always refused to sign. "Does he hate the picture?" you might wonder. On the contrary, it's a terrific shot and one of the better looking cards in the 1982 Fleer set!
The answer actually relates to Garvey's philanthropic side. One of the first athletes to recognize the value of a "1 of 1," he deduced early that a great way to raise money for charity would be to sign only a single 1982 Fleer card in hopes it would someday command a premium. As a result, this card is a true impossible card of the 1980s in that it likely doesn't even exist. Yet.
1984 Topps Darryl Palmer
If the name Darryl Palmer doesn't ring a bell, you're not alone. Unlike Satchel Paige and Steve Garvey, Palmer never played major league baseball. Heck, he didn't even play minor league baseball! Rather, Darryl Palmer was the fictional name of the character played by actor Michael O'Keefe in the 1985 film "The Slugger's Wife."
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Fun Fact: Topps made a Darryl Palmer 1984 baseball card for The Slugger’s Wife! Very few were printed, and the movie bombing makes it unclear how many are still in existence! So it is rare and arguably pretty valuable but also the movie is bad and so almost nobody cares! 👍👍👍 pic.twitter.com/bX1wv7EjCv
— Gildemandias (@EricGilde) October 10, 2022
Just how tough is this card? Here's a hint. The PSA population is 3.
1985 Osceola Astros Ken Caminiti
Not many fans hit up the Osceola Astros gift shop for a team set in 1985, but those who did (and hung onto it) can lay a claim to one of the decade's toughest cards. To date, PSA has graded only two Ken Caminiti cards from the set.
1988 Upper Deck DeWayne Buice
While collectors today remember Ken Griffey as Upper Deck's first baseball card, the true Upper Deck O.G. was actually an Angels pitcher named DeWayne Buice. "What's that?" you say! If you remember one thing about your Junk Wax collection it's that Junior was card 1 in the inaugural Upper Deck set. Ah, but that's 1989 you're talking about. And we're talking about 1988!
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This piece of Hobby history came in the mail yesterday. In 1988 Upper Deck made promo cards of what became their ‘89 set and handed them out at the National. DeWayne Buice & Wally Joyner were featured. Buice was instrumental in securing UD’s MLBPA license. pic.twitter.com/XqWH7ZLC0G
— Dan's Cards ⚾️ (@danscards) July 8, 2023
Sure enough, Upper Deck produced two prototypes in 1988: the aforementioned Buice, numbered one, and a Wally Joyner numbered 700. In truth, neither of these cards is even close to impossible as you can easily pick one up decent raw copies of either player for under $50. Still, $50 is a heckuva premium for a DeWayne Buice card! And did we mention it's not even his rookie?!
Jason A. Schwartz is a collectibles expert whose work can be found regularly at SABR Baseball Cards, Hobby News Daily, and 1939Bruins.com. His collection of Hank Aaron baseball cards and memorabilia is currently on exhibit at the Atlanta History Center, and his collectibles-themed artwork is on display at the Honus Wagner Museum and PNC Park.