The 10 Most Memorable Baseball Cards of the 1980s

This 1987 Topps Barry Bonds Rookie card is a very common rookie card from the steroids king. Every kid had at least 20 of these and they are worth practically nothing now. This set featured a wood border that collectors either love or hate. One thing nobody can deny is that it does have a great picture of the notorious home run king in his Pittsburgh Pirates uniform.

This 1983 Topps Tony Gwynn rookie card was a special card for an entire generation of baseball fans. The 1983 Topps set is known as a great set with some great rookie cards and this card probably tops them all. Gwynn was a fifteen time All Star selection for the San Diego Padres and one of the greatest hitters of all time. He is in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

This 1983 Topps Ryne Sandberg rookie card has been popular with collectors for years. A great player for a big market team, Sandberg was a ten time All Star as a second baseman for the Chicago Cubs and has an MVP award. He is a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame.

The stolen base king made his baseball card debut as a member of the Oakland Athletics with this 1980 Topps Rickey Henderson Rookie card. He may have considered himself the greatest of all time, but no one can argue that this card was one of the greatest of it's time. Rickey Henderson is currently a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame.

When he broke Lou Gehrig's consecutive games played streak, this 1982 Topps Cal Ripken Jr. Rookie card became one of the most popular of it's time. The card lists him as a third baseman but Ripken is more famous for the years he played shortstop. Ripken is currently a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame and the most famous Baltimore Oriole of all time. Who are the other guys? I have no idea.

This 1985 Topps Baseball Roger Clemens rookie card features the young fireballer in his Boston Red Sox uniform. After having a falling out with the organization, Clemens would go on to pitch for the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, and Houston Astros. Clemens is an eleven time All Star, former AL MVP, seven time Cy Young winner and has two World Series Rings. His retirement has been marred by steroid allegations that Clemens has repeatedly denied.

The most notorious error card of all time, this 1989 Fleer Billy Ripken card is still fodder for sports fans to this day. Kids everywhere attempted to get their hands on this simple baseball card not because of the value or the player on it, only because what is written on the bottom of his bat.

It's hard to believe there was a time when this 1986 Donruss Jose Canseco rookie card was the hottest card on the market. In the late 1980s the Oakland Athletics outfielder won an MVP award and a World Series championship. The Cuban slugger also hit 40 home runs and stole 40 bases in the same year. His career quickly devolved into comic fielding errors and steroid admissions.

This 1984 Topps Don Mattingly Rookie card was one of the most popular cards in the 1980s. Although the former New York Yankee first baseman never won a World Series and will probably never make it to the Hall of Fame, for a time he was one of the best players in the game and a baseball icon. This card will continue to be popular with fans for decades.

Card No. 1 from the first set the company ever made, this Ken Griffey Jr. 1989 Upper Deck rookie card was one of the hottest cards of its time. Even as the Seattle Mariner outfielder's career slows to a crawl, this card will surely remain popular with collectors as grown men try to piece together the collection they never were able to have as children. Few will forget the impact Griffey has had on baseball and few will forget the impact that this card had on card collecting.