If you walked into a card shop in 1987 with a crinkled ten-dollar bill and a dream, you weren't looking for a "speculative asset." You wanted Straw. You wanted that towering, left-handed swing that looked like it could launch a ball into orbit around Shea Stadium. Darryl Strawberry wasn't just a ballplayer; he was a phenomenon, a comic book superhero in a Mets jersey. Decades later, the Darryl Strawberry all star baseball card—specifically the 1985 and 1987 versions—remains the heartbeat of junk-wax era nostalgia.
Honestly, it’s not just about the stats. Sure, he was the 1983 NL Rookie of the Year. Yeah, he swatted 335 career home runs. But for a kid in the eighties, owning his All-Star card felt like owning a piece of the city's neon-lit energy. It’s funny how a piece of cardboard can still make your pulse quicken, even if the "investment" value of a 1989 Topps All-Star card is mostly just enough to buy a decent sandwich today.
The 1985 Topps All-Star: The One Everyone Remembers
Look, the 1984 Topps #182 is technically his "Rookie Card" in the main set, but the 1985 Topps #570 is where the All-Star magic really lives. It features the iconic "All-Star" banner at the bottom and that classic wood-grain border that everyone loves to hate (and secretly loves).
In 2026, finding a PSA 10 of this card is a genuine hunt.
The centering on these was notoriously bad. You'll see cards that look like they were cut by a distracted intern on a Friday afternoon. If you find one with perfect 50/50 borders, you’re looking at a card that can still fetch a few hundred dollars. Most of them? They’re sitting in shoeboxes, sporting soft corners and a little bit of gum stain. That’s the reality of the hobby. We overproduced everything, yet the cards we actually kept were the ones we handled until they fell apart.
Value Check: What’s it Worth Right Now?
Prices fluctuate, but let’s talk real numbers. A raw, ungraded 1985 Topps Strawberry All-Star might cost you $2 or $5 at a local show. It’s accessible. That’s the beauty of it. However, if you're chasing the "Tiffany" version—the limited, high-gloss set Topps produced for hobbyists—the price jumps significantly.
- 1985 Topps Tiffany #570: This is the whale. A PSA 9 can easily clear $150, and a PSA 10? You're looking at a four-figure battle depending on who’s bidding that night.
- 1987 Topps #601: This is the "Woody" design. It’s arguably the most recognizable baseball card design of all time. It’s cheap, it’s plentiful, and it’s beautiful.
- 1988 Fleer All-Star #40: A different vibe entirely. Fleer had that clean, white-border look that felt "premium" at the time.
The 1987 Topps All-Star: Peak Straw
By 1987, Strawberry was the king of New York. He was coming off a World Series win in '86, and the 1987 Topps #601 All-Star card captured that era perfectly. He’s leaning on a bat, looking like he knows exactly how good he is.
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I recently spoke with a long-time collector in Queens who still keeps a binder dedicated entirely to this specific card. Why? Because it represents the moment when the Mets owned the world. For collectors, the 1987 All-Star isn’t about retirement funding. It’s about the smell of the grass at Shea. It’s about the "K" signs hanging from the upper deck.
The card is basically free. You can buy a "brick" of ten for the price of a latte. But for a generation of Mets fans, that "All-Star" designation wasn't just a label; it was a fact of life. Strawberry made eight consecutive All-Star teams from 1984 to 1991. Think about that. For nearly a decade, he was an absolute lock for the Midsummer Classic.
Don’t Forget the Donruss and Fleer Rivals
Topps wasn't the only game in town. The 1986 Donruss All-Stars #5 is a funky, oversized card that often gets overlooked. Then there’s the 1988 Fleer, which used a distinctive blue and red "All-Star Team" logo. These cards aren't going to make you rich, but they fill out a "Player Project" binder beautifully.
Kinda weird, right? We spent all that time thinking these cards would be our tickets to a mansion, but the real value ended up being the memories of trading them at recess.
Spotting the Rare Stuff: Error Cards and Oddities
If you’re a serious "Strawberry Hunter," you’re looking for the stuff that wasn't supposed to happen. There are some misprints out there, though none as famous as the Billy Ripken "FF" card. For Strawberry, it’s mostly about the "Tiffany" gloss or the occasional "Blank Back" that slipped through the factory.
One thing people often get wrong: the 1984 Topps All-Star Rookie card (#182) isn't technically an "All-Star Game" card. It features the "Topps All-Star Rookie" trophy (the little gold cup). It signifies he was the best rookie at his position the previous year. Collectors use the term "All-Star card" loosely, but the actual ASG subsets usually start in the 1985 set for Darryl.
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"He was the most electric player I ever saw in person. Every time he stepped into the box, you thought the ball was going to end up in the parking lot." — Jim, 40-year Mets Season Ticket Holder.
Condition is Everything (Seriously)
You've heard it a million times, but with Strawberry cards from the 80s, the "junk wax" label means there are millions of copies. To make a card valuable, it has to be perfect.
- Corners: Must be sharp enough to draw blood. Any white showing on those brown 1987 Topps borders is a death sentence for the grade.
- Surface: Check for "wax stains." Remember, these cards were packed with a slab of pink bubble gum that was harder than a sidewalk. That gum left oily residue on the back (and sometimes front) of the cards.
- Centering: If the image is leaning too far to the left or right, it's a "qualifier" grade at best.
Honestly, most of us should just buy the PSA 8 or 9 and be happy. The price jump to a PSA 10 is often 10x or 20x the price, and to the naked eye, they look almost identical.
The 2026 Market: Why Buy Now?
The hobby has shifted. People are tired of $1,000 "ultra-modern" cards of rookies who might be out of the league in three years. There’s a massive "return to vintage" (and "junk vintage") happening.
Collectors are realizing that a Darryl Strawberry all star baseball card is a piece of history. It’s a tangible link to a player who defined an era of baseball culture. Even with his well-documented struggles, Strawberry remains a beloved figure. His recent health scares have only reminded fans how much he meant to the game.
Your Next Steps as a Collector
If you're looking to add some Straw to your collection without breaking the bank, here's the play.
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First, skip the "unopened packs" on eBay. The odds of pulling a Gem Mint Strawberry are slim, and people "search" those packs with high-tech scales and lights anyway. Just buy the single.
Target a 1985 Topps All-Star #570 in a PSA 8. It’ll cost you less than a movie ticket, it’ll look great on your shelf, and it won’t lose value. If you want a challenge, try to find the "O-Pee-Chee" version. These were the Canadian releases. They had a much lower print run and used a different, brighter card stock.
They’re tougher to find in good condition because Canadian winters and rough handling weren't kind to cardboard. But finding a crisp Strawberry O-Pee-Chee? That's a real trophy for any Mets fan.
Go check your local card shop’s dollar bins first. You’d be surprised how many 1987 and 1989 Strawberry All-Stars are just waiting to be rescued from a dusty plastic bin. Grab a sleeve, grab a top-loader, and bring a piece of 80s greatness home.
Actionable Insight: Before buying any graded Strawberry card online, always verify the "Cert Number" on the PSA or SGC website to ensure the slab hasn't been tampered with. For raw cards, pay special attention to the "wood grain" edges of 1987 Topps, as they show wear much faster than white-bordered cards.