For sale from this set
The 1984-85 Star Julius Erving set has 18 cards, all of Erving, and is one of Star's five player sets, alongside Larry Bird, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson. It covers both halves of his career, with separate ABA and NBA cards for stats, All-Star games, MVPs and titles.
The set at a glance
| Cards | 18 |
|---|---|
| Numbering | 1-18 |
| Released | 1985 |
| Packaging | One sealed bag |
| Sets printed (est.) | 5,000 (Basketball Gold) |
| Design | Red borders, 76ers logo, "STAR '85" |
Card by card
Titles are as printed on the card fronts.
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | Checklist |
| 2 | NBA Regular Season Stats |
| 3 | ABA Regular Season Stats |
| 4 | NBA All-Star 8 Times |
| 5 | ABA All-Star 5 Times |
| 6 | NBA Playoff Stats |
| 7 | ABA Playoff Stats |
| 8 | NBA MVP, 1981 |
| 9 | ABA MVP, 1974, 1975, 1976 |
| 10 | Collegiate Stats |
| 11 | NBA All-Star MVP — 1977; 1983 |
| 12 | NBA Career Highlights |
| 13 | ABA Career Highlights |
| 14 | 1983 NBA World Champions! |
| 15 | ABA Champions! 1974, 1976 |
| 16 | All-Time Scoring |
| 17 | Personal Data |
| 18 | The Future |
How the set was made
Star, Robert Levin's small Pennsylvania company, was the NBA's only licensed card maker from 1983 to 1986. It sold this set complete, all 18 cards in one sealed polybag. The fronts have red borders, "STAR '85" at top right, a round 76ers logo at bottom left and the card title in red lettering on a white band at the bottom. Basketball Gold calls the set "very attractive with its vibrant red color."
The cards read "STAR '85," and starbasketballcards.com dates the release to 1985, but BGS, PSA and most checklists label it 1984-85. Basketball Gold estimates 5,000 of each card were made (starbasketballcards.com estimates 4,000).
What collectors should know
- Condition: Basketball Gold's card notes do not flag any condition problems for this set.
- Sealed bags: an original sealed bag proves the cards are original, not that they are mint; you can't see the centering or surfaces of the cards underneath. Resealed Star bags exist, and a GAI bag grade rates the plastic and seals, not the cards.
- Fakes: it is not one of the Type II sets (those are limited to 1985-86 #95-172, the 1986 Jordan set and 1986 Best of the New), and we know of no Shop at Home Erving set.
- Grading: BGS has graded Star since December 2008. PSA added the set in March 2023 as "1984-85 Star Julius Erving." CGC began grading 1980s Star in May 2025, though its announcement does not name the player sets.
The key cards
No source ranks a chase card in this set. These are the cards that mark the big moments.
- #8 NBA MVP, 1981 and #9 ABA MVP, 1974, 1975, 1976: his four MVP seasons across the two leagues.
- #14 1983 NBA World Champions!: the 76ers' 1983 title.
- #11 NBA All-Star MVP: his 1977 and 1983 All-Star MVPs; the photo shows him with teammate Andrew Toney.
- #3 ABA Regular Season Stats: uses the same photo as his 1983 Star All-Star Game #26.
Sources
- Basketball Gold: 1984-85 Julius Erving set (our primary source, including its card-by-card notes)
- Basketball Gold: FAQs (our primary source)
- Basketball Gold: Common Misconceptions
- Basketball Gold: Glossary
- Beckett: "Star Crossed," a Star masterclass with authenticator Steve Taft
- starbasketballcards.com: 1984-85 Star Julius Erving set
- Trading Card Database: 1984-85 Star Julius Erving (#3 and #11 photo notes)
- starbasketballcards.com: Unlicensed Shop at Home sets
- Sports Collectors Digest: PSA expands Star grading (March 22, 2023)
- CGC: Now grading 1980s Star basketball cards (May 23, 2025)