The Best Topps Baseball Rookie Card from Each Year - 1952-2020 The following list includes a year-by-year breakdown of the most valuable card for each flagship Topps baseball set from. He played for seven teams, but is best remembered as the glue of the back-to-back World Champion Toronto Blue Jays in 1992 and 93 when he batted a combined .347 over both Series. Mattingly solidified himself as a solid hitter during the 1984 season as he picked up the batting title that year after finishing with a .343 average. One of the most important cards of the post-WWII era, ushering in a new, premium brand into the baseball card aisles and leading off that ground-breaking set with the Rookie Card of arguably the most impactful player of his era. 9. A Ripken Jr. Most Valuable Baseball Cards From The 80s And 90s They do, however, have an interesting bottom team and player call-out section not found in other sets. And many of those weren't even licensed by Major League Baseball. He threw fastballs over 100mph consistently and even into his 40s. Making it much more collectible and valuable. He was, then, the youngest player to ever play in an All-Star Game. Your top 100 list more than anything else is what brought me back into the hobby last year after a 30 year hiatus. A raw and un-graded Rickey Henderson rookie card in less-than-mint condition sells anywhere from $30 to $50. So far, PSA has graded 265 of the Platinum, with only 17 making the PSA 10 grade. But Fleer did have a moment of lapsed competency when it spelled Graig Nettles name as Craig (with a C) on the card back. In 2012 these were selling for just over $500. Those ripping packs of 1989 Upper Deck looking for Ken Griffey Jr. cards did find this RC of a Brewers shortstop who, at the time, was most known for being Dwight Goodens nephew and for his gold front teeth. Starting off the list of most valuable baseball cards from the 1980s is the 1980 Topps George Brett base set card. In 2007, he was elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility and currently has the fifth-highest voting percentage (98.53%). 3. Winning the gold medal in the 1988 Olympic games, pitching against and beating Japan in the championship game, was one of the best things that could have happened to Jim Abbott. Youve come to the right place. And with every new season came some great and memorable cards. Due to the low print run of the letters in white variation, they are much more valuable than the copies with yellow text. The 1986 Topps Traded Tiffany version of Barry Bonds' iconic rookie can be worth big bucks, as much as $1,250 in PSA condtition. Top 10 Baseball Rookie Cards of the 1980s - The Cardboard Connection From 1992-1995, the guy with the pencil-thin mustache on this card won four consecutive National League Cy Young awards, leading the league in innings pitched each time. These are our picks for the top 100 baseball cards of the 1980s. Most Valuable Baseball Cards: 1970s Most Valuable Baseball Cards: 1980s Most Valuable Baseball Cards: 1990s Most Valuable Baseball Cards: 2000s Most Valuable Baseball: 1900s Joe Jackson, 1909 E90-1 American Caramel Joe Jackson's rookie card sold for $667,189 at auction in 2016. Before playing for the Baltimore Orioles, Cal Ripken Jr. played for the Charlotte Os. Topps introduced the Bowman line (remember, Topps purchased the Bowman name in the mid-1950s) with this oversized set in 1989. Topps printed player team names embedded in a four-tier golden comb effect that adds a subtle flair to the cards. If it looking for someone specifically. Lets be honest. The young speedster was brilliant on offense as he batted .319 (nearly a career-high) and led the league in runs scored (89), hits (135), and stolen bases (56). Furthermore, there have only been 6 found in gem mint conditions. With just 29 of the 1,000 Gwynn rookies submitted graded gem mint 10, finding one for auction will be complicated. It didnt take long for those busting 82 Fleer to realize that John Littlefields card featured a reverse negative, making the righthander a lefty on the card front. You just wish he had embraced it more. Consider Michael Jordan's buzzer-beater over Craig Ehlo during the 1989 Playoffs that sent the Cavaliers packing. Topps Tiffany cards have glossy surfaces on the front and white card stock on the back. But, when you add a name like Nolan Ryan (or Rickey Henderson above) to the mix then the price only skyrockets. The 1983 season saw the Rookie Cards of four players break out Sandberg, Wade Boggs, Tony Gwynn and Ron Kittle. 1980 Topps Baseball Cards Top 30 Most Valuable - Wax Pack Gods Bo Jackson has two cards, one for baseball and football. Furthermore, he holds the record for most consecutive games played, 2,632, surpassing Lou Gehrigs streak of 2,130, which lasted for 56 years and that many deemed unbreakable. 10 Most Valuable 1980s Baseball Cards - Wax Pack Gods To some, the selling point might be a little high for a non-rookie card, so how did it land such a high price tag? In addition to picking up his only career Gold Glove, he also snagged his first Silver Slugger and finished second in MVP voting to Milwaukee pitcher, Rollie Fingers. So, it's tough to say which of them is the most desirable of the three, although most hobbyists would likely side with the Topps issue. A PSA 10 example price is through the roof with a meager supply and very high demand. The cards were larger than normal, measuring in at 2 1/2" x 3 3/4", and featured full color photography and facsimile signatures of the players. Nobody gets to 3,000 career hits by accident. Author Jon Gold. Yet only seventeen examples have achieved the services highest honor, making it one hundred times as rare as Mint 9 representations. The entire 1988 season was memorable for Gibson as he picked up the only MVP and Silver Slugger awards of his career that year. 4,700 versions of Henderson's 1980 rookie card have been put forward for grading by the BVG and of those only one has been graded as a 10 giving it a worth well into the thousands. These hardly ever pop up on eBay; when they do, they sell quickly. The vintage baseball cards are some of the most collectible and highest-selling cards f. Lee Smith is recognized as one of the dominant closers in baseball history. With 76 in population, the Frank Thomas card owns 37% of the report for the entire set. And many collectors already have figured that out. This card should be an excellent investment as long as the population stays low. Being the Canadian cousin to Donruss, you can see that there isn't much different about the Leaf design overall except for the green leaf logo in the upper-left and the French text and Leaf trademark data on the reverse. Oversized cards dont fit into traditional sheets and are as popular as a gassy dog on a long car ride. His percentage of the voting total peaked at 6.1% in 2010 and he would fall off the ballot the next year after receiving just 4.8% of the vote. When examining the bottom left corner, youll find the O-Pee-Chee logo instead of the Topps. Because a smaller amount of these were produced and because centering is a challenge, finding these in pristine condition can be tough. 5. In 1962, Topps had opted not to sign Wills to a trading card deal, apparently believing he was not major league material. The Cubs drafted him in 1982, but he left to play for eight different teams throughout his career. And it did. But even before the allegations, Bonds was a great player. Check out this guide if you want to learn how to submit your cards to PSA. Unlike his regular 81 Topps RC, the then future Hall of Famer is pictured on his own card, another gem from the ground-breaking 1981 Topps Traded set. You'll also notice the numbering of the sets was different as Clemens is card #99 in the Leaf set versus #273 in the Donruss set. Because Jackson was such a massive prospect in football and baseball, he is still highly collectible. Joyner and pitcher DeWayne Buice were integral in helping UD get off the ground and they both have promo cards that were huge during the 1988 National Sports Collectors Convention. Not only does the Tiffany distinction make it tough to find in high grade but another contributing factor to that difficulty was its position on the printing sheet. In addition to the low population, this example graded out to be in PSA 10, gem mint condition. Turns out we were all stupid. It is said that only 1,400 sets were printed, but many were thrown away or deemed worthless at the time. Donnie Baseball is pictured wearing a Yankees cap, which is the team he would go on to spend his whole 13-year pro career at. After tallying 138 wins and 2,416 strikeouts over eight seasons with the California Angles, Nolan Ryan signed a $4.5 million four-year deal with the Houston Astros during the 1979 offseason. Five hundred thirtyhave been found in gem mint 10 condition, which means only 10% of the population has reached the highest grade, making them relatively rare. If you were around for the card boom of the late 1980s and early 1990s, you'll surely recognize this iconicMark McGwire rookie card. Remember, the Tiffany versions were produced in much smaller quantities and were printed on premium card stock. The rarity of the Bo Jackson Highlights in White rookie card is quite impressive. Mint 9s sell for about $200 on average. Some hold out hope that baseball will someday forgive him and allow the all-time hits leader into the Hall of Fame, but it still seems highly unlikely. Website . Also, this seems to be available in fewer quantities than Topps and Donruss Clemens efforts in 1985. Those 1988 . Nothing spectacular about this Pete Rose card besides its very low PSA 10 population report. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network and Amazon. But three years after this RC was released, the lefthander won the first of his two Cy Young awards and went on to earn a plaque in Cooperstown. These are our picks for the top 100 baseball cards of the 1980s. Please enter the verification code that you received on your email. Easily one of the most iconic baseball cards of the 1980s, theDon Mattingly rookie card is the clear headliner of the 1984 Topps set. Collectors scramble over each other to obtain the most centered and flawless example whenever they hit the market. all different years. And you were living large. So far, PSA has authenticated and graded only 11 copies. Sure, the same thing can be said about all eras, and each will feel different . This is undoubtedly why a PSA 10 Tiffany example sells for over $1,900 consistently. This second-year card of Gwynn may be the best looking of any of his other releases over the years. But, he was even better with the glove as he would go on to win 9 Gold Gloves over his storied career so, rather fittingly, we get a nice shot of him on defense on this card. Donruss did, letting collectors believe Floyd Bannister was actually Tom Seaver in the first printing of 85 Donruss. When found in gem mint condition, these sell for $1,500, on average. Pucketts quick emergence brought this RC a lot of attention from the first day 85 packs began surfacing. This Topps RC while maybe not as coveted as the Donruss RC was at the time, but pretty darn close still is very recognizable and stands the test of time as one of the 1980s key Rookie Cards. Beckett.com And he was also a fantastic fielder, as he won 9 consecutive Gold Gloves during one stretch of his career. Yes, it was corrected but by then it had made industry headlines and the C Nettles was all anyone wanted. Baines also won a Silver Slugger in 1989 and led the American League in slugging percentage (.541) in 1984. Contact him at [emailprotected]. It used to be Billy Ripken was best known for being Cals younger brother. They are selling for over $1,500 today, which means they have tripled in value. First, I didn't include any college or Minor League cards and stuck with only those cards that featured a given player when he was in the Majors. At the time this card was pulled from packs of 1988 Topps, Glavine was en route to a 17-loss season as a rookie. Although the 1980 season would mark the first of a nine-year stint for Nolan Ryan with the Houston Astros, Topps still had to show him as a member of the California Angels because of the timing of their print run for their 1980 Topps set. A 1982 Topps Orioles Future Stars base set card will make a great addition to any authentic Baltimore Orioles fan collection. Great ballplayer for much of the decade. The 22-year-old future Hall-of-Famer put on a show in the days after the manager's announcement, winning Berra over with his impact bat and elite fielding instincts. Mattingly struggled on Friday and Saturday but wrestled the title from Winfield with a 4-for-5 masterclass on the last day of the season. This was a really fun read and great for this time in particular. Furthermore, the cardstock on the Tiffany cards is bright white instead of yellow or grey, making them much more appealing. If it werent for his 1989 RCs, most probably wouldnt even remember The Big Unit pitched for the Montreal Expos. So far, I have found that in 1985, Topps commissioned O-Pee-Chee, its Canadian branch, to make a test mini set similar to the 1975 Topps Mini set. Don Mattingly is a legendary player for the New York Yankees, and his rookie cards are some of the most expensive of 80s baseball cards. After pacing the league in strikeouts during seven of his previous eight seasons with the Angels, nearly everyone expected that he would be at the top every year. His best year was 1989, with his effort earning him All-Star status. PRICES POP APR FACTS REGISTRY SHOP WITH AFFILIATES. Few were released because the error was fixed shortly after it was discovered. Of the 134 cards submitted, only 13 managed to make the 10 grade. O-Pee-Chee complies and produces roughly 130 sheets containing 132 different players. But, it's not always the case. Although Jeff Schneider and Bob Bonner didnt have much of a career in the Major Leagues, the player centered in the middle sure did. Using his fastball almost exclusively, he struck out the side, fanning Lance Parrish, Chet Lemon and Alvin Davis. But, he also received his own standalone rookie in the 1981 Topps Traded set. This drives the $2,000 price tag behind this legendary players card. And you get a Griffey Jr. RC! Baseball Card Values: How To Determine Their Worth I think we can all agree Topps could have found a more flattering photo for Gwynns Rookie Card. Two thousand two hundred fifty were found in mint nine conditions, with the highest population. The heavy gloss and stark white borders have proven to be the obstacles that have made Gem Mint examples like this so challenging. . 1980 Topps. Its easy to do, they said. Theres no Roberto Ramos or Bobby Pate to have to share on the front of this Raines card. When it comes to rookie season debuts, the Dodgers have developed a reputation for some of the finest on record. Fernandos 1981 Topps Traded appears elsewhere on this list, but this is Valenzuelas actual Topps RC. I've always loved this card and it's probably my favorite one in the set overall. For that reason, finding a 1987 O-Pee-Chee Barry Bonds rookie in pristine condition is quite challenging, but if you do, you'll see them sell for around $12,000 or so. Which is a minimal amount. Regardless of its market value at any given point in time, the significance of this rookie card cannot be overstated as, again, the 1980 Topps set signaled the end of the vintage era. And, like Tony Gwynn, Sandberg also appeared in the 1983 O-Pee-Chee set. So, I stuck with big-name companies like Topps, Fleer, Donruss, Upper Deck and others when building this list. Because Frank Thomas had a more successful career in baseball, his cards are more valuable. Big difference. The black box cover-up is the easiest to acquire, with over 1,200 submitted to PSA. 1980 Rickey Henderson Topps RC #482 (buy on eBay) The most popular rookie card of one of the greatest ever baseball players. The third Clemens RC (and fourth card overall) hails from 1985 Donruss, a solid set that was met with a great deal of interest from buyers figuring that if 1984 Donruss was good, 1985 would be even better. PSA graded 1,600 of them, with 48 grading gem mint 10. Like Roger Clemens, Kirby Puckett has a 1984 Fleer Update XRC. Produce an Opening Day box set, they said. Like McGwire, Clemens' legacy will forever hang under a cloud of controversy due to his involvement in the PED scandal. Not only are the Tiffany cards rare, but theyre also somewhat challenging to find in high grades. BASEBALL CARD COLLECTOR INVESTOR DEALER (in that order)w/ Chris SewallCounting down the 25 most expensive baseball cards from the 1980s, using PSA 9 values.=. A PSA Mint 9 card is worth $1.2 million, while a PSA NM-MT 8.5 card sells for $700,000. 25 Most Valuable 1980 Topps Baseball Cards - Old Sports Cards Of the many Barry Bonds rookie cards, his 1986 Topps Traded Tiffany rookie card is one of the most valuable. 20 Baseball Cards Now Worth A Fortune And 10 That Have - TheSportster Dimensions: 4-1/2 x 6. Just two years after the release of his first minor league card and shortly after his trade from Detroit to Atlanta, future Hall of Famer Smoltz made his major league card debut in Fleers 1988 Update Set.