And like Fernando Valenzuela two years before, Kittle without question was instrumental in advancing the chase of the Rookie Card in the industry. And you thought Lex Luthor had a lot of brain power . And, like the 1980 Topps set that preceded it, the centering and print quality challenges with the 1981 Topps set didn't improve all that much and only boost its value in high grade even more. 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%). Not many 1981 Donruss cards can be called classic or important. None maybe. Another thing that stands out is its deep checklist that is highlighted by rookie cards of Ryne Sandberg and Wade Boggs, and the second-year Cal Ripken Jr. The third of Donnie Baseballs three 1984 Rookie Cards from the major manufacturers of the time. One of the more difficult Mattingly rookie-year releases to find in Mint condition is this Nestle card, found on one of six different uncut sheets. Because of its rarity, this version is one of the most valuable baseball cards from the 1980s. The most valuable 1980s baseball cards hit that defnition "valuable" on multiple fronts. Meanwhile, Fleers offering paired the future Bash Brother with pitcher Eric Plunk. The most valuable baseball card from the 1980s is Rickey Hendersons 1980 Topps rookie card. A key card in the Summer of 87 when McGwire was belting a then-rookie record 49 home runs. Lee Smith is recognized as one of the dominant closers in baseball history. . The 1980s was a decade of big change for baseball cards. At the time, who could have known the highs and lows that would mark an amazing career on the field? Donruss dramatically changed its look from its first set in 1981 to its second in 1982. And, the fact that it was "almost his rookie card" made it even more special to us. Perceived to be printed in smaller quantities than the Topps Traded release (and maybe the Donruss The Rookies release, too), the image is classic Bonds bat in hand ready to uncoil. Havent seen this card before? I have 75 of these and am working on completing my little set!! "10 Most Valuable 1980s Baseball Cards. . This number is mind-blowing when you think about all the time, energy, and money that goes into the grading process for 1 card, let alone 29,032. As you can imagine, finding PSA 10 examples of a given O-Pee-Chee card is substantially more difficult than finding a Topps example in the same condition. These are our picks for the top 100 baseball cards of the 1980s. And many collectors already have figured that out. Youve come to the right place. Will it be as one of his eras most prolific sluggers, whose name was never linked to performance enhancing drugs? Take Roger Maris cards, for example. A PSA Mint 9 card is worth $1.2 million, while a PSA NM-MT 8.5 card sells for $700,000. Theres no Roberto Ramos or Bobby Pate to have to share on the front of this Raines card. Lee Smith was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame on December 9, 2018, as part of the Todays Game Era Committee vote. The value goes through the roof when found in PSA 10, gem mint condition. With such a small amount of these being found in gem mint condition, its no wonder they are one of the most valuable baseball cards of the 1980s. If found in GEM-MT 10 condition, Henderson's 1980 #482 Topps card will be worth $27,500 right now. 9 of the Most Valuable Baseball Cards in History. Now that he's forever a Los Angeles sports hero, Gibson's rookie card is a must-have. And pricier. Like anything in life, demand couldn't keep up with that increasing supply. Because Platinum has less available, they are naturally more valuable. Most Valuable Rookie Card in Every Topps Baseball Set, 1952-2020 This example looks similar to his far less valuable 1987 Topps rookie card; however, this is the O-Pee-Chee version. Bo Jackson was one of the biggest superstars in all of sports during the late 1980s and early 1990s. In 20 years, how will history remember The Crime Dog? Additionally, the second-year Tiffany sets cards resemble regular-issue variety but feature a high-gloss finish. 5. This was the card, more so than any other in the first half of the 1980s, that promoted perceived scarcity and status. So, if you want a copy in gem mint condition, prepare to dish out over $800. One of the higher-end rookies is the 1984 Topps Tiffany #8 card. Wills was slow to forget the slight, not signing a deal with Topps until 1967. 1980 Topps #482 Rickey Henderson Rookie Card Estimated PSA 9 Value: $1,800 Since most collectors in this hobby tend to draw the line on the "vintage era" at 1980, many consider the Rickey Henderson rookie card to be the last big-name vintage rookie. Lets take a look a the population report. Surprisingly, only 565 of the Tiffany Traded Bo Jackson rookies have been graded by PSA so far. In 1989, Jackson ranked fourth in the American League in both home runs, with 32, and RBI, 105. If the population stays this low, we can expect to see the value rise. Bo warned the Bucs not to select him, but they did anyway. One of the true highlights of the 1980s. You know, for a time there, he really did kind of look like a human version of E.T. 8 Great 1980 Topps Baseball Cards Beyond Rickey Henderson While vintage cards like the T206 Honus Wagner and the 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle have continued to soar in value, baseball card's boom times produced no such valuable merchandise. The cards look exactly like their Topps counterparts, save for the Nestle logo in place of Topps. And you get to learn that in French, you would refer to Outfield as Voltigeur. Top 25 Most Valuable Baseball Cards from the 1990's - Rookie Cards Only. Nobody seriously, nobody could have seen 305 wins and the Hall of Fame in his future. So far, there have been just 22 submitted. 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. With only 371 found in gem mint condition, they are relatively rare and expensive. Important: Judging condition and understanding the grading system will . Furthermore, he is the only pitcher in major league history to record over 350 wins and strike out over 4,500 batters. Topps Tiffany cards have glossy surfaces on the front and white card stock on the back. Another great 89 Upper Deck RC. Puckett cracks the Top Ten! Topps manufactured a striking Pete Rose card in 1980, featuring an intense close-up shot of the player's face. Who cares if there are more copies printed to stretch around the world twice? Due to the low print run of the letters in white variation, they are much more valuable than the copies with yellow text. And it was a more affordable option than the 84 Fleer Update an important fact to budget-conscious collectors. Most know that during the hobby craze of that era, rampant overproduction led to a bubble that eventually burst. 25 Most Valuable 1980s Baseball Cards - Old Sports Cards Lets look at the population report and see just how rare the Frank Thomas cards are. The vintage and prewar market is at least partially driven by the "Holy Grail" of cards, the 1909 T206 Honus Wagner. And it did. Many consider this card not only to be the most iconic card of the 1980s but one of the most important in the hobby in general. So, many collectors dont even know they exist. This Topps RC was, and is, Rynos card of choice as he played a near-flawless second base throughout his Hall of Fame career on the North Side. 10 Most Valuable Topps Baseball Cards That Sell for Top Dollar - MSN At the time this card was pulled from packs of 1988 Topps, Glavine was en route to a 17-loss season as a rookie. One of Cal Ripken Jrs most valuable baseball cards from the 1980s is his 1982 Topps Traded rookie card. Baseball had two tall guys breaking in at about the same time: 6-foot-7 Ben McDonald and 6-foot-10 Randy Johnson. One of Ken Griffey Jr.s most sought-after rookie cards is his 1989 Bowman Tiffany card #220. Less than 200 of these "cards" ever passed through PSA's grading facilities, so they're quite rare. Most know that during the hobby craze of that era, rampant overproduction led to a bubble that eventually burst. The one shown here is the Platinum version which has a gray border. This second-year card of Gwynn may be the best looking of any of his other releases over the years. 1980 Topps Card Prices | PSA & Ungraded Values - SportsCardsPro But that doesnt mean this true rookie-year glossy card of a Hall of Famer (he did pitch 31 innings in 1986, not enough for rookie status) doesnt have its place in collections. Of the two sets, his Bowman Tiffany is more valuable, by a long shot, selling for over $2,500 in PSA 10 condition. Next on the list is the rookie card of fireballer and pitching icon,Roger Clemens. There are a massive 5,228 of them in PSAs population report. Most Valuable Topps Baseball Cards: Record Sales Price: 1952 Mickey Mantle #311 : $12.6 million : 2011 Mike Trout "Platinum" ~$1.1 million : 1969 Reggie Jackson #260 : $1.005 million 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. There are no shortage of buyers for this card. The 1983 season saw the Rookie Cards of four players break out Sandberg, Wade Boggs, Tony Gwynn and Ron Kittle. We love the '80s (and '90s) baseball cards: The top 15 sets of the era Those 1988 . Of the players shown here, only one went on to set the major league record for consecutive games played, collect 3,184 hits, win two league MVP awards, play in 19 All-Star Games and earn a plaque in Cooperstown. With just 26 making the PSA 10 grade, they are scarce in said condition. But, as we know, things turned out okay for Gibby, both in Detroit and L.A. Price: $925,000 . The vintage baseball cards are some of the most collectible and highest-selling cards f. An RC of one of the games greatest, this one isnt winning any beauty contests. The 1984 Donruss baseball set features player portraits from the chest up. Few were released because the error was fixed shortly after it was discovered. For most players, their most valuable baseball cards will be their rookie card. 9 of the Most Valuable Baseball Cards in History Because Frank Thomas had a more successful career in baseball, his cards are more valuable. I've always loved this card and it's probably my favorite one in the set overall. Need help buying or selling cards or have a general question about the hobby? The ten-time All-Star who could hit and field with the best of him and his charismatic personality made him quite the popular ball player among not only Twins fans but baseball fans in general. Remember, the Tiffany versions were produced in much smaller quantities and were printed on premium card stock. The 1985 Leaf set was much smaller than its Donruss counterpart as it included only 264 cards instead of 660. But, how difficult are they to find in PSA 10 condition? The same thing that had people rushing to see Ready Player One, or even, for some reason, wanting to relive the horror of It. 1980 Topps Baseball Cards - PSA Price Guide They were based in Passaic, New Jersey. This set was printed by McDag Productions and features popular players at the time, including Bo Jackson and Frank Thomas. There are two versions of this card yellow lettering with red Two For the Title came from wax packs. Production seemed to multiply from 1984 numbers, and who could blame Donruss for not wanting to leave money on the table? After realizing they printed cards with vulgarity, they attempted to fix it. PSA 9s sell for considerably less in the $300 $400 price range. There wasnt a lot to get excited about when the 1987 Fleer Update sets arrived, outside of the first Fleer card of A.L. The Topps Traded set, however, has had a mind-blowing 46,835 submitted! That said, there's no questioning how talented Clemens really was as he was mowing down opposing batters right from the beginning of his career well before the PED scandal took place. Because they were printed for the Canadian market, the print run was much less than the regular issue Topps. This, however, is a piece of art worthy of this list. 10 Most Valuable 1980s Baseball Cards - Wax Pack Gods Collectors scramble over each other to obtain the most centered and flawless example whenever they hit the market. 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. Because this error card has a lot of humor, collectors naturally want it in their collection. Therefore, the market has responded by boosting the price level of Gwynn's rookie in PSA 10 condition to the price levels you see here. Rated Rookie? By navigating the site, you agree to the use of cookies to collect information. Of the many Barry Bonds rookie cards, his 1986 Topps Traded Tiffany rookie card is one of the most valuable. And, you guessed it, the Tiffany version is even more valuable in PSA 10 condition. But, unlike the Tiffany cards, O-Pee-Chee cards weren't necessarily premium in quality. Thats okay. You just wish he had embraced it more. You'll usually find them on lower-quality card stock or with rough, jagged cuts. Its easy to do, they said. The weather looked great in Winter Haven, and young Roger Clemens was smiling. If it looking for someone specifically. Only Lou Gehrig, at 37, was younger. When he entered the 1984 All-Star Game in San Francisco to open up the fifth inning, Gooden was 19-years old, just two years out of Hillsborough High School in Tampa. the more valuable the card. A popular card upon its release, this provided collectors with a great look at the young slugger fresh off of winning the 1983 NL Rookie of the Year Award. O-Pee-Chee cards can be distinguished by the O-Pee-Chee logos on the front and the back. Making it much more collectible and valuable. While New York faded from the postseason race in September, Mattingly kept the city enraptured with a batting crown race for the ages. Headed into the last weekend of the season, Mattingly held an AL-best .342 average while his teammate Dave Winfield sat in second at .341. Barry looks thrilled to be getting his picture taken. This was one of the most popular Bonds RCs pulled from packs in 87. Its not necessarily the most valuable cards of the decade. With 76 in population, the Frank Thomas card owns 37% of the report for the entire set. The blue border was susceptible to some chipping. In 1987, the Detroit Tigers were making one last attempt at a World Series appearance with the band that had gotten them a World Championship just three years before. It used to be Billy Ripken was best known for being Cals younger brother. But despite the image, this is a really important card of one of the games greatest pure hitters. Prices are updated daily based upon 1980 Topps listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. Be cautious of reprints and fakes because there are a lot. Indeed, Grace went on to collect the most hits of any player during the Decade of the 1990s. Topps introduced the Bowman line (remember, Topps purchased the Bowman name in the mid-1950s) with this oversized set in 1989. Sometimes youll find versions of these that look like they were hand-cut by a kid with plastic scissors and little use for even borders. Nolan Ryan made his debut with the Houston Astros in 1980 and that season was a bit unusual for him for one glaring reason:he did not lead the league in strikeouts. Join the hundreds of thousands of collectors who have benefited from the OPG. . Fleer may have a shorter history than some in the hobby, but they produced some real zingers during their run. Predating his other MLB cards by a year, the 1984 Fleer Update Roger Clemens is legitimately rare in top condition. With the bright orange curved borders and team and player names, the design of the card pairs up nicely with the Orioles team colors. Back in 1983, the bubble in the baseball card market had already started to form as Donruss and Fleer had both entered the market in 1981 and all three companies started to boost production. Roger Clemens played for 24 seasons in the MLB and put up some monster stats during his career. Rookie Card for the frugal shopper. For decades, O-Pee-Chee played the role of Topps' counterpart in the Canadian market. Starting off the list of most valuable baseball cards from the 1980s is the 1980 Topps George Brett base set card. 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. Otherwise, if found in PSA 9 condition, it would have sold considerably less at around $90. Along with those of Wade Boggs and Ryne Sandberg, the 1983 ToppsTony Gwynn rookie card is one of the most iconic baseball cards of the 1980s. In today's market, expect to pay around $400 for the base version of this card in gem mint condition and around $11,000 for the Tiffany version. 1. For those who dont know, Bill Ripken had the word F**k Face boldly written in black sharpie on the bottom of his bat. 1989 Topps Traded #41T Ken Griffey Jr. 1989 Topps #647 Randy Johnson Rookie Card. Shop the 1986 Donruss Bo Jackson rookie card on eBay, Shop the 1980 Topps baseball cards on eBay, Shop the 1984 Fleer Update Roger Clemens rookie card on eBay, Shop the 1982 Topps Cal Ripken Jr. rookie card on eBay, 1982 Topps Orioles Future Stars base set card, Shop the 1982 Topps Lee Smith rookie card on eBay, Shop the 1989 Fleer Bill Ripken baseball card on eBay, Shop the 1984 Donruss Don Mattingly rookie card on eBay, Shop the 1981 Topps Pete Rose baseball card on eBay, Shop the 1982 Topps Trade Cal Ripken Jr. rookie card on eBay, Shop the 1985 Topps Tiffany Kirby Puckett rookie card on eBay, Shop the 1986 Topps Traded Tiffany Barry Bonds rookie cards on eBay, Shop the 1984 Topps Tiffany Don Mattingly rookie card on eBay, Shop the 1988 Best Ken Griffey Jr. minor league card on eBay, Shop the 1980 Topps Nolan Ryan baseball card on eBay, Shop the 1983 O-Pee-Chee Tony Gwynn rookie card on eBay, Shop the 1985 Topps Tiffany Mark McGwire rookie card on eBay, Shop the 1986 Topps Traded Tiffany Bo Jackson rookie card on eBay, 565 of the Tiffany Traded Bo Jackson rookies, Shop the 1989 Bowman Tiffany Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card on eBay, Shop the 1985 Topps Tiffany Roger Clemens rookie card on eBay, Shop the 1987 O-Pee-Chee Barry Bonds rookie card on eBay, Shop the 1987 Barry Bonds rookie card error on eBay, Shop the 1980 WBTV Cal Ripken Jr. minor league card on eBay, Shop the 1980 Topps Rickey Henderson rookie card on eBay, 8 Best Baseball Cards to Collect in 2022 Hall of Fame Potential, Best Chipper Jones rookie card & baseball card list. But just stick with this corrected version. 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. Bo Jackson is regarded as one of the best athletes to play professional sports. Many still are. Nobody wants to look goofy while trying to make the all-important first impression and all. 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. Iconic card: 1980 Topps #482, which sold for $180,100 in February 2021. With over 5,000 submitted to PSA, getting a gem mint copy of the actual FF error card is simple, but what about the four variations? From 1984 to 1991, Topps released a limited number of premium, higher-end versions of their base sets that they branded as the Topps Tiffany line. Because Jackson was such a massive prospect in football and baseball, he is still highly collectible. Big Macs second Topps-issued card, but the first pictured with Oakland. But there is a snake in this picture. But, value aside, I wanted to highlight it as it's impossible to talk about 1980s baseball cards without mentioning this card. Of course, I'm talking about the 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card: During the recent hobby boom, prices of this card in PSA 10 holders soared beyond $5,000. A 1982 Topps Orioles Future Stars base set card will make a great addition to any authentic Baltimore Orioles fan collection. While some dealers broke box sets to sell singles, others chose not to. And the introduction of grading to the hobby has led to some collectors paying massive amounts of money for certain cards deemed to be in pristine condition. 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. The dual-photo fronts remain a favorite with many collectors. Of those 130 steals, he was caught just 17 times. After an eBay auction that ended in October 2022, one copy sold for an impressive $1,800. In addition to the enormous submission number, whats even more shocking is that only 517 have been given the prestigious PSA 10 grade. The huge yellow lettering of the Pirates team name across the top paired with that awesome retro Pirates jersey and cap make this card really pop. He held the major league record for career saves from 1993 until 2006, when San Diego Padres relief pitcher Trevor Hoffman passed his final total of 478. Last,I didn't include any test issues from those mainstream companies. Bowman had not released a set since 1955 after they were bought out by their largest competitor, Topps. Like its competitors, Topps waited until its late-season Traded release to issue the companys first card of the 17-game winner and 1984 Rookie of the Year, who also finished second in the Cy Young Award voting. The local TV station printed some promotional baseball cards with players from the team and handed them out during one of Ripkens first games playing for the Os. In 1984, the young slugger put on a clinic that cemented his spot and won the hearts of Yankees fans the world over. Of all his rookie cards, the 1986 Topps Traded is the most desirable and expensive card you can find. 7 Most Valuable Baseball Rookie Cards From the 1980s - Gold Card Auctions And then there was Kirk Gibson's walk-off home run in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series against the Oakland A's. Another Boggs RC makes the list, and this Fleer was the only one of the three (Topps, Fleer, Donruss) with a non-action shot, providing a good look at the player who collected 3,010 hits, won five batting titles and hit better than .360 in four different seasons. However, he was openly disappointed with Berra's assertion in Spring Training that he'd open the season on the bench. This makes the PSA 10 population just 4% of the entire graded population. Hendersons debut cardboard is unquestionably the key to the 1980 Topps edition, submitted for PSA evaluation over 17,000 times. 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. Author Jon Gold. But its still a fun card, even if it is just a guy who made a living dressed as a chicken. After a 25-year hiatus, the 1985 Leaf set marked the brand's return to the hobby since they produced their last set back in 1960. Great article. His 5,714 career strikeouts are an MLB record by a significant margin. This particular card was graded by PSA and found to be in gem mint 10 conditions. So, I stuck with big-name companies like Topps, Fleer, Donruss, Upper Deck and others when building this list. Topps Tiffany baseball cards are by far some of the most valuable baseball cards from both the 80s and the 90s. Best Baseball Cards of the 1980s | Ballcard Genius One of the pack-pulled Rookie Cards during Juniors rookie season, but it comes with a tough blend of purple and black border. Fleer was the only company that included a Kittle RC in its regular set, as Donruss and Topps passed. Another Barry Bonds rookie card comes in at number 6 on the list. . What list of valuable baseball cards from the 1980s is complete without the Johnny Ray/Barry Bonds error card? Yet only seventeen examples have achieved the services highest honor, making it one hundred times as rare as Mint 9 representations. Although Jeff Schneider and Bob Bonner didnt have much of a career in the Major Leagues, the player centered in the middle sure did. I grew up in the 80s and chased many of these cards and ripped hundreds of packs in my days. FernandoMania was on full display in the summer of 81, and until Topps added him in its late-season Traded Set, the only card picturing the lefty alone and not paired with other prospects came via the good folks at Fleer. As an interesting side note, and perhaps a sad one for Wade Boggs fans, only Gwynn and Sandberg appeared in the smaller O-Pee-Chee checklist, so Boggs doesn't have an O-Pee-Chee rookie, unfortunately. And, fortunately for the collecting world, Topps gave him a standalone rookie card when they included him in their 1982 Topps Traded set. Most Valuable Baseball Cards 1980s - BaseballLoveClub.com There was a time when the world came together for one thing: finding Wade Boggs Topps RCs. He won the next year. Furthermore, there have only been 6 found in gem mint conditions. Cal Ripken Jr. played for the Orioles for the entire 21 years of his career. Interestingly, Ryan's highest single-season strikeout total in nine years with the Houston Astros was only 270 in 1987, a year in which he also led the NL with a 2.76 ERA. According to the PSA website, the 1951 Mickey Mantle Bowman RC is Mantle's only rookie card. Top 100 1980s Baseball Cards and Why They're So Memorable - Beckett News This is because they had less distribution than regular-issue Topps cards. Of those 22 submitted, 14 were found in mint condition, with just 1 being gem mint. Mint 9s sell for about $200 on average. Give Fleer credit for getting The Rocket in its 1984 Update set when the competitors waited until the next year to include him in their sets.
Diamond Foundry Stock,
How Long Does Prednisolone Take To Work For Inflammation,
What Major Tournament Is Played On A Clay Surface?,
Articles W