inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1971. Babe Ruth rookie cardsare also part of the 1916 M101-4 Sporting News set that is believed to have been printed shortly after the M101-5 set. Are you selling sports cards that were produced from 1868 - 1975? The cream of the crop. Mathewson appears three times in the T206 set with the Portrait, White Cap and Dark Cap variations. Halladay finished with four first-place votes to Clayton Kershaws 27, finishing as the leagues Cy Young runner-up for the second time in four years. Like all Bowman cards, the eye appeal of this card is amazing as a the artwork of the young Mick is simply stunning. In the NLDS, the 102-win AL East champion Phillies faced a molten-hot St. Louis Cardinals squad that had fought back from a massive Wild Card deficit in September. We believe the following 10 cards will be tops in short-term return on investment over the next 1 to 2 years. An SGC 9.5 Example Sold in August 2022 for $12,600,000. Centering that favors the bottom and slight angular cuts are usually the factors that prevent these cards from reaching higher grades. The Tigers couldn't capitalize on Cabrera's otherworldly October and lost to the Rangers in the ALCS in six. Most Valuable Rookie Card in Every Topps Baseball Set, 1952-2020 Ty Cobb and Honus Wagner also appear in this set but Jacksons card is easily the most important and most valuable card in the set. Mathews had a prolific career as a feared power hitter and spent many years alongside Hank Aaron to form one of the greatest home run hitting duos the game has ever seen. This card has been and will likely remain the most valuable baseball card for years to come. And with 103 RBIs on the year, he became the first Reds player since Dave Parker to post back-to-back 100-RBI seasons (1985-86). 1955 Topps Sandy Koufax #123 #9. On July 18th, he became the quickest Atlanta rookie to 50 RBIs since Hank Aaron in 1954. After a rough start at the plate, 21-year-old first baseman Freddie Freeman found his footing in the seasons final five months or so. A PSA 10 1954 Topps Banks rookie card sold for $142,836 in May 2012. Get my weekly newsletter with the latest hobby updates delivered straight to your inbox! Rizzo soon earned a reputation as a guy capable of smacking 30 home runs and driving in 100 runs to become a fan favorite at Wrigley. The Left Arm of God as he was known, Koufax possessed raw power that helped him once strikeout an astounding 382 batters in a season. Remarkably, he still only finished fifth in the MVP race! Six hits away from 3,000 in mid-June, New York Yankees captain Derek Jeter suffered a calf strain that sidelined him for 18 games. Collectors find rookie cards are some of the most valuable baseball cards to collect from any player. 1968 Topps #177 Nolan Ryan RC Prices are updated daily based upon 2021 Topps Chrome listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. 10 Most Valuable 1978 Topps Baseball Cards - Sports Card Investor The potential for caramel stains doesnt bode well for collectors of this card. Most Expensive 2021 Topps Chrome card list & price guide. Most Expensive 2022 Topps 1st Edition card list & price guide. It's so rare that no complete set has ever been assembled. Need help buying or selling cards or have a general question about the hobby? Jackson dominated the minors that year and the Naps called him up late in the 1910 season. You can imagine the wear and tear that children put on the cards by comparison. The most expensive 2022 Topps Heritage baseball cards feature the likes of Wander Franco, Shohei Ohtani, Julio Rodriguez, and even Nolan Ryan making an appearance. 1991 Topps Baseball Card Checklist, Errors, Values - Gold Card Auctions It's these end-year series that comprise the most valuable Topps baseball cards today. So, to build this list, I only focused on the base cards from 2011 Topps and included some from 2011 Topps Update as well. In one of the great stories about this card, a collector once purchased an unopened five-card pack of1952 Topps baseball cardsand pulled the only Pafko to ever be graded PSA Gem Mint 10. 10 Most Valuable Sammy Sosa Baseball Cards 1909 T-206 Honus Wagner: $7.25 million 3. I like Posey's rookie cup card #198 from Series One better than this card that appeared in Series Two from an aesthetic standpoint. 100 Most Valuable Baseball Cards: The All-Time Dream List The T206 set is special for many reasons but one of them is no doubt the numerous brand advertisements on the backs16 different backs in total. The E300 issue is one of the scarcest prewar sets and had relatively been unknown until the 1960s. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. And in this guide, we'll take a look at the 15 most valuable. 1954 Topps #128 Hank Aaron RC #7. Its pretty much identical to his 1915 Cracker Jack issue except for the fact that the back of the 1915 version is turned upside down and was printed on thicker paper stock. While collectors could pull 1914 Cracker Jack cards directly from the box, that also meant they usually had caramel stains on them. Many believe the 1887 N172 Old Judge set to be the most important 19th Century set in existence. Although kind of normal for Gehrig, his offensive production was extraordinary in 1934. It just goes to show that scarcity and condition can have just as much of an impact on the value of a card as the player who is on it. Key to the 1953 Topps set is the #244 Willie Mays baseball card. While his 1952 Topps card is more popular and more expensive, some collectors forget that this is the only recognizedMantle rookie card. Again, the biggest condition issues with this card will arise from the glossy coating on the obverse that usually ends up cracking or creasing. The Iron Horseappears twice in the 1933 Goudey setwith card #s 92 and 160 to his credit. In 2014, MLB instituted rules that prevented a runner from initiating "an avoidable collision" at home plate. The Giants were 27-19 heading into a home series with the Florida Marlins, looking every bit the contender for a repeat World Series engagement. In comparison, Suzuki's lowest full-season OPS in the Majors to that point was .747 in 2008, over 100 points better than his 2011 mark. Or, feel free to call/text me at 305-684-6680! A true baseball legend who spent most of his career in the Negro Leagues, Paige finally got his shot in the majors at the age of 42 with the Cleveland Indians. The glossy coatings of these cards present a bit of an issue with cracking at times but they are nonetheless some terrific cards. PSA 10s in the card have commanded more than $40,000, but since '78 Topps has a notorious history of off-centered printing, there are so few gem mints out there. The question is: where do you start on this list? The 1969 Topps baseball card set is well-loved in this hobby by many collectors for several different reasons. This is true whether you're looking at the base card, the premium Tiffany variant, or even the Desert Storm version which is limited in number. The card features a great close-up of the star pitcher surrounded by the famous T205 gold borders. A year away from taking over the Cincinnati Reds closer role and simultaneously becoming a perennial All-Star, Aroldis Chapman showed flashes of his forthcoming game-breaking dominance in 2011. If so, then please fill out the form below and I'll be in touch right away. 1990 Bowman Tiffany Sammy Sosa Rookie Card Price: $750 The 1990 Bowman Baseball set features an impressive rookie class. There are two varieties of these cards with one version featuring a tobacco advertisement on the back and the other a checklist. Only a finite number of them still exist and as likely as it is that baseball will remain a very popular sport, collectors will do anything to get their hands on them. But since we are talking about "The Home Run King" in the year after he passed Babe Ruth on the all-time list, the odd, side-view photo cannot take away from the card's historical . Like Jose Altuve, J.D. As with any colored border, though, theyre susceptible to showing chipping and wear. Reigning NL MVP Joey Votto couldn't carry an inconsistent, snake-bitten Cincinnati Reds squad to a second-straight postseason in 2011. buy stuff after clicking links on our site Interestingly, the same image is used on both cards. Contact him at [emailprotected]. I remember seeing one of these in abaseball card shop near where I grew up and I would just stare in awe. A record that is pretty safe to say will never be broken,Cy Youngtotaled an incredible 511 wins over his career. Ungraded & graded values for all '23 Topps Baseball Cards. Prices are updated daily based upon 2020 Topps listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. The price would certainly be astronomical. Top 15 Most Valuable Baseball Cards from the 1960s - PSA COLLECTOR And if you remember, the 1952 Mantle card is relatively more expensive than his 1951 Bowman card. This is one of them. Johnson is considered by many to be the best pitcher of all time after turning in an amazing 12 seasons of 20 or more victories, including two with more than 30. The 1912 Plows Candy E300 Mathewson features a large photographic image of the legendary pitcher of the Dead Ball Era framed by text readingPlows Candy CollectionandMathewson, New York Nationals.. The 1914 Cracker Jack Mathewson is one of the great rarities in the hobby and easily the most difficult card to find in this amazing set. The eye appeal is top-notch, as with most 1914 Cracker Jack cards. For others, it's the . Natl along the bottom before the error was corrected. Trout exploded during his official rookie campaign the following season, earning AL Rookie of the Year honors and finishing second in the MVP race. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2022 by Old Sports Cards, LLC. Most Valuable. Read our methodology. That was the most any Houston Astros rookie had ever driven in during one month as a rookie. Cracker Jacks cards are wildly popular and the serious-looking Cobb is one of the keys to this set. Overall, Topps did a great job with this set by balancing an excellent design with plenty of chase cards. As one of the most clutch players in Yankees history, Derek Jeter seized the moment perfectly with a dramatic introduction to baseball's 3,000-hit club. However, as with any colored borders, the surrounding red borders of this card are susceptible to wear making it very condition sensitive. Financial problems would cause Dunn to sell Ruths contract to the Boston Red Sox later that year, however. 2022 Topps Series 1 Wander Franco RC #215 VIEW ON EBAY Winner, winner chicken dinner. . So, if you're looking tosell baseball cards then you might want to check this list to see if you're sitting on something special. 1981 Topps #302 Dodgers Future Stars Estimated PSA 9 Mint Value: $225 When it comes to rookie season debuts, the Dodgers have developed a reputation for some of the finest on record. During his rookie campaign, Posey slashed .305/.357/.505 with 18 home runs, 67 RBIs and 58 runs scored in 108 games (406 at-bats). And then, his season came to a screeching halt with a play that changed the game of baseball forever. 1986 Topps Tiffany Ryne Sandberg Chicago Cubs Card 7. He also topped 100 runs scored (111) and 100 RBIs (105) while playing in an AL-best 161 of 162 regular-season games. Possessing an explosive triple-digit fastball with electric movement, Chapman struggled to harness his high-octane stuff in his first full year with the Reds. Together with the Honus Wagner, Ty Cobb (Ty Cobb back), and Eddie Plank the T206 Sherry Magie error card is one of the rarest of the entire set. It is one of the most difficult cards to find overall, making it one of the most important cards on this list. This is no doubt one of the most sought after cards of one of the games best pitchers of all time. The White Cap variation is considered to be the most difficult of the three Mathewson cards, but the Portrait is the most popular. Both of theDiMaggio cards in this set feature a caricature of the Yankee legend, the only difference between the two versions is that this one features small cartoons and information in the background while the other has a blank background. Along with the Killebrew and Koufax rookies, theRoberto Clemente rookie card is an anchor in the 1955 Topps baseball card set and the most expensive of the three. People are spending as much on old pieces of cardboard as most people spend on a house. Also, many of the known examples are found with poor centering from top to bottom. In Game 1, the Phillies picked Doc up after he gave up a three-run shot to Lance Berkman in the 1st inning, scoring 11 unanswered runs as Halladay settled in to retire 21 straight in a convincing Philly win. The most important post-war card in the hobby, price movements of the 1952 Topps #311Mickey Mantle baseball cardare often seen as an indicator of the health of the sports card market overall. Two hits shy heading into a July 9th home game against the Tampa Bay Rays, Jeter took his spot as the 28th member of the 3,000-hit club with a 5-for-5 day now etched in Yankees lore. Not surprisingly, Cobbs card is the cornerstone and to the set. Just be prepared to put up big money if you want one in high grade. 1986 Topps Nolan Ryan Card 5. But in 2011, the 37-year-old superstar hit just .272 with an uncharacteristic .645 OPS. Shortcuts: Top athletes from baseball, football, hockey, tennis, golf, boxing, swimming, horse racing and even dog sled racing are showcased in the set. 1953 Topps #82 Mickey Mantle RC #3. But, the fact that his is the last card in the iconic 407 card set gives it an extra bump due to the inherent difficulty in collecting the card. #1. He was also clutch, maintaining a sub-1.00 World Series ERA and twice being named series MVP in 1963 and 1965. The postseason drought would only get longer, but Sale's transition to a starting role in 2012 was the dawning of a new ace on the Southside. This card is a prime example of an instance where neither being a star nor an error card can bring in big bucks. Arguably the greatest hitter of all time, Williams posted some truly jaw-dropping numbers over his career: a .344 batting average, a .483 on-base average and a .634 slugging average. Mathewson is the only player in both the 1914 and 1915 sets whose poses are entirely different. The Sox finished at 79-83, out of the playoffs for the third-straight year. Many in the hobby feel this card is overlooked in importance but what no one can deny is just how rare it is. And because it features a close-up of Mantle, print defects on his face can also sometimes turn off collectors. Two decades of pro ball were catching up to Ichiro. Over the first seven games of his MLB career, Altuve had at least one hit, tying him with Russ Johnson for the club record for most consecutive games with a hit to begin a career. Some argue that this is Mickey Mantles most beautiful card. 1984. His five complete games and epic, generation-defining showdowns with San Francisco's Tim Lincecum were jolts of electricity for a Dodgers fan base desperate for a winner. The legendary Cap Anson appears on two different cards with the uniform version being the rarer of the two. As a result, there werent manyJoe Jackson baseball cardsproduced. Most Expensive, The 1917 Collins-McCarthy candy cards are some of the few card issues that were printed during the mid-teens of the 20th century. The card is one of Ruths most desired of all. His 3,003rd hit (and last of the day) was an RBI single that put the Yankees ahead for good in the 8th. 1,000$?! Valuable 1985 Topps Baseball Cards #1985topps # After winning 61 games in 2010, Seattle finished at 67-95 in 2011 for the franchise's sixth losing season in eight years. Not many baseball cards possess as much elaborate and ornate decoration as those of the 1909 Ramly Cigarette T204 set. Ten days after the Houston Astros called up Altuve from the Hooks, the team called up Martinez to make his MLB debut on July 30, 2011, replacing the recently-traded Hunter Pence. Even though it is not Mickey Mantles official rookie card it is definitely his most important. He missed 36 games in 2011, slashing .275/.344/.470 with 18 home runs and 70 RBIs in 455 at-bats for Cox's handpicked successor, Fredi Gonzalez. Considered by most to be the greatest lefty of all-time, Sandy Koufax has one rookie card to his name and this is it. His legendary career and life were cut short on December 31, 1972, when he died in a plane crash while en route to deliver aid to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. Whenever manager Ozzie Guillen needed him to get a few outs, Sale performed. If you remember, during Game 3 of the 1932 World Series against the Chicago Cubs, Babe Ruth made his famous Called Shot. That would be his teammate, 23-year-old closer Craig Kimbrel. Babe Ruths card is the key and most valuable of the 32 card set. It should come as no surprise that the rookie card of the greatest player who ever lived would be on this list. Conditions of these cards are not very good but even a PSA 4 is expected to bring in roughly $900,000. Prices are updated daily based upon 2005 Topps listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. 4 Hank Aaron #660. And yes, that includes those famously priceless Mickey Mantles. Now that we got that out of the way let's get started Like a few others on this list, this card is technically part of the 2011 Topps Update set. Collectors who take on the challenge of completing this set are no doubt in for an extremely tough challenge. This still ranks among the most popular baseball cards of all-time. That production boosted his legend and popularity making him one of the most highly collected players in the hobby. The 10 Most Valuable 1975 Topps Baseball Cards The base set from Bowman holds little value. His massive upside in the future made his wildness in the present less worrisome. Two great images of Banks are show atop a white border than can be notorious for showing print defects. We may earn an affiliate commission if you Most Valuable Baseball Cards [2023 Update] - Genius Celebs Cobb was known as a ferocious competitor who was determined to be the best day in and day out. Caramel cards are usually more scarce than tobacco cards since they were sold to children rather than adults. Late into the 2022 season, Paul Goldschmidt had a legitimate chance at winning the Triple Crown. So why would one of his cards be so expensive? However, since it's one of the most iconic cards of the modern era, I made an exception to include it (and some other 2011 Topps Update cards) on this list. While the "Cobb Back" T206 may be his most expensive card, this one is arguably his most popular among high-end collectors. Considered to be one of the more obscure Honus Wagner type cards its value continues to remain strong. By Ryan Cracknell. Identical in imagery to the 1933 Goudey #160 Lou Gehrig that you saw earlier on this list, this card does usually present whiter borders and lighter blue backgrounds than its #92 counterpart. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. That PSA 10 copy sold for $717,000 in 2016. Its arguably the most visually pleasing and desirable of all the Ted Williams baseball cards in the hobby. The Wagner soon reclaimed its title, but the 2009 Bowman Draft Trout remains a big deal in the baseball card world. His record for most games played in a season stood for decades until 1995 when Cal Ripken, Jr. played in his 2,131st straight game. After spending 1908 and 1909 with the Philadelphia Athletics, they quickly gave up on him and traded him to the Cleveland Naps for the 1910 season. And with a 20-game hit streak late in the year, Freeman joined Dan Uggla as the first Braves teammates in modern history to have simultaneous hitting streaks of twenty or more. His 3,000th hit was a solo shot in the 3rd inning that tied the game at one. His aggressive play on the field and his generous ways off the field made him a special individual. 2022 Topps Baseball Rookie Cards Guide - Beckett News Even in poor condition, they routinely sell for over $1 million. He received 20 first place votes in the NL Rookie of the Year vote and his 129 vote points outpaced Atlanta's Jason Heyward who 107 vote points for his impressive debut performance. Although not as popular as his 1948 Bowman rookie card, his 1948 Leaf rookie card is the tougher of the two. Since starting his professional baseball journey with the Orix Blue Wave of the Nippon Baseball League in 1992, the legendary outfielder posted a .300 batting average or better for 19 straight seasons through the 2010 campaign.