The number of chase cards available to collectors may have seemed overwhelming at the time but, in retrospect, it was great to see Topps offer so much variety. Wander Franco 2022 Topps Heritage Chrome Gold Refractor RC Rookie /5 (sold for $1,400) Wander Franco 2022 Wander Franco Heritage Real One Auto Red Ink (sold for $1375) Although not as popular as his 1948 Bowman rookie card, his 1948 Leaf rookie card is the tougher of the two. It should come as no surprise that the rookie card of the greatest player who ever lived would be on this list. Centering and chipping along the red bottom border are usually obstacles to achieving a higher grade. The base set from Bowman holds little value. If you remember, during Game 3 of the 1932 World Series against the Chicago Cubs, Babe Ruth made his famous Called Shot. Most Expensive, Milwaukee's Prince Fielder earned the first base start for the Senior Circuit, and Cincinnati's Joey Votto was a no-doubt pick as a backup. Thus, Pujols was left out in a season where he finished fifth in the NL's MVP balloting. Its so rare that only a handful exist and not many collectors have even seen one in person. But, that doesnt necessarily mean its his most expensive. While the Dodgers failed to make the playoffs at 83-78, Kershaw made a second-straight playoff miss easier to stomach in Chavez Ravine. 10 Most Valuable 1978 Topps Baseball Cards - Sports Card Investor The 31-year-old superstar ended the year slashing .299/.366/.541 with 37 home runs, 29 doubles, 105 runs scored, and 99 RBIs in 651 plate appearances (579 at-bats). buy stuff after clicking links on our site 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. In PSA 4.5 grade, it is estimated this card would reel in over $1 million. The fancy gold borders that surround Walter Johnsons black and white portrait are a thing of beauty. Its an extremely tough card to find in high grade. Nothing against Bourjos, but many Angels fans had been eagerly awaiting a chance to see Trout since many considered him the number-one prospect heading into the 2011 season. And I attempted to estimate their current values when graded in PSA 10 condition so their "raw" or ungraded values may be wildly different. The young Florida native made 58 appearances out of the bullpen, finishing 17 games and saving eight. 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 cream of the crop. But it wouldn't take Goldschmidt much longer to mold into the incredible talent he is today. His incredible career makesStan Musial baseball cards extremely popular with collectors. Contact him at [emailprotected]. Like Jose Altuve, J.D. Read our methodology . Big names like Albert Pujols, Ichiro, David Ortiz, Derek Jeter, Miguel Cabrera and Clayton Kershaw help round out a solid checklist. His 3.60 ERA and not-so-great 1.300 WHIP only told part of the story because when Chapman was locked in, he was virtually unhittable. and one of the best-looking cards of the 1950s in my opinion. But what puts the Bat Off Shoulder relatively much higher on this list than the others is that you can find this card in PSA 9 Mint condition, unlike the others. Ungraded & graded values for all '20 Topps Baseball Cards. Given all of the variations, parallels, inserts, autograph, and memorabilia cards included in the set, developing a definitive "most valuable" list can be quite difficult. Most Expensive 2022 Topps 1st Edition Baseball Cards - SportsCardsPro However, the gold borders of the T205 cards leave them vulnerable to chipping and wear. 2005 Topps Card Prices | PSA & Ungraded Values - SportsCardsPro 1989 Bowman Tiffany Ken Griffey Jr. 2. And it can be tough to find in high grade, too. Although past his prime, he still achieved success in the Majors and was twice named an All-Star. Young appears three times in the epic T206 set with this being the most desired and priciest of them all. That PSA 10 copy sold for $717,000 in 2016. Who did Freeman finish runner-up to in the leagues RotY race, you ask? Although it features identical imagery as his 1914 Cracker Jack issue, most high-end examples of these two issues are of the 1915. 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. Halladay was given the ball for Games 1 and 5. The Say Hey Kidwas arguably the greatest all-around player to step on the field. People are spending as much on old pieces of cardboard as most people spend on a house. Over 40 MLB games in 2011, Trout slashed .220/.281/.390 with five home runs, 16 RBIs and 20 runs scored. The card features a great image of Ruth and it remains one of his most desirable cards. 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. Download Price List, SportsCardsPro 2019-2023 In this video, we go over the top 3 most valuable Topps baseball cards from the year 1985. Though he may not have been MLB's hottest rookie in 1990, he certainly turned into one of the biggest superstars of his era. 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. Most Expensive 2022 Topps 1st Edition card list & price guide. For some reason, collectors had to send in for the card a year later in 1934 by contacting Goudey if they wanted to complete this set. Just be prepared to put up big money if you want one in high grade. National League manager Bruce Bochy was not looped in on Pujols' condition heading into the All-Star Game selection deadline, leaving the San Francisco Giants skipper little choice but to look elsewhere to round out the depth chart. We are user supported. In fact, with PSA 10s in such short supply for the set's top cards, we elected to go with PSA 9 prices for this list. By his third season in 2013, Goldschmidt had developed into a perennial All-Star and MVP candidate. The E300 issue is one of the scarcest prewar sets and had relatively been unknown until the 1960s. To this day, there is no clear explanation for the rarity of this card, a card that is nearly as tough as the Honus Wagner from the same set. 2005 Topps card list & price guide. 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. Top 15 Most Valuable Baseball Cards from the 1960s - PSA COLLECTOR 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. 10 Most Valuable Sammy Sosa Baseball Cards Altuve was hitting an incredible .423 at that point but eventually cooled to finish with a .276/.297/.357 slash line. However, Carpenter was better, tossing a complete-game three-hit shutout to oust the two-time defending NL champs, 1-0. Again, the biggest condition issues with this card will arise from the glossy coating on the obverse that usually ends up cracking or creasing. Honus. Mantle is easily one of the most widely collected players in the hobby. We may earn an affiliate commission if you But whats not up for debate is whether its one of his most important. And because it features a close-up of Mantle, print defects on his face can also sometimes turn off collectors. 30 Most Valuable Topps Tiffany Cards Rankings are based on the online Beckett Price Guide and Database. Its arguably the most visually pleasing and desirable of all the Ted Williams baseball cards in the hobby. And while they are keys to the set and arguably the most popularLou Gehrig baseball cards, they are still overshadowed by the Ruth quartet. 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. 1953 Topps #82 Mickey Mantle RC #3. In the season's first 46 games, the 24-year-old star slashed .284/.368/.389 with four home runs and 21 RBIs in 162 at-bats. This card has been and will likely remain the most valuable baseball card for years to come. 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. DiMaggio appeared twice in the 1938 Goudey set but this is the more valuable of the two. Most Expensive [2020 Topps] Baseball Cards - SportsCardsPro His 3,003rd hit (and last of the day) was an RBI single that put the Yankees ahead for good in the 8th. 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. Most Expensive 2022 Topps card list & price guide. The most valuable baseball cards in the hobby can easily fetch six and seven figure price levels these days. While the #144 Full Body Ruth was double-printed and isnt as scarce, it is harder to find in high-grade than the #181 Green Ruth. 15 Most Valuable 2011 Topps Baseball Cards - Old Sports Cards Whether you can find one in high grade or not, though, its a superb card for any collector to own. In his fourth year with the club, Miguel Cabrera helped Detroit silence those laughs. Seldom seen at auction, the 48 card set distributed by the American Caramel Co. of York, Pa. released some of the rarest type cards in existence. 1. Centering issues, as well as dark print blotches in the yellow background, are usually the two key issues of this card. 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 question is: where do you start on this list? Within a year, the Mariners would press reset on the whole thing and end the Ichiro era abruptly, trading their longtime face of the franchise to the New York Yankees for a pair of relievers. It's still a very unusual-looking card but is one that many collectors dream of owning. What's wackier is that Detroit's Justin Verlander, on the AL side, also earned a pitching Triple Crown in 2011. Shortcuts: Most Expensive , Cheapest , List by Card # Mays could hit, throw, field and run with the best of them. Average ungraded base card value (excludes parallels) for 2020 Topps 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. 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 last card in the '75 Topps set, this Hank Aaron collectible won't ever be confused as the baseball legend's best-looking card. 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. In the postseason, Cabrera was predictably excellent. Each of the 30 unnumbered cards in the set feature an artist rendering of players atop colored backgrounds. After an impressive finish to the 2010 MLB campaign, the Los Angeles Dodgers tabbed 23-year-old lefty Clayton Kershaw as their Opening Day starter for 2011. Issued by the Mayo and Brother Tobacco Works of Richmond, VA, the set contains 48 different cards overall but Anson's is undoubtedly the most coveted. Prices are updated daily based upon 2020 Topps listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. 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. However, he still put together a worthy encore to his 2010 breakthrough. While not his most expensive baseball card, its arguably the most visually pleasing of them all. Especially his American Caramel E90-1 rookie card on which he is shown leaning on his bat against a purple backdrop. Exact prices are available to subscribers. We believe the following 10 cards will be tops in short-term return on investment over the next 1 to 2 years. Most Valuable. 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.. And yes, that includes those famously priceless Mickey Mantles. 1956 Topps Mickey Mantle #135 #6. That is unless youre talking about the Red Portrait with the Ty Cobb back that was showcased earlier on this list. The 97-win Yankees eventually fell well short of their championship aspirations with a five-game ALDS loss to the Detroit Tigers. #1: 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle An SGC 9.5 Example Sold in August 2022 for $12,600,000 Dimensions: 2-5/8" x 3-3/4" The most important post-war card in the hobby, price movements of the 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle baseball card are often seen as an indicator of the health of the sports card market overall. His massive upside in the future made his wildness in the present less worrisome. However, #160 is the more difficult of the two to find in high grade so it generally fetches higher prices. Read our methodology. It was clear that Topps wanted to do something special for their 60th anniversary and they certainly delivered. With Mays, the opposite is true: his Bowman rookie card is worth more than his 1952 Topps card. The first Dodgers hurler to secure the NL pitching Triple Crown since Sandy Koufax back in 1966, Kershaw led the National League in wins (21), strikeouts (248), and ERA (2.24), the latter serving as the best mark for a starter in all of baseball. Cobb turned in an absolute monster of a season in 1911 as he set career highs in batting (.420), hits (248), doubles (47), triples (24), RBI (127), runs (147) and slugging percentage (.621). While Posey would recover and play an MVP-caliber role for San Francisco's 2012 and 2014 title teams, his injury in 2011 forced the hands of baseball's decision-makers. The Tigers couldn't capitalize on Cabrera's otherworldly October and lost to the Rangers in the ALCS in six. Most Expensive [2022 Topps] Baseball Cards - SportsCardsPro After 60 years in the hobby, Topps helped celebrate their "Diamond Anniversary" by packing so much into their 2011 Topps baseball card set. The centering can be so severe that it will cut into the text along the bottom. . In fact, his 1986 Topps Traded Tiffany card can be worth over $2,000 in PSA condition. Collectors love the eye appeal of this beautiful pre-war set. Like the 1997 Bowman, Donruss, Fleer, Leaf, Score and Upper Deck sets, large print runs saturated the market with these cards, driving down their values. 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. Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, and Cy Young were also featured in the set but Cobbs issue is undoubtedly the most desired. Not only did he help the team to a World Series title, but Martinez also became the first and only player in MLB history to win two Silver Sluggers in the same season, one as an outfielder and the other as a DH. Ungraded & graded values for all '22 Topps Baseball Cards. As the reigning NL Central champs sputtered to a 79-83 record and failed to make the playoffs, Chapman worked out the kinks in his delivery in 53 relief appearances. 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. This card is often thought to be Jacksons most attractive and popular baseball card. The price would certainly be astronomical. 1968 Topps #177 Nolan Ryan RC The Yellow Ruth, #53, is considered to be the toughest, closely followed by the #149 Red Ruth that shows the legendary slugger in an identical pose. Of all theTy Cobb baseball cards, this is by far his most expensive. After slumping to start the season, the hulking St. Louis Cardinals first baseman returned to All-Star form before suffering a fractured left wrist in mid-June. That would be his teammate, 23-year-old closer Craig Kimbrel. So, to build this list, I only focused on the base cards from 2011 Topps and included some from 2011 Topps Update as well. Two great images of Banks are show atop a white border than can be notorious for showing print defects. While a PSA 10 Gem Mint copy sold for $432,690 in 2012 a PSA 9 copy sold for an even higher amount, $478k, in 2016. The famous Pittsburg Pirate shortstop is shown ready at the bat with his name Hans along the bottom border of the card. Many believe the 1887 N172 Old Judge set to be the most important 19th Century set in existence. Track your collection for free. Considered one of the toughest post-war cards to collect, Leroy Satchel Paiges rookie card is a key to this set along with rookie cards of Jackie Robinson and Stan Musial. While the "Cobb Back" T206 may be his most expensive card, this one is arguably his most popular among high-end collectors. One of the bright spots for Boston was the re-emergence of designated hitter David Ortiz as an elite hitting threat. For example, one easy way to tell if youve got an M101-4 Ruth rookie is if the Sporting News ad is on the back of the card as no M101-5 Ruths featured that ad. It would fetch much more than that today. 5. The last of the legendary quartet of 1933 Goudey Ruth cards on our list is the #144 Full Body Ruth. 15 Most Valuable 1978 Topps Baseball Cards Worth Money You could argue the imagery isn't the nicest in the hobby but it makes for an unforgettable card design. Jackie Robinson, Mike Piazza, Hideo Nomo and, you guessed it, Fernando Valenzuela each took the league by storm as soon as they stepped on the field. Key to the 1953 Topps set is the #244 Willie Mays baseball card. Ross is the founder of Old Sports Cards and has been collecting sports cards for over 30 years. | Compare vs. The bright yellow background makes this card pop and the portrait of the young Big Train makes for an unforgettable baseball card. It was the first time since 1924 that a pitcher accomplished the feat in both leagues during the same season. Produced in 1915 by the American Caramel Company of York, Pennsylvania, the E106 set consists of 48 different cards, including two varieties of the legendary Ty Cobb. The Green Ruth is the last of the four Babe Ruth cards to appear in the 1933 Goudey set. All of them are on this list of most valuable baseball cards so that speaks to their importance and desirability. Its amazing to think of the stats that Williams could have produced had he not missed nearly five full seasons of his prime to military service. 2010 and 2011 were two of the most emotionally draining years of Chipper Jones' Hall of Fame career. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. 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. Read our methodology . Martinez's career began with the Houston Astros when they drafted him in the 20th round of the 2009 MLB Draft out of Nova Southeastern University. Even in poor condition, they routinely sell for over $1 million. 1986 Topps Tiffany Ryne Sandberg Chicago Cubs Card 7. Prices are updated daily based upon 2022 Topps 1st Edition listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. And after striking out 145 times in 518 at-bats the year before, Ortiz K'd just 83 times in 525 at-bats in 2011. I like Posey's rookie cup card #198 from Series One better than this card that appeared in Series Two from an aesthetic standpoint. 2) Being a high number card (cards 311 407 in the set) means that fewer Mickey Mantle rookie cards were printed than the average 1952 Topps baseball card in the first place. Jose Altuve's relationship with the Houston Astros began in 2007 when the club evaluated him at a camp in Maracay, Venezuela, when he was just a teenager. Remember, the Tiffany versions were produced in much smaller quantities and were printed on premium card stock. Collectors got a glimpse of what it was like to be a pitcher in that era with Cobb intensely staring them down before the pitch. Jones was able to return for Opening Day in 2011, but the 39-year-old third baseman was still dealing with plenty of aches and pains daily. Estimates place the number of front/back combinations around 5,500 which led to this set being nicknamed The Monster.. 25) 1987 Topps Wade Boggs (#150) That tells you how much the prices of Clementes rookie card have increased. Collectors find rookie cards are some of the most valuable baseball cards to collect from any player. Posey suffered torn ligaments in his left ankle and a fractured fibula in a violent collision that reverberated for years. Top 26 Most Valuable 1986 Topps Baseball Cards In The World 1. And its one of the most famous error cards in the entire hobby, too. Try finding something to not like about this card! Anthony Rizzo made his MLB debut for the San Diego Padres on June 9, 2011, against the Washington Nationals, going 1-2 at the plate with a triple and a run scored. The 35-year-old slugger posted an OPS over .900 for the first time since 2008 (.953), exhibiting a much more discerning eye at the dish. As with pretty much any pre-war set that features Cobb, his card is the heart and soul of this legendary set. Theres only one single PSA 10 copy currently in circulation, however, which makes it extremely difficult to find even if you have that kind of money to spend. The Bat On Shoulder and Bat Off Shoulder would then follow. 1,000$?! Valuable 1985 Topps Baseball Cards #1985topps # Ungraded & graded values for all '06 Topps Baseball Cards. Maybe the most shocking Musial stat of all was that he hit the same number of hits at home as he did on the road: 1,815 each way for a total of 3,630 hits. 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. Natl along the bottom before the error was corrected. Prices continue to climb on them, so keep your eye out for these baseball cards! Mathewson is the only player in both the 1914 and 1915 sets whose poses are entirely different. Most players on this list only have one recognized rookie card to their name. 1986 Barry Bonds Topps Traded Rookie Card 6. By the way check out the best Wander Franco Rookie Cards #2. The Braves had an 8.5-game lead in the NL Wild Card race at the beginning of September. 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. Goldschmidt also scored 106 runs and led the National League in slugging percentage (.578), OPS (.981), and OPS+ (180), solidifying himself as one of the greatest hitters in the game. The card features a great close-up of the star pitcher surrounded by the famous T205 gold borders. 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth: $4.212 million Buy on: eBay 1964 Topps Phil Niekro RC/Phil Roof RC #541 The Rookie Cards in 1964 Topps Baseball are led by a. Trout didn't exactly raise any eyebrows in his first game, finishing 0-3 at the plate. 1952 Topps #1 Andy Pafko #8. I remember seeing one of these in abaseball card shop near where I grew up and I would just stare in awe. Over his remarkable career, Aaron made 24 All-Star appearances, a record shared with Mays and Musial and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982. On it, Gehrig is shown with a huge bright smile atop a yellow background giving the card tremendous eye appeal. No More Secrets Puzzle Game, Ungraded Youll typically find that #160 shows whiter borders and a lighter blue background, too. 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. Followed by HBO documentary cameras during his rehab process, Jeter opened up about himself and his pursuit of baseball immortality in a way he'd never done before. Greatest Topps Baseball Cards of All-Time Most Expensive of All-Time #10. The Iron Horseappears twice in the 1933 Goudey setwith card #s 92 and 160 to his credit. Because of his alleged participation in the Black Sox Scandal during the 1919 World Series, Jackson was banned from baseball during his prime. In the deciding Game 5, Halladay squared off with his former Toronto Blue Jays teammate and close friend Chris Carpenter. And this is one of the few Ruth cards overall that show him in a Boston Red Sox uniform. 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. One of the most popular 1930s sets, the 1933 Sport Kings R333 set consists of 48 cards in total. In poor condition, this card would fetch hundreds of dollars but if youre lucky enough to land a copy in PSA 10 Gem Mint condition then youre talking big-time money. These are the Top 3 Most Valuable Baseball Cards Worth Money. Because of its position on the print sheet and the fact that many kids wrapped rubber bands around their stacks of cards (this one on the top), finding Pafko centered and in good shape is very tough. This is the keyJackie Robinson baseball card you should add to your collection. 9 of the Most Valuable Baseball Cards in History - HISTORY On July 18th, he became the quickest Atlanta rookie to 50 RBIs since Hank Aaron in 1954. The card shows a young Ruth in a Boston Red Sox uniform before they traded him to the rival New York Yankees. 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. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. 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. What's worse was that his (relative) struggles were coming at a low point for the Mariners organization. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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.