Ungraded & graded values for all '06 Topps Baseball Cards. Read our methodology . The black borders are susceptible to showing wear and chipping but finding any card from the 19th century in high grade will undoubtedly be difficult anyways. Prices are updated daily based upon 2023 Topps listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. We may earn an affiliate commission if you This card shares its front design with several others of the era (Dockman & Sons, Nadja Caramels, etc.). 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. Things changed dramatically in the second game of a three-game Marlins sweep when Florida outfielder Scott Cousins barreled into Posey at home plate after tagging up on a sacrifice fly. 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. It's still a very unusual-looking card but is one that many collectors dream of owning. Caramel cards are usually more scarce than tobacco cards since they were sold to children rather than adults. Because Mantle was exclusively signed with Bowman in 1954 and 1955, you won't find him on any of Topps' cards in either of those two sets. 2011 was the year that Ichiro finally looked mortal at the plate. It should be no surprise that this card is the key to the entire set with the Willie Mays and Jackie Robinson cards coming in second and third place, respectively. The 1915 version was part of a redemption program, however, thus better preserving their condition. And because it features a close-up of Mantle, print defects on his face can also sometimes turn off collectors. 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. Posey was one of the biggest young names in the game at that point so seeing Topps issue multiple cards for him in this set should be no surprise. The 23-year-old left walked a career-worst 41 batters in 50 innings pitched, issuing a ghastly 7.4 walks per 9 innings. That tells you how much the prices of Clementes rookie card have increased. 1984. Because they were distributed in packages of hot dogs, its extremely difficult to find them in high grade. As with most early candy or tobacco issues, this card with the image of the Georgia Peach ready to swing is the most valuable and sought after in the set. 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. 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. The E106 American Caramel cards are some of the scarcest Honus Wagner cards in the hobby (but obviously not his most expensive if you look at the top of this list). Votto reached base in the team's first 27 games, finishing April with an eye-popping .370 batting average. 1986 Topps Tiffany Ryne Sandberg Chicago Cubs Card 7. The card shows a young Ruth in a Boston Red Sox uniform before they traded him to the rival New York Yankees. While not his most expensive baseball card, its arguably the most visually pleasing of them all. Cracker Jacks cards are wildly popular and the serious-looking Cobb is one of the keys to this set. 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. Theres only one copy of the card currently graded in that condition, however. 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. Remarkably, he still only finished fifth in the MVP race! The 1917 Collins-McCarthy candy cards are some of the few card issues that were printed during the mid-teens of the 20th century. 25 Most Valuable 1986 Topps Baseball Cards - Old Sports Cards Remember, the Tiffany versions were produced in much smaller quantities and were printed on premium card stock. Mathewson won 30 or more games four different times in his storied career, attributing much of his success to a specialty pitch that was comparable to a screwball. Halladay was given the ball for Games 1 and 5. 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. Financial problems would cause Dunn to sell Ruths contract to the Boston Red Sox later that year, however. 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. Ungraded & graded values for all '21 Topps Chrome Baseball Cards. However, #160 is the more difficult of the two to find in high grade so it generally fetches higher prices. The second toughest of the four 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth cards, the #149 Red Ruth is every bit as appealing as the #53 Yellow Ruth. 20 Most Valuable 1990 Topps Baseball Cards - Old Sports Cards While he cooled off from that torrid pace, the now two-time All-Star was still one of the game's most feared hitters. By the way check out the best Wander Franco Rookie Cards #2. 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. So, there you have it: the most expensivebaseball cardsthat youre ever likely to encounter. 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 still ranks among the most popular baseball cards of all-time. M101-5 cards are more difficult to find than the M101-4 cards but pricing of the M101-4 version is also expected to realize around $1 million in PSA 8 condition. So its no wonder that his 1948 Leaf rookie card is such and important piece of the hobby. Most Valuable Baseball Cards [2023 Update] - Genius Celebs And then, his season came to a screeching halt with a play that changed the game of baseball forever. He ultimately fell short of the incredible feat but still finished the season batting .317 with 35 home runs and 115 RBIs. Over twelve seasons, Martinez has played for the Astros, Detroit Tigers, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Boston Red Sox, with whom he's been since 2018. Overall, Topps did a great job with this set by balancing an excellent design with plenty of chase cards. A mixture of bad timing, poor communication, and an always-controversial roster rule kept Albert Pujols out of the 2011 MLB All-Star Game, ending his streak of consecutive Midsummer Classics at eight. This card, the key to the 200-card M101-5 set, is often found off-center and features a variety of advertising backs, although most existing copies exhibit blank backs. The question is: where do you start on this list? 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. Anson was arguably the biggest star of his era but unfortunately, there are very few cards from those days that show him as a player. Centering is also a tough issue for this card. Kimbrel led all NL relievers with 46 saves, pitching to a 2.10 ERA with 127 strikeouts in 77.0 innings. Average ungraded base card value (excludes parallels) for 2020 Topps While Sale was still working on controlling his pitch mix and hitting corners consistently (his 3.4 BB/9 is the second-worst of his career so far), he still showcased elite stuff. 100 Most Valuable Baseball Cards: The All-Time Dream List 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. 1953 Topps #82 Mickey Mantle RC #3. 25 Most Valuable 1981 Topps Baseball Cards - Old Sports Cards Hoyer had originally drafted Rizzo in the sixth round of the 2007 MLB Draft while he was an assistant general manager for the Boston Red Sox and knew that Rizzo's performance in San Diego didn't reflect his true talent and abilities. Shortcuts: We believe the following 10 cards will be tops in short-term return on investment over the next 1 to 2 years. In 11 playoff contests against the New York Yankees and Texas Rangers, he slashed a blistering .314/.489/.771 with four home runs, 12 walks, four doubles, seven runs scored, ten RBIs, and two stolen bases. 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. That is a fact not likely to end any time soon. 1991 Chipper Jones Topps Desert Shield RC #333 Buy on eBay So named because his dad saw him as a "chip off the old block", Chipper Jones has an RC which is the most valuable card from the 1991 Topps set. The Astros had seen enough and quickly called up Altuve, bypassing AAA entirely, to make his first Major League at-bat on July 20, 2011, against the Washington Nationals. 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. 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. 1952 Topps Willie Mays RC #261 #5. But, Joe Jackson is instantly recognizable on this card depicting him as a member of the Cleveland Naps minor league team, the New Orleans Pelicans. 1991 Topps Baseball Card Checklist, Errors, Values - Gold Card Auctions Although it features identical imagery as his 1914 Cracker Jack issue, most high-end examples of these two issues are of the 1915. 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. The famous Pittsburg Pirate shortstop is shown ready at the bat with his name Hans along the bottom border of the card. On it, Gehrig is shown with a huge bright smile atop a yellow background giving the card tremendous eye appeal. Most Expensive [2020 Topps] Baseball Cards - SportsCardsPro Prices are updated daily based upon 2022 Topps 1st Edition listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. 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. 2022 Topps Baseball Rookie Cards Guide - Beckett News During the year, Jones passed Yankees legend Mickey Mantle with his 1,510th RBI, placing him second only to Eddie Murray for the most runs batted in by a switch hitter in MLB history. By 1954, printing quality had improved greatly so even though centering is still a challenge with this card, finding high-end copies is not as tough as some of the others on this list. Unlike the other example that features cartoons in the background, DiMaggio is shown all by himself atop a blank background. It's so rare that no complete set has ever been assembled. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2022 by Old Sports Cards, LLC. That was the most any Houston Astros rookie had ever driven in during one month as a rookie. A PSA 10 1954 Topps Banks rookie card sold for $142,836 in May 2012. The young Florida native made 58 appearances out of the bullpen, finishing 17 games and saving eight. Mantle is easily one of the most widely collected players in the hobby. The set is one of if not the most condition sensitive of the early E class era. 3. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. 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. While currently ranked as the 5th most valuable baseball card, when Trouts 2009 Bowman Chrome Superfractors autographed card serial-numbered 1/1 sold in August 2020, it became the most valuable baseball card . 1. However, as with any colored borders, the surrounding red borders of this card are susceptible to wear making it very condition sensitive. Not many baseball cards possess as much elaborate and ornate decoration as those of the 1909 Ramly Cigarette T204 set. So, although not as desirable as the others, the fact that it exists in such great condition brings a steep price tag. However, the gold borders of the T205 cards leave them vulnerable to chipping and wear. 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth: $4.212 million Over time, the Freddie Freeman rookie has remained the key card from the 2011 Topps base run, while rookie cards of Mike Trout, Jose Altuve, Paul Goldschmidt, Anthony Rizzo and J.D. 1989 Bowman Tiffany Ken Griffey Jr. 2. 10 Most Valuable Baseball Cards 2000s - Best Investments for Baseball Fans 0% And if you remember, the 1952 Mantle card is relatively more expensive than his 1951 Bowman card. 15 Most Valuable 2011 Topps Baseball Cards - Old Sports Cards 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. This is the keyJackie Robinson baseball card you should add to your collection. The 97-win Yankees eventually fell well short of their championship aspirations with a five-game ALDS loss to the Detroit Tigers. His 3,003rd hit (and last of the day) was an RBI single that put the Yankees ahead for good in the 8th. 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. While the "Cobb Back" T206 may be his most expensive card, this one is arguably his most popular among high-end collectors. While Ty Cobb might be the most desired player in the entire set, there is no doubt that Honus Wagner is also an incredibly sought after player as well. Most Valuable Rookie Card in Every Topps Baseball Set, 1952-2020 The 1939 Play Ball #92 issue is the Splendid Splinters only recognized rookie card. 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. 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. The 1986 Topps Traded Bo Jackson rookie card is his most desirable and most expensive card you can find. PriceIt Game | 1986 Topps Tiffany Rickey Henderson 2. As a result, there werent manyJoe Jackson baseball cardsproduced. That production boosted his legend and popularity making him one of the most highly collected players in the hobby. Not many players were as consistent as Musial was over their careers as he went on to win seven batting titles and three MVP awards. totaled an incredible 511 wins over his career. By 2008, Altuve moved from Venezuela to Tennessee to play for the Greeneville Astros, who were the Houston Astros' Rookie-level Appalachian League affiliate until 2017. Estimated PSA 4.5 VG-EX+ Value: $1,100,000. As with pretty much any pre-war set that features Cobb, his card is the heart and soul of this legendary set. 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. 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. Walter Johnson appears twice in the T206 set, one in a pitching pose and then again in this portrait layout. Ortiz's 29 home runs and 96 RBIs were pretty on-brand compared to recent years. The E300 issue is one of the scarcest prewar sets and had relatively been unknown until the 1960s. Though he may not have been MLB's hottest rookie in 1990, he certainly turned into one of the biggest superstars of his era. But in 2011, the 37-year-old superstar hit just .272 with an uncharacteristic .645 OPS. Just be prepared to put up big money if you want one in high grade. #1. 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 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. 1955 Topps #164 Roberto Clemente RC #4. Not many people outside of the baseball card hobby know who Joe Doyle is. In 2014, MLB instituted rules that prevented a runner from initiating "an avoidable collision" at home plate. The 2011 Atlanta Braves had an excellent crop of rookie riches. 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 . Some argue that this is Mickey Mantles most beautiful card. On July 18th, he became the quickest Atlanta rookie to 50 RBIs since Hank Aaron in 1954. All of them are on this list of most valuable baseball cards so that speaks to their importance and desirability. The cards design is beautiful and easily distinguished from others of the 1950s. The glossy coatings of these cards present a bit of an issue with cracking at times but they are nonetheless some terrific cards. Demand for Clementes rookie card has skyrocketed over the past couple of years. The centering can be so severe that it will cut into the text along the bottom. 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. In his fourth year with the club, Miguel Cabrera helped Detroit silence those laughs. In fact, his 1986 Topps Traded Tiffany card can be worth over $2,000 in PSA condition. By his third season in 2013, Goldschmidt had developed into a perennial All-Star and MVP candidate. 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. Contact him at [emailprotected]. 1955 Topps Sandy Koufax #123 #9. Most Expensive 2021 Topps Chrome card list & price guide. Trout didn't exactly raise any eyebrows in his first game, finishing 0-3 at the plate. In PSA 4.5 grade, it is estimated this card would reel in over $1 million. This instantly recognizable card is easily one of Mathewsons most popular. Mathewson appears three times in the T206 set with the Portrait, White Cap and Dark Cap variations. One of the most popular 1930s sets, the 1933 Sport Kings R333 set consists of 48 cards in total. But the value between the two isnt affected. Most Valuable Cards in 2022 Topps Series Two With nearly a month since it was released, let's take a look at some of the most valuable 2022 Series 2 cards that have been pulled to date, according to eBay. 1987 Topps Baseball Cards - 25 Most Valuable - Wax Pack Gods The 1952 Andy Pafko card is so expensive simply because it resided at the #1 position of the most important set of the postwar era. Cobb was known as a ferocious competitor who was determined to be the best day in and day out. inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1971. 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. Part of the great quartet of T206 Cobb cards, the Green Portrait version is the toughest of all of them to collect. 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. Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, and Cy Young were also featured in the set but Cobbs issue is undoubtedly the most desired. 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. 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. And with cameras rolling from every angle, Jeter made sure to give HBO a show worth airing. Its arguably the most visually pleasing and desirable of all the Ted Williams baseball cards in the hobby. 1986 Topps Pete Rose Card 3. Card: Willie Mays Team: New York Mets Value: $1,675 In 1950 and 1951, Topps and Bowman were both releasing baseball trading cards with their candy. One of the bright spots for Boston was the re-emergence of designated hitter David Ortiz as an elite hitting threat. Ungraded & graded values for all '22 Topps 1st Edition Baseball Cards. . 1914 Cracker Jack Joe Jackson The 1914 Cracker Jack Joe Jackson has a staggering value of $200,000. 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. Either 10 Turkey Red Cigarette coupons or 25 Old Mill or Fez Cigarette coupons would earn you one card. Mathewson is the only player in both the 1914 and 1915 sets whose poses are entirely different. DiMaggio appeared twice in the 1938 Goudey set but this is the more valuable of the two. 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. On the surface, the 1948 Leaf card with its use of color appears to be more attractive than the 1948 Bowman card. Ungraded & graded values for all '20 Topps Baseball Cards. Sammy Sosa, Frank Thomas, Bernie Williams, and Larry Walker all claim Class of '90. 10 Most Valuable 1978 Topps Baseball Cards - Sports Card Investor There arent manySatchel Paige baseball cards in the hobby but this is a great looking card of the legendary pitcher. But, the Great Bambino is the number one card to own out of all of them. And it can be tough to find in high grade, too. Its an extremely tough card to find in high grade. Cobb is pictured is his Detroit Tigers uniform leaning on his bat atop a multi-colored background. 15 Most Valuable 1969 Topps Baseball Cards - Old Sports Cards Error cards like Joe Doyles that make it into circulation usually end up being very popular with collectors and this one is no exception. The E106 cards feature identical artwork on their fronts as the E90-1 and E92 caramel issues but differ by the advertising on their backs. Thus, Pujols was left out in a season where he finished fifth in the NL's MVP balloting. And this is one of the few Ruth cards overall that show him in a Boston Red Sox uniform. 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. Gehrig was one of a long line of Yankee legends and no doubt put up some of the greatest hitting statistics of them all. However, Cabrera's top-five finish in the AL MVP race and sixth All-Star campaign was a warning shot of epic proportions, followed by back-to-back MVP years (2012-13). Top 15 Most Valuable Baseball Cards from the 1960s - PSA COLLECTOR 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle: $12.6 million 2. While collectors could pull 1914 Cracker Jack cards directly from the box, that also meant they usually had caramel stains on them. Collectors will pay big money for either version as long as its in high grade. The Braves had an 8.5-game lead in the NL Wild Card race at the beginning of September. Those that have been found in high grade are thought to have never been packaged and instead left the factory by hand. Youll typically find that #160 shows whiter borders and a lighter blue background, too. Prices are updated daily based upon 2022 Topps listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. Matty was on the backside of his career in 1911 but still managed to lead the league in ERA (1.99) and put up 26 wins. Heritage Auctions sold a copy of this card graded in PSA 10 Gem Mint condition for a jaw-dropping $612,359 in August of 2016. Another obscure and rarely seen card, the 1915 E106 American Caramel Honus Wagner Throwing variation is just as much of a classic. Many collectors prefer the portrait versions of Cobbs T206 card and specifically the Green Portrait. 1978 Topps Andre Dawson 72 PSA 10 Rookie Cup PSA 10 Image Credit: ebay While most of these newer A&G Topps cards were baseball players, you can also find other sports represented (wrestling, soccer, MMA, basketball, softball, beach volleyball, boxing, and car racing). You can imagine the wear and tear that children put on the cards by comparison. Altuve went 1-5 that game, but little did he know then he had kicked off a piece of Houston Astros history. The eye appeal is top-notch, as with most 1914 Cracker Jack cards. That story is enough to make any collector cringe. Mike Trout made his Major League debut on July 8, 2011, when the Los Angeles Angels called him up to replace speedy centerfielder Peter Bourjos who had injured his hamstring the day before. So why would one of his cards be so expensive? Gehrig again appeared on two different cards, #37 and #61, in the 1934 Goudey set. The future first-ballot Hall of Famer finished the year at 19-6 with a career-high 220 strikeouts and his best ERA since 1998 (2.35). Most collectors will tell you they prefer the eye appeal of his 1915 Cracker Jack card but his 1914 version is the more rare and valuable of the two. Rookie Cards. So, whoever says that baseball cards are no longer valuable simply doesn't know what he or she is talking about Sure, the massive print runs during the late 80's and early 90's killed the value of most post-1980's cards. After hitting .363 with 49 home runs and 166 RBI he would go on to win the Triple Crown. 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. 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. And, unfortunately, Goudey mailed the card with a paper clip on it that left indentations on the card. However, he still put together a worthy encore to his 2010 breakthrough.