4,700 versions of Henderson's 1980 rookie card have been put forward for grading by the BVG and of those only one has been graded as a 10 giving it a worth well into the thousands. As is this case when comparing the quality of O-Pee-Chee cards to their Topps counterparts, the stock and print quality of early Leaf cards were not on par with their Donruss cousins. 1980-1989 Baseball Cards Checklists, Set Info, Reviews, Guide Free shipping for many products! 10 of the Most Valuable Baseball Cards of All Time - dibbs.io Nolan Ryan is arguably one of the best pitchers the MLB has ever seen. 9. With just 29 of the 1,000 Gwynn rookies submitted graded gem mint 10, finding one for auction will be complicated. It didnt take long for those busting 82 Fleer to realize that John Littlefields card featured a reverse negative, making the righthander a lefty on the card front. Don Mattingly Donruss Rc #248. This isnt even Cals first Topps card that appears elsewhere on this list but it was more challenging, and more expensive, to secure after its release in late 1982. As I mentioned above, the value goes through the roof when found in gem mint condition. 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. Like the Bowman Tiffany product line mentioned above, the O-Pee-Chee cards were typically produced in far fewer quantities. 1980 Topps Baseball Cards - PSA Price Guide But, the ones that do pay premium prices for the near-perfect examples. But this isnt a Rookie Card. Joyner and pitcher DeWayne Buice were integral in helping UD get off the ground and they both have promo cards that were huge during the 1988 National Sports Collectors Convention. The cards were designed and produced by Classic with a full license, and were well received, perhaps none more than this auburn shot of Bo with the baseball/football theme. Investing in Sports Cards - Investopedia If it looking for someone specifically. One of three mainstream Puckett Rookie Cards in 1985, this is actually the Hall of Famers second Fleer release. First, new collectors entered the hobby based on the idea of treating baseball cards as an investment. This is more than likely because the population is much smaller for the Bowman rookie. Need help buying or selling cards or have a general question about the hobby? The same design of this card also appeared in the Nestle and O-Pee-Chee sets that year and all three cards are worth around $250-300 in top grade. When found in gem mint condition, these demand upwards of $2,000. Lets look at how many reside in a PSA case. . Of those 130 steals, he was caught just 17 times. With over 2,200 George Brett cards graded by PSA, most will agree they are highly collectible. In any given year, an O-Pee-Chee card is usually distinguished from its Topps cousin because of the O-Pee-Chee trademark appearing on the front or back of the card. An RC of one of the games greatest, this one isnt winning any beauty contests. High-grade versions of the future Hall of Famer and Oakland Athletic great's 1980 Topps card cost . His 1984 Fleer Update XRC is by far his greatest card released during the 1984-85 era. PSA graded 1,600 of them, with 48 grading gem mint 10. With 76 in population, the Frank Thomas card owns 37% of the report for the entire set. And everybody paid good money for it two years later when McGwire was slugging his way to 49 home runs as a rookie. Meanwhile, Fleers offering paired the future Bash Brother with pitcher Eric Plunk. But he flourished as a second baseman and was one of the better contact hitters of his era. 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 the higher-end rookies is the 1984 Topps Tiffany #8 card. The driver of sales for Topps inaugural boxed Traded Set, the thought of getting a Valenzuela card picturing him alone during Fernandomania caused many a collector to dig for the wallet. "I have like eight of those at . Kirby Puckett wasted no time in making his mark in Minnesota, batting .296 as a 24-year-old rookie in 1984. A 1963 Topps Pete Rose is worth more than a 1983 Topps Pete Rose. In 1984, the young slugger put on a clinic that cemented his spot and won the hearts of Yankees fans the world over. There are four variations: a whiteout, a black box, and scribbled-out black and white. But there is a snake in this picture. Not only are the Tiffany cards rare, but theyre also somewhat challenging to find in high grades. Donruss and Fleer would join the market in 1981 and that competition would help light the spark for the hobby craze of the 1980s. Top 50 Most Valuable baseball rookie cards. So, many collectors dont even know they exist. The 87 Topps Tiffany regular set and Traded sets are believed to carry the highest print runs of any Tiffany set. Rod Carew and George Brett never looked better. The white lettering with pink Two For the Title came from factory sets. And it was a more affordable option than the 84 Fleer Update an important fact to budget-conscious collectors. Read our. 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. But, unlike the Tiffany cards, O-Pee-Chee cards weren't necessarily premium in quality. NM-MT 8. One of the true highlights of the 1980s. 10 Most Valuable 1980s Baseball Cards - Wax Pack Gods Before we get started, I just wanted to clarify a few "rules" that I used to generate this list. You bet. He deserves so much more than that. Most Valuable Baseball Cards 1980s - BaseballLoveClub.com Well, PSA has graded and authenticated a mere 134 to date. Rookie Cards were so valuable to collectors in 1989, that if Oprah had been involved in baseball cards, she would have been saying to her studio guests, You get a Griffey Jr. RC! However, he was openly disappointed with Berra's assertion in Spring Training that he'd open the season on the bench. Topps Tiffany baseball cards are by far some of the most valuable baseball cards from both the 80s and the 90s. Rather, its a card released during Juniors rookie season. Turns out we were all stupid. The value for a PSA 10 has yet to be determined because PSA has not found any of the 68 theyve seen worthy. 1989 Topps #530 Nolan Ryan. When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. It used to be Billy Ripken was best known for being Cals younger brother. Top 5 Baseball Cards From the 80s (Exceptional Investments) Mattingly struggled on Friday and Saturday but wrestled the title from Winfield with a 4-for-5 masterclass on the last day of the season. Card Number. And then got his own baseball card. So its safe to say they are scarce. The 1985 Topps Minis is one of the unique sets of the 80s. And pricier. For that reason, his card is easily the most desirable in the set and is worth around $250 or so in a PSA 10 holder. Easily one of the most iconic baseball cards of the 1980s, theDon Mattingly rookie card is the clear headliner of the 1984 Topps set. It had a couple things going for it: The iconic Rated Rookie logo and Canseco pictured by himself. Beckett.com Ross is the founder of Old Sports Cards and has been collecting sports cards for over 30 years. Chances are, the buyers are either investors to sell them in the distant future or Tony Gwynn collectors with no intention of selling at all. While New York faded from the postseason race in September, Mattingly kept the city enraptured with a batting crown race for the ages. Rookie Card for the frugal shopper. Card values tanked and many collectors now refer to that part of the hobby as the "junk era.". Another great 89 Upper Deck RC. Because he DHd for much of the second half of his 22-year career, people tend to forget what a great player Baines was through much of the 80s. This particular card was graded by PSA and found to be in gem mint 10 conditions. Sadly, Puckett died of a stroke at the young age of 45 but collectors throughout the hobby will always remember him and his rookie card as one of the best. 1980 Rickey Henderson Topps RC #482 (buy on eBay) The most popular rookie card of one of the greatest ever baseball players. They are far less populated than regular-issue Topps cards. Because of their relative scarcity compared to the base Bowman version, these Griffey rookies can fetch huge prices in top condition. 1989 Topps Traded #57T Randy Johnson. A whopping 12,188 of these Ripken rookies have been submitted to PSA. But, we'll just have to wait and see if voters will ever end up giving a pass to guys like Clemens, Barry Bonds, etc. Value: $40-45 Check prices on eBay (affiliate link) Check prices on Amazon (affiliate link) 18) 1980 Topps Andre Dawson (#235) Many still are. Using his fastball almost exclusively, he struck out the side, fanning Lance Parrish, Chet Lemon and Alvin Davis. So far, there have been just 22 submitted. 1. Ryan any chance you can do other decades? Which gives them a much more elegant look. Consider picking up a PSA mint 9 copy for far less. And 5 to 10 of each in blank back proof. If you were unaware, the holy grail of Mark McGwires rookie card is his 1985 Topps Tiffany Team USA #410 card. Yep, looks like a 1989 Upper Deck card but its not. And while its value pales in comparison to other big-name vintage rookies like Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, and Roberto Clemente, to name a few, its price soared dramatically during the recent sports card boom. Making the example shown here 1 of only 6 in existence. . 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. Organize and price your collections as we offer instant access to the world's leading trading card and collectibles databases, including baseball cards, basketball cards, football cards, non-sports cards, gaming cards and more. Nostalgia. Nobody seriously, nobody could have seen 305 wins and the Hall of Fame in his future. And many of those weren't even licensed by Major League Baseball. However, one thing is clear about this card and the set in general: they are incredibly difficult to find in top condition. Starting off the list of most valuable baseball cards from the 1980s is the 1980 Topps George Brett base set card. Growing up in central Indiana, Sandberg was one of the players I was able to watch most frequently and I remember being amazed at his ability to hit for power as a second baseman. 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. For most players, their most valuable baseball cards will be their rookie card. Surprisingly, over 7,000 Don Mattingly rookie cards have been submitted to PSA. The rare variations are the scribbled out in white, and the whited out. There are no shortage of buyers for this card. The cards were larger than normal, measuring in at 2 1/2" x 3 3/4", and featured full color photography and facsimile signatures of the players. 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. Great article. But even before the allegations, Bonds was a great player. Although he fell short of the .400 mark at the end of the season, he still finished at an eye-popping .390, to win his second batting title. Meanwhile, this might be the only time Johnny Ray was ever mistaken for Barry Bonds. And you thought Lex Luthor had a lot of brain power . The rarity of the Bo Jackson Highlights in White rookie card is quite impressive. In addition to the low population, this example graded out to be in PSA 10, gem mint condition. Since most collectors in this hobby tend to draw the line on the "vintage era" at 1980, many consider theRickey Henderson rookie card to be the last big-name vintage rookie. Best Baseball Cards of the 1980s | Ballcard Genius Anyone hear from Bonner or Schneider lately? So, keep your eyes open for the Frank Thomas and Bo Jackson Auburn Tigers Tiger Great cards. BASEBALL CARD COLLECTOR INVESTOR DEALER (in that order)w/ Chris SewallCounting down the 25 most expensive baseball cards from the 1980s, using PSA 9 values.=. Donruss did, letting collectors believe Floyd Bannister was actually Tom Seaver in the first printing of 85 Donruss. Remember, the Tiffany versions were produced in much smaller quantities and were printed on premium card stock. Most Valuable Baseball Cards: The Ultimate Guide - Wax Pack Gods 1979 Highlights L.Brock (HOF)/C.Yastrzemski (HOF) Shop with Affiliates. In addition to the enormous submission number, whats even more shocking is that only 517 have been given the prestigious PSA 10 grade. So, I stuck with big-name companies like Topps, Fleer, Donruss, Upper Deck and others when building this list. Nothing spectacular about this Pete Rose card besides its very low PSA 10 population report. Part of a subset (cards #389 - 404) that paid tribute to several members of the 1984 U.S. Olympic team that took silver in Los Angeles that year, McGwire's card is clearly the key. Look at Bo locked in. This Barry Bonds card with Johny Ray pictured on the front goes down in hobby history as one of the most recognizable error cards ever produced. 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. by ; 28 kwietnia 2023 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. Due to the low print run of the letters in white variation, they are much more valuable than the copies with yellow text. If one does surface for auction, expect prices over $2,300. They do, however, have an interesting bottom team and player call-out section not found in other sets. A key card in the Summer of 87 when McGwire was belting a then-rookie record 49 home runs. The availability of this set is much more limited than the regular issue Topps Traded set. 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. The Cubs drafted him in 1982, but he left to play for eight different teams throughout his career. It changed the game when it first hit the market. Had that trend held, it would've easily made this list. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 by Old Sports Cards, LLC. Few were released because the error was fixed shortly after it was discovered. Price: $925,000 . The hype surrounding Ken Griffey Jr. turned out to be well-placed as the legendary slugger went on to a Hall of Fame career. Two Mattingly RCs in the first 11 cards on this list? As the kids of the era would say, Doc could bring it.. You were royalty. Near-perfect card of a near-perfect hitter. 20 Baseball Cards Now Worth A Fortune And 10 That Have - TheSportster Seems like this was a good day. The leading destination for sports card and collectible enthusiasts. Of all the cards in this set, I think Bonds' is one of the best-looking. The 1980s marked a period of rapid interest in baseball cards. Ripken was one of my favorite players as a kid and it has been nice to see this card get much more notoriety as time passes. In addition to the low population, Pete Rose cards are highly collectible, and the set design for the 81 Topps cards has a nice early baseball card touch. My next move was to go diving through my cards to see if I had one. Thank you! Yeah, we know. There are a massive 5,228 of them in PSAs population report. However, he and Lee Smith both received the nod to Cooperstown when the Today's Game Era Committee selected them as part of the Hall of Fame Class of 2019. Because he played for four different MLB teams, including the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, and Houston Astros, hes a highly collectible player. This RC was on fire when pulled from 1988 Donruss packs. One of Cal Ripken Jrs most valuable baseball cards from the 1980s is his 1982 Topps Traded rookie card. Nor did as many pristine examples survive as centering and print bubbles were always tough challenges with this set. It is collectible from the get-go, with only 5,000 Tiffany sets printed in 85. Because Platinum has less available, they are naturally more valuable. GEM-MT 10. So far, 2,378 of the Tiffany Bonds rookie cards have been submitted to PSA, which is not very low but not very high. But, PSA 10 examples of this card can sell forsix figures. So, if you want a copy in gem mint condition, prepare to dish out over $800. New companies, new technologies and a booming marketplace all brought the hobby into the mainstream. Furthermore, he holds the record for most consecutive games played, 2,632, surpassing Lou Gehrigs streak of 2,130, which lasted for 56 years and that many deemed unbreakable. 10 Most Valuable Topps Baseball Cards That Sell for Top Dollar - MSN PRICES POP APR FACTS REGISTRY SHOP WITH AFFILIATES. For decades, O-Pee-Chee played the role of Topps' counterpart in the Canadian market. Whatever the reason, Ryan turned in the second-lowest K/9 ratio of his career (7.7) outside of his final season in 1993. It made this card settle into an affordable range so that even when he was on top of the baseball world, kids could still afford this Barry Bonds Topps RC. So, it's well over twenty times more difficult to find this card in a PSA 10 holder than it is his Topps rookie. Not a bad career for the kid who attended Cincinnatis Moeller High School, the same school that later graduated Ken Griffey Jr. Back before his 3,000 hits and 500 home runs, and back before Raffys life became complicated, there was this. The 1989 Fleer Bill Ripken is a one-of-a-kind error card. It certainly does. Fleer was ahead of the curve for this one, as well as card #10 on this very list. And you get a Griffey Jr. RC! Which doesnt make them very exciting. So, despite the common misconception, some cards from that infamous hobby era still have value. He stole 80 bases in 1986, and followed that up the next season with 50 steals. He made one All-Star appearance and never sniffed more than 136 hits in a single season. 25 Baseball Cards Worth Money - MoneyWise DD either sports a full noggin or that hat is about three stories too high. Ungraded & graded values for all '80 Topps Baseball Cards. I didn't know it at the time, but these errors only turned up in factory sets and all my Donruss Opening Day cards had been pulled from packs. It is said that only 1,400 sets were printed, but many were thrown away or deemed worthless at the time. 1983 Topps Tony Gwynn RC #482 1983 Topps Baseball is one of the best sets of the decade. Five years after that he was named the 1995 NL Most Valuable Player and in 2012, the Baseball Writers Association of America elected him to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. In 2012 these were selling for just over $500.