most valuable topps baseball cards

Mays put up monster numbers over his career and shares the record for most All-Star Game appearances (24) with Hank Aaron and Stan Musial. 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. And because it features a close-up of Mantle, print defects on his face can also sometimes turn off collectors. The bright yellow background makes this card pop and the portrait of the young Big Train makes for an unforgettable baseball card. 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. Its nearly impossible to describe the importance of Jackie Robinson to baseball and American history after breakingbaseballs color barrier in 1947. Interestingly, the same image is used on both cards. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2022 by Old Sports Cards, LLC. Trout exploded during his official rookie campaign the following season, earning AL Rookie of the Year honors and finishing second in the MVP race. On the surface, the 1948 Leaf card with its use of color appears to be more attractive than the 1948 Bowman card. There is no doubt that this is one of Ty Cobbs most demanded and popular baseball cards. Cheapest, After 60 years in the hobby, Topps helped celebrate their "Diamond Anniversary" by packing so much into their 2011 Topps baseball card set. 1984. Or, as most believe, was it because he didnt want to be involved in promoting tobacco use to children? totaled an incredible 511 wins over his career. By his third season in 2013, Goldschmidt had developed into a perennial All-Star and MVP candidate. 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. An SGC 2 Example Sold in August 2022 for $7,250,000. Another obscure and rarely seen card, the 1915 E106 American Caramel Honus Wagner Throwing variation is just as much of a classic. This is the other, less expensive, version of this card in the 1938 Goudey set. 1985. The four Ty Cobb cards in the T206 all differ in popularity, scarcity, and appearance but they are all just as important to the hobby as the 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth quartet. Walter Johnson appears twice in the T206 set, one in a pitching pose and then again in this portrait layout. Many believe the 1887 N172 Old Judge set to be the most important 19th Century set in existence. Young appears three times in the epic T206 set with this being the most desired and priciest of them all. 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. ThisTed Williams card features a superb black and white image of Williams following through on his classic swing. 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. 4 Hank Aaron #660. Overall, Votto hit .309 with a .947 OPS, 29 home runs, and 101 runs scored. There arent manySatchel Paige baseball cards in the hobby but this is a great looking card of the legendary pitcher. 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. I like Posey's rookie cup card #198 from Series One better than this card that appeared in Series Two from an aesthetic standpoint. Theres just something about this card that makes it visually stunning. 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. The 1969 Topps baseball card set is well-loved in this hobby by many collectors for several different reasons. 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. This card can be quite challenging and is the key to the set. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. And while they are keys to the set and arguably the most popularLou Gehrig baseball cards, they are still overshadowed by the Ruth quartet. Before I get started, I just want to clarify some of the criteria I used in creating this list. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. 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. Thus, Pujols was left out in a season where he finished fifth in the NL's MVP balloting. Because of his alleged participation in the Black Sox Scandal during the 1919 World Series, Jackson was banned from baseball during his prime. 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. 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. 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 . After winning 61 games in 2010, Seattle finished at 67-95 in 2011 for the franchise's sixth losing season in eight years. Ungraded & graded values for all '23 Topps Baseball Cards. Cabrera was consistently brilliant from start to finish in 2011, posting an MLB-best .344 batting average for his first of three-straight AL batting titles. That was the most any Houston Astros rookie had ever driven in during one month as a rookie. 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. 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. Because they were distributed in packages of hot dogs, its extremely difficult to find them in high grade. Most Expensive 2022 Topps 1st Edition card list & price guide. Or, feel free to call/text me at 305-684-6680! Several player variations exist, some with as many as 12, so the series boasts well over 3,000 different cards in total. Ross is the founder of Old Sports Cards and has been collecting sports cards for over 30 years. Sammy Sosa, Frank Thomas, Bernie Williams, and Larry Walker all claim Class of '90. This still ranks among the most popular baseball cards of all-time. Collectors go wild for it. In his fourth year with the club, Miguel Cabrera helped Detroit silence those laughs. DiMaggio appeared twice in the 1938 Goudey set but this is the more valuable of the two. 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. What's worse was that his (relative) struggles were coming at a low point for the Mariners organization. 2022 Topps Series 1 Wander Franco Photo Variation SP RC #215 This instantly recognizable card is easily one of Mathewsons most popular. And with cameras rolling from every angle, Jeter made sure to give HBO a show worth airing. However, Carpenter was better, tossing a complete-game three-hit shutout to oust the two-time defending NL champs, 1-0. You can imagine the wear and tear that children put on the cards by comparison. He also loves to write about the hobby and has written for Beckett, Topps, SABR and of course, this website. The card is key for three main reasons: The fancy gold borders that surround Walter Johnsons black and white portrait are a thing of beauty. But the value between the two isnt affected. It should be no surprise that Ty Cobb's 1915 Cracker Jack card carries an enormous price tag with it, given his iconic status in baseball history. 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. That is unless youre talking about the Red Portrait with the Ty Cobb back that was showcased earlier on this list. The Iron Horseappears twice in the 1933 Goudey setwith card #s 92 and 160 to his credit. 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. Hes also the only key player in the 1914 set on a horizontal layout. Then they went 9-18 in the campaign's final month, losing out on a playoff spot by a game to St. Louis with a season-ending five-game losing streak. The Reds' fall from contention cost Votto at the ballot box, though, as he followed up his 2010 MVP triumph with a sixth-place finish in 2011. 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). Only 7 of the Ty Cobb cards have ever been submitted to PSA for grading which speaks to the rarity of them. 1986 Topps Reggie Jackson Card 8. 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 White Cap variation is considered to be the most difficult of the three Mathewson cards, but the Portrait is the most popular. The 1954 Wilson Franks Ted Williams baseball card is one of if not the most important regional card ever produced. 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. The question is: where do you start on this list? 2022 Topps Baseball Rookie Cards Guide. The 1939 Play Ball #92 issue is the Splendid Splinters only recognized rookie card. Remarkably, he still only finished fifth in the MVP race! The sale smashed the record for most valuable baseball card at the time, beating the then-highest sale of a Honus Wagner T206 White Border card at $3.1 million. 3. After 60 years in the hobby, Topps helped celebrate their "Diamond Anniversary" by packing so much into their 2011 Topps baseball card set. 1914 Cracker Jack Joe Jackson The 1914 Cracker Jack Joe Jackson has a staggering value of $200,000. No More Secrets Puzzle Game, Ungraded Whos the most desired player in the set? 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. When the infamous T206 set was being produced, Doyle was pitching for the New York Highlanders of the American League. 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. Despite singling to right field off San Francisco's Matt Cain in his first at-bat, Goldschmidt stuck out nearly one in every three at-bats in 48 games that season. #15 1966 Topps Ferguson Jenkins (RC) #254 Sold for $8,988 1966 Topps Ferguson Jenkins rookie card on eBay This card is often thought to be Jacksons most attractive and popular baseball card. 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 48-card 1915 American Caramel E106 shows some nice artistic renderings of players of the National, American and Federal Leagues. Although not as popular as his 1948 Bowman rookie card, his 1948 Leaf rookie card is the tougher of the two. Rookie Cards. A record that is pretty safe to say will never be broken,Cy Youngtotaled an incredible 511 wins over his career. George Close Candy cards are among the scarcer pre-WWI caramel issues and the Honus Wagner is one of the keys to the set. And he continued to struggle from there, finishing with a .163/.213/.279 slash line with one home run and six RBI before the team demoted him back to Double-A after twelve games. Part of the great quartet of T206 Cobb cards, the Green Portrait version is the toughest of all of them to collect. 1. The card features a great image of the Sultan of Swat seated in pinstripes looking over his right shoulder atop a green background. 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. 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. The legendary Cap Anson appears on two different cards with the uniform version being the rarer of the two. Cobb was known as a ferocious competitor who was determined to be the best day in and day out. His 1951 Bowman issue is his only recognized rookie card and along with the Mantle rookie is the key to the entire set. However, Bochy picked Florida Marlins standout Gaby Sanchez as the final first base pick to ensure Florida had a representative in Arizona. 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) 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. 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. Though he may not have been MLB's hottest rookie in 1990, he certainly turned into one of the biggest superstars of his era. In PSA 4.5 grade, it is estimated this card would reel in over $1 million. The eye appeal is top-notch, as with most 1914 Cracker Jack cards. And with those five prime seasons back, he quite possibly couldve added enough home runs to his career 521 total to challenge Ruths record of 714 before Aaron did. Of all theTy Cobb baseball cards, this is by far his most expensive. In addition to the Satchel Paige and Stan Musial rookie cards, Robinsons rookie is key to the set. 25) 1987 Topps Wade Boggs (#150) There are four different Babe Ruth cards in the 1933 Goudey set, #s 53, 144, 149 and 181. and one of the best-looking cards of the 1950s in my opinion. Who knows what a high grade example of this card would go for? 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. For others, it's the . Download Price List, SportsCardsPro 2019-2023 He also topped 100 runs scored (111) and 100 RBIs (105) while playing in an AL-best 161 of 162 regular-season games. 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 young Florida native made 58 appearances out of the bullpen, finishing 17 games and saving eight. Need help buying or selling cards or have a general question about the hobby? The Braves had an 8.5-game lead in the NL Wild Card race at the beginning of September. Not many people outside of the baseball card hobby know who Joe Doyle is. Top athletes from baseball, football, hockey, tennis, golf, boxing, swimming, horse racing and even dog sled racing are showcased in the set. Kershaw was more than up to the task, bringing home the Dodgers' first Cy Young trophy since Eric Gagne in 2003 with a banner year. That production boosted his legend and popularity making him one of the most highly collected players in the hobby. Ungraded & graded values for all '22 Topps Baseball Cards. Identical in imagery as its 1915 Cracker Jack counterpart, the 1914 version is equally as visually pleasing. 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. Some argue that this is Mickey Mantles most beautiful card. Their glossy obverse surface usually results in creasing and cracking issues making it tough to find these in high grade. 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. Try finding something to not like about this card! Most Valuable. Trout didn't exactly raise any eyebrows in his first game, finishing 0-3 at the plate. However, there are a handful of his T206 cards that were produced with N.Y. The 1963 ToppsPete Rose rookie cardshows the all-time hit king along with Pedro Gonzalez, Ken McMullen, and Al Weis as one of 1963s most promising youngsters. One of his most important, the card shows some beautiful artwork of a young Mays fielding a baseball in his New York Giants uniform. This card is a prime example of an instance where neither being a star nor an error card can bring in big bucks. That would be his teammate, 23-year-old closer Craig Kimbrel. Ruth was at the tail end of his career in 1933 but he still produced well enough to be named a starter in the All-Star game at Comiskey Park that year. Centering and chipping along the red bottom border are usually obstacles to achieving a higher grade. The card is one of Ruths most desired of all. In the postseason, Cabrera was predictably excellent. Demand for Clementes rookie card has skyrocketed over the past couple of years. He also amassed less than 200 hits (184) and posted an OPS+ under 100 (86) for the first time in eleven MLB seasons. Once the owner of the career mark for home runs (755), Aaron possessed some of the strongest hands and wrists that produced some of the quickest bat speed the game has ever seen. 1955 Topps Sandy Koufax #123 #9. With their one-two finish in the NLs Rookie of the Year vote, Kimbrel and Freeman became the first teammates to do so since Chicago Cubs rookies Jerome Walton and Dwight Smith in 1989. But it wouldn't take Goldschmidt much longer to mold into the incredible talent he is today. Career highlights: Two-time National League Most Valuable Player (1958, 1959), 14 . Any collector lucky enough to get his hands on Mathewsons card is sure to be ecstatic. 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. 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. The 1912 Plows Candy E300 Mathewson features a large photographic image of the legendary pitcher of the Dead Ball Era framed by text reading. We are user supported. But, there are two major glaring differences overall between Mathewsons cards. But, that doesnt necessarily mean its his most expensive. Most Expensive 2022 Topps card list & price guide. 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. In this video, we go over the top 3 most valuable Topps baseball cards from the year 1985. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. The cream of the crop. After hitting .363 with 49 home runs and 166 RBI he would go on to win the Triple Crown. With five Silver Sluggers and three batting titles to his name in twelve MLB seasons, Altuve continues to be one of the best hitters in the game. 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. 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth: $4.212 million This card has been and will likely remain the most valuable baseball card for years to come. 1990 Topps #414 Frank Thomas Rookie Card Estimated PSA 10 Value: $175 Check prices on: Amazon Now, this is what Thomas's rookie card is supposed to look like when his full name appears at the bottom of the card. 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. Shortcuts: Most Expensive , Cheapest , List by Card # His incredible career makesStan Musial baseball cards extremely popular with collectors. The E300 issue is one of the scarcest prewar sets and had relatively been unknown until the 1960s. This also is not including 1/1s. 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. And he pitched with a tenacious on-mound presence in the toughest of game situations. 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. Prices are updated daily based upon 2020 Topps listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. If you look at the bottom, Sherry Magees last name is mistakenly spelled Magie. But, the Great Bambino is the number one card to own out of all of them. But there was plenty to like about their accomplishments before the season's heartbreaking finale. In high grade, this card can fetch big bucks. Even though it is not Mickey Mantles official rookie card it is definitely his most important. What's wackier is that Detroit's Justin Verlander, on the AL side, also earned a pitching Triple Crown in 2011. 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. That determination and consistency led to a phenomenal career and eye-popping stats that made him a no-brainer to be one of the first five players inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. This is my favoriteSandy Koufax baseball cardand one of the best-looking cards of the 1950s in my opinion. But what most usually don't realize is that many pre-War and even high grade post-War vintagebaseball card valuescan be astronomical. The card features a great close-up of the star pitcher surrounded by the famous T205 gold borders. However, it just isnt as often found in high grade as #53. Especially for high condition copies of the card. Big names like Albert Pujols, Ichiro, David Ortiz, Derek Jeter, Miguel Cabrera and Clayton Kershaw help round out a solid checklist. Most Expensive 2006 Topps card list & price guide. In 49 games for Padres that season, Rizzo slashed a less-than-impressive .141/.281/.242 with one home run, nine RBIs, and nine runs scored in 128 at-bats. Contact him at [emailprotected]. Many collectors are happy to just be able to own one of these legendary cards in the first place, though. Votto reached base in the team's first 27 games, finishing April with an eye-popping .370 batting average. And its extremely rareone of the rarest in the hobby.