1989 Bowman Tiffany Ken Griffey Jr. 2. The 97-win Yankees eventually fell well short of their championship aspirations with a five-game ALDS loss to the Detroit Tigers. But, the Great Bambino is the number one card to own out of all of them. As one of the most clutch players in Yankees history, Derek Jeter seized the moment perfectly with a dramatic introduction to baseball's 3,000-hit club. However, Carpenter was better, tossing a complete-game three-hit shutout to oust the two-time defending NL champs, 1-0. Please note many of these cards have variations, which won't all be listed here. His 3,003rd hit (and last of the day) was an RBI single that put the Yankees ahead for good in the 8th. 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. #4 Most Valuable Baseball Cards 2000s - Topps Finest For The Record #3B Ken Griffey Jr. Price for PSA 9 featured with Alex Rodriguez: $100 Price for PSA 10 Gem: $1,500 Player's History 13 times All-Star Ken is the son of Ken Griffey Sr, a famous baseball player and coach during his era. This is no doubt one of the most sought after cards of one of the games best pitchers of all time. His 3,000th hit was a solo shot in the 3rd inning that tied the game at one. 1909 T-206 Honus Wagner: $7.25 million 3. Youll typically find that #160 shows whiter borders and a lighter blue background, too. 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. After 60 years in the hobby, Topps helped celebrate their "Diamond Anniversary" by packing so much into their 2011 Topps baseball card set. However, as with any colored borders, the surrounding red borders of this card are susceptible to wear making it very condition sensitive. As with the American Caramel Cobb card mentioned just a bit ago, the design of the card isnt unique but it is certainly one of the more desirable Cobb poses in the hobby. The card features a great close-up of the star pitcher surrounded by the famous T205 gold borders. The E300 issue is one of the scarcest prewar sets and had relatively been unknown until the 1960s. This is the other, less expensive, version of this card in the 1938 Goudey set. Interestingly, the same image is used on both cards. | Compare vs. Caramel cards are usually more scarce than tobacco cards since they were sold to children rather than adults. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. Whenever manager Ozzie Guillen needed him to get a few outs, Sale performed. 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. 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. Ungraded & graded values for all '22 Topps Baseball Cards. While not as pricey as the Yellow or Red Ruths of the same set, its still a very expensive card and a key member of the Ruth quartet. This card is a key classic in the hobby and is Aarons only recognized rookie card. 1986 Topps Reggie Jackson Card 8. 2010 and 2011 were two of the most emotionally draining years of Chipper Jones' Hall of Fame career. These 5 by 8 cards were part of a redemption program where collectors sent in coupons in exchange for them. In 2016, seven copies of this card were miraculously found in an old paper bag. By 2012, Chapman had it down, fine-tuning his electric pitch repertoire en route to becoming a legit Cy Young candidate. This card is as visually stunning as it is rare. What's worse was that his (relative) struggles were coming at a low point for the Mariners organization. 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. After the 2010 campaign, manager Bobby Cox called it a career, leaving a hole in the Braves clubhouse that couldn't be filled. On the surface, the 1948 Leaf card with its use of color appears to be more attractive than the 1948 Bowman card. 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. The potential for caramel stains doesnt bode well for collectors of this card. And with cameras rolling from every angle, Jeter made sure to give HBO a show worth airing. 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. While collectors could pull 1914 Cracker Jack cards directly from the box, that also meant they usually had caramel stains on them. Nadja was a brand name of the Blake-Wenneker Candy Co. of St Louis and the set features 62 cards in total. 1990 Bowman Tiffany Sammy Sosa Rookie Card Price: $750 The 1990 Bowman Baseball set features an impressive rookie class. 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. While his 1952 Topps card gets all the limelight, the 1951 Bowman card is Mickey Mantle's true rookie card and a fine one to behold. These are the Top 3 Most Valuable Baseball Cards Worth Money. Centering can also be a challenge as with most cards of the era. This pre-rookie card of Ruth is one of rarest cards in the hobby with 10 copies known to exist and can be found with either blue or red borders. 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 like Altuve had done by hitting safely in the first seven games of his career to set a club record, Martinez established his own team record in August by driving in 28 runs. 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. 1955 Topps #164 Roberto Clemente RC #4. Need help buying or selling cards or have a general question about the hobby? List by Card #, You own: 0 / 9496 items Over 40 MLB games in 2011, Trout slashed .220/.281/.390 with five home runs, 16 RBIs and 20 runs scored. 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. The question is: where do you start on this list? One of his most important, the card shows some beautiful artwork of a young Mays fielding a baseball in his New York Giants uniform. 1986 Topps Pete Rose Card 3. Prices are updated daily based upon 2006 Topps listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. On the plus side, Chapman struck out 71 batters and gave up just 24 hits in a variety of high-leverage situations. Many believe the 1887 N172 Old Judge set to be the most important 19th Century set in existence. Like Jose Altuve, J.D. Each of the 30 unnumbered cards in the set feature an artist rendering of players atop colored backgrounds. Votto reached base in the team's first 27 games, finishing April with an eye-popping .370 batting average. Let's be clear: most of the cards from this set do not have any value these days. 1. 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. Those that have been found in high grade are thought to have never been packaged and instead left the factory by hand. To commemorate Posey's 2010 Rookie of the Year honor, Topps released this card in Series One packs and you can see the "2010 Rookie of the Year" along the bottom just above his name. After winning 61 games in 2010, Seattle finished at 67-95 in 2011 for the franchise's sixth losing season in eight years. 1952 Topps #1 Andy Pafko #8. 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. And its extremely rareone of the rarest in the hobby. 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 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). Like all Bowman cards, the eye appeal of this card is amazing as a the artwork of the young Mick is simply stunning. 1986 Barry Bonds Topps Traded Rookie Card 6. However, he still put together a worthy encore to his 2010 breakthrough. 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. The Iron Horseappears twice in the 1933 Goudey setwith card #s 92 and 160 to his credit. Shortcuts: 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. #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. He ultimately fell short of the incredible feat but still finished the season batting .317 with 35 home runs and 115 RBIs. Moreover, the Mathewson Portrait is one of the toughest HOF portraits in the entire set. But what most usually don't realize is that many pre-War and even high grade post-War vintagebaseball card valuescan be astronomical. Ross is the founder of Old Sports Cards and has been collecting sports cards for over 30 years. PriceIt Game | 1955 Topps Sandy Koufax #123 #9. Considered the Holy Grail of all trading cards, the 1909 American Tobacco CompanyT206 Honus Wagner cardremains the symbol of trading card collecting today. 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. 2020 Topps card list & price guide. Two decades of pro ball were catching up to Ichiro. His 1951 Bowman issue is his only recognized rookie card and along with the Mantle rookie is the key to the entire set. 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. Sammy Sosa, Frank Thomas, Bernie Williams, and Larry Walker all claim Class of '90. 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. 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. From Pittsburgh Pirates Hall of Famer Honus Wagner to Los Angeles Angels standout Mike Trout, here are nine iconic cards of star players that were sold or auctioned for significant sums: 1. His legendary career and life were cut short on December 31, 1972, when he died in a plane crash while en route to deliver aid to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. That milestone was part of a scintillating month for which Freeman captured NL Rookie of the Month honors while batting .362 with a .433 on-base percentage in July and leading all rookies with 38 hits. Key to the 1953 Topps set is the #244 Willie Mays baseball card. 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. 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. In true Jeter fashion, the Yankees shortstop went above and beyond the moment at hand. The Say Hey Kidwas arguably the greatest all-around player to step on the field. Along with the Killebrew and Koufax rookies, theRoberto Clemente rookie card is an anchor in the 1955 Topps baseball card set and the most expensive of the three. Only 7 of the Ty Cobb cards have ever been submitted to PSA for grading which speaks to the rarity of them. 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. 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.. 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. And this is one of the few Ruth cards overall that show him in a Boston Red Sox uniform. 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. There is no doubt that this is one of Ty Cobbs most demanded and popular baseball cards. We are user supported. Baseball Cards. totaled an incredible 511 wins over his career. Like many 1952 Topps cards, this Mays issue is prone to tilt and centering problems. Read our methodology . This card shares its front design with several others of the era (Dockman & Sons, Nadja Caramels, etc.). Even though it is not Mickey Mantles official rookie card it is definitely his most important. The card is key for three main reasons: 1) 1952 was the first year Topps entered the sports card market so the set itself is wildly popular and even common cards in mint condition can fetch over $1,000. With approximately 22 or less known to exist, all in low grades, the Ty Cobb back is the rarest of them all. Bowman did not include him in their 1953 set so that makes his Topps card of that year even more sought after. Fresh off a Rookie of the Year campaign and the first of three World Series titles in five years, young San Francisco Giants backstop Buster Posey was riding high by the Bay in early 2011. Prices are updated daily based upon 2021 Topps Chrome listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. Prices are updated daily based upon 2022 Topps listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. We believe the following 10 cards will be tops in short-term return on investment over the next 1 to 2 years. By the way check out the best Wander Franco Rookie Cards #2. 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. 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. Though he may not have been MLB's hottest rookie in 1990, he certainly turned into one of the biggest superstars of his era. After seeing his batting average dip considerably in the previous three seasons, Ortiz posted the second-best full-season mark of his career thus far with a .309 finish. Most Expensive 2022 Topps 1st Edition card list & price guide. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. 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. 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. 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. Centering issues, as well as dark print blotches in the yellow background, are usually the two key issues of this card. His aggressive play on the field and his generous ways off the field made him a special individual. 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. If so, then please fill out the form below and I'll be in touch right away. 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. The 1915 version was part of a redemption program, however, thus better preserving their condition. 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. 15 Most Valuable 2011 Topps Baseball Cards More. He also turned heads with his slick glove work at first, earning the only Gold Glove of his career thus far. Collectors go wild for it. So, to build this list, I only focused on the base cards from 2011 Topps and included some from 2011 Topps Update as well. A PSA Gem Mint 10 #128 Aaron sold for $357,594 in 2012, a price that would easily be overcome in todays market. 1968 Topps #177 Nolan Ryan RC 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. This also is not including 1/1s. Theyre undoubtedly very condition sensitive. Unlike the other example that features cartoons in the background, DiMaggio is shown all by himself atop a blank background. After signing a three-year, $38 million deal in the offseason to remain in Cincy, the 27-year-old first baseman busted out of the gates in a full sprint in 2011.