A high number card, Mathews rookie is extra tough to collect since it was positioned at the bottom corner of print sheets and usually is found off-center as a result. That is a fact not likely to end any time soon. On the plus side, Chapman struck out 71 batters and gave up just 24 hits in a variety of high-leverage situations. This card is often thought to be Jacksons most attractive and popular baseball card. 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. And in this guide, we'll take a look at the 15 most valuable. One of the bright spots for Boston was the re-emergence of designated hitter David Ortiz as an elite hitting threat. As you already know, there wasnt much difference between the 1914 and 1915 Cracker Jack sets except that 1915 Cracker Jack cards are usually found in better shape since they were a redemption set. The question is: where do you start on this list? On it, Gehrig is shown with a huge bright smile atop a yellow background giving the card tremendous eye appeal. By 2012, Chapman had it down, fine-tuning his electric pitch repertoire en route to becoming a legit Cy Young candidate. 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. It was the first time since 1924 that a pitcher accomplished the feat in both leagues during the same season. These 5 by 8 cards were part of a redemption program where collectors sent in coupons in exchange for them. 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. 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. This card can be quite challenging and is the key to the set. Considered to be one of the more obscure Honus Wagner type cards its value continues to remain strong. Please note many of these cards have variations, which won't all be listed here. Prices are updated daily based upon 2023 Topps listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. 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. The price would certainly be astronomical. Conditions of these cards are not very good but even a PSA 4 is expected to bring in roughly $900,000. The error was quickly caught, though, so there arent many copies in existence. Ungraded & graded values for all '20 Topps Baseball Cards. But the value between the two isnt affected. 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. In the postseason, Cabrera was predictably excellent. Several player variations exist, some with as many as 12, so the series boasts well over 3,000 different cards in total. Altuve was hitting an incredible .423 at that point but eventually cooled to finish with a .276/.297/.357 slash line. The centering can be so severe that it will cut into the text along the bottom. Without further adieu, then, here are the 25 most valuable 1987 Topps baseball cards in reverse order, and with a couple of bonus runs tagged on for good measure 35 cards in all! ThisTed Williams card features a superb black and white image of Williams following through on his classic swing. Centering and chipping along the red bottom border are usually obstacles to achieving a higher grade. He ultimately fell short of the incredible feat but still finished the season batting .317 with 35 home runs and 115 RBIs. And their continued popularity and demand prove that baseball cards still do hold great value. If you asked collectors, most would probably say they prefer the portrait poses with the green portrait more preferred to the red due to its scarcity. However, as with any colored borders, the surrounding red borders of this card are susceptible to wear making it very condition sensitive. 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. Neither makes a difference when it comes to value, though. 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. 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. Overall, Votto hit .309 with a .947 OPS, 29 home runs, and 101 runs scored. 25) 1987 Topps Wade Boggs (#150) 1981 Topps #302 Dodgers Future Stars Estimated PSA 9 Mint Value: $225 When it comes to rookie season debuts, the Dodgers have developed a reputation for some of the finest on record. 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. The cards design is beautiful and easily distinguished from others of the 1950s. While his 1952 Topps card is more popular and more expensive, some collectors forget that this is the only recognizedMantle rookie card. By his third season in 2013, Goldschmidt had developed into a perennial All-Star and MVP candidate. 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. With so many greats, how do you choose between them? Halladay was given the ball for Games 1 and 5. Mantle is easily one of the most widely collected players in the hobby. 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. Posey suffered torn ligaments in his left ankle and a fractured fibula in a violent collision that reverberated for years. Also, many of the known examples are found with poor centering from top to bottom. Interestingly, this card was not originally part of the 1933 Goudey set. And like Altuve, Martinez started with the Greeneville Astros and worked his way up to the Class AA Corpus Christi Hooks. This one was double-printed meaning there were more of them in circulation but its still surprisingly tougher to find in high grade than the #181 Green Ruth. Possessing an explosive triple-digit fastball with electric movement, Chapman struggled to harness his high-octane stuff in his first full year with the Reds. Some argue that this is Mickey Mantles most beautiful card. The card is one of Ruths most desired of all. It is by far the most important of allHank Aaron baseball cards. The 1969 Topps baseball card set is well-loved in this hobby by many collectors for several different reasons. 3)Many high number cards were famously dumped into the ocean leaving even less of them in existence. 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. Whos the most desired player in the set? Votto led the National League in doubles (40), on-base percentage (.416), and walks (110). Contact him at [emailprotected]. From a design standpoint, I liked how Topps kept things nice and clean without trying to go over the top in celebrating their 60th anniversary. Prices continue to climb on them, so keep your eye out for these baseball cards! But there was plenty to like about their accomplishments before the season's heartbreaking finale. , Bo Bichette, Luis Robert, Yordan Alvarez [SSP] #392, Fernando Tatis Jr. [Memorial Day Camo] #168, Fernando Tatis Jr. [Mother's Day Pink] #168, Fernando Tatis Jr. [Independence Day] #168, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. [Independence Day] #182, Fernando Tatis Jr. [Father's Day Blue] #168. Contact him at [emailprotected]. In 2016, seven copies of this card were miraculously found in an old paper bag. I think it's safe to say that Topps did a great job of commemorating an incredible 60 years in the business with this set. Remarkably, he still only finished fifth in the MVP race! 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. Ungraded & graded values for all '22 Topps 1st Edition Baseball Cards. A PSA Gem Mint 10 #128 Aaron sold for $357,594 in 2012, a price that would easily be overcome in todays market. 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). What's worse was that his (relative) struggles were coming at a low point for the Mariners organization. However, Carpenter was better, tossing a complete-game three-hit shutout to oust the two-time defending NL champs, 1-0. He also led the Majors in on-base percentage (.448) and doubles (48) while logging a career-best 7.6 bWAR for Detroit's first division championship squad since 1987. We believe the following 10 cards will be tops in short-term return on investment over the next 1 to 2 years. 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. 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. Its an extremely tough card to find in high grade. Theyre undoubtedly very condition sensitive. That tells you how much the prices of Clementes rookie card have increased. Over 40 MLB games in 2011, Trout slashed .220/.281/.390 with five home runs, 16 RBIs and 20 runs scored. He also posted what many believe to be the greatest single season for a pitcher in 1913 after going 36-7 with a 1.14 ERA. So its no wonder that his 1948 Leaf rookie card is such and important piece of the hobby. People are spending as much on old pieces of cardboard as most people spend on a house. This still ranks among the most popular baseball cards of all-time. 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. 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. Collectors will pay big money for either version as long as its in high grade. A truly great baseball card of the legendary icon. Since its not his rookie card or his most scarce, the1933 Goudey Babe Ruth #53 isnt his most expensive card but it is arguably one of his most beautiful cards. Overall, Topps did a great job with this set by balancing an excellent design with plenty of chase cards. 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. If youre a collector, just stick to what you love and collect only what you love. This also is not including 1/1s. The card features a great image of the Sultan of Swat seated in pinstripes looking over his right shoulder atop a green background. Trout exploded during his official rookie campaign the following season, earning AL Rookie of the Year honors and finishing second in the MVP race. And, unfortunately, Goudey mailed the card with a paper clip on it that left indentations on the card. 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. However, it just isnt as often found in high grade as #53. Because they were distributed in packages of hot dogs, its extremely difficult to find them in high grade. 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. Walter Johnson appears twice in the T206 set, one in a pitching pose and then again in this portrait layout. Are you selling sports cards that were produced from 1868 - 1975? 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. 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. 30 Most Valuable Topps Tiffany Cards Rankings are based on the online Beckett Price Guide and Database. There are 11 different backside variations in total each with The George Close Co. printed on them. The 1912 Plows Candy E300 Mathewson features a large photographic image of the legendary pitcher of the Dead Ball Era framed by text reading. 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. While collectors could pull 1914 Cracker Jack cards directly from the box, that also meant they usually had caramel stains on them. Babe Ruths card is the key and most valuable of the 32 card set. He also loves to write about the hobby and has written for Beckett, Topps, SABR and of course, this website. Votto reached base in the team's first 27 games, finishing April with an eye-popping .370 batting average. There are two varieties of these cards with one version featuring a tobacco advertisement on the back and the other a checklist. 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. And its extremely rareone of the rarest in the hobby. Freeman finished second in the NLs Rookie of the Year balloting, slashing .282/.346/.448 with 21 home runs, 32 doubles, and 76 RBIs. With just one playoff appearance from 1988-2010 (2006), the Detroit Tigers' comedy of errors was a running punchline for two-plus decades. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2022 by Old Sports Cards, LLC. The most prevalent theory is that the card suffered from a poor printing plate, resulting in many of the cards being destroyed since they could not pass quality control. PriceIt Game | Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. It's these end-year series that comprise the most valuable Topps baseball cards today. Cracker Jacks cards are wildly popular and the serious-looking Cobb is one of the keys to this set. 2022 Topps Baseball Rookie Cards Guide. His career cut short by arthritis in his pitching arm, he went on to become the youngest player ever elected to the Hall of Fame in 1972. . The T206 set is special for many reasons but one of them is no doubt the numerous brand advertisements on the backs16 different backs in total. and one of the best-looking cards of the 1950s in my opinion. You can imagine the wear and tear that children put on the cards by comparison. As with pretty much any pre-war set that features Cobb, his card is the heart and soul of this legendary set. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. In 2012, Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale kicked off a stunning streak of seven-straight All-Star nods and seven-straight AL Cy Young finishes of sixth or better. 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. Another obscure and rarely seen card, the 1915 E106 American Caramel Honus Wagner Throwing variation is just as much of a classic. 1986 Topps Nolan Ryan Card 5. The Boston Red Sox finished a game out of a playoff spot in 2011, losing out on an AL Wild Card spot to the Tampa Bay Rays with a 4-3 loss to Baltimore on the season's final day. 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. The Say Hey Kidwas arguably the greatest all-around player to step on the field. 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. The 1954 Wilson Franks Ted Williams baseball card is one of if not the most important regional card ever produced. Mathewson appears three times in the T206 set with the Portrait, White Cap and Dark Cap variations. 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. 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 . I like Posey's rookie cup card #198 from Series One better than this card that appeared in Series Two from an aesthetic standpoint. 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 Sox finished at 79-83, out of the playoffs for the third-straight year. Some collectors go for the base set. 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. His aggressive play on the field and his generous ways off the field made him a special individual. Prices are updated daily based upon 2022 Topps 1st Edition listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. 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. 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. Key to the 1953 Topps set is the #244 Willie Mays baseball card. Ungraded & graded values for all '23 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. That production boosted his legend and popularity making him one of the most highly collected players in the hobby. This is one of them. 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. Who knows what a high grade example of this card would go for? 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. And with 103 RBIs on the year, he became the first Reds player since Dave Parker to post back-to-back 100-RBI seasons (1985-86). That was the most any Houston Astros rookie had ever driven in during one month as a rookie. While both are classics, there is no doubt that #37 is the more popular and difficult of the two. The eye appeal is top-notch, as with most 1914 Cracker Jack cards. With that strategy, you can never go wrong! And come the postseason, he was on another level, leading St. Louis from a 90-win Wild Card berth to a second World Series title in six years. Most Expensive 2022 Topps 1st Edition card list & price guide. And with cameras rolling from every angle, Jeter made sure to give HBO a show worth airing. As with any colored border, though, theyre susceptible to showing chipping and wear. 1986 Barry Bonds Topps Traded Rookie Card 6. We may earn an affiliate commission if you Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. 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.. Its nearly impossible to describe the importance of Jackie Robinson to baseball and American history after breakingbaseballs color barrier in 1947. Download Price List, SportsCardsPro 2019-2023 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. If you look at the bottom, Sherry Magees last name is mistakenly spelled Magie. At the tender age of 22, Sale made his full-season debut with the Sox as a high-leverage reliever. 2022 Topps Series 1 Wander Franco Photo Variation SP RC #215 He also amassed less than 200 hits (184) and posted an OPS+ under 100 (86) for the first time in eleven MLB seasons. Track your collection for free. In true Jeter fashion, the Yankees shortstop went above and beyond the moment at hand. 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. Nadja was a brand name of the Blake-Wenneker Candy Co. of St Louis and the set features 62 cards in total. Although not as popular as his 1948 Bowman rookie card, his 1948 Leaf rookie card is the tougher of the two. #15 1966 Topps Ferguson Jenkins (RC) #254 Sold for $8,988 1966 Topps Ferguson Jenkins rookie card on eBay Yet, packed within all of that excitement was a run of base cards that featured big-name stars and promising rookies. #1. Many believe the 1887 N172 Old Judge set to be the most important 19th Century set in existence. (Note: The following sections contain affiliate links to current eBay and Amazon listings for the cards being discussed.) The Angels recalled him for a home stand against the Baltimore Orioles on August 19, 2011, and he would finish the remainder of the season in the Majors. 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. That card was later sold for $250,000 in 2007. 1955 Topps Sandy Koufax #123 #9. 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. Two decades of pro ball were catching up to Ichiro. 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. 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 1917 Collins-McCarthy candy cards are some of the few card issues that were printed during the mid-teens of the 20th century. List by Card #, You own: 0 / 9496 items An SGC 9.5 Example Sold in August 2022 for $12,600,000. 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. Martinez turned out to be the big winners from 2011 Topps Update. It is one of the most difficult cards to find overall, making it one of the most important cards on this list. 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. His massive upside in the future made his wildness in the present less worrisome. Reigning NL MVP Joey Votto couldn't carry an inconsistent, snake-bitten Cincinnati Reds squad to a second-straight postseason in 2011. Not many baseball cards possess as much elaborate and ornate decoration as those of the 1909 Ramly Cigarette T204 set. This is my favoriteSandy Koufax baseball cardand one of the best-looking cards of the 1950s in my opinion. 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.