1952 Topps Mickey Mantle: $12.6 million 2. However, he still put together a worthy encore to his 2010 breakthrough. In 2010, Jones blew out his left knee in mid-August and could not help his Braves teammates in a tense five-game NLDS loss to the eventual World Series champion Giants. And then, his season came to a screeching halt with a play that changed the game of baseball forever. While not his most expensive baseball card, its arguably the most visually pleasing of them all. But it wouldn't take Goldschmidt much longer to mold into the incredible talent he is today. 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. 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. 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. Many baseball historians still consider Cobb the greatest all-around player that ever graced a baseball diamond. Yet, packed within all of that excitement was a run of base cards that featured big-name stars and promising rookies. Big names like Albert Pujols, Ichiro, David Ortiz, Derek Jeter, Miguel Cabrera and Clayton Kershaw help round out a solid checklist. In four starts against Lincecum, Kershaw went 4-0 with a minuscule 0.30 ERA in 30.1 innings pitched. The 1954 Wilson Franks Ted Williams baseball card is one of if not the most important regional card ever produced. 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. 1909 T-206 Honus Wagner: $7.25 million 3. 1990 Bowman Tiffany Sammy Sosa Rookie Card Price: $750 The 1990 Bowman Baseball set features an impressive rookie class. 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. Centering can also be a challenge as with most cards of the era. Overall, Votto hit .309 with a .947 OPS, 29 home runs, and 101 runs scored. 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. 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. Rookie Cards. The cards design is beautiful and easily distinguished from others of the 1950s. Wagner, Ruth, Cobb, Mantle and Mays are just several of the baseball greats that reside on this list of cardboard rarities. In fact, his 1986 Topps Traded Tiffany card can be worth over $2,000 in PSA condition. 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. 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. 1. 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. 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. Hes also the only key player in the 1914 set on a horizontal layout. Both are not cheap but it is this version that is the more desirable and expensive of the two. But, the Great Bambino is the number one card to own out of all of them. 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. He also amassed less than 200 hits (184) and posted an OPS+ under 100 (86) for the first time in eleven MLB seasons. 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. 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. 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. Either 10 Turkey Red Cigarette coupons or 25 Old Mill or Fez Cigarette coupons would earn you one card. Posey suffered torn ligaments in his left ankle and a fractured fibula in a violent collision that reverberated for years. Many believe the 1887 N172 Old Judge set to be the most important 19th Century set in existence. 25 Most Valuable 1981 Topps Baseball Cards - Old Sports Cards Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Greatest Topps Baseball Cards of All-Time Most Expensive of All-Time #10. 15 Most Valuable 2011 Topps Baseball Cards More. The card features a great image of the Sultan of Swat seated in pinstripes looking over his right shoulder atop a green background. Top athletes from baseball, football, hockey, tennis, golf, boxing, swimming, horse racing and even dog sled racing are showcased in the set. Altuve dominated in the Minor Leagues and, by 2011, found himself slashing .361/.388/.569 with five home runs and 25 RBIs in 35 games for the Class AA Corpus Christi Hooks. It is one of the most difficult cards to find overall, making it one of the most important cards on 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. 1. (Note: The following sections contain affiliate links to current eBay and Amazon listings for the cards being discussed.) 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. 20 Most Valuable 1990 Topps Baseball Cards - Old Sports Cards Centering is also a tough issue for this card. 2005 Topps Card Prices | PSA & Ungraded Values - SportsCardsPro 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. 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. That was the most any Houston Astros rookie had ever driven in during one month as a rookie. Ross is the founder of Old Sports Cards and has been collecting sports cards for over 30 years. As a result, there werent manyJoe Jackson baseball cardsproduced. 25 Most Valuable 1986 Topps Baseball Cards - Old Sports Cards Cracker Jacks cards are wildly popular and the serious-looking Cobb is one of the keys to this set. In the deciding Game 5, Halladay squared off with his former Toronto Blue Jays teammate and close friend Chris Carpenter. 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 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. 1986 Topps Tiffany Ryne Sandberg Chicago Cubs Card 7. We are user supported. Distracting print lines usually hold this card back from higher grades, though. 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. With so many greats, how do you choose between them? Each of the 30 unnumbered cards in the set feature an artist rendering of players atop colored backgrounds. The reality was that Pujols was good to go. Collectors find rookie cards are some of the most valuable baseball cards to collect from any player. 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. Many collectors are happy to just be able to own one of these legendary cards in the first place, though. 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. Also, many of the known examples are found with poor centering from top to bottom. 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. Especially for high condition copies of the card. Honus. A PSA Gem Mint 10 #128 Aaron sold for $357,594 in 2012, a price that would easily be overcome in todays market. By Ryan Cracknell. 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. 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. 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. There are only a handful of known copies of this card in the hobby making it a rare and highly demanded issue. 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. Error cards like Joe Doyles that make it into circulation usually end up being very popular with collectors and this one is no exception. These are the Top 3 Most Valuable Baseball Cards Worth Money. Altuve was hitting an incredible .423 at that point but eventually cooled to finish with a .276/.297/.357 slash line. 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. 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. By 2012, Chapman had it down, fine-tuning his electric pitch repertoire en route to becoming a legit Cy Young candidate. 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. Theres just something about this card that makes it visually stunning. What's wackier is that Detroit's Justin Verlander, on the AL side, also earned a pitching Triple Crown in 2011. Although it features identical imagery as his 1914 Cracker Jack issue, most high-end examples of these two issues are of the 1915. Walter Johnson appears twice in the T206 set, one in a pitching pose and then again in this portrait layout. List by Card #, You own: 0 / 9496 items By the way check out the best Wander Franco Rookie Cards #2. Interestingly, this card was not originally part of the 1933 Goudey set. 1986 Topps Nolan Ryan Card 5. In PSA 4.5 grade, it is estimated this card would reel in over $1 million. Most Expensive 2006 Topps card list & price guide. Centering and chipping along the red bottom border are usually obstacles to achieving a higher grade. Considered to be one of the more obscure Honus Wagner type cards its value continues to remain strong. Though he may not have been MLB's hottest rookie in 1990, he certainly turned into one of the biggest superstars of his era. 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). 1956 Topps Mickey Mantle #135 #6. Halladay was given the ball for Games 1 and 5. Most Expensive That would be his teammate, 23-year-old closer Craig Kimbrel. Ungraded & graded values for all '22 Topps 1st Edition Baseball Cards. The postseason drought would only get longer, but Sale's transition to a starting role in 2012 was the dawning of a new ace on the Southside. While the Dodgers failed to make the playoffs at 83-78, Kershaw made a second-straight playoff miss easier to stomach in Chavez Ravine. Prices are updated daily based upon 2020 Topps listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. Mathewson appears three times in the T206 set with the Portrait, White Cap and Dark Cap variations. Even though it is not Mickey Mantles official rookie card it is definitely his most important. The Big Train is a true legend of the game and this card is a great tribute to him. 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. Ungraded & graded values for all '23 Topps Baseball Cards. Most Valuable. 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. 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. 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. The set is one of if not the most condition sensitive of the early E class era. 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. However, it just isnt as often found in high grade as #53. Just a year prior, Sale wasn't even a starter yet. 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. 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. 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. , 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. I like Posey's rookie cup card #198 from Series One better than this card that appeared in Series Two from an aesthetic standpoint. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. 9 of the Most Valuable Baseball Cards in History - HISTORY On the plus side, Chapman struck out 71 batters and gave up just 24 hits in a variety of high-leverage situations. On July 18th, he became the quickest Atlanta rookie to 50 RBIs since Hank Aaron in 1954. The cream of the crop. Top 100 Most Valuable Baseball Cards - BaseballLoveClub.com That PSA 10 copy sold for $717,000 in 2016. Babe Ruths card is the key and most valuable of the 32 card set. Although past his prime, he still achieved success in the Majors and was twice named an All-Star. And he pitched with a tenacious on-mound presence in the toughest of game situations. While collectors could pull 1914 Cracker Jack cards directly from the box, that also meant they usually had caramel stains on them. Premium: It would fetch much more than that today. He was also clutch, maintaining a sub-1.00 World Series ERA and twice being named series MVP in 1963 and 1965. Before I get started, I just want to clarify some of the criteria I used in creating this list. 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. This isBanks only recognized rookie cardin the hobby and along with the Hank Aaron and Al Kaline rookies, a key to the 1954 Topps set. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2022 by Old Sports Cards, LLC. While his 1952 Topps card is more popular and more expensive, some collectors forget that this is the only recognizedMantle rookie card. Get my weekly newsletter with the latest hobby updates delivered straight to your inbox! A fantastic portrait of the Sultan of Swat wearing a tilted Yankees cap is shown atop a bold, red background. Read our methodology . 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. 1953 Topps #82 Mickey Mantle RC #3. Napoleon Lajoie was considered the best defensive second baseman of his day and won three batting titles, had 3,242 total hits and a .338 average. It's so rare that no complete set has ever been assembled. Some collectors go for the base set. Theyre undoubtedly very condition sensitive. However, at the beginning of his career, things didn't go so smoothly for Goldschmidt after he made his MLB debut on August 1, 2011, against the San Francisco Giants. This is the other, less expensive, version of this card in the 1938 Goudey set. If you remember, during Game 3 of the 1932 World Series against the Chicago Cubs, Babe Ruth made his famous Called Shot. 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. 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. 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. With Mays, the opposite is true: his Bowman rookie card is worth more than his 1952 Topps card. However, as with any colored borders, the surrounding red borders of this card are susceptible to wear making it very condition sensitive. A record that is pretty safe to say will never be broken,Cy Youngtotaled an incredible 511 wins over his career. 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. Not many people outside of the baseball card hobby know who Joe Doyle is. 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. 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. Cobb was known as a ferocious competitor who was determined to be the best day in and day out. Exact prices are available to subscribers. 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. The 1911 George Close Candy (E94) baseball card set may not be as popular as others of the pre-WWI era but it is still iconic in the hobby. Not many baseball cards possess as much elaborate and ornate decoration as those of the 1909 Ramly Cigarette T204 set. 2022 Topps Heritage Baseball Most Valuable Cards and Checklist If so, then please fill out the form below and I'll be in touch right away. #15 1966 Topps Ferguson Jenkins (RC) #254 Sold for $8,988 1966 Topps Ferguson Jenkins rookie card on eBay During the offseason, the Padres traded Rizzo to the Chicago Cubs in a multi-player deal orchestrated by Jed Hoyer, the Cubs' general manager. 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. 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. 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. No matter where Eddie Mathews appeared in the 1952 Topps set, his only recognized rookie card would be worth a lot. Its arguably the most visually pleasing and desirable of all the Ted Williams baseball cards in the hobby. 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). Whenever manager Ozzie Guillen needed him to get a few outs, Sale performed. This card is often thought to be Jacksons most attractive and popular baseball card. Ortiz's 29 home runs and 96 RBIs were pretty on-brand compared to recent years. Most Expensive 2022 Topps 1st Edition Baseball Cards - SportsCardsPro 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. Conditions of these cards are not very good but even a PSA 4 is expected to bring in roughly $900,000. But in 2011, the 37-year-old superstar hit just .272 with an uncharacteristic .645 OPS. The error was quickly caught, though, so there arent many copies in existence. And like Altuve, Martinez started with the Greeneville Astros and worked his way up to the Class AA Corpus Christi Hooks. A record that is pretty safe to say will never be broken.