However, he still put together a worthy encore to his 2010 breakthrough. 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 legendary Cap Anson appears on two different cards with the uniform version being the rarer of the two. 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. Please note many of these cards have variations, which won't all be listed here. We are user supported. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. Prices are updated daily based upon 2020 Topps listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. Wagner, Ruth, Cobb, Mantle and Mays are just several of the baseball greats that reside on this list of cardboard rarities. Most Valuable. Estimates place the number of front/back combinations around 5,500 which led to this set being nicknamed The Monster.. An SGC 9.5 Example Sold in August 2022 for $12,600,000. 30. In PSA 8 condition, this card would likely sell for $1 million or more. 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. Like Jose Altuve, J.D. Each of the 30 unnumbered cards in the set feature an artist rendering of players atop colored backgrounds. 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. 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 reality was that Pujols was good to go. 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. 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. The Iron Horseappears twice in the 1933 Goudey setwith card #s 92 and 160 to his credit. However, as mentioned earlier, the 1914 Cracker Jack cards were packaged directly inside the boxes so theyre usually more difficult to find in good condition. 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. Ungraded & graded values for all '21 Topps Chrome Baseball Cards. 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. Centering can also be a challenge as with most cards of the era. 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. Who did Freeman finish runner-up to in the leagues RotY race, you ask? It is by far the most important of allHank Aaron baseball cards. 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. . 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. You could argue the imagery isn't the nicest in the hobby but it makes for an unforgettable card design. 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. 1986 Topps Tiffany Rickey Henderson 2. Shortcuts: Most Expensive , Cheapest , List by Card # Collectors got a glimpse of what it was like to be a pitcher in that era with Cobb intensely staring them down before the pitch. 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. 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. 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. His aggressive play on the field and his generous ways off the field made him a special individual. Mathewson won 30 or more games four different times in his storied career, attributing much of his success to a specialty pitch that was comparable to a screwball. Collectors who take on the challenge of completing this set are no doubt in for an extremely tough challenge. In high grade, this card can fetch big bucks. Posey was one of the biggest young names in the game at that point so seeing Topps issue multiple cards for him in this set should be no surprise. 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. Download Price List, SportsCardsPro 2019-2023 This card is a prime example of an instance where neither being a star nor an error card can bring in big bucks. The future first-ballot Hall of Famer finished the year at 19-6 with a career-high 220 strikeouts and his best ERA since 1998 (2.35). Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Ungraded & graded values for all '06 Topps Baseball Cards. While the #144 Full Body Ruth was double-printed and isnt as scarce, it is harder to find in high-grade than the #181 Green Ruth. 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. A truly great baseball card of the legendary icon. Any modern flagship Topps Baseball set has a lot going on. Reigning NL MVP Joey Votto couldn't carry an inconsistent, snake-bitten Cincinnati Reds squad to a second-straight postseason in 2011. We may earn an affiliate commission if you Was it because Wagner wanted to be paid by the tobacco company to use his image? Theres only one copy of the card currently graded in that condition, however. Cobb turned in an absolute monster of a season in 1911 as he set career highs in batting (.420), hits (248), doubles (47), triples (24), RBI (127), runs (147) and slugging percentage (.621). The E300 issue is one of the scarcest prewar sets and had relatively been unknown until the 1960s. His massive upside in the future made his wildness in the present less worrisome. This is the first Topps card to feature Willie Mays, putting it high on Mays collectors wish lists and making it a key card in the hobby overall. This is no doubt one of the most sought after cards of one of the games best pitchers of all time. While Sale was still working on controlling his pitch mix and hitting corners consistently (his 3.4 BB/9 is the second-worst of his career so far), he still showcased elite stuff. That PSA 10 copy sold for $717,000 in 2016. Are you selling sports cards that were produced from 1868 - 1975? Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. Two decades of pro ball were catching up to Ichiro. Premium: Even in poor condition, they routinely sell for over $1 million. Collectors find rookie cards are some of the most valuable baseball cards to collect from any player. Issued by the Mayo and Brother Tobacco Works of Richmond, VA, the set contains 48 different cards overall but Anson's is undoubtedly the most coveted. Mathewson appears three times in the T206 set with the Portrait, White Cap and Dark Cap variations. It would fetch much more than that today. I like Posey's rookie cup card #198 from Series One better than this card that appeared in Series Two from an aesthetic standpoint. 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. He was also clutch, maintaining a sub-1.00 World Series ERA and twice being named series MVP in 1963 and 1965. 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. The T210 Old Mill set features hundreds of minor league ballplayers that most people have never heard of before. Freeman finished second in the NLs Rookie of the Year balloting, slashing .282/.346/.448 with 21 home runs, 32 doubles, and 76 RBIs. Its nearly impossible to describe the importance of Jackie Robinson to baseball and American history after breakingbaseballs color barrier in 1947. 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. Need help buying or selling cards or have a general question about the hobby? 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. 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. Only a finite number of them still exist and as likely as it is that baseball will remain a very popular sport, collectors will do anything to get their hands on them. A PSA Gem Mint 10 #128 Aaron sold for $357,594 in 2012, a price that would easily be overcome in todays market. As with Mantles 1952 Topps card, some still mistake this card as Mays rookie, too. What's worse was that his (relative) struggles were coming at a low point for the Mariners organization. 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. This card is a key classic in the hobby and is Aarons only recognized rookie card. Votto led the National League in doubles (40), on-base percentage (.416), and walks (110). So, to build this list, I only focused on the base cards from 2011 Topps and included some from 2011 Topps Update as well. 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. So those that remain are some of the most sought after in the hobby. Even though it is not Mickey Mantles official rookie card it is definitely his most important. In the NLDS, the 102-win AL East champion Phillies faced a molten-hot St. Louis Cardinals squad that had fought back from a massive Wild Card deficit in September. Posey suffered torn ligaments in his left ankle and a fractured fibula in a violent collision that reverberated for years. This card is often thought to be Jacksons most attractive and popular baseball card. George Close Candy cards are among the scarcer pre-WWI caramel issues and the Honus Wagner is one of the keys to the set. Let's be clear: most of the cards from this set do not have any value these days. Unlike the other example that features cartoons in the background, DiMaggio is shown all by himself atop a blank background. 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth: $4.212 million But, that doesnt necessarily mean its his most expensive. He also loves to write about the hobby and has written for Beckett, Topps, SABR and of course, this website. Honus. 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. So its no wonder that his 1948 Leaf rookie card is such and important piece of the hobby. 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. 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. Ryans rookie card appears in the 1968 O-Pee-Chee, Topps Milton Bradleyand Venezuela Topps sets as well but its the regular ToppsNolan Ryan rookie cardthat stands apart in value from the rest. There are four different Babe Ruth cards in the 1933 Goudey set, #s 53, 144, 149 and 181. Get my weekly newsletter with the latest hobby updates delivered straight to your inbox! 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. But the value between the two isnt affected. A record that is pretty safe to say will never be broken,Cy Youngtotaled an incredible 511 wins over his career. While his 1952 Topps card is more popular and more expensive, some collectors forget that this is the only recognizedMantle rookie card. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. 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. After 60 years in the hobby, Topps helped celebrate their "Diamond Anniversary" by packing so much into their 2011 Topps baseball card set. Its arguably the most visually pleasing and desirable of all the Ted Williams baseball cards in the hobby. 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. By 2012, Chapman had it down, fine-tuning his electric pitch repertoire en route to becoming a legit Cy Young candidate. Considered by most to be the greatest lefty of all-time, Sandy Koufax has one rookie card to his name and this is it. 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. 1955 Topps #164 Roberto Clemente RC #4. An SGC 2 Example Sold in August 2022 for $7,250,000. 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. 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. It is one of the most difficult cards to find overall, making it one of the most important cards on this list. Halladay was given the ball for Games 1 and 5. 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. Over 40 MLB games in 2011, Trout slashed .220/.281/.390 with five home runs, 16 RBIs and 20 runs scored. After an impressive finish to the 2010 MLB campaign, the Los Angeles Dodgers tabbed 23-year-old lefty Clayton Kershaw as their Opening Day starter for 2011. #1. 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. 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. Nevertheless, the annual award for the best pitcher in the Majors does bear his name. No More Secrets Puzzle Game, Ungraded Cracker Jacks cards are wildly popular and the serious-looking Cobb is one of the keys to this set. 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. Rizzo soon earned a reputation as a guy capable of smacking 30 home runs and driving in 100 runs to become a fan favorite at Wrigley. A mixture of bad timing, poor communication, and an always-controversial roster rule kept Albert Pujols out of the 2011 MLB All-Star Game, ending his streak of consecutive Midsummer Classics at eight. If you look closely at each of the double prints of this card, youll notice that one version shows better clarity and focus than the other. 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. In this video, we go over the top 3 most valuable Topps baseball cards from the year 1985. And this is one of the few Ruth cards overall that show him in a Boston Red Sox uniform. Not many people outside of the baseball card hobby know who Joe Doyle is. The 23-year-old left walked a career-worst 41 batters in 50 innings pitched, issuing a ghastly 7.4 walks per 9 innings. We believe the following 10 cards will be tops in short-term return on investment over the next 1 to 2 years. Yet, packed within all of that excitement was a run of base cards that featured big-name stars and promising rookies. 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. Although not as popular as his 1948 Bowman rookie card, his 1948 Leaf rookie card is the tougher of the two. Any collector lucky enough to get his hands on Mathewsons card is sure to be ecstatic. Prices continue to climb on them, so keep your eye out for these baseball cards! 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. 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. Overall, Votto hit .309 with a .947 OPS, 29 home runs, and 101 runs scored. Late into the 2022 season, Paul Goldschmidt had a legitimate chance at winning the Triple Crown. 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. Some collectors go for the base set. People are spending as much on old pieces of cardboard as most people spend on a house. totaled an incredible 511 wins over his career. 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. The Green Ruth is the last of the four Babe Ruth cards to appear in the 1933 Goudey set. With so many greats, how do you choose between them? Top athletes from baseball, football, hockey, tennis, golf, boxing, swimming, horse racing and even dog sled racing are showcased in the set. Kimbrel led all NL relievers with 46 saves, pitching to a 2.10 ERA with 127 strikeouts in 77.0 innings. This also is not including 1/1s. Gehrig was one of a long line of Yankee legends and no doubt put up some of the greatest hitting statistics of them all. He also amassed less than 200 hits (184) and posted an OPS+ under 100 (86) for the first time in eleven MLB seasons. The eye appeal is top-notch, as with most 1914 Cracker Jack cards. 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.. 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 fancy gold borders that surround Walter Johnsons black and white portrait are a thing of beauty. But whats not up for debate is whether its one of his most important. Like all Bowman cards, the eye appeal of this card is amazing as a the artwork of the young Mick is simply stunning. Shortcuts: buy stuff after clicking links on our site 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. In the deciding Game 5, Halladay squared off with his former Toronto Blue Jays teammate and close friend Chris Carpenter. Rookie Cards. 2022 Topps Series 1 Wander Franco RC #215 VIEW ON EBAY Winner, winner chicken dinner. 1986 Topps Pete Rose Card 3. Halladay was great, giving up just one run on four hits in eight innings. Jackson dominated the minors that year and the Naps called him up late in the 1910 season. 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. 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. His 3,000th hit was a solo shot in the 3rd inning that tied the game at one. And like Altuve, Martinez started with the Greeneville Astros and worked his way up to the Class AA Corpus Christi Hooks. Of all theTy Cobb baseball cards, this is by far his most expensive. Ungraded & graded values for all '05 Topps Baseball Cards. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2022 by Old Sports Cards, LLC. The 1914 Cracker Jack Mathewson is one of the great rarities in the hobby and easily the most difficult card to find in this amazing set. Surprisingly, many dont even consider him the best pitcher ever, though. Ross is the founder of Old Sports Cards and has been collecting sports cards for over 30 years. 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 card is as visually stunning as it is rare. ThisTed Williams card features a superb black and white image of Williams following through on his classic swing. In four starts against Lincecum, Kershaw went 4-0 with a minuscule 0.30 ERA in 30.1 innings pitched. Also, many of the known examples are found with poor centering from top to bottom. 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. 2011 was the year that Ichiro finally looked mortal at the plate. 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 . The card is one of Ruths most desired of all. The last card in the '75 Topps set, this Hank Aaron collectible won't ever be confused as the baseball legend's best-looking card. 1952 Topps #1 Andy Pafko #8. There is no doubt that this is one of Ty Cobbs most demanded and popular baseball cards. 1. 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.