PSA 9s sell for considerably less in the $300 $400 price range. But this, the only RC of future Hall of Famer Raines pictured alone, is about as close as it gets. So, it's well over twenty times more difficult to find this card in a PSA 10 holder than it is his Topps rookie. 25 Baseball Cards Worth Money - MoneyWise But, when you add a name like Nolan Ryan (or Rickey Henderson above) to the mix then the price only skyrockets. Which, is incredibly rare. However, he and Lee Smith both received the nod to Cooperstown when the Today's Game Era Committee selected them as part of the Hall of Fame Class of 2019. High-grade versions of the future Hall of Famer and Oakland Athletic great's 1980 Topps card cost . The heavy gloss and stark white borders have proven to be the obstacles that have made Gem Mint examples like this so challenging. Next on the list is the rookie card of fireballer and pitching icon,Roger Clemens. Which gives them a much more elegant look. Glenn Hubbard, he of the lifetime .244 batting average and .328 On-Base Percentage, wasnt one of the top 250 players of the 1980s. And then there was Kirk Gibson's walk-off home run in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series against the Oakland A's. One of the more popular cards from 1985 is the Kirby Puckett rookie card. Fleer may have a shorter history than some in the hobby, but they produced some real zingers during their run. PSA has seen just 516 of the O-Pee-Chee Barry Bonds rookie cards. Both Donruss and Fleer produced Canseco Rookie Cards for their mainstream sets, but the choice of the masses was Donruss. Fleer was the only company that included a Kittle RC in its regular set, as Donruss and Topps passed. Back in 1983, the bubble in the baseball card market had already started to form as Donruss and Fleer had both entered the market in 1981 and all three companies started to boost production. The third and fourth are the hardest and come close to a tie. Donnie Baseball is pictured wearing a Yankees cap, which is the team he would go on to spend his whole 13-year pro career at. This was one of the most popular Bonds RCs pulled from packs in 87. Most Valuable Fleer Baseball Cards. One of the more anticipated Rookie Cards heading into the 1984 season, as Straw had slugged 26 HR and stolen 19 bases en route to earning the 1983 NL Rookie of the Year Award. This Mickey Mantle card sold for $5.2 million in 2021, in large part due to its high-quality rating and its rarity its assumed to be one of only 6 remaining versions of the card in the world. NM-MT 8. Organize and price your collections as we offer instant access to the world's leading trading card and collectibles databases, including baseball cards, basketball cards, football cards, non-sports cards, gaming cards and more. The most valuable baseball card from the 1980s is Rickey Hendersons 1980 Topps rookie card. The fans roared their approval and Winfield shook his hand with a knowing glance. Get my weekly newsletter with the latest hobby updates delivered straight to your inbox! Jackson was already a household name when his card appeared in the 1986 Topps Traded set. Collectors scramble over each other to obtain the most centered and flawless example whenever they hit the market. This is one of Cal Ripkens most valuable baseball cards and of the most valuable from the 80s. According to the PSA website, the 1951 Mickey Mantle Bowman RC is Mantle's only rookie card. When found in gem mint condition, these demand upwards of $2,000. The 1986 Topps Traded Tiffany version of Barry Bonds' iconic rookie can be worth big bucks, as much as $1,250 in PSA condtition. Sadly, Puckett died of a stroke at the young age of 45 but collectors throughout the hobby will always remember him and his rookie card as one of the best. The 1985 Topps Minis is one of the unique sets of the 80s. But, it's not always the case. So they printed the cards with the words F**k Face. The vintage baseball cards are some of the most collectible and highest-selling cards f. While some dealers broke box sets to sell singles, others chose not to. Lets look at how many reside in a PSA case. Of the 134 cards submitted, only 13 managed to make the 10 grade. But when Topps did get around to including Junior in its 89 Traded box set, they had produced one of The Kids best-looking early cards. Thats part of it but more important are the cards legacy and how they helped shape such an important era. One of Cal Ripken Jrs most valuable baseball cards from the 1980s is his 1982 Topps Traded rookie card. Bonus points for this one as it also features former Dodgers World Series champion and longtime Angels manager Mike Scioscia. With a print run of just an announced 6,000, this may well be the toughest rookie-year Griffey Jr. card to find. His mainstream Rookie Cards appeared the next spring. Jerome Walton 89 Upper Deck shouldve cracked the top 100. If it werent for his 1989 RCs, most probably wouldnt even remember The Big Unit pitched for the Montreal Expos. The original printing contained a stadium Marlboro sign over the Big Units left shoulder. He threw fastballs over 100mph consistently and even into his 40s. Of course, I'm talking about the 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card: During the recent hobby boom, prices of this card in PSA 10 holders soared beyond $5,000. But the best thing that the 82 set had going for it was this very affordable Cal Ripken Jr. RC. In today's market, expect to pay around $400 for the base version of this card in gem mint condition and around $11,000 for the Tiffany version. Your top 100 list more than anything else is what brought me back into the hobby last year after a 30 year hiatus. As Ripkens greatness played out on the field, this became a must-have for any collector who understood what they were seeing. Some hold out hope that baseball will someday forgive him and allow the all-time hits leader into the Hall of Fame, but it still seems highly unlikely. The Topps Traded set, however, has had a mind-blowing 46,835 submitted! In 1962, Topps had opted not to sign Wills to a trading card deal, apparently believing he was not major league material. Give Fleer credit for getting The Rocket in its 1984 Update set when the competitors waited until the next year to include him in their sets. This seller was unusually experienced on the auction website, with 1056117 reviews under their belt. Website . O-Pee-Chee cards can be distinguished by the O-Pee-Chee logos on the front and the back. 1979 Highlights L.Brock (HOF)/C.Yastrzemski (HOF) Shop with Affiliates. The young, bearded lefty poses in his White Sox uniform on his 1981 Topps rookie card, which has received a nice boost in price ever since his Hall of Fame induction. And you were living large. 1989 Topps Traded #41T Ken Griffey Jr. 1989 Topps #647 Randy Johnson Rookie Card. Five years after that he was named the 1995 NL Most Valuable Player and in 2012, the Baseball Writers Association of America elected him to the Baseball Hall of Fame. The vintage and prewar market is at least partially driven by the "Holy Grail" of cards, the 1909 T206 Honus Wagner. But it was baseball in 1988, so buy it we did, mostly looking for the highly-touted Mets prospect who looked like the kid who sat near the back of your social studies class. Topps produced their Tiffany collectors edition cards in their regular Topps issue sets, Topps Traded sets, and Bowman sets in 1989. There is, however, a big market for older baseball cards and other sports cards (generally cards manufactured before 1980). You want the Rookie Card of the major leagues all-time runs scored and stolen base leader? There are two versions of this card yellow lettering with red Two For the Title came from wax packs. 1. The cards look exactly like their Topps counterparts, save for the Nestle logo in place of Topps. This was the card, more so than any other in the first half of the 1980s, that promoted perceived scarcity and status. And you get a Griffey Jr. RC! Ungraded & graded values for all '80 Topps Baseball Cards. And, like the 1980 Topps set that preceded it, the centering and print quality challenges with the 1981 Topps set didn't improve all that much and only boost its value in high grade even more. 1989 Topps #530 Nolan Ryan. Finding them in PSA 10 condition is much tougher, hence the high price tag. Another great 89 Upper Deck RC. And, in 1989 and 1990, they also produced Bowman Tiffany sets. These sets were given to card shops as limited edition sets and not sold in stores. And the Ken Griffey Jr. can be worth thousands of dollars in any grade: Now that we got that out of the way, let's take a look at the list: Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $120,000. Pucketts quick emergence brought this RC a lot of attention from the first day 85 packs began surfacing. However, 1,098 were submitted and graded, with just 47 making the gem mint 10 grade. However, print quantities of 1983 Topps weren't at the same levels they were by the late 80s and early 90s. Completely missed him, while Upper Deck, Fleer and Donruss did include the games top prospect. Production seemed to multiply from 1984 numbers, and who could blame Donruss for not wanting to leave money on the table? Even so lets just say the Braves won the trade. Less than 200 of these "cards" ever passed through PSA's grading facilities, so they're quite rare. But, how difficult are they to find in PSA 10 condition? This is undoubtedly why a PSA 10 Tiffany example sells for over $1,900 consistently. 1990 score football series 2 most valuable cards . Rookie Card for the frugal shopper. The local TV station printed some promotional baseball cards with players from the team and handed them out during one of Ripkens first games playing for the Os. We use cookies to help personalize content, tailor and measure ads, and provide a safer experience. 1983 Topps Tony Gwynn RC #482 1983 Topps Baseball is one of the best sets of the decade. It certainly does. Top 10 Baseball Rookie Cards of the 1980s - The Cardboard Connection Unlike his regular 81 Topps RC, the then future Hall of Famer is pictured on his own card, another gem from the ground-breaking 1981 Topps Traded set. In addition to picking up his only career Gold Glove, he also snagged his first Silver Slugger and finished second in MVP voting to Milwaukee pitcher, Rollie Fingers. Take Roger Maris cards, for example. Big difference. 1986 Donruss Highlights cards have two versions printed. The whited-out variation has 105 in population while the scribbled-out in white only has 67, which takes 1st place for the rarest variation. Because he played for four different MLB teams, including the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, and Houston Astros, hes a highly collectible player. What list of valuable baseball cards from the 1980s is complete without the Johnny Ray/Barry Bonds error card? Join the hundreds of thousands of collectors who have benefited from the OPG. On August 17 in the 1980 baseball season, George Brett doubled to reach the .400 mark an amazing feat made even more spectacular considering he was batting just .259 after the first month of the season. 1985 Fleer Kirby Puckett RC #286. He deserves so much more than that. In his eight baseball seasons, Jackson had a career batting average of .250, hit 141 home runs, and had 415 RBIs, with a slugging average of .474. Nostalgia. Most Valuable Baseball Cards: The Ultimate Guide - Wax Pack Gods 10 Most Valuable 1980s Fleer Baseball Rookie Cards - Beckett News After pacing the league in strikeouts during seven of his previous eight seasons with the Angels, nearly everyone expected that he would be at the top every year. For whatever reason, some moments in sports history seem to resonate with people in such a way that they almost become locked in memory. I personally love 80s baseball cards and have some in my personal collection that are worth more than just the monetary value. Allowing for one of the most valuable Don Mattingly rookie cards to stand out from the rest. The ten-time All-Star who could hit and field with the best of him and his charismatic personality made him quite the popular ball player among not only Twins fans but baseball fans in general. Mattingly solidified himself as a solid hitter during the 1984 season as he picked up the batting title that year after finishing with a .343 average. Moreover, Henderson was ranked in the league's top 100 all-time home run hitters at the end of his last Major League game in 2003. Like Roger Clemens, Kirby Puckett has a 1984 Fleer Update XRC. Description. Card values tanked and many collectors now refer to that part of the hobby as the "junk era.". Nobody gets to 3,000 career hits by accident. This particular card was graded by PSA and found to be in gem mint 10 conditions. For decades, O-Pee-Chee played the role of Topps' counterpart in the Canadian market. Having won the 1985 Heisman Trophy Award while at Auburn, he was then selected No. Meanwhile, this might be the only time Johnny Ray was ever mistaken for Barry Bonds. Not only did Ripken break Lou Gehrig's streak for consecutive games played, but he also left a legacy as arguably the greatest shortstop who ever played. The 22-year-old future Hall-of-Famer put on a show in the days after the manager's announcement, winning Berra over with his impact bat and elite fielding instincts. There was a time when the world came together for one thing: finding Wade Boggs Topps RCs. For an era of cards that many call junk wax, the 80s have some decent cards. Please enter the verification code that you received on your email. The 1980s was a decade of big change for baseball cards. Great choice, and everything works on this RC. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. Ryan was just an absolute monster when it came to pitching, and the value of his baseball cards reflects this. His cards populate the majority of the rest, with about 100 submitted. And then got his own baseball card. He also loves to write about the hobby and has written for Beckett, Topps, SABR and of course, this website. If it looking for someone specifically. It was only available in Canadas O-Pee-Chee baseball packs, as part of the companys emphasis on its nations teams the Toronto Blue Jays and Montreal Expos. Fleer broke Topps' monopoly with a landmark court case in 1980 that opened the door for the Philadelphia gum maker and others to produced baseball cards starting in 1981. Not only does the Tiffany distinction make it tough to find in high grade but another contributing factor to that difficulty was its position on the printing sheet. Of those submitted, 271 have been declared PSA 10 gem mint condition. We should have been hoarding up Michael Jordan cards back then. Regardless of its market value at any given point in time, the significance of this rookie card cannot be overstated as, again, the 1980 Topps set signaled the end of the vintage era. The Most Valuable 80s Baseball Cards - eightieskids.com Yeah, we know. So, many collectors dont even know they exist. He hit four the next year, then exploded with 83 round-trippers from 1986-88. So far, I have found that in 1985, Topps commissioned O-Pee-Chee, its Canadian branch, to make a test mini set similar to the 1975 Topps Mini set. As you can imagine, finding PSA 10 examples of a given O-Pee-Chee card is substantially more difficult than finding a Topps example in the same condition. Will it be as one of his eras most prolific sluggers, whose name was never linked to performance enhancing drugs? 25 Most Valuable 1980 Topps Baseball Cards - Old Sports Cards You'll usually find them on lower-quality card stock or with rough, jagged cuts. Wills was slow to forget the slight, not signing a deal with Topps until 1967. But it took some time to develop his power. Other than that, the design is exactly the same as the base card. If one does surface for auction, expect prices over $2,300. Three years ahead of Ccores famous 1990 Bo Jackson baseball/football shot, this card was part of classic Games introduction of a box set game with baseball card content. 1980 Topps Baseball Cards 30 Most Valuable. But three years after this RC was released, the lefthander won the first of his two Cy Young awards and went on to earn a plaque in Cooperstown. In 2007, he was elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility and currently has the fifth-highest voting percentage (98.53%). The 1985 Topps Tiffany is Roger Clemenss most valuable rookie card. by ; 28 kwietnia 2023 Sure, the same thing can be said about all eras, and each will feel different . I grew up in the 80s and chased many of these cards and ripped hundreds of packs in my days. Much like the Bowman and Topps Tiffany releases, Fleer also produced a premium version of their cards that year to go along with their 1989 Fleer base set. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 by Old Sports Cards, LLC. Those 1988 . For the true Bo Jackson collector, this card is a must-have for your collection. As an interesting side note, and perhaps a sad one for Wade Boggs fans, only Gwynn and Sandberg appeared in the smaller O-Pee-Chee checklist, so Boggs doesn't have an O-Pee-Chee rookie, unfortunately. Need help buying or selling cards or have a general question about the hobby? Those are some pretty good numbers considering these cards may have been thrown in a dumpster at one time. With 354 career wins, 7 Cy Young awards, and 4,672 strikeouts (just to name a few of his unbelievable achievements) he certainly has the numbers to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Cant have that. Easily one of the most iconic baseball cards of the 1980s, theDon Mattingly rookie card is the clear headliner of the 1984 Topps set. Donruss dramatically changed its look from its first set in 1981 to its second in 1982. And as you can see, it's value has held up very well over time. Nolan Ryan cards, especially in high grade, remain incredibly popular among hobbyists. The Tiffany version ranks high on our list due to a modest print run of 6,000 sets, but this regular non-Tiffany RC still ranks here because its Griffey. This means less than 4% of the population are in gem mint condition cases. There wasnt a lot to get excited about when the 1987 Fleer Update sets arrived, outside of the first Fleer card of A.L. Gary Wade peered through the glass case at some vintage baseball cards. The rarity of the Bo Jackson Highlights in White rookie card is quite impressive. Part of a subset (cards #389 - 404) that paid tribute to several members of the 1984 U.S. Olympic team that took silver in Los Angeles that year, McGwire's card is clearly the key. Carter was class. And so on. It didnt take long for those busting 82 Fleer to realize that John Littlefields card featured a reverse negative, making the righthander a lefty on the card front. Yeah, about that. But, we'll just have to wait and see if voters will ever end up giving a pass to guys like Clemens, Barry Bonds, etc. An RC of one of the games greatest, this one isnt winning any beauty contests. 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. One of Ken Griffey Jr.s most sought-after rookie cards is his 1989 Bowman Tiffany card #220. Bonner and Schneider didn't have the career that Cal Ripken Jr. did, and to say that "The Iron Man" lived up to the "Future Star" tag would be an understatement. However, Ken Griffey Jr can be found only in the Bowman Tiffany and Traded Tiffany sets. Coming out of Seton Hall, Biggio was a catcher. But the key card of the set would be of a 20-year-old guy who posted a 2-4 mark and 5.56 ERA in 31 innings the year before. Big Macs second Topps-issued card, but the first pictured with Oakland. Of those 22 submitted, 14 were found in mint condition, with just 1 being gem mint. 5 Surging Panini Prizm Basketball Cards 1980 Dodgers TCMA 1959 Checklist and Details, Turning Back the Clock: 1989 Topps Baseball Cards Commercial, 1983 O-Pee-Chee Baseball Checklist, Team Set Lists and Details, 1981 Topps Baseball Checklist, Team Set Lists and Details, Sports Cards Release Dates, Calendar and Whats New, 2023 Baseball Cards Release Dates, Checklists and Set Information, 2022-23 Panini Obsidian Basketball Details, Beckett Sports Card Hot / Cold April 29, 2023, 10 Career-Defining Sammy Sosa Baseball Cards Instant PC, 2022 Topps Renaissance MLS Checklist and Details, 2023 Panini Stars & Stripes USA Baseball Checklist and Details, 2023 Topps Baseball Team Sets Checklists and Details, 2023 Rittenhouse Doctor Who Series 1-4 Checklist and Details, 2023 Upper Deck Jay and Silent Bob Reboot Checklist, Trading Cards Details, 2022-23 Leaf Optichrome Basketball hecklist and Details. But, he also received his own standalone rookie in the 1981 Topps Traded set. Bo warned the Bucs not to select him, but they did anyway. After Docs record-breaking 1984 season, Topps opted for a non-pitching shot of the dominating righthander. 1989 Topps #343 Gary Sheffield Future Star. The leading destination for sports card and collectible enthusiasts. Rather, its a card released during Juniors rookie season. For example, as of this writing, there are just under 700 examples of Gwynn's Topps rookie card that achieved PSA 10 grade status, while there are over 13,000 examples of Ken Griffey Jr.'s 1989 Topps Traded rookie graded in PSA 10 holders. After tallying 138 wins and 2,416 strikeouts over eight seasons with the California Angles, Nolan Ryan signed a $4.5 million four-year deal with the Houston Astros during the 1979 offseason. They do, however, have an interesting bottom team and player call-out section not found in other sets. After all In many ways, the 1980s were the golden era of baseball card collecting. Donruss knew something good when they saw it, and made Wally card #1 in the inaugural The Rookies box set. Because he DHd for much of the second half of his 22-year career, people tend to forget what a great player Baines was through much of the 80s. It used to be Billy Ripken was best known for being Cals younger brother. Recently, the price of a PSA 9 has continued to steadily fall to around $2,000 or less. It's not necessarily the most valuable cards of the decade. Sure, Gwynn was one of the greatest hitters who ever played with 8 batting titles to his name, but why are collectors willing to pay so much for this card in top grade? PRICES POP APR FACTS REGISTRY SHOP WITH AFFILIATES. The 1989 Fleer Bill Ripken is a one-of-a-kind error card. The same thing that propelled the show Stranger Things to the top of the charts and straight to the hearts of millions across the country. Either way, they are pretty rare and valuable. This set was printed by McDag Productions and features popular players at the time, including Bo Jackson and Frank Thomas. And it was a more affordable option than the 84 Fleer Update an important fact to budget-conscious collectors. The Great Baseball Card Bubble - Slate Magazine Starting off the list of most valuable baseball cards from the 1980s is the 1980 Topps George Brett base set card. When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. So, if you want a copy in gem mint condition, prepare to dish out over $800. When graded gem mint 10 by PSA, the value has gone as high as $180,000. With only 371 found in gem mint condition, they are relatively rare and expensive. Like its competitors, Topps waited until its late-season Traded release to issue the companys first card of the 17-game winner and 1984 Rookie of the Year, who also finished second in the Cy Young Award voting. But its still a fun card, even if it is just a guy who made a living dressed as a chicken. To some, the selling point might be a little high for a non-rookie card, so how did it land such a high price tag? 1984 Fleer Update Roger Clemens RC #27 Although it may never be made official, Roger Clemens put up Hall of Fame numbers. This RC was on fire when pulled from 1988 Donruss packs. He stole 80 bases in 1986, and followed that up the next season with 50 steals. But Fleer did have a moment of lapsed competency when it spelled Graig Nettles name as Craig (with a C) on the card back. Most Valuable Baseball Cards from the 1980s Price Guide & Values And so they parted with a 20-year-old Michigan native named Smoltz, trading him to the Braves for 36-year-old veteran Doyle Alexander. The 1984 Donruss baseball set features player portraits from the chest up. But, the ones that do pay premium prices for the near-perfect examples. MT 9. His 1984 Fleer Update XRC is by far his greatest card released during the 1984-85 era. Henderson is often regarded as the MLB's greatest lead-off hitter and base-runner. First, new collectors entered the hobby based on the idea of treating baseball cards as an investment. Kirby Puckett wasted no time in making his mark in Minnesota, batting .296 as a 24-year-old rookie in 1984. PSA has graded just 610 of the Griffey Bowman Tiffany rookie cards. A Ripken Jr. Rickey Henderson's 1980 rookie card is a thing of beauty, no doubt. the more valuable the card. For example, the 1989 Topps Heads Up set turned out to be a test issue that the company released to expand its reach into the hot market. Nothing spectacular about this Pete Rose card besides its very low PSA 10 population report. Of the players shown here, only one went on to set the major league record for consecutive games played, collect 3,184 hits, win two league MVP awards, play in 19 All-Star Games and earn a plaque in Cooperstown.