Most Expensive A fantastic portrait of the Sultan of Swat wearing a tilted Yankees cap is shown atop a bold, red background. However, he still put together a worthy encore to his 2010 breakthrough. Thus, Pujols was left out in a season where he finished fifth in the NL's MVP balloting. Again, the biggest condition issues with this card will arise from the glossy coating on the obverse that usually ends up cracking or creasing. The Sox finished at 79-83, out of the playoffs for the third-straight year. Baseball Cards. Centering that favors the bottom and slight angular cuts are usually the factors that prevent these cards from reaching higher grades. 2022 Topps Series 1 Baseball Box: Top 5 Cards and Review And after striking out 145 times in 518 at-bats the year before, Ortiz K'd just 83 times in 525 at-bats in 2011. As with Mantles 1952 Topps card, some still mistake this card as Mays rookie, too. 10 Most Valuable Sammy Sosa Baseball Cards While Ty Cobb might be the most desired player in the entire set, there is no doubt that Honus Wagner is also an incredibly sought after player as well. Card: Willie Mays Team: New York Mets Value: $1,675 In 1950 and 1951, Topps and Bowman were both releasing baseball trading cards with their candy. Prices are updated daily based upon 2006 Topps listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. Most players on this list only have one recognized rookie card to their name. Its amazing to think of the stats that Williams could have produced had he not missed nearly five full seasons of his prime to military service. 3. But, the Great Bambino is the number one card to own out of all of them. 1914 Cracker Jack Joe Jackson The 1914 Cracker Jack Joe Jackson has a staggering value of $200,000. Prices are updated daily based upon 2023 Topps listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. 4 Hank Aaron #660. Both are not cheap but it is this version that is the more desirable and expensive of the two. Two decades of pro ball were catching up to Ichiro. The card is subtle in design and imagery but remains a truly majestic card for any serious collector to consider. There are four different Babe Ruth cards in the 1933 Goudey set, #s 53, 144, 149 and 181. Wagner, Ruth, Cobb, Mantle and Mays are just several of the baseball greats that reside on this list of cardboard rarities. 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. So, if you can get your hands on one of these cards in high grade then you are looking at some big bucks. Five Hall of Famers made their rookie card debut in the T206 set and Walter Johnson is one of them, a fact that makes this card even more interesting. 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. 15 Most Valuable 2011 Topps Baseball Cards - Old Sports Cards All of them are on this list of most valuable baseball cards so that speaks to their importance and desirability. The 1912 Plows Candy E300 Mathewson features a large photographic image of the legendary pitcher of the Dead Ball Era framed by text reading. With Mays, the opposite is true: his Bowman rookie card is worth more than his 1952 Topps card. Before I get started, I just want to clarify some of the criteria I used in creating this list. 1956 Topps Mickey Mantle #135 #6. And like Altuve, Martinez started with the Greeneville Astros and worked his way up to the Class AA Corpus Christi Hooks. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2022 by Old Sports Cards, LLC. Read our methodology . 1953 Topps #82 Mickey Mantle RC #3. 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. The set is one of if not the most condition sensitive of the early E class era. Most Expensive [2006 Topps] Baseball Cards - SportsCardsPro You could argue the imagery isn't the nicest in the hobby but it makes for an unforgettable card design. So, although not as desirable as the others, the fact that it exists in such great condition brings a steep price tag. Kershaw was more than up to the task, bringing home the Dodgers' first Cy Young trophy since Eric Gagne in 2003 with a banner year. Most Expensive 2023 Topps Baseball Cards Most Expensive 2023 Topps card list & price guide. And with cameras rolling from every angle, Jeter made sure to give HBO a show worth airing. Reigning NL MVP Joey Votto couldn't carry an inconsistent, snake-bitten Cincinnati Reds squad to a second-straight postseason in 2011. 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. This card is as visually stunning as it is rare. And he pitched with a tenacious on-mound presence in the toughest of game situations. 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. 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. 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. For others, it's the . Contact him at [emailprotected]. 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. Ortiz's 29 home runs and 96 RBIs were pretty on-brand compared to recent years. However, #160 is the more difficult of the two to find in high grade so it generally fetches higher prices. 1987 Topps Baseball Cards - 25 Most Valuable - Wax Pack Gods Most Expensive 2020 Topps card list & price guide. By 2012, Chapman had it down, fine-tuning his electric pitch repertoire en route to becoming a legit Cy Young candidate. Not many people outside of the baseball card hobby know who Joe Doyle is. After winning the NL Cy Young Award in 2010 and leading the Philadelphia Phillies to within two games of a third-straight World Series appearance, Roy Halladay was a man on a mission in 2011. 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. One of the bright spots for Boston was the re-emergence of designated hitter David Ortiz as an elite hitting threat. 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. Top 15 Most Valuable Baseball Cards from the 1960s - PSA COLLECTOR Arguably the greatest hitter of all time, Williams posted some truly jaw-dropping numbers over his career: a .344 batting average, a .483 on-base average and a .634 slugging average. Any collector lucky enough to get his hands on Mathewsons card is sure to be ecstatic. Centering can also be a challenge as with most cards of the era. This is the keyJackie Robinson baseball card you should add to your collection. That story is enough to make any collector cringe. His .250 batting average reflected the lack of discipline and experience but his .474 slugging percentage hinted at the kind of power he could bring to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Most Expensive [2022 Topps] Baseball Cards - SportsCardsPro Its arguably the most visually pleasing and desirable of all the Ted Williams baseball cards in the hobby. Like many 1952 Topps cards, this Mays issue is prone to tilt and centering problems. 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. If you remember, during Game 3 of the 1932 World Series against the Chicago Cubs, Babe Ruth made his famous Called Shot. By Ryan Cracknell. 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. This incredibly important card is beautiful in design, depicting nice artwork of Mantle ready at the bat. There arent manySatchel Paige baseball cards in the hobby but this is a great looking card of the legendary pitcher. On the surface, the 1948 Leaf card with its use of color appears to be more attractive than the 1948 Bowman card. By his third season in 2013, Goldschmidt had developed into a perennial All-Star and MVP candidate. 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. We are user supported. In true Jeter fashion, the Yankees shortstop went above and beyond the moment at hand. Some collectors go for the base set. Estimated PSA 4.5 VG-EX+ Value: $1,100,000. 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. 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. 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 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. 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. Considered to be one of the more obscure Honus Wagner type cards its value continues to remain strong. It is by far the most important of allHank Aaron baseball cards. And that first season with the Red Sox in 2018 has been the greatest of his career so far. 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. | Compare vs. While collectors could pull 1914 Cracker Jack cards directly from the box, that also meant they usually had caramel stains on them. But, there are two major glaring differences overall between Mathewsons cards. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Although it features identical imagery as his 1914 Cracker Jack issue, most high-end examples of these two issues are of the 1915. It would fetch much more than that today. Shortcuts: Here are the most expensive baseball cards right now Produced in 1915 by the American Caramel Company of York, Pennsylvania, the E106 set consists of 48 different cards, including two varieties of the legendary Ty Cobb. Its so rare that only a handful exist and not many collectors have even seen one in person. Collectors who take on the challenge of completing this set are no doubt in for an extremely tough challenge. This also is not including 1/1s. Two great images of Banks are show atop a white border than can be notorious for showing print defects. Career highlights: Two-time National League Most Valuable Player (1958, 1959), 14 . Like all Bowman cards, the eye appeal of this card is amazing as a the artwork of the young Mick is simply stunning. There are two varieties of these cards with one version featuring a tobacco advertisement on the back and the other a checklist. 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. And their continued popularity and demand prove that baseball cards still do hold great value. 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. Prices are updated daily based upon 2020 Topps listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. 0% The 1932 U.S. Caramel set is one of the most desirable and challenging prewar sets in the hobby. One of the most popular 1930s sets, the 1933 Sport Kings R333 set consists of 48 cards in total. 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. 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. In four starts against Lincecum, Kershaw went 4-0 with a minuscule 0.30 ERA in 30.1 innings pitched. And this is one of the few Ruth cards overall that show him in a Boston Red Sox uniform. After a rough start at the plate, 21-year-old first baseman Freddie Freeman found his footing in the seasons final five months or so. Most cards in the T206 set are not rare but the Honus Wagner cards are because they were pulled from production early. 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. Most Expensive [2023 Topps] Baseball Cards The 2011 Atlanta Braves had an excellent crop of rookie riches. In fact, his 1986 Topps Traded Tiffany card can be worth over $2,000 in PSA condition. Big names like Albert Pujols, Ichiro, David Ortiz, Derek Jeter, Miguel Cabrera and Clayton Kershaw help round out a solid checklist. 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. It should come as no surprise that the rookie card of the greatest player who ever lived would be on this list. Most Expensive 2021 Topps Chrome Baseball Cards - SportsCardsPro He also loves to write about the hobby and has written for Beckett, Topps, SABR and of course, this website. Prices are updated daily based upon 2022 Topps listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. But since we are talking about "The Home Run King" in the year after he passed Babe Ruth on the all-time list, the odd, side-view photo cannot take away from the card's historical . 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. The question is: where do you start on this list? Identical in imagery as its 1915 Cracker Jack counterpart, the 1914 version is equally as visually pleasing. Ungraded & graded values for all '21 Topps Chrome Baseball Cards. The most expensive 2022 Topps Heritage baseball cards feature the likes of Wander Franco, Shohei Ohtani, Julio Rodriguez, and even Nolan Ryan making an appearance. But the value between the two isnt affected. Trout didn't exactly raise any eyebrows in his first game, finishing 0-3 at the plate. Collectors love the eye appeal of this beautiful pre-war set. 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. Overall, Votto hit .309 with a .947 OPS, 29 home runs, and 101 runs scored. Whether you can find one in high grade or not, though, its a superb card for any collector to own. Anthony Rizzo made his MLB debut for the San Diego Padres on June 9, 2011, against the Washington Nationals, going 1-2 at the plate with a triple and a run scored. 1986 Topps Pete Rose Card 3. At the tender age of 22, Sale made his full-season debut with the Sox as a high-leverage reliever. Votto reached base in the team's first 27 games, finishing April with an eye-popping .370 batting average. Rookie Cards. The 31-year-old superstar ended the year slashing .299/.366/.541 with 37 home runs, 29 doubles, 105 runs scored, and 99 RBIs in 651 plate appearances (579 at-bats). 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. inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1971. 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. 2005 Topps card list & price guide. The E300 issue is one of the scarcest prewar sets and had relatively been unknown until the 1960s. Are you selling sports cards that were produced from 1868 - 1975? 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. 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. And because it features a close-up of Mantle, print defects on his face can also sometimes turn off collectors. Many collectors prefer the portrait versions of Cobbs T206 card and specifically the Green Portrait. 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. Cobb was known as a ferocious competitor who was determined to be the best day in and day out. In high grade, this card can fetch big bucks. The cards design is beautiful and easily distinguished from others of the 1950s. If so, then please fill out the form below and I'll be in touch right away. Given all of the variations, parallels, inserts, autograph, and memorabilia cards included in the set, developing a definitive "most valuable" list can be quite difficult. His 3,003rd hit (and last of the day) was an RBI single that put the Yankees ahead for good in the 8th. 1955 Topps #164 Roberto Clemente RC #4. 2022 Topps Baseball Rookie Cards Guide. 1986 Topps Reggie Jackson Card 8. 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. In the postseason, Cabrera was predictably excellent. Not surprisingly, Cobbs card is the cornerstone and to the set. 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. And its extremely rareone of the rarest in the hobby. Read our methodology . Top 26 Most Valuable 1986 Topps Baseball Cards In The World 1. On the plus side, Chapman struck out 71 batters and gave up just 24 hits in a variety of high-leverage situations. Theyre undoubtedly very condition sensitive. Just a year prior, Sale wasn't even a starter yet. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. The price would certainly be astronomical. The base set from Bowman holds little value. Also, many of the known examples are found with poor centering from top to bottom. 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. 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. And I attempted to estimate their current values when graded in PSA 10 condition so their "raw" or ungraded values may be wildly different. Collectors go wild for it. (Note: The following sections contain affiliate links to current eBay and Amazon listings for the cards being discussed.) There are only a handful of known copies of this card in the hobby making it a rare and highly demanded issue. People are spending as much on old pieces of cardboard as most people spend on a house. That tells you how much the prices of Clementes rookie card have increased. #1. 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. Ross is the founder of Old Sports Cards and has been collecting sports cards for over 30 years. Another obscure and rarely seen card, the 1915 E106 American Caramel Honus Wagner Throwing variation is just as much of a classic. So why would one of his cards be so expensive? And yes, that includes those famously priceless Mickey Mantles. Track your collection for free. 3)Many high number cards were famously dumped into the ocean leaving even less of them in existence. 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. Most Valuable Baseball Cards [2023 Update] - Genius Celebs Larry Doyle, a second baseman, played for the New York Giants of the NL at the time so most likely that is the reason for the mix-up. As with most early candy or tobacco issues, this card with the image of the Georgia Peach ready to swing is the most valuable and sought after in the set. 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. But, Joe Jackson is instantly recognizable on this card depicting him as a member of the Cleveland Naps minor league team, the New Orleans Pelicans. 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). Best 2022 Topps Series 2 Valuable Cards & Best Rookie List | Witt His incredible career makesStan Musial baseball cards extremely popular with collectors. Most Expensive 2006 Topps card list & price guide. Considered by most to be the greatest lefty of all-time, Sandy Koufax has one rookie card to his name and this is it. 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. That card was later sold for $250,000 in 2007. So those that remain are some of the most sought after in the hobby. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. The card features a great image of the Sultan of Swat seated in pinstripes looking over his right shoulder atop a green background. Ungraded & graded values for all '22 Topps 1st Edition Baseball Cards. Surprisingly, many dont even consider him the best pitcher ever, though. 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. 10 Most Valuable Sammy Sosa Baseball Cards 10. Walter Johnson appears twice in the T206 set, one in a pitching pose and then again in this portrait layout. Many believe the 1887 N172 Old Judge set to be the most important 19th Century set in existence. 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. 26 Most Valuable 1986 Topps Baseball Cards In The World 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. Youll typically find that #160 shows whiter borders and a lighter blue background, too. Prices are updated daily based upon 2020 Topps listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. And then, his season came to a screeching halt with a play that changed the game of baseball forever. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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). As a result, there werent manyJoe Jackson baseball cardsproduced. It was clear that Topps wanted to do something special for their 60th anniversary and they certainly delivered. The Say Hey Kidwas arguably the greatest all-around player to step on the field. Halladay was given the ball for Games 1 and 5. 2010 and 2011 were two of the most emotionally draining years of Chipper Jones' Hall of Fame career. PriceIt Game | Key to the 1953 Topps set is the #244 Willie Mays baseball card. Poor print quality and focus plague this short print card making high-grade copies nearly unachievable. 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. Ross is the founder of Old Sports Cards and has been collecting sports cards for over 30 years. The first Dodgers hurler to secure the NL pitching Triple Crown since Sandy Koufax back in 1966, Kershaw led the National League in wins (21), strikeouts (248), and ERA (2.24), the latter serving as the best mark for a starter in all of baseball. 2022 Topps Series 1 Wander Franco RC #215 VIEW ON EBAY Winner, winner chicken dinner. Some argue that this is Mickey Mantles most beautiful card. Premium: Mathewson appears three times in the T206 set with the Portrait, White Cap and Dark Cap variations. While he cooled off from that torrid pace, the now two-time All-Star was still one of the game's most feared hitters. This still ranks among the most popular baseball cards of all-time. 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. 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. While not his most expensive baseball card, its arguably the most visually pleasing of them all. Considered one of the toughest post-war cards to collect, Leroy Satchel Paiges rookie card is a key to this set along with rookie cards of Jackie Robinson and Stan Musial. 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. Centering issues, as well as dark print blotches in the yellow background, are usually the two key issues of this card. Error cards like Joe Doyles that make it into circulation usually end up being very popular with collectors and this one is no exception. 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.