Surprisingly, only 565 of the Tiffany Traded Bo Jackson rookies have been graded by PSA so far. Rounding out the top 10 is the 1983 O-Pee-Chee Tony Gwynn rookie card, in PSA 10 gem mint condition. This seller was unusually experienced on the auction website, with 1056117 reviews under their belt. However, you may wonder why one particular card didn't make the top 25. Of all his rookie cards, the 1986 Topps Traded is the most desirable and expensive card you can find. Website . Being the Canadian cousin to Donruss, you can see that there isn't much different about the Leaf design overall except for the green leaf logo in the upper-left and the French text and Leaf trademark data on the reverse. And, like Clemens, that might cut into the value and prestige of his 1985 Fleer Rookie Card to a . PSA has graded just 610 of the Griffey Bowman Tiffany rookie cards. As a result of the legal process, Rose accepted his placement on baseball's permanently ineligible list, which would ban him from the game and Cooperstown for life. The USA Baseball subset in 1985 Topps introduced the program to the masses, and brought this slugging first basemans first licensed trading card to the forefront of the collectibles industry. Otherwise, if found in PSA 9 condition, it would have sold considerably less at around $90. "Honus Wagner." Sports Card Investor. Mickey Mantle is a name known even to . Bowman had not released a set since 1955 after they were bought out by their largest competitor, Topps. Yes, it was corrected but by then it had made industry headlines and the C Nettles was all anyone wanted. Yep, looks like a 1989 Upper Deck card but its not. 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. Nostalgia. 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? Nor did as many pristine examples survive as centering and print bubbles were always tough challenges with this set. A ho-hum image, maybe, but still a key card of one of the most popular players of the decade. He also picked up his only Silver Slugger award and was named to his fifteenth All-Star game, seemingly on a surefire trajectory to the Hall of Fame at that point in his career. This card of the 1980 AL Rookie of the Year is credited with making the Rookie Card a thing in the industry. . "100 Most Valuable Baseball Cards: The All-Time Dream List." Baseball Reference. The third and fourth are the hardest and come close to a tie. Production seemed to multiply from 1984 numbers, and who could blame Donruss for not wanting to leave money on the table? Lifetime .312 hitter, two American League batting titles, lifetime .933 OPS, more career walks (1,283) than strikeouts (1,202) and the guy you wanted to see at the plate when the game was on the line. Rickey Henderson's 1980 rookie card is a thing of beauty, no doubt. Along with those of Wade Boggs and Ryne Sandberg, the 1983 ToppsTony Gwynn rookie card is one of the most iconic baseball cards of the 1980s. 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. They also hold memories of pulling these cards from the packs or going to games and seeing these players in person. O-Pee-Chee complies and produces roughly 130 sheets containing 132 different players. Coming out of Seton Hall, Biggio was a catcher. So, the supply is meager. 25 Most Valuable 1980 Topps Baseball Cards - Old Sports Cards He signed, became an All-Star and marketing gold. Because they were printed for the Canadian market, the print run was much less than the regular issue Topps. With only 56 found in gem mint condition, they are challenging to find. And, you guessed it, the Tiffany version is even more valuable in PSA 10 condition. Most Valuable Baseball Cards from the 1980s Price Guide & Values I've always loved this card and it's probably my favorite one in the set overall. From 1992-1995, the guy with the pencil-thin mustache on this card won four consecutive National League Cy Young awards, leading the league in innings pitched each time. The 1980s marked a period of rapid interest in baseball cards. Even so lets just say the Braves won the trade. Nolan Ryan made his debut with the Houston Astros in 1980 and that season was a bit unusual for him for one glaring reason:he did not lead the league in strikeouts. His cards populate the majority of the rest, with about 100 submitted. Also, this seems to be available in fewer quantities than Topps and Donruss Clemens efforts in 1985. He threw fastballs over 100mph consistently and even into his 40s. Gary Wade peered through the glass case at some vintage baseball cards. Check out my list of the Most Valuable Baseball Cards from the 1980s. I grew up in the 80s and chased many of these cards and ripped hundreds of packs in my days. Like Topps Tiffany cards, O-Pee-Chee cards are relatively difficult to come across. 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. The Great Baseball Card Bubble - Slate Magazine The hottest baseball card in the Summer of 83 wasnt Sandberg, Gwynn or Boggs. GEM-MT 10. Only 51 made it into a PSA 10 cases of those submitted. 7 Most Valuable Baseball Rookie Cards From the 1980s - Gold Card Auctions The availability of this set is much more limited than the regular issue Topps Traded set. It took less than a month for Mattingly to convince Berra otherwise. And the introduction of grading to the hobby has led to some collectors paying massive amounts of money for certain cards deemed to be in pristine condition. Topps manufactured a striking Pete Rose card in 1980, featuring an intense close-up shot of the player's face. After Docs record-breaking 1984 season, Topps opted for a non-pitching shot of the dominating righthander. Therefore, the market has responded by boosting the price level of Gwynn's rookie in PSA 10 condition to the price levels you see here. Last,I didn't include any test issues from those mainstream companies. Many still are. The black box cover-up is the easiest to acquire, with over 1,200 submitted to PSA. And there are several rookie cards in this set. What list of valuable baseball cards from the 1980s is complete without the Johnny Ray/Barry Bonds error card? The 1980s was a decade of big change for baseball cards. 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. Adjusting from the American League to the National League may have been the root cause for the drop-off. Nolan Ryan is arguably one of the best pitchers the MLB has ever seen. The 25 Most Valuable Baseball Cards from the 1980s - YouTube And the reverse of O-Pee-Chee cards typically printed text in both English and French because of their role as the major player in the Canadian market. Great job on this!!! Furthermore, he holds the record for most consecutive games played, 2,632, surpassing Lou Gehrigs streak of 2,130, which lasted for 56 years and that many deemed unbreakable. Lee Smith is recognized as one of the dominant closers in baseball history. Interestingly, Ryan's highest single-season strikeout total in nine years with the Houston Astros was only 270 in 1987, a year in which he also led the NL with a 2.76 ERA. The Topps Traded set, however, has had a mind-blowing 46,835 submitted! Larkin hit .353 in his hometown Reds four-game sweep of Oakland in the 1990 World Series. The weather looked great in Winter Haven, and young Roger Clemens was smiling. 1980 Topps Card Prices | PSA & Ungraded Values - SportsCardsPro After a 25-year hiatus, the 1985 Leaf set marked the brand's return to the hobby since they produced their last set back in 1960. A few months later, the Kansas City Royals took Bo in the fourth round of the 1986 MLB Draft. 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. You know, for a time there, he really did kind of look like a human version of E.T. Important: Judging condition and understanding the grading system will . NM-MT 8. If found in GEM-MT 10 condition, Henderson's 1980 #482 Topps card will be worth $27,500 right now. There was a time when the world came together for one thing: finding Wade Boggs Topps RCs. Your top 100 list more than anything else is what brought me back into the hobby last year after a 30 year hiatus. With this card, Fleer became the only manufacturer to produce an XRC and RC of The Rocket. Of the 134 cards submitted, only 13 managed to make the 10 grade. Easily one of the most iconic baseball cards of the 1980s, theDon Mattingly rookie card is the clear headliner of the 1984 Topps set. Fleer was ahead of the curve for this one, as well as card #10 on this very list. Nolan Ryan cards, especially in high grade, remain incredibly popular among hobbyists. Fleer used a great image for this Rookie Card, opting for a dialed-in Clemens, which seems appropriate. But, when you add a name like Nolan Ryan (or Rickey Henderson above) to the mix then the price only skyrockets. This makes the PSA 10 population just 4% of the entire graded population. They did eventually fix things in their factory set and in the Leaf printing. 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. Most know that during the hobby craze of that era, rampant overproduction led to a bubble that eventually burst. One of Ken Griffey Jr.s most sought-after rookie cards is his 1989 Bowman Tiffany card #220. all different years. Heres a vote to return to the yellow helmets full-time. Using his fastball almost exclusively, he struck out the side, fanning Lance Parrish, Chet Lemon and Alvin Davis. While some dealers broke box sets to sell singles, others chose not to. You'll also notice the numbering of the sets was different as Clemens is card #99 in the Leaf set versus #273 in the Donruss set. With such a small amount of these being found in gem mint condition, its no wonder they are one of the most valuable baseball cards of the 1980s. So far, there have been just 22 submitted. 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. He won 10 Gold Glove awards, batted an even .300 over 17 years and finished less than 300 hits shy of 3,000. Or will McGriff just be collateral damage from the misdoings around him? When he entered the 1984 All-Star Game in San Francisco to open up the fifth inning, Gooden was 19-years old, just two years out of Hillsborough High School in Tampa. 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. This means only 6% of the population is in near-perfect conditions. So far, PSA has authenticated and graded only 11 copies. Two Mattingly RCs in the first 11 cards on this list? When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. 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. Of those submitted, 271 have been declared PSA 10 gem mint condition. Read our methodology . Barry looks thrilled to be getting his picture taken. The Cubs drafted him in 1982, but he left to play for eight different teams throughout his career. Youve come to the right place. 1989 Topps Traded #57T Randy Johnson. This isnt even Cals first Topps card that appears elsewhere on this list but it was more challenging, and more expensive, to secure after its release in late 1982. And as you can see, it's value has held up very well over time. This is, hands down, his best rookie card to date. 8 Great 1980 Topps Baseball Cards Beyond Rickey Henderson 1990 score football series 2 most valuable cards Surprisingly, over 7,000 Don Mattingly rookie cards have been submitted to PSA. Making it much more collectible and valuable. The card shows teammate Johnny Ray but has all Barry Bondss information on the front and back. And then there was Kirk Gibson's walk-off home run in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series against the Oakland A's. But Fleer did have a moment of lapsed competency when it spelled Graig Nettles name as Craig (with a C) on the card back. Top 100 1980s Baseball Cards and Why They're So Memorable - Beckett News Rookie Card for the frugal shopper. Whatever the reason, Ryan turned in the second-lowest K/9 ratio of his career (7.7) outside of his final season in 1993. He hit four the next year, then exploded with 83 round-trippers from 1986-88. Cant have that. If it looking for someone specifically. This is one of the hobbys most iconic and recognizable error cards. However, he was openly disappointed with Berra's assertion in Spring Training that he'd open the season on the bench. This Topps RC while maybe not as coveted as the Donruss RC was at the time, but pretty darn close still is very recognizable and stands the test of time as one of the 1980s key Rookie Cards. Topps Tiffany cards have glossy surfaces on the front and white card stock on the back. Take Roger Maris cards, for example. Don Mattingly is a legendary player for the New York Yankees, and his rookie cards are some of the most expensive of 80s baseball cards. There are two versions of this card yellow lettering with red Two For the Title came from wax packs. It includes the O-Pee-Chee logo in the upper right in place of the Topps logo. I think we can all agree Topps could have found a more flattering photo for Gwynns Rookie Card. But, it's not always the case. This Topps card features Henderson in action in yellow and white Oakland Athletics uniform, with the bench blurred in the background. He won the next year. Another thing that stands out is its deep checklist that is highlighted by rookie cards of Ryne Sandberg and Wade Boggs, and the second-year Cal Ripken Jr. Baltimore News Babe Ruth Pre Rookie Card with yellow background. Consider Michael Jordan's buzzer-beater over Craig Ehlo during the 1989 Playoffs that sent the Cavaliers packing. After Fernando started 8-0 with a 0.50 ERA with eight complete games and five shutouts in his first eight starts, "Fernandomania" swept across the country. Due to the low print run of the letters in white variation, they are much more valuable than the copies with yellow text. Everybody wanted one. Nobody seriously, nobody could have seen 305 wins and the Hall of Fame in his future. The same thing that had people rushing to see Ready Player One, or even, for some reason, wanting to relive the horror of It. Iconic card: 1980 Topps #482, which sold for $180,100 in February 2021. They were based in Passaic, New Jersey. 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%). So, keep your eyes open for the Frank Thomas and Bo Jackson Auburn Tigers Tiger Great cards. Many collectors prefer the 1952 card, but the 1951 Bowman is still a piece of baseball history. Another Boggs RC makes the list, and this Fleer was the only one of the three (Topps, Fleer, Donruss) with a non-action shot, providing a good look at the player who collected 3,010 hits, won five batting titles and hit better than .360 in four different seasons. Rookie Cards were so valuable to collectors in 1989, that if Oprah had been involved in baseball cards, she would have been saying to her studio guests, You get a Griffey Jr. RC! Since 1989, hes mostly been known for his penmanship. His percentage of the voting total peaked at 6.1% in 2010 and he would fall off the ballot the next year after receiving just 4.8% of the vote. Topps Tiffany baseball cards are by far some of the most valuable baseball cards from both the 80s and the 90s. However, the Bo Jackson football cards have reached prices upwards of $1,500. Yeah, about that. Donruss sold a lot of 86 Donruss packs for this Canseco card alone. Not a bad career for the kid who attended Cincinnatis Moeller High School, the same school that later graduated Ken Griffey Jr. Back before his 3,000 hits and 500 home runs, and back before Raffys life became complicated, there was this. And, fortunately for the collecting world, Topps gave him a standalone rookie card when they included him in their 1982 Topps Traded set. Old Sports Cards. Lets look at the population report and see just how rare the Frank Thomas cards are. Dimensions: 4-1/2 x 6. When examining the bottom left corner, youll find the O-Pee-Chee logo instead of the Topps. The dual-photo fronts remain a favorite with many collectors. Because of their relative scarcity compared to the base Bowman version, these Griffey rookies can fetch huge prices in top condition. Apparently there were some concerns over Hatchers defensive abilities. Chances are, the buyers are either investors to sell them in the distant future or Tony Gwynn collectors with no intention of selling at all. They are some of the more valuable cards from the 80s. And there are plenty of people who want it. According to the PSA website, the 1951 Mickey Mantle Bowman RC is Mantle's only rookie card. As the kids of the era would say, Doc could bring it.. Fleer was the only company that included a Kittle RC in its regular set, as Donruss and Topps passed. Topps decides not to follow through with the set and tells them to dispose of the cards. Yeah, we know. Overall, he had a solid professional baseball career, but he didn't quite put up the kind of Hall of Fame resum needed for induction when he was first eligible in 2007. Making them one of his most valuable baseball cards from the 1980s. 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. Oh, there were some highlights such as Steve Carlton looking uncomfortable in a Cleveland Indians uniform. Sometimes youll find versions of these that look like they were hand-cut by a kid with plastic scissors and little use for even borders. For that reason, his card is easily the most desirable in the set and is worth around $250 or so in a PSA 10 holder. The second easiest is the black scribble, which has just over 600 submitted. Like McGwire, Clemens' legacy will forever hang under a cloud of controversy due to his involvement in the PED scandal. So, it's tough to say which of them is the most desirable of the three, although most hobbyists would likely side with the Topps issue. My only wish is that a clearer example of the Randy Johnson Marlboro card was shown in #29. PSA has seen just 516 of the O-Pee-Chee Barry Bonds rookie 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. Baines also won a Silver Slugger in 1989 and led the American League in slugging percentage (.541) in 1984. I didn't know it at the time, but these errors only turned up in factory sets and all my Donruss Opening Day cards had been pulled from packs. 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. The evidence is that a PSA 9 mint copy, with 748 in existence, sells for considerably less than $100. If the population stays this low, we can expect to see the value rise. The 1986 Topps Traded Tiffany version of Barry Bonds' iconic rookie can be worth big bucks, as much as $1,250 in PSA condtition. 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. Donruss did, letting collectors believe Floyd Bannister was actually Tom Seaver in the first printing of 85 Donruss. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network and Amazon. Most Valuable Topps Baseball Cards: Record Sales Price: 1952 Mickey Mantle #311 : $12.6 million : 2011 Mike Trout "Platinum" ~$1.1 million : 1969 Reggie Jackson #260 : $1.005 million So far, PSA has graded roughly 1,550 of the Pete Rose #180 cards. The photographer and the entire Fleer printing team did not miss this. I have 75 of these and am working on completing my little set!! Top 50 Most Valuable baseball rookie cards. However, Ken Griffey Jr can be found only in the Bowman Tiffany and Traded Tiffany sets. I was stunned when I read the price next to the Barry Bonds error card. With just 26 making the PSA 10 grade, they are scarce in said condition. Top 10 Baseball Rookie Cards of the 1980s - The Cardboard Connection You want the Rookie Card of the major leagues all-time runs scored and stolen base leader?