what 1980s baseball cards are valuable

Most Valuable Fleer Baseball Cards. Oversized cards dont fit into traditional sheets and are as popular as a gassy dog on a long car ride. "Honus Wagner." Sports Card Investor. A PSA 10 example price is through the roof with a meager supply and very high demand. 6. 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. But, unlike the Tiffany cards, O-Pee-Chee cards weren't necessarily premium in quality. The cards were larger than normal, measuring in at 2 1/2" x 3 3/4", and featured full color photography and facsimile signatures of the players. Like Roger Clemens, Kirby Puckett has a 1984 Fleer Update XRC. Cal Ripken Jr. played for the Orioles for the entire 21 years of his career. Like anything in life, demand couldn't keep up with that increasing supply. Those ripping packs of 1989 Upper Deck looking for Ken Griffey Jr. cards did find this RC of a Brewers shortstop who, at the time, was most known for being Dwight Goodens nephew and for his gold front teeth. He stole 80 bases in 1986, and followed that up the next season with 50 steals. 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. Remember, the Tiffany versions were produced in much smaller quantities and were printed on premium card stock. 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. 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. New companies, new technologies and a booming marketplace all brought the hobby into the mainstream. Sure, the same thing can be said about all eras, and each will feel different . 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. But, PSA 10 examples of this card can sell forsix figures. This Topps RC was, and is, Rynos card of choice as he played a near-flawless second base throughout his Hall of Fame career on the North Side. 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. Topps decides not to follow through with the set and tells them to dispose of the cards. Which, is incredibly rare. Roger Clemens played for 24 seasons in the MLB and put up some monster stats during his career. But he flourished as a second baseman and was one of the better contact hitters of his era. And, like Tony Gwynn, Sandberg also appeared in the 1983 O-Pee-Chee set. This can be attributed to several things. There were other significant cards when 1986 Topps Traded sets dropped Bo Jackson, Will Clark and Wally Joyner to name just a few but the companys first Canseco card did move the needle in the secondary market, even though Donruss and Fleer had included the youngster in their regular sets that year. 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. So far, PSA has authenticated and graded only 11 copies. It used to be Billy Ripken was best known for being Cals younger brother. Which is a minimal amount. If it werent for his 1989 RCs, most probably wouldnt even remember The Big Unit pitched for the Montreal Expos. There are no shortage of buyers for this card. This set was printed by McDag Productions and features popular players at the time, including Bo Jackson and Frank Thomas. 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. Only Lou Gehrig, at 37, was younger. This example looks similar to his far less valuable 1987 Topps rookie card; however, this is the O-Pee-Chee version. 1989 Topps #530 Nolan Ryan. Although Jeff Schneider and Bob Bonner didnt have much of a career in the Major Leagues, the player centered in the middle sure did. Well, PSA has graded and authenticated a mere 134 to date. Those 1988 . Allowing for one of the most valuable Don Mattingly rookie cards to stand out from the rest. Bo Jackson is regarded as one of the best athletes to play professional sports. Starting off the list of most valuable baseball cards from the 1980s is the 1980 Topps George Brett base set card. 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 many collectors already have figured that out. Glenn Hubbard, he of the lifetime .244 batting average and .328 On-Base Percentage, wasnt one of the top 250 players of the 1980s. The 1980s marked a period of rapid interest in baseball cards. 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. Lets be honest. 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. And then got his own baseball card. But Fleer did have a moment of lapsed competency when it spelled Graig Nettles name as Craig (with a C) on the card back. Barry looks thrilled to be getting his picture taken. 1989 Topps Traded #41T Ken Griffey Jr. 1989 Topps #647 Randy Johnson Rookie Card. But theres a freakin snake in this picture . 1986 Donruss Highlights cards have two versions printed. Anyone hear from Bonner or Schneider lately? However, due to market conditions, values fluctuate. And you thought Lex Luthor had a lot of brain power . 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. These are our picks for the top 100 baseball cards of the 1980s. 1. You know, for a time there, he really did kind of look like a human version of E.T. Yes, it was corrected but by then it had made industry headlines and the C Nettles was all anyone wanted. 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. It holds the #5 spot on this list by consistently reaching prices over $5,000 when found in PSA 10 conditions. Get my weekly newsletter with the latest hobby updates delivered straight to your inbox! The third Clemens RC (and fourth card overall) hails from 1985 Donruss, a solid set that was met with a great deal of interest from buyers figuring that if 1984 Donruss was good, 1985 would be even better. 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. Perceived to be printed in smaller quantities than the Topps Traded release (and maybe the Donruss The Rookies release, too), the image is classic Bonds bat in hand ready to uncoil. Youve come to the right place. Or will McGriff just be collateral damage from the misdoings around him? The rare variations are the scribbled out in white, and the whited out. This was one of the most popular Bonds RCs pulled from packs in 87. GEM-MT 10. Less than 200 of these "cards" ever passed through PSA's grading facilities, so they're quite rare. Everyone wants to collect the best of the best, and Nolan Ryan is at the top of the list. First, I didn't include any college or Minor League cards and stuck with only those cards that featured a given player when he was in the Majors. The most valuable 1980s baseball cards hit that defnition "valuable" on multiple fronts. Consider Michael Jordan's buzzer-beater over Craig Ehlo during the 1989 Playoffs that sent the Cavaliers packing. Surprisingly, only 565 of the Tiffany Traded Bo Jackson rookies have been graded by PSA so far. Although the 1980 season would mark the first of a nine-year stint for Nolan Ryan with the Houston Astros, Topps still had to show him as a member of the California Angels because of the timing of their print run for their 1980 Topps set. Topps produced their Tiffany collectors edition cards in their regular Topps issue sets, Topps Traded sets, and Bowman sets in 1989. Its actually a 1988 Upper Deck promo, released to stoke interest in the companys inaugural baseball release. Which gives them a much more elegant look. 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. Star Babe Ruths pre rookie card has an astronomical price tag with only ten copies in existence. If youre a Barry Bonds collector or an 80s baseball card collector, O-Pee-Chee cards are the way to go. Period. Interestingly, he bounced back in 1981 to dominate not in strikeouts but by turning in an incredible 1.69 ERA with a .688 winning percentage, both career bests, while finishing fourth in Cy Young voting. And, fortunately for the collecting world, Topps gave him a standalone rookie card when they included him in their 1982 Topps Traded set. This is one of the hobbys most iconic and recognizable error cards. the more valuable the card. 1985 Fleer Kirby Puckett RC #286. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 by Old Sports Cards, LLC. PSA graded 1,600 of them, with 48 grading gem mint 10. Pucketts quick emergence brought this RC a lot of attention from the first day 85 packs began surfacing. He was, then, the youngest player to ever play in an All-Star Game. But, he was even better with the glove as he would go on to win 9 Gold Gloves over his storied career so, rather fittingly, we get a nice shot of him on defense on this card. Everybody wanted one. Another Barry Bonds rookie card comes in at number 6 on the list. The Great Baseball Card Bubble - Slate Magazine Still one of the greatest newspaper headlines ever featured a picture of Strawberry getting some extra fly ball work as dusk began to creep in one spring training day. Mint 9s sell for about $200 on average. Its easy to do, they said. And it did. 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. Having won the 1985 Heisman Trophy Award while at Auburn, he was then selected No. Alexander went 9-0 from mid-August on. The Littlefield can still be found, but its value hasnt changed much in the last 35 years. Dimensions: 4-1/2 x 6. Indeed, Grace went on to collect the most hits of any player during the Decade of the 1990s. However, 1,098 were submitted and graded, with just 47 making the gem mint 10 grade. All rights reserved. These hardly ever pop up on eBay; when they do, they sell quickly. The 1984 American League batting championship race came down to the final game of the season, with Don Mattingly edging teammate Dave Winfield to win the title. Donruss sold a lot of 86 Donruss packs for this Canseco card alone. 1980 Topps Baseball Cards 30 Most Valuable. If the population remains low, these could increase in value over time. And many of those weren't even licensed by Major League Baseball. Ask i may have it for sslr. It had a couple things going for it: The iconic Rated Rookie logo and Canseco pictured by himself. "I have like eight of those at . Of those 130 steals, he was caught just 17 times. In 2012 these were selling for just over $500. 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. The availability of this set is much more limited than the regular issue Topps Traded set. 1990 score football series 2 most valuable cards As a rookie, he did not hit a homer. Fleer may have a shorter history than some in the hobby, but they produced some real zingers during their run. Topps Tiffany baseball cards are by far some of the most valuable baseball cards from both the 80s and the 90s. Website . And shinier. The first of two Donruss cards on this list, this one features a headshot of the 1985 American League MVP, Don Mattingly. The entire 1988 season was memorable for Gibson as he picked up the only MVP and Silver Slugger awards of his career that year. With the bright orange curved borders and team and player names, the design of the card pairs up nicely with the Orioles team colors. And 5 to 10 of each in blank back proof. The greatest lead-off hitter in the entirety of baseball history, Rickey Henderson finds no equal in the career rankings for both stolen bases and runs scored, keeping the spirit of the Dead Ball Era alive into the twenty-first century. 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. 10 Most Valuable 1980s Baseball Cards - Wax Pack Gods There are a few Frank Thomas minor league cards, but the 1987 Auburn Tigers are the most elusive. This variation is not limited to the Bo Jackson rookie card, they can be found on other player cards like Nolan Ryan, George Brett, Roger Clemens, Darryl Strawberry, and many more. The same thing that had people rushing to see Ready Player One, or even, for some reason, wanting to relive the horror of It. If the population stays this low, we can expect to see the value rise. 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. This seller was unusually experienced on the auction website, with 1056117 reviews under their belt. 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. Many people often wonder if there are any 80s baseball cards worth money. The blue border was susceptible to some chipping. 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%). Of those submitted, 271 have been declared PSA 10 gem mint condition. These sets were given to card shops as limited edition sets and not sold in stores. Despite his complicated legacy,Pete Rose cardsalso remain some of the most desirable in the hobby. But, as we know, things turned out okay for Gibby, both in Detroit and L.A. 1980-1989 Baseball Cards Checklists, Set Info, Reviews, Guide Recently, the price of a PSA 9 has continued to steadily fall to around $2,000 or less. 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. 25 Most Valuable 1980s Baseball Cards - Old Sports Cards Furthermore, the back also has the O-Pee-Chee logo and a much brighter card stock than the regular issue Topps. At season's end, Valenzuela stood with a 13-7 record, 2.48 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, and 180 strikeouts, all good enough to win him both Rookie of the Year and Cy Young honors.Valenzuela remains the only rookie ever to win the Cy Young. Its one of just two cards available from packs the year he won the NL Cy Young Award and the NL Rookie of the Year award. Eric Davis was the choice of many collectors hoarding cards in the age of the era of stash-and-sell. Henderson is often regarded as the MLB's greatest lead-off hitter and base-runner. Even so lets just say the Braves won the trade. With over 5,000 submitted to PSA, getting a gem mint copy of the actual FF error card is simple, but what about the four variations? One of the more popular cards from 1985 is the Kirby Puckett rookie card. I remember being in that late-80s baseball card collecting frenzy, and seeing the majority of these cards. The 25 Most Valuable Baseball Cards from the 1980s - YouTube A fantastic example of how a card could rise and fall. Collectors scramble over each other to obtain the most centered and flawless example whenever they hit the market. Among the most anticipated cards of the late-1986 releases were the first MLB-licensed cards of rookie sensation Wally Joyner. Had that trend held, it would've easily made this list. Read our methodology . There are four variations: a whiteout, a black box, and scribbled-out black and white. 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. Which doesnt make them very exciting. The Most Valuable 80s Baseball Cards - eightieskids.com Prices are updated daily based upon 1980 Topps listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. DD either sports a full noggin or that hat is about three stories too high. And there are several rookie cards in this set. FernandoMania was on full display in the summer of 81, and until Topps added him in its late-season Traded Set, the only card picturing the lefty alone and not paired with other prospects came via the good folks at Fleer. For the true Bo Jackson collector, this card is a must-have for your collection. Great job on this!!! My next move was to go diving through my cards to see if I had one. A key card in the Summer of 87 when McGwire was belting a then-rookie record 49 home runs. 1987 Donruss Greg Maddux RC #36 (buy on eBay) We feel the 1987 Greg Maddux Leaf rookie cards is not only one of the most underrated baseball cards of the 1980s but one of the most underrated in all of the card hobby. With this card, Fleer became the only manufacturer to produce an XRC and RC of The Rocket. This, however, is a piece of art worthy of this list. These "Fleer Glossy" cards were printed on higher quality cardboard and contained a much glossier finish on them. Another valuable card from the 1985 Topps Tiffany set is the Roger Clemens rookie card #181. Easily one of the most iconic baseball cards of the 1980s, theDon Mattingly rookie card is the clear headliner of the 1984 Topps set. Rod Carew and George Brett never looked better. 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 original printing contained a stadium Marlboro sign over the Big Units left shoulder. When examining the bottom left corner, youll find the O-Pee-Chee logo instead of the Topps. What makes 1980s baseball cards so great? That's part of it but more important are the cards' legacy and. Due to the low print run of the letters in white variation, they are much more valuable than the copies with yellow text. 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. The 1983 season saw the Rookie Cards of four players break out Sandberg, Wade Boggs, Tony Gwynn and Ron Kittle. Donruss and Fleer would join the market in 1981 and that competition would help light the spark for the hobby craze of the 1980s. 8 Great 1980 Topps Baseball Cards Beyond Rickey Henderson. And you get a Griffey Jr. RC! which would have made fun viewing. And you get to learn that in French, you would refer to Outfield as Voltigeur. Before we get started, I just wanted to clarify a few "rules" that I used to generate this list. 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. They are selling for over $1,500 today, which means they have tripled in value. 1984 Fleer Update Roger Clemens RC #27 Although it may never be made official, Roger Clemens put up Hall of Fame numbers. Most know that during the hobby craze of that era, rampant overproduction led to a bubble that eventually burst. Baines also won a Silver Slugger in 1989 and led the American League in slugging percentage (.541) in 1984. 1980 Topps Card Prices | PSA & Ungraded Values - SportsCardsPro There wasnt a lot to get excited about when the 1987 Fleer Update sets arrived, outside of the first Fleer card of A.L. Check out my list of the Most Valuable Baseball Cards from the 1980s. And as you can see, it's value has held up very well over time. He played for seven teams, but is best remembered as the glue of the back-to-back World Champion Toronto Blue Jays in 1992 and 93 when he batted a combined .347 over both Series. 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. Of the many Barry Bonds rookie cards, his 1986 Topps Traded Tiffany rookie card is one of the most valuable. The white lettering with pink Two For the Title came from factory sets. "100 Most Valuable Baseball Cards: The All-Time Dream List." Baseball Reference. After realizing they printed cards with vulgarity, they attempted to fix it. In 1984, the young slugger put on a clinic that cemented his spot and won the hearts of Yankees fans the world over. 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. 25 Most Valuable 1989 Topps Baseball Cards. PRICES POP APR FACTS REGISTRY SHOP WITH AFFILIATES. It was the be-spectacled Ron Kittle, who slugged home runs a very, very far distance and at a rate that caught fans and collectors attention. Of the 134 cards submitted, only 13 managed to make the 10 grade. But, fortunately, Clemens made it into the checklist with Puckett. However, print quantities of 1983 Topps weren't at the same levels they were by the late 80s and early 90s. . 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. 1990 score football series 2 most valuable cards. Meanwhile, Fleers offering paired the future Bash Brother with pitcher Eric Plunk. Cant have that. But, he also received his own standalone rookie in the 1981 Topps Traded set. But this, the only RC of future Hall of Famer Raines pictured alone, is about as close as it gets. Somehow, these cards managed to make it into the market by an employee or O-Pee-Chee themselves. PSA has seen just 516 of the O-Pee-Chee Barry Bonds rookie cards. Let that sink in for a moment. 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. Card Number. Production seemed to multiply from 1984 numbers, and who could blame Donruss for not wanting to leave money on the table? 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. We love the '80s (and '90s) baseball cards: The top 15 sets of the era | Sporting News KAN MIN 1:10p -250 BAL DET 3:40p -127 CHC MIA 3:40p -120 PIT WAS 4:05p -124 SEA TOR 4:07p -108 ATL NYM 4:10p. PSA has seen just 196 cards from this entire set, which is practically none compared to other 80s sets. Old Sports Cards. Nobody gets to 3,000 career hits by accident. So far, PSA has graded roughly 1,550 of the Pete Rose #180 cards. Two thousand two hundred fifty were found in mint nine conditions, with the highest population. Pete Rose would lead the league in hits (140) for the seventh and final time in his storied career during the shortened 1981 season. Who knew that the Donruss presses would be rolling with 1988 product from late 1987 until, presumably, the early part of the George H. W. Bush presidency in early 1989? PSA 9s sell for considerably less in the $300 $400 price range. The Best Topps Baseball Rookie Card from Each Year - 1952-2020 The following list includes a year-by-year breakdown of the most valuable card for each flagship Topps baseball set from. He also loves to write about the hobby and has written for Beckett, Topps, SABR and of course, this website. That ones found in the main 1989 Donruss set. They are far less populated than regular-issue Topps cards. Your Question What are 70s and 80s baseball cards worth? A ho-hum image, maybe, but still a key card of one of the most popular players of the decade. If found in GEM-MT 10 condition, Henderson's 1980 #482 Topps card will be worth $27,500 right now. And, by default, its O-Pee-Chee cousin is also an incredibly desirable baseball card though it is much more difficult to find in top condition. This particular card was graded by PSA and found to be in gem mint 10 conditions. by ; 28 kwietnia 2023 9 of the Most Valuable Baseball Cards in History. But it took some time to develop his power. Many still are. The 1985 Topps Minis is one of the unique sets of the 80s. Because they were printed for the Canadian market, the print run was much less than the regular issue Topps. O-Pee-Chee cards can be distinguished by the O-Pee-Chee logos on the front and the back. Be cautious of reprints and fakes because there are a lot. Beckett.com We love the '80s (and '90s) baseball cards: The top 15 sets of the era 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. A big-shot hitter for USA Baseball and at Mississippi State, Clark was a highly anticipated rookie coming into the 1986 season. Seems surprising now, but Topps failed to include Griffey in its flagship release in 1989. Since 1989, hes mostly been known for his penmanship. The 1980s was a decade of big change for baseball cards. He'd go on to win 7 Silver Sluggers over his career. 7 Most Valuable Baseball Rookie Cards From the 1980s - Gold Card Auctions Viewing the population report for the two makes it clear just how rarer they are than the Topps cards. When graded gem mint 10 by PSA, the value has gone as high as $180,000.