1909 T-206 Honus Wagner: $7.25 million 3. Average ungraded base card value (excludes parallels) for 2020 Topps So, if you can get your hands on one of these cards in high grade then you are looking at some big bucks. The Reds' fall from contention cost Votto at the ballot box, though, as he followed up his 2010 MVP triumph with a sixth-place finish in 2011. Cobb was known as a ferocious competitor who was determined to be the best day in and day out. Prices are updated daily based upon 2022 Topps listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. 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. A mixture of bad timing, poor communication, and an always-controversial roster rule kept Albert Pujols out of the 2011 MLB All-Star Game, ending his streak of consecutive Midsummer Classics at eight. Two great images of Banks are show atop a white border than can be notorious for showing print defects. Cobb turned in an absolute monster of a season in 1911 as he set career highs in batting (.420), hits (248), doubles (47), triples (24), RBI (127), runs (147) and slugging percentage (.621). Sammy Sosa, Frank Thomas, Bernie Williams, and Larry Walker all claim Class of '90. By Ryan Cracknell. The E106 American Caramel cards are some of the scarcest Honus Wagner cards in the hobby (but obviously not his most expensive if you look at the top of this list). 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. However, he still put together a worthy encore to his 2010 breakthrough. Or, feel free to call/text me at 305-684-6680! Most Expensive, As with Mantles 1952 Topps card, some still mistake this card as Mays rookie, too. But, that doesnt necessarily mean its his most expensive. The 1912 Plows Candy E300 Mathewson features a large photographic image of the legendary pitcher of the Dead Ball Era framed by text reading. After seeing his batting average dip considerably in the previous three seasons, Ortiz posted the second-best full-season mark of his career thus far with a .309 finish. 30 Most Valuable Topps Tiffany Cards Rankings are based on the online Beckett Price Guide and Database. If so, then please fill out the form below and I'll be in touch right away. Most Expensive 2022 Topps 1st Edition card list & price guide. After the 2010 campaign, manager Bobby Cox called it a career, leaving a hole in the Braves clubhouse that couldn't be filled. Ungraded & graded values for all '20 Topps This is the first Topps card to feature Willie Mays, putting it high on Mays collectors wish lists and making it a key card in the hobby overall. Read our methodology . After spending 1908 and 1909 with the Philadelphia Athletics, they quickly gave up on him and traded him to the Cleveland Naps for the 1910 season. Most players on this list only have one recognized rookie card to their name. Key to the 1953 Topps set is the #244 Willie Mays baseball card. Some collectors go for the base set. There are 11 different backside variations in total each with The George Close Co. printed on them. 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. 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. These 5 by 8 cards were part of a redemption program where collectors sent in coupons in exchange for them. , Bo Bichette, Luis Robert, Yordan Alvarez [SSP] #392, Fernando Tatis Jr. [Memorial Day Camo] #168, Fernando Tatis Jr. [Mother's Day Pink] #168, Fernando Tatis Jr. [Independence Day] #168, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. [Independence Day] #182, Fernando Tatis Jr. [Father's Day Blue] #168. 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. Read our methodology . 30. So its no wonder that his 1948 Leaf rookie card is such and important piece of the hobby. Along with the Killebrew and Koufax rookies, theRoberto Clemente rookie card is an anchor in the 1955 Topps baseball card set and the most expensive of the three. The 23-year-old left walked a career-worst 41 batters in 50 innings pitched, issuing a ghastly 7.4 walks per 9 innings. Read our methodology. Financial problems would cause Dunn to sell Ruths contract to the Boston Red Sox later that year, however. Surprisingly, many dont even consider him the best pitcher ever, though. In true Jeter fashion, the Yankees shortstop went above and beyond the moment at hand. This card shares its front design with several others of the era (Dockman & Sons, Nadja Caramels, etc.). Since starting his professional baseball journey with the Orix Blue Wave of the Nippon Baseball League in 1992, the legendary outfielder posted a .300 batting average or better for 19 straight seasons through the 2010 campaign. This incredibly important card is beautiful in design, depicting nice artwork of Mantle ready at the bat. 1953 Topps #82 Mickey Mantle RC #3. And in this guide, we'll take a look at the 15 most valuable. You could argue the imagery isn't the nicest in the hobby but it makes for an unforgettable card design. The future first-ballot Hall of Famer finished the year at 19-6 with a career-high 220 strikeouts and his best ERA since 1998 (2.35). Because Mantle was exclusively signed with Bowman in 1954 and 1955, you won't find him on any of Topps' cards in either of those two sets. 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). 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. Only 7 of the Ty Cobb cards have ever been submitted to PSA for grading which speaks to the rarity of them. There are only a handful of known copies of this card in the hobby making it a rare and highly demanded issue. Two decades of pro ball were catching up to Ichiro. In his fourth year with the club, Miguel Cabrera helped Detroit silence those laughs. The Left Arm of God as he was known, Koufax possessed raw power that helped him once strikeout an astounding 382 batters in a season. And I attempted to estimate their current values when graded in PSA 10 condition so their "raw" or ungraded values may be wildly different. 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. But there was plenty to like about their accomplishments before the season's heartbreaking finale. The 1986 Topps Traded Bo Jackson rookie card is his most desirable and most expensive card you can find. Most Expensive 2006 Topps card list & price guide. A true baseball legend who spent most of his career in the Negro Leagues, Paige finally got his shot in the majors at the age of 42 with the Cleveland Indians. Although not as popular as his 1948 Bowman rookie card, his 1948 Leaf rookie card is the tougher of the two. 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. ThisTed Williams card features a superb black and white image of Williams following through on his classic swing. Ungraded & graded values for all '23 Topps Baseball Cards. Martinez turned out to be the big winners from 2011 Topps Update. The 1954 Wilson Franks Ted Williams baseball card is one of if not the most important regional card ever produced. 1. Either 10 Turkey Red Cigarette coupons or 25 Old Mill or Fez Cigarette coupons would earn you one card. The White Cap variation is considered to be the most difficult of the three Mathewson cards, but the Portrait is the most popular. In one of the great stories about this card, a collector once purchased an unopened five-card pack of1952 Topps baseball cardsand pulled the only Pafko to ever be graded PSA Gem Mint 10. Premium: I remember seeing one of these in abaseball card shop near where I grew up and I would just stare in awe. That production boosted his legend and popularity making him one of the most highly collected players in the hobby. What's wackier is that Detroit's Justin Verlander, on the AL side, also earned a pitching Triple Crown in 2011. Shortcuts: 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. Mantle is easily one of the most widely collected players in the hobby. By 2012, Chapman had it down, fine-tuning his electric pitch repertoire en route to becoming a legit Cy Young candidate. 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. Estimates place the number of front/back combinations around 5,500 which led to this set being nicknamed The Monster.. Whos the most desired player in the set? Get my weekly newsletter with the latest hobby updates delivered straight to your inbox! Ungraded & graded values for all '05 Topps Baseball Cards. That is unless youre talking about the Red Portrait with the Ty Cobb back that was showcased earlier on this list. The price would certainly be astronomical. Of all theWillie Mays baseball cards out there, this is his most important. And its one of the most famous error cards in the entire hobby, too. But in 2011, the 37-year-old superstar hit just .272 with an uncharacteristic .645 OPS. Are you selling sports cards that were produced from 1868 - 1975? It is one of the most difficult cards to find overall, making it one of the most important cards on this list. Mathewson appears three times in the T206 set with the Portrait, White Cap and Dark Cap variations. While not his most expensive baseball card, its arguably the most visually pleasing of them all. This pre-rookie card of Ruth is one of rarest cards in the hobby with 10 copies known to exist and can be found with either blue or red borders. Top athletes from baseball, football, hockey, tennis, golf, boxing, swimming, horse racing and even dog sled racing are showcased in the set. 1981 Topps #302 Dodgers Future Stars Estimated PSA 9 Mint Value: $225 When it comes to rookie season debuts, the Dodgers have developed a reputation for some of the finest on record. Over the first seven games of his MLB career, Altuve had at least one hit, tying him with Russ Johnson for the club record for most consecutive games with a hit to begin a career. And their continued popularity and demand prove that baseball cards still do hold great value. Mathewson is the only player in both the 1914 and 1915 sets whose poses are entirely different. Top 26 Most Valuable 1986 Topps Baseball Cards In The World 1. 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. Several player variations exist, some with as many as 12, so the series boasts well over 3,000 different cards in total. Over 40 MLB games in 2011, Trout slashed .220/.281/.390 with five home runs, 16 RBIs and 20 runs scored. Not many baseball cards possess as much elaborate and ornate decoration as those of the 1909 Ramly Cigarette T204 set. The cards design is beautiful and easily distinguished from others of the 1950s. Prices are updated daily based upon 2023 Topps listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. 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. 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. The card features a great image of Ruth and it remains one of his most desirable cards. 1984. While he cooled off from that torrid pace, the now two-time All-Star was still one of the game's most feared hitters. 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. 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. 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. A high number card, Mathews rookie is extra tough to collect since it was positioned at the bottom corner of print sheets and usually is found off-center as a result. Altuve dominated in the Minor Leagues and, by 2011, found himself slashing .361/.388/.569 with five home runs and 25 RBIs in 35 games for the Class AA Corpus Christi Hooks. His career ERA of 2.13 proves just how difficult it was to hit off of him. And then, his season came to a screeching halt with a play that changed the game of baseball forever. Or, as most believe, was it because he didnt want to be involved in promoting tobacco use to children? Not surprisingly, Cobbs card is the cornerstone and to the set. On the surface, the 1948 Leaf card with its use of color appears to be more attractive than the 1948 Bowman card. There are two varieties of these cards with one version featuring a tobacco advertisement on the back and the other a checklist. That would be his teammate, 23-year-old closer Craig Kimbrel. However, Bochy picked Florida Marlins standout Gaby Sanchez as the final first base pick to ensure Florida had a representative in Arizona. . 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. Yet, packed within all of that excitement was a run of base cards that featured big-name stars and promising rookies. Like all Bowman cards, the eye appeal of this card is amazing as a the artwork of the young Mick is simply stunning. 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth: $4.212 million Ungraded & graded values for all '22 Topps 1st Edition Baseball Cards. But the value between the two isnt affected. 1952 Topps #1 Andy Pafko #8. Bowman did not include him in their 1953 set so that makes his Topps card of that year even more sought after. Ungraded & graded values for all '21 Topps Chrome Baseball Cards. Late into the 2022 season, Paul Goldschmidt had a legitimate chance at winning the Triple Crown. He was also clutch, maintaining a sub-1.00 World Series ERA and twice being named series MVP in 1963 and 1965. The fancy gold borders that surround Walter Johnsons black and white portrait are a thing of beauty. 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. Considered to be one of the more obscure Honus Wagner type cards its value continues to remain strong. One of the bright spots for Boston was the re-emergence of designated hitter David Ortiz as an elite hitting threat. Most Valuable Baseball Cards All the information and details has been compiled from the trusted sites including Wikipedia, New York Post, and Forbes. Despite singling to right field off San Francisco's Matt Cain in his first at-bat, Goldschmidt stuck out nearly one in every three at-bats in 48 games that season. And while they are keys to the set and arguably the most popularLou Gehrig baseball cards, they are still overshadowed by the Ruth quartet. From autographs and relics to silk cards, glove leather cards and exclusive online cards, there was so much variety for collectors to chase. 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. His 3,003rd hit (and last of the day) was an RBI single that put the Yankees ahead for good in the 8th. Nadja was a brand name of the Blake-Wenneker Candy Co. of St Louis and the set features 62 cards in total. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. I think it's safe to say that Topps did a great job of commemorating an incredible 60 years in the business with this set. 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. Freeman finished second in the NLs Rookie of the Year balloting, slashing .282/.346/.448 with 21 home runs, 32 doubles, and 76 RBIs. Mays put up monster numbers over his career and shares the record for most All-Star Game appearances (24) with Hank Aaron and Stan Musial. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. PriceIt Game | As with any colored border, though, theyre susceptible to showing chipping and wear. While the Dodgers failed to make the playoffs at 83-78, Kershaw made a second-straight playoff miss easier to stomach in Chavez Ravine. 2020 Topps card list & price guide. That means there are also many fakes out there, so considerPSA grading services or other reputable third party graders before buying or selling one of these. The 48-card 1915 American Caramel E106 shows some nice artistic renderings of players of the National, American and Federal Leagues. With just one playoff appearance from 1988-2010 (2006), the Detroit Tigers' comedy of errors was a running punchline for two-plus decades. The legendary Cap Anson appears on two different cards with the uniform version being the rarer of the two. Centering is also a tough issue for this card. and one of the best-looking cards of the 1950s in my opinion. The Tigers couldn't capitalize on Cabrera's otherworldly October and lost to the Rangers in the ALCS in six. George Close Candy cards are among the scarcer pre-WWI caramel issues and the Honus Wagner is one of the keys to the set. However, since it's one of the most iconic cards of the modern era, I made an exception to include it (and some other 2011 Topps Update cards) on this list. Read our methodology . A PSA 10 1954 Topps Banks rookie card sold for $142,836 in May 2012. Together with the Honus Wagner, Ty Cobb (Ty Cobb back), and Eddie Plank the T206 Sherry Magie error card is one of the rarest of the entire set. The Astros had seen enough and quickly called up Altuve, bypassing AAA entirely, to make his first Major League at-bat on July 20, 2011, against the Washington Nationals. So, there you have it: the most expensivebaseball cardsthat youre ever likely to encounter. A record that is pretty safe to say will never be broken. So, although not as desirable as the others, the fact that it exists in such great condition brings a steep price tag. The E300 issue is one of the scarcest prewar sets and had relatively been unknown until the 1960s. Career highlights: Two-time National League Most Valuable Player (1958, 1959), 14 . Interest in the Dodgers/Giants rivalry was skyrocketing, and Kershaw's brilliance was a big reason for it. 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. Overall, Topps did a great job with this set by balancing an excellent design with plenty of chase cards. An SGC 9.5 Example Sold in August 2022 for $12,600,000. Nothing against Bourjos, but many Angels fans had been eagerly awaiting a chance to see Trout since many considered him the number-one prospect heading into the 2011 season. With their one-two finish in the NLs Rookie of the Year vote, Kimbrel and Freeman became the first teammates to do so since Chicago Cubs rookies Jerome Walton and Dwight Smith in 1989. 1. Prices are updated daily based upon 2022 Topps 1st Edition listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. It's still a very unusual-looking card but is one that many collectors dream of owning. And with 103 RBIs on the year, he became the first Reds player since Dave Parker to post back-to-back 100-RBI seasons (1985-86). This card is a key classic in the hobby and is Aarons only recognized rookie card. The question is: where do you start on this list? Like Jose Altuve, J.D. Though he may not have been MLB's hottest rookie in 1990, he certainly turned into one of the biggest superstars of his era. 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.