The 97-win Yankees eventually fell well short of their championship aspirations with a five-game ALDS loss to the Detroit Tigers. Nevertheless, the annual award for the best pitcher in the Majors does bear his name. Martinez's career began with the Houston Astros when they drafted him in the 20th round of the 2009 MLB Draft out of Nova Southeastern University. Youll typically find that #160 shows whiter borders and a lighter blue background, too. Sammy Sosa, Frank Thomas, Bernie Williams, and Larry Walker all claim Class of '90. 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. 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. Not many baseball cards possess as much elaborate and ornate decoration as those of the 1909 Ramly Cigarette T204 set. Demand for Clementes rookie card has skyrocketed over the past couple of years. The fancy gold borders that surround Walter Johnsons black and white portrait are a thing of beauty. He also amassed less than 200 hits (184) and posted an OPS+ under 100 (86) for the first time in eleven MLB seasons. That is a fact not likely to end any time soon. It's so rare that no complete set has ever been assembled. The 1932 U.S. Caramel set is one of the most desirable and challenging prewar sets in the hobby. Most Expensive 1991 Chipper Jones Topps Desert Shield RC #333 Buy on eBay So named because his dad saw him as a "chip off the old block", Chipper Jones has an RC which is the most valuable card from the 1991 Topps set. In the postseason, Cabrera was predictably excellent. and one of the best-looking cards of the 1950s in my opinion. This is no doubt one of the most sought after cards of one of the games best pitchers of all time. The 1914 Cracker Jack Mathewson is one of the great rarities in the hobby and easily the most difficult card to find in this amazing set. Being card #261 in the set, its not a high number card (#311 407) which means it is not as scarce as Mantles #311 card. Mathewson appears three times in the T206 set with the Portrait, White Cap and Dark Cap variations. That is unless youre talking about the Red Portrait with the Ty Cobb back that was showcased earlier on this list. And if you remember, the 1952 Mantle card is relatively more expensive than his 1951 Bowman card. 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 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. And by 2016, he'd solidified his place as a Cubs legend when he helped the franchise win its first World Series title since 1980, finally breaking the "curse" that had haunted them for over 100 years. And then, his season came to a screeching halt with a play that changed the game of baseball forever. As one of the most clutch players in Yankees history, Derek Jeter seized the moment perfectly with a dramatic introduction to baseball's 3,000-hit club. Estimated PSA 4.5 VG-EX+ Value: $1,100,000. 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. A record that is pretty safe to say will never be broken. If youre a collector, just stick to what you love and collect only what you love. 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. This is my favoriteSandy Koufax baseball cardand one of the best-looking cards of the 1950s in my opinion. Things changed dramatically in the second game of a three-game Marlins sweep when Florida outfielder Scott Cousins barreled into Posey at home plate after tagging up on a sacrifice fly. Unfortunately, as with most high-numbered cards in the set, Mantles rookie card often suffers from print lines, poor centering and wax stains on the back. Just a year prior, Sale wasn't even a starter yet. #4 Most Valuable Baseball Cards 2000s - Topps Finest For The Record #3B Ken Griffey Jr. Price for PSA 9 featured with Alex Rodriguez: $100 Price for PSA 10 Gem: $1,500 Player's History 13 times All-Star Ken is the son of Ken Griffey Sr, a famous baseball player and coach during his era. 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. Centering that favors the bottom and slight angular cuts are usually the factors that prevent these cards from reaching higher grades. 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. In PSA 8 condition, this card would likely sell for $1 million or more. 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth: $4.212 million While currently ranked as the 5th most valuable baseball card, when Trouts 2009 Bowman Chrome Superfractors autographed card serial-numbered 1/1 sold in August 2020, it became the most valuable baseball card . That milestone was part of a scintillating month for which Freeman captured NL Rookie of the Month honors while batting .362 with a .433 on-base percentage in July and leading all rookies with 38 hits. 1953 Topps #82 Mickey Mantle RC #3. To this day, there is no clear explanation for the rarity of this card, a card that is nearly as tough as the Honus Wagner from the same set. Moreover, the Mathewson Portrait is one of the toughest HOF portraits in the entire set. The 1912 Plows Candy E300 Mathewson features a large photographic image of the legendary pitcher of the Dead Ball Era framed by text reading. In early 1914, Jack Dunn of the minor league Baltimore Orioles signed Ruth to a professional baseball contract. Before I get started, I just want to clarify some of the criteria I used in creating this list. The card is subtle in design and imagery but remains a truly majestic card for any serious collector to consider. Most Expensive 2022 Topps 1st Edition card list & price guide. While not as pricey as the Yellow or Red Ruths of the same set, its still a very expensive card and a key member of the Ruth quartet. Votto reached base in the team's first 27 games, finishing April with an eye-popping .370 batting average. 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. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. There are four different Babe Ruth cards in the 1933 Goudey set, #s 53, 144, 149 and 181. In 11 playoff contests against the New York Yankees and Texas Rangers, he slashed a blistering .314/.489/.771 with four home runs, 12 walks, four doubles, seven runs scored, ten RBIs, and two stolen bases. 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. Conditions of these cards are not very good but even a PSA 4 is expected to bring in roughly $900,000. Goldschmidt also scored 106 runs and led the National League in slugging percentage (.578), OPS (.981), and OPS+ (180), solidifying himself as one of the greatest hitters in the game. The reality was that Pujols was good to go. By 2012, Chapman had it down, fine-tuning his electric pitch repertoire en route to becoming a legit Cy Young candidate. #1: 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle An SGC 9.5 Example Sold in August 2022 for $12,600,000 Dimensions: 2-5/8" x 3-3/4" The most important post-war card in the hobby, price movements of the 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle baseball card are often seen as an indicator of the health of the sports card market overall. 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 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. The eye appeal is top-notch, as with most 1914 Cracker Jack cards. 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. In comparison, Suzuki's lowest full-season OPS in the Majors to that point was .747 in 2008, over 100 points better than his 2011 mark. Collectors go wild for it. And in this guide, we'll take a look at the 15 most valuable. 1978 Topps Andre Dawson 72 PSA 10 Rookie Cup PSA 10 Image Credit: ebay While most of these newer A&G Topps cards were baseball players, you can also find other sports represented (wrestling, soccer, MMA, basketball, softball, beach volleyball, boxing, and car racing). 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. Halladay was great, giving up just one run on four hits in eight innings. While not his most expensive baseball card, its arguably the most visually pleasing of them all. The Sox finished at 79-83, out of the playoffs for the third-straight year. What's wackier is that Detroit's Justin Verlander, on the AL side, also earned a pitching Triple Crown in 2011. 30 Most Valuable Topps Tiffany Cards Rankings are based on the online Beckett Price Guide and Database. If you look closely at each of the double prints of this card, youll notice that one version shows better clarity and focus than the other. Now that we got that out of the way let's get started Like a few others on this list, this card is technically part of the 2011 Topps Update set. 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. 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. List by Card #, You own: 0 / 9496 items Honus. Most Valuable Cards in 2022 Topps Series Two With nearly a month since it was released, let's take a look at some of the most valuable 2022 Series 2 cards that have been pulled to date, according to eBay. Halladay was given the ball for Games 1 and 5. In addition to the Satchel Paige and Stan Musial rookie cards, Robinsons rookie is key to the set. Like Jose Altuve, J.D. That was the most any Houston Astros rookie had ever driven in during one month as a rookie. 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. One of his most important, the card shows some beautiful artwork of a young Mays fielding a baseball in his New York Giants uniform. A truly great baseball card of the legendary icon. George Close Candy cards are among the scarcer pre-WWI caramel issues and the Honus Wagner is one of the keys to the set. A PSA 10 1954 Topps Banks rookie card sold for $142,836 in May 2012. Theyre undoubtedly very condition sensitive. It should be no surprise that this card is the key to the entire set with the Willie Mays and Jackie Robinson cards coming in second and third place, respectively. 30. By his third season in 2013, Goldschmidt had developed into a perennial All-Star and MVP candidate. We may earn an affiliate commission if you That card was later sold for $250,000 in 2007. There are two varieties of these cards with one version featuring a tobacco advertisement on the back and the other a checklist. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. In PSA 4.5 grade, it is estimated this card would reel in over $1 million. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. Gehrig again appeared on two different cards, #37 and #61, in the 1934 Goudey set. It should come as no surprise that the rookie card of the greatest player who ever lived would be on this list. 10 Most Valuable Sammy Sosa Baseball Cards 10. Over time, the Freddie Freeman rookie has remained the key card from the 2011 Topps base run, while rookie cards of Mike Trout, Jose Altuve, Paul Goldschmidt, Anthony Rizzo and J.D. However, as with any colored borders, the surrounding red borders of this card are susceptible to wear making it very condition sensitive. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. 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. After 60 years in the hobby, Topps helped celebrate their "Diamond Anniversary" by packing so much into their 2011 Topps baseball card set. But, that doesnt necessarily mean its his most expensive. And he pitched with a tenacious on-mound presence in the toughest of game situations. Ryans rookie card appears in the 1968 O-Pee-Chee, Topps Milton Bradleyand Venezuela Topps sets as well but its the regular ToppsNolan Ryan rookie cardthat stands apart in value from the rest. Neither makes a difference when it comes to value, though. And while they are keys to the set and arguably the most popularLou Gehrig baseball cards, they are still overshadowed by the Ruth quartet. Over 40 MLB games in 2011, Trout slashed .220/.281/.390 with five home runs, 16 RBIs and 20 runs scored. From autographs and relics to silk cards, glove leather cards and exclusive online cards, there was so much variety for collectors to chase. One of the bright spots for Boston was the re-emergence of designated hitter David Ortiz as an elite hitting threat. Just be prepared to put up big money if you want one in high grade. After winning 61 games in 2010, Seattle finished at 67-95 in 2011 for the franchise's sixth losing season in eight years. Who knows what a high grade example of this card would go for? The Tigers couldn't capitalize on Cabrera's otherworldly October and lost to the Rangers in the ALCS in six. Cobb was known as a ferocious competitor who was determined to be the best day in and day out. Like many 1952 Topps cards, this Mays issue is prone to tilt and centering problems. 5. His 3.60 ERA and not-so-great 1.300 WHIP only told part of the story because when Chapman was locked in, he was virtually unhittable. In 2016, seven copies of this card were miraculously found in an old paper bag. Try finding something to not like about this card! If so, then please fill out the form below and I'll be in touch right away. Let's be clear: most of the cards from this set do not have any value these days. In the deciding Game 5, Halladay squared off with his former Toronto Blue Jays teammate and close friend Chris Carpenter. Each of the 30 unnumbered cards in the set feature an artist rendering of players atop colored backgrounds. In 2012, Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale kicked off a stunning streak of seven-straight All-Star nods and seven-straight AL Cy Young finishes of sixth or better. A fantastic portrait of the Sultan of Swat wearing a tilted Yankees cap is shown atop a bold, red background. The number of chase cards available to collectors may have seemed overwhelming at the time but, in retrospect, it was great to see Topps offer so much variety. Mantle is easily one of the most widely collected players in the hobby. 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. Possessing an explosive triple-digit fastball with electric movement, Chapman struggled to harness his high-octane stuff in his first full year with the Reds. 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. The 1917 Collins-McCarthy candy cards are some of the few card issues that were printed during the mid-teens of the 20th century. DiMaggio appeared twice in the 1938 Goudey set but this is the more valuable of the two. Those that have been found in high grade are thought to have never been packaged and instead left the factory by hand. Their glossy obverse surface usually results in creasing and cracking issues making it tough to find these in high grade. Even in poor condition, they routinely sell for over $1 million. The find has since been dubbed The Lucky 7 find. As with the American Caramel Cobb card mentioned just a bit ago, the design of the card isnt unique but it is certainly one of the more desirable Cobb poses in the hobby. So, there you have it: the most expensivebaseball cardsthat youre ever likely to encounter. Yet, it was the patient way Big Papi produced in 2011 that kicked off his late-career renaissance in style. Several player variations exist, some with as many as 12, so the series boasts well over 3,000 different cards in total. And because it features a close-up of Mantle, print defects on his face can also sometimes turn off collectors. 1986 Topps Reggie Jackson Card 8. Of all theTy Cobb baseball cards, this is by far his most expensive. The T210 Old Mill set features hundreds of minor league ballplayers that most people have never heard of before. Jackson dominated the minors that year and the Naps called him up late in the 1910 season. Cobb is pictured is his Detroit Tigers uniform leaning on his bat atop a multi-colored background. 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. Need help buying or selling cards or have a general question about the hobby? Most Expensive 2023 Topps Baseball Cards Most Expensive 2023 Topps card list & price guide. 1985. 1. Not many players were as consistent as Musial was over their careers as he went on to win seven batting titles and three MVP awards. Centering can also be a challenge as with most cards of the era. 1990 Topps #414 Frank Thomas Rookie Card Estimated PSA 10 Value: $175 Check prices on: Amazon Now, this is what Thomas's rookie card is supposed to look like when his full name appears at the bottom of the card. Halladay finished with four first-place votes to Clayton Kershaws 27, finishing as the leagues Cy Young runner-up for the second time in four years. And like Altuve, Martinez started with the Greeneville Astros and worked his way up to the Class AA Corpus Christi Hooks. Walter Johnson appears twice in the T206 set, one in a pitching pose and then again in this portrait layout. He ended the year with a 2.79 ERA, striking out 79 batters in 71.0 innings pitched. However, there are a handful of his T206 cards that were produced with N.Y. His massive upside in the future made his wildness in the present less worrisome. And, unfortunately, Goudey mailed the card with a paper clip on it that left indentations on the card. So its no wonder that his 1948 Leaf rookie card is such and important piece of the hobby. Prices are updated daily based upon 2006 Topps listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. Read our methodology . Freeman finished second in the NLs Rookie of the Year balloting, slashing .282/.346/.448 with 21 home runs, 32 doubles, and 76 RBIs. With just one playoff appearance from 1988-2010 (2006), the Detroit Tigers' comedy of errors was a running punchline for two-plus decades. Average ungraded base card value (excludes parallels) for 2020 Topps Mathews had a prolific career as a feared power hitter and spent many years alongside Hank Aaron to form one of the greatest home run hitting duos the game has ever seen. Premium: 2011 was the year that Ichiro finally looked mortal at the plate. 2022 Topps Series 1 Wander Franco Photo Variation SP RC #215 It would fetch much more than that today. The card is key for three main reasons: 1) 1952 was the first year Topps entered the sports card market so the set itself is wildly popular and even common cards in mint condition can fetch over $1,000. For some reason, collectors had to send in for the card a year later in 1934 by contacting Goudey if they wanted to complete this set. 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. 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. The cards design is beautiful and easily distinguished from others of the 1950s. There are only a handful of known copies of this card in the hobby making it a rare and highly demanded issue. 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. On it, Gehrig is shown with a huge bright smile atop a yellow background giving the card tremendous eye appeal. 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. However, Bochy picked Florida Marlins standout Gaby Sanchez as the final first base pick to ensure Florida had a representative in Arizona. (Note: The following sections contain affiliate links to current eBay and Amazon listings for the cards being discussed.) Only 7 of the Ty Cobb cards have ever been submitted to PSA for grading which speaks to the rarity of them. It's these end-year series that comprise the most valuable Topps baseball cards today. 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. An SGC 9.5 Example Sold in August 2022 for $12,600,000. 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. And their continued popularity and demand prove that baseball cards still do hold great value. 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). 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. An SGC 2 Example Sold in August 2022 for $7,250,000. Trout didn't exactly raise any eyebrows in his first game, finishing 0-3 at the plate. When the infamous T206 set was being produced, Doyle was pitching for the New York Highlanders of the American League. Especially his American Caramel E90-1 rookie card on which he is shown leaning on his bat against a purple backdrop. Its arguably the most visually pleasing and desirable of all the Ted Williams baseball cards in the hobby. Gehrig was one of a long line of Yankee legends and no doubt put up some of the greatest hitting statistics of them all. His legendary career and life were cut short on December 31, 1972, when he died in a plane crash while en route to deliver aid to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. 4 Hank Aaron #660. 1968 Topps #177 Nolan Ryan RC But there was plenty to like about their accomplishments before the season's heartbreaking finale. Hes also the only key player in the 1914 set on a horizontal layout. Since its not his rookie card or his most scarce, the1933 Goudey Babe Ruth #53 isnt his most expensive card but it is arguably one of his most beautiful cards.
