1991 Topps Baseball Cards Complete Your Set U-Pick (#'s 1-200) Nm-Mint Emmitt Smith Rookie Cards: Values and Details 2020 Hall of Fame 2020 Spring Training 30-Day Baseball Card Challenge Baseball Books Baseball Briefs Baseball Card Challenges Baseball Card Statistics Baseball Card Values Baseball Cards Baseball Cards Daily Baseball Cards for Sale If you would've asked anyone at the time if he was on his way to an eventual induction into Cooperstown, they may have looked at you in disbelief, unsure if you were joking. Guessing the Braves did, seeing as how they chose the Florida native with the first overall pick in the 1990 MLB Draft. Above the bar is a ribbon with the team's name. That may seem like a lot until you consider that collectors arent too likely to submit new cards unless they think theyre in top shape. Once blinded by the bells and whistles of the new early 90s premium sets, collectors returned to 1991 Topps to find some of the most dynamic and interesting photos in a flagship set. However, injuries plagued him as well and his production dropped off drastically in the 1990's. For 1991, PSA has graded about 16,000 base cards and about a third that number of their Tiffany counterparts. The Red Sox won the AL East but were destroyed by the Oakland A's in the ALCS and Andersen never pitched for Boston again. 1989 Ken Griffey Jr Topps Card 3. To pay homage to that longevity, they added a 40th Anniversary logo on the cards and that is found in addition to the Desert Shield stamp. 1991 Topps Jeff Bagwell Astros Rookie Baseball Card. 1991 Frank Thomas Rare Error Back Donruss White Sox Baseball Card 5. This set is especially interesting to me because a master set contains more variations than any other Topps set, before or since (excluding intentional parallels and variations), Charles said. Speaking of superstars of the 1990's, next on our list is Ken Griffey Jr. 1991 Nolan Ryan Topps Desert Shield #6 Buy on eBay One of the most underrated cards of all the Nolan Ryan baseball cards. One of the many hats that 1991 Topps Baseball wears is its reputation as one of the most variation-heavy sets ever created. 1991 Ken Griffey Jr. Flawless Card 2. By utilizing Kodak technology, Topps delivered an incredible product that firmly put them as a serious competitor in the premium segment of the hobby. The 2000 Playoff Contenders Tom Brady will probably go down as the most iconic football card of all time. Home Sports Card Sets Baseball Card Sets 1990-1999 Baseball Cards 1991 Topps Baseball Cards. Topps entered the sports cards market in 1952, so the value of this set of cards is very high. PSA 10 Chipper Jones rookie cards that sold on eBay for north of $21,000 in March of 2021. Although, I never pulled a single one of any of those randomly inserted cards, I always loved this set. @Sam You would need to look at the cards to determine that. Only his other MVP-winning campaign in 1983 comes close to matching what he did in 1991. We may earn an affiliate commission if you document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2022 by Old Sports Cards, LLC. (Updated for 2022) SUBSCRIBE NOW! See, in 1990, Topps had issued a set of comic-book bordered cards that marched alongside the garish red of Donruss and the general ickiness of a crappy Fleer set as the three traditional. Vertical images have long been one of Topps calling cards and this Ryan exemplifies why. Thanks for this article I have something to share with my 2 boys now. In 1990, those numbers fell to .335 and .643, respectively. Because of his NFL contract, Sanders missed all of the Braves' games in August and most of September and couldn't play for them during their playoff run that year. Prices for 1992 Leaf Baseball Cards. The number of sets continued to expand that year and each one printed their pictures on lighter, whiter stock. 2022 Topps Chrome Baseball, Sonic Base Cards Are Different. He also loves to write about the hobby and has written for Beckett, Topps, SABR and of course, this website. Now that we got that out of the way, let's take a look at the top ten most valuable 1991 Topps baseball cards: This set was notorious for its numerous variations. 1952 to 1990. Each wax and cello pack contained an Instant Win Game card that provided the opportunity for the collector to win a complete set from Topps past 40 years. Let's be clear:most of the cards from this set do not have any value these days. Charles, the West Coast collector, created the blog Junk Wax Gems in 2009. I have most of them which is crazy I need help getting them graded I actually have the chipper Jones randy Johnson rookie cards an more all great condition. He'd appear in just 23 games for the White Sox in 1991 before missing the entire 1992 season due to hip replacement surgery. Track your collection and maximize your profit with Market Movers, the hobbys most powerful sports card pricing platform! Ozzie may be last on this list but he is definitely not least. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. As regal as 1991 Topps Baseball is in retrospect, why would kids collect something that looked like their fathers set when so many younger products were calling to them? It has been graded by PSA as a Mint 10 condition card. Heading into the 1991 season, Griffey had already notched his first All-Star selection and Gold Glove, and by season's end, he'd add one more of each as well as his first Silver Slugger. His batting average also nosedived to .201 and Tony La Russa, the Oakland A's manager at the time, even decided to bench McGwire for the final game of the season just to avoid his average potentially slipping below .200. His 368 total bases were actually tops in MLB that year. My years of habitual buying were 87-91. The base card design is very clean and highlights the stellar photography. #163 Thankfully, McGwire took the offseason to work out all of the kinks and would be back on track for the 1992 season. 1991 Topps Ken Griffey Jr Seattle Mariners Rookie Card. Read our. Rating: 7.1 (153 votes) Click here to Rate. Copies of the Whiten variation are currently going for $50-$80 ungraded. Cheapest, I read it a while ago and because of it, finally picked up a factory sealed set for ~$20 tonight. All rights reserved. Topps issued their typical 132-card of traded players and rookie cards in the fall of 1991. Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $250 Upper Deck could not have chosen a better player than Ken Griffey Jr. to lead off the checklist as card #1 of their debut set in 1989. The cards are exactly the same as the normal Topps cards, except for the presence of a gold foil Desert Shield emblem stamped on card fronts. Few cards shine a light on Jose Canseco's athletic splendor like the 1991 Topps Desert Shield #390. . Card fronts display a vivid color photo surrounded by colored piping and an outer white border. Add in the RCs of Bagwell and Pudge again, too, in Traded form. The set was also special as Topps celebrated its 40th year of issuing baseball cards. Tucked into the upper left-hand corner was a Topps 40 Years of Baseball logo. When it comes to the most valuable baseball cards of the 1990s, only the Frank Thomas error exceeds it. With that likely came mistakes, he said. A few of the biggest stars can easily sell for $100 or more. Originally, Topps listed his slugging percentage for the 1987 as618(missing the decimal point) on the back of the card. 1. I have some Topps baseball cards (1988-1991).How do I get the value of these cards? Or Hunt for Errors? The most obvious problem is there's no way in hell a Jose Uribe card from any year and in any kind of condition should go for $758,000. 21 Surprisingly Cheap: Tony Gwynn 1983 Topps Tony Gwynn was arguably the best pure hitter of his era or perhaps any other. I do believe that Topps upped the production on this set, being a big anniversary issue with a massive promotion behind it. A Baseball Card Database by Baseball Almanac. But why was Nolan Ryan also wearing a tux at card #200 in the checklist? Ungraded & graded values for all '91 Topps Archives 1953 Reprint Baseball Cards. But most collectors are probably focused on the main set. 4. 1990 Topps George Bush USA1 Card #4. 1991 Topps Baseball saw the company celebrate its 40th anniversary. In the opposite corner, Topps trumpets its 40th Anniversary, a 792-card salute to its reign as the preeminent bubble gum card company in the world. I remember those cards distinctly, even if finding them proved difficult. Then, theres the Chipper Jones card, with graded examples usually running close to $1,000 or more. A separate treatment of each of these four attractions might help explain the continuing appeal of The Last Gray Cardboard Set.. Vintage Topps Cards. Shortcuts: The most valuable glossies are pretty much who you would expect Chipper, Nolan, Maddux, Ripken, Griffey, Big Hurt etc. Here are the top deals on boxes currently listed on eBay. Theres a link to the price guide at the top of this page. Collectors could also enter the grand prize drawing by filling out the back of the game card for the opportunity to win every flagship set that Topps had created in the previous 40 years. 1991 Topps. 1991 Topps Traded Baseball has a straightforward checklist of 132 cards. does adding the contest cards to the collection increase its value? Back then, we were always clamoring for limited print runs, premium (white) card stock, and clear photography. Its commonplace to find PSA 9 Chippers RCs selling for around $2000 on eBay, and PSA 10s of most of the eras superstars north of $1000, as well. I got my dads card collection going back to the mid 1940s. Among them are Hall of Fame-caliber All-Stars like Chipper Jones, Jim Thome and Jeff Bagwell. Plus Bonus Listings! In his first full season, Thomas batted .318, belted 32 home runs, drove in 109 runs, and scored 104 runs in a body of work that eventually earned him his first Silver Slugger and a third-place vote in the AL MVP race. That fact probably helps drive the graded card market, too, as having the PSA or BGS stamp gives you at least some assurance you have the real thing. The dominant design element was the player photo, big and clear (for the most part). So, for the cards on this list to be worth much, they'll either have to be graded by PSA to be in perfect, gem mint condition. For whatever reason, 1991 Topps Baseball has an abnormal amount of errors. Ichiro Suzuki 2001 Topps Limited Edition Rookie Card 4. Key rookie cards include Jeff Bagwell, Luis Gonzalez and Ivan Rodriguez. Cards have a white border. Now that we got that out of the way, let's take a look at the list: 1991 Bowman #183 Jeff Bagwell Rookie Card Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $225 When the Boston Red Sox traded Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees for cash on January 5, 1920, they completed the worst trade in baseball history. Given the amount of excitement Bonds was clearly bringing to the game, why did Topps choose to showcase such an explosive player in this manner? That led collectors everywhere to "chase the Mick" in hopes of landing one of the most coveted cards of all time: the 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle. Jones rookie card is one of the few notable ones. Copyright 2023 SportsCollectorsDaily.com | Web Design by Wickam Groupopens in a new window, Most Watched 2022 Baseball Rookie Cards on eBay, Top 100 Most Watched Basketball Rookie Cards, David Cyclebacks Identification and Authentication Advice, 1991 Michael Jordan Upper Deck Baseball Card Surges at 30-Year Anniversary. I think its a great promotion, Richard O. Rieger, an analyst for a financial services company, told the Los Angeles Times in 1991. Im looking for the way to the honest price for a van load of NFL hockey baseball basketball collection. You can easily distinguish them from the base cards by the Desert Shield logo on the front of the cards. The wide variety of variations and the obscurity of many of them is the reason why Charles created his blog, to counter much of the incorrect information he has seen. Capitalizing on improvement in photography, Topps unveiled powerful images, such as the action-packed Carlton Fisk (with big Cecil Fielder barreling toward home), Walt Weiss and Rickey Henderson cards, all with horizontal displays. The 1991 O-Pee-Chee Baseball set consists of 792 cards, each measuring 2-1/2" by 3-1/2". Get my weekly newsletter with the latest hobby updates delivered straight to your inbox! 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. And the fact that Griffey Jr. appears on this list twice goes back to what I was saying earlier: he was one of the most popular athletes in the world at the time and collectors wanted any card on which he appeared. Baseball Cards. Anson Whaley is a contributor to Sports Collectors Daily and has been an avid pre-war and vintage card collector for more than 20 years. Especially, given that this was supposed to be their first premium product, it is just odd that they featured Bonds in such a boring image. Day Barry Bonds Err. Anyone have any idea how much a unopened box of 4 decades of baseball cards worth. History All-Star Game; A.L.C.S. Collectors had to go to great lengths to find the cards back then. Considering his Hall Of Fame legacy and untimely passing, this is very surprising. Rating: 7.1 (153 votes) . When 1991 Topps Stadium Club baseball cards first hit the market, it was clear what Topps was attempting to do: offer a premium set to compete with Upper Deck. You can expect to pay $10 or more for stars in PSA 8, all the way up to $5000 or more for the Tiffany Chipper rookie. No matter what form of packaging a collector purchased, the promotion appeared, exclaiming the chance to pull any card from Topps vast inventory from the previous 40 years. Some of the logos and card backs glow when placed under a black light, demonstrating the resourcefulness and zeal of 1991 Topps collectors to find such an anomaly. 1 (152 . Total Prize Value. 1991 Donruss Original Ken Griffey Jr Error Card 3. 2000 Finest Randy Johnson Gold Refractor PFEW as I did sell every card to one guy who appreciates them and will take care of them, and yes, much more than $1000. The variety of Topps photography in the set stands out to this day. It is also an indicator of the price movement of trading cards. Prices for 1991 Topps Baseball Cards 1991 Topps card list & price guide. In 2018, the No. There was no need for Bonds to panic, however, since he'd add six more MVPs and multiple top-five voting finishes before his storied career came to a close in 2007. Check out those clouds! Thats still quite a few by todays standards, but its tiny when you consider the typical flood of each issue from the early 1990s. Dont forget chipper jones rc with frank minefield football back. That was the headline topping an article written by John Leptich for the Chicago Tribune in October 1990, during the first viewings of the new 1991 Topps set. The 1991 Topps Desert Shield baseball card is a thing of beauty and is a must-have for all Nolan Ryan fanboys. With that sweet swing of his, he seemed to effortlessly crush home runs left and right. The guy had just broken out, to say the least, the season before when he appeared in his first All-Star Game while winning his first MVP, Silver Slugger and Gold Glove Awards. And he never suited up for the Kansas City Royals again, either, as the team soon decided to release him before the 1991 MLB season. Unfortunately, it wouldn't be the last time he was snubbed, either, as his five All-Star appearances are far lower than they should have been. That wasnt the case in 1990 and 1991, but you can get some idea of relative print runs based on the PSA Population Report. primarily baseball with complete sets for 1948-59. The fact that this gem from Gwynns 10th season has a $60 sticker today isnt quite as amazing as some of the Padres legends hitting stats, but its still impressive enough. As the fortieth anniversary of their first sets 1951 Topps Red Backs and Blue Backs dawned, Topps unveiled a classy, understated base set in the spring of 1991. 25) 1990 Topps Sammy Sosa Rookie Card (#692) Sammy Sosa entered 1990 with designs on a starting job for the first time in his big league career, thanks to a midseason trade in 1989 from the Rangers to the White Sox. 1991 Topps: Top 10 Baseball Cards Johnny Lawrence July 18, 2009 Just Missed The Cut. What wasnt known at the time was that only vintage cards valued at $50 or less were randomly inserted into packs. Prices are updated daily based upon 1992 Leaf listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. He also hit a personal best 33 doubles, tied a personal best with 28 home runs, turned in his second-highest batting average (.325), and led the American League in stolen bases (65). The 1991 Topps Desert Shield Chipper Jones is the most valuable card in that set and can cost hundreds of dollars in high grade, professionally graded. You do see sets for sale on occasion (more on that in a bit), but it doesnt happen all that often and usually requires not only a collector with some patience, but one with a little bit of money to spend. If you continue to use this site, we'll assume you're OK with that. Most expensive baseball cards in history. We are user supported. The promotion captured the imagination of collectors everywhere as they opened multiple boxes of 1991 Topps Baseball in a bid to Chase the Mick the famed 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card and land the coveted card for free, or at least for the price of however many boxes were opened. From 1984 through 1991, Topps gave collectors what we wanted sort of. 2. We don't know how big a role nostalgia plays with this one, but it still regularly sells north of $40. Im not collecting again till Topps bring back inexpensive cards like they did in the 1980s. In 1988 he was playing with the San Francisco Giants. Like the 1991 Donruss, Fleer, Topps, Ultra, and Upper Deck sets, large print runs saturated the market with these cards, driving down their values. Prices are updated daily based upon 1991 Topps Micro listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. Whiten played 11 years in the Big Leagues but was never a star. Pricing - 1991 Topps Baseball | Trading Card Database Baseball Sets 1991 Overview 1991 Topps Pricing Complete Set: $20.99 ( Submit a Price) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Prices as submitted by site members. Counting down the most valuable baseball card sets from the late 1990s using the highest recent sale in any grade 9 or below from any grading company (PSA, B. The main cards in the set essentially parallel those found in the main 1991 Topps baseball card set. Ken Griffey JR HOF 2000 Fleer Focus Pocus 6. My brother and I must have gotten tired of opening them, and moved on to something new. Nolan Ryan broke out the tuxedo to pose for this card and that fashion statement helped it quickly become one of the most popular cards in the hobby that year. Ungraded & graded values for all '91 Topps Micro Baseball Cards. You can email him at [emailprotected] or find him on Twitter @PreWarCards. The combination of the low-profile design, the open presentation of the photos and traditional card stock has caused many collectors to come back to 1991 Topps Baseball with a new respect. Sanders made sure to rework his contract in the offseason to be available for MLB playoff games in the future and the move certainly paid off in a big way for the Braves. Baseball; Sets; 1991; Overview; 1991 Topps. But, Ryan wasn't the only one to dress up so nicely as Dave Stewart put on a tuxedo for his card as well. What is the value of that card? Nolan Ryan's "1990 Record Breaker" card is also high up on the list of cards from this set. 1987 Donruss Open. https://www.cardboardconnection.com/1991-topps-traded-baseball-cards. That helps to explain some of the rarity of this set. As with previous Topps Traded sets, the cards stick with the year's Topps design. These frames are color-coded according to the team. There are faked versions of this card, so this is one worth buying authenticated. He also did backflips and other acrobatics on the field which always amazed me as a young kid. Derek Jeter 2000 Topps Gallery Exhibits 3. This is a classic rookie card and one of the most valuable baseball outfielder cards from the 1960s when found in gem mint condition. Jose Uribe was a league baseball shortstop from 1984 to 1993. Now that we got that out of the way, let's take a look at the list: 1991 Topps #360 Emmitt Smith Estimated PSA 10 Value: $100 After making his rookie cardboard debut in the 1990 Topps football set, the company included Emmitt Smith in their "Super Rookies" subset the following year. One thing to watch out for? Ripken's streak has since been broken multiple times. And can you believe that the Desert Shield version of this card can sell for thousands of dollars? And to date Ive only pulled a single vintage card, a 1968 common!. I was told graded its 10k. It requires a lot of work, especially if you want to collect the more nuanced and questionable varieties.. Those sets that followed just dont seem like trading cards to them. I have a brand new box still wrapped up are they wourth anything. In all, there are 792 cards in the set, just like the regular 1991 Topps baseball cards. So there you have it, the ten most valuable 1991 Topps cards in both their base and Desert Shield forms. They have remained in a safety deposit box since 1991. Its like they found old cards in a warehouse and held an auction.. Other superstars like Nolan Ryan, Ken Griffey Jr., Cal Ripken, Frank Thomas, and Greg Maddux can be yours for peanuts or less most of the time. If theres a cooler card capturing MLBs stolen base king in his dust-filled, head-first glory, we probably havent seen it. Thank you for highlighting such a beauty! The key to the brand's success lies in the fact that Bowman and Bowman Chrome rookie cards are typically the most valuable and sought after of all rookie cards. After two years of balancing his efforts as a two-sport athlete for the New York Yankees and the Atlanta Falcons, the Yankees finally decided to part ways with Sanders in September 1990. I have a Chipper Jones rookie card mint not graded. Was he originally slated to be the first card in the set but Topps decided to go with Dave Stewart at some point instead? So which of the 1991 Topps baseball cards are most valuable? Thanks! 1994 Collector's Choice Baseball Michael Jordan RC #661 One of the biggest stories in sports in 1994 was Michael Jordan switching to play baseball. Tommy Tom Lasorda Dodgers Topps Signed Card 7. I was lucky enough to find an original George Bush senior in his yale uniform. Or, they'd need to be one of the rarer Desert Shield versions Not to be confused with Topps' set of Desert Storm cards which featured military subject matter, the Desert Shield baseball cards were sent to soldiers who were serving in the Persian Gulf War during that time. )-78 including all ABA players and football from 1968-1981. Exact print runs of Desert Shield baseball cards arent known, but standard estimates put the total number of sets at between 6500 and 7000. Some of the game's greats had more than one season that could be considered the greatest of their careers. #10 1962 Topps Joe Torre (RC) #218 PSA 10 sold for $15,344 1962 Topps Joe Torre rookie card on eBay The "All Star" callout at the top with the starry sky in the background adds a very nice design touch to this card. Forty collectors who found an X on their Instant Win Game card won a complete set from a random year from 1952-90. Among the more popular ones are Ken Griffey, Jr., Nolan Ryan, Cal Ripken, Mark McGwire, Frank Thomas, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa, and others. 1. The only box set I ever purchased. You can, after all, routinely find thousands of them on eBay. Read our methodology . However, a case can be made for the '68 Topps card; we'll cover that in the next item. Ross is the founder of Old Sports Cards and has been collecting sports cards for over 30 years. Topps had also returned to a more reserved design to celebrate its anniversary one year after offering one of its flashiest flagship designs ever, the comic book-themed 1990 set. This was the year Topps finally woke up and decided to try to put out a set to try to compete with Upper Deck. Pretty neat find. The title is a reference to the irreverent nickname given the famous (infamous?) A rundown of the most expensive 1991 Topps baseball cards sold on eBay in April-June of 2022.See the most recent eBay top sellers of 1991 Topps baseball card. From 1984 to 1991, Topps released a limited edition version of both their regular and traded sets called "Tiffany" sets. All cards feature a "Topps 40 Years of Baseball" logo to commemorate Topps' 40th year of baseball releases. Awards; Ballparks; College Baseball; Division Series; . One collector was also given a complete run of base sets from each year. I have about 30 box or 1991 tops baseball cards. Given the increasing prices of high-grade cards, the potential for unopened packs and boxes could be even greater by now. Apparently, at least, as we were unwilling or simply unable to absorb the oceans of product on the market even as we continued to slobber over the gorgeous UD offerings in their second year. Card Back Q&A: Scott Elarton Talks J.R. Richard and Being Smartest Pitching Prospect, Popular Michael Jordan Baseball Cards Remain Mostly Cheap, 25th Anniversary of Some Great 1991 Rarities, The Ten 1990s Baseball Issues that Killed the Player Collector Completist, Cardboard in the Desert: A Soldier Remembers, Collects 1991 Topps Desert Shield, mentions cards being thrown away and even burned as part of fires, graded examples usually running close to $1,000 or more, sold for nearly $3,000 in September on eBay, In 2018, the No. How high can these cards rise? Chipper Jones was a flat out superstar during the 1990's and fans adored him. Outside of Bowman, which was owned by Topps, the 1991 Topps flagship set stood alone as the only set issued that year on gray stock. This 91 Topps sold for $47 around Thanksgiving 2021 and moved again for roughly $60 near Valentines Day 2022.