Greatest Topps Baseball Cards of All-Time. One of the most memorable cards in the '91 Topps set, this horizontal stunner shows Clemens posing in front of Fenway Park's famed scoreboard. 1952 Topps Willie Mays RC #261. 6 Don Mattingly 1984 Donruss #248: One of the most . On May 29th against the San Francisco Giants, Bench slid into second base, attempting to break up a double play but fractured his left ankle in the process. 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. Baines also won a Silver Slugger in 1989 and led the American League in slugging percentage (.541) in 1984. At the time, everyone thought the Padres were getting the better end of the deal as Templeton was a much better hitter. Cal Ripken Jr. Aurelio Alejandro Lpez Rios was a Mexican professional baseball player. When it comes to Rookie Cards, 1981 Topps is one . They were the fourteenth and fifteenth players to achieve the incredible milestone. Contents hide. #5. At least he was voted Rookie of the Year. 1982 Donruss. Despite missing the call to the Hall, Murphy was a hero to many kids who collected during his brilliant run in the 1980s, and today those kids are adult collectors with money to spare, keeping his cards in decent demand. Read our methodology. | Compare vs. 4. In Game 4 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, he'd return with New York holding a 2-1 advantage to try and help the team across the finish line. That just shows you what kind of effect being a Hall of Famer can have on baseball card prices. Star power: Robinson, a Hall of Famer, broke the MLB color barrier in 1947, becoming a social justice icon in the process. Rookie Cards. Heres a rare rainbow foil card in mint condition by Risk Foil. Shortcuts: Most Expensive, Cheapest, List by Card # You own: 0 / 1202 items 0% Track your collection for free. Henderson has two cards in the 1981 Fleer which feature photographs that appear to be taken just seconds apart. Donruss would take the experience with this set and continue to churn out many improved and memorable sets for years to come. And he was still very much a respectable pitcher during his time in Cincinnati from 1977 to 1982 as he'd win around 15 games regularly, made . Although his best days were clearly behind him, he still played well enough to earn a trip to the 1982 All-Star game. Tim Raines first became eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2008 but wasn't elected until 2017 when he received a convincing 86% of the vote. And, like Clemens, that might cut into the value and prestige of his 1985 Fleer Rookie Card to a . JB's 1981 Fleer card is a $5 (or so) buy in PSA 9 condition. Year sold: 2018. . And he didn't lose any steam in the postseason, either, as he would end up leading the Phillies to the World Series title while batting .381, belting two home runs, driving in seven RBI, and scoring six runs. (Updated for 2022) SUBSCRIBE NOW! One of the most beloved New York Mets in franchise history, Mookie Wilson finished seventh in the 1981 NL Rookie of the Year race and went on to a very successful career until he retired in 1991. This card features Tim Maines, Roberto Ramos and Bobby Pate, all the players listed were stars in their prime. 29 Surprisingly Cheap: 1985 Mark McGwire Topps. 1956 Topps Mickey Mantle #135. The defending AL champions were a mess early, though. 2022 Topps Heritage Baseball Most Valuable Cards and Checklist; These 10 GOATS . Premium: The following season, Seaver was as sharp as ever as he finished with an incredible .875 winning percentage after going 14-2 on the mound. Ungraded & graded values for all '81 Fleer Baseball Cards. And that's when his career started to take off as he made his first of seven career All-Star Games during the 1980 season and would finish twelfth in the MVP vote. Jackson slumped out of the gates in 1981, prompting Steinbrenner to invoke a clause in his contract that forced him to undergo a full physical examination. The record-breaking card is from his rookie season and was produced by trading card giant Topps. PriceIt Game | But, for the 1982 season, Smith would never actually suit up for the Padres as he was traded to St. Louis for another highly-regarded shortstop in Garry Templeton. . Sure, the 1981 Topps set has the Montana rookie card, . Contact him at [emailprotected]. That season set the tone for a reputation that Dawson would carve out as a player with an incredible mix of speed and power as he was seemingly always a lock for 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases throughout his time in Montreal. After sixteen seasons and two World Series titles with the Cincinnati Reds, Pete Rose left the "Big Red Machine" behind and signed as a free agent with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1979. During the rush to market, they also ended up with many errors and variations in their debut set, but that was to be expected. 1952 Topps #1 Andy Pafko. I know the game is played differently these days but even if it weren't, I'd be stunned if anyone in the future ever meets or bests his 130 stolen bases in a season. Ryan dazzled on that fall afternoon in Houston, striking out eleven and walking just three. The greatest catcher of all time, Johnny Bench played in seventeen seasons with the Cincinnati Reds from 1967 to 1983, and in 2011 the team erected a statue in his honor at Great American Ballpark. The player who played the most games at first base in major league history was Eddie Murray, who amassed 2,413-lifetime games at the position along with nearly 600 more as a designated hitter. This card is super tough to find in high grade, hence the huge price tag that might shock you. Roland Glen Fingers was an American right-handed relief pitcher who played for three teams between 1968 and 1985. From there you can also add a Card to your collection or wishlist. The 1980 season turned out to be historic for George Brett as he won the only MVP of his legendary career and fell just short of batting .400 on the year with an eye-popping .390 average. 1981 Topps card list & price guide. Set Links - Overview - Checklist - Teams - Errors / Variations - Hall of Famers - Rookies . . While it's not known for any iconic cards like some of the other sets of the era, the 1981 Donruss baseball card set is iconic itself for one reason: collectors now had an alternative choice to Topps for the first time in years. For one more year, at least, Topps was the only game in town in 1980. Had Fred Lynn (.333) not barely edged out Brett (.329) for the title in 1979, then they would've had all nine of them. It didn't happen and Jackson played the 1981 campaign as a free agent. Currently, this 1981 Topps card is worth $79. His combination of speed and power was simply some of the greatest the game has ever seen. In 390 plate appearances (338 at-bats), Yastrzemski posted a .246/.338/.355 slash line with a career-low seven home runs and 53 RBI. So for our purpose, the most expensive Nolan Ryan rookie card is the 1969 Topps RC which is valued at $20,000, give or take a thousand. From the 1983 season on, he was selected to the All-Star game every year until he retired after the 2001 season. An Enrique Romo Signed Baseball card that has been authenticated by a grading service is pretty hard to find. Or, feel free to call/text me at 305-684-6680! Sandwiched in between the "normal", if limp 1979 issue, and that 1981 set is another oddity. Seaver was nothing short of incredible for the Reds that season but Los Angeles's Fernando Valenzuela was just a bit better and out-pointed Seaver in the Cy Young vote 70 to 67. To make things even stranger, you could even say that Rose appeared on fourcards in this set because this one comes in two variations. As their everyday first baseman, that put Rose on the opposite corner of the field as Phillies icon Mike Schmidt at third. Heck, he even dated "Miss New York" Debra Sue Maurice from the Miss USA Beauty Pageant. The first standalone Topps Traded set may belong to 1981, but the first card to really make the series a hobby burner belongs to 1982 and to Cal Ripken, Jr. . Mike Schmidt was arguably the best third baseman in baseball history and will always be remembered for both his power and his glove. He played parts of four seasons in the MLB between 1979 and 1986, with the Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, and Montreal Expos. In 21 starts, Ryan finished 11-5 with an MLB-best 1.69 ERA. For its 1980-81 basketball set, Topps mixed things up by releasing an entire set in which each card had three panels, each . However, on December 9, 2018 he and Harold Baines were voted in by the Today's Game Era Committe. Jackson found a groove in the team's ALDS victory over the Milwaukee Brewers, hitting .300 with a .933 OPS, two home runs, and four RBI. Ungraded & graded values for all '81 Topps Baseball Cards. However, due to market conditions, values fluctuate. Valenzuela won both the Rookie of the Year and Cy Young Awards, and the Dodgers made it all the way to the World Series. 2017-18 Panini National Treasures Donovan Mitchell RC Auto Patch /99. This card once was worth upwards of $50, and until Jose Canseco came along, it was the most valuable regular-issue 1980s card in the book. 726 cards. Let's be honest, it didn't matter what jersey Ryan wore or what style it was, he was going throw major heat regardless. Rodney Cline Carew is a former Panamanian baseball player who played first baseman and second baseman in the MLB from 1967 to 1985, primarily for the California Angels. But, hey, that's the kind of excitement that he brought to the game: you never knew if he were going to bury one over the fence or get sent right back to the dugout. But, I'm a big fan of this set regardless. 1981 Topps Expos Future Card Tim Haines Auto, 6. And they didn't know it at the time, but they also missed out on producing big-name rookie cards for Fernando Valenzuela, Harold Baines, and Kirk Gibson. Get my weekly newsletter with the latest hobby updates delivered straight to your inbox! Click on a Card detail page to see historic prices and values for all different grades. Unlike George Brett's MVP card, Schmidt's featured an altogether different image than that of his base card. Ozzie Smith was given the name Wizard of Oz After an amazing record for the most assists at shortstop thus establishing a new record in that era. Carew's career batting average ended up at .328, while his best single-season average was .388 in 1977. At the time, two Major League Baseball clubs, the Montreal Expos, and the Toronto Blue Jays played in Canada, where . During the 1977 season, Andre Dawson batted .282 with 19 home runs and 65 RBI, which earned him NL Rookie of the Year honors. Keith was a baseball first baseman. 724 Lou Piniella. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2022 by Old Sports Cards, LLC. Part of the explanation is that Yount was quietly consistent and playing in small-market Milwaukee certainly didn't help. 1981 Topps Coke Team Sets Aurelio Lopez Autographed, 9. Previous Article. The most valuable baseball card from the 1980s is Rickey Henderson's 1980 Topps rookie card. And incredibly, hed come back with a vengeance. Each 1-13/16" by 3-1/4" card featured a small full-color portrait of the player with his name printed below his image on the left side of the card. It has full gloss and is slightly askew. 1981 Topps Project 70 Card Wade Boggs by Efdot FOIL, 8. It was a fitting punctuation mark for one of Ryan's best seasons on the . He struggled in 1980 (by his terms) with a career-worst 3.64 ERA and a career-low ten wins. Though it may be light on key rookie cards, this set is certainly not light on stars and Hall of Famers. Unfortunately, the Kansas City Royals would slam the door on any hopes that Jackson and the Yankees had for a World Series ring when they swept them in the 1980 ALCS. He won the American League MVP award with one of the best offensive seasons in league history, flirted with .400, and made his first World Series appearance. His full name is Peter Edward Rose and was a professional baseball player who managed to exceed Ty Cobbs record for the number of hits in a career. Ozzie Smith's 1979 Topps rookie card is also one of the last great rookie cards of the vintage era, but his second-year card isn't a bad consolation prize either. Thats why everyone is constantly asking the question: What are the most valuable 1981 Topps baseball cards?. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2022 by Old Sports Cards, LLC. This card has been signed by him and is currently worth $49. 2. So, for the cards on this list to be worth much, they'll have to be graded by PSA to be in perfect, gem mint condition. Mookie came up big for the Mets again in Game 7, going 1 for 3 with a run scored to help the Mets beat the Red Sox 8-5 to win the title. Rating: 7.5 (174 votes) Click here to Rate. Ross is the founder of Old Sports Cards and has been collecting sports cards for over 30 years. Seaver was great in Cincinnati, but he just wasn'tas greatas he was with the Mets up to that point. This was limited to only 504 serial-numbered porcelain cards made and it has already been authenticated by Global Authentics (GAI). Their scarcity is a result of several situations that can apply to baseball card collecting. Prices are updated daily based upon 1981 Fleer listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. Here is a quick rundown of those most valuable 1982 Topps baseball cards, based on recent sales for copies graded PSA 9 and presented in numerical order. Immediately afterward, the price of his 1982 Topps rookie card in PSA 10 condition shot through the roof. 50. 5 Cal Ripken Jr. #183. Murray was one of the greatest first basemen to ever play the game but his cards seem to be a bit overlooked at times. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. The 1981 season was the St. Louis Cardinals 100th season in St. Louis, Missouri, and their 90th year in the National League (NL). Beginning with the 1977-78 NCAA Basketball season, Ainge starred for Brigham Young University and capped things off in 1981 by being named a first-team All-American and winning the John Wooden Award as the nation's best player. In those 108 games, they played at Fenway Park where they had a record of 56-52. 6) 1981 Topps Traded Rollie Fingers (#761) This may be the most iconic 1981 baseball card of all, thanks to 1) Fingers signature mustache, 2) the old-school kneeling pose, 3) the Cy Young-MVP twofer Rollie pulled off in 1981, and the 1982 Topps Kmart set that immortalized the entire card in miniature. It's no wonder why, considering how Henderson's a beloved figure in the sport whose '81 campaign included a .319 batting average, a league-leading 56 stolen bases and a second-place MVP . Card Number: #418. Here are the top 15 Most Expensive Nolan Ryan Cards: #15 1978 Topps Nolan Ryan #400 Recent sale: $898 . Within the set were also several different subsets, including: The colorful design and decent photography give this set an overall great look and feel, with many cards having fantastic eye appeal. Boston missed the playoffs by 1.5 games in the second-half AL East race. Ungraded. Checklist Top. Clocking in at 605 cards in total, this set made history when it first debuted. 1981 Topps Enrique Romo Signed Pittsburgh Pirates, 15. He also led the National League in runs scored (78) and walks (73). 1981 Topps Traded Tim Raines Rookie Baseball Card #816 NM-MT FREE SHIPPING. Henderson was also top-notch on defense as he brought home his first-and-only Gold Glove. 1982 Topps #30 Tom Seaver. 1981 Topps. Many thought his career was slowly but surely coming to an end. The move worked as the Royals responded by winning 20 of their last 33 to make the playoffs. This set marked the end of an era in which Topps was the only mainstream company with the MLB's blessing to print baseball cards. In the team's NLDS loss to the Expos, Schmidt hit .250 (4-for-16) with one home run, two RBI, and four walks. And the difference lies on the reverse of the card, as one version will point collectors to see card #251 for more Rose highlights while the other will direct them to see card #371 for more. 1981 Topps Baseball 2nd Year Card Rickey Henderson, 1981 Topps Expos Future Card Tim Haines Auto, 1981 Topps Project 70 Card Wade Boggs by Efdot FOIL, 1981 Topps Coke Team Sets Aurelio Lopez Autographed, 1981 Reggie Jackson Topps Project 70 Card, Tim Raines & Ramos Autographed 1981 Topps Rookie Card, George Riley Autographed 1981 Topps Rookie Card, 1981 Topps Enrique Romo Signed Pittsburgh Pirates, Ted Simmons St. Louis Cardinals 1981 Topps, Rod Carew Autographed 1981 Topps Squirt Card, 29 Most Valuable 1989 Donruss Baseball Cards In The World, 25 Most Valuable Joe Montana Cards Worth Thousands, 29 Most Valuable 1980 Topps Baseball Cards In the World, 19 Most Valuable 1981 Topps Baseball Cards Price List, 1. He was the clear choice for National League MVP and also picked up a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger. Baseball; Sets; 1981; Overview; 1981 Topps. . Reggie Jackson played five seasons as a member of the New York Yankees from 1977 to 1981, and the 1980 season turned out to be his best in pinstripes. Jackie Robinson | Card Sold For: $392,400. That season was the first time batted .300 or better, crossed the 30 home run mark, scored 100 runs or more and drove in 100 or more RBI. While it may not be one of the most popular sets of the era, the 1982 Topps baseball card set packed plenty of star power and two key Hall of Fame rookie cards. In his first full season in the big leagues in 1981, Tim Haines batted .304 with 71 stolen bases in a strike-shortened seasonmaking an instant impression on fans with his ability to make players look foolish on the base paths. Get my weekly newsletter with the latest hobby updates delivered straight to your inbox! document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2022 by Old Sports Cards, LLC. And he was still very much a respectable pitcher during his time in Cincinnati from 1977 to 1982 as he'd win around 15 games regularly, made two All-Star teams and even finished second in the Cy Young vote for the 1981 season. Mattingly's Donruss rookie was produced in smaller quantities than his Topps rookie, so it's worth more. Topps has dominated the baseball card scene for the past six decades, issuing a set in every year . Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. Smith earned the first of those Gold Gloves during the 1980 season when he also set the single-season record for most assists by a shortstop with an astronomical total of 621. He was named Rolaids Relief Man of the Year four times and led the major leagues in saves three times. It didn't matter, though, as the Reds missed out on the playoffs and a rejuvenated Tom Seaver was denied one last hurrah in October. Most of Tom Seaver's pitching brilliance occurred during his first eleven seasons in the Majors with the New York Mets as he was named 1967 Rookie of the Year and won three Cy Youngs (1969, 1973, and 1975) during that time. He also loves to write about the hobby and has written for Beckett, Topps, SABR and of course, this website. Rose hit .300 (6-for-20) with two RBI and a run scored in the losing effort. . 1981 Topps Traded Expos Tim Raines Card. In 1981, Schmidt became the eighth player in MLB history to do just that. For 15 seasons from 1982 to 1996, Smith was a key cog in the Cardinals lineup as he went on to win 11 more Gold Gloves and appear in 14 more All-Star Games. 1981 Topps Baseball 2nd Year Card Rickey Henderson, 3. "I had hit .300 before, but I couldn't hold it," he said. 1981 Topps Traded MLB Baseball Trading Cards Pick From List #727-#858. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 1989 Donruss The Rookies Ken Griffey Jr. #3. 5 Cal Ripken Jr. 1982 Topps Traded #98T: Everybody wants to make such a big fuss about a 2,632-game playing streak when the real awe lies with the steadiness of this card's value. Grade. Tune in as Mrs. Wax Pack Gods reads about 1981 Topps Baseball Cards.When 1981 Topps baseball cards hit store shelves that spring, they were playing in a brav. After the 1981 season, however, Ainge decided to call it quits with baseball. Dale Murphy enjoyed a bit of a breakout year in 1980 as he hit 33 home runs, scored 98 runs, had 89 RBI and made his first of seven career All-Star teams. #9. However, what raised eyebrows was that the Minnesota Vikings selected him in the 17th round of the NFL Draft despite having never played college football. After his release by the Brewers, he was offered a contract by Pete Rose to play for the Cincinnati Reds in 1986. In 25 postseason plate appearances (22 at-bats), Henderson hit .273 with two doubles, one triple, one RBI, three runs scored, and four stolen bases. On the other hand, Ozzie's bat did nothing but improve and combined with the amazing glove he already had, he'd deliver Hall of Fame-caliber play for years in St. Louis. The card has been authenticated by the famous Beckett grading service. His 94 runs scored and 111 RBI were also high marks for Jackson during his time in the Bronx, and by season's end, he would collect his first of two career Silver Slugger awards and finished second in MVP voting. *TIM RAINES* 1981 Topps Traded #816 *CGS 9* RC Rookie Card. This card features the professional baseball player Danny Ainge. Jackson's time in New York wasn't exactly smooth as he occasionally clashed with teammates, manager Billy Martin and owner George Steinbrenner, contributing to an environment that earned the team the nickname "The Bronx Zoo.". After fifteen-straight All-Star appearances from 1965-79, Yastrzemski was left out of the Midsummer Classic for the second year in a row in 1981. Easily the most valuable gem mint in the set, this card from the Man of Steal garners between $600-900 on the secondary markets. When collectors think back to the junk wax era, one of the first sets to jump into minds is 1987 Topps Baseball. 1 1980 Batting Leaders - George Brett / Bill Buckner 2 1980 Home Run Leaders - Reggie Jackson / Ben Oglivie / Mike Schmidt . Shortcuts: Most Expensive, Cheapest, List by Card # The Atlanta Braves had used Dale Murphy at first base and catcher during his early years in the 1970s, but in 1980 they moved him to the outfield. The 1981 O-Pee-Chee features the Canadian version of the 1981 Topps set, where it is uncommon to see French on an MLB card. 206 Mike Schmidt Record Breaker - Phillies. That means the card needs to be flawless. While this is considered one of his rookie cards, it doesn't command quite the price premium as his 1982 Topps Tradedrookie card which can sell for north of $5,000 in top condition. The 2-time MVP, 19-time All-Star and record holder for most consecutive games played easily goes down in history as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, shortstops to play the game. Cards #1-6 in the set feature different highlights that several different players achieved during the 1979 season. And finally, we're down to none other than Rickey Henderson, one of the greatest baseball icons of the 1980s and the game's greatest speedster to ever play. During his first year with the Angels, Jackson proved he still had plenty left in the tank and led the Majors with 39 home runs and finished sixth in the MVP vote. SportsCardsPro Index: 1982 Topps. 1961 Topps Willie Mays All-Star (#579) Here is a case where card scarcity and an immortal of the game conspire to generate a value anomaly an All-Star card worth more than the base card of the same player. His .246 batting average and .355 slugging percentage were also career lows. No More Secrets Puzzle Game, Ungraded The 1981 season stands out for Eddie Murray in a unique way: somehow, it was the only season where he managed to lead the American League in home runs (22) and RBI (78). But, you'll remember that by 1982, Topps was no longer the only major company producing baseball cards as both Donruss and Fleer had joined the scene the year prior. Rickey Henderson, an American retired professional baseball player who played his entire 24-year career in Major League Baseball, helped break the sports color barrier. Prices for 1982 Topps Baseball Cards 1982 Topps card list & price guide. List by Card #, You own: 0 / 865 items $260. Total Cards: 726. For his regular-season efforts, Rose earned the only Silver Slugger Award of his career, his 15th All-Star selection, and a tenth-place finish on the NL MVP ballot. Ross is the founder of Old Sports Cards and has been collecting sports cards for over 30 years. In total, Henderson led the league in stolen bases . Like everyone else, the shortened season didn't help his overall output but some key indicators had fallen off noticeably.