Here are the top 15 Most Expensive Nolan Ryan Cards: #15 1978 Topps Nolan Ryan #400 Recent sale: $898 . While Pete Rose set records elsewhere in the Phillies lineup, third baseman Mike Schmidt set the National League ablaze. 1981 Topps Traded Fernando Valenzuela, 16. After Wilson dodged a wild pitch from Boston's Bob Stanley, Kevin Mitchell scored from third to tie the game. We are user supported. Seaver would play one more year for the Reds in 1982 when he posted a 5-13 record before heading back to the New York Mets the following year. Rose collected 140 hits in 1981, slashing .325/.391/.390 in his third year with the Philadelphia Phillies. For its 1980-81 basketball set, Topps mixed things up by releasing an entire set in which each card had three panels, each . 203 Bill Gullickson Record Breaker - Expos. 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. Over his long and storied career, Henderson broke many records and helped transform the lead-off position. 1982 Topps Card Prices | PSA & Ungraded Values - SportsCardsPro 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. Like everyone else, the shortened season didn't help his overall output but some key indicators had fallen off noticeably. He also had a flair for the big hit and helped Philadelphia to a 34-21 record in the first half to secure a playoff spot for the Phillies halfway through the season. Cincinnati finished second in both halves of the 1981 split-season but ended the year with the best overall record in the National League. 4. . However, due to market conditions, values fluctuate. Getting hands on a card like this is pretty difficult. And the reason it's worth so much in PSA 10 condition? Shortcuts: Most Expensive, Cheapest, List by Card # 6 Don Mattingly 1984 Donruss #248: One of the most . 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. Sandwiched in between the "normal", if limp 1979 issue, and that 1981 set is another oddity. And in this guide, I'll run through the ten most valuable. And, over the next twenty-two years, he would develop into one of the greatest players of his era with twelve All-Star selections, seven Gold Gloves and six Silver Sluggers to his name. 6 Rickey Henderson #180. In 1981, Schmidt became the eighth player in MLB history to do just that. Let's be clear:most of the cards from this set do not have any value these days. 50. 207 Ozzie Smith Record Breaker - Padres. Ryan's stellar age-34 campaign earned him his sixth All-Star selection, a fourth-place finish in the National League's Cy Young race, and a 16th-place finish in the NL's MVP balloting. 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. The problem was that the 33-year-old Bench simply wasn't healthy. 1981 Reggie Jackson Topps Project 70 Card, 10. It was a fitting punctuation mark for one of Ryan's best seasons on the mound. After the 1986 season, Dawson left Montreal as a free agent for the Chicago Cubs, where he would become their everyday right fielder on a much more knee-friendly grass field. However, during early 2021, PSA 9 examples of this card frequently sold for $4,000 - $5,000 or more. 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On the right side were four rows of six . He played most of his career with the St Louis Cardinals and New York Mets. Download Price List, SportsCardsPro 2019-2023 "I've learned to stay within myself, not be afraid to fail.". Contact him at [emailprotected]. In fact, between June 2021 and May 2022, this Ripken collectible in a PSA 10 sold for under $4,000 just once. 1981 Topps Football Cards - 12 Most Valuable - Wax Pack Gods The 1980 Topps Rickey Henderson is such a beautiful card. In 1981, the 6'5 monster recorded his second straight 1000-yard season and led all of football with 88 catches. And incredibly, hed come back with a vengeance. 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. He is the younger brother of Vicente Romo, who also pitched in the majors. Year-by-year ranking of the most valuable Topps Baseball Rookie Cards from 1952 to 2020. Raines showed the world that Rickey Henderson wasn't the only guy who could light up the basepaths as he led the Majors with 71 stolen bases while slashing .304/.391.438. A remarkable all-around . 1952 Topps #1 Andy Pafko. With the 22-year-old star setting the table, the As earned a playoff spot with a 37-23 first-half record and finished with the American Leagues best overall record at 64-45. The imagery on this card is some of the best on this list and in the set in general, as Topps perfectly captured Jackson taking a massive swing. The defending AL champions were a mess early, though. Total Cards: 726. 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. Murphy was outstanding during the 1980s as he racked up two MVPs, seven All-Star selections, five Gold Gloves, and four Silver Sluggers on his way to becoming one of the most popular players in baseball. For the longest time it seemed like Smith would not quite garner enough votes to earn a trip to the Hall of Fame. It is also (by a slight margin) the most valuable card in the 1984 Topps Football set. Tune in as Mrs. Wax Pack Gods reads 1982 Topps Baseball Cards - 17 Most Valuable . On September 26, 1981, Houston Astros ace Nolan Ryan passed Sandy Koufax with a record fifth no-hitter on national television against Koufax's old team, the Los Angeles Dodgers. He helped to redefine the value of relievers within baseball and ushered in the modern closer role. 1989 Donruss The Rookies Ken Griffey Jr. #3. 1 Rickey Henderson #119. 1981, 1985, 1989), 11-time MLB strikeout leader (1972-74, 1976-79, 1987-90), two-time NL leader (1981, 1987), MLB All-Century Team. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2022 by Old Sports Cards, LLC. Rating: 7.5 (174 votes) Click here to Rate. Topps has dominated the baseball card scene for the past six decades, issuing a set in every year . He was a member of the Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox, Cincinnati Reds, and Detroit Tigers. 1982 Donruss Baseball Cards - PSA Price Guide In the team's NLDS loss to the Expos, Schmidt hit .250 (4-for-16) with one home run, two RBI, and four walks. 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. Shortcuts: Most Expensive, Cheapest, List by Card # You own: 0 / 1202 items 0% Track your collection for free. Baseball Cards. He also holds the schools record for most strikeouts in both a single season and total career strikeouts with 309 in 305 innings pitched. 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. #9. 10 Most Valuable 1980s Baseball Cards - Sports Card Investor In the second half, they finished 1.5 games behind the Astros to miss the playoffs entirely. Greatest Topps Baseball Cards of All-Time. 1952 Topps Willie Mays RC #261. 10 Greatest Topps Baseball Cards To Buy Now In 2023 - Gold Card Auctions 1980 Topps Rickey Henderson RC #482. Before Danny Ainge found success at the professional level in basketball as a player, coach and executive, he made his professional sports debut for the Toronto Blue Jays in 1979while he was still in college. Since most collectors in this hobby tend to draw the line on the "vintage era" at 1980, many consider the Rickey Henderson rookie card to be the last big-name vintage rookie.. And while its value pales in comparison to other big-name vintage rookies like Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, and Roberto Clemente, to . He also loves to write about the hobby and has written for Beckett, Topps, SABR and of course, this website. Most Expensive, For a guy who had his rookie card debut in the 1960 Topps set, it's impressive that Yaz played long enough to be featured in this set as well. 205 Pete Rose Record Breaker - Phillies. Premium: In the process, Schmidt led the league and set career highs in home runs (48), RBI (121) and total bases (342). Average . Heres an amazing baseball card that in my opinion should be worth more than it currently is. $195. 25 Most Valuable 1980 Topps Baseball Cards - Old Sports Cards Clocking in at 605 cards in total, this set made history when it first debuted. He earned four varsity letters, two for college and two for the major leagues. Coming off a 1980 season in which he finished runner-up for the AL MVP award, New York Yankees right fielder Reggie Jackson looked to keep the momentum going in 1981. 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. Top 10 Most Valuable: 1981 Topps Basketball. The Reds put him at first base for the first time as he dealt with nagging injuries. The 10 Most Valuable 1983 Topps Baseball Cards At 41 years of age, it seemed time had finally caught up to Boston Red Sox designated hitter/first baseman Carl Yastrzemski in 1981. The NL Rookie of the Year Award was close, with Raines receiving 85 vote points to Valenzuela's 107, but the Expos and all of baseball knew that Raines was something special. For example, his .693 OPS was the worst of his career by nearly 40 points (.721, 1961), and it was almost 150 points less than his career mark of .841. The 10 Most Valuable Basketball Cards from the 1980s. 1981 Topps card list & price guide. Like the 1981 Fleer and Topps sets, large print runs saturated the market with these cards, driving down their values. That just shows you what kind of effect being a Hall of Famer can have on baseball card prices. Click on any Donruss Set to see a full list of Cards and their current value. This card is super tough to find in high grade, hence the huge price tag that might shock you. The 1981 Topps baseball card set consist of 726 standard size cards that measure 2" by 3". 1981 Topps Kirk Gibson RC #315. . Ryan dazzled on that fall afternoon in Houston, striking out eleven and walking just three. You can almost feel the tension in this card as he's poised and just waiting for the perfect moment to break for second. 2 prospect in baseball at the start of the 1997 season after hitting . Oakland swept three straight from the Kansas City Royals in the ALDS but, the tables turned in the ALCS when the Yankees eliminated them in three. 1981 Fleer Rickey Henderson #351, #574. Donovan Mitchell was one of the standouts in a loaded 2017-18 NBA rookie class. 50 Most Valuable Baseball Cards of All Time | Stadium Talk No More Secrets Puzzle Game, Ungraded The Padres also had some great retro jerseys during the 1980s but Ozzie really topped things off with those sideburns. 726 Rick Monday. But, I'm a big fan of this set regardless. And, if you look back at his stats for his rookie campaign in the 1982 season, there really was no reason he shouldn't have made the All-Star team that year, too. Unfortunately, they failed to make the playoffs during his first year in Philadelphia, but things changed for the better as the Phillies outlasted George Brett and the Kansas City Royals in six games to win the 1980 World Series. This is a 1981 fleer rookie card with card number #418. 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. List; Gallery; Gallery - 6 Cards per Page; Gallery - 8 Cards per Page; Gallery - 9 Cards per Page; I used to collect baseball cards as a kid and loved pulling out a pack of 1981 Topps Coca Cola cardstheir design was so much better than the regular issue and their limited print run made them seem much more valuable. Need help buying or selling cards or have a general question about the hobby? 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. Cheapest, Bench is somewhat of an anomaly on this list, showing up with only one 1981 Fleer card, and all. 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. 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. Every collector knows that theres some serious money to be made off certain cards. Interestingly, Ryan's highest single-season strikeout total in nine years with the Houston Astros was only 270 in 1987, a year in which he also led the NL with a 2.76 ERA. Today only a graded high-condition example gets that kind of money. And while Rose hit no home runs in 1981 and drove in just 33, he was a fantastic table-setter for the Phillies. Had Los Angeles's Fernando Valenzuela's not been so dominant in 1981, dousing the baseball world in "Fernandomania," Seaver would have earned his fourth Cy Young as he finished runner-up. Because of his career accomplishments and his overpowering style, Ryan remains one of the game's most popular players to ever play and you'll see his name in just about every set's log of key cards. 1981 Topps Baseball Cards - DeansCards.com Price: $299.99. Canadian baseball cards printed in the French language are uncommon, which shows on this baseball card as it is bi-lingual. Accolades aside, Schmidt felt his best accomplishment was in one of the few offensive categories in which he didn't pace the Majors: batting average. But he is more famous for the accusations of gambling that led Major League Baseball to ban him from the sport in 1989. The reverse of this card is just one of the many quirks found inside Donruss's debut set. Owchinko played baseball for Eastern Michigan University. 3. One thing I always found a bit strange about Yount's career was that he was a two-time MVP but appeared in just three All-Star games, the lowest amount of any Hall of Famer since the game's inception. He also paced the Majors in ERA+ (195) and hits per 9 innings (6.0). 6. Roberto Ramos in the middle who was an amazing catcher during his prime and the beloved Bobby Pate who commanded respect in the outfield. The Boston Celtics drafted Ainge in the 1981 NBA Draft and bought his contract from the Blue Jays and the rest was history. Prices are updated daily based upon 1981 Fleer listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. 206 Mike Schmidt Record Breaker - Phillies. Bench was a complete catcher as he was dangerous with both the bat and glove and was a significant reason "The Big Red Machine" was so dominant throughout the 1970s. He also finished fourth in the NL with a .316 batting average, narrowly missing out on a Triple Crown. They were the fourteenth and fifteenth players to achieve the incredible milestone. Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $2,700. #7. Though it may be light on key rookie cards, this set is certainly not light on stars and Hall of Famers. 0% Over eighteen seasons in MLB, all with the Philadelphia Phillies, Schmidt won three MVPs, made twelve All-Star teams, won six Silver Sluggers, snagged ten Gold Gloves, and led the league in home runs eight times. Read our methodology. The course of Seaver's career would take a significant turn at the trading deadline in 1977, though, when he was involved in "the Midnight Massacre" that sent him to the Reds. He played parts of four seasons in the MLB between 1979 and 1986, with the Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, and Montreal Expos. While this set may be slightly overlooked in the history of the hobby, it still delivers a great checklist. That means the card needs to be flawless. He spent eleven seasons with four teams in Major League Baseball the majority of it spent with the Detroit Tigers. 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. In those 108 games, they played at Fenway Park where they had a record of 56-52. While they both made their MLB debuts in 1961, Brock would retire after the 1979 season with 3,023 hits while Yaz would stick around until 1983 and finished with 3,419 hits. Tom Seaver came within a handful of votes of winning his fourth Cy Young on the 1981 season with an incredible pitching display that saw him lead the Majors in wins (14) and winning percentage (.875). 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. The 1981 Canadian version of the 1981 Nolan Ryan Topps baseball card came from O-Pee-Chee at a time when there were two Canadian teams registered in MLB. Its one thing to have an expos future stars card signed by one of the 3 players, however, the value and rarity goes all the way up when you have the signatures of two players on one card. This card features the professional baseball player Danny Ainge. As their everyday first baseman, that put Rose on the opposite corner of the field as Phillies icon Mike Schmidt at third. It has been certified authentic by Beckett Authentication (BAS) and comes encapsulated in their tamper-proof holder. Mattingly's Donruss rookie was produced in smaller quantities than his Topps rookie, so it's worth more. However, the turf at Olympic Stadium didn't do Dawson any favors resulting in knee problems that would hamper his speed later in his career. 30 Wicked Nolan Ryan Baseball Card Investments In 2023 - Gold Card Auctions This card has been signed by him and is currently worth $49. The card features famous baseball player Reggie Jackson and is worth $75. However, his production was never quite the same from 1988 until he finished his career with the Colorado Rockies in 1993. Now anchoring the back of the Brewers bullpen, Fingers won by a mere eleven points. 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. The card features Pete Rose. 1981 Topps Bob Owchinko Baseball Card, 11. Its $300 PSA 10 price tag is no mistake. 2. However, Schmidt led baseball in multiple offensive categories, including home runs (31), RBI (91), OBP (.435), slugging percentage (.644), OPS (1.080), OPS+ (198), and total bases (228). Part of the explanation is that Yount was quietly consistent and playing in small-market Milwaukee certainly didn't help. However, his relationship with the San Diego Padres ownership continued to sour and by season's end, both were looking to move on from each other. During this era, the Montreal Expos had yet to move south to become . The 1977 AL Rookie of the Year, Eddie Murray made his cardboard debut in the 1978 Topps set, making his rookie card one of the most iconic of the 1970s. With ten Gold Gloves to show for it, Bench was a monster on defense with a rifle for an arm and an ability to throw out would-be base stealers with extreme precision. Raw: $20 PSA 9: $100 PSA 10: $900 One of the most popular players of his era, Vladimir Guerrero was the No. Boggs reached 3,000 hits during his career and became the 23rd player to do so. He also loves to write about the hobby and has written for Beckett, Topps, SABR and of course, this website. But what Bench lacks in cardboard variations, he more than makes up for in NL MVP awards, Big Red Machine savvy, and greatest-catcher-ever swagger. All told, Bench played in just 52 of Cincinnati's 108 games. During the 1977 season, Andre Dawson batted .282 with 19 home runs and 65 RBI, which earned him NL Rookie of the Year honors. Henderson has two cards in the 1981 Fleer which feature photographs that appear to be taken just seconds apart. In total, Henderson led the league in stolen bases . PSA Price Guide for 1982 Donruss Baseball Card Values - Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) & PSA/DNA Authentication Services Services