After spending 1908 and 1909 with the Philadelphia Athletics, they quickly gave up on him and traded him to the Cleveland Naps for the 1910 season. Several player variations exist, some with as many as 12, so the series boasts well over 3,000 different cards in total. The famous Pittsburg Pirate shortstop is shown ready at the bat with his name Hans along the bottom border of the card. I remember seeing one of these in abaseball card shop near where I grew up and I would just stare in awe. 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. He also led the Majors in on-base percentage (.448) and doubles (48) while logging a career-best 7.6 bWAR for Detroit's first division championship squad since 1987. It was clear that Topps wanted to do something special for their 60th anniversary and they certainly delivered. In the season's first 46 games, the 24-year-old star slashed .284/.368/.389 with four home runs and 21 RBIs in 162 at-bats. And if you remember, the 1952 Mantle card is relatively more expensive than his 1951 Bowman card. 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle: $12.6 million 2. And it can be tough to find in high grade, too. 1984. Considered by most to be the greatest lefty of all-time, Sandy Koufax has one rookie card to his name and this is it. Many believe the 1887 N172 Old Judge set to be the most important 19th Century set in existence. The card is one of Ruths most desired of all. He ended the year with a 2.79 ERA, striking out 79 batters in 71.0 innings pitched. 2010 and 2011 were two of the most emotionally draining years of Chipper Jones' Hall of Fame career. National League manager Bruce Bochy was not looped in on Pujols' condition heading into the All-Star Game selection deadline, leaving the San Francisco Giants skipper little choice but to look elsewhere to round out the depth chart. 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. Most Expensive, A true baseball legend who spent most of his career in the Negro Leagues, Paige finally got his shot in the majors at the age of 42 with the Cleveland Indians. Financial problems would cause Dunn to sell Ruths contract to the Boston Red Sox later that year, however. After the 2010 campaign, manager Bobby Cox called it a career, leaving a hole in the Braves clubhouse that couldn't be filled. 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. Considered the Holy Grail of all trading cards, the 1909 American Tobacco CompanyT206 Honus Wagner cardremains the symbol of trading card collecting today. Surprisingly, many dont even consider him the best pitcher ever, though. Whatever the reason, there are only approximately 50-75 or so known copies in circulation today as a result. #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. Prices are updated daily based upon 2005 Topps listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. We may earn an affiliate commission if you In the deciding Game 5, Halladay squared off with his former Toronto Blue Jays teammate and close friend Chris Carpenter. Also, many of the known examples are found with poor centering from top to bottom. Are you selling sports cards that were produced from 1868 - 1975? Like the 1997 Bowman, Donruss, Fleer, Leaf, Score and Upper Deck sets, large print runs saturated the market with these cards, driving down their values. It would fetch much more than that today. 1981 Topps #302 Dodgers Future Stars Estimated PSA 9 Mint Value: $225 When it comes to rookie season debuts, the Dodgers have developed a reputation for some of the finest on record. The fancy gold borders that surround Walter Johnsons black and white portrait are a thing of beauty. With that strategy, you can never go wrong! Ungraded & graded values for all '20 Topps Baseball Cards. When these cards come up for auction, really take note. Need help buying or selling cards or have a general question about the hobby? Interestingly, the same image is used on both cards. As the reigning NL Central champs sputtered to a 79-83 record and failed to make the playoffs, Chapman worked out the kinks in his delivery in 53 relief appearances. Altuve was hitting an incredible .423 at that point but eventually cooled to finish with a .276/.297/.357 slash line. Shortcuts: And its one of the most famous error cards in the entire hobby, too. Given all of the variations, parallels, inserts, autograph, and memorabilia cards included in the set, developing a definitive "most valuable" list can be quite difficult. Ross is the founder of Old Sports Cards and has been collecting sports cards for over 30 years. Some argue that this is Mickey Mantles most beautiful card. As with Mantles 1952 Topps card, some still mistake this card as Mays rookie, too. Estimates place the number of front/back combinations around 5,500 which led to this set being nicknamed The Monster.. Theres just something about this card that makes it visually stunning. ThisTed Williams card features a superb black and white image of Williams following through on his classic swing. Because of his alleged participation in the Black Sox Scandal during the 1919 World Series, Jackson was banned from baseball during his prime. Mays could hit, throw, field and run with the best of them. 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. Issued by the Mayo and Brother Tobacco Works of Richmond, VA, the set contains 48 different cards overall but Anson's is undoubtedly the most coveted. 1955 Topps Sandy Koufax #123 #9. 1909 T-206 Honus Wagner: $7.25 million 3. So, if you're looking tosell baseball cards then you might want to check this list to see if you're sitting on something special. So, there you have it: the most expensivebaseball cardsthat youre ever likely to encounter. 1986 Topps Pete Rose Card 3. Not surprisingly, Cobbs card is the cornerstone and to the set. Gehrig again appeared on two different cards, #37 and #61, in the 1934 Goudey set. The most important post-war card in the hobby, price movements of the 1952 Topps #311Mickey Mantle baseball cardare often seen as an indicator of the health of the sports card market overall. Need help buying or selling cards or have a general question about the hobby? The 1915 version was part of a redemption program, however, thus better preserving their condition. Johnson is considered by many to be the best pitcher of all time after turning in an amazing 12 seasons of 20 or more victories, including two with more than 30. Martinez turned out to be the big winners from 2011 Topps Update. He also loves to write about the hobby and has written for Beckett, Topps, SABR and of course, this website. It just goes to show that scarcity and condition can have just as much of an impact on the value of a card as the player who is on it. Mike Trout made his Major League debut on July 8, 2011, when the Los Angeles Angels called him up to replace speedy centerfielder Peter Bourjos who had injured his hamstring the day before. Centering can also be a challenge as with most cards of the era. The card features a great image of Ruth and it remains one of his most desirable cards. Ungraded & graded values for all '23 Topps Baseball Cards. Many in the hobby feel this card is overlooked in importance but what no one can deny is just how rare it is. Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, and Cy Young were also featured in the set but Cobbs issue is undoubtedly the most desired. After signing a three-year, $38 million deal in the offseason to remain in Cincy, the 27-year-old first baseman busted out of the gates in a full sprint in 2011. Whether you can find one in high grade or not, though, its a superb card for any collector to own. 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. 1986 Topps Nolan Ryan Card 5. And with 103 RBIs on the year, he became the first Reds player since Dave Parker to post back-to-back 100-RBI seasons (1985-86). 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). It is by far the most important of allHank Aaron baseball cards. Most expensive baseball cards in history Here is a look at the baseball cards that have exceeded a million-dollar price tag, including two by one of the sport's top active players: 1. The Iron Horseappears twice in the 1933 Goudey setwith card #s 92 and 160 to his credit. While collectors could pull 1914 Cracker Jack cards directly from the box, that also meant they usually had caramel stains on them. Contact him at [emailprotected]. Babe Ruth rookie cardsare also part of the 1916 M101-4 Sporting News set that is believed to have been printed shortly after the M101-5 set. The Say Hey Kidwas arguably the greatest all-around player to step on the field. This card has been and will likely remain the most valuable baseball card for years to come. The 97-win Yankees eventually fell well short of their championship aspirations with a five-game ALDS loss to the Detroit Tigers. An SGC 9.5 Example Sold in August 2022 for $12,600,000. The legendary Cap Anson appears on two different cards with the uniform version being the rarer of the two. On the plus side, Chapman struck out 71 batters and gave up just 24 hits in a variety of high-leverage situations. 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. For example, one easy way to tell if youve got an M101-4 Ruth rookie is if the Sporting News ad is on the back of the card as no M101-5 Ruths featured that ad. The Boston Red Sox finished a game out of a playoff spot in 2011, losing out on an AL Wild Card spot to the Tampa Bay Rays with a 4-3 loss to Baltimore on the season's final day. Even in poor condition, they routinely sell for over $1 million. Jones was able to return for Opening Day in 2011, but the 39-year-old third baseman was still dealing with plenty of aches and pains daily. This isBanks only recognized rookie cardin the hobby and along with the Hank Aaron and Al Kaline rookies, a key to the 1954 Topps set. For others, it's the . Try finding something to not like about this card! Cracker Jacks cards are wildly popular and the serious-looking Cobb is one of the keys to this set. Overall, Votto hit .309 with a .947 OPS, 29 home runs, and 101 runs scored. You can imagine the wear and tear that children put on the cards by comparison. Its pretty much identical to his 1915 Cracker Jack issue except for the fact that the back of the 1915 version is turned upside down and was printed on thicker paper stock. Key to the 1953 Topps set is the #244 Willie Mays baseball card. 5. Although it features identical imagery as his 1914 Cracker Jack issue, most high-end examples of these two issues are of the 1915. The cream of the crop. This is the other, less expensive, version of this card in the 1938 Goudey set. That would be his teammate, 23-year-old closer Craig Kimbrel. Just be prepared to put up big money if you want one in high grade. In addition to the Satchel Paige and Stan Musial rookie cards, Robinsons rookie is key to the set. The Astros had seen enough and quickly called up Altuve, bypassing AAA entirely, to make his first Major League at-bat on July 20, 2011, against the Washington Nationals. The second toughest of the four 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth cards, the #149 Red Ruth is every bit as appealing as the #53 Yellow Ruth. While his 1952 Topps card gets all the limelight, the 1951 Bowman card is Mickey Mantle's true rookie card and a fine one to behold. The Wagner soon reclaimed its title, but the 2009 Bowman Draft Trout remains a big deal in the baseball card world. But, the Great Bambino is the number one card to own out of all of them. 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.) Without further adieu, then, here are the 25 most valuable 1987 Topps baseball cards in reverse order, and with a couple of bonus runs tagged on for good measure 35 cards in all! The 1912 Plows Candy E300 Mathewson features a large photographic image of the legendary pitcher of the Dead Ball Era framed by text readingPlows Candy CollectionandMathewson, New York Nationals.. The find has since been dubbed The Lucky 7 find. Ungraded & graded values for all '22 Topps Baseball Cards. But since we are talking about "The Home Run King" in the year after he passed Babe Ruth on the all-time list, the odd, side-view photo cannot take away from the card's historical . He also turned heads with his slick glove work at first, earning the only Gold Glove of his career thus far. Halladay was given the ball for Games 1 and 5. If you remember, during Game 3 of the 1932 World Series against the Chicago Cubs, Babe Ruth made his famous Called Shot. Distracting print lines usually hold this card back from higher grades, though. 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. Each of the 30 unnumbered cards in the set feature an artist rendering of players atop colored backgrounds. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. Any modern flagship Topps Baseball set has a lot going on. Download Price List, SportsCardsPro 2019-2023 Within a year, the Mariners would press reset on the whole thing and end the Ichiro era abruptly, trading their longtime face of the franchise to the New York Yankees for a pair of relievers. And with cameras rolling from every angle, Jeter made sure to give HBO a show worth airing. If you look at the bottom, Sherry Magees last name is mistakenly spelled Magie.