what 1980s baseball cards are valuable what 1980s baseball cards are valuable

They are selling for over $1,500 today, which means they have tripled in value. To some, the selling point might be a little high for a non-rookie card, so how did it land such a high price tag? For example, common 1909 T206 cards are worth something while many common cards printed in the 1980's are not. Yeah, about that. Fleer was the only company that included a Kittle RC in its regular set, as Donruss and Topps passed. The driver of sales for Topps inaugural boxed Traded Set, the thought of getting a Valenzuela card picturing him alone during Fernandomania caused many a collector to dig for the wallet. PSA has seen just 728 copies of this specific Mattingly rookie card. And in this guide, we'll look at the 25 most valuable baseball cards from the 1980s. These sets were given to card shops as limited edition sets and not sold in stores. Nothing spectacular about this Pete Rose card besides its very low PSA 10 population report. Had he not been involved with PEDs, there's no doubt he would be a Hall of Famer and this card would likely appear much higher on this list. Another great 89 Upper Deck RC. It made this card settle into an affordable range so that even when he was on top of the baseball world, kids could still afford this Barry Bonds Topps RC. Price: $925,000 . But it was baseball in 1988, so buy it we did, mostly looking for the highly-touted Mets prospect who looked like the kid who sat near the back of your social studies class. Jackson was already a household name when his card appeared in the 1986 Topps Traded set. Awesome article, definitely captured the essence of the 1980s. He held the major league record for career saves from 1993 until 2006, when San Diego Padres relief pitcher Trevor Hoffman passed his final total of 478. 1 overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1986 NFL Draft. 8 Great 1980 Topps Baseball Cards Beyond Rickey Henderson. As a result of the legal process, Rose accepted his placement on baseball's permanently ineligible list, which would ban him from the game and Cooperstown for life. 1987 Donruss Greg Maddux RC #36 (buy on eBay) We feel the 1987 Greg Maddux Leaf rookie cards is not only one of the most underrated baseball cards of the 1980s but one of the most underrated in all of the card hobby. Starting off the list of most valuable baseball cards from the 1980s is the 1980 Topps George Brett base set card. For example, as of this writing, there are just under 700 examples of Gwynn's Topps rookie card that achieved PSA 10 grade status, while there are over 13,000 examples of Ken Griffey Jr.'s 1989 Topps Traded rookie graded in PSA 10 holders. This variation is not limited to the Bo Jackson rookie card, they can be found on other player cards like Nolan Ryan, George Brett, Roger Clemens, Darryl Strawberry, and many more. Take Roger Maris cards, for example. So far, PSA has graded 265 of the Platinum, with only 17 making the PSA 10 grade. Pete Rose would lead the league in hits (140) for the seventh and final time in his storied career during the shortened 1981 season. By navigating the site, you agree to the use of cookies to collect information. And that's where the substantial premium in price between the two comes into play. Which is a minimal amount. This set was printed by McDag Productions and features popular players at the time, including Bo Jackson and Frank Thomas. This is, hands down, his best rookie card to date. The original printing contained a stadium Marlboro sign over the Big Units left shoulder. That ones found in the main 1989 Donruss set. It is, without a doubt, one of his more valuable baseball cards from the 1980s. Most Valuable Topps Baseball Cards: Record Sales Price: 1952 Mickey Mantle #311 : $12.6 million : 2011 Mike Trout "Platinum" ~$1.1 million : 1969 Reggie Jackson #260 : $1.005 million Need help buying or selling cards or have a general question about the hobby? The value goes through the roof when found in PSA 10, gem mint condition. The third and fourth are the hardest and come close to a tie. Look at Bo locked in. Starting off the list of most valuable baseball cards from the 1980s is the 1980 Topps George Brett base set card. Another valuable card from the 1985 Topps Tiffany set is the Roger Clemens rookie card #181. And you were living large. The black box cover-up is the easiest to acquire, with over 1,200 submitted to PSA. The USA Baseball subset in 1985 Topps introduced the program to the masses, and brought this slugging first basemans first licensed trading card to the forefront of the collectibles industry. Furthermore, there have only been 6 found in gem mint conditions. Mickey Mantle is a name known even to . Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network and Amazon. Roger Clemens played for 24 seasons in the MLB and put up some monster stats during his career. Along with those of Wade Boggs and Ryne Sandberg, the 1983 ToppsTony Gwynn rookie card is one of the most iconic baseball cards of the 1980s. And so they parted with a 20-year-old Michigan native named Smoltz, trading him to the Braves for 36-year-old veteran Doyle Alexander. Not only does the Tiffany distinction make it tough to find in high grade but another contributing factor to that difficulty was its position on the printing sheet. When graded gem mint 10 by PSA, the value has gone as high as $180,000. There is, however, a big market for older baseball cards and other sports cards (generally cards manufactured before 1980). In 1962, Topps had opted not to sign Wills to a trading card deal, apparently believing he was not major league material. Interestingly, he bounced back in 1981 to dominate not in strikeouts but by turning in an incredible 1.69 ERA with a .688 winning percentage, both career bests, while finishing fourth in Cy Young voting. He signed, became an All-Star and marketing gold. Its a dude dressed like a chicken. And you get a Griffey Jr. RC! which would have made fun viewing. As I mentioned above, the value goes through the roof when found in gem mint condition. For example, the 1989 Topps Heads Up set turned out to be a test issue that the company released to expand its reach into the hot market. Lee Smith was primarily a relief pitcher during his 18-year career in the Major Leagues. If it looking for someone specifically. There are a few Frank Thomas minor league cards, but the 1987 Auburn Tigers are the most elusive. There are a massive 5,228 of them in PSAs population report. It changed the game when it first hit the market. "Fernandomania" still lives on with many collectors and they're willing to pay up for this card in PSA 10 condition. However, 1,098 were submitted and graded, with just 47 making the gem mint 10 grade. Only Lou Gehrig, at 37, was younger. by ; 28 kwietnia 2023 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. . document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 by Old Sports Cards, LLC. That kind of of success on that stage can get a card like this released later in the season noticed. With 29,032 cards in the PSA pop report, the 1982 Topps Ripken rookie card has one of the highest population reports of all 1980s baseball cards. With this card, Fleer became the only manufacturer to produce an XRC and RC of The Rocket. Most know that during the hobby craze of that era, rampant overproduction led to a bubble that eventually burst. So, it's well over twenty times more difficult to find this card in a PSA 10 holder than it is his Topps rookie. It holds the #5 spot on this list by consistently reaching prices over $5,000 when found in PSA 10 conditions. PSA 9 examples have sold for upwards of $6,000. Otherwise, if found in PSA 9 condition, it would have sold considerably less at around $90. This is probably a team-issued shot, and considering Jackson only played in 25 games that first season, there would have not been a lot of options at the print deadline. Fleer broke Topps' monopoly with a landmark court case in 1980 that opened the door for the Philadelphia gum maker and others to produced baseball cards starting in 1981. Not only isMattingly's rookie card the face of this set, but it's also one of the most iconic of the 1980s. The weather looked great in Winter Haven, and young Roger Clemens was smiling. When it was included in Fleers legendary 1984 Update set, many collectors were baffled by the image of Rose in the rouge, blanc et bleu of the Montreal Expos. Bonds' legacy will forever be shadowed in controversy, but with or without PEDs there is no question he was one of the game's most talented players who ever stepped onto the field. Anyone hear from Bonner or Schneider lately? Moreover, Henderson was ranked in the league's top 100 all-time home run hitters at the end of his last Major League game in 2003. For decades, O-Pee-Chee played the role of Topps' counterpart in the Canadian market. There is an error version with the SS in the upper-right corner upside down. The rarity of the Bo Jackson Highlights in White rookie card is quite impressive. If the population stays this low, we can expect to see the value rise. Nolan Ryan cards, especially in high grade, remain incredibly popular among hobbyists. When it comes to rookie season debuts, the Dodgers have developed a reputation for some of the finest on record. This is because they had less distribution than regular-issue Topps cards. The total Topps count is at 13,308! He played for seven teams, but is best remembered as the glue of the back-to-back World Champion Toronto Blue Jays in 1992 and 93 when he batted a combined .347 over both Series. I love how Ryan's orange Houston Astros cap and the cartoon hat in the lower-left corner work in unison to give this card some fantastic visual pop. The Canadian version of Gwynns Topps RC. And, like Tony Gwynn, Sandberg also appeared in the 1983 O-Pee-Chee set. Using his fastball almost exclusively, he struck out the side, fanning Lance Parrish, Chet Lemon and Alvin Davis. Prices are updated daily based upon 1980 Topps listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. We got our first look at Barry Bonds when the 1986 Traded/Update/Rookie sets were released. Many still are. This Topps RC was, and is, Rynos card of choice as he played a near-flawless second base throughout his Hall of Fame career on the North Side. But 509 home runs and a National League batting title later, Sheffield stood on his own name. Dimensions: 4-1/2 x 6. The ten-time All-Star who could hit and field with the best of him and his charismatic personality made him quite the popular ball player among not only Twins fans but baseball fans in general. This was the card, more so than any other in the first half of the 1980s, that promoted perceived scarcity and status. Despite his complicated legacy,Pete Rose cardsalso remain some of the most desirable in the hobby. This Topps card features Henderson in action in yellow and white Oakland Athletics uniform, with the bench blurred in the background. A 1963 Topps Pete Rose is worth more than a 1983 Topps Pete Rose. However, he and Lee Smith both received the nod to Cooperstown when the Today's Game Era Committee selected them as part of the Hall of Fame Class of 2019. With over 2,200 George Brett cards graded by PSA, most will agree they are highly collectible. Predating his other MLB cards by a year, the 1984 Fleer Update Roger Clemens is legitimately rare in top condition. Its actually a 1988 Upper Deck promo, released to stoke interest in the companys inaugural baseball release. One of Cal Ripken Jrs most valuable baseball cards from the 1980s is his 1982 Topps Traded rookie card. Donnie Baseball is pictured wearing a Yankees cap, which is the team he would go on to spend his whole 13-year pro career at. A PSA Mint 9 card is worth $1.2 million, while a PSA NM-MT 8.5 card sells for $700,000. Nolan Ryan made his debut with the Houston Astros in 1980 and that season was a bit unusual for him for one glaring reason:he did not lead the league in strikeouts. Topps Tiffany baseball cards are by far some of the most valuable baseball cards from both the 80s and the 90s. 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. But, unlike the Tiffany cards, O-Pee-Chee cards weren't necessarily premium in quality. PSA has graded just 610 of the Griffey Bowman Tiffany rookie cards. So, it's tough to say which of them is the most desirable of the three, although most hobbyists would likely side with the Topps issue. Not only did Fleer overcompensate with multiple fixes for the 1989 Fleer Bill Ripken card, they did the same with Randy Johnsons card #381 from the same set. You'll also notice the numbering of the sets was different as Clemens is card #99 in the Leaf set versus #273 in the Donruss set. This is one of his most sought-after rookie cards and is one of the most valuable baseball cards from the 1980s. The third of Donnie Baseballs three 1984 Rookie Cards from the major manufacturers of the time. Whether this was a true error of a contrived gaffe, it created attention and even bigger for UD it created interest in its premiere edition packs. But despite the image, this is a really important card of one of the games greatest pure hitters. But how do you mistake a Hall of Fame righthander with a merely decent lefthander named Floyd Bannister? But, we'll just have to wait and see if voters will ever end up giving a pass to guys like Clemens, Barry Bonds, etc. So far, I have found that in 1985, Topps commissioned O-Pee-Chee, its Canadian branch, to make a test mini set similar to the 1975 Topps Mini set. And there are plenty of people who want it. Topps manufactured a striking Pete Rose card in 1980, featuring an intense close-up shot of the player's face. There was a time when the world came together for one thing: finding Wade Boggs Topps RCs. Donruss and Fleer would join the market in 1981 and that competition would help light the spark for the hobby craze of the 1980s. And, the fact that it was "almost his rookie card" made it even more special to us. This card of the 1980 AL Rookie of the Year is credited with making the Rookie Card a thing in the industry. While some dealers broke box sets to sell singles, others chose not to. The whited-out variation has 105 in population while the scribbled-out in white only has 67, which takes 1st place for the rarest variation. The Cubs drafted him in 1982, but he left to play for eight different teams throughout his career. Other than that, the design is exactly the same as the base card. Bowman had not released a set since 1955 after they were bought out by their largest competitor, Topps. Those are the kinds of memories that make this hobby so great. Ripken was one of my favorite players as a kid and it has been nice to see this card get much more notoriety as time passes. Just two years after the release of his first minor league card and shortly after his trade from Detroit to Atlanta, future Hall of Famer Smoltz made his major league card debut in Fleers 1988 Update Set. The evidence is that a PSA 9 mint copy, with 748 in existence, sells for considerably less than $100. Let that sink in for a moment. So far, 2,378 of the Tiffany Bonds rookie cards have been submitted to PSA, which is not very low but not very high. It certainly does. Lets take a look a the population report. It was Johnson who fared better over his career, collecting five Cy Young awards including four in a row while winning 303 games and landing in Cooperstown. As a rookie, he did not hit a homer. He made one All-Star appearance and never sniffed more than 136 hits in a single season. Of those submitted, 271 have been declared PSA 10 gem mint condition. These are our picks for the top 100 baseball cards of the 1980s. The Tiffany version ranks high on our list due to a modest print run of 6,000 sets, but this regular non-Tiffany RC still ranks here because its Griffey. It used to be Billy Ripken was best known for being Cals younger brother. Of those 22 submitted, 14 were found in mint condition, with just 1 being gem mint. While New York faded from the postseason race in September, Mattingly kept the city enraptured with a batting crown race for the ages. Ken Griffey Jr. As the first sentence reads on the back of this card: Every year Pete Rose shatters another baseball record.. This is more than likely because the population is much smaller for the Bowman rookie. The Littlefield can still be found, but its value hasnt changed much in the last 35 years. Bonus points for this one as it also features former Dodgers World Series champion and longtime Angels manager Mike Scioscia. This is undoubtedly why a PSA 10 Tiffany example sells for over $1,900 consistently. The 1989 Fleer Bill Ripken is a one-of-a-kind error card. After an eBay auction that ended in October 2022, one copy sold for an impressive $1,800. With such a small amount of these being found in gem mint condition, its no wonder they are one of the most valuable baseball cards of the 1980s. Many people often wonder if there are any 80s baseball cards worth money. Cant have that. Growing up in central Indiana, Sandberg was one of the players I was able to watch most frequently and I remember being amazed at his ability to hit for power as a second baseman. But, the "Tiffany" version of this card is worth thousands of dollars. Bo Jackson washuge when I was a kid and his popularity is still quite high to this day.