Most Expensive 2023 Topps Baseball Cards Most Expensive 2023 Topps card list & price guide. 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. From Pittsburgh Pirates Hall of Famer Honus Wagner to Los Angeles Angels standout Mike Trout, here are nine iconic cards of star players that were sold or auctioned for significant sums: 1. After the 2010 campaign, manager Bobby Cox called it a career, leaving a hole in the Braves clubhouse that couldn't be filled. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. The glossy coatings of these cards present a bit of an issue with cracking at times but they are nonetheless some terrific cards. Ungraded & graded values for all '23 Topps Baseball Cards. The potential for caramel stains doesnt bode well for collectors of this card. With that strategy, you can never go wrong! Collectors find rookie cards are some of the most valuable baseball cards to collect from any player. But, there are two major glaring differences overall between Mathewsons cards. This pre-rookie card of Ruth is one of rarest cards in the hobby with 10 copies known to exist and can be found with either blue or red borders. 1956 Topps Mickey Mantle #135 #6. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. The most prevalent theory is that the card suffered from a poor printing plate, resulting in many of the cards being destroyed since they could not pass quality control. He also amassed less than 200 hits (184) and posted an OPS+ under 100 (86) for the first time in eleven MLB seasons. The 1986 Topps Traded Bo Jackson rookie card is his most desirable and most expensive card you can find. Read our methodology . I think it's safe to say that Topps did a great job of commemorating an incredible 60 years in the business with this set. Or, as most believe, was it because he didnt want to be involved in promoting tobacco use to children? After an impressive finish to the 2010 MLB campaign, the Los Angeles Dodgers tabbed 23-year-old lefty Clayton Kershaw as their Opening Day starter for 2011. The 1911 George Close Candy (E94) baseball card set may not be as popular as others of the pre-WWI era but it is still iconic in the hobby. On July 18th, he became the quickest Atlanta rookie to 50 RBIs since Hank Aaron in 1954. But it wouldn't take Goldschmidt much longer to mold into the incredible talent he is today. He also turned heads with his slick glove work at first, earning the only Gold Glove of his career thus far. Theyre undoubtedly very condition sensitive. 25) 1987 Topps Wade Boggs (#150) After a rough start at the plate, 21-year-old first baseman Freddie Freeman found his footing in the seasons final five months or so. Centering and chipping along the red bottom border are usually obstacles to achieving a higher grade. Error cards like Joe Doyles that make it into circulation usually end up being very popular with collectors and this one is no exception. Natl along the bottom before the error was corrected. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. That is unless youre talking about the Red Portrait with the Ty Cobb back that was showcased earlier on this list. Honus. Two great images of Banks are show atop a white border than can be notorious for showing print defects. Fresh off a Rookie of the Year campaign and the first of three World Series titles in five years, young San Francisco Giants backstop Buster Posey was riding high by the Bay in early 2011. Votto led the National League in doubles (40), on-base percentage (.416), and walks (110). And like Altuve, Martinez started with the Greeneville Astros and worked his way up to the Class AA Corpus Christi Hooks. Moreover, the Mathewson Portrait is one of the toughest HOF portraits in the entire set. Just be prepared to put up big money if you want one in high grade. After hitting .363 with 49 home runs and 166 RBI he would go on to win the Triple Crown. Again, the biggest condition issues with this card will arise from the glossy coating on the obverse that usually ends up cracking or creasing. Jackie Robinson, Mike Piazza, Hideo Nomo and, you guessed it, Fernando Valenzuela each took the league by storm as soon as they stepped on the field. As you already know, there wasnt much difference between the 1914 and 1915 Cracker Jack sets except that 1915 Cracker Jack cards are usually found in better shape since they were a redemption set. The four Ty Cobb cards in the T206 all differ in popularity, scarcity, and appearance but they are all just as important to the hobby as the 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth quartet. Ungraded & graded values for all '20 Topps Baseball Cards. The Iron Horseappears twice in the 1933 Goudey setwith card #s 92 and 160 to his credit. Even in poor condition, they routinely sell for over $1 million. During the offseason, the Padres traded Rizzo to the Chicago Cubs in a multi-player deal orchestrated by Jed Hoyer, the Cubs' general manager. The eye appeal is top-notch, as with most 1914 Cracker Jack cards. The card shows a young Ruth in a Boston Red Sox uniform before they traded him to the rival New York Yankees. Yet, it was the patient way Big Papi produced in 2011 that kicked off his late-career renaissance in style. That determination and consistency led to a phenomenal career and eye-popping stats that made him a no-brainer to be one of the first five players inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. However, as mentioned earlier, the 1914 Cracker Jack cards were packaged directly inside the boxes so theyre usually more difficult to find in good condition. . The question is: where do you start on this list? The black borders are susceptible to showing wear and chipping but finding any card from the 19th century in high grade will undoubtedly be difficult anyways. Contact him at [emailprotected]. This card has been and will likely remain the most valuable baseball card for years to come. Identical in imagery to the 1933 Goudey #160 Lou Gehrig that you saw earlier on this list, this card does usually present whiter borders and lighter blue backgrounds than its #92 counterpart. Especially his American Caramel E90-1 rookie card on which he is shown leaning on his bat against a purple backdrop. The 1915 version was part of a redemption program, however, thus better preserving their condition. Most Valuable Baseball Cards All the information and details has been compiled from the trusted sites including Wikipedia, New York Post, and Forbes. The Braves had an 8.5-game lead in the NL Wild Card race at the beginning of September. Ungraded & graded values for all '06 Topps Baseball Cards. Or, feel free to call/text me at 305-684-6680! Collectors go wild for it. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. This one was double-printed meaning there were more of them in circulation but its still surprisingly tougher to find in high grade than the #181 Green Ruth. Because they were distributed in packages of hot dogs, its extremely difficult to find them in high grade. Card: Willie Mays Team: New York Mets Value: $1,675 In 1950 and 1951, Topps and Bowman were both releasing baseball trading cards with their candy. Average ungraded base card value (excludes parallels) for 2020 Topps In PSA 4.5 grade, it is estimated this card would reel in over $1 million. 30 Most Valuable Topps Tiffany Cards Rankings are based on the online Beckett Price Guide and Database. And he pitched with a tenacious on-mound presence in the toughest of game situations. 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. In fact, with PSA 10s in such short supply for the set's top cards, we elected to go with PSA 9 prices for this list. The reality was that Pujols was good to go. What's worse was that his (relative) struggles were coming at a low point for the Mariners organization. Cheapest, Need help buying or selling cards or have a general question about the hobby? 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 . Many collectors are happy to just be able to own one of these legendary cards in the first place, though. Read our methodology . 1952 Topps Willie Mays RC #261 #5. However, it just isnt as often found in high grade as #53. The 1917 Collins-McCarthy candy cards are some of the few card issues that were printed during the mid-teens of the 20th century. Over twelve seasons, Martinez has played for the Astros, Detroit Tigers, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Boston Red Sox, with whom he's been since 2018. And it can be tough to find in high grade, too. Read our methodology. Some collectors go for the base set. Theres just something about this card that makes it visually stunning. #1. These are the Top 3 Most Valuable Baseball Cards Worth Money. Neither makes a difference when it comes to value, though. Cobb is pictured is his Detroit Tigers uniform leaning on his bat atop a multi-colored background. Since they are both card #151 in their respective sets, it is nearly impossible to tell which set the card belongs to unless the back of the card features an ad unique to either of the sets. The card is key for three main reasons: However, the year ended on a bitter note. He was also clutch, maintaining a sub-1.00 World Series ERA and twice being named series MVP in 1963 and 1965. Most Expensive Followed by HBO documentary cameras during his rehab process, Jeter opened up about himself and his pursuit of baseball immortality in a way he'd never done before. Like Jose Altuve, J.D. Centering issues, as well as dark print blotches in the yellow background, are usually the two key issues of this card. So those that remain are some of the most sought after in the hobby. To this day, there is no clear explanation for the rarity of this card, a card that is nearly as tough as the Honus Wagner from the same set. The T210 Old Mill set features hundreds of minor league ballplayers that most people have never heard of before. One of the rarest pre-WWI candy issues ever distributed is the 1912 Plows Boy Candy set that included 69 different baseball players. Despite singling to right field off San Francisco's Matt Cain in his first at-bat, Goldschmidt stuck out nearly one in every three at-bats in 48 games that season. And like Altuve had done by hitting safely in the first seven games of his career to set a club record, Martinez established his own team record in August by driving in 28 runs. Many collectors prefer the portrait versions of Cobbs T206 card and specifically the Green Portrait. As with any colored border, though, theyre susceptible to showing chipping and wear. Rookie Cards. Part of the great quartet of T206 Cobb cards, the Green Portrait version is the toughest of all of them to collect. Was it because Wagner wanted to be paid by the tobacco company to use his image? Nothing against Bourjos, but many Angels fans had been eagerly awaiting a chance to see Trout since many considered him the number-one prospect heading into the 2011 season. Six hits away from 3,000 in mid-June, New York Yankees captain Derek Jeter suffered a calf strain that sidelined him for 18 games. Because Mantle was exclusively signed with Bowman in 1954 and 1955, you won't find him on any of Topps' cards in either of those two sets. Bowman did not include him in their 1953 set so that makes his Topps card of that year even more sought after. This card, the key to the 200-card M101-5 set, is often found off-center and features a variety of advertising backs, although most existing copies exhibit blank backs. 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. #15 1966 Topps Ferguson Jenkins (RC) #254 Sold for $8,988 1966 Topps Ferguson Jenkins rookie card on eBay It was the first time since 1924 that a pitcher accomplished the feat in both leagues during the same season. The Big Train is a true legend of the game and this card is a great tribute to him. It's still a very unusual-looking card but is one that many collectors dream of owning. Halladay was given the ball for Games 1 and 5. A PSA Gem Mint 10 #128 Aaron sold for $357,594 in 2012, a price that would easily be overcome in todays market. After 60 years in the hobby, Topps helped celebrate their "Diamond Anniversary" by packing so much into their 2011 Topps baseball card set. The Yellow Ruth, #53, is considered to be the toughest, closely followed by the #149 Red Ruth that shows the legendary slugger in an identical pose. Altuve dominated in the Minor Leagues and, by 2011, found himself slashing .361/.388/.569 with five home runs and 25 RBIs in 35 games for the Class AA Corpus Christi Hooks. Its an extremely tough card to find in high grade. It's these end-year series that comprise the most valuable Topps baseball cards today. Each of the 30 unnumbered cards in the set feature an artist rendering of players atop colored backgrounds. His massive upside in the future made his wildness in the present less worrisome. Halladay finished with four first-place votes to Clayton Kershaws 27, finishing as the leagues Cy Young runner-up for the second time in four years. However, Carpenter was better, tossing a complete-game three-hit shutout to oust the two-time defending NL champs, 1-0. Key to the 1953 Topps set is the #244 Willie Mays baseball card. In early 1914, Jack Dunn of the minor league Baltimore Orioles signed Ruth to a professional baseball contract. Heritage Auctions sold a copy of this card graded in PSA 10 Gem Mint condition for a jaw-dropping $612,359 in August of 2016. 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. The Green Ruth is the last of the four Babe Ruth cards to appear in the 1933 Goudey set. This is no doubt one of the most sought after cards of one of the games best pitchers of all time. The most valuable baseball cards in the hobby can easily fetch six and seven figure price levels these days. Ross is the founder of Old Sports Cards and has been collecting sports cards for over 30 years. While collectors could pull 1914 Cracker Jack cards directly from the box, that also meant they usually had caramel stains on them. The postseason drought would only get longer, but Sale's transition to a starting role in 2012 was the dawning of a new ace on the Southside. The find has since been dubbed The Lucky 7 find. There arent manySatchel Paige baseball cards in the hobby but this is a great looking card of the legendary pitcher. Read our methodology . 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. A year away from taking over the Cincinnati Reds closer role and simultaneously becoming a perennial All-Star, Aroldis Chapman showed flashes of his forthcoming game-breaking dominance in 2011. buy stuff after clicking links on our site totaled an incredible 511 wins over his career. So, there you have it: the most expensivebaseball cardsthat youre ever likely to encounter. 2022 Topps Series 1 Wander Franco Photo Variation SP RC #215 Mathewson is the only player in both the 1914 and 1915 sets whose poses are entirely different. Just a year prior, Sale wasn't even a starter yet. 1986 Topps Tiffany Ryne Sandberg Chicago Cubs Card 7. His .250 batting average reflected the lack of discipline and experience but his .474 slugging percentage hinted at the kind of power he could bring to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Trout exploded during his official rookie campaign the following season, earning AL Rookie of the Year honors and finishing second in the MVP race. If so, then please fill out the form below and I'll be in touch right away. So, if you can get your hands on one of these cards in high grade then you are looking at some big bucks. Any collector lucky enough to get his hands on Mathewsons card is sure to be ecstatic. Its so rare that only a handful exist and not many collectors have even seen one in person. Surprisingly, many dont even consider him the best pitcher ever, though. In one of the great stories about this card, a collector once purchased an unopened five-card pack of1952 Topps baseball cardsand pulled the only Pafko to ever be graded PSA Gem Mint 10. For some reason, collectors had to send in for the card a year later in 1934 by contacting Goudey if they wanted to complete this set. Interestingly, this card was not originally part of the 1933 Goudey set. 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth: $4.212 million Over 40 MLB games in 2011, Trout slashed .220/.281/.390 with five home runs, 16 RBIs and 20 runs scored. 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. Download Price List, SportsCardsPro 2019-2023 Posey was one of the biggest young names in the game at that point so seeing Topps issue multiple cards for him in this set should be no surprise. The price would certainly be astronomical. From autographs and relics to silk cards, glove leather cards and exclusive online cards, there was so much variety for collectors to chase. It should come as no surprise that the rookie card of the greatest player who ever lived would be on this list. Not only did he help the team to a World Series title, but Martinez also became the first and only player in MLB history to win two Silver Sluggers in the same season, one as an outfielder and the other as a DH. But whats not up for debate is whether its one of his most important. But, the Great Bambino is the number one card to own out of all of them. 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). And I attempted to estimate their current values when graded in PSA 10 condition so their "raw" or ungraded values may be wildly different. A mixture of bad timing, poor communication, and an always-controversial roster rule kept Albert Pujols out of the 2011 MLB All-Star Game, ending his streak of consecutive Midsummer Classics at eight. Caramel cards are usually more scarce than tobacco cards since they were sold to children rather than adults. Being card #261 in the set, its not a high number card (#311 407) which means it is not as scarce as Mantles #311 card. There is no doubt that this is one of Ty Cobbs most demanded and popular baseball cards. Only 7 of the Ty Cobb cards have ever been submitted to PSA for grading which speaks to the rarity of them. Collectors got a glimpse of what it was like to be a pitcher in that era with Cobb intensely staring them down before the pitch. He ultimately fell short of the incredible feat but still finished the season batting .317 with 35 home runs and 115 RBIs. Prices are updated daily based upon 2005 Topps listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. Two decades of pro ball were catching up to Ichiro. The cards design is beautiful and easily distinguished from others of the 1950s. Centering that favors the bottom and slight angular cuts are usually the factors that prevent these cards from reaching higher grades. After winning 61 games in 2010, Seattle finished at 67-95 in 2011 for the franchise's sixth losing season in eight years. A PSA 10 1954 Topps Banks rookie card sold for $142,836 in May 2012. That production boosted his legend and popularity making him one of the most highly collected players in the hobby. Collectors who take on the challenge of completing this set are no doubt in for an extremely tough challenge. In 49 games for Padres that season, Rizzo slashed a less-than-impressive .141/.281/.242 with one home run, nine RBIs, and nine runs scored in 128 at-bats. Ungraded & graded values for all '05 Topps Baseball Cards. 1986 Topps Nolan Ryan Card 5. The 1952 Andy Pafko card is so expensive simply because it resided at the #1 position of the most important set of the postwar era. At the tender age of 22, Sale made his full-season debut with the Sox as a high-leverage reliever. His record for most games played in a season stood for decades until 1995 when Cal Ripken, Jr. played in his 2,131st straight game. 2011 was the year that Ichiro finally looked mortal at the plate. Although past his prime, he still achieved success in the Majors and was twice named an All-Star. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. As one of the most clutch players in Yankees history, Derek Jeter seized the moment perfectly with a dramatic introduction to baseball's 3,000-hit club. By his third season in 2013, Goldschmidt had developed into a perennial All-Star and MVP candidate. Its amazing to think of the stats that Williams could have produced had he not missed nearly five full seasons of his prime to military service. Five Hall of Famers made their rookie card debut in the T206 set and Walter Johnson is one of them, a fact that makes this card even more interesting. I remember seeing one of these in abaseball card shop near where I grew up and I would just stare in awe. All of them are on this list of most valuable baseball cards so that speaks to their importance and desirability. Ruth was at the tail end of his career in 1933 but he still produced well enough to be named a starter in the All-Star game at Comiskey Park that year. Prices are updated daily based upon 2023 Topps listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. Let's be clear: most of the cards from this set do not have any value these days. Though he may not have been MLB's hottest rookie in 1990, he certainly turned into one of the biggest superstars of his era. The sale smashed the record for most valuable baseball card at the time, beating the then-highest sale of a Honus Wagner T206 White Border card at $3.1 million. Yet, packed within all of that excitement was a run of base cards that featured big-name stars and promising rookies. The 1939 Play Ball #92 issue is the Splendid Splinters only recognized rookie card. Not many people outside of the baseball card hobby know who Joe Doyle is. The card is subtle in design and imagery but remains a truly majestic card for any serious collector to consider. Although kind of normal for Gehrig, his offensive production was extraordinary in 1934. Unfortunately, as with most high-numbered cards in the set, Mantles rookie card often suffers from print lines, poor centering and wax stains on the back. , Bo Bichette, Luis Robert, Yordan Alvarez [SSP] #392, Fernando Tatis Jr. [Memorial Day Camo] #168, Fernando Tatis Jr. [Mother's Day Pink] #168, Fernando Tatis Jr. [Independence Day] #168, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. [Independence Day] #182, Fernando Tatis Jr. [Father's Day Blue] #168. That card was later sold for $250,000 in 2007. The 1963 ToppsPete Rose rookie cardshows the all-time hit king along with Pedro Gonzalez, Ken McMullen, and Al Weis as one of 1963s most promising youngsters. The Say Hey Kidwas arguably the greatest all-around player to step on the field. Walter Johnson appears twice in the T206 set, one in a pitching pose and then again in this portrait layout. Larry Doyle, a second baseman, played for the New York Giants of the NL at the time so most likely that is the reason for the mix-up. Please note many of these cards have variations, which won't all be listed here. Mathewson won 30 or more games four different times in his storied career, attributing much of his success to a specialty pitch that was comparable to a screwball. In this video, we go over the top 3 most valuable Topps baseball cards from the year 1985. Several player variations exist, some with as many as 12, so the series boasts well over 3,000 different cards in total. However, there are a handful of his T206 cards that were produced with N.Y. The young Florida native made 58 appearances out of the bullpen, finishing 17 games and saving eight. The Reds' fall from contention cost Votto at the ballot box, though, as he followed up his 2010 MVP triumph with a sixth-place finish in 2011. 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. With just one playoff appearance from 1988-2010 (2006), the Detroit Tigers' comedy of errors was a running punchline for two-plus decades. The number of chase cards available to collectors may have seemed overwhelming at the time but, in retrospect, it was great to see Topps offer so much variety. Whos the most desired player in the set? That was the most any Houston Astros rookie had ever driven in during one month as a rookie. It is by far the most important of allHank Aaron baseball cards. Both of theDiMaggio cards in this set feature a caricature of the Yankee legend, the only difference between the two versions is that this one features small cartoons and information in the background while the other has a blank background. The card features a great close-up of the star pitcher surrounded by the famous T205 gold borders. Overall, Topps did a great job with this set by balancing an excellent design with plenty of chase cards. The 1912 Plows Candy E300 Mathewson features a large photographic image of the legendary pitcher of the Dead Ball Era framed by text reading. In poor condition, this card would fetch hundreds of dollars but if youre lucky enough to land a copy in PSA 10 Gem Mint condition then youre talking big-time money.