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. The eye appeal is top-notch, as with most 1914 Cracker Jack cards. M101-5 cards are more difficult to find than the M101-4 cards but pricing of the M101-4 version is also expected to realize around $1 million in PSA 8 condition. 2) Being a high number card (cards 311 407 in the set) means that fewer Mickey Mantle rookie cards were printed than the average 1952 Topps baseball card in the first place. The 1915 version was part of a redemption program, however, thus better preserving their condition. 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. This is one of them. Only 7 of the Ty Cobb cards have ever been submitted to PSA for grading which speaks to the rarity of them. 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 a brutal way for the season to end for the 90-win Red Sox. The most valuable baseball cards in the hobby can easily fetch six and seven figure price levels these days. 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. While the "Cobb Back" T206 may be his most expensive card, this one is arguably his most popular among high-end collectors. The E106 American Caramel cards are some of the scarcest Honus Wagner cards in the hobby (but obviously not his most expensive if you look at the top of this list). Ryans rookie card appears in the 1968 O-Pee-Chee, Topps Milton Bradleyand Venezuela Topps sets as well but its the regular ToppsNolan Ryan rookie cardthat stands apart in value from the rest. The White Cap variation is considered to be the most difficult of the three Mathewson cards, but the Portrait is the most popular. Over his remarkable career, Aaron made 24 All-Star appearances, a record shared with Mays and Musial and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982. 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. Who knows what a high grade example of this card would go for? 1952 Topps Willie Mays RC #261 #5. The 23-year-old left walked a career-worst 41 batters in 50 innings pitched, issuing a ghastly 7.4 walks per 9 innings. 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. Honus. Although it features identical imagery as his 1914 Cracker Jack issue, most high-end examples of these two issues are of the 1915. Prices are updated daily based upon 2020 Topps listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. The 1969 Topps baseball card set is well-loved in this hobby by many collectors for several different reasons. For others, it's the . 1986 Topps Nolan Ryan Card 5. After winning 61 games in 2010, Seattle finished at 67-95 in 2011 for the franchise's sixth losing season in eight years. Top 26 Most Valuable 1986 Topps Baseball Cards In The World 1. 1914 Cracker Jack Joe Jackson The 1914 Cracker Jack Joe Jackson has a staggering value of $200,000. 15 Most Valuable 2011 Topps Baseball Cards More. 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. That tells you how much the prices of Clementes rookie card have increased. Votto reached base in the team's first 27 games, finishing April with an eye-popping .370 batting average. Altuve went 1-5 that game, but little did he know then he had kicked off a piece of Houston Astros history. And that first season with the Red Sox in 2018 has been the greatest of his career so far. You could argue the imagery isn't the nicest in the hobby but it makes for an unforgettable card design. 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. 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. After slumping to start the season, the hulking St. Louis Cardinals first baseman returned to All-Star form before suffering a fractured left wrist in mid-June. However, at the beginning of his career, things didn't go so smoothly for Goldschmidt after he made his MLB debut on August 1, 2011, against the San Francisco Giants. Collectors will pay big money for either version as long as its in high grade. Halladay was given the ball for Games 1 and 5. By 2008, Altuve moved from Venezuela to Tennessee to play for the Greeneville Astros, who were the Houston Astros' Rookie-level Appalachian League affiliate until 2017. 5. And its extremely rareone of the rarest in the hobby. Or, as most believe, was it because he didnt want to be involved in promoting tobacco use to children? Their glossy obverse surface usually results in creasing and cracking issues making it tough to find these in high grade. 15 Most Valuable 1997 Topps Baseball Cards - Old - Old Sports Cards And like Altuve, Martinez started with the Greeneville Astros and worked his way up to the Class AA Corpus Christi Hooks. The centering can be so severe that it will cut into the text along the bottom. List by Card #, You own: 0 / 9496 items 3. 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. Shortcuts: Most Expensive , Cheapest , List by Card # The 1917 Collins-McCarthy candy cards are some of the few card issues that were printed during the mid-teens of the 20th century. The 1932 U.S. Caramel set is one of the most desirable and challenging prewar sets in the hobby. With so many greats, how do you choose between them? Prices are updated daily based upon 2022 Topps listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. Ty Cobb and Honus Wagner also appear in this set but Jacksons card is easily the most important and most valuable card in the set. At the tender age of 22, Sale made his full-season debut with the Sox as a high-leverage reliever. The young Florida native made 58 appearances out of the bullpen, finishing 17 games and saving eight. Trout didn't exactly raise any eyebrows in his first game, finishing 0-3 at the plate. Gehrig was one of a long line of Yankee legends and no doubt put up some of the greatest hitting statistics of them all. 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. Considered to be one of the more obscure Honus Wagner type cards its value continues to remain strong. 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. It would fetch much more than that today. DiMaggio appeared twice in the 1938 Goudey set but this is the more valuable of the two. By 2014, Rizzo had settled into his role as the Chicago Cubs' everyday first baseman and earned his first trip to the All-Star Game that season. The Green Ruth is the last of the four Babe Ruth cards to appear in the 1933 Goudey set. 2010 and 2011 were two of the most emotionally draining years of Chipper Jones' Hall of Fame career. 100 Most Valuable Baseball Cards: The All-Time Dream List Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The Say Hey Kidwas arguably the greatest all-around player to step on the field. 1984. 10 Greatest Topps Baseball Cards To Buy Now In 2023 - Gold Card Auctions Of all theTy Cobb baseball cards, this is by far his most expensive. The famous Pittsburg Pirate shortstop is shown ready at the bat with his name Hans along the bottom border of the card. 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. #1. 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. 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. And come the postseason, he was on another level, leading St. Louis from a 90-win Wild Card berth to a second World Series title in six years. There are four different Babe Ruth cards in the 1933 Goudey set, #s 53, 144, 149 and 181. This is the first Topps card to feature Willie Mays, putting it high on Mays collectors wish lists and making it a key card in the hobby overall. With just one playoff appearance from 1988-2010 (2006), the Detroit Tigers' comedy of errors was a running punchline for two-plus decades. 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. In 2012, Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale kicked off a stunning streak of seven-straight All-Star nods and seven-straight AL Cy Young finishes of sixth or better. Surprisingly, many dont even consider him the best pitcher ever, though. Whenever manager Ozzie Guillen needed him to get a few outs, Sale performed. Matty was on the backside of his career in 1911 but still managed to lead the league in ERA (1.99) and put up 26 wins. However, #160 is the more difficult of the two to find in high grade so it generally fetches higher prices. On the plus side, Chapman struck out 71 batters and gave up just 24 hits in a variety of high-leverage situations. | Compare vs. A high number card, Mathews rookie is extra tough to collect since it was positioned at the bottom corner of print sheets and usually is found off-center as a result. Error cards like Joe Doyles that make it into circulation usually end up being very popular with collectors and this one is no exception. Greatest Topps Baseball Cards of All-Time Most Expensive of All-Time #10. Any collector lucky enough to get his hands on Mathewsons card is sure to be ecstatic. The 1986 Topps Traded Bo Jackson rookie card is his most desirable and most expensive card you can find. Most Expensive [2020 Topps] Baseball Cards - SportsCardsPro His massive upside in the future made his wildness in the present less worrisome. Over 40 MLB games in 2011, Trout slashed .220/.281/.390 with five home runs, 16 RBIs and 20 runs scored. 2022 Topps Heritage Baseball Most Valuable Cards and Checklist Over the first seven games of his MLB career, Altuve had at least one hit, tying him with Russ Johnson for the club record for most consecutive games with a hit to begin a career. Read our methodology. Gehrig again appeared on two different cards, #37 and #61, in the 1934 Goudey set. 1954 Topps #128 Hank Aaron RC #7. 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. 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. 25 Most Valuable 1986 Topps Baseball Cards - Old Sports Cards But what puts the Bat Off Shoulder relatively much higher on this list than the others is that you can find this card in PSA 9 Mint condition, unlike the others. The Wagner soon reclaimed its title, but the 2009 Bowman Draft Trout remains a big deal in the baseball card world. There are 30 cards in total and each includes seven different possible color backs. This card is as visually stunning as it is rare. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. The 2011 Atlanta Braves had an excellent crop of rookie riches. 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. If you look closely at each of the double prints of this card, youll notice that one version shows better clarity and focus than the other. By his third season in 2013, Goldschmidt had developed into a perennial All-Star and MVP candidate. 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. Centering and chipping along the red bottom border are usually obstacles to achieving a higher grade. 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. Read our methodology . Cobb turned in an absolute monster of a season in 1911 as he set career highs in batting (.420), hits (248), doubles (47), triples (24), RBI (127), runs (147) and slugging percentage (.621). 20 Most Valuable 1990 Topps Baseball Cards - Old Sports Cards 2022 Topps Baseball Rookie Cards Guide. However, the year ended on a bitter note. 1986 Topps Tiffany Ryne Sandberg Chicago Cubs Card 7. 10 Most Valuable Sammy Sosa Baseball Cards 10. Ten days after the Houston Astros called up Altuve from the Hooks, the team called up Martinez to make his MLB debut on July 30, 2011, replacing the recently-traded Hunter Pence.