Jackson green-lighted the eventual signing but expected Steinbrenner to offer him a new deal as well. His combination of speed and power was simply some of the greatest the game has ever seen. Jackie Robinson | Card Sold For: $392,400. While this is considered one of his rookie cards, it doesn't command quite the price premium as his 1982 Topps Tradedrookie card which can sell for north of $5,000 in top condition. Top 10 Rickey Henderson Baseball Cards - The Cardboard Connection , Dodgers Future Star [Perconte, Scioscia, Valenzuela] #302, Expos Future Stars [T. Raines, R. Ramos, B. 20 Most Valuable Topps Baseball Rookie Cards Of The 1970s. 1954 Topps #128 Hank Aaron RC. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2022 by Old Sports Cards, LLC. He also loves to write about the hobby and has written for Beckett, Topps, SABR and of course, this website. 10 Most Valuable 1980s Fleer Baseball Rookie Cards - Beckett News 10 Greatest Topps Baseball Cards To Buy Now In 2023 - Gold Card Auctions The Atlanta Braves had used Dale Murphy at first base and catcher during his early years in the 1970s, but in 1980 they moved him to the outfield. Now that we got that out of the way, let's take a look at the list: Lee Smith was one of the greatest relief pitchers to ever step on the mound and is currently a distant number three on the all-time saves list with 478 behind Mariano Rivera (652) and Trevor Hoffman (601). Reggie Jackson played five seasons as a member of the New York Yankees from 1977 to 1981, and the 1980 season turned out to be his best in pinstripes. The right card could make you rich. Ross is the founder of Old Sports Cards and has been collecting sports cards for over 30 years. This card features Tim Maines, Roberto Ramos and Bobby Pate, all the players listed were stars in their prime. Rose hit .300 (6-for-20) with two RBI and a run scored in the losing effort. Mickey Mantle card: The most expensive baseball card in history just 9 Roger Clemens #530. Boggs was a perennial contender for American League batting titles during the 1980s and 1990s. 1. Murray's first three seasons in the Majors were incredibly productive, but he kicked things up a notch in 1980 as he batted .300, belted 32 home runs, scored 100 runs and drove in another 116. #7. In his first full season in the big leagues in 1981, Tim Haines batted .304 with 71 stolen bases in a strike-shortened seasonmaking an instant impression on fans with his ability to make players look foolish on the base paths. I remember several years ago you could find this card in a PSA 9 holder quite easily for $400 or so, which made it undervalued even back then. 10 Most Valuable 1987 Topps Baseball Cards - Sports Card Investor Unfortunately, the strike-shortened season and growing tensions with Yankees owner George Steinbrenner got in the way. Heck, he even dated "Miss New York" Debra Sue Maurice from the Miss USA Beauty Pageant. Ken Griffey Jr. buy stuff after clicking links on our site Easily the most valuable gem mint in the set, this card from the Man of Steal garners between $600-900 on the secondary markets. 1984 Topps Football Cards: Most Valuable (Top Picks) - All Vintage 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. While George Brett lit up the AL in 1980, Mike Schmidt was doing the same in the NL and would take home his first of three career MVP Awards for his efforts. 1981 Fleer Card Prices | PSA & Ungraded Values - SportsCardsPro Description Card Number NM-MT 8 MT 9 GEM-MT 10; Larry Bird (HOF) Shop with Affiliates 4: 185+ 770+ 21,500+ Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (HOF) Shop with Affiliates 20: 45: 135+ 1,400-Magic Johnson (HOF) Shop with Affiliates 21: 170-850 Card Number: #595. Let's be clear:most of the cards from this set do not have any value these days. Ozzie Smith was given the name Wizard of Oz After an amazing record for the most assists at shortstop thus establishing a new record in that era. And while Rose hit no home runs in 1981 and drove in just 33, he was a fantastic table-setter for the Phillies. 1981 Topps Baseball Checklist, Team Set Lists and Details His standard base card (#574) is first and the card honoring his breaking of Ty Cobb's American League stolen base record (#351) follows. 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. Like everyone else, the shortened season didn't help his overall output but some key indicators had fallen off noticeably. Contents hide. The record-breaking card is from his rookie season and was produced by trading card giant Topps. 721 Toby Harrah. Things weren't all rosy for Smith, however, as his relationship with Padres owner Ray Kroc and his wife Joan became publicly sour. Roberto Ramos in the middle who was an amazing catcher during his prime and the beloved Bobby Pate who commanded respect in the outfield. And that's when his career started to take off as he made his first of seven career All-Star Games during the 1980 season and would finish twelfth in the MVP vote. Carew's career batting average ended up at .328, while his best single-season average was .388 in 1977. 1981 Topps Baseball 2nd Year Card Rickey Henderson, 3. 1981 Topps Baseball Set Checklist. The most expensive baseball card in history just sold for $12.6 million By Zoe Sottile, . Later, his stretch from 1982 to 1987 was one of the most dominant in Major League Baseball as he was twice voted MVP, made six-straight All-Star teams while winning five Gold Gloves and four Silver Sluggers. 1983 Donruss. Unlike George Brett's MVP card, Schmidt's featured an altogether different image than that of his base card. Yet, Bench's lousy injury luck was the real story. 1981 Topps Expos Future Card Tim Haines Auto. Prices are updated daily based upon 1981 Topps listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. As his time with the Yankees had come to a close, Jackson packed his bag and headed back to the West Coast, signing to play for the California Angels. 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. The legal system would clear the way for Donruss and Fleer to enter the market in 1981, sparking a ramp-up in competition that led to an overheated decade of baseball card production. He also loves to write about the hobby and has written for Beckett, Topps, SABR and of course, this website. 19 Most Valuable 1981 Topps Baseball Cards In the World 25 Most Valuable 1987 Topps Baseball Cards In The World We may earn an affiliate commission if you #8. 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However, once he was in San Diego, Templeton's hitting declined drastically and he'd never bat over .300 again. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. 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. . 1981 Topps #347 Harold Baines Rookie Card. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. That means the card needs to be flawless. Brett was one of the finest hitters in baseball history, but I think what is most impressive was his longevity as a top hitter, having won a batting title in three different decades (1976, 1980, and 1990). This card features the professional baseball player Danny Ainge. Unfortunately, the Kansas City Royals would slam the door on any hopes that Jackson and the Yankees had for a World Series ring when they swept them in the 1980 ALCS. And the difference lies on the reverse of the card, as one version will point collectors to see card #251 for more Rose highlights while the other will direct them to see card #371 for more. That season was the first time batted .300 or better, crossed the 30 home run mark, scored 100 runs or more and drove in 100 or more RBI. Most Watched 2022 Baseball Rookie Cards on eBay; Bowman Chrome Cards; Wander Franco 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. Shortcuts: The 1984 Topps Football set is THE landmark football card set of the 1980s. Jackson's time in New York wasn't exactly smooth as he occasionally clashed with teammates, manager Billy Martin and owner George Steinbrenner, contributing to an environment that earned the team the nickname "The Bronx Zoo.". There's a shot of the player in Celtics training gear, staring off-camera with his hands hidden behind the green border. You can't help but think Topps was trying to produce as many cards as possible to keep collectors interested and to try and keep Donruss and Fleer, who had joined the scene in 1981, at bay. Smith felt more welcomed by the Cardinals ownership and management and settled in quite nicely to be one of the franchise's most beloved players in team history. In 2004 he was inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame; in 2005 he was enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Even though the image is kind of ghostly (see his right shoulder) on this card, it's my favorite of his three cards in this set given its an action shot. Its $300 PSA 10 price tag is no mistake. 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. During the rush to market, they also ended up with many errors and variations in their debut set, but that was to be expected. "I had hit .300 before, but I couldn't hold it," he said. Boggs reached 3,000 hits during his career and became the 23rd player to do so. He was the clear choice for National League MVP and also picked up a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger. After a decades-long stranglehold on the market, Topps lost a key court battle with Fleer that allowed other companies to produce sets of their own. And, like Clemens, that might cut into the value and prestige of his 1985 Fleer Rookie Card to a . During the offseason, the Padres and Cardinals worked a multi-player deal headlined by sending Smith to St. Louis and Garry Templeton to San Diego. 5 Most Valuable Baseball Cards 1980s - Nerdable.com - http://bit.ly/W. And in this guide, I'll run through the ten most valuable. The cards featured in this list represent the most coveted and desired of all 1981 Topps Baseball cards. Click on any Donruss Set to see a full list of Cards and their current value. 1956 Topps Mickey Mantle #135. Baseball Cards - 1981 Topps Scratch-Offs | PSA CardFacts There are only 7 examples of this card in circulation at the time of this writing that have achieved that gradeso they're very scarce. Sure, the 1981 Topps set has the Montana rookie card, . 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. Read our methodology. 2022 Topps Heritage Baseball Most Valuable Cards and Checklist; These 10 GOATS . Cal Ripken Jr. 5 Underrated 1981 Donruss Baseball Cards. In his seventh season in the Majors, Yount broke out in a big way in 1980 as he led the league in doubles (49) while scoring 121 runs, driving in 87 RBI, and hitting 23 home runs to earn his first trip to the All-Star Game. Get my weekly newsletter with the latest hobby updates delivered straight to your inbox! The 1980 season turned out to be historic for George Brett as he won the only MVP of his legendary career and fell just short of batting .400 on the year with an eye-popping .390 average. The 1981 season was the seventh and final time. This is a rare Topps card from 1981 containing his signature. However, his production was never quite the same from 1988 until he finished his career with the Colorado Rockies in 1993. 1981 Topps Traded Baseball Cards - The Cardboard Connection Ryan went 1-1 in two starts with a 1.80 ERA in the team's five-game NLDS loss to the Dodgers, striking out 14 batters in 15 innings while walking just three. They didn't call him "Steady Eddie" for nothing. In 390 plate appearances (338 at-bats), Yastrzemski posted a .246/.338/.355 slash line with a career-low seven home runs and 53 RBI. 0% Gary Carter, nicknamed Kid and The Kid, was a professional baseball player whose 19-year career in Major League Baseball was spent primarily with the Montreal Expos and New York Mets. Donruss wasted no time breaking into the hobby as they spent huge marketing dollars, targeted key dealers across the nation, and filled their checklist with some of the game's biggest names to grab collector attention. You are looking at a 1981 Topps Rookie Card hand-signed by George Riley. And he struck fear into opposing pitchers at the plate, especially when Joe Morgan and Pete Rose got on base ahead of him, as he was an RBI machine, leading the league three times. Cincinnati finished the year with the best composite record in all of baseball but the nature of the strike-shortened season's playoff format bit them in the backside. I love both of these cards not so much because it's Reggie Jackson we're talking about, but because of all the 1980's awesomeness on display. The problem was that the 33-year-old Bench simply wasn't healthy. Ultimately, Winfield decided to play baseball for the San Diego Padres beginning in 1973. 1981 Fleer Rickey Henderson #351, #574. PSA 9 examples have sold for upwards of $6,000. The most valuable baseball card from the 1980s is Rickey Henderson's 1980 Topps rookie card. 25 Most Valuable 1981 Fleer Baseball Cards In The World 1981 Topps Kirk Gibson RC #315. . 1981 Topps Baseball Cards - DeansCards.com After nearly a decade-and-a-half as the standard for MLB catchers, Cincinnati Reds Hall-of-Famer Johnny Bench changed positions for the 1981 season. In other years, Seaver used his overpowering stuff to outduel hitters but in 1981, he wasn't quite the fireballer as he struck out only 4.7 batters per nine innings, the second-lowest rate of his career. Although this one isn't worth as much as it might . 1 1980 Batting Leaders - George Brett / Bill Buckner 2 1980 Home Run Leaders - Reggie Jackson / Ben Oglivie / Mike Schmidt . Mookie came up big for the Mets again in Game 7, going 1 for 3 with a run scored to help the Mets beat the Red Sox 8-5 to win the title. 203 Bill Gullickson Record Breaker - Expos. Beginning with the 1977-78 NCAA Basketball season, Ainge starred for Brigham Young University and capped things off in 1981 by being named a first-team All-American and winning the John Wooden Award as the nation's best player. One of the most beloved New York Mets in franchise history, Mookie Wilson finished seventh in the 1981 NL Rookie of the Year race and went on to a very successful career until he retired in 1991. Ungraded. On his 1982 Topps card, Ripken is sandwiched between Bob Bonner and Jeff Schneider as part of the "Future Stars" subset with the Baltimore Orioles. 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. The 1980 Topps Rickey Henderson is such a beautiful card. Tim Haines finished second in Rookie of the Year voting, 19th in MVP, and earned his first All-Star selection. Star power: Robinson, a Hall of Famer, broke the MLB color barrier in 1947, becoming a social justice icon in the process. This on-card autograph card is much rarer than the typically signed cards of this all-time great as it has been likely inscribed with an 81 HRC inscription commemorating this player being tied as the 1981 American League home run champion! He was named Player of the Decade by The Sporting News at the end of his career. Perhaps Wilson's finest point of his career came during one of the most memorable at-bats in baseball history that lasted ten pitches, sent Mets fans soaring, and broke Red Sox fans' hearts. Our hunt for the 80s most valuable baseball cards includes Don Mattingly, Cal Ripken Jr., Nolan Ryan, Ricky Henderson. Read our methodology. 29 Surprisingly Cheap: 1985 Mark McGwire Topps. . #10. The following season, Seaver was as sharp as ever as he finished with an incredible .875 winning percentage after going 14-2 on the mound. Top 15 Most Expensive Nolan Ryan Cards - Thrillpack Cards Fans and media began to take note of his incredible defensive talent, giving him the nickname "The Wizard.". That just shows you what kind of effect being a Hall of Famer can have on baseball card prices. . Part of the explanation is that Yount was quietly consistent and playing in small-market Milwaukee certainly didn't help. But, I'm a big fan of this set regardless. After tallying 138 wins and 2,416 strikeouts over eight seasons with the California Angles, Nolan Ryan signed a $4.5 million four-year deal with the Houston Astros during the 1979 offseason. However, once they got there, the Oakland Athletics promptly swept them in the ALDS as Brett went just 2-for-12 (.167) in the three games. After all, Rickey Henderson is the greatest lead-off hitter of all time, whose records for runs scored (2,295) and stolen bases (1,406) may very well never be broken. And while his offensive numbers dropped in 1981, Brett's star was still quite bright. He played parts of four seasons in the MLB between 1979 and 1986, with the Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, and Montreal Expos. Price. 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. Cards like this tend to have more value than regular ones. In 21 starts, Ryan finished 11-5 with an MLB-best 1.69 ERA. Brett's career batting average of .305 wasn't quite as good, but he did put up the better single-season effort when he batted. Most Expensive of All-Time. In 1980, Kansas City Royals third baseman George Brett graduated from All-Star to crossover superstar. 3. Donruss would take the experience with this set and continue to churn out many improved and memorable sets for years to come. 1952 Topps #1 Andy Pafko. Despite the poor production, Jackson still earned a spot on the All-Star team for the eleventh time in his career. The 1982 season saw Henderson set a single-season best for stolen bases as he swiped a ridiculous 130 bases in total. The move worked as the Royals responded by winning 20 of their last 33 to make the playoffs. It was a fitting punctuation mark for one of Ryan's best seasons on the . The card from 1981 features three outstanding baseball players who were kings in their lanes. Here are the top 15 Most Expensive Nolan Ryan Cards: #15 1978 Topps Nolan Ryan #400 Recent sale: $898 . Cards. 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 10 Most Valuable Basketball Cards from the 1980s. It was the only time in his career where he batted .300, and he also led the league in home runs with 41 round-trippers. Despite missing the call to the Hall, Murphy was a hero to many kids who collected during his brilliant run in the 1980s, and today those kids are adult collectors with money to spare, keeping his cards in decent demand. Ross is the founder of Old Sports Cards and has been collecting sports cards for over 30 years. Donruss Baseball Card Prices | PSA, BGS & Ungraded Prices - SportsCardsPro Ungraded & graded values for all '81 Fleer Baseball Cards. Placing Mark McGwire's 1985 Topps card in this category may seem a little unfair considering its current $650 price tag. There were tons of errors, collation inside boxes was hit and miss (mostly miss) and the . When graded gem mint 10 by PSA, the value has gone as high as $180,000. Not only is it fun, but its good quality material for a future family reunion. Kansas City went 20-30 in the season's first half and started the second half slowly, with Manager Jim Frey taking the heat. Like the 1981 Fleer and Topps sets, large print runs saturated the market with these cards, driving down their values. At least he was voted Rookie of the Year. We are user supported. If you do the math on those 2,416 strikeouts he accumulated during his time with the Angels, that meant he averaged302 strikeouts per season, a mark many pitchers would be lucky to reach even once during their careers. The card is currently worth $189.99. 6 Rickey Henderson #180. 1981 Topps Traded Fernando Valenzuela, 16. 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. "I've learned to stay within myself, not be afraid to fail.". Most valuable baseball cards of the 1980s Rating: 7.5 (174 votes) Click here to Rate. During his first year with the Angels, Jackson proved he still had plenty left in the tank and led the Majors with 39 home runs and finished sixth in the MVP vote. Now anchoring the back of the Brewers bullpen, Fingers won by a mere eleven points. Philadelphia fell in five games to the Montreal Expos in an entertaining National League Division Series. 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. For the longest time it seemed like Smith would not quite garner enough votes to earn a trip to the Hall of Fame. 10 Most Valuable 1980s Baseball Cards - Sports Card Investor And none of his Rookie Cards is bigger than . 1983 Topps #482 Tony Gwynn Rookie Card. It didn't matter, though, as the Reds missed out on the playoffs and a rejuvenated Tom Seaver was denied one last hurrah in October. Are you selling sports cards that were produced from 1868 - 1975? Ryan dazzled on that fall afternoon in Houston, striking out eleven and walking just three.