The centering can be so severe that it will cut into the text along the bottom. Because of his alleged participation in the Black Sox Scandal during the 1919 World Series, Jackson was banned from baseball during his prime. Cracker Jacks cards are wildly popular and the serious-looking Cobb is one of the keys to this set. #1. 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. 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. And like Altuve, Martinez started with the Greeneville Astros and worked his way up to the Class AA Corpus Christi Hooks. And that first season with the Red Sox in 2018 has been the greatest of his career so far. By his third season in 2013, Goldschmidt had developed into a perennial All-Star and MVP candidate. Collectors will pay big money for either version as long as its in high grade. 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. Its an extremely tough card to find in high grade. However, as with any colored borders, the surrounding red borders of this card are susceptible to wear making it very condition sensitive. 10 Most Valuable Sammy Sosa Baseball Cards 10. Those that have been found in high grade are thought to have never been packaged and instead left the factory by hand. The 1969 Topps baseball card set is well-loved in this hobby by many collectors for several different reasons. 1986 Barry Bonds Topps Traded Rookie Card 6. With so many greats, how do you choose between them? Possessing an explosive triple-digit fastball with electric movement, Chapman struggled to harness his high-octane stuff in his first full year with the Reds. Get my weekly newsletter with the latest hobby updates delivered straight to your inbox! Nadja was a brand name of the Blake-Wenneker Candy Co. of St Louis and the set features 62 cards in total. 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. Exact prices are available to subscribers. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. The Giants were 27-19 heading into a home series with the Florida Marlins, looking every bit the contender for a repeat World Series engagement. By the way check out the best Wander Franco Rookie Cards #2. We are user supported. and one of the best-looking cards of the 1950s in my opinion. Financial problems would cause Dunn to sell Ruths contract to the Boston Red Sox later that year, however. Gehrig again appeared on two different cards, #37 and #61, in the 1934 Goudey set. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. This incredibly important card is beautiful in design, depicting nice artwork of Mantle ready at the bat. If so, then please fill out the form below and I'll be in touch right away. 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. The card features a great image of Ruth and it remains one of his most desirable cards. While a PSA 10 Gem Mint copy sold for $432,690 in 2012 a PSA 9 copy sold for an even higher amount, $478k, in 2016. 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. 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. This card is a prime example of an instance where neither being a star nor an error card can bring in big bucks. Posey suffered torn ligaments in his left ankle and a fractured fibula in a violent collision that reverberated for years. One of the bright spots for Boston was the re-emergence of designated hitter David Ortiz as an elite hitting threat. Most Expensive 2022 Topps card list & price guide. 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. George Close Candy cards are among the scarcer pre-WWI caramel issues and the Honus Wagner is one of the keys to the set. This card has been and will likely remain the most valuable baseball card for years to come. There are only a handful of known copies of this card in the hobby making it a rare and highly demanded issue. 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. 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. The Green Ruth is the last of the four Babe Ruth cards to appear in the 1933 Goudey set. Votto reached base in the team's first 27 games, finishing April with an eye-popping .370 batting average. But whats not up for debate is whether its one of his most important. 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). Not many players were as consistent as Musial was over their careers as he went on to win seven batting titles and three MVP awards. However, Carpenter was better, tossing a complete-game three-hit shutout to oust the two-time defending NL champs, 1-0. Was it because Wagner wanted to be paid by the tobacco company to use his image? 1989 Bowman Tiffany Ken Griffey Jr. 2. This is the second most desirable card in the famed T206 set and the only pose of the HOF pitcher. The 1912 Plows Candy E300 Mathewson features a large photographic image of the legendary pitcher of the Dead Ball Era framed by text reading. The 97-win Yankees eventually fell well short of their championship aspirations with a five-game ALDS loss to the Detroit Tigers. That is unless youre talking about the Red Portrait with the Ty Cobb back that was showcased earlier on this list. Many collectors prefer the portrait versions of Cobbs T206 card and specifically the Green Portrait. The Bat On Shoulder and Bat Off Shoulder would then follow. However, he still put together a worthy encore to his 2010 breakthrough. Whether you can find one in high grade or not, though, its a superb card for any collector to own. When the infamous T206 set was being produced, Doyle was pitching for the New York Highlanders of the American League. So, whoever says that baseball cards are no longer valuable simply doesn't know what he or she is talking about Sure, the massive print runs during the late 80's and early 90's killed the value of most post-1980's cards. 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.. 1986 Topps Nolan Ryan Card 5. No More Secrets Puzzle Game, Ungraded Many believe the 1887 N172 Old Judge set to be the most important 19th Century set in existence. Read our methodology . Their glossy obverse surface usually results in creasing and cracking issues making it tough to find these in high grade. His aggressive play on the field and his generous ways off the field made him a special individual. Career highlights: Two-time National League Most Valuable Player (1958, 1959), 14 . It is one of the most difficult cards to find overall, making it one of the most important cards on this list. The last card in the '75 Topps set, this Hank Aaron collectible won't ever be confused as the baseball legend's best-looking card. Moreover, the Mathewson Portrait is one of the toughest HOF portraits in the entire set. The 1939 Play Ball #92 issue is the Splendid Splinters only recognized rookie card. After 60 years in the hobby, Topps helped celebrate their "Diamond Anniversary" by packing so much into their 2011 Topps baseball card set. The card is subtle in design and imagery but remains a truly majestic card for any serious collector to consider. 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. While both are classics, there is no doubt that #37 is the more popular and difficult of the two. Neither makes a difference when it comes to value, though. 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. Along with the Killebrew and Koufax rookies, theRoberto Clemente rookie card is an anchor in the 1955 Topps baseball card set and the most expensive of the three. As a result, there werent manyJoe Jackson baseball cardsproduced. The card is one of Ruths most desired of all. There are two varieties of these cards with one version featuring a tobacco advertisement on the back and the other a checklist. On the plus side, Chapman struck out 71 batters and gave up just 24 hits in a variety of high-leverage situations. Many baseball historians still consider Cobb the greatest all-around player that ever graced a baseball diamond. Any collector lucky enough to get his hands on Mathewsons card is sure to be ecstatic. Ortiz's 29 home runs and 96 RBIs were pretty on-brand compared to recent years. So its no wonder that his 1948 Leaf rookie card is such and important piece of the hobby. After winning the NL Cy Young Award in 2010 and leading the Philadelphia Phillies to within two games of a third-straight World Series appearance, Roy Halladay was a man on a mission in 2011. However, Cabrera's top-five finish in the AL MVP race and sixth All-Star campaign was a warning shot of epic proportions, followed by back-to-back MVP years (2012-13). The fancy gold borders that surround Walter Johnsons black and white portrait are a thing of beauty. Before I get started, I just want to clarify some of the criteria I used in creating this list. Most Valuable Baseball Cards All the information and details has been compiled from the trusted sites including Wikipedia, New York Post, and Forbes. 4 Hank Aaron #660. The famous Pittsburg Pirate shortstop is shown ready at the bat with his name Hans along the bottom border of the card. Most Expensive 2020 Topps card list & price guide. The cards design is beautiful and easily distinguished from others of the 1950s. 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. Its arguably the most visually pleasing and desirable of all the Ted Williams baseball cards in the hobby. On it, Gehrig is shown with a huge bright smile atop a yellow background giving the card tremendous eye appeal. Its nearly impossible to describe the importance of Jackie Robinson to baseball and American history after breakingbaseballs color barrier in 1947. In true Jeter fashion, the Yankees shortstop went above and beyond the moment at hand. And while they are keys to the set and arguably the most popularLou Gehrig baseball cards, they are still overshadowed by the Ruth quartet. For others, it's the . The error was quickly caught, though, so there arent many copies in existence. He missed 36 games in 2011, slashing .275/.344/.470 with 18 home runs and 70 RBIs in 455 at-bats for Cox's handpicked successor, Fredi Gonzalez. Collectors who take on the challenge of completing this set are no doubt in for an extremely tough challenge. It was clear that Topps wanted to do something special for their 60th anniversary and they certainly delivered. Hes also the only key player in the 1914 set on a horizontal layout. Seldom seen at auction, the 48 card set distributed by the American Caramel Co. of York, Pa. released some of the rarest type cards in existence. He also turned heads with his slick glove work at first, earning the only Gold Glove of his career thus far. Cabrera was consistently brilliant from start to finish in 2011, posting an MLB-best .344 batting average for his first of three-straight AL batting titles. 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. 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. But, Joe Jackson is instantly recognizable on this card depicting him as a member of the Cleveland Naps minor league team, the New Orleans Pelicans. 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. However, Bochy picked Florida Marlins standout Gaby Sanchez as the final first base pick to ensure Florida had a representative in Arizona. PSA 10s in the card have commanded more than $40,000, but since '78 Topps has a notorious history of off-centered printing, there are so few gem mints out there. Napoleon Lajoie was considered the best defensive second baseman of his day and won three batting titles, had 3,242 total hits and a .338 average. 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. He was also clutch, maintaining a sub-1.00 World Series ERA and twice being named series MVP in 1963 and 1965. The E106 cards feature identical artwork on their fronts as the E90-1 and E92 caramel issues but differ by the advertising on their backs. #15 1966 Topps Ferguson Jenkins (RC) #254 Sold for $8,988 1966 Topps Ferguson Jenkins rookie card on eBay But the value between the two isnt affected. Ungraded & graded values for all '20 Topps ThisTed Williams card features a superb black and white image of Williams following through on his classic swing. While Posey would recover and play an MVP-caliber role for San Francisco's 2012 and 2014 title teams, his injury in 2011 forced the hands of baseball's decision-makers. Collectors love the eye appeal of this beautiful pre-war set. One of the most popular 1930s sets, the 1933 Sport Kings R333 set consists of 48 cards in total. Things changed dramatically in the second game of a three-game Marlins sweep when Florida outfielder Scott Cousins barreled into Posey at home plate after tagging up on a sacrifice fly. 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. 1. Not many baseball cards possess as much elaborate and ornate decoration as those of the 1909 Ramly Cigarette T204 set. Babe Ruths card is the key and most valuable of the 32 card set. Centering is also a tough issue for this card. These are the Top 3 Most Valuable Baseball Cards Worth Money. There are 30 cards in total and each includes seven different possible color backs. Natl along the bottom before the error was corrected. Overall, Topps did a great job with this set by balancing an excellent design with plenty of chase cards. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. Whenever manager Ozzie Guillen needed him to get a few outs, Sale performed. #1: 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle An SGC 9.5 Example Sold in August 2022 for $12,600,000 Dimensions: 2-5/8" x 3-3/4" The most important post-war card in the hobby, price movements of the 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle baseball card are often seen as an indicator of the health of the sports card market overall. 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. 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. These 5 by 8 cards were part of a redemption program where collectors sent in coupons in exchange for them. 1986 Topps Tiffany Ryne Sandberg Chicago Cubs Card 7. And it can be tough to find in high grade, too. Now that we got that out of the way let's get started Like a few others on this list, this card is technically part of the 2011 Topps Update set. The legendary Cap Anson appears on two different cards with the uniform version being the rarer of the two. Although kind of normal for Gehrig, his offensive production was extraordinary in 1934. Mathewson is the only player in both the 1914 and 1915 sets whose poses are entirely different. 1986 Topps Traded Bo Jackson Rookie Card 4.