1981 topps baseball cards most valuable 1981 topps baseball cards most valuable

Sure, the 1981 Topps set has the Montana rookie card, . To make things even stranger, you could even say that Rose appeared on fourcards in this set because this one comes in two variations. Ozzie Smith's 1979 Topps rookie card is also one of the last great rookie cards of the vintage era, but his second-year card isn't a bad consolation prize either. On our list is an ungraded card featuring the 1981 Boston Red Sox, it was probably signed by the manager for the team, it is currently worth $72. 19 Most Valuable 1981 Topps Baseball Cards Price List. And, over the years, it's started to grow on collectors more and more after nostalgia for that era has increased and many collectors have a newfound appreciation for hobby history. However, his production was never quite the same from 1988 until he finished his career with the Colorado Rockies in 1993. Read our methodology . Most Expensive, While it's not known for any iconic cards like some of the other sets of the era, the 1981 Donruss baseball card set is iconic itself for one reason: collectors now had an alternative choice to Topps for the first time in years. It's no wonder why, considering how Henderson's a beloved figure in the sport whose '81 campaign included a .319 batting average, a league-leading 56 stolen bases and a second-place MVP . From there you can also add a Card to your collection or wishlist. 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. Premium: Boggs reached 3,000 hits during his career and became the 23rd player to do so. However, when do you do it? Regardless of its market value at any given point in time, the significance of this rookie card cannot be overstated as it's one of the most expensive cards from the 1980s. Here is a quick rundown of those most valuable 1982 Topps baseball cards, based on recent sales for copies graded PSA 9 and presented in numerical order. With the first card in the checklist, Topps paid tribute to both Lou Brock and Carl Yastrzemski crossing the 3,000 career hits mark that would put them in exclusive baseball company forever. Struggling through back issues and other accumulated aches and pains, Yastrzemski had the worst offensive season of his 21-year career thus far. Need help buying or selling cards or have a general question about the hobby? The cards featured in this list represent the most coveted and desired of all 1981 Topps Baseball cards. Ultimately, the Padres and Cardinals would complete a multi-player trade before the 1982 season that sent Templeton to San Diego and Smith to St. Louis, where he would play the next fifteen years and become a Cardinals icon. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. 1981 Topps Baseball 2nd Year Card Rickey Henderson. Most Valuable Baseball Cards of All Time . After his release by the Brewers, he was offered a contract by Pete Rose to play for the Cincinnati Reds in 1986. Contact him at [emailprotected]. You can almost feel the tension in this card as he's poised and just waiting for the perfect moment to break for second. For example, in November, 2018 you could find one in PSA 10 grade for around $100 but after he was voted into the Hall they started selling for north of $600 and continue to climb today. Their scarcity is a result of several situations that can apply to baseball card collecting. Estimated PSA 9 Mint Value: $120. The Reds finished a half-game behind the Dodgers in the NL West in the first half. One thing I always found a bit strange about Yount's career was that he was a two-time MVP but appeared in just three All-Star games, the lowest amount of any Hall of Famer since the game's inception. And ever since his induction into the Hall of Fame, his 1981 Donruss rookie card has enjoyed a nice bump in value. There's no questioning the significance of 1980 Topps baseball cards in hobby history. There's a shot of the player in Celtics training gear, staring off-camera with his hands hidden behind the green border. Tim Haines finished second in Rookie of the Year voting, 19th in MVP, and earned his first All-Star selection. Valenzuela won both the Rookie of the Year and Cy Young Awards, and the Dodgers made it all the way to the World Series. PSA 9 examples have sold for upwards of $6,000. Schmidt was, arguably, the game's best player for the second-straight season. In 1981, Donruss and Fleer gave Topps some much-needed competition. For his regular-season efforts, Rose earned the only Silver Slugger Award of his career, his 15th All-Star selection, and a tenth-place finish on the NL MVP ballot. Before the season, Steinbrenner went to Jackson for his thoughts on the team's pursuit of free-agent slugger Dave Winfield. This set marked the end of an era in which Topps was the only mainstream company with the MLB's blessing to print baseball cards. As a result, Topps created this monster 792-card checklist and loaded it with subsets to try and keep collector interestand collector eyeballsaway from Donruss and Fleer. Only Tony Gwynn had come closer to batting .400 or better since Ted Williams last did it in 1941 when Gwynn batted .394 in 110 games during the strike-shortened 1994 season. Prices are updated daily based upon 1981 Topps listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. *TIM RAINES* 1981 Topps Traded #816 *CGS 9* RC Rookie Card. 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. This Baseball card is in very good condition, with sharp corners and slight wear on the lower right corner. Prices are updated daily based upon 1981 Topps listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. The current worth of this card is $195. And, over the next twenty-two years, he would develop into one of the greatest players of his era with twelve All-Star selections, seven Gold Gloves and six Silver Sluggers to his name. His .758 OPS marked the first time he'd dropped under .817 since 1968. Having earned the right to produce baseball cards in a court case with Topps, the 1981 Donruss set became the company's first baseball offering. Contents hide. Most Expensive Heres a rare rainbow foil card in mint condition by Risk Foil. And they didn't know it at the time, but they also missed out on producing big-name rookie cards for Fernando Valenzuela, Harold Baines, and Kirk Gibson. He struggled in 1980 (by his terms) with a career-worst 3.64 ERA and a career-low ten wins. Like his base card, his All-Star card is just as tough to find in PSA 10 condition and also carries a large price tag. $12.95. These are the result of decades of collecting and dealing for many companies, dealers, and collectors across America. 1981 Topps Expos Future Card Tim Haines Auto, 6. Rod Carew and George Brett were not only two of the greatest hitters of their era but of all time, so seeing them both on the same card is quite a treat. Get my weekly newsletter with the latest hobby updates delivered straight to your inbox! He was the clear choice for National League MVP and also picked up a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger. Immediately afterward, the price of his 1982 Topps rookie card in PSA 10 condition shot through the roof. 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. 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. The previous record which he broke was 601 assists by a shortstop was done by Glenn Wright of the pirates. 1981 Topps Baseball Set Checklist. This card once was worth upwards of $50, and until Jose Canseco came along, it was the most valuable regular-issue 1980s card in the book. A right-hander, he threw and batted right-handed. Things screeched to a halt, though, when Jackson injured his calf running the bases in Game 2 of the ALCS against Oakland. . JB's 1981 Fleer card is a $5 (or so) buy in PSA 9 condition. 725 Steve Rogers. Rickey Henderson, an American retired professional baseball player who played his entire 24-year career in Major League Baseball, helped break the sports color barrier. And he was still very much a respectable pitcher during his time in Cincinnati from 1977 to 1982 as he'd win around 15 games regularly, made two All-Star teams and even finished second in the Cy Young vote for the 1981 season. But, for the 1982 season, Smith would never actually suit up for the Padres as he was traded to St. Louis for another highly-regarded shortstop in Garry Templeton. We may earn an affiliate commission if you 1981 Topps Project 70 Card Wade Boggs by Efdot FOIL, 8. In 1981, Schmidt became the eighth player in MLB history to do just that. 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. He also loves to write about the hobby and has written for Beckett, Topps, SABR and of course, this website. Card Number: #418. The wrist band, the glasses.and that awesome stache You just don't see that kind of stuff in today's game so this card perfectly captures the style of the era and that's the great thing about baseball cards in general. Seaver was nothing short of incredible for the Reds that season but Los Angeles's Fernando Valenzuela was just a bit better and out-pointed Seaver in the Cy Young vote 70 to 67. This card is super tough to find in high grade, hence the huge price tag that might shock you. In 665 at-bats for Toronto, Ainge batted .220, hit two home runs, scored 57 runs, drove in another 37 and stole 12 bases. This trading card has been authenticated by PSA, it has the signature of Rollie fingers on the obverse. 20 Most Valuable Topps Baseball Rookie Cards Of The 1970s. However, once he was in San Diego, Templeton's hitting declined drastically and he'd never bat over .300 again. Need help buying or selling cards or have a general question about the hobby? 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. 1. And, yes, it would've been nice to see rookie cards of Fernando Valenzuela, Harold Baines and Kirk Gibson as well. Read our methodology. 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. He was named Player of the Decade by The Sporting News at the end of his career. Despite this seemingly unjustified absence from more "Midsummer Classics," Yount is considered to be the greatest Milwaukee Brewer in the franchise's history. 1. It is also (by a slight margin) the most valuable card in the 1984 Topps Football set. 2022 Topps Heritage Baseball Most Valuable Cards and Checklist; These 10 GOATS . . Steven Thomas Avery is an American left-handed former pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). The continued adoption of Sabermetrics no doubt helped push him across the finish line and into Cooperstown. Tim Raines first became eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2008 but wasn't elected until 2017 when he received a convincing 86% of the vote. However, the turf at Olympic Stadium didn't do Dawson any favors resulting in knee problems that would hamper his speed later in his career. Are you selling sports cards that were produced from 1868 - 1975? Clocking in at 605 cards in total, this set made history when it first debuted. Reginald Martinez Jackson is a former American right fielder who spent the majority of his 21-year professional baseball career with the Kansas City and Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees, and ended his career with a two-year stint for the California Angels. Cal Ripken Jr. After a complete-game victory in Game 1, Ryan allowed three runs (two earned) in six innings in the deciding Game 5. After the Royals split their first twenty games of the second half, he was fired, and former Yankees manager Dick Howser took the reins. He also finished fourth in the NL with a .316 batting average, narrowly missing out on a Triple Crown. 50. 1983 Donruss. Unfortunately, the strike-shortened season and growing tensions with Yankees owner George Steinbrenner got in the way. During the rush to market, they also ended up with many errors and variations in their debut set, but that was to be expected. Plus Bonus Listings! Growing up in Central Indiana surrounded by Cubs fans, I would hear about Dawson constantly as fans absolutely loved the guy, and rightly so. 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. Just look at that awesome retro Astros jersey in all its striped glory! 0% Murray was one of the greatest first basemen to ever play the game but his cards seem to be a bit overlooked at times. 1985 Fleer Kirby Puckett RC #286. Heck, he even dated "Miss New York" Debra Sue Maurice from the Miss USA Beauty Pageant. In 1981, the 6'5 monster recorded his second straight 1000-yard season and led all of football with 88 catches. The nerve! 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. Within the set were also several different subsets, including: The colorful design and decent photography give this set an overall great look and feel, with many cards having fantastic eye appeal. List by Card #, You own: 0 / 865 items 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. They finished the season with a .546 winning percentage in front of 1,060,379 fans who saw them play. After Wilson dodged a wild pitch from Boston's Bob Stanley, Kevin Mitchell scored from third to tie the game. 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. The card features Pete Rose. He was named Rolaids Relief Man of the Year four times and led the major leagues in saves three times. 726 Rick Monday. 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. Read our methodology. The reverse of the card mentions that over the last nine seasons dating back to 1972, Brett (2) and Carew (6) had combined to win eight batting titles. The NL Rookie of the Year Award was close, with Raines receiving 85 vote points to Valenzuela's 107, but the Expos and all of baseball knew that Raines was something special. They were the fourteenth and fifteenth players to achieve the incredible milestone. Cheapest, Somehow during all that success with college basketball, he also found the time to play for the Blue Jays from 1979 to 1981. Since most collectors in this hobby tend to draw the line on the "vintage era" at 1980, many consider the Rickey Henderson rookie card to be the last big-name vintage rookie.. And while its value pales in comparison to other big-name vintage rookies like Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, and Roberto Clemente, to . It has been authenticated and graded a 10 by Beckett Authentication Services. As you can see, some of the game's biggest legends of all time can be found within the 726-card checklist.