1981 topps baseball cards most valuable

Growing up in Central Indiana surrounded by Cubs fans, I would hear about Dawson constantly as fans absolutely loved the guy, and rightly so. Bench is somewhat of an anomaly on this list, showing up with only one 1981 Fleer card, and all. The right card could make you rich. #10. 1981 Topps. 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Placing Mark McGwire's 1985 Topps card in this category may seem a little unfair considering its current $650 price tag. 1981 Topps Baseball Cards Which Are Most Valuable? - YouTube He helped to redefine the value of relievers within baseball and ushered in the modern closer role. Contents hide. 724 Lou Piniella. 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. 1981 Topps Kellen Winslow Rookie Card (#150) Winslow took the big-bodied, good-hands tight end model that Newsome brought to the fore and ran with it (after the catch!). In 493 plate appearances (423 at-bats), Henderson posted a robust .319/.408/.437 slash line with nine home runs and 53 RBI while winning his first of three Silver Sluggers. When Bench managed to stay healthy enough to be in the lineup, he was quite productive. 1954 Topps #128 Hank Aaron RC. So for our purpose, the most expensive Nolan Ryan rookie card is the 1969 Topps RC which is valued at $20,000, give or take a thousand. For one more year, at least, Topps was the only game in town in 1980. And the reason it's worth so much in PSA 10 condition? When it comes to Rookie Cards, 1981 Topps is one . 25 Most Valuable 1980 Topps Baseball Cards - Old Sports Cards Price: $299.75 Grade: PSA 10. The reverse of this card is just one of the many quirks found inside Donruss's debut set. Henderson posted a brilliant 1.144 OPS against New York, but the rest of the Oakland lineup went dead silent. Get my weekly newsletter with the latest hobby updates delivered straight to your inbox! . Heres a rare rainbow foil card in mint condition by Risk Foil. Donovan Mitchell was one of the standouts in a loaded 2017-18 NBA rookie class. 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). 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. Ryan's stellar age-34 campaign earned him his sixth All-Star selection, a fourth-place finish in the National League's Cy Young race, and a 16th-place finish in the NL's MVP balloting. 1981, 1985, 1989), 11-time MLB strikeout leader (1972-74, 1976-79, 1987-90), two-time NL leader (1981, 1987), MLB All-Century Team. 25 Most Valuable 1981 Topps Baseball Cards - Old Sports Cards If you look closely, though, you'll notice the images are just slightly different as you can see two of his teammates in the background on his MVP card versus one (plus the arm of another) on his base card. He played in Major League Baseball between 1977 and 1982 for the Seattle Mariners and the Pittsburgh Pirates. During Dawson's first year with the Cubs in 1987, he would lead the league in home runs (49) and RBI (137) to win MVP honors, and the fans at Wrigley instantly fell in love with "the Hawk.". 21 Most Valuable 1981 Donruss Baseball Cards 50 Most Valuable Baseball Cards of All Time | Stadium Talk Yet, Bench's lousy injury luck was the real story. In fact, between June 2021 and May 2022, this Ripken collectible in a PSA 10 sold for under $4,000 just once. Still, as one of the game's greatest leadoff hitters and baserunners, he was overdue to get in anyway. 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. Kansas City went 20-30 in the season's first half and started the second half slowly, with Manager Jim Frey taking the heat. I absolutely love this card as it captures Rickey about to do what he did best: steal a base. 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. 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. Wilson hit a weak grounder towards Boston's Bill Buckner at first base, and the ball squeaked by him, allowing Wilson to reach first base safely while Ray Knight scored the winning run. It was also the first Topps set to feature a monster 792-card checklist. From there you can also add a Card to your collection or wishlist. Hold on to it. Brock crossed the mark with a single on August 13, 1979 while Yaz hit a single of his own on September 12, 1979 to join the club. 1961 Topps Willie Mays All-Star (#579) Here is a case where card scarcity and an immortal of the game conspire to generate a value anomaly an All-Star card worth more than the base card of the same player. 1981 Topps Baseball 2nd Year Card Rickey Henderson. Ungraded & graded values for all '81 Topps Baseballs hit king, Pete Rose, led all of baseball in total hits on seven different occasions. Many times, though, he'd fail to connect on those swings and would up earning himself a spot as the career leader in strikeouts with 2,597. Most Expensive [1981 Topps] Baseball Cards - SportsCardsPro And some of those players appeared on multiple cards. There's a shot of the player in Celtics training gear, staring off-camera with his hands hidden behind the green border. Top 100 1980s Baseball Cards and Why They're So Memorable - Beckett News Owchinko played baseball for Eastern Michigan University. One of the most memorable cards in the '91 Topps set, this horizontal stunner shows Clemens posing in front of Fenway Park's famed scoreboard. 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. 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. But, you'll remember that by 1982, Topps was no longer the only major company producing baseball cards as both Donruss and Fleer had joined the scene the year prior. The cards featured in this list represent the most coveted and desired of all 1981 Topps Baseball cards. 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. SportsCardsPro Index: 1982 Topps. While this set may be slightly overlooked in the history of the hobby, it still delivers a great checklist. 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 . Like the 1981 Fleer and Topps sets, large print runs saturated the market with these cards, driving down their values. 1981 Topps Baseball Cards - DeansCards.com 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 10 Most Valuable 1991 Topps Baseball Cards - Sports Card Investor Mickey Mantle card: The most expensive baseball card in history just Ryan dazzled on that fall afternoon in Houston, striking out eleven and walking just three. Jackson found a groove in the team's ALDS victory over the Milwaukee Brewers, hitting .300 with a .933 OPS, two home runs, and four RBI. A remarkable all-around . 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. This card features Tim Maines, Roberto Ramos and Bobby Pate, all the players listed were stars in their prime. The nerve! Most Valuable Baseball Cards from the 1980s Price Guide & Values 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. 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. But he is more famous for the accusations of gambling that led Major League Baseball to ban him from the sport in 1989. Dale Murphy enjoyed a bit of a breakout year in 1980 as he hit 33 home runs, scored 98 runs, had 89 RBI and made his first of seven career All-Star teams. He did his best, hitting .333 with a 1.095 in the final three games, but New York dropped all three and the series. $260. While eligible for induction, Murphy peaked at 23% of the vote in 2000, falling well short of the 75% needed for entry. He also loves to write about the hobby and has written for Beckett, Topps, SABR and of course, this website. 9 of the Most Valuable Baseball Cards in History - HISTORY 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. You are looking at a 1981 Topps Rookie Card hand-signed by George Riley. Coming off a 1980 season in which he finished runner-up for the AL MVP award, New York Yankees right fielder Reggie Jackson looked to keep the momentum going in 1981. Had Fred Lynn (.333) not barely edged out Brett (.329) for the title in 1979, then they would've had all nine of them. Donruss Baseball Card Prices | PSA, BGS & Ungraded Prices - SportsCardsPro 6) 1981 Topps Traded Rollie Fingers (#761) This may be the most iconic 1981 baseball card of all, thanks to 1) Fingers signature mustache, 2) the old-school kneeling pose, 3) the Cy Young-MVP twofer Rollie pulled off in 1981, and the 1982 Topps Kmart set that immortalized the entire card in miniature. 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. Prices are updated daily based upon 1981 Fleer listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. Previous Article. , Dodgers Future Star [Perconte, Scioscia, Valenzuela] #302, Expos Future Stars [T. Raines, R. Ramos, B. And he didn't lose any steam in the postseason, either, as he would end up leading the Phillies to the World Series title while batting .381, belting two home runs, driving in seven RBI, and scoring six runs. List; Gallery; Gallery - 6 Cards per Page; Gallery - 8 Cards per Page; Gallery - 9 Cards per Page; He won the American League MVP award with one of the best offensive seasons in league history, flirted with .400, and made his first World Series appearance. Let's be clear:most of the cards from this set do not have any value these days. Although his best days were clearly behind him, he still played well enough to earn a trip to the 1982 All-Star game. In 21 starts, Ryan finished 11-5 with an MLB-best 1.69 ERA. The 2-time MVP, 19-time All-Star and record holder for most consecutive games played easily goes down in history as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, shortstops to play the game. Contact him at [emailprotected]. 20 Most Valuable Topps Baseball Rookie Cards Of The 1970s. And none of his Rookie Cards is bigger than . Sports Cards: 10 Most Valuable Baseball Rookie Cards of the 1990s One year removed from his Rookie of the Year-winning season, this Ripken card is still a hobby favorite because it shows the Orioles third baseman's timeless swing and a close-up of his youthful mug all on one important card. Tune in as Mrs. Wax Pack Gods reads about 1981 Topps Baseball Cards.When 1981 Topps baseball cards hit store shelves that spring, they were playing in a brav. Download Price List, SportsCardsPro 2019-2023 And ever since his induction into the Hall of Fame, his 1981 Donruss rookie card has enjoyed a nice bump in value. Not bad for an 11th round pick (#250 overall) in the 1975 MLB Draft. Rating: 7.5 (174 votes) Click here to Rate. 1 1980 Batting Leaders - George Brett / Bill Buckner 2 1980 Home Run Leaders - Reggie Jackson / Ben Oglivie / Mike Schmidt . 2017-18 Panini National Treasures Donovan Mitchell RC Auto Patch /99. The 1981 season stands out for Eddie Murray in a unique way: somehow, it was the only season where he managed to lead the American League in home runs (22) and RBI (78). Accolades aside, Schmidt felt his best accomplishment was in one of the few offensive categories in which he didn't pace the Majors: batting average. We are user supported. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Despite not being a Hall of Famer, Rose's legacy as one of the game's greatest hitters of all time keeps his cards in high demand throughout the hobby. Canadian baseball cards printed in the French language are uncommon, which shows on this baseball card as it is bi-lingual. After sixteen seasons and two World Series titles with the Cincinnati Reds, Pete Rose left the "Big Red Machine" behind and signed as a free agent with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1979. That effort would place him sixth in MVP voting and solidify his reputation for similar, consistent production over the rest of his Hall of Fame career. Just look at that awesome retro Astros jersey in all its striped glory! . His standard base card (#574) is first and the card honoring his breaking of Ty Cobb's American League stolen base record (#351) follows. It has been certified authentic by Beckett Authentication (BAS) and comes encapsulated in their tamper-proof holder. 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. 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. 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. Featured here is a 1981 Topps Coca Cola baseball card signed by Aurelio Lopez. The problem was that the 33-year-old Bench simply wasn't healthy. Mattingly's Donruss rookie was produced in smaller quantities than his Topps rookie, so it's worth more. In 1981, the 6'5 monster recorded his second straight 1000-yard season and led all of football with 88 catches. 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. But rather than hanging them up after the season, Yastrzemski got to work. Smith earned the first of those Gold Gloves during the 1980 season when he also set the single-season record for most assists by a shortstop with an astronomical total of 621. He spent eleven seasons with four teams in Major League Baseball the majority of it spent with the Detroit Tigers. 1981 Topps card list & price guide. Top 15 Most Expensive Nolan Ryan Cards - Thrillpack Cards PSA 9 examples have sold for upwards of $6,000. 1981 Fleer Rickey Henderson #351, #574. 8. Greatest Topps Baseball Cards of All-Time. 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. 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. Jackson green-lighted the eventual signing but expected Steinbrenner to offer him a new deal as well. Sure, the 1981 Topps set has the Montana rookie card, . 1982 Topps #30 Tom Seaver. Year sold: 2018. . In the process, Schmidt led the league and set career highs in home runs (48), RBI (121) and total bases (342). Now that we got that out of the way, let's take a look at the list: The 1981 American League MVP race came down to two men, Oakland Athletics left fielder Rickey Henderson and former As closer Rollie Fingers. 1981 Topps Baseball Cards - Set Info and Best Cards - Sports Cards Rock 10 Greatest Topps Baseball Cards To Buy Now In 2023 - Gold Card Auctions Ken Griffey Jr. 5 Cal Ripken Jr. 1982 Topps Traded #98T: Everybody wants to make such a big fuss about a 2,632-game playing streak when the real awe lies with the steadiness of this card's value. Its $300 PSA 10 price tag is no mistake. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2022 by Old Sports Cards, LLC. 35th Anniversary: Five Underrated 1981 Donruss Baseball Cards 725 Steve Rogers. And, like Clemens, that might cut into the value and prestige of his 1985 Fleer Rookie Card to a . Brett's performance at the plate put him well above Milwaukee's Cecil Cooper and his own impressive .352 average to earn his second of three career batting titles. Their scarcity is a result of several situations that can apply to baseball card collecting. The Boston Celtics drafted Ainge in the 1981 NBA Draft and bought his contract from the Blue Jays and the rest was history. Need help buying or selling cards or have a general question about the hobby? His full name is Peter Edward Rose and was a professional baseball player who managed to exceed Ty Cobbs record for the number of hits in a career. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1993. 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. Top 10 Most Valuable: 1981 Topps Basketball. 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. Contact him at [emailprotected]. In 1980, Kansas City Royals third baseman George Brett graduated from All-Star to crossover superstar. Ungraded & graded values for all '81 Fleer Baseball Cards. After the Royals split their first twenty games of the second half, he was fired, and former Yankees manager Dick Howser took the reins. #7. The move worked as the Royals responded by winning 20 of their last 33 to make the playoffs. The 1980 Topps Rickey Henderson is such a beautiful card. 5 Cal Ripken Jr. #183. The last sale's most valuable Topps Nolan Ryan baseball card is the 1974 Topps Nolan Ryan baseball card number #20. Or, feel free to call/text me at 305-684-6680! 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 . The 1981 season was the St. Louis Cardinals 100th season in St. Louis, Missouri, and their 90th year in the National League (NL). Somehow during all that success with college basketball, he also found the time to play for the Blue Jays from 1979 to 1981. Jackie Robinson | Card Sold For: $392,400. 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. And while his offensive numbers dropped in 1981, Brett's star was still quite bright. This card is worth $45 but could go higher. But, this will always be the set that got their foot into the red-hot market of the 1980s. Players include Hank Aaron, Nolan Ryan & Mike Trout. Seaver was great in Cincinnati, but he just wasn'tas greatas he was with the Mets up to that point. 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. Valenzuela won both the Rookie of the Year and Cy Young Awards, and the Dodgers made it all the way to the World Series. 1981 Topps Kirk Gibson RC #315. . He earned four varsity letters, two for college and two for the major leagues. Ross is the founder of Old Sports Cards and has been collecting sports cards for over 30 years. 1981 Fleer Baseball Cards - 12 Most Valuable - Wax Pack Gods The greatest catcher of all time, Johnny Bench played in seventeen seasons with the Cincinnati Reds from 1967 to 1983, and in 2011 the team erected a statue in his honor at Great American Ballpark. In Game 4 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, he'd return with New York holding a 2-1 advantage to try and help the team across the finish line. When graded gem mint 10 by PSA, the value has gone as high as $180,000. That means the card needs to be flawless. 1983 Donruss. Here are the top 15 Most Expensive Nolan Ryan Cards: #15 1978 Topps Nolan Ryan #400 Recent sale: $898 . Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $2,700. Roberto Ramos in the middle who was an amazing catcher during his prime and the beloved Bobby Pate who commanded respect in the outfield. He is ranked 33rd on the all-time list of career leaders for batting average among Major League Baseball players with at least 1,000 appearances at-bat. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. 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).