The card has been authenticated by the famous Beckett grading service. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. Top 100 1980s Baseball Cards and Why They're So Memorable - Beckett News The 1981 season was the seventh and final time. Card Number: #418. Like the 1981 Fleer and Topps sets, large print runs saturated the market with these cards, driving down their values. 722 Joe Niekro. It was featured by the Boston Celtics in the 2 times NBA championship (1984 and 1986), NBA champion 2008 executive, NBA executive of the year 2008 is also a serial numbered card. Rookie Cards: Options . Most Valuable Baseball Cards of All Time . 2. Ross is the founder of Old Sports Cards and has been collecting sports cards for over 30 years. Despite the ups and downs, there isplentyto enjoy about this set. 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. 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 . The Phillies had won the NL East for three straight seasons from 1976-1978, so Rose was supposed to be the guy who would finally put them over the top. 1981 Topps Baseball Cards Which Are Most Valuable? - YouTube 5 Cal Ripken Jr. #183. After his release by the Brewers, he was offered a contract by Pete Rose to play for the Cincinnati Reds in 1986. Heck, he even dated "Miss New York" Debra Sue Maurice from the Miss USA Beauty Pageant. For the 1980 season, Henderson raised eyebrows with his extraordinary speed as he led the league in stolen bases (100) for the first of twelve times in his legendary career. 3. I absolutely love this card as it captures Rickey about to do what he did best: steal a base. He was nicknamed Mex because his name suggested that he was of Mexican descent. The nerve! Unfortunately, the strike-shortened season and growing tensions with Yankees owner George Steinbrenner got in the way. He earned four varsity letters, two for college and two for the major leagues. 25 Most Valuable 1982 Topps Baseball Cards - Old Sports Cards Topps has dominated the baseball card scene for the past six decades, issuing a set in every year . During the rush to market, they also ended up with many errors and variations in their debut set, but that was to be expected. In the teams first game back following the players strike, the 40-year-old recorded hit number 3,631, passing Stan Musial as the National Leagues all-time hits leader. Still, as one of the game's greatest leadoff hitters and baserunners, he was overdue to get in anyway. Click on a Card detail page to see historic prices and values for all different grades. That means the card needs to be flawless. Struggling through back issues and other accumulated aches and pains, Yastrzemski had the worst offensive season of his 21-year career thus far. 390 during the 1980 season. Donovan Mitchell was one of the standouts in a loaded 2017-18 NBA rookie class. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2022 by Old Sports Cards, LLC. 5 Most Valuable Baseball Cards 1980s - Nerdable.com 1980 Topps Rickey Henderson RC #482. The Five Most Expensive Houston Astros Baseball Cards $260. 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. As their everyday first baseman, that put Rose on the opposite corner of the field as Phillies icon Mike Schmidt at third. 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). And unlike Brett, Schmidt followed up his 1980 MVP campaign with another one during the 1981 season. 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. In those 108 games, they played at Fenway Park where they had a record of 56-52. PriceIt Game | We don't know how big a role nostalgia plays with this one, but it still regularly sells north of $40. Their scarcity is a result of several situations that can apply to baseball card collecting. However, Schmidt led baseball in multiple offensive categories, including home runs (31), RBI (91), OBP (.435), slugging percentage (.644), OPS (1.080), OPS+ (198), and total bases (228). Featured here is a 1981 Topps Coca Cola baseball card signed by Aurelio Lopez. 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. 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, 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. 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). Considered by many to be the best defensive shortstop of all time, Smith won an incredible thirteen Gold Gloves over nineteen seasons in Major League Baseball. Prices are updated daily based upon 1981 Topps listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. He was named Rolaids Relief Man of the Year four times and led the major leagues in saves three times. He also loves to write about the hobby and has written for Beckett, Topps, SABR and of course, this website. Currently, this 1981 Topps card is worth $79. 1981 Topps Baseball Cards - Set Info and Best Cards - Sports Cards Rock Cal Ripken Jr. PSA 6. Rookie Cards. Henderson was also top-notch on defense as he brought home his first-and-only Gold Glove. You love collecting baseball cards, right? document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2022 by Old Sports Cards, LLC. The reverse of this card is just one of the many quirks found inside Donruss's debut set. 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. Known as the Man of Steal, he is widely considered to have been baseballs greatest leadoff hitter and baserunner. The offense stagnated, and the Astros fell 4-0. During the 1977 season, Andre Dawson batted .282 with 19 home runs and 65 RBI, which earned him NL Rookie of the Year honors. For 15 seasons from 1982 to 1996, Smith was a key cog in the Cardinals lineup as he went on to win 11 more Gold Gloves and appear in 14 more All-Star Games. Ungraded & graded values for all '81 Fleer Baseball Cards. Just look at that awesome retro Astros jersey in all its striped glory! Estimated PSA 9 Value: $1,800. 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. Instead, he was more of a craftsman on the mound and outsmarted hitters to allow a career-low 6.5 hits per nine innings. From the 1983 season on, he was selected to the All-Star game every year until he retired after the 2001 season. Are you selling sports cards that were produced from 1868 - 1975? 726 Rick Monday. Shortcuts: 1984 Topps Football Cards: Most Valuable (Top Picks) - All Vintage Cards 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. George Riley Autographed 1981 Topps Rookie Card, 14. Featured here is a rare rookie card from 1989 with an authenticated signature of Steve Avery. When collectors think back to the junk wax era, one of the first sets to jump into minds is 1987 Topps Baseball. 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. The previous record which he broke was 601 assists by a shortstop was done by Glenn Wright of the pirates. Its one thing to have an expos future stars card signed by one of the 3 players, however, the value and rarity goes all the way up when you have the signatures of two players on one card. 25 Most Valuable 1980 Topps Baseball Cards - Old Sports 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. The move worked as the Royals responded by winning 20 of their last 33 to make the playoffs. The season was noted for the change in playoff format, which created the first-ever Divisional Series with a qualification variant that existed only for that season; and the players strike, which truncated the regular season. Year-by-year ranking of the most valuable Topps Baseball Rookie Cards from 1952 to 2020. Interestingly, Ryan's highest single-season strikeout total in nine years with the Houston Astros was only 270 in 1987, a year in which he also led the NL with a 2.76 ERA. Ryan dazzled on that fall afternoon in Houston, striking out eleven and walking just three. Get my weekly newsletter with the latest hobby updates delivered straight to your inbox! 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. Average ungraded base card value (excludes parallels) for 1981 Topps Cards like this tend to have more value than regular ones. He also led all of baseball with 89 runs scored and led the American League in stolen bases (56) and hits (135). 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. The card features St. Louise Cardinals Batter Ted Simmons and is worth $49.45. The Padres also had some great retro jerseys during the 1980s but Ozzie really topped things off with those sideburns. Top 20 Sports Cards of 2018 - Beckett News For the longest time it seemed like Smith would not quite garner enough votes to earn a trip to the Hall of Fame. $15.00. To be fair, though, his innings pitched totals in Houston weren't as steep as those during his time in California, and his 11.5 strikeouts per nine innings in 1987 was the highest mark of his career. 1981 Topps Gary Carter Autograph Card, 25 Most Valuable 1981 Fleer Baseball Cards In The World, 19 Most Valuable 1976 Topps Baseball Cards In The World, 25 Most Valuable 1987 Topps Baseball Cards In The World, 29 Most Valuable 1991 Topps Baseball Cards In the World, 25 Most Valuable 1988 Topps Baseball Cards In The World, 29 Most Valuable 1989 Topps Baseball Cards In the World, 25 Rarest and Most Valuable Quarters Worth Money, 24 Rarest and Most Valuable State Quarters Worth Money, 25 Rare 50 Dollar Bills: Value And Price Chart, 26 Rarest And Most Valuable Pennies Worth Money, 15 Rarest and Most Valuable Sacagawea Coins Worth Money, Rarest and Most Valuable Charizard Pokemon Cards, 29 Most Valuable Shaq Rookie Cards Ever Sold, 29 Most Valuable Frank Thomas Cards Youd Find On eBay, 29 Most Valuable 1992 Topps Baseball Cards, 29 Most Valuable 1992 Leaf Baseball Cards in the World, 29 Most Valuable 1991 Upper Deck Baseball Cards Worth Money, 29 Most Valuable 1991 Skybox Basketball Cards For Collectors. And, in this guide, we look at the 25 most valuable. Despite the poor production, Jackson still earned a spot on the All-Star team for the eleventh time in his career. After fifteen-straight All-Star appearances from 1965-79, Yastrzemski was left out of the Midsummer Classic for the second year in a row in 1981. Unfortunately, they failed to make the playoffs during his first year in Philadelphia, but things changed for the better as the Phillies outlasted George Brett and the Kansas City Royals in six games to win the 1980 World Series. Growing up in Central Indiana surrounded by Cubs fans, I would hear about Dawson constantly as fans absolutely loved the guy, and rightly so. 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. Tim Raines was one of the most successful stealers in baseball history and can be seen on the far left of the card. 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. 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. Unlike George Brett's MVP card, Schmidt's featured an altogether different image than that of his base card. Tim Raines & Ramos Autographed 1981 Topps Rookie Card, 12. And incredibly, hed come back with a vengeance. 2017-18 Panini National Treasures Donovan Mitchell RC Auto Patch /99. Carew's career batting average ended up at .328, while his best single-season average was .388 in 1977. 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. This article breaks down the top 19 most valuable 1981 Topps Baseball Cards In the World, as well as how much each card is worth. The 1981 O-Pee-Chee features the Canadian version of the 1981 Topps set, where it is uncommon to see French on an MLB card. Sports Cards: 10 Most Valuable Baseball Rookie Cards of the 1990s 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. Most Expensive 1981 Topps card list & price guide. This card is worth $45 but could go higher. 10 Bo Jackson #600. Read our methodology. Most Valuable Rookie Card in Every Topps Baseball Set, 1952-2020 1981 Topps Baseball Set Checklist. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. 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. The 1982 season saw Henderson set a single-season best for stolen bases as he swiped a ridiculous 130 bases in total. Most Expensive [1981 Topps] Baseball Cards - SportsCardsPro After Wilson dodged a wild pitch from Boston's Bob Stanley, Kevin Mitchell scored from third to tie the game. "I had hit .300 before, but I couldn't hold it," he said. And while his offensive numbers dropped in 1981, Brett's star was still quite bright. 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. The 1977 AL Rookie of the Year, Eddie Murray made his cardboard debut in the 1978 Topps set, making his rookie card one of the most iconic of the 1970s. Get my weekly newsletter with the latest hobby updates delivered straight to your inbox! 29 Surprisingly Cheap: 1985 Mark McGwire Topps. While it may not be one of the most popular sets of the era, the 1982 Topps baseball card set packed plenty of star power and two key Hall of Fame rookie cards. 1961 Topps Baseball Cards - 16 Most Valuable - Wax Pack Gods A rare 1980/81 baseball card. Contact him at [emailprotected]. Unfortunately, his production fizzled out in the 1990s, so he didn't quite finish off a career worthy of Cooperstown. 205 Pete Rose Record Breaker - Phillies. It was a fitting punctuation mark for one of Ryan's best seasons on the . Prices are updated daily based upon 1981 Topps listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. Tim Haines finished second in Rookie of the Year voting, 19th in MVP, and earned his first All-Star selection. 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 . Here we see Yaz staring off into the distance almost as if he's thinking back on his careeror maybe he's just watching a teammate take batting practice. For one more year, at least, Topps was the only game in town in 1980. Its nice design and classic pose have helped make it one of the most recognizable cards in the hobby, not just from the 1980s. In 379 plate appearances (347 at-bats), Brett slashed .314/.364/.484 with 24 home runs and 118 RBI to make his sixth-straight All-Star Game and finish 27th in the AL MVP race. Most of Tom Seaver's pitching brilliance occurred during his first eleven seasons in the Majors with the New York Mets as he was named 1967 Rookie of the Year and won three Cy Youngs (1969, 1973, and 1975) during that time. Read our methodology . And, like Clemens, that might cut into the value and prestige of his 1985 Fleer Rookie Card to a . Many thought his career was slowly but surely coming to an end. Over eighteen seasons in MLB, all with the Philadelphia Phillies, Schmidt won three MVPs, made twelve All-Star teams, won six Silver Sluggers, snagged ten Gold Gloves, and led the league in home runs eight times. On the other hand, Ozzie's bat did nothing but improve and combined with the amazing glove he already had, he'd deliver Hall of Fame-caliber play for years in St. Louis. And ever since his induction into the Hall of Fame, his 1981 Donruss rookie card has enjoyed a nice bump in value. In 1980, Kansas City Royals third baseman George Brett graduated from All-Star to crossover superstar. Mattingly's Donruss rookie was produced in smaller quantities than his Topps rookie, so it's worth more. 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. Smith continued his outstanding defensive work in 1981 by leading the National League in assists for the third straight year to pick up his second straight Gold Glove. However, on December 9, 2018 he and Harold Baines were voted in by the Today's Game Era Committe. While Brett would undoubtedly be on this list anyway, this is an example of where a special season for a player can make his card stand out even more than it may have otherwise. 1982 Topps Baseball Cards - 17 Most Valuable Plus Bonus Listings! Let's be honest, it didn't matter what jersey Ryan wore or what style it was, he was going throw major heat regardless. One of the most interesting things about Dave Winfield, and a sign of his incredible athletic ability, was that four professional teams across three different sports drafted him. 6. 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. 1981, 1985, 1989), 11-time MLB strikeout leader (1972-74, 1976-79, 1987-90), two-time NL leader (1981, 1987), MLB All-Century Team. 1981 Topps Traded MLB Baseball Trading Cards Pick From List #727-#858. Need help buying or selling cards or have a general question about the hobby? 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. There were tons of errors, collation inside boxes was hit and miss (mostly miss) and the . 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. And they delivered a great set with many stars and Hall of Famersand one of the biggest rookie cards of the 1980s. That means the card needs to be flawless. These are the result of decades of collecting and dealing for many companies, dealers, and collectors across America. 1981 Topps Baseball 2nd Year Card Rickey Henderson, 3. This is a 1981 fleer rookie card with card number #418. Now anchoring the back of the Brewers bullpen, Fingers won by a mere eleven points. Oakland swept three straight from the Kansas City Royals in the ALDS but, the tables turned in the ALCS when the Yankees eliminated them in three. The Reds finished a half-game behind the Dodgers in the NL West in the first half. Donruss would take the experience with this set and continue to churn out many improved and memorable sets for years to come. Who doesnt enjoy looking through their packs of cards whenever they find themselves in a fabled card shop. Grade: PSA 10. Boston missed the playoffs by 1.5 games in the second-half AL East race. Yet, Bench's lousy injury luck was the real story. 723 Bruce Bochte. 19 Most Valuable 1981 Topps Baseball Cards In the World 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. However, his production was never quite the same from 1988 until he finished his career with the Colorado Rockies in 1993. Star power: Robinson, a Hall of Famer, broke the MLB color barrier in 1947, becoming a social justice icon in the process. Track your collection for free. SEE THE CARD HERE! 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. Most Expensive, 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. Throughout his career, Carter was known for his hitting and excellent defense, as well as his ability to handle pitchers. The right card could make you rich. This is a rare Topps card from 1981 containing his signature. In 196 plate appearances (178 at-bats), he slashed .309/.369/.489 with eight home runs and 25 RBI. After the 1981 season, however, Ainge decided to call it quits with baseball. Value: $300-325. During the first part of his career, Tom Seaver was absolutely dominant on the mound as he racked up 20-win seasons, Cy Young Awards, ERA Titles and Strikeout Titles like it was nothing. 1981 Topps Project 70 Card Wade Boggs by Efdot FOIL, 8. Rose collected 140 hits in 1981, slashing .325/.391/.390 in his third year with the Philadelphia Phillies. Shortcuts: Most Expensive, Cheapest, List by Card # You own: 0 / 1202 items 0% Track your collection for free. 721 Toby Harrah. 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. 1983 Topps #482 Tony Gwynn Rookie Card. 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. Thats why everyone is constantly asking the question: What are the most valuable 1981 Topps baseball cards?. While some of the game's big names struggled with the split-season, Schmidt held things together all year to lead the Majors in home runs (31), RBI (91), OBP (.435), slugging percentage (.644), OPS (1.080), OPS + (198), and total bases (228). Boggs was a perennial contender for American League batting titles during the 1980s and 1990s. 1981 Reggie Jackson Topps Project 70 Card, 10.