Sadly, this was the last set in which Topps inserted gum into wax packs. Its no surprise that this beauty of Bo blazing around the base paths made the list. 1 set on the PSA registry with an amazing 759 of 792 cards graded a PSA 10 sold at auction for over $106,000, A completely unopened wax box of 36 packs was sold in December 2020 by Heritage for $30,000, Pre-1980 Graded Baseball Cards $10 and Less, Pre-1980 Graded Football Cards $10 and Less, Vintage Graded Basketball Cards $25 and less, Joe Montana Collection Sells for $3.7 Million at Goldin, Hindman Grails and Goats Auction Ending March 24, 2023, Clean Sweep Auctions All Sports Card, Autograph and Memorabilia Auction Ends April 12-13, 2023, David Cycleback's Identification and Authentication Advice, Baseball Card Auctions on eBay Ending Soon, Basketball Card Auctions on eBay Ending Soon, Football Card Auctions on eBay Ending Soon, Vintage Sports Memorabilia on eBay Ending Soon, Top 100 Most Watched Baseball Rookie Cards on eBay, Top 100 Most Watched Basketball Rookie Cards for Sale on eBay, Top 100 Most Watched Hockey Rookie Card Auctions, Top Authenticated Vintage Unopened Sports Card Boxes, Packs on eBay, 100 Most Watched Graded Rookie Cards for Sale on eBay, 100 Most Watched Tom Brady Card Auctions on eBay, 50 Hottest Hobby Boxes at Auction on eBay, 50 Most Watched Golf Trading Cards on eBay, 50 Most Watched Wrestling Trading Cards on eBay, Most Watched Complete Baseball Card Sets at Auction on eBay, Most Watched Football Rookie Card Auctions, Most Watched Goudey Baseball Cards on eBay, Most Watched Soccer Cards for Sale on eBay, Most Watched Unopened Sports Card Boxes, Packs on eBay, Most Watched Vintage Sports Memorabilia on eBay, Hottest Panini National Treasures Cards on eBay, Sports Memorabilia Auctions Ending Soon on eBay. Among them are Hall of Fame-caliber All-Stars like Chipper Jones, Jim Thome and Jeff Bagwell. That means the card needs to be flawless. Price: $1,000. This was the year Topps finally woke up and decided to try to put out a set to try to compete with Upper Deck. Traded https://www.cardboardconnection.com/1991-topps-traded-baseball-cards. 1991 Topps, still, is the last flagship set from the company to use gray, cardboard stock, a look and feel that has gone the way of paper rituals like penning thank you notes. That would change in 1992 as the company would follow the trend of other modern issues and move to a light-gloss style of card. I have a Chipper Jones rookie card mint not graded. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. Prices for 1992 Leaf Baseball Cards. I was well into my prime childhood collecting days when the 1991 Topps baseball cards were released. The main cards in the set essentially parallel those found in the main 1991 Topps baseball card set. Although the conventional look of 1991 Topps Baseball may have conveyed a feeling of self-satisfaction from the company, evidence that the competitive wheels were still turning could be found on every red wax pack issued. By navigating the site, you agree to the use of cookies to collect information. I was 13 when this came out and it was the last year I really went nuts buying cards. But we have a fondness for this card because it shows the Wizard showing off his base-running wheels, a skill he doesnt get nearly the credit he deserves. There were only around 6,500 of the Desert Shield versions produced for each player making them very limited and on top of that, you can imagine how few survived war-time conditions in top condition. No matter what form of packaging a collector purchased, the promotion appeared, exclaiming the chance to pull any card from Topps vast inventory from the previous 40 years. Im familiar with all the cards shown. Additionally, unopened product is sometimes found. Day Barry Bonds Err. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Let's be clear:most of the cards from this set do not have any value these days. One thing to watch out for? Filed Under: Modern Sports Card News, Popular Stories, Sports Card News Tagged With: 1990's baseball cards, 1990s baseball rookie cards, 1991 Topps Desert Shield, chipper jones. Home Sports Card Sets Baseball Card Sets 1990-1999 Baseball Cards 1991 Topps Baseball Cards. 21 Surprisingly Cheap: Tony Gwynn 1983 Topps Tony Gwynn was arguably the best pure hitter of his era or perhaps any other. 1991 Topps Micro card list & price guide. The 91 design offers an element never before seen on Topps cards, instead of merely listing the team name, it utilizes word marks for each club, mimicking the script on the uniform. Though the Kid would finish third in voting for the 1989 AL Rookie of the Year Award behind Baltimore's Gregg Olson and Kansas City's Tom Gordon, he clearly showed the most long-term upside of any player in that season's rookie class. 2000 Finest Randy Johnson Gold Refractor Griffey eventually turned into the Hall of Famer everyone thought he would be and his 1989 Upper Deck rookie card has since solidified itself as one of the most iconic cards in the hobby. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Stay in the know about the latest sports card, hobby news, and promotions from Beckett. But why was Nolan Ryan also wearing a tux at card #200 in the checklist? Counterfeits. In 2018, the No. The title is a reference to the irreverent nickname given the famous (infamous?) Baseball Cards. A team logo adorned the lower right-hand corner, and player information sat in an understated bar beneath his picture. The look of the card was utterly simplistic gray cardboard; a uniform-matching color border; the teams nickname in the bottom right; a Topps 40 Years of Baseball logo in the top left but it still somehow resonates with collectors to this day. Some of the logos and card backs glow when placed under a black light, demonstrating the resourcefulness and zeal of 1991 Topps collectors to find such an anomaly. 1989 Ken Griffey Jr. Auto Topps Card 5. 1991 Topps was, to be honest, nothing remarkable to my kid self while products like Upper Deck, Leaf and Stadium Club were demanding allowance dollars.. And, the numbers indeed show it as his slugging percentage and OPS plummeted to .383 and .714, respectively. Topps also used the horizontal layout a technique it still uses in flagship today to produce striking portrait cards such as Roger Clemens propped up against the Fenway Park scoreboard. Things were a bit more manageable for Sanders since he was at least playing for two teams in the same city, but the two-sport conflict reared its ugly head right when the Braves needed him the most. And while it is probably less common to find counterfeits of the lesser names, the Jones card, in particular, is often a target to be forged. On January 5, 1920, the Boston Red Sox dealt Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees for cash and we all know how that turned out. Through 1989, when they produced 25,000 Tiffany sets, Topps actually released print run numbers publicly. Above the bar is a ribbon with the team's name. On the other hand, Bagwell began his career with the Astros the following season in 1991 by capturing the NL Rookie of the Year Award. The Legacy of Bowman Baseball Cards. Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $250 Upper Deck could not have chosen a better player than Ken Griffey Jr. to lead off the checklist as card #1 of their debut set in 1989. Not only the 3 main sports but there are WWII cards, celebrity cards (Yvonne DeCarlo), Hopalong Cassidy, etc. 33 cards. For the first time since the 1974 Topps set, the company included individual player cards that were oriented horizontally. However, a case can be made for the '68 Topps card; we'll cover that in the next item. Upper Deck had proved with its $1 packs that there was a market for premium brands. And Topps answered the challenge a couple of years later with their own premium offering: the "Stadium Club" line. When you click on links to merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Many cards are inexpensive and simply not worth the time to grade. Would the set have held up better if other major rookie cards materialized over time? If they do, by very little. With that sweet swing of his, he seemed to effortlessly crush home runs left and right. Anyway, Ripken Jr. will always be known for that "other streak", the one in which he played in 2,632 consecutive games. That is probably the most fantastic shot of all time. You can expect to pay $10 or more for stars in PSA 8, all the way up to $5000 or more for the Tiffany Chipper rookie. And there are only a couple worth over $300-$10,000. Its a different kind of chase that extends to present-day collecting as a seemingly endless number of errors and variations have captured the fascination of collectors across collecting blogs and chat rooms for decades. I think its a great promotion, Richard O. Rieger, an analyst for a financial services company, told the Los Angeles Times in 1991. 1990 Frank Thomas NNOF Rookie Card #414 #3. A short bio is added for those players with enough space. The problem, in terms of value for the 1991 Topps set is that the cards were everywhere, and they still are. 1 Nolan Ryan - Texas Rangers 2 George Brett - Kansas City Royals RB 3 Carlton Fisk - Chicago White Sox RB 4 Kevin Maas - New York Yankees RB 5 Cal Ripken Jr. - Baltimore Orioles RB 6 Nolan Ryan - Texas Rangers RB A few of the biggest stars can easily sell for $100 or more. Please enter the verification code that you received on your email. The cards, if youre unfamiliar with them, are moderately rare. Couple that with the wartime conditions under which most of these cards first saw the light of day and that they had to make a long trip home to find their way into American collections, and its little wonder these cards are hard to come by in top condition. Prices for 1991 Topps Baseball Cards 1991 Topps card list & price guide. To some veteran collectors, it remains the last true baseball card set and has been elevated in their minds through year after year of glossy fronts and backs. By the time the 1980s came to a close, Donnie Baseball had an MVP, batting title, six All-Star selections, three Silver Sluggers and five Gold Gloves to his name. When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Sanders made sure to rework his contract in the offseason to be available for MLB playoff games in the future and the move certainly paid off in a big way for the Braves. How much are YOUR cards worth? - http://bit.ly/W. Heading into the 1991 season, Griffey had already notched his first All-Star selection and Gold Glove, and by season's end, he'd add one more of each as well as his first Silver Slugger. The base card design is very clean and highlights the stellar photography. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. That meant several never really made their way into the circulation of collectors. Not to mention the hundreds of thousands of (opened product) cards found in hand-collated sets, collections, thrift store hauls and miscellaneous boxes that I have picked up over the years. 2. The picture of the legendary pitchers body uncoiled after what we can presume is another heater whizzing past a helpless hitter. Ungraded & graded values for all '92 Leaf Baseball Cards. Topps issued their typical 132-card of traded players and rookie cards in the fall of 1991. Its the retro-appreciation for a set overlooked in its time. 1991 Topps Emmitt SmithRookie Card (#360) Is Smith the greatest running back of all time? He had incredible range and could get rid of the ball with lighting speed making him one of the best defensive shortstops the game has ever seen. Now that we got that out of the way, let's take a look at the list: 1991 Topps #360 Emmitt Smith Estimated PSA 10 Value: $100 After making his rookie cardboard debut in the 1990 Topps football set, the company included Emmitt Smith in their "Super Rookies" subset the following year. Most of the prized rookies from 1991, including Jeff Bagwell and Ivan Rodriguez, were not issued until the Topps Traded set was released later in the year. Don Mattingly was one of the most feared hitters during the 1980s, capable of hitting for both average and power. Within ten years, Gum Inc. grasped 60% of the gum production in the US market. Card Number: #302. I have a brand new box still wrapped up are they wourth anything. If you are looking for information on Beckett Grading, their website it beckett.com/grading. Copies of the Whiten variation are currently going for $50-$80 ungraded. This 91 Topps sold for $47 around Thanksgiving 2021 and moved again for roughly $60 near Valentines Day 2022. Baseball; Sets; 1991; Overview; 1991 Topps. Your Account has been confirmed and activated successfully. #18. Nope, the Old Gray Mare aint what she used to be. Those "618" error cards are much more rare and valuable than the other. Ichiro Suzuki 2001 Topps Limited Edition Rookie Card 4. The 1991 Topps set debuted just as America was engaging in the first Gulf War. Remember, he was pitching in hisfourth decadein 1991 which speaks to his longevity on the mound. Shortcuts: He also did backflips and other acrobatics on the field which always amazed me as a young kid. INSTANT WIN, each pack proclaimed in the bottom right corner. Topps entered the sports cards market in 1952, so the value of this set of cards is very high. I used to have a running estimate but I couldnt say at this point. Although, I never pulled a single one of any of those randomly inserted cards, I always loved this set. The set was also special as Topps celebrated its 40th year of issuing baseball cards. Grade: Ungraded. One of the most memorable cards in the 91 Topps set, this horizontal stunner shows Clemens posing in front of Fenway Parks famed scoreboard. Mike Mussina and Ivan Rodriguez are a couple of more standouts. Download Price List, SportsCardsPro 2019-2023 Vertical images have long been one of Topps calling cards and this Ryan exemplifies why. So which of the 1991 Topps baseball cards are most valuable? However, while some of them made their way overseas, there are reports of others remaining here in the states. Prices are updated daily based upon 1991 Topps Micro listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. 1989 Ken Griffey Jr Topps Card 3. 1991 Topps Traded card list & price guide. Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter was an avid baseball card collector who said during a 1994 interview that he had every Topps card manufactured from 1959 through 1993 (except 1962) . What we do know is that Ryan accomplished the unthinkable during the 1991 season as he became the oldest player in MLB history to throw a no-hitter when he roasted the Toronto Blue Jays on May 1, 1991, at the age of 44. In terms of singles, the Chipper Jones #1 Draft Pick rookie card (#333) leads the way, with the PSA Sports Market Report (SMR) citing prices of $10, $25, and $90 in PSA 8-10, respectively. Nonetheless, PSA 10s in the following still command respectable coins. Only his other MVP-winning campaign in 1983 comes close to matching what he did in 1991. Not my absolute favorite set of all time, but still an excellent product. Although his career was limited by injuries, he still put up monster numbers and was an easy Hall of Fame inductee. Uribe was the Giants' starting shortstop from 1986-1992. So, for the cards on this list to be worth much, they'll either have to be graded by PSA to be in perfect, gem mint condition. This is especially true for its baseball card releases . And at the same time, Fleer threw its had into the premium card market, too. The promotion captured the imagination of collectors everywhere as they opened multiple boxes of 1991 Topps Baseball in a bid to Chase the Mick the famed 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card and land the coveted card for free, or at least for the price of however many boxes were opened. In 1990, those numbers fell to .335 and .643, respectively. All Rights Reserved. 2. The image on this card perfectly exemplifies why baseball nicknamed him one of the "Bash Brothers" as it portrays him getting ready to do exactly that: bash the cover off the ball. I think most were accidental and the result of Topps wanting to get things right as the presses continued.. For this reason, and others, 1991 Topps Baseball is timeless, as it offers a number of attractions as varied as the hobbyists who are collecting the set still. No More Secrets Puzzle Game, Mark Whiten [Hand Inside Left Border] #588. So there you have it, the ten most valuable 1991 Topps cards in both their base and Desert Shield forms. You might also enjoy our Ultimate Guide treatment of 1990 Topps baseball cards, right here. ) The dominant design element was the player photo, big and clear (for the most part). 1991 Topps, still, is the last flagship set from the company to use gray, cardboard stock, a look and feel that has gone the way of paper rituals like penning thank you notes. Let's take a look at the top 45 most valuable junk wax-era baseball cards below. The cards are a trademark Topps issue printed on non-gloss cardstock. And can you believe that the Desert Shield version of this card can sell for thousands of dollars? Topps relied on a sales gimmick, tied to its anniversary, to entice collectors to the old standby, while still dressed in the familiar, old, gray cardboard. Prices are updated daily based upon 1991 Topps listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. Need help buying or selling cards or have a general question about the hobby? Among the more popular ones are Ken Griffey, Jr., Nolan Ryan, Cal Ripken, Mark McGwire, Frank Thomas, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa, and others. The 1991 Topps set featured a thin team-colored border inside a traditional thicker white border (goodbye, comic pixels!). What Is the Most Valuable 1991 Topps Baseball Card? Even more impressive was the fact that he led all of MLB in walks (138), OBP (.453), OPS (1.006), and OPS + (180). After batting .327 with 100 RBI, 20 home runs, and 76 runs scored to go along with a .527 slugging percentage and .926 OPS during the 1991 season, there was no question that Griffey was well on his way to superstardom. I have those 1991 Topps cards how can I get them graded and sell fo.the best price. Prices are updated daily based upon 1991 Topps Archives 1953 Reprint listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. All rights reserved. Some of the game's greats had more than one season that could be considered the greatest of their careers. Of course, The Big Hurt was uber consistent at the plate (nine seasons of 30-plus dingers) and has proven to be similarly dependable in the card market. This is just another case of where the value of a card can be boosted by a simple variation. For 1991, PSA has graded about 16,000 base cards and about a third that number of their Tiffany counterparts. Set Links - Overview - Checklist - Teams - Errors / Variations - Hall of Famers - Rookies - Inserts and Related Sets - Comments - Packaging - Pricing As with previous Topps Traded sets, the cards stick with the year's Topps design. But, Ryan wasn't the only one to dress up so nicely as Dave Stewart put on a tuxedo for his card as well. KEY: RB=Record Breakers, MGR=Manager, AS=All-Star. PSA graded 3,178 of the '86 Topps Nolan Ryan cards. Contact him at [emailprotected]. The guy had just broken out, to say the least, the season before when he appeared in his first All-Star Game while winning his first MVP, Silver Slugger and Gold Glove Awards. Collectors will also find a rookie of two-time All-Star Carl Everett, but even that card has minimal value. This PSA article, in part, details several types of counterfeit Desert Shield cards with fake foil stamps. The cards were originally intended for soldiers in Operation Desert Shield, a mission to prevent Iraq from invading Saudi Arabia. Each wax and cello pack contained an Instant Win Game card that provided the opportunity for the collector to win a complete set from Topps past 40 years. He also loves to write about the hobby and has written for Beckett, Topps, SABR and of course, this website. Issued in two 300-card series, the set featured a 600-card checklist that showcased many of MLB's brightest stars and talent in the highest quality manner to date. Read our methodology. Topps had also returned to a more reserved design to celebrate its anniversary one year after offering one of its flashiest flagship designs ever, the comic book-themed 1990 set. So what are these cards? document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2022 by Old Sports Cards, LLC. And he never suited up for the Kansas City Royals again, either, as the team soon decided to release him before the 1991 MLB season. It has been graded by PSA as a Mint 10 condition card. Cards have a white border. There was no need for Bonds to panic, however, since he'd add six more MVPs and multiple top-five voting finishes before his storied career came to a close in 2007. You can count 1991 solidly in the hit column thanks to the first Topps cards of two future Hall of Famers Houston Astros first baseman Jeff Bagwell and Texas Rangers catcher Ivan Rodriguez. #10 1962 Topps Joe Torre (RC) #218 PSA 10 sold for $15,344 1962 Topps Joe Torre rookie card on eBay Among the more well-known and difficult variations to discover include the Doug Drabek card (a white inner border rather than a black one), the Dennis Oil Can Boyd card (hand under the flag on the Topps 40th anniversary logo) and the highly sought Mark Whiten card variation, in which Whitens hand gripping the bat handle overlaps the white outer edge of the card. Few cards shine a light on Jose Canseco's athletic splendor like the 1991 Topps Desert Shield #390. . Its a perfect card that still sells a handful of times every month. And as the article points out, even the ones that did legitimately enjoy the cards may have found it challenging to bring them home or even keep them in decent condition. 9. PriceIt Game | The multiple borders in the design allow multiple 3-D effects chosen seemingly at the whim of the Topps artists. What a joy reading! Who knew that the young man stoically staring at you in this picture would become a 468-homer-hitting, MVP-winning Hall of Famer? We use cookies to help personalize content, tailor and measure ads, and provide a safer experience. You mention that you plate is small so I wonder if it could be related to the Topps Micro issue that year. In 1988 he was playing with the San Francisco Giants. 3. Fortunately, the Chicago White Sox quickly gave him a shot and signed him to a three-year deal. A pair of thin frames are also around the photo. However, we also know that many were discarded . And the rarest of them all is the Mark Whiten card where his hand extends over the border of the card. The power with the bat was gone but he still had his glove, though, and in 1991 he would earn his sixth of nine career Gold Gloves. Ross is the founder of Old Sports Cards and has been collecting sports cards for over 30 years. 1990 Topps George Bush USA1 Card #4. For cards worth more than that amount or issued prior to 1957, Topps inserted redemptions, according to the spokesman for Topps at the time. Total Cards: 792. Or, they'd need to be one of the rarer Desert Shield versions Not to be confused with Topps' set of Desert Storm cards which featured military subject matter, the Desert Shield baseball cards were sent to soldiers who were serving in the Persian Gulf War during that time. The perception of the time was the king had lost its crown. Im looking for the way to the honest price for a van load of NFL hockey baseball basketball collection. Investing in cards involves substantial risk of loss and is not suitable for everyone. Key rookie cards include Jeff Bagwell, Luis Gonzalez and Ivan Rodriguez. I have about 30 box or 1991 tops baseball cards. But those kids are adults 30 years later and many now appreciate a clean design that may have been too subtle for younger collectors. Almost every PSA 10 the man has ever been on baseball, football, whatever is considered a collectible. 1991 Stadium Club George Brett (#159) Brett was more than a decade removed from his 1980 peak, and just a couple years out from retirement when this card was issued. Wax Pack Gods, 100 Most Expensive Magic The Gathering Cards Sold on eBay in the Last 30 Days, 1989 Upper Deck Baseball Cards 28 Most Valuable Wax Pack Gods. Speaking of superstars of the 1990's, next on our list is Ken Griffey Jr. Cheapest, The Best Topps Baseball Rookie Card from Each Year - 1952-2020 The following list includes a year-by-year breakdown of the most valuable card for each flagship Topps baseball set. There is plenty of room for all the game's top stars. Ultimately, Topps slotted Dave Stewart in as card #1 in the set, but I have to believe there is a story behind why they were the only two players who posed in tuxedos. 4. Other cards in the set also show hats, bats or body parts extended over the border as well but for some reason Topps decided to correct this on Whiten's card. 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth: $4.212 million. So in 1991, Topps experimented with that by creating its Stadium Club brand a glossy, upscale Topps branded product. READ OUR DISCLAIMER. Yeah, 1991 Topps Baseball contained those old familiars the record breaker cards, league leader cards and ugh checklists, each issued on gray cardboard for one last time. Heres How to Tell Them Apart. You do see sets for sale on occasion (more on that in a bit), but it doesnt happen all that often and usually requires not only a collector with some patience, but one with a little bit of money to spend. I found about 100 packs of these 91 Topps 40th anniversary in my dads house after he passed. Lets start at the beginning and work our way through the rest. Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress, 1955 Bowman Baseball Cards 12 Most Valuable, Emmitt Smith Rookie Cards: Values and Details. Because of his NFL contract, Sanders missed all of the Braves' games in August and most of September and couldn't play for them during their playoff run that year. Fronts included full color images of players with white borders while backs had the typical statistic-laden layout found on Topps other sets. Track your collection for free. Im not collecting again till Topps bring back inexpensive cards like they did in the 1980s. Outside of Bowman, which was owned by Topps, the 1991 Topps flagship set stood alone as the only set issued that year on gray stock. We dont know how big a role nostalgia plays with this one, but it still regularly sells north of $40. I have a lot of these football cards late 70s and up baseball basketball Im wondering if the have any value. Derek Jeter 2000 Topps Gallery Exhibits 3. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. 1989 Topps Randy Johnson Rookie Card 4.