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. 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 Yellow Ruth, #53, is considered to be the toughest, closely followed by the #149 Red Ruth that shows the legendary slugger in an identical pose. And yes, that includes those famously priceless Mickey Mantles. Prices are updated daily based upon 2021 Topps Chrome listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. Yet, it was the patient way Big Papi produced in 2011 that kicked off his late-career renaissance in style. Theres only one copy of the card currently graded in that condition, however. Ryans rookie card appears in the 1968 O-Pee-Chee, Topps Milton Bradleyand Venezuela Topps sets as well but its the regular ToppsNolan Ryan rookie cardthat stands apart in value from the rest. Anthony Rizzo made his MLB debut for the San Diego Padres on June 9, 2011, against the Washington Nationals, going 1-2 at the plate with a triple and a run scored. So, there you have it: the most expensivebaseball cardsthat youre ever likely to encounter. There are only a handful of known copies of this card in the hobby making it a rare and highly demanded issue. Some collectors go for the base set. Who knows what a high grade example of this card would go for? His incredible career makesStan Musial baseball cards extremely popular with collectors. With their one-two finish in the NLs Rookie of the Year vote, Kimbrel and Freeman became the first teammates to do so since Chicago Cubs rookies Jerome Walton and Dwight Smith in 1989. By 2012, Chapman had it down, fine-tuning his electric pitch repertoire en route to becoming a legit Cy Young candidate. Career highlights: Two-time National League Most Valuable Player (1958, 1959), 14 . Like all Bowman cards, the eye appeal of this card is amazing as a the artwork of the young Mick is simply stunning. This also is not including 1/1s. Milwaukee's Prince Fielder earned the first base start for the Senior Circuit, and Cincinnati's Joey Votto was a no-doubt pick as a backup. 1953 Topps #82 Mickey Mantle RC #3. Greatest Topps Baseball Cards of All-Time Most Expensive of All-Time #10. However, he still put together a worthy encore to his 2010 breakthrough. And by 2016, he'd solidified his place as a Cubs legend when he helped the franchise win its first World Series title since 1980, finally breaking the "curse" that had haunted them for over 100 years. He also amassed less than 200 hits (184) and posted an OPS+ under 100 (86) for the first time in eleven MLB seasons. If you remember, during Game 3 of the 1932 World Series against the Chicago Cubs, Babe Ruth made his famous Called Shot. His 1951 Bowman issue is his only recognized rookie card and along with the Mantle rookie is the key to the entire set. It should be no surprise that Ty Cobb's 1915 Cracker Jack card carries an enormous price tag with it, given his iconic status in baseball history. Over twelve seasons, Martinez has played for the Astros, Detroit Tigers, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Boston Red Sox, with whom he's been since 2018. By his third season in 2013, Goldschmidt had developed into a perennial All-Star and MVP candidate. The 1939 Play Ball #92 issue is the Splendid Splinters only recognized rookie card. These 5 by 8 cards were part of a redemption program where collectors sent in coupons in exchange for them. Demand for Clementes rookie card has skyrocketed over the past couple of years. What's worse was that his (relative) struggles were coming at a low point for the Mariners organization. 25) 1987 Topps Wade Boggs (#150) Reigning NL MVP Joey Votto couldn't carry an inconsistent, snake-bitten Cincinnati Reds squad to a second-straight postseason in 2011. 1985. Since they are both card #151 in their respective sets, it is nearly impossible to tell which set the card belongs to unless the back of the card features an ad unique to either of the sets. We may earn an affiliate commission if you And like Altuve, Martinez started with the Greeneville Astros and worked his way up to the Class AA Corpus Christi Hooks. 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. 1986 Barry Bonds Topps Traded Rookie Card 6. Many believe the 1887 N172 Old Judge set to be the most important 19th Century set in existence. Arguably the greatest hitter of all time, Williams posted some truly jaw-dropping numbers over his career: a .344 batting average, a .483 on-base average and a .634 slugging average. Their glossy obverse surface usually results in creasing and cracking issues making it tough to find these in high grade. Within a year, the Mariners would press reset on the whole thing and end the Ichiro era abruptly, trading their longtime face of the franchise to the New York Yankees for a pair of relievers. Distracting print lines usually hold this card back from higher grades, though. Over the first seven games of his MLB career, Altuve had at least one hit, tying him with Russ Johnson for the club record for most consecutive games with a hit to begin a career. This is the keyJackie Robinson baseball card you should add to your collection. Then they went 9-18 in the campaign's final month, losing out on a playoff spot by a game to St. Louis with a season-ending five-game losing streak. That is a fact not likely to end any time soon. Estimates place the number of front/back combinations around 5,500 which led to this set being nicknamed The Monster.. Baseball Cards. Whether you can find one in high grade or not, though, its a superb card for any collector to own. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. Hes also the only key player in the 1914 set on a horizontal layout. 1955 Topps #164 Roberto Clemente RC #4. Conditions of these cards are not very good but even a PSA 4 is expected to bring in roughly $900,000. With so many greats, how do you choose between them? 2022 Topps Series 1 Wander Franco RC #215 VIEW ON EBAY Winner, winner chicken dinner. One of the rarest pre-WWI candy issues ever distributed is the 1912 Plows Boy Candy set that included 69 different baseball players. Martinez turned out to be the big winners from 2011 Topps Update. That was the most any Houston Astros rookie had ever driven in during one month as a rookie. The Wagner soon reclaimed its title, but the 2009 Bowman Draft Trout remains a big deal in the baseball card world. While Ty Cobb might be the most desired player in the entire set, there is no doubt that Honus Wagner is also an incredibly sought after player as well. 1991 Chipper Jones Topps Desert Shield RC #333 Buy on eBay So named because his dad saw him as a "chip off the old block", Chipper Jones has an RC which is the most valuable card from the 1991 Topps set. However, as mentioned earlier, the 1914 Cracker Jack cards were packaged directly inside the boxes so theyre usually more difficult to find in good condition. A PSA 10 1954 Topps Banks rookie card sold for $142,836 in May 2012. Most collectors will tell you they prefer the eye appeal of his 1915 Cracker Jack card but his 1914 version is the more rare and valuable of the two. The Boston Red Sox finished a game out of a playoff spot in 2011, losing out on an AL Wild Card spot to the Tampa Bay Rays with a 4-3 loss to Baltimore on the season's final day. 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth: $4.212 million The most expensive 2022 Topps Heritage baseball cards feature the likes of Wander Franco, Shohei Ohtani, Julio Rodriguez, and even Nolan Ryan making an appearance. But, that doesnt necessarily mean its his most expensive. The card features a great image of the Sultan of Swat seated in pinstripes looking over his right shoulder atop a green background. In high grade, this card can fetch big bucks. The base set from Bowman holds little value. A fantastic portrait of the Sultan of Swat wearing a tilted Yankees cap is shown atop a bold, red background. Because of its position on the print sheet and the fact that many kids wrapped rubber bands around their stacks of cards (this one on the top), finding Pafko centered and in good shape is very tough. The most valuable baseball cards in the hobby can easily fetch six and seven figure price levels these days. In true Jeter fashion, the Yankees shortstop went above and beyond the moment at hand. On July 18th, he became the quickest Atlanta rookie to 50 RBIs since Hank Aaron in 1954. 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). In 49 games for Padres that season, Rizzo slashed a less-than-impressive .141/.281/.242 with one home run, nine RBIs, and nine runs scored in 128 at-bats. Of all theWillie Mays baseball cards out there, this is his most important. And while they are keys to the set and arguably the most popularLou Gehrig baseball cards, they are still overshadowed by the Ruth quartet. While the "Cobb Back" T206 may be his most expensive card, this one is arguably his most popular among high-end collectors. Trout exploded during his official rookie campaign the following season, earning AL Rookie of the Year honors and finishing second in the MVP race. Its arguably the most visually pleasing and desirable of all the Ted Williams baseball cards in the hobby. However, there are a handful of his T206 cards that were produced with N.Y. 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. So, although not as desirable as the others, the fact that it exists in such great condition brings a steep price tag. There arent manySatchel Paige baseball cards in the hobby but this is a great looking card of the legendary pitcher. ThisTed Williams card features a superb black and white image of Williams following through on his classic swing. After 60 years in the hobby, Topps helped celebrate their "Diamond Anniversary" by packing so much into their 2011 Topps baseball card set. Six hits away from 3,000 in mid-June, New York Yankees captain Derek Jeter suffered a calf strain that sidelined him for 18 games. His 3,000th hit was a solo shot in the 3rd inning that tied the game at one. And with 103 RBIs on the year, he became the first Reds player since Dave Parker to post back-to-back 100-RBI seasons (1985-86). There are 11 different backside variations in total each with The George Close Co. printed on them. If you look at the bottom, Sherry Magees last name is mistakenly spelled Magie. So, to build this list, I only focused on the base cards from 2011 Topps and included some from 2011 Topps Update as well. 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. And in this guide, we'll take a look at the 15 most valuable. The card shows a young Ruth in a Boston Red Sox uniform before they traded him to the rival New York Yankees. 2010 and 2011 were two of the most emotionally draining years of Chipper Jones' Hall of Fame career. Prices continue to climb on them, so keep your eye out for these baseball cards! By 2008, Altuve moved from Venezuela to Tennessee to play for the Greeneville Astros, who were the Houston Astros' Rookie-level Appalachian League affiliate until 2017. 1954 Topps #128 Hank Aaron RC #7. The fancy gold borders that surround Walter Johnsons black and white portrait are a thing of beauty. Especially his American Caramel E90-1 rookie card on which he is shown leaning on his bat against a purple backdrop. That means there are also many fakes out there, so considerPSA grading services or other reputable third party graders before buying or selling one of these. The 1986 Topps Traded Bo Jackson rookie card is his most desirable and most expensive card you can find. 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). Maybe the most shocking Musial stat of all was that he hit the same number of hits at home as he did on the road: 1,815 each way for a total of 3,630 hits. I remember seeing one of these in abaseball card shop near where I grew up and I would just stare in awe. Its so rare that only a handful exist and not many collectors have even seen one in person. Of all theTy Cobb baseball cards, this is by far his most expensive. The sale smashed the record for most valuable baseball card at the time, beating the then-highest sale of a Honus Wagner T206 White Border card at $3.1 million. buy stuff after clicking links on our site But whats not up for debate is whether its one of his most important. Ungraded & graded values for all '20 Topps On the plus side, Chapman struck out 71 batters and gave up just 24 hits in a variety of high-leverage situations. Ortiz's 29 home runs and 96 RBIs were pretty on-brand compared to recent years. 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. You can imagine the wear and tear that children put on the cards by comparison. 1986 Topps Traded Bo Jackson Rookie Card 4. Most Expensive 2021 Topps Chrome card list & price guide. The last of the legendary quartet of 1933 Goudey Ruth cards on our list is the #144 Full Body Ruth. Mays could hit, throw, field and run with the best of them. The T210 Old Mill set features hundreds of minor league ballplayers that most people have never heard of before. 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. Since its not his rookie card or his most scarce, the1933 Goudey Babe Ruth #53 isnt his most expensive card but it is arguably one of his most beautiful cards. The price would certainly be astronomical. The 1969 Topps baseball card set is well-loved in this hobby by many collectors for several different reasons. Ungraded & graded values for all '22 Topps Baseball Cards. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. While not as pricey as the Yellow or Red Ruths of the same set, its still a very expensive card and a key member of the Ruth quartet. Goldschmidt also scored 106 runs and led the National League in slugging percentage (.578), OPS (.981), and OPS+ (180), solidifying himself as one of the greatest hitters in the game. 1981 Topps #302 Dodgers Future Stars Estimated PSA 9 Mint Value: $225 When it comes to rookie season debuts, the Dodgers have developed a reputation for some of the finest on record. The bright yellow background makes this card pop and the portrait of the young Big Train makes for an unforgettable baseball card. He also loves to write about the hobby and has written for Beckett, Topps, SABR and of course, this website. Key to the 1953 Topps set is the #244 Willie Mays baseball card. But, the fact that his is the last card in the iconic 407 card set gives it an extra bump due to the inherent difficulty in collecting the card. One of the bright spots for Boston was the re-emergence of designated hitter David Ortiz as an elite hitting threat. The 1914 Cracker Jack Mathewson is one of the great rarities in the hobby and easily the most difficult card to find in this amazing set. The 97-win Yankees eventually fell well short of their championship aspirations with a five-game ALDS loss to the Detroit Tigers. But there was plenty to like about their accomplishments before the season's heartbreaking finale. 1990 Bowman Tiffany Sammy Sosa Rookie Card Price: $750 The 1990 Bowman Baseball set features an impressive rookie class. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2022 by Old Sports Cards, LLC. A PSA Gem Mint 10 #128 Aaron sold for $357,594 in 2012, a price that would easily be overcome in todays market. But, there are two major glaring differences overall between Mathewsons cards. #4 Most Valuable Baseball Cards 2000s - Topps Finest For The Record #3B Ken Griffey Jr. Price for PSA 9 featured with Alex Rodriguez: $100 Price for PSA 10 Gem: $1,500 Player's History 13 times All-Star Ken is the son of Ken Griffey Sr, a famous baseball player and coach during his era. Freeman finished second in the NLs Rookie of the Year balloting, slashing .282/.346/.448 with 21 home runs, 32 doubles, and 76 RBIs. Shortcuts: 1978 Topps Andre Dawson 72 PSA 10 Rookie Cup PSA 10 Image Credit: ebay While most of these newer A&G Topps cards were baseball players, you can also find other sports represented (wrestling, soccer, MMA, basketball, softball, beach volleyball, boxing, and car racing). And, unfortunately, Goudey mailed the card with a paper clip on it that left indentations on the card. The 35-year-old slugger posted an OPS over .900 for the first time since 2008 (.953), exhibiting a much more discerning eye at the dish. Centering is also a tough issue for this card. However, at the beginning of his career, things didn't go so smoothly for Goldschmidt after he made his MLB debut on August 1, 2011, against the San Francisco Giants. Gehrig was one of a long line of Yankee legends and no doubt put up some of the greatest hitting statistics of them all. As with the American Caramel Cobb card mentioned just a bit ago, the design of the card isnt unique but it is certainly one of the more desirable Cobb poses in the hobby. This is the second most desirable card in the famed T206 set and the only pose of the HOF pitcher. Natl along the bottom before the error was corrected.