Ken Griffey Jr. The defending AL champions were a mess early, though. 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. 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. 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. Today only a graded high-condition example gets that kind of money. . 2017-18 Panini National Treasures Donovan Mitchell RC Auto Patch /99. 1981 Topps Baseball Set Checklist. 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. On September 26, 1981, Houston Astros ace Nolan Ryan passed Sandy Koufax with a record fifth no-hitter on national television against Koufax's old team, the Los Angeles Dodgers. Contact him at [emailprotected]. Unfortunately, his production fizzled out in the 1990s, so he didn't quite finish off a career worthy of Cooperstown. 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. 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. Within it, there were also several different subsets, including: For those collectors on the lookout for great Hall of Famers of the era or just a large checklist to complete, this set has it all. . 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. 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 1990 American League Most Valuable Player, Henderson also was the lead-off hitter for two World Series championship teams, the 1989 Oakland Athletics and the 1993 Toronto Blue Jays. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2022 by Old Sports Cards, LLC. But, hey, that's the kind of excitement that he brought to the game: you never knew if he were going to bury one over the fence or get sent right back to the dugout. 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. Are you selling sports cards that were produced from 1868 - 1975? 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. In the process, Schmidt led the league and set career highs in home runs (48), RBI (121) and total bases (342). 1980 Topps #482 Rickey Henderson Rookie Card. While Pete Rose set records elsewhere in the Phillies lineup, third baseman Mike Schmidt set the National League ablaze. The 1981 Topps Scratchoffs was a 108-card baseball set distributed on perforated three-card panels measuring 3-14" by 5-1/4". By the time these Hall of Famers retired, Brett had three batting titles and Carew had an eye-popping seven. The card features St. Louise Cardinals Batter Ted Simmons and is worth $49.45. Who doesnt enjoy looking through their packs of cards whenever they find themselves in a fabled card shop. The imagery on this card is some of the best on this list and in the set in general, as Topps perfectly captured Jackson taking a massive swing. But what Bench lacks in cardboard variations, he more than makes up for in NL MVP awards, Big Red Machine savvy, and greatest-catcher-ever swagger. The last sale's most valuable Topps Nolan Ryan baseball card is the 1974 Topps Nolan Ryan baseball card number #20. And they delivered a great set with many stars and Hall of Famersand one of the biggest rookie cards of the 1980s. 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. Mattingly's Donruss rookie was produced in smaller quantities than his Topps rookie, so it's worth more. Price. His career was far from over at that point, but Schmidt's play showed the baseball world that they were already witnessing the greatest third baseman of all-time in the making. 20 Most Valuable Topps Baseball Rookie Cards Of The 1970s. 5 Cal Ripken Jr. #183. Most Expensive 1981 Topps card list & price guide. For the longest time it seemed like Smith would not quite garner enough votes to earn a trip to the Hall of Fame. His .246 batting average and .355 slugging percentage were also career lows. His standard base card (#574) is first and the card honoring his breaking of Ty Cobb's American League stolen base record (#351) follows. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. This Baseball card is in very good condition, with sharp corners and slight wear on the lower right corner. There are no scratches, bends, or folds. His 94 runs scored and 111 RBI were also high marks for Jackson during his time in the Bronx, and by season's end, he would collect his first of two career Silver Slugger awards and finished second in MVP voting. For one more year, at least, Topps was the only game in town in 1980. 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. 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. In 196 plate appearances (178 at-bats), he slashed .309/.369/.489 with eight home runs and 25 RBI. Topps has dominated the baseball card scene for the past six decades, issuing a set in every year . *TIM RAINES* 1981 Topps Traded #816 *CGS 9* RC Rookie Card. The continued adoption of Sabermetrics no doubt helped push him across the finish line and into Cooperstown. 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. Ryan went 1-1 in two starts with a 1.80 ERA in the team's five-game NLDS loss to the Dodgers, striking out 14 batters in 15 innings while walking just three. Tim Raines & Ramos Autographed 1981 Topps Rookie Card, 12. Despite the poor production, Jackson still earned a spot on the All-Star team for the eleventh time in his career. Although the 1980 season would mark the first of a nine-year stint for Nolan Ryan with the Houston Astros, Topps still had to show him as a member of the California Angels because of the timing of their print run for their 1980 Topps set. 1981 Fleer card list & price guide. Premium: 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). After all, Rickey Henderson is the greatest lead-off hitter of all time, whose records for runs scored (2,295) and stolen bases (1,406) may very well never be broken. Ungraded & graded values for all '81 Topps Baseball Cards. Bench was also known for the long ball as he led the league in home runs twice and finished his career with 389. At least he was voted Rookie of the Year. The 10 Most Valuable Basketball Cards from the 1980s. 1952 Topps #1 Andy Pafko. Kansas City went 20-30 in the season's first half and started the second half slowly, with Manager Jim Frey taking the heat. In fact, between June 2021 and May 2022, this Ripken collectible in a PSA 10 sold for under $4,000 just once. Shortcuts: Most Expensive, Cheapest, List by Card # 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. $260. "I had hit .300 before, but I couldn't hold it," he said. 0% 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. Still, as one of the game's greatest leadoff hitters and baserunners, he was overdue to get in anyway. Although this one isn't worth as much as it might . If so, then please fill out the form below and I'll be in touch right away. 1981 Topps card list & price guide. 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. In 1981, Donruss and Fleer gave Topps some much-needed competition. Tom Seaver came within a handful of votes of winning his fourth Cy Young on the 1981 season with an incredible pitching display that saw him lead the Majors in wins (14) and winning percentage (.875). He was nicknamed Mex because his name suggested that he was of Mexican descent. 1983 Topps #482 Tony Gwynn Rookie Card. Wilson was incredibly speedy and was the Mets' career stolen base leader before Jose Reyes eventually broke his record many years later. 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. 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. $12.95. In a similar theme, Larry Bird is featured in a card from the 1981 Topps set. 1981 Topps Baseball Card Checklist. For example, his .693 OPS was the worst of his career by nearly 40 points (.721, 1961), and it was almost 150 points less than his career mark of .841. 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. Carew's career batting average ended up at .328, while his best single-season average was .388 in 1977. Most Expensive He also finished fourth in the NL with a .316 batting average, narrowly missing out on a Triple Crown. And while his offensive numbers dropped in 1981, Brett's star was still quite bright. 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. 10 Bo Jackson #600. 725 Steve Rogers. Total Cards: 726. And, like Clemens, that might cut into the value and prestige of his 1985 Fleer Rookie Card to a . Throughout his career, Carter was known for his hitting and excellent defense, as well as his ability to handle pitchers. 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. That season set the tone for a reputation that Dawson would carve out as a player with an incredible mix of speed and power as he was seemingly always a lock for 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases throughout his time in Montreal. Brett's career batting average of .305 wasn't quite as good, but he did put up the better single-season effort when he batted. This bad boy sold for $18,500 on eBay auctions in May 2021. The current value of this baseball card is $199.99, it has the signature of Tim Raines. At that point, Murphy looked like he was on a surefire trajectory to Cooperstown. Read our methodology. Despite the ups and downs, there isplentyto enjoy about this set. The 1981 season was the seventh and final time. 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. While this set may be slightly overlooked in the history of the hobby, it still delivers a great checklist. 8. Yes, the checklist is quite messy at times with the errors and variations. Seaver was great in Cincinnati, but he just wasn'tas greatas he was with the Mets up to that point. No More Secrets Puzzle Game, Ungraded This is a 1981 fleer rookie card with card number #418. 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 current worth of this card is $195. However, during early 2021, PSA 9 examples of this card frequently sold for $4,000 - $5,000 or more. 1981 Topps Traded 816 Tim Raines Montreal Expos Rookie Card. Rose collected 140 hits in 1981, slashing .325/.391/.390 in his third year with the Philadelphia Phillies. Thats why everyone is constantly asking the question: What are the most valuable 1981 Topps baseball cards?. 724 Lou Piniella. The most expensive baseball card in history just sold for $12.6 million By Zoe Sottile, . Prices are updated daily based upon 1981 Topps listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. On May 29th against the San Francisco Giants, Bench slid into second base, attempting to break up a double play but fractured his left ankle in the process. Tags 1981 Topps Baseball. When Bench managed to stay healthy enough to be in the lineup, he was quite productive. 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. His combination of speed and power was simply some of the greatest the game has ever seen. 6 Don Mattingly 1984 Donruss #248: One of the most . Its $300 PSA 10 price tag is no mistake. Henderson posted a brilliant 1.144 OPS against New York, but the rest of the Oakland lineup went dead silent. He was a member of the Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox, Cincinnati Reds, and Detroit Tigers. Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $2,700. 207 Ozzie Smith Record Breaker - Padres. At Eastern Michigan he had a 29-9 career win-loss record with a 2.15 ERA. For its 1980-81 basketball set, Topps mixed things up by releasing an entire set in which each card had three panels, each . He was named Player of the Decade by The Sporting News at the end of his career. If not for Fernando Valenzuela's incredible rookie performance and "Fernandomania" taking the sport by storm, Raines would've easily won the 1981 NL Rookie of the Year Award. The most valuable baseball card from the 1980s is Rickey Henderson's 1980 Topps rookie card. I remember several years ago you could find this card in a PSA 9 holder quite easily for $400 or so, which made it undervalued even back then. Yastrzemski played two more seasons in Boston before retiring, making All-Star appearances at the age of 42 and 43 during the 1982 and 1983 seasons, respectively. So, for the cards on this list to be worth much, they'll have to be graded by PSA to be in perfect, gem mint condition. 721 Toby Harrah. Along with those of Wade Boggs and Ryne Sandberg, the 1983 Topps Tony Gwynn rookie card is one of the most important and iconic baseball cards of the 1980's.. Sure, Gwynn was one of the greatest hitters who ever played with 8 batting titles to his name, but why are collectors willing to pay so much for this card . This trading card has been authenticated by PSA, it has the signature of Rollie fingers on the obverse. 390 during the 1980 season. Track your collection for free. Bench is somewhat of an anomaly on this list, showing up with only one 1981 Fleer card, and all. On the field, Jackson had his worst offensive season since his sophomore campaign as he slashed a modest .237/.330/.428 with 15 home runs and 54 RBI. It is also (by a slight margin) the most valuable card in the 1984 Topps Football set. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2022 by Old Sports Cards, LLC. 203 Bill Gullickson Record Breaker - Expos. 1 Rickey Henderson #119. Like the 1981 Fleer and Topps sets, large print runs saturated the market with these cards, driving down their values. They didn't call him "Steady Eddie" for nothing. 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 . This card is among the most valuable cards from the set, with PSA 10 cards of this type collecting several thousand dollars at best. Featured here is a 1981 Topps Coca Cola baseball card signed by Aurelio Lopez. $195. As you can see, some of the game's biggest legends of all time can be found within the 726-card checklist. Just look at that awesome retro Astros jersey in all its striped glory! Every collector knows that theres some serious money to be made off certain cards. 1981 Topps Expos Future Card Tim Haines Auto, 6. Bench was a complete catcher as he was dangerous with both the bat and glove and was a significant reason "The Big Red Machine" was so dominant throughout the 1970s. A remarkable all-around . Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. 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. Ross is the founder of Old Sports Cards and has been collecting sports cards for over 30 years. Plus Bonus Listings! He also had a flair for the big hit and helped Philadelphia to a 34-21 record in the first half to secure a playoff spot for the Phillies halfway through the season. Most Watched 2022 Baseball Rookie Cards on eBay; Bowman Chrome Cards; Wander Franco Cards; . For a guy who had his rookie card debut in the 1960 Topps set, it's impressive that Yaz played long enough to be featured in this set as well. The 1984 Topps Football set is THE landmark football card set of the 1980s. Somehow during all that success with college basketball, he also found the time to play for the Blue Jays from 1979 to 1981. However, due to market conditions, values fluctuate. Rodney Cline Carew is a former Panamanian baseball player who played first baseman and second baseman in the MLB from 1967 to 1985, primarily for the California Angels. Read our methodology. Murphy was outstanding during the 1980s as he racked up two MVPs, seven All-Star selections, five Gold Gloves, and four Silver Sluggers on his way to becoming one of the most popular players in baseball. 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 . You are looking at a 1981 Topps Rookie Card hand-signed by George Riley. 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. Seaver would play one more year for the Reds in 1982 when he posted a 5-13 record before heading back to the New York Mets the following year. (Updated for 2022) SUBSCRIBE NOW! Rose hit .300 (6-for-20) with two RBI and a run scored in the losing effort. After Wilson dodged a wild pitch from Boston's Bob Stanley, Kevin Mitchell scored from third to tie the game. 206 Mike Schmidt Record Breaker - Phillies. 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. 29 Surprisingly Cheap: 1985 Mark McGwire Topps. . Not only is it fun, but its good quality material for a future family reunion. Despite this seemingly unjustified absence from more "Midsummer Classics," Yount is considered to be the greatest Milwaukee Brewer in the franchise's history. Heck, he even dated "Miss New York" Debra Sue Maurice from the Miss USA Beauty Pageant. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1993. Philadelphia fell in five games to the Montreal Expos in an entertaining National League Division Series. To make things even stranger, you could even say that Rose appeared on fourcards in this set because this one comes in two variations. "I've learned to stay within myself, not be afraid to fail.". 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. That just shows you what kind of effect being a Hall of Famer can have on baseball card prices. 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. Value: $300-325. He won the World Series with the Yankees in 1996. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. During this era, the Montreal Expos had yet to move south to become . 1954 Topps #128 Hank Aaron RC. Reggie Jackson was one of the game's greatest power hitters and was known for taking huge rips at the ball on his way to racking up 563 career home runs. Price: $299.75 Grade: PSA 10. Reggie was furious and blasted The Boss in the media. - http://bit.ly/W. He played most of his career with the St Louis Cardinals and New York Mets. It was a fitting punctuation mark for one of Ryan's best seasons on the mound. In 1981, Schmidt became the eighth player in MLB history to do just that. This card is super tough to find in high grade, hence the huge price tag that might shock you. That means the card needs to be flawless. As his time with the Yankees had come to a close, Jackson packed his bag and headed back to the West Coast, signing to play for the California Angels. 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. When graded gem mint 10 by PSA, the value has gone as high as $180,000. Featured here is a rare rookie card from 1989 with an authenticated signature of Steve Avery. Or, feel free to call/text me at 305-684-6680! Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 1981 Topps Baseball 2nd Year Card Rickey Henderson, 1981 Topps Expos Future Card Tim Haines Auto, 1981 Topps Project 70 Card Wade Boggs by Efdot FOIL, 1981 Topps Coke Team Sets Aurelio Lopez Autographed, 1981 Reggie Jackson Topps Project 70 Card, Tim Raines & Ramos Autographed 1981 Topps Rookie Card, George Riley Autographed 1981 Topps Rookie Card, 1981 Topps Enrique Romo Signed Pittsburgh Pirates, Ted Simmons St. Louis Cardinals 1981 Topps, Rod Carew Autographed 1981 Topps Squirt Card, 29 Most Valuable 1989 Donruss Baseball Cards In The World, 25 Most Valuable Joe Montana Cards Worth Thousands, 29 Most Valuable 1980 Topps Baseball Cards In the World, 19 Most Valuable 1981 Topps Baseball Cards Price List, 1. Local card shops, department stores and gas stations-- to say boxes of these cards were everywhere might be the understatement of the decade. 205 Pete Rose Record Breaker - Phillies. 726 cards. Roland Glen Fingers was an American right-handed relief pitcher who played for three teams between 1968 and 1985. They were the fourteenth and fifteenth players to achieve the incredible milestone. 1981 Topps Baseball 2nd Year Card Rickey Henderson. 1981 Topps Traded MLB Baseball Trading Cards Pick From List #727-#858. Estimated PSA 9 Mint Value: $120. 726 Rick Monday. However, once he was in San Diego, Templeton's hitting declined drastically and he'd never bat over .300 again. When collectors think back to the junk wax era, one of the first sets to jump into minds is 1987 Topps Baseball. Sandwiched in between the "normal", if limp 1979 issue, and that 1981 set is another oddity. 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. Instead, he was more of a craftsman on the mound and outsmarted hitters to allow a career-low 6.5 hits per nine innings. Murphy was often heralded as a five-tool superstar, but unfortunately, many felt his dominant play didn't last long enough to give him the type of resume worthy of Hall of Fame recognition. At the time, everyone thought the Padres were getting the better end of the deal as Templeton was a much better hitter. In 25 postseason plate appearances (22 at-bats), Henderson hit .273 with two doubles, one triple, one RBI, three runs scored, and four stolen bases. Right around that same time, the relationship between the St. Louis Cardinals and their shortstop, Garry Templeton, wasn't going well either. Our hunt for the 80s most valuable baseball cards includes Don Mattingly, Cal Ripken Jr., Nolan Ryan, Ricky Henderson. 722 Joe Niekro. Murray appeared in his second All-Star Game that season and finished things off with a fifth-place finish in the MVP vote, one of six times he finished in the top five in his storied career. buy stuff after clicking links on our site Getting hands on a card like this is pretty difficult. You can't help but think Topps was trying to produce as many cards as possible to keep collectors interested and to try and keep Donruss and Fleer, who had joined the scene in 1981, at bay. Henderson has two cards in the 1981 Fleer which feature photographs that appear to be taken just seconds apart. In the team's NLDS loss to the Expos, Schmidt hit .250 (4-for-16) with one home run, two RBI, and four walks. Unlike George Brett's MVP card, Schmidt's featured an altogether different image than that of his base card.