If you asked collectors, most would probably say they prefer the portrait poses with the green portrait more preferred to the red due to its scarcity. It should be no surprise that this card is the key to the entire set with the Willie Mays and Jackie Robinson cards coming in second and third place, respectively. These 5 by 8 cards were part of a redemption program where collectors sent in coupons in exchange for them. The most prevalent theory is that the card suffered from a poor printing plate, resulting in many of the cards being destroyed since they could not pass quality control. 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. Gehrig was one of a long line of Yankee legends and no doubt put up some of the greatest hitting statistics of them all. That card was later sold for $250,000 in 2007. Though he may not have been MLB's hottest rookie in 1990, he certainly turned into one of the biggest superstars of his era. The Reds' fall from contention cost Votto at the ballot box, though, as he followed up his 2010 MVP triumph with a sixth-place finish in 2011. His 3.60 ERA and not-so-great 1.300 WHIP only told part of the story because when Chapman was locked in, he was virtually unhittable. Key to the 1953 Topps set is the #244 Willie Mays baseball card. Mathewson won 30 or more games four different times in his storied career, attributing much of his success to a specialty pitch that was comparable to a screwball. So, whoever says that baseball cards are no longer valuable simply doesn't know what he or she is talking about Sure, the massive print runs during the late 80's and early 90's killed the value of most post-1980's cards. As with Mantles 1952 Topps card, some still mistake this card as Mays rookie, too. Ross is the founder of Old Sports Cards and has been collecting sports cards for over 30 years. Buy on: eBay 1964 Topps Phil Niekro RC/Phil Roof RC #541 The Rookie Cards in 1964 Topps Baseball are led by a. 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. His 1951 Bowman issue is his only recognized rookie card and along with the Mantle rookie is the key to the entire set. But whats not up for debate is whether its one of his most important. He also led the Majors in on-base percentage (.448) and doubles (48) while logging a career-best 7.6 bWAR for Detroit's first division championship squad since 1987. Ungraded & graded values for all '22 Topps 1st Edition Baseball Cards. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. Freeman finished second in the NLs Rookie of the Year balloting, slashing .282/.346/.448 with 21 home runs, 32 doubles, and 76 RBIs. Most Valuable Baseball Cards All the information and details has been compiled from the trusted sites including Wikipedia, New York Post, and Forbes. And like Altuve, Martinez started with the Greeneville Astros and worked his way up to the Class AA Corpus Christi Hooks. Its nearly impossible to describe the importance of Jackie Robinson to baseball and American history after breakingbaseballs color barrier in 1947. The last card in the '75 Topps set, this Hank Aaron collectible won't ever be confused as the baseball legend's best-looking card. There are 11 different backside variations in total each with The George Close Co. printed on them. Cracker Jacks cards are wildly popular and the serious-looking Cobb is one of the keys to this set. In fact, with PSA 10s in such short supply for the set's top cards, we elected to go with PSA 9 prices for this list. The Iron Horseappears twice in the 1933 Goudey setwith card #s 92 and 160 to his credit. Over his remarkable career, Aaron made 24 All-Star appearances, a record shared with Mays and Musial and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982. 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. That PSA 10 copy sold for $717,000 in 2016. Martinez turned out to be the big winners from 2011 Topps Update. However, Carpenter was better, tossing a complete-game three-hit shutout to oust the two-time defending NL champs, 1-0. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Gehrig again appeared on two different cards, #37 and #61, in the 1934 Goudey set. The cream of the crop. 1956 Topps Mickey Mantle #135 #6. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. Things changed dramatically in the second game of a three-game Marlins sweep when Florida outfielder Scott Cousins barreled into Posey at home plate after tagging up on a sacrifice fly. Ruth was at the tail end of his career in 1933 but he still produced well enough to be named a starter in the All-Star game at Comiskey Park that year. Although past his prime, he still achieved success in the Majors and was twice named an All-Star. Prices continue to climb on them, so keep your eye out for these baseball cards! After winning the NL Cy Young Award in 2010 and leading the Philadelphia Phillies to within two games of a third-straight World Series appearance, Roy Halladay was a man on a mission in 2011. The Giants were 27-19 heading into a home series with the Florida Marlins, looking every bit the contender for a repeat World Series engagement. Its amazing to think of the stats that Williams could have produced had he not missed nearly five full seasons of his prime to military service. Most cards in the T206 set are not rare but the Honus Wagner cards are because they were pulled from production early. Many believe the 1887 N172 Old Judge set to be the most important 19th Century set in existence. In high grade, this card can fetch big bucks. Babe Ruths card is the key and most valuable of the 32 card set. 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. Was it because Wagner wanted to be paid by the tobacco company to use his image? Prices are updated daily based upon 2023 Topps listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. Sammy Sosa, Frank Thomas, Bernie Williams, and Larry Walker all claim Class of '90. 1968 Topps #177 Nolan Ryan RC This is the keyJackie Robinson baseball card you should add to your collection. Only a finite number of them still exist and as likely as it is that baseball will remain a very popular sport, collectors will do anything to get their hands on them. Ungraded & graded values for all '22 Topps Baseball Cards. 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle: $12.6 million 2. 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. After 60 years in the hobby, Topps helped celebrate their "Diamond Anniversary" by packing so much into their 2011 Topps baseball card set. And its one of the most famous error cards in the entire hobby, too. By the way check out the best Wander Franco Rookie Cards #2. But what puts the Bat Off Shoulder relatively much higher on this list than the others is that you can find this card in PSA 9 Mint condition, unlike the others. The card is subtle in design and imagery but remains a truly majestic card for any serious collector to consider. Identical in imagery as its 1915 Cracker Jack counterpart, the 1914 version is equally as visually pleasing. As with pretty much any pre-war set that features Cobb, his card is the heart and soul of this legendary set. And because it features a close-up of Mantle, print defects on his face can also sometimes turn off collectors. In one of the great stories about this card, a collector once purchased an unopened five-card pack of1952 Topps baseball cardsand pulled the only Pafko to ever be graded PSA Gem Mint 10. The Astros had seen enough and quickly called up Altuve, bypassing AAA entirely, to make his first Major League at-bat on July 20, 2011, against the Washington Nationals. 2005 Topps card list & price guide. Because Mantle was exclusively signed with Bowman in 1954 and 1955, you won't find him on any of Topps' cards in either of those two sets. In the deciding Game 5, Halladay squared off with his former Toronto Blue Jays teammate and close friend Chris Carpenter. 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. By his third season in 2013, Goldschmidt had developed into a perennial All-Star and MVP candidate. 15 Most Valuable 2011 Topps Baseball Cards More. The last of the legendary quartet of 1933 Goudey Ruth cards on our list is the #144 Full Body Ruth. With approximately 22 or less known to exist, all in low grades, the Ty Cobb back is the rarest of them all. One of the bright spots for Boston was the re-emergence of designated hitter David Ortiz as an elite hitting threat. That is a fact not likely to end any time soon. Nevertheless, the annual award for the best pitcher in the Majors does bear his name. Mays put up monster numbers over his career and shares the record for most All-Star Game appearances (24) with Hank Aaron and Stan Musial. PriceIt Game | The 23-year-old left walked a career-worst 41 batters in 50 innings pitched, issuing a ghastly 7.4 walks per 9 innings. From autographs and relics to silk cards, glove leather cards and exclusive online cards, there was so much variety for collectors to chase. And its extremely rareone of the rarest in the hobby. To this day, there is no clear explanation for the rarity of this card, a card that is nearly as tough as the Honus Wagner from the same set. The card is one of Ruths most desired of all. 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth: $4.212 million This is the first Topps card to feature Willie Mays, putting it high on Mays collectors wish lists and making it a key card in the hobby overall. 1990 Topps #414 Frank Thomas Rookie Card Estimated PSA 10 Value: $175 Check prices on: Amazon Now, this is what Thomas's rookie card is supposed to look like when his full name appears at the bottom of the card. 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. Whether you can find one in high grade or not, though, its a superb card for any collector to own. And after striking out 145 times in 518 at-bats the year before, Ortiz K'd just 83 times in 525 at-bats in 2011. Five Hall of Famers made their rookie card debut in the T206 set and Walter Johnson is one of them, a fact that makes this card even more interesting. Who did Freeman finish runner-up to in the leagues RotY race, you ask?