Star power: Robinson, a Hall of Famer, broke the MLB color barrier in 1947, becoming a social justice icon in the process. Rookie Cards. Heck, he even dated "Miss New York" Debra Sue Maurice from the Miss USA Beauty Pageant. After the 1981 season, however, Ainge decided to call it quits with baseball. But, this will always be the set that got their foot into the red-hot market of the 1980s. Most Valuable Baseball Cards from the 1980s Price Guide & Values 19 Most Valuable 1981 Topps Baseball Cards Price List. 25 Most Valuable 1982 Topps Baseball Cards - Old Sports Cards Enrique Romo Navarro is a former professional baseball relief pitcher. He was a two-sport star in baseball and basketball for the Minnesota Golden Gophers, so it wasn't too shocking that the Atlanta Hawks (NBA), Utah Stars (ABA) and San Diego Padres (MLB) each drafted him. At the time, everyone thought the Padres were getting the better end of the deal as Templeton was a much better hitter. #10. While eligible for induction, Murphy peaked at 23% of the vote in 2000, falling well short of the 75% needed for entry. The right card could make you rich. 1981 Topps Expos Future Card Tim Haines Auto. You'd think a third baseman with that kind of power wouldn't have had the best defensive skills but no, Schmidt was amazing on defense as well as he'd go on to win 10 Gold Gloves. This was limited to only 504 serial-numbered porcelain cards made and it has already been authenticated by Global Authentics (GAI). However, once he was in San Diego, Templeton's hitting declined drastically and he'd never bat over .300 again. It would have been nice to see an action shot of Seaver on his 1982 Topps card but this is still a good-looking card overall. Rookie Card (1982 Topps - Card #21), $700 (Photo: Amazon.com) Here is another player who enjoyed a long MLB career, spending it all with the Baltimore Orioles starting in 1981. 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. 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. The card from 1981 features three outstanding baseball players who were kings in their lanes. And, like Clemens, that might cut into the value and prestige of his 1985 Fleer Rookie Card to a . Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. In 1981, Schmidt became the eighth player in MLB history to do just that. Things weren't all rosy for Smith, however, as his relationship with Padres owner Ray Kroc and his wife Joan became publicly sour. They were the fourteenth and fifteenth players to achieve the incredible milestone. It was a fitting punctuation mark for one of Ryan's best seasons on the mound. In 665 at-bats for Toronto, Ainge batted .220, hit two home runs, scored 57 runs, drove in another 37 and stole 12 bases. Though it may be light on key rookie cards, this set is certainly not light on stars and Hall of Famers. At least he was voted Rookie of the Year. Tune in as Mrs. Wax Pack Gods reads 1982 Topps Baseball Cards - 17 Most Valuable . It is also (by a slight margin) the most valuable card in the 1984 Topps Football set. The Atlanta Braves had used Dale Murphy at first base and catcher during his early years in the 1970s, but in 1980 they moved him to the outfield. Although this one isn't worth as much as it might . He also finished fourth in the NL with a .316 batting average, narrowly missing out on a Triple Crown. Still, his popularity continues today, and his cards remain in high demand by kids now turned adults who grew up idolizing him. And incredibly, hed come back with a vengeance. "I've learned to stay within myself, not be afraid to fail.". 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. Thats why everyone is constantly asking the question: What are the most valuable 1981 Topps baseball cards?. Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $2,000. But, I'm a big fan of this set regardless. 25 Most Valuable 1981 Fleer Baseball Cards In The World Featured here is a rare rookie card from 1989 with an authenticated signature of Steve Avery. Description Card Number NM-MT 8 MT 9 GEM-MT 10; Larry Bird (HOF) Shop with Affiliates 4: 185+ 770+ 21,500+ Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (HOF) Shop with Affiliates 20: 45: 135+ 1,400-Magic Johnson (HOF) Shop with Affiliates 21: 170-850 Greatest Topps Baseball Cards of All-Time. 1909 T206 Sherry Magee (Error) Price: $660,000. In 2004 he was inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame; in 2005 he was enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame. He played most of his career with the St Louis Cardinals and New York Mets. Tim Raines was one of the most successful stealers in baseball history and can be seen on the far left of the card. Ted Simmons St. Louis Cardinals 1981 Topps, 17. Read our methodology. Grade. No. 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. The card features St. Louise Cardinals Batter Ted Simmons and is worth $49.45. The defending AL champions were a mess early, though. 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. Read our methodology. In this guide, I will cover the 25 most valuable in the set. One year removed from his Rookie of the Year-winning season, this Ripken card is still a hobby favorite because it shows the Orioles third baseman's timeless swing and a close-up of his youthful mug all on one important card. I know the game is played differently these days but even if it weren't, I'd be stunned if anyone in the future ever meets or bests his 130 stolen bases in a season. 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. Many times, though, he'd fail to connect on those swings and would up earning himself a spot as the career leader in strikeouts with 2,597. Yes, the checklist is quite messy at times with the errors and variations. To make things even stranger, you could even say that Rose appeared on fourcards in this set because this one comes in two variations. Ken Griffey Jr. 1981 Topps Expos Future Card Tim Haines Auto, 6. 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. 5 Cal Ripken Jr. #183. #6. 1983 Donruss. Read our methodology. Value: $300-325. 2. After sixteen seasons and two World Series titles with the Cincinnati Reds, Pete Rose left the "Big Red Machine" behind and signed as a free agent with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1979. Players include Hank Aaron, Nolan Ryan & Mike Trout. 1 Rickey Henderson #119. Unfortunately, the strike-shortened season and growing tensions with Yankees owner George Steinbrenner got in the way. Top 10 Most Valuable: 1981 Topps Basketball. Read our methodology. 1982 Topps Baseball Cards - 17 Most Valuable Plus Bonus Listings! 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. Ryan dazzled on that fall afternoon in Houston, striking out eleven and walking just three. 50 Most Valuable Baseball Cards of All Time | Stadium Talk The first standalone Topps Traded set may belong to 1981, but the first card to really make the series a hobby burner belongs to 1982 and to Cal Ripken, Jr. . 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. 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. $15.00. Beginning with the 1977-78 NCAA Basketball season, Ainge starred for Brigham Young University and capped things off in 1981 by being named a first-team All-American and winning the John Wooden Award as the nation's best player. 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. Reginald Martinez Jackson is a former American right fielder who spent the majority of his 21-year professional baseball career with the Kansas City and Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees, and ended his career with a two-year stint for the California Angels. The subsets in the 1981 Topps baseball cards include the league leaders (1-8), record breakers (201-208), and team cards with checklists on the back (661-686).The key rookie cards from this set include #315 Kirk Gibson, #347 Harold Baines, and #302 Fernando Valenzuela. Rose collected 140 hits in 1981, slashing .325/.391/.390 in his third year with the Philadelphia Phillies. During Dawson's first year with the Cubs in 1987, he would lead the league in home runs (49) and RBI (137) to win MVP honors, and the fans at Wrigley instantly fell in love with "the Hawk.". 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. And while its value pales in comparison to other big-name vintage rookies like Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, and Roberto Clemente, to name a few, its price soared dramatically during the recent sports card boom. He was named Player of the Decade by The Sporting News at the end of his career. Despite this seemingly unjustified absence from more "Midsummer Classics," Yount is considered to be the greatest Milwaukee Brewer in the franchise's history. 1981 Topps Traded Tim Raines Rookie Baseball Card #816 NM-MT FREE SHIPPING. 1981 Topps Football Cards - 12 Most Valuable - Wax Pack Gods 1981 Topps Card Prices | PSA & Ungraded Values - SportsCardsPro 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. His full name is Peter Edward Rose and was a professional baseball player who managed to exceed Ty Cobbs record for the number of hits in a career. 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. 721 Toby Harrah. At the time, two Major League Baseball clubs, the Montreal Expos, and the Toronto Blue Jays played in Canada, where . The 10 Most Valuable Basketball Cards from the 1980s. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. 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 1981 season was the seventh and final time. 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. 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. However, his relationship with the San Diego Padres ownership continued to sour and by season's end, both were looking to move on from each other. Before the season, Steinbrenner went to Jackson for his thoughts on the team's pursuit of free-agent slugger Dave Winfield. In his seventh season in the Majors, Yount broke out in a big way in 1980 as he led the league in doubles (49) while scoring 121 runs, driving in 87 RBI, and hitting 23 home runs to earn his first trip to the All-Star Game. For the longest time it seemed like Smith would not quite garner enough votes to earn a trip to the Hall of Fame. #5. Somehow during all that success with college basketball, he also found the time to play for the Blue Jays from 1979 to 1981. Click on any Donruss Set to see a full list of Cards and their current value. Most Valuable Baseball Cards of All Time . 1985 Fleer Kirby Puckett RC #286. 1982 Topps Card Prices | PSA & Ungraded Values - SportsCardsPro And the reason it's worth so much in PSA 10 condition? Ungraded & graded values for all '81 Fleer Baseball Cards. 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. Incredibly consistent and productive during his 21 years in the Big Leagues, Murray ended his Hall of Fame career with 3,255 hits, 504 home runs, 1,917 RBI and set the all-time record for sacrifice flies with 128. PSA 9 examples have sold for upwards of $6,000. 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. It has full gloss and is slightly askew. Tim Haines finished second in Rookie of the Year voting, 19th in MVP, and earned his first All-Star selection. Brock crossed the mark with a single on August 13, 1979 while Yaz hit a single of his own on September 12, 1979 to join the club. 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. Like everyone else, the shortened season didn't help his overall output but some key indicators had fallen off noticeably. Every collector knows that theres some serious money to be made off certain cards. Most Valuable Rookie Card in Every Topps Baseball Set, 1952-2020 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. To commemorate Brett's 1980 MVP Award, Donruss basically changed the borders from green to red on his base card and slapped the "MVP" logo at the bottom while removing the team name and position. Several of the game's biggest stars of the day appeared on two cards in this set, but I think Pete Rose was one of only two guys, along with Reggie Jackson, who appeared on three. The Reds put him at first base for the first time as he dealt with nagging injuries. Pictured as a member of the New York Yankees, Jackson was actually traded to the California Angels for the 1982 season where he'd play for five seasons before heading back to Oakland for one final season. Who doesnt enjoy looking through their packs of cards whenever they find themselves in a fabled card shop. Rookie Cards were so valuable to collectors in 1989, that if Oprah had been involved in baseball cards, she would have been saying . 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. Just look at that awesome retro Astros jersey in all its striped glory! In other years, Seaver used his overpowering stuff to outduel hitters but in 1981, he wasn't quite the fireballer as he struck out only 4.7 batters per nine innings, the second-lowest rate of his career. . 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. Despite not being a Hall of Famer, Rose's legacy as one of the game's greatest hitters of all time keeps his cards in high demand throughout the hobby. Shortcuts: Most Expensive, Cheapest, List by Card # 206 Mike Schmidt Record Breaker - Phillies. 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. 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. 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. 1981 Topps Baseball Card Checklist. 1984 Topps Football Cards: Most Valuable (Top Picks) - All Vintage Cards 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). 1981 Fleer Card Prices | PSA & Ungraded Values - SportsCardsPro 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. 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. A remarkable all-around . Its nice design and classic pose have helped make it one of the most recognizable cards in the hobby, not just from the 1980s. Cincinnati finished second in both halves of the 1981 split-season but ended the year with the best overall record in the National League. Ozzie Smith was given the name Wizard of Oz After an amazing record for the most assists at shortstop thus establishing a new record in that era. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. 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. Growing up in Central Indiana surrounded by Cubs fans, I would hear about Dawson constantly as fans absolutely loved the guy, and rightly so. However, on December 9, 2018 he and Harold Baines were voted in by the Today's Game Era Committe. Many thought his career was slowly but surely coming to an end. After the 1986 season, Dawson left Montreal as a free agent for the Chicago Cubs, where he would become their everyday right fielder on a much more knee-friendly grass field. 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. 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. 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. 1981 Topps. 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. He helped to redefine the value of relievers within baseball and ushered in the modern closer role.

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