Of all theTy Cobb baseball cards, this is by far his most expensive. Theres only one copy of the card currently graded in that condition, however. Fresh off a Rookie of the Year campaign and the first of three World Series titles in five years, young San Francisco Giants backstop Buster Posey was riding high by the Bay in early 2011. After 60 years in the hobby, Topps helped celebrate their "Diamond Anniversary" by packing so much into their 2011 Topps baseball card set. In fact, his 1986 Topps Traded Tiffany card can be worth over $2,000 in PSA condition. After signing a three-year, $38 million deal in the offseason to remain in Cincy, the 27-year-old first baseman busted out of the gates in a full sprint in 2011. Any collector lucky enough to get his hands on Mathewsons card is sure to be ecstatic. His massive upside in the future made his wildness in the present less worrisome. The young Florida native made 58 appearances out of the bullpen, finishing 17 games and saving eight. 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. Heritage Auctions sold a copy of this card graded in PSA 10 Gem Mint condition for a jaw-dropping $612,359 in August of 2016. And because it features a close-up of Mantle, print defects on his face can also sometimes turn off collectors. 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. And this is one of the few Ruth cards overall that show him in a Boston Red Sox uniform. With so many greats, how do you choose between them? 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. After seeing his batting average dip considerably in the previous three seasons, Ortiz posted the second-best full-season mark of his career thus far with a .309 finish. Baseball Cards. It's these end-year series that comprise the most valuable Topps baseball cards today. Collectors love the eye appeal of this beautiful pre-war set. By 2012, Chapman had it down, fine-tuning his electric pitch repertoire en route to becoming a legit Cy Young candidate. Cracker Jacks cards are wildly popular and the serious-looking Cobb is one of the keys to this set. The White Cap variation is considered to be the most difficult of the three Mathewson cards, but the Portrait is the most popular. That determination and consistency led to a phenomenal career and eye-popping stats that made him a no-brainer to be one of the first five players inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. This pre-rookie card of Ruth is one of rarest cards in the hobby with 10 copies known to exist and can be found with either blue or red borders. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2022 by Old Sports Cards, LLC. But it wouldn't take Goldschmidt much longer to mold into the incredible talent he is today. Considered to be one of the more obscure Honus Wagner type cards its value continues to remain strong. Whos the most desired player in the set? Many baseball historians still consider Cobb the greatest all-around player that ever graced a baseball diamond. Mathewson appears three times in the T206 set with the Portrait, White Cap and Dark Cap variations. Issued by the Mayo and Brother Tobacco Works of Richmond, VA, the set contains 48 different cards overall but Anson's is undoubtedly the most coveted. Thus, Pujols was left out in a season where he finished fifth in the NL's MVP balloting. The eye appeal is top-notch, as with most 1914 Cracker Jack cards. We believe the following 10 cards will be tops in short-term return on investment over the next 1 to 2 years. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2022 by Old Sports Cards, LLC. After 60 years in the hobby, Topps helped celebrate their "Diamond Anniversary" by packing so much into their 2011 Topps baseball card set. Many believe the 1887 N172 Old Judge set to be the most important 19th Century set in existence. Altuve went 1-5 that game, but little did he know then he had kicked off a piece of Houston Astros history. Considered by most to be the greatest lefty of all-time, Sandy Koufax has one rookie card to his name and this is it. Whenever manager Ozzie Guillen needed him to get a few outs, Sale performed. Although it features identical imagery as his 1914 Cracker Jack issue, most high-end examples of these two issues are of the 1915. Big names like Albert Pujols, Ichiro, David Ortiz, Derek Jeter, Miguel Cabrera and Clayton Kershaw help round out a solid checklist. It's so rare that no complete set has ever been assembled. In PSA 4.5 grade, it is estimated this card would reel in over $1 million. The postseason drought would only get longer, but Sale's transition to a starting role in 2012 was the dawning of a new ace on the Southside. Also, many of the known examples are found with poor centering from top to bottom. In four starts against Lincecum, Kershaw went 4-0 with a minuscule 0.30 ERA in 30.1 innings pitched. His career cut short by arthritis in his pitching arm, he went on to become the youngest player ever elected to the Hall of Fame in 1972. On July 18th, he became the quickest Atlanta rookie to 50 RBIs since Hank Aaron in 1954. Overall, Votto hit .309 with a .947 OPS, 29 home runs, and 101 runs scored. Read our methodology. The 1911 George Close Candy (E94) baseball card set may not be as popular as others of the pre-WWI era but it is still iconic in the hobby. The set is one of if not the most condition sensitive of the early E class era. Despite singling to right field off San Francisco's Matt Cain in his first at-bat, Goldschmidt stuck out nearly one in every three at-bats in 48 games that season. The find has since been dubbed The Lucky 7 find. Halladay was given the ball for Games 1 and 5. 1. And yes, that includes those famously priceless Mickey Mantles. This card can be quite challenging and is the key to the set. A year away from taking over the Cincinnati Reds closer role and simultaneously becoming a perennial All-Star, Aroldis Chapman showed flashes of his forthcoming game-breaking dominance in 2011. Its arguably the most visually pleasing and desirable of all the Ted Williams baseball cards in the hobby. By 2014, Rizzo had settled into his role as the Chicago Cubs' everyday first baseman and earned his first trip to the All-Star Game that season. Followed by HBO documentary cameras during his rehab process, Jeter opened up about himself and his pursuit of baseball immortality in a way he'd never done before. (Note: The following sections contain affiliate links to current eBay and Amazon listings for the cards being discussed.) Gehrig was one of a long line of Yankee legends and no doubt put up some of the greatest hitting statistics of them all. The 1915 version was part of a redemption program, however, thus better preserving their condition. That is a fact not likely to end any time soon. 15 Most Valuable 2011 Topps Baseball Cards More. 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. Or, as most believe, was it because he didnt want to be involved in promoting tobacco use to children? After hitting .363 with 49 home runs and 166 RBI he would go on to win the Triple Crown. At the tender age of 22, Sale made his full-season debut with the Sox as a high-leverage reliever. Distracting print lines usually hold this card back from higher grades, though. Again, the biggest condition issues with this card will arise from the glossy coating on the obverse that usually ends up cracking or creasing. Sammy Sosa, Frank Thomas, Bernie Williams, and Larry Walker all claim Class of '90. A mixture of bad timing, poor communication, and an always-controversial roster rule kept Albert Pujols out of the 2011 MLB All-Star Game, ending his streak of consecutive Midsummer Classics at eight. Theres just something about this card that makes it visually stunning. Need help buying or selling cards or have a general question about the hobby? 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. It just goes to show that scarcity and condition can have just as much of an impact on the value of a card as the player who is on it. 1986 Topps Pete Rose Card 3. With that strategy, you can never go wrong! Together with the Honus Wagner, Ty Cobb (Ty Cobb back), and Eddie Plank the T206 Sherry Magie error card is one of the rarest of the entire set. The price would certainly be astronomical. For some reason, collectors had to send in for the card a year later in 1934 by contacting Goudey if they wanted to complete this set. Nothing against Bourjos, but many Angels fans had been eagerly awaiting a chance to see Trout since many considered him the number-one prospect heading into the 2011 season. 1968 Topps #177 Nolan Ryan RC With approximately 22 or less known to exist, all in low grades, the Ty Cobb back is the rarest of them all. And he pitched with a tenacious on-mound presence in the toughest of game situations. 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 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. List by Card #, You own: 0 / 9496 items Wagner, Ruth, Cobb, Mantle and Mays are just several of the baseball greats that reside on this list of cardboard rarities. From Pittsburgh Pirates Hall of Famer Honus Wagner to Los Angeles Angels standout Mike Trout, here are nine iconic cards of star players that were sold or auctioned for significant sums: 1. Bowman did not include him in their 1953 set so that makes his Topps card of that year even more sought after. After winning 61 games in 2010, Seattle finished at 67-95 in 2011 for the franchise's sixth losing season in eight years. Many collectors prefer the portrait versions of Cobbs T206 card and specifically the Green Portrait. His 1951 Bowman issue is his only recognized rookie card and along with the Mantle rookie is the key to the entire set. However, Bochy picked Florida Marlins standout Gaby Sanchez as the final first base pick to ensure Florida had a representative in Arizona. Considered the Holy Grail of all trading cards, the 1909 American Tobacco CompanyT206 Honus Wagner cardremains the symbol of trading card collecting today. Most Expensive, But, that doesnt necessarily mean its his most expensive. Collectors will pay big money for either version as long as its in high grade. Jones was able to return for Opening Day in 2011, but the 39-year-old third baseman was still dealing with plenty of aches and pains daily. 2022 Topps Series 1 Wander Franco Photo Variation SP RC #215 Mathews had a prolific career as a feared power hitter and spent many years alongside Hank Aaron to form one of the greatest home run hitting duos the game has ever seen. From autographs and relics to silk cards, glove leather cards and exclusive online cards, there was so much variety for collectors to chase. And I attempted to estimate their current values when graded in PSA 10 condition so their "raw" or ungraded values may be wildly different. In PSA 8 condition, this card would likely sell for $1 million or more. A record that is pretty safe to say will never be broken,Cy Youngtotaled an incredible 511 wins over his career. 2005 Topps card list & price guide. 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. The 1952 Andy Pafko card is so expensive simply because it resided at the #1 position of the most important set of the postwar era. In 2010, Jones blew out his left knee in mid-August and could not help his Braves teammates in a tense five-game NLDS loss to the eventual World Series champion Giants. And like Altuve had done by hitting safely in the first seven games of his career to set a club record, Martinez established his own team record in August by driving in 28 runs. Who knows what a high grade example of this card would go for? Key to the 1953 Topps set is the #244 Willie Mays baseball card. Even though it is not Mickey Mantles official rookie card it is definitely his most important. 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. No matter where Eddie Mathews appeared in the 1952 Topps set, his only recognized rookie card would be worth a lot. Though he may not have been MLB's hottest rookie in 1990, he certainly turned into one of the biggest superstars of his era. Financial problems would cause Dunn to sell Ruths contract to the Boston Red Sox later that year, however. While the "Cobb Back" T206 may be his most expensive card, this one is arguably his most popular among high-end collectors. In 2016, seven copies of this card were miraculously found in an old paper bag. Remember, the Tiffany versions were produced in much smaller quantities and were printed on premium card stock. Its nearly impossible to describe the importance of Jackie Robinson to baseball and American history after breakingbaseballs color barrier in 1947. That was the most any Houston Astros rookie had ever driven in during one month as a rookie. If you remember, during Game 3 of the 1932 World Series against the Chicago Cubs, Babe Ruth made his famous Called Shot. By 1954, printing quality had improved greatly so even though centering is still a challenge with this card, finding high-end copies is not as tough as some of the others on this list. Whatever the reason, there are only approximately 50-75 or so known copies in circulation today as a result. The cream of the crop. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. 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. 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. Especially for high condition copies of the card. 1986 Topps Nolan Ryan Card 5. As one of the most clutch players in Yankees history, Derek Jeter seized the moment perfectly with a dramatic introduction to baseball's 3,000-hit club. Read our methodology . And their continued popularity and demand prove that baseball cards still do hold great value. Top 26 Most Valuable 1986 Topps Baseball Cards In The World 1. In high grade, this card can fetch big bucks. It should come as no surprise that the rookie card of the greatest player who ever lived would be on this list. Altuve dominated in the Minor Leagues and, by 2011, found himself slashing .361/.388/.569 with five home runs and 25 RBIs in 35 games for the Class AA Corpus Christi Hooks. This card, the key to the 200-card M101-5 set, is often found off-center and features a variety of advertising backs, although most existing copies exhibit blank backs. 1954 Topps #128 Hank Aaron RC #7. That would be his teammate, 23-year-old closer Craig Kimbrel. Part of the great quartet of T206 Cobb cards, the Green Portrait version is the toughest of all of them to collect. Career highlights: Two-time National League Most Valuable Player (1958, 1959), 14 . Mays could hit, throw, field and run with the best of them. Now that we got that out of the way let's get started Like a few others on this list, this card is technically part of the 2011 Topps Update set. Error cards like Joe Doyles that make it into circulation usually end up being very popular with collectors and this one is no exception. But there was plenty to like about their accomplishments before the season's heartbreaking finale. However, the gold borders of the T205 cards leave them vulnerable to chipping and wear. One of the rarest pre-WWI candy issues ever distributed is the 1912 Plows Boy Candy set that included 69 different baseball players. This card shares its front design with several others of the era (Dockman & Sons, Nadja Caramels, etc.). 0% Babe Ruths card is the key and most valuable of the 32 card set. But whats not up for debate is whether its one of his most important. It was a brutal way for the season to end for the 90-win Red Sox. The potential for caramel stains doesnt bode well for collectors of this card. The 1969 Topps baseball card set is well-loved in this hobby by many collectors for several different reasons. While his 1952 Topps card gets all the limelight, the 1951 Bowman card is Mickey Mantle's true rookie card and a fine one to behold. 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 1932 U.S. Caramel set is one of the most desirable and challenging prewar sets in the hobby. Jose Altuve's relationship with the Houston Astros began in 2007 when the club evaluated him at a camp in Maracay, Venezuela, when he was just a teenager. It would fetch much more than that today. 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.