The card from 1981 features three outstanding baseball players who were kings in their lanes. 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. As their everyday first baseman, that put Rose on the opposite corner of the field as Phillies icon Mike Schmidt at third. The continued adoption of Sabermetrics no doubt helped push him across the finish line and into Cooperstown. Ryan's stellar age-34 campaign earned him his sixth All-Star selection, a fourth-place finish in the National League's Cy Young race, and a 16th-place finish in the NL's MVP balloting. 1981 Topps Traded Expos Tim Raines Card. For its 1980-81 basketball set, Topps mixed things up by releasing an entire set in which each card had three panels, each . Things screeched to a halt, though, when Jackson injured his calf running the bases in Game 2 of the ALCS against Oakland. 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. 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. Ungraded & graded values for all '81 Topps In this guide, I will cover the 25 most valuable in the set. Like the 1981 Fleer and Topps sets, large print runs saturated the market with these cards, driving down their values. Right around that same time, the relationship between the St. Louis Cardinals and their shortstop, Garry Templeton, wasn't going well either. The card features St. Louise Cardinals Batter Ted Simmons and is worth $49.45. 1980 Topps #482 Rickey Henderson Rookie Card. Henderson has two cards in the 1981 Fleer which feature photographs that appear to be taken just seconds apart. 1982 Donruss. Rod Carew and George Brett were not only two of the greatest hitters of their era but of all time, so seeing them both on the same card is quite a treat. 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. And finally, we're down to none other than Rickey Henderson, one of the greatest baseball icons of the 1980s and the game's greatest speedster to ever play. 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. Contact him at [emailprotected]. 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. 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. 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. As a result, Topps created this monster 792-card checklist and loaded it with subsets to try and keep collector interestand collector eyeballsaway from Donruss and Fleer. 726 Rick Monday. Ozzie Smith's 1979 Topps rookie card is also one of the last great rookie cards of the vintage era, but his second-year card isn't a bad consolation prize either. The last sale's most valuable Topps Nolan Ryan baseball card is the 1974 Topps Nolan Ryan baseball card number #20. As you can see, some of the game's biggest legends of all time can be found within the 726-card checklist. 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. Boggs was a perennial contender for American League batting titles during the 1980s and 1990s. This set marked the end of an era in which Topps was the only mainstream company with the MLB's blessing to print baseball cards. With ten Gold Gloves to show for it, Bench was a monster on defense with a rifle for an arm and an ability to throw out would-be base stealers with extreme precision. This card features the professional baseball player Danny Ainge. This card has been signed by him and is currently worth $49. The reverse of the card mentions that over the last nine seasons dating back to 1972, Brett (2) and Carew (6) had combined to win eight batting titles. There's no questioning the significance of 1980 Topps baseball cards in hobby history. In the second half, they finished 1.5 games behind the Astros to miss the playoffs entirely. 1. At that point, Murphy looked like he was on a surefire trajectory to Cooperstown. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2022 by Old Sports Cards, LLC. 1981 Topps Kellen Winslow Rookie Card (#150) Winslow took the big-bodied, good-hands tight end model that Newsome brought to the fore and ran with it (after the catch!). To top it all off, he earned his sixth All-Star selection, sixth Gold Glove, and second Silver Slugger award. The three-time MVP would smash 548 home runs over his career as he led the league in that category an amazing 8 times. Track your collection for free. 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. The player who played the most games at first base in major league history was Eddie Murray, who amassed 2,413-lifetime games at the position along with nearly 600 more as a designated hitter. Ross is the founder of Old Sports Cards and has been collecting sports cards for over 30 years. In 1981, the 6'5 monster recorded his second straight 1000-yard season and led all of football with 88 catches. 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. The 1980 season turned out to be historic for George Brett as he won the only MVP of his legendary career and fell just short of batting .400 on the year with an eye-popping .390 average. 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. After fifteen-straight All-Star appearances from 1965-79, Yastrzemski was left out of the Midsummer Classic for the second year in a row in 1981. Value: $300-325. Still, as one of the game's greatest leadoff hitters and baserunners, he was overdue to get in anyway. Smith felt more welcomed by the Cardinals ownership and management and settled in quite nicely to be one of the franchise's most beloved players in team history. Henderson posted a brilliant 1.144 OPS against New York, but the rest of the Oakland lineup went dead silent. Although his best days were clearly behind him, he still played well enough to earn a trip to the 1982 All-Star game. They finished the season with a .546 winning percentage in front of 1,060,379 fans who saw them play. No. The 1981 O-Pee-Chee features the Canadian version of the 1981 Topps set, where it is uncommon to see French on an MLB card. In 1980, Kansas City Royals third baseman George Brett graduated from All-Star to crossover superstar. And that's when his career started to take off as he made his first of seven career All-Star Games during the 1980 season and would finish twelfth in the MVP vote. In the process, Schmidt led the league and set career highs in home runs (48), RBI (121) and total bases (342). 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. The nerve! Tune in as Mrs. Wax Pack Gods reads 1982 Topps Baseball Cards - 17 Most Valuable . The Reds finished a half-game behind the Dodgers in the NL West in the first half. 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. Or, feel free to call/text me at 305-684-6680! 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. Pate] #479. Need help buying or selling cards or have a general question about the hobby? Rookie Cards: Options . Like the 1982 Donruss and Fleer sets, large print runs saturated the market with these cards, driving down their values. Previous Article. Baseball Cards. 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. He also led the National League in runs scored (78) and walks (73). PSA/DNA Certified. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2022 by Old Sports Cards, LLC. 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.". An Enrique Romo Signed Baseball card that has been authenticated by a grading service is pretty hard to find. Getting hands on a card like this is pretty difficult. 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. And some of those players appeared on multiple cards. He won the World Series with the Yankees in 1996. In 1981, Schmidt became the eighth player in MLB history to do just that. This is the rookie card for Bronco's QB great John Elway. After a complete-game victory in Game 1, Ryan allowed three runs (two earned) in six innings in the deciding Game 5. Get my weekly newsletter with the latest hobby updates delivered straight to your inbox! 2. Owchinko played baseball for Eastern Michigan University. He also loves to write about the hobby and has written for Beckett, Topps, SABR and of course, this website. We are user supported. Heres an amazing baseball card that in my opinion should be worth more than it currently is. He also led all of baseball with 89 runs scored and led the American League in stolen bases (56) and hits (135). Prices for 1982 Topps Baseball Cards 1982 Topps card list & price guide. This Baseball card is in very good condition, with sharp corners and slight wear on the lower right corner. Jackson slumped out of the gates in 1981, prompting Steinbrenner to invoke a clause in his contract that forced him to undergo a full physical examination. 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. . It was also the first Topps set to feature a monster 792-card checklist. While it's not known for any iconic cards like some of the other sets of the era, the 1981 Donruss baseball card set is iconic itself for one reason: collectors now had an alternative choice to Topps for the first time in years. Our hunt for the 80s most valuable baseball cards includes Don Mattingly, Cal Ripken Jr., Nolan Ryan, Ricky Henderson. 1981 Pete Rose Baseball Card. Like his base card, his All-Star card is just as tough to find in PSA 10 condition and also carries a large price tag. 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. All told, Bench played in just 52 of Cincinnati's 108 games. PriceIt Game | Topps has dominated the baseball card scene for the past six decades, issuing a set in every year . 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 . Star power: Robinson, a Hall of Famer, broke the MLB color barrier in 1947, becoming a social justice icon in the process. He played most of his career with the St Louis Cardinals and New York Mets. Greatest Topps Baseball Cards of All-Time. 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. #6. $15.00. The Phillies had won the NL East for three straight seasons from 1976-1978, so Rose was supposed to be the guy who would finally put them over the top. 29 Surprisingly Cheap: 1985 Mark McGwire Topps. After the Royals split their first twenty games of the second half, he was fired, and former Yankees manager Dick Howser took the reins. One thing I always found a bit strange about Yount's career was that he was a two-time MVP but appeared in just three All-Star games, the lowest amount of any Hall of Famer since the game's inception. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2022 by Old Sports Cards, LLC. Currently, this 1981 Topps card is worth $79. You love collecting baseball cards, right? The defending AL champions were a mess early, though. Bench was also known for the long ball as he led the league in home runs twice and finished his career with 389. SportsCardsPro Index: 1982 Topps. Not bad for an 11th round pick (#250 overall) in the 1975 MLB Draft. From there you can also add a Card to your collection or wishlist. Growing up in Central Indiana surrounded by Cubs fans, I would hear about Dawson constantly as fans absolutely loved the guy, and rightly so. (Updated for 2022) SUBSCRIBE NOW! 723 Bruce Bochte. #5. Are you selling sports cards that were produced from 1868 - 1975? Accolades aside, Schmidt felt his best accomplishment was in one of the few offensive categories in which he didn't pace the Majors: batting average. Its one thing to have an expos future stars card signed by one of the 3 players, however, the value and rarity goes all the way up when you have the signatures of two players on one card. Every collector knows that theres some serious money to be made off certain cards. He is ranked 33rd on the all-time list of career leaders for batting average among Major League Baseball players with at least 1,000 appearances at-bat. 50. 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. Donruss would take the experience with this set and continue to churn out many improved and memorable sets for years to come. The 1961 Topps All-Star Mays falls in line with the others in the semi-high-number subset. This is a rare Topps card from 1981 containing his signature. Raw: $20 PSA 9: $100 PSA 10: $900 One of the most popular players of his era, Vladimir Guerrero was the No. At least he was voted Rookie of the Year. 4. 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. "I've learned to stay within myself, not be afraid to fail.". On the right side were four rows of six . 1 Rickey Henderson #119. 1952 Topps #1 Andy Pafko. 1981 Fleer card list & price guide. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. However, what raised eyebrows was that the Minnesota Vikings selected him in the 17th round of the NFL Draft despite having never played college football. . Price: $299.99. After the 1981 season, however, Ainge decided to call it quits with baseball. 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. The move worked as the Royals responded by winning 20 of their last 33 to make the playoffs. Who doesnt enjoy looking through their packs of cards whenever they find themselves in a fabled card shop. 1981 Topps Expos Future Card Tim Haines Auto. 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. The Reds put him at first base for the first time as he dealt with nagging injuries. February 20, 2023; Super Bowl Delivers . . 204 Ron LeFlore / Rodney Scott Record Breaker - Expos. Top 10 Most Valuable: 1981 Topps Basketball. 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. 2 prospect in baseball at the start of the 1997 season after hitting . Despite the poor production, Jackson still earned a spot on the All-Star team for the eleventh time in his career. Most Expensive 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. The wrist band, the glasses.and that awesome stache You just don't see that kind of stuff in today's game so this card perfectly captures the style of the era and that's the great thing about baseball cards in general. Cincinnati finished the year with the best composite record in all of baseball but the nature of the strike-shortened season's playoff format bit them in the backside. However, during early 2021, PSA 9 examples of this card frequently sold for $4,000 - $5,000 or more. 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. 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. 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. He finished the year with the best winning percentage of any starter in baseball (.875), notched his 3000th career strikeout on April 12th, and earned his twelfth-and-final All-Star appearance after a two-year absence. We may earn an affiliate commission if you Hold on to it. From the 1983 season on, he was selected to the All-Star game every year until he retired after the 2001 season. Ryan dazzled on that fall afternoon in Houston, striking out eleven and walking just three. Its $300 PSA 10 price tag is no mistake. The offense stagnated, and the Astros fell 4-0. 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. Average ungraded base card value (excludes parallels) for 1981 Topps 205 Pete Rose Record Breaker - Phillies. He spent eleven seasons with four teams in Major League Baseball the majority of it spent with the Detroit Tigers. 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. A rare 1980/81 baseball card. They were the fourteenth and fifteenth players to achieve the incredible milestone. Because of his career accomplishments and his overpowering style, Ryan remains one of the game's most popular players to ever play and you'll see his name in just about every set's log of key cards. However, due to market conditions, values fluctuate. And, in this guide, we look at the 25 most valuable. There were tons of errors, collation inside boxes was hit and miss (mostly miss) and the . However, once they got there, the Oakland Athletics promptly swept them in the ALDS as Brett went just 2-for-12 (.167) in the three games. 5 Underrated 1981 Donruss Baseball Cards. The NL Rookie of the Year Award was close, with Raines receiving 85 vote points to Valenzuela's 107, but the Expos and all of baseball knew that Raines was something special. Ungraded & graded values for all '81 Fleer Baseball Cards. 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. Click on a Card detail page to see historic prices and values for all different grades. Like Roger Clemens, Kirby Puckett has a 1984 Fleer Update XRC. Mike Schmidt was arguably the best third baseman in baseball history and will always be remembered for both his power and his glove. 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). 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. 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. Still, his popularity continues today, and his cards remain in high demand by kids now turned adults who grew up idolizing him. Checklist Top. Tim Raines first became eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2008 but wasn't elected until 2017 when he received a convincing 86% of the vote. In 1981, Donruss and Fleer gave Topps some much-needed competition. Struggling through back issues and other accumulated aches and pains, Yastrzemski had the worst offensive season of his 21-year career thus far. In a similar theme, Larry Bird is featured in a card from the 1981 Topps set. 1981 Topps card list & price guide. Donovan Mitchell was one of the standouts in a loaded 2017-18 NBA rookie class. Local card shops, department stores and gas stations-- to say boxes of these cards were everywhere might be the understatement of the decade. Tim Raines was one of the most successful stealers in baseball history and can be seen on the far left of the card. 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. When Bench managed to stay healthy enough to be in the lineup, he was quite productive. 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. Oakland swept three straight from the Kansas City Royals in the ALDS but, the tables turned in the ALCS when the Yankees eliminated them in three. For the longest time it seemed like Smith would not quite garner enough votes to earn a trip to the Hall of Fame. 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 . 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. Unfortunately, they failed to make the playoffs during his first year in Philadelphia, but things changed for the better as the Phillies outlasted George Brett and the Kansas City Royals in six games to win the 1980 World Series. Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $2,000. 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. . Although Riley wasnt very popular, he was a Major League Baseball pitcher. Wade Boggs is an American former baseball player who retired as a third baseman after 18 seasons of Major League Baseball. 3. Jackie Robinson | Card Sold For: $392,400. 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. 3. Carew's career batting average ended up at .328, while his best single-season average was .388 in 1977. 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. This card is worth $45 but could go higher. His .758 OPS marked the first time he'd dropped under .817 since 1968. buy stuff after clicking links on our site Just look at that awesome retro Astros jersey in all its striped glory! Thats why everyone is constantly asking the question: What are the most valuable 1981 Topps baseball cards?. Card Number: #595. That means the card needs to be flawless. His .246 batting average and .355 slugging percentage were also career lows. Rose hit .300 (6-for-20) with two RBI and a run scored in the losing effort. His struggles didn't last long, though, and maybe it was seeing Mike Schmidt win back-to-back MVPs in 1980 and 1981 because, by the following year, Murphy's production skyrocketed as he'd go on to win back-to-back MVPs of his own in 1982 and 1983. In those 108 games, they played at Fenway Park where they had a record of 56-52. Unlike George Brett's MVP card, Schmidt's featured an altogether different image than that of his base card. 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. 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. Estimated PSA 9 Value: $1,800. 202 Steve Carlton Record Breaker - Phillies. Things weren't all rosy for Smith, however, as his relationship with Padres owner Ray Kroc and his wife Joan became publicly sour. Download Price List, SportsCardsPro 2019-2023 Featured here is a 1981 Topps Coca Cola baseball card signed by Aurelio Lopez. He is the younger brother of Vicente Romo, who also pitched in the majors. 1989 Donruss The Rookies Ken Griffey Jr. #3. You can almost feel the tension in this card as he's poised and just waiting for the perfect moment to break for second. The right card could make you rich.