1981 topps baseball cards most valuable

721 Toby Harrah. Track your collection for free. Baseball; Sets; 1981; Overview; 1981 Topps. Shortcuts: Most Expensive, Cheapest, List by Card # You own: 0 / 1202 items 0% Track your collection for free. Read our methodology. During the offseason, the Padres and Cardinals worked a multi-player deal headlined by sending Smith to St. Louis and Garry Templeton to San Diego. Tags 1981 Topps Baseball. In this guide, I will cover the 25 most valuable in the set. Interestingly, Ryan's highest single-season strikeout total in nine years with the Houston Astros was only 270 in 1987, a year in which he also led the NL with a 2.76 ERA. The offense stagnated, and the Astros fell 4-0. #6. 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. Mike Schmidt was arguably the best third baseman in baseball history and will always be remembered for both his power and his glove. Somehow during all that success with college basketball, he also found the time to play for the Blue Jays from 1979 to 1981. It was the only time in his career where he batted .300, and he also led the league in home runs with 41 round-trippers. 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. Reggie was furious and blasted The Boss in the media. A remarkable all-around . While they used to be a bit overlooked, it's nice to see the 1980 Topps baseball set getting more love in recent years. These are the result of decades of collecting and dealing for many companies, dealers, and collectors across America. The reverse of this card is just one of the many quirks found inside Donruss's debut set. A rare 1980/81 baseball card. The course of Seaver's career would take a significant turn at the trading deadline in 1977, though, when he was involved in "the Midnight Massacre" that sent him to the Reds. Pate] #479. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1993. Card Number: #418. This Baseball card is in very good condition, with sharp corners and slight wear on the lower right corner. 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. Shortcuts: Most Expensive, Cheapest, List by Card # Rookie Cards: Options . 723 Bruce Bochte. And, yes, it would've been nice to see rookie cards of Fernando Valenzuela, Harold Baines and Kirk Gibson as well. Raw: $20 PSA 9: $100 PSA 10: $900 One of the most popular players of his era, Vladimir Guerrero was the No. Prices are updated daily based upon 1981 Topps listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. That means the card needs to be flawless. Need help buying or selling cards or have a general question about the hobby? 1 Rickey Henderson #119. #7. 1981 Topps card list & price guide. Bench was also known for the long ball as he led the league in home runs twice and finished his career with 389. 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. Most Valuable Rookie Card in Every Topps Baseball Set, 1952-2020 50 Most Valuable Baseball Cards of All Time | Stadium Talk 0% Let's be clear:most of the cards from this set do not have any value these days. 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. 1981 Topps Expos Future Card Tim Haines Auto. His .246 batting average and .355 slugging percentage were also career lows. And in this guide, I'll run through the ten most valuable. Enrique Romo Navarro is a former professional baseball relief pitcher. 1 1980 Batting Leaders - George Brett / Bill Buckner 2 1980 Home Run Leaders - Reggie Jackson / Ben Oglivie / Mike Schmidt . Steven Thomas Avery is an American left-handed former pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). Unfortunately, his production fizzled out in the 1990s, so he didn't quite finish off a career worthy of Cooperstown. 1954 Topps #128 Hank Aaron RC. In 1981, the 6'5 monster recorded his second straight 1000-yard season and led all of football with 88 catches. Let's be clear:most of the cards from this set do not have any value these days. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 cards featured in this list represent the most coveted and desired of all 1981 Topps Baseball cards. Ungraded. Each 1-13/16" by 3-1/4" card featured a small full-color portrait of the player with his name printed below his image on the left side of the card. 1981 Topps Basketball Cards - PSA Price Guide Most of Tom Seaver's pitching brilliance occurred during his first eleven seasons in the Majors with the New York Mets as he was named 1967 Rookie of the Year and won three Cy Youngs (1969, 1973, and 1975) during that time. Inc. When Bench managed to stay healthy enough to be in the lineup, he was quite productive. 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. In Game 4 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, he'd return with New York holding a 2-1 advantage to try and help the team across the finish line. 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. While it may not be one of the most popular sets of the era, the 1982 Topps baseball card set packed plenty of star power and two key Hall of Fame rookie cards. Instead, he was more of a craftsman on the mound and outsmarted hitters to allow a career-low 6.5 hits per nine innings. 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. In 1981, Schmidt became the eighth player in MLB history to do just that. As their everyday first baseman, that put Rose on the opposite corner of the field as Phillies icon Mike Schmidt at third. 10 Most Valuable Rookie Cards from the 1980s, Ranked List, Best, Guide Known as the Man of Steal, he is widely considered to have been baseballs greatest leadoff hitter and baserunner. 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. 1. As you can see, some of the game's biggest legends of all time can be found within the 726-card checklist. 205 Pete Rose Record Breaker - Phillies. 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. 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. 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. "I've learned to stay within myself, not be afraid to fail.". Rookie Cards. Need help buying or selling cards or have a general question about the hobby? Immediately afterward, the price of his 1982 Topps rookie card in PSA 10 condition shot through the roof. We don't know how big a role nostalgia plays with this one, but it still regularly sells north of $40. Henderson posted a brilliant 1.144 OPS against New York, but the rest of the Oakland lineup went dead silent. Ungraded & graded values for all '81 Fleer Baseball Cards. He played parts of four seasons in the MLB between 1979 and 1986, with the Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, and Montreal Expos. Getting hands on a card like this is pretty difficult. 1956 Topps Mickey Mantle #135. 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. 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). Mickey Mantle card: The most expensive baseball card in history just Henderson has two cards in the 1981 Fleer which feature photographs that appear to be taken just seconds apart. While George Brett lit up the AL in 1980, Mike Schmidt was doing the same in the NL and would take home his first of three career MVP Awards for his efforts. The 1981 Canadian version of the 1981 Nolan Ryan Topps baseball card came from O-Pee-Chee at a time when there were two Canadian teams registered in MLB. 2017-18 Panini National Treasures Donovan Mitchell RC Auto Patch /99. 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. 1981 Topps Traded MLB Baseball Trading Cards Pick From List #727-#858. Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $2,000. To top it all off, he earned his sixth All-Star selection, sixth Gold Glove, and second Silver Slugger award. 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. 6 Don Mattingly 1984 Donruss #248: One of the most . 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. Had Fred Lynn (.333) not barely edged out Brett (.329) for the title in 1979, then they would've had all nine of them. This card is among the most valuable cards from the set, with PSA 10 cards of this type collecting several thousand dollars at best. Boston missed the playoffs by 1.5 games in the second-half AL East race. He was named Player of the Decade by The Sporting News at the end of his career. The card features St. Louise Cardinals Batter Ted Simmons and is worth $49.45. PriceIt Game | 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2022 by Old Sports Cards, LLC. It was also the first Topps set to feature a monster 792-card checklist. I love both of these cards not so much because it's Reggie Jackson we're talking about, but because of all the 1980's awesomeness on display. . Who doesnt enjoy looking through their packs of cards whenever they find themselves in a fabled card shop. 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. While the 1982 Topps baseball card set may not ever be known as the company's best-looking in terms of design, it did pack a lot of star power and two Hall of Fame rookie cards. Get my weekly newsletter with the latest hobby updates delivered straight to your inbox! But rather than hanging them up after the season, Yastrzemski got to work. Rookie Cards were so valuable to collectors in 1989, that if Oprah had been involved in baseball cards, she would have been saying . Ross is the founder of Old Sports Cards and has been collecting sports cards for over 30 years. 29 Most Valuable 1989 Topps Baseball Cards In the World 1981 Topps Traded Tim Raines Rookie Baseball Card #816 NM-MT FREE SHIPPING. He was a member of the Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox, Cincinnati Reds, and Detroit Tigers. One of the most beloved New York Mets in franchise history, Mookie Wilson finished seventh in the 1981 NL Rookie of the Year race and went on to a very successful career until he retired in 1991. 1981 Topps Expos Future Card Tim Haines Auto, 6. Price: $299.75 Grade: PSA 10. But he is more famous for the accusations of gambling that led Major League Baseball to ban him from the sport in 1989. Contact him at [emailprotected]. Back to the point at hand. 1981 Topps Bob Owchinko Baseball Card, 11. 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. 1981 Topps Baseball Cards - Set Info and Best Cards - Sports Cards Rock 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 . 1961 Topps Baseball Cards - 16 Most Valuable - Wax Pack Gods He was even the first player to collect 100 hits from both sides of the plate. Rose collected 140 hits in 1981, slashing .325/.391/.390 in his third year with the Philadelphia Phillies. 726 cards. Cards like this tend to have more value than regular ones. Ted Simmons St. Louis Cardinals 1981 Topps, 17. 2. Tim Raines was one of the most successful stealers in baseball history and can be seen on the far left of the card. Donruss Baseball Card Prices | PSA, BGS & Ungraded Prices - SportsCardsPro 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. He spent eleven seasons with four teams in Major League Baseball the majority of it spent with the Detroit Tigers. Rating: 7.5 (174 votes) Click here to Rate. 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 1980 season would be Winfield's last with the Padres as the Yankees signed him to a ten-year, $23 million contract making him the game's highest-paid player at the time. Even more impressive, his 1982 Topps issue wasn't his last card as he also made it into the 1983 Topps set. 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. That effort would place him sixth in MVP voting and solidify his reputation for similar, consistent production over the rest of his Hall of Fame career. He also paced the Majors in ERA+ (195) and hits per 9 innings (6.0). Reggie Jackson played five seasons as a member of the New York Yankees from 1977 to 1981, and the 1980 season turned out to be his best in pinstripes. George Riley Autographed 1981 Topps Rookie Card, 14. 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. The 1981 season stands out for Eddie Murray in a unique way: somehow, it was the only season where he managed to lead the American League in home runs (22) and RBI (78). 6 Rickey Henderson #180. PSA/DNA Certified. Rod Carew Autographed 1981 Topps Squirt Card, 19. Grade. 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. 5 Most Valuable Baseball Cards 1980s - Nerdable.com The three-time MVP would smash 548 home runs over his career as he led the league in that category an amazing 8 times. Unlike George Brett's MVP card, Schmidt's featured an altogether different image than that of his base card. Donruss would take the experience with this set and continue to churn out many improved and memorable sets for years to come. However, during early 2021, PSA 9 examples of this card frequently sold for $4,000 - $5,000 or more. Shortcuts: Most Expensive, Cheapest, List by Card # On his 1982 Topps card, Ripken is sandwiched between Bob Bonner and Jeff Schneider as part of the "Future Stars" subset with the Baltimore Orioles. PSA 9 examples have sold for upwards of $6,000. And some of those players appeared on multiple cards. In 1981, the Boston Red Sox played 108 games during the regular season and won 59 of those games, losing 49. Bench is somewhat of an anomaly on this list, showing up with only one 1981 Fleer card, and all. Ken Griffey Jr. Now that we got that out of the way, let's take a look at the list: The 1981 American League MVP race came down to two men, Oakland Athletics left fielder Rickey Henderson and former As closer Rollie Fingers. 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. On our list is an ungraded card featuring the 1981 Boston Red Sox, it was probably signed by the manager for the team, it is currently worth $72. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2022 by Old Sports Cards, LLC. List; Gallery; Gallery - 6 Cards per Page; Gallery - 8 Cards per Page; Gallery - 9 Cards per Page; 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.