Jim Palmer won the CY Young awards three times. Some consider Brett to be the greatest Kansas City Royals player of all time. with his trademark cheeky smile and a bat thrown over his shoulder. A decade or so later, salaries had escalated considerably, and Ryan had turned into a bona fide legend as he headed across the Lone Star state to the Texas Rangers. This post contains affiliate links. He was the National League Rookie of the Year 1997 and won the Most Valuable Player Award in 1987. A smiling Big Mac donned in red, white and blue? We purchase sports cards as an alternative investment to stocks, bonds, and real estate. All that comes with a downside, of course. The speedy Kansas City Royals outfielder also accumulated 1,639 hits, 451 stolen bases and two All-Star Game appearances during the decade. He also won three Silver Slugger Awards and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000, his nickname was The Commander. The most valuable cards after the rookie season include: 1985 Topps Tiffany #460 Ryne Sandberg Card. The 1985 drug trials shone a light on players who were using illegal substances and struggling with addiction. In the end, Mullet landed at .390, but it was good enough to cop the AL MVP award and solidify his status as an all-timer and to make this 1980 Topps card a stone-cold classic. Barry Bonds 1986 Topps Traded Tiffany #11T. PRICES POP APR FACTS REGISTRY SHOP WITH AFFILIATES. Rices relatively meager 22 homers in 1980, then, registered as something of a disappointment, but the Boston faithful could hang their hopes on a rebound for the still-young 27-year-old. No wonder this Hall of Fame cardboard is among the most popular and valuable in the set. 25 Most Valuable Joe Montana Cards Worth Thousands, 29 Most Valuable 1989 Topps Baseball Cards In the World, 19 Most Valuable 1976 Topps Baseball Cards In The World, Top 29 Most Valuable 1980 Topps Baseball Cards In the World: Price List, 1. So why is it worth so darn much? While his graded autos occasionally fetch $25 or $30, that amount in no way compares to the eye-popping figures from his cleat-wearing colleagues of the time. By the time Rose passed the Georgia Peach on September 11, 1985, his cards were the hottest in the hobby, and theyve stayed near the top of every set since. Track your collection and maximize your profit with Market Movers, the hobbys most powerful sports card pricing platform! He is said to be one of the most talented players to ever play the game. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2010. On the world stage, the Cuban team emerged as a real force in international baseball with the country producing some of the decades finest players such as Omar Linares and Orestes Kindelan. Can you guess which pitcher recorded the most Wins Above Replacement (WAR) in the 1980s? So, with the help of the PSA Sports Market Report (SMR) price guide, below are the ten most valuable 1980s baseball cards based on PSA 9 listings in the SMR, presented in chronological order and also with PSA 10 prices added, for a little extra WOW! While they are easily available at most stores, some of them are worth a lot of money. Starting off the list of most valuable baseball cards from the 1980s is the 1980 Topps George Brett base set card. With his historical significance and unholy offensive weapons, people are looking for a Bonds rookie card that isn't massively overprinted. Only Ted Williams, Babe Ruth, and Oscar Charleston have higher numbers. Lou was nicknamed Iron Horse, he was 2-time AL Most Valuable Player, 7- time All Star and is a Baseball Hall of Fame inductee (1939). Coming into the 1980 season, the 1977 National League Rookie of the Year winner had yet to really take the next leap toward superstardom. Today, all of his cards remain hobby favorites, and this 1980 Topps beauty is no exception. He was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in, Robin Yount is a 3-time All Star and a 2-time American League Most Valuable Player. This Topps trading George Brett card is invaluable, it is an authentic autographed card. So, even though the pictures look pretty similar, the difference is striking in person. 1992 Topps #551 Top Prospects. 1991 Chipper Jones Topps Desert Shield RC #333 Buy on eBay Chipper Jones won a World Series and made eight All-Star appearances for the Atlanta Braves in a storied career. PSA 10. Dwight Gooden (1984 Fleer Update RC #U-43), Roger Clemens (1984 Fleer Update RC #U-27). Ripken Jr. spent his whole 21-year career in Baltimore and holds the record for most consecutive games in MLB with a staggering total of 2,632 which works out at 17 whole seasons. Price: $925,000 . Steve Carlton made his MLB debut in 1965 for the St Louis Cardinals, he held the life time strikeout awards many times between 1982 and 1984. Learn more here. Though hampered by, um, injuries that limited him to 515 plate appearances in 117 games, Brett nonetheless led the Royals to the World Series and also became the first man in decades to seriously chase a .400 batting average. That move, along with his seven no-hitters, 300+ wins, and 5000+ strikeouts sent Ryans cards into the stratosphere. But, then, he was a clean-cut kid, representing his country proudly at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Hes remained relevant to sports fans as the current manager of the Miami Marlins. A Topps mint 9 PSA card of Andre Dawsons who was nicknamed The Hawk. 1503 career games in left field earned him the seventh spot in AL history. By entering your email address you agree to receive email versions of the Baseball Card Market Report. Did we mention that Bo was the decathlon state champion in Alabama and set state records for the indoor high jump and triple jump? specifically, the fabled, Rookie Card can be arduous and expensive. He is a 10 time All-Star and two -time World Series Champion. We'll respect your privacy and you can unsubscribe at any time.. But the 1989 Bowman Tiffany #220 Ken Griffey Jr. card does not suffer from that problem. The 1980 Topps set was absolutely loaded with great catcher cards, and most of them showed the tools of ignorance to great effect. He won the American League Most Valuable Player award in 1973 and two World Series Most Valuable Player awards. This action-packed card was there all season as the Philly lefty reasserted his star, and its still solid in the hobby. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network. Almost as impressive, the sensational Red Sox hitters PSA 10 RC has not sold for anything under $1,300 since October 2021. 1983 O-Pee-Chee #143 Tony Gwynn Rookie Card. As the legend goes, Dave Winfield could play and excel at any sport that ever saw the light of day while he was in Minnesota, and he was given an opportunity to undertake most of them professionally. But, though Mr.Clean may never make the Cooperstown cut, he still gets his share of hobby attention, and his 1980 classic certainly has a HOF flair of its own. When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Good quality gem mint 10 card of Rod Carew. 25. Instead, he just wasn't quite good enough. Because, truth be told, the Red Sox star had an uncharacteristically injury-plagued and statistically anemic season in 1979, and 1980 was a bit truncated, too. And the better quality of the Tiffany card really brings out that sparkling smile from the young Mr. Jackson. But which baseball card sets were the best of the 80s? In 1980, Topps issued baseball cards of famous players in sports, especially baseball ones. 1 Rickey Henderson 1980 Topps #482: Not only the most valuable card of the 1980s, this beautiful piece of cardboard capturing the Man of Steals famed batting stance has proven to be one of the most important cards ever. So, there are only 38 PSA 10s on the market. While youll see a more valuable Mickey Mantle baseball card further down the list, this Mickey Mantle rookie card from 1951 sold for $750,000 as a PSA 9 graded card back in 2018. He is wearing that vaguely ridiculous old-school Pittsburgh Pirates cap once worn by the great Roberto Clemente. He is a 6time All-Star, 3-time World Series champion. But the Rickey Henderson 1980 Topps #482 card is helped along by the serious centering issues of the 1980 Topps Baseball set release. PSA says that just 6% of the 3,000 submitted to them have been in mint 10 conditions with a further 43% being graded 9. A mint version of this card might fetch up to $500 at auction. Most Commented Article: PSA vs BGS vs SGC (which is best?). How much is that card worth anyway? #1. His cardboard has resided near the top of the price list for just about every set he appears in for nearly three decades now, so its not surprising that he checks in with a solid showing here, too. It captures the simple patriotism of the Reagan era and the promise of "morning in America.". This PSA graded mint 9 Rickey Henderson rookie card is definitely one the most valuable baseball cards in the world. His 1983 Fleer rookie card is also a gem for collectors but its the Topps card from 1983 that holds the higher value. 1980 Topps Strikeout Nolan Ryan Card 3. Obviously, his career is now controversial. Ungraded cards are within reach for every single collector, selling for around $10. Therefore, their cards tend to be more expensive. Will the Thrill as he was nicknamed turned out to be a six-time All-Star and won two Silver Slugger titles. In a similar way, the world of Major League Baseball has gone through some whirlwind changes since then. 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. RC #1 Who cares if there are more copies printed to stretch around the world twice? And the card is a beauty. Today. While Bo Jackson Topps Traded Tiffany #50T traded is not the most iconic, it has emerged as the most valuable of the crop. 25 Most Valuable 1992 Topps Baseball Cards. He is a Cincinnati Reds Hall of Famer. The way Kirk pumped his fists while rounding the bases made him a Los Angeles icon and guaranteed a long-term market for his cards. PSA 7 cards are the most common for his card, with 478 graded in said condition. 10 Wade Boggs 1983 Topps #498: Between 82 and 89, Boggs never hit under .325 over a full season. A 7-time All-Star, 2-time World Series champion, he also has won the Golden Gloves awards 3 consecutive times. But the 1980 Topps #580 Nolan Ryan is quite a chronological distance from Ryan's 1968 rookie card. He held the lifetime strikeout record several times. Coming off his second All-Star appearance, Carter headed into 1980 as one of the best catchers in the game, and Topps unleashed a classic shot of The Kid that also helped establish him as a hobby favorite. 3 Nolan Ryan 1980 Topps #580: The only non-rookie on this roster, Ryans Topps card comes from a so-so 80 campaign where he still managed 200 strikeouts and a 3.35 ERA. Slab Strong (Protective Slab Bumper Sleeves). He was nicknamed Tom terrific and The Franchise. Watch. In fact, Stiebs 45.2 WAR in the 80s is more than 10 points better than second-placer Bob Welch (35.1). Grade: PSA 9. A PSA 10 has a value of $120,000Rickey Henderson was the best base stealer in history and the ultimate leadoff man. It wasnt just that Palmer won 20 games eight times in nine seasons from 1970 through 1978 , Or that he won three Cy Young awards and finished in the top 3 three other times . Every baseball fan of that generation has the image of him burning up the base paths etched into their memory. A PSA 10 has a value of $11,400Tony Gwynn was the best contact hitter of his generation and one of the best ever to grace the diamond. Two main reasons for that. A 3-time batting champion, he won the Most Valuable Player Award in 1973. 1 slot. Well, not only was Sutton *around* long enough to welcome the likes of Rick Sutcliffe, Steve Howe, and Fernando Valenzuela, he found a new gear in his mid-30s. In mint 9 conditions they are a lot more common and that is reflected in the valuation of around $900. This is arguably one of the most sought-after cards from the 1980s and its not an easy feat to find one well preserved which fuels its value. However, cards from Sandberg's first run with the Chicago Cubs are also quite valuable when sold in mint condition. By the time this card found its way into collectors hands, Ryan was gearing up for his run with the Houston Astros, thanks to a landmark contract. The ultra-simplistic design is reminiscent of the time with the majority taken up by the picture of Clemens, with simple blue and white borders and writing. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. This post may contain eBay affiliate links. You can check out our rundown of the best specific cards of the 80s or rare cards from the 1980s to grab a hint or two, but today we want to look at the sets as a whole; ranking the winners in terms of look and design, value offered, and of course, the players . As time progresses the likelihood is that more and more cards will suffer slight damage or be locked away and less and less will become available on the market pushing the value upwards. Seeing figures like that, you almost wonder if this rookie card at $3,000 is still too low. "Baseball Card Sold for $12.6 Million, Breaking Record - The 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle baseball card is the most valuable piece of sports memorabilia ever to be sold at auction". Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress. Nolan's unique combo of nasty stuff and superhuman longevity led to one of the most impressive pitching careers ever. He was an outfielder in the MLB, he played for the San Francisco Giants, New York Mets and Chicago White Sox. Like most vintage collectors, I have a couple of these that are wildly off-center. If you want a hobby time machine to take you back to the 1980s hobby boom, look no further than the most valuable 1987 Topps baseball cards. Youre likely to see standard versions of this card selling for modest sums, but a Topps Traded Tiffany edition is worth over $1000 in todays market. The 1980s are seen as a transformative era in terms of baseball card collecting, with some excellent cards and innovation bringing the hobby to the forefront of the media and paving the way for the decades that followed. There are a number of valuable Ripken Jr. cards out there but his 1982 Topps card is considered one of the best. In fact, this cards value lies in the set that it came from. While Trammell was busy ratcheting up his game in preparation for Detroits glory years later in the decade, collectors were treated all season long to the youngster practicing his bunt on a bright and sunny Topps card. Willie Stargell was a baseball left fielder; he was a valuable player and this PSA 9 mint card is undoubtedly valuable, he made his Major League Baseball debut in 1962 for the Pittsburgh Pirates.He had the most home runs (296) of any player in the 1970s. George Brett had 3154 career hits, which was second most by any third baseman in Major League history. This card shows very serious-looking Bonds staring intently at the camera. Don Sutton was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1998. PSA 8 George Foster card with perfect corners. 1992 Topps #242 Mike Mussina Rookie Card. Students of the game might have been forgiven for thinking Lefty had turned into his decline. Every baseball fan of that generation has the image of him burning up the base paths etched into their memory. NM-MT 8. Baseball trading cards today are graded by the Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) on a scale of one to 10, indicating how well they've been preserved over the years. There are only 32 (!!) Ever. Anyway, the power-hitting first baseman was one of the most promising rookies of the mid-1980s and put together a Hall-of-Fame-worthy career, tarnished by the suspected use of performance-enhancing drugs. The corners also struggle to remain in mint condition.