1981 topps baseball cards most valuable

This is the rookie card for Bronco's QB great John Elway. Tim Raines & Ramos Autographed 1981 Topps Rookie Card, 12. 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. 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). buy stuff after clicking links on our site In 1981, the 6'5 monster recorded his second straight 1000-yard season and led all of football with 88 catches. Plus Bonus Listings! While eligible for induction, Murphy peaked at 23% of the vote in 2000, falling well short of the 75% needed for entry. Tune in as Mrs. Wax Pack Gods reads about 1981 Topps Baseball Cards.When 1981 Topps baseball cards hit store shelves that spring, they were playing in a brav. 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. | Compare vs. Donruss Baseball Card Prices | PSA, BGS & Ungraded Prices - SportsCardsPro This Baseball card is in very good condition, with sharp corners and slight wear on the lower right corner. 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. Yes, the checklist is quite messy at times with the errors and variations. 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. After all, Rickey Henderson is the greatest lead-off hitter of all time, whose records for runs scored (2,295) and stolen bases (1,406) may very well never be broken. Enrique Romo Navarro is a former professional baseball relief pitcher. 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. 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. 0% 6 Don Mattingly 1984 Donruss #248: One of the most . In the teams first game back following the players strike, the 40-year-old recorded hit number 3,631, passing Stan Musial as the National Leagues all-time hits leader. The 1981 season was the seventh and final time. 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. 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). 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. In 2004 he was inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame; in 2005 he was enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Baines also won a Silver Slugger in 1989 and led the American League in slugging percentage (.541) in 1984. 1981 Topps Baseball 2nd Year Card Rickey Henderson, 3. There were tons of errors, collation inside boxes was hit and miss (mostly miss) and the . Baseballs hit king, Pete Rose, led all of baseball in total hits on seven different occasions. Thats why everyone is constantly asking the question: What are the most valuable 1981 Topps baseball cards?. Henderson was also top-notch on defense as he brought home his first-and-only Gold Glove. The following season, Seaver was as sharp as ever as he finished with an incredible .875 winning percentage after going 14-2 on the mound. Despite the ups and downs, there isplentyto enjoy about this set. 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 Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. 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. But, you'll remember that by 1982, Topps was no longer the only major company producing baseball cards as both Donruss and Fleer had joined the scene the year prior. 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. The 10 Most Valuable 1983 Topps Baseball Cards 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. 1981 Topps. During this era, the Montreal Expos had yet to move south to become . Read our methodology . And they delivered a great set with many stars and Hall of Famersand one of the biggest rookie cards of the 1980s. Sandwiched in between the "normal", if limp 1979 issue, and that 1981 set is another oddity. To top it all off, he earned his sixth All-Star selection, sixth Gold Glove, and second Silver Slugger award. This is a 1981 fleer rookie card with card number #418. 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. The 1961 Topps All-Star Mays falls in line with the others in the semi-high-number subset. Ozzie was always one of my favorite players to watch as a kid as his acrobatic defensive play left fans in awe time after time as he went on to collect 13 Gold Glove awards. The cards featured in this list represent the most coveted and desired of all 1981 Topps Baseball cards. 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. The move worked as the Royals responded by winning 20 of their last 33 to make the playoffs. . Top 10 Rickey Henderson Baseball Cards - The Cardboard Connection While Pete Rose set records elsewhere in the Phillies lineup, third baseman Mike Schmidt set the National League ablaze. Top 100 1980s Baseball Cards and Why They're So Memorable - Beckett News Roland Glen Fingers was an American right-handed relief pitcher who played for three teams between 1968 and 1985. 1981 Donruss. For its 1980-81 basketball set, Topps mixed things up by releasing an entire set in which each card had three panels, each . Donruss would take the experience with this set and continue to churn out many improved and memorable sets for years to come. Like everyone else, the shortened season didn't help his overall output but some key indicators had fallen off noticeably. 1981 Topps Expos Future Card Tim Haines Auto, 6. Topps has dominated the baseball card scene for the past six decades, issuing a set in every year . 1952 Topps #1 Andy Pafko. Let's be clear:most of the cards from this set do not have any value these days. 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. Rookie Cards were so valuable to collectors in 1989, that if Oprah had been involved in baseball cards, she would have been saying . Like the 1981 Fleer and Topps sets, large print runs saturated the market with these cards, driving down their values. Jackson green-lighted the eventual signing but expected Steinbrenner to offer him a new deal as well. It was also the first Topps set to feature a monster 792-card checklist. In the tenth inning of Game 6 of the 1986 World Series, Wilson stepped up to the plate with runners on first and third with his team trailing 5-4. And, if you look back at his stats for his rookie campaign in the 1982 season, there really was no reason he shouldn't have made the All-Star team that year, too. 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. 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. Somehow during all that success with college basketball, he also found the time to play for the Blue Jays from 1979 to 1981. That season was the first time batted .300 or better, crossed the 30 home run mark, scored 100 runs or more and drove in 100 or more RBI. Yastrzemski played two more seasons in Boston before retiring, making All-Star appearances at the age of 42 and 43 during the 1982 and 1983 seasons, respectively. Cards. $68.95. Our hunt for the 80s most valuable baseball cards includes Don Mattingly, Cal Ripken Jr., Nolan Ryan, Ricky Henderson. Having earned the right to produce baseball cards in a court case with Topps, the 1981 Donruss set became the company's first baseball offering. The card features St. Louise Cardinals Batter Ted Simmons and is worth $49.45. The season was noted for the change in playoff format, which created the first-ever Divisional Series with a qualification variant that existed only for that season; and the players strike, which truncated the regular season. However, due to market conditions, values fluctuate. 1981 Fleer Card Prices | PSA & Ungraded Values - SportsCardsPro 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. 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. $9.99. Read our methodology. In 1981, Donruss and Fleer gave Topps some much-needed competition. 10 Most Valuable Rookie Cards from the 1980s, Ranked List, Best, Guide . Ultimately, Winfield decided to play baseball for the San Diego Padres beginning in 1973. 10 Most Valuable 1991 Topps Baseball Cards - Sports Card Investor Despite the poor production, Jackson still earned a spot on the All-Star team for the eleventh time in his career. Prices for 1982 Topps Baseball Cards 1982 Topps card list & price guide. 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. Top 15 Most Expensive Nolan Ryan Cards - Thrillpack Cards To be fair, though, his innings pitched totals in Houston weren't as steep as those during his time in California, and his 11.5 strikeouts per nine innings in 1987 was the highest mark of his career. The most valuable baseball card from the 1980s is Rickey Henderson's 1980 Topps rookie card. The problem was that the 33-year-old Bench simply wasn't healthy. The Boston Celtics drafted Ainge in the 1981 NBA Draft and bought his contract from the Blue Jays and the rest was history. $12.95. 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. 2022 Topps Heritage Baseball Most Valuable Cards and Checklist; These 10 GOATS . 1981 Topps Enrique Romo Signed Pittsburgh Pirates, 15. 1982 Topps #30 Tom Seaver. $195. Average . Bench is somewhat of an anomaly on this list, showing up with only one 1981 Fleer card, and all. 1981 Topps Baseball 2nd Year Card Rickey Henderson. Click on any Donruss Set to see a full list of Cards and their current value. 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. Let's be honest, it didn't matter what jersey Ryan wore or what style it was, he was going throw major heat regardless. 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. On the right side were four rows of six . $15.00. 721 Toby Harrah. Mattingly's Donruss rookie was produced in smaller quantities than his Topps rookie, so it's worth more. Local card shops, department stores and gas stations-- to say boxes of these cards were everywhere might be the understatement of the decade. He also holds the schools record for most strikeouts in both a single season and total career strikeouts with 309 in 305 innings pitched. Easily the most valuable gem mint in the set, this card from the Man of Steal garners between $600-900 on the secondary markets. But, hey, that's the kind of excitement that he brought to the game: you never knew if he were going to bury one over the fence or get sent right back to the dugout. Now anchoring the back of the Brewers bullpen, Fingers won by a mere eleven points. PriceIt Game | 1981 Reggie Jackson Topps Project 70 Card, 10. The card features famous baseball player Reggie Jackson and is worth $75. 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. Keith was a baseball first baseman. 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. Like Roger Clemens, Kirby Puckett has a 1984 Fleer Update XRC. Recently, the price of a PSA 9 has continued to steadily fall to around $2,000 or less. They didn't call him "Steady Eddie" for nothing. Most Watched 2022 Baseball Rookie Cards on eBay; Bowman Chrome Cards; Wander Franco Cards; . Ross is the founder of Old Sports Cards and has been collecting sports cards for over 30 years. Total Cards: 726. Top 20 Sports Cards of 2018 - Beckett News The 1990 American League Most Valuable Player, Henderson also was the lead-off hitter for two World Series championship teams, the 1989 Oakland Athletics and the 1993 Toronto Blue Jays. He won the American League MVP award with one of the best offensive seasons in league history, flirted with .400, and made his first World Series appearance. 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. He played in Major League Baseball between 1977 and 1982 for the Seattle Mariners and the Pittsburgh Pirates. This bad boy sold for $18,500 on eBay auctions in May 2021. 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. At that point, Murphy looked like he was on a surefire trajectory to Cooperstown. Dale Murphy enjoyed a bit of a breakout year in 1980 as he hit 33 home runs, scored 98 runs, had 89 RBI and made his first of seven career All-Star teams. The offense stagnated, and the Astros fell 4-0. The Padres also had some great retro jerseys during the 1980s but Ozzie really topped things off with those sideburns. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2022 by Old Sports Cards, LLC. 1981 Topps Gary Carter Autograph Card, 25 Most Valuable 1981 Fleer Baseball Cards In The World, 19 Most Valuable 1976 Topps Baseball Cards In The World, 25 Most Valuable 1987 Topps Baseball Cards In The World, 29 Most Valuable 1991 Topps Baseball Cards In the World, 25 Most Valuable 1988 Topps Baseball Cards In The World, 29 Most Valuable 1989 Topps Baseball Cards In the World, 25 Rarest and Most Valuable Quarters Worth Money, 24 Rarest and Most Valuable State Quarters Worth Money, 25 Rare 50 Dollar Bills: Value And Price Chart, 26 Rarest And Most Valuable Pennies Worth Money, 15 Rarest and Most Valuable Sacagawea Coins Worth Money, Rarest and Most Valuable Charizard Pokemon Cards, 29 Most Valuable Shaq Rookie Cards Ever Sold, 29 Most Valuable Frank Thomas Cards Youd Find On eBay, 29 Most Valuable 1992 Topps Baseball Cards, 29 Most Valuable 1992 Leaf Baseball Cards in the World, 29 Most Valuable 1991 Upper Deck Baseball Cards Worth Money, 29 Most Valuable 1991 Skybox Basketball Cards For Collectors. 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. 1985 Fleer Kirby Puckett RC #286. 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. Most Watched Baseball Cards. For the 1980 season, Henderson raised eyebrows with his extraordinary speed as he led the league in stolen bases (100) for the first of twelve times in his legendary career. And, yes, it would've been nice to see rookie cards of Fernando Valenzuela, Harold Baines and Kirk Gibson as well. 8. And he didn't lose any steam in the postseason, either, as he would end up leading the Phillies to the World Series title while batting .381, belting two home runs, driving in seven RBI, and scoring six runs. Had Los Angeles's Fernando Valenzuela's not been so dominant in 1981, dousing the baseball world in "Fernandomania," Seaver would have earned his fourth Cy Young as he finished runner-up. This card is among the most valuable cards from the set, with PSA 10 cards of this type collecting several thousand dollars at best. They finished the season with a .546 winning percentage in front of 1,060,379 fans who saw them play. In 1981, Schmidt became the eighth player in MLB history to do just that. Before the season, Steinbrenner went to Jackson for his thoughts on the team's pursuit of free-agent slugger Dave Winfield. 1 Rickey Henderson #119. 1981 Topps Traded Baseball Cards - The Cardboard Connection The continued adoption of Sabermetrics no doubt helped push him across the finish line and into Cooperstown. Prices are updated daily based upon 1981 Topps listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. On May 29th against the San Francisco Giants, Bench slid into second base, attempting to break up a double play but fractured his left ankle in the process. We are user supported. February 20, 2023; Super Bowl Delivers . This card is worth $45 but could go higher. But, for the 1982 season, Smith would never actually suit up for the Padres as he was traded to St. Louis for another highly-regarded shortstop in Garry Templeton. 25 Most Valuable 1983 Topps Baseball Cards - Old Sports Cards Here we see Yaz staring off into the distance almost as if he's thinking back on his careeror maybe he's just watching a teammate take batting practice. Grade: PSA 10. That just shows you what kind of effect being a Hall of Famer can have on baseball card prices. 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. Owchinko played baseball for Eastern Michigan University. . 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. 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. He was the clear choice for National League MVP and also picked up a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger. 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. For one more year, at least, Topps was the only game in town in 1980. Perhaps Wilson's finest point of his career came during one of the most memorable at-bats in baseball history that lasted ten pitches, sent Mets fans soaring, and broke Red Sox fans' hearts. After nearly a decade-and-a-half as the standard for MLB catchers, Cincinnati Reds Hall-of-Famer Johnny Bench changed positions for the 1981 season. Carew's career batting average ended up at .328, while his best single-season average was .388 in 1977. Heres a rare rainbow foil card in mint condition by Risk Foil. George Riley Autographed 1981 Topps Rookie Card, 14. Wade Boggs is an American former baseball player who retired as a third baseman after 18 seasons of Major League Baseball. 25 Most Valuable 1982 Topps Baseball Cards - Old Sports Cards 1983 Donruss. Mookie came up big for the Mets again in Game 7, going 1 for 3 with a run scored to help the Mets beat the Red Sox 8-5 to win the title. Need help buying or selling cards or have a general question about the hobby? 1981 Topps Scratch-Offs. During the 1977 season, Andre Dawson batted .282 with 19 home runs and 65 RBI, which earned him NL Rookie of the Year honors. A right-hander, he threw and batted right-handed. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. 1983 Topps #482 Tony Gwynn Rookie Card. The greatest catcher of all time, Johnny Bench played in seventeen seasons with the Cincinnati Reds from 1967 to 1983, and in 2011 the team erected a statue in his honor at Great American Ballpark. "I've learned to stay within myself, not be afraid to fail.". 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. 10 Greatest Topps Baseball Cards To Buy Now In 2023 - Gold Card Auctions 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 . Smith continued his outstanding defensive work in 1981 by leading the National League in assists for the third straight year to pick up his second straight Gold Glove. 6. 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. At the time, two Major League Baseball clubs, the Montreal Expos, and the Toronto Blue Jays played in Canada, where . If not for Fernando Valenzuela's incredible rookie performance and "Fernandomania" taking the sport by storm, Raines would've easily won the 1981 NL Rookie of the Year Award. He was nicknamed Mex because his name suggested that he was of Mexican descent. 1. The 1980 Topps Rickey Henderson is such a beautiful card. 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. In the team's NLDS loss to the Expos, Schmidt hit .250 (4-for-16) with one home run, two RBI, and four walks. 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. Unfortunately, his production fizzled out in the 1990s, so he didn't quite finish off a career worthy of Cooperstown. Year sold: 2018. . 1981 Topps #347 Harold Baines Rookie Card. Most Valuable Rookie Card in Every Topps Baseball Set, 1952-2020 Rating: 7.5 (174 votes) Click here to Rate. Unlike Smith, Cal Ripken's chances at the Hall of Fame were never in doubt. After a complete-game victory in Game 1, Ryan allowed three runs (two earned) in six innings in the deciding Game 5. He was named Rolaids Relief Man of the Year four times and led the major leagues in saves three times. Schmidt was, arguably, the game's best player for the second-straight season. . document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2022 by Old Sports Cards, LLC. It was a fitting punctuation mark for one of Ryan's best seasons on the mound. 1980 Topps Rickey Henderson RC #482. PSA 9 examples have sold for upwards of $6,000. Or, feel free to call/text me at 305-684-6680! 10 Most Valuable 1987 Topps Baseball Cards - Sports Card Investor And unlike Brett, Schmidt followed up his 1980 MVP campaign with another one during the 1981 season. Just look at that awesome retro Astros jersey in all its striped glory!