Prices are updated daily based upon 1981 Topps listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. The cards featured in this list represent the most coveted and desired of all 1981 Topps Baseball cards. No More Secrets Puzzle Game, Ungraded 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. As you can see, some of the game's biggest legends of all time can be found within the 726-card checklist. . Boston missed the playoffs by 1.5 games in the second-half AL East race. List; Gallery; Gallery - 6 Cards per Page; Gallery - 8 Cards per Page; Gallery - 9 Cards per Page; In 196 plate appearances (178 at-bats), he slashed .309/.369/.489 with eight home runs and 25 RBI. 10 Bo Jackson #600. 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. 725 Steve Rogers. Roberto Ramos in the middle who was an amazing catcher during his prime and the beloved Bobby Pate who commanded respect in the outfield. Within the set were also several different subsets, including: The colorful design and decent photography give this set an overall great look and feel, with many cards having fantastic eye appeal. I remember several years ago you could find this card in a PSA 9 holder quite easily for $400 or so, which made it undervalued even back then. 1. Carew's career batting average ended up at .328, while his best single-season average was .388 in 1977. 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. $15.00. SEE THE CARD HERE! Contact him at [emailprotected]. Aurelio Alejandro Lpez Rios was a Mexican professional baseball player. While some of the game's big names struggled with the split-season, Schmidt held things together all year to lead the Majors in home runs (31), RBI (91), OBP (.435), slugging percentage (.644), OPS (1.080), OPS + (198), and total bases (228). Bench is somewhat of an anomaly on this list, showing up with only one 1981 Fleer card, and all. #8. Schmidt was, arguably, the game's best player for the second-straight season. When graded gem mint 10 by PSA, the value has gone as high as $180,000. 1981 Topps Project 70 Card Wade Boggs by Efdot FOIL, 8. It is also (by a slight margin) the most valuable card in the 1984 Topps Football set. That just shows you what kind of effect being a Hall of Famer can have on baseball card prices. This is a 1981 fleer rookie card with card number #418. 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. Get my weekly newsletter with the latest hobby updates delivered straight to your inbox! Despite the poor production, Jackson still earned a spot on the All-Star team for the eleventh time in his career. 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. 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. Ross is the founder of Old Sports Cards and has been collecting sports cards for over 30 years. He also loves to write about the hobby and has written for Beckett, Topps, SABR and of course, this website. He also led the National League in runs scored (78) and walks (73). 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. This card once was worth upwards of $50, and until Jose Canseco came along, it was the most valuable regular-issue 1980s card in the book. Most Expensive, 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. Only Tony Gwynn had come closer to batting .400 or better since Ted Williams last did it in 1941 when Gwynn batted .394 in 110 games during the strike-shortened 1994 season. But he is more famous for the accusations of gambling that led Major League Baseball to ban him from the sport in 1989. 1981 Topps Traded MLB Baseball Trading Cards Pick From List #727-#858. - http://bit.ly/W. On the field, Jackson had his worst offensive season since his sophomore campaign as he slashed a modest .237/.330/.428 with 15 home runs and 54 RBI. In 2004 he was inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame; in 2005 he was enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Things screeched to a halt, though, when Jackson injured his calf running the bases in Game 2 of the ALCS against Oakland. Part of the explanation is that Yount was quietly consistent and playing in small-market Milwaukee certainly didn't help. Murphy struggled a bit during the 1981 split season as his batting average fell to a paltry .247 and his slugging percentage plunged to .390 from .510 the year before. 29 Most Valuable 1989 Topps Baseball Cards In the World 6. The current value of this baseball card is $199.99, it has the signature of Tim Raines. Wilson hit a weak grounder towards Boston's Bill Buckner at first base, and the ball squeaked by him, allowing Wilson to reach first base safely while Ray Knight scored the winning run. $260. Donovan Mitchell was one of the standouts in a loaded 2017-18 NBA rookie class. When Bench managed to stay healthy enough to be in the lineup, he was quite productive. 1981 Topps Traded Fernando Valenzuela, 16. 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. 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. 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. Valenzuela won both the Rookie of the Year and Cy Young Awards, and the Dodgers made it all the way to the World Series. The right card could make you rich. 15 Baseball Cards Now Worth A Fortune And 15 That Are - TheSportster 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. 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. 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. When it comes to Rookie Cards, 1981 Topps is one . Unfortunately, his production fizzled out in the 1990s, so he didn't quite finish off a career worthy of Cooperstown. 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Despite missing the call to the Hall, Murphy was a hero to many kids who collected during his brilliant run in the 1980s, and today those kids are adult collectors with money to spare, keeping his cards in decent demand. 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. Let's be clear:most of the cards from this set do not have any value these days. Checklist Top. Tim Haines finished second in Rookie of the Year voting, 19th in MVP, and earned his first All-Star selection. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2022 by Old Sports Cards, LLC. 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. With the 22-year-old star setting the table, the As earned a playoff spot with a 37-23 first-half record and finished with the American Leagues best overall record at 64-45. Mickey Mantle card: The most expensive baseball card in history just It was also the first Topps set to feature a monster 792-card checklist. Murray appeared in his second All-Star Game that season and finished things off with a fifth-place finish in the MVP vote, one of six times he finished in the top five in his storied career. 10 Greatest Topps Baseball Cards To Buy Now In 2023 - Gold Card Auctions Its nice design and classic pose have helped make it one of the most recognizable cards in the hobby, not just from the 1980s. 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. 1984 Topps Football Cards: Most Valuable (Top Picks) - All Vintage Cards Heres an amazing baseball card that in my opinion should be worth more than it currently is. After the Royals split their first twenty games of the second half, he was fired, and former Yankees manager Dick Howser took the reins. 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. 30 Wicked Nolan Ryan Baseball Card Investments In 2023 - Gold Card Auctions 1 Rickey Henderson #119. The record-breaking card is from his rookie season and was produced by trading card giant Topps. When collectors think back to the junk wax era, one of the first sets to jump into minds is 1987 Topps Baseball. He played in Major League Baseball between 1977 and 1982 for the Seattle Mariners and the Pittsburgh Pirates. Although the 1980 season would mark the first of a nine-year stint for Nolan Ryan with the Houston Astros, Topps still had to show him as a member of the California Angels because of the timing of their print run for their 1980 Topps set. He did his best, hitting .333 with a 1.095 in the final three games, but New York dropped all three and the series. We are user supported. Although this one isn't worth as much as it might . The card from 1981 features three outstanding baseball players who were kings in their lanes. And, over the years, it's started to grow on collectors more and more after nostalgia for that era has increased and many collectors have a newfound appreciation for hobby history. 8. And, in this guide, we look at the 25 most valuable. Sports Cards: 10 Most Valuable Baseball Rookie Cards of the 1990s 10 Most Valuable Basketball Cards from the 1980s - Gold Card Auctions As his time with the Yankees had come to a close, Jackson packed his bag and headed back to the West Coast, signing to play for the California Angels. Easily the most valuable gem mint in the set, this card from the Man of Steal garners between $600-900 on the secondary markets. Ryan dazzled on that fall afternoon in Houston, striking out eleven and walking just three. 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. 1981 Topps 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. 6) 1981 Topps Traded Rollie Fingers (#761) This may be the most iconic 1981 baseball card of all, thanks to 1) Fingers signature mustache, 2) the old-school kneeling pose, 3) the Cy Young-MVP twofer Rollie pulled off in 1981, and the 1982 Topps Kmart set that immortalized the entire card in miniature. 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 Boston Celtics drafted Ainge in the 1981 NBA Draft and bought his contract from the Blue Jays and the rest was history. 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. While they both made their MLB debuts in 1961, Brock would retire after the 1979 season with 3,023 hits while Yaz would stick around until 1983 and finished with 3,419 hits. The subsets in the 1981 Topps baseball cards include the league leaders (1-8), record breakers (201-208), and team cards with checklists on the back (661-686).The key rookie cards from this set include #315 Kirk Gibson, #347 Harold Baines, and #302 Fernando Valenzuela. Tune in as Mrs. Wax Pack Gods reads 1982 Topps Baseball Cards - 17 Most Valuable . 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. It would have been nice to see an action shot of Seaver on his 1982 Topps card but this is still a good-looking card overall. Most Expensive "I had hit .300 before, but I couldn't hold it," he said. Throughout his career, Carter was known for his hitting and excellent defense, as well as his ability to handle pitchers. Brock crossed the mark with a single on August 13, 1979 while Yaz hit a single of his own on September 12, 1979 to join the club. This is a rare Topps card from 1981 containing his signature. 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. #7. 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. This bad boy sold for $18,500 on eBay auctions in May 2021. 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. 1954 Topps #128 Hank Aaron RC. In 21 starts, Ryan finished 11-5 with an MLB-best 1.69 ERA. Read our methodology. Reginald Martinez Jackson is a former American right fielder who spent the majority of his 21-year professional baseball career with the Kansas City and Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees, and ended his career with a two-year stint for the California Angels. 35th Anniversary: Five Underrated 1981 Donruss Baseball Cards Ungraded & graded values for all '81 Topps Baseball Cards. Not bad for an 11th round pick (#250 overall) in the 1975 MLB Draft. Ultimately, Winfield decided to play baseball for the San Diego Padres beginning in 1973. He was even the first player to collect 100 hits from both sides of the plate. Ungraded. 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. Brett was one of the finest hitters in baseball history, but I think what is most impressive was his longevity as a top hitter, having won a batting title in three different decades (1976, 1980, and 1990). In the second half, they finished 1.5 games behind the Astros to miss the playoffs entirely. 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. 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. 1955 Topps #164 Roberto Clemente RC. 6 Rickey Henderson #180. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1993. He also loves to write about the hobby and has written for Beckett, Topps, SABR and of course, this website. 29 Surprisingly Cheap: 1985 Mark McGwire Topps. 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. 2 prospect in baseball at the start of the 1997 season after hitting . While eligible for induction, Murphy peaked at 23% of the vote in 2000, falling well short of the 75% needed for entry. The problem was that the 33-year-old Bench simply wasn't healthy. The 1981 Topps baseball card set consist of 726 standard size cards that measure 2" by 3". In those 108 games, they played at Fenway Park where they had a record of 56-52. Baseballs hit king, Pete Rose, led all of baseball in total hits on seven different occasions. 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. 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. 1982 Topps Baseball Cards - 17 Most Valuable Plus Bonus Listings! Prices for 1982 Topps Baseball Cards 1982 Topps card list & price guide. 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. 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. 20 Most Valuable Topps Baseball Rookie Cards Of The 1970s. 1981 Topps Basketball Cards - PSA Price Guide 2017-18 Panini National Treasures Donovan Mitchell RC Auto Patch /99. 25 Most Valuable 1981 Fleer Baseball Cards In The World Pate] #479. 1981 Topps Bob Owchinko Baseball Card, 11. While Brett would undoubtedly be on this list anyway, this is an example of where a special season for a player can make his card stand out even more than it may have otherwise. Most Valuable Baseball Cards of All Time . . He was nicknamed Mex because his name suggested that he was of Mexican descent. 1981 Topps card list & price guide. 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. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. 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. buy stuff after clicking links on our site Every collector knows that theres some serious money to be made off certain cards. 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. The continued adoption of Sabermetrics no doubt helped push him across the finish line and into Cooperstown. This article breaks down the top 19 most valuable 1981 Topps Baseball Cards In the World, as well as how much each card is worth. 4. 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 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. This card has been signed by him and is currently worth $49. During the rush to market, they also ended up with many errors and variations in their debut set, but that was to be expected. 1982 Donruss. There's no questioning the significance of 1980 Topps baseball cards in hobby history. All told, Bench played in just 52 of Cincinnati's 108 games. 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. We don't know how big a role nostalgia plays with this one, but it still regularly sells north of $40. Kansas City went 20-30 in the season's first half and started the second half slowly, with Manager Jim Frey taking the heat. But, this will always be the set that got their foot into the red-hot market of the 1980s. 1981 Topps Football Cards - 12 Most Valuable - Wax Pack Gods Over eighteen seasons in MLB, all with the Philadelphia Phillies, Schmidt won three MVPs, made twelve All-Star teams, won six Silver Sluggers, snagged ten Gold Gloves, and led the league in home runs eight times. 1981 Topps Traded 816 Tim Raines Montreal Expos Rookie Card. At that point, Murphy looked like he was on a surefire trajectory to Cooperstown. Not only is it fun, but its good quality material for a future family reunion. 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. PSA 9 examples have sold for upwards of $6,000. 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. 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. Cincinnati finished second in both halves of the 1981 split-season but ended the year with the best overall record in the National League. . Prices are updated daily based upon 1981 Topps listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. However, regardless of what you might think of his legacy, it's surprising that this particular card isn't worth a little more. . 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. 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. There were tons of errors, collation inside boxes was hit and miss (mostly miss) and the . $12.95. #5. PSA Price Guide for 1982 Donruss Baseball Card Values - Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) & PSA/DNA Authentication Services Services Like the 1981 Fleer and Topps sets, large print runs saturated the market with these cards, driving down their values. Tim Raines & Ramos Autographed 1981 Topps Rookie Card, 12. Raw: $20 PSA 9: $100 PSA 10: $900 One of the most popular players of his era, Vladimir Guerrero was the No. The nerve! 1981 Topps Scratch-Offs. In the team's NLDS loss to the Expos, Schmidt hit .250 (4-for-16) with one home run, two RBI, and four walks. 50 Most Valuable Baseball Cards of All Time | Stadium Talk 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. 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. We may earn an affiliate commission if you 1982 Topps Card Prices | PSA & Ungraded Values - SportsCardsPro 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. The offense stagnated, and the Astros fell 4-0. 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. Featured here is a 1981 Topps Coca Cola baseball card signed by Aurelio Lopez. 1981 Topps Baseball Cards - The Cardboard Connection And, yes, it would've been nice to see rookie cards of Fernando Valenzuela, Harold Baines and Kirk Gibson as well. No. Shortcuts: 1981 Topps Traded Expos Tim Raines Card, 4. I used to collect baseball cards as a kid and loved pulling out a pack of 1981 Topps Coca Cola cardstheir design was so much better than the regular issue and their limited print run made them seem much more valuable. 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. 25 Most Valuable 1982 Topps Baseball Cards - Old Sports Cards 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. It's no wonder why, considering how Henderson's a beloved figure in the sport whose '81 campaign included a .319 batting average, a league-leading 56 stolen bases and a second-place MVP . His standard base card (#574) is first and the card honoring his breaking of Ty Cobb's American League stolen base record (#351) follows. They were the fourteenth and fifteenth players to achieve the incredible milestone. Read our methodology. 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.

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