1981 topps baseball cards most valuable

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. The current worth of this card is $195. The defending AL champions were a mess early, though. 2017-18 Panini National Treasures Donovan Mitchell RC Auto Patch /99. 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. Shortcuts: Most Expensive, Cheapest, List by Card # Most Expensive of All-Time. Sports Cards: 10 Most Valuable Baseball Rookie Cards of the 1990s 6. 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. And while Rose hit no home runs in 1981 and drove in just 33, he was a fantastic table-setter for the Phillies. This Nolan Ryan card is another fantastic example of Topps capturing the style and vibe of the 1980s. He also paced the Majors in ERA+ (195) and hits per 9 innings (6.0). After Wilson dodged a wild pitch from Boston's Bob Stanley, Kevin Mitchell scored from third to tie the game. Aurelio Alejandro Lpez Rios was a Mexican professional baseball player. He was a member of the Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox, Cincinnati Reds, and Detroit Tigers. In 196 plate appearances (178 at-bats), he slashed .309/.369/.489 with eight home runs and 25 RBI. 4. 724 Lou Piniella. 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. 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). 1981 Topps Traded Expos Tim Raines Card, 4. "I've learned to stay within myself, not be afraid to fail.". 1981 Topps Expos Future Card Tim Haines Auto, 6. 35th Anniversary: Five Underrated 1981 Donruss Baseball Cards 1981 Topps Traded Fernando Valenzuela, 16. . 25 Most Valuable 1981 Fleer Baseball Cards In The World You love collecting baseball cards, right? Over his long and storied career, Henderson broke many records and helped transform the lead-off position. Back to the point at hand. 202 Steve Carlton Record Breaker - Phillies. The move worked as the Royals responded by winning 20 of their last 33 to make the playoffs. 10 Most Valuable 1980s Fleer Baseball Rookie Cards - Beckett News 1981, 1985, 1989), 11-time MLB strikeout leader (1972-74, 1976-79, 1987-90), two-time NL leader (1981, 1987), MLB All-Century Team. 20 Most Valuable Topps Baseball Rookie Cards Of The 1970s. Premium: 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 card has been authenticated by the famous Beckett grading service. Total Cards: 726. Baines also won a Silver Slugger in 1989 and led the American League in slugging percentage (.541) in 1984. 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. 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. We may earn an affiliate commission if you 1981 Topps Kirk Gibson RC #315. . #6. 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. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2022 by Old Sports Cards, LLC. 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. Top 10 Rickey Henderson Baseball Cards - The Cardboard Connection After a decades-long stranglehold on the market, Topps lost a key court battle with Fleer that allowed other companies to produce sets of their own. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. 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. He was even the first player to collect 100 hits from both sides of the plate. In his seventh season in the Majors, Yount broke out in a big way in 1980 as he led the league in doubles (49) while scoring 121 runs, driving in 87 RBI, and hitting 23 home runs to earn his first trip to the All-Star Game. As their everyday first baseman, that put Rose on the opposite corner of the field as Phillies icon Mike Schmidt at third. The Padres also had some great retro jerseys during the 1980s but Ozzie really topped things off with those sideburns. Ungraded & graded values for all '81 Topps 207 Ozzie Smith Record Breaker - Padres. 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. Let's be clear:most of the cards from this set do not have any value these days. . Had Fred Lynn (.333) not barely edged out Brett (.329) for the title in 1979, then they would've had all nine of them. 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. 1981 Fleer Baseball Cards - 12 Most Valuable - Wax Pack Gods Rookies - 1981 Topps Baseball | Trading Card Database And while his offensive numbers dropped in 1981, Brett's star was still quite bright. You are looking at a 1981 Topps Rookie Card hand-signed by George Riley. Murray's first three seasons in the Majors were incredibly productive, but he kicked things up a notch in 1980 as he batted .300, belted 32 home runs, scored 100 runs and drove in another 116. They didn't call him "Steady Eddie" for nothing. Ranking Every 1980-81 Topps Magic Johnson and Larry Bird Card After rookie Fernando Valenzuela pitched a shutout on opening day, starting the craze that came to be known as Fernandomania, the 1981 Los Angeles Dodgers finished the season with a flourish. And he struck fear into opposing pitchers at the plate, especially when Joe Morgan and Pete Rose got on base ahead of him, as he was an RBI machine, leading the league three times. Most Watched 2022 Baseball Rookie Cards on eBay; Bowman Chrome Cards; Wander Franco Cards; . Featured here is a 1981 Topps Coca Cola baseball card signed by Aurelio Lopez. He also loves to write about the hobby and has written for Beckett, Topps, SABR and of course, this website. $68.95. 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. The card is currently worth $189.99. Inc. *TIM RAINES* 1981 Topps Traded #816 *CGS 9* RC Rookie Card. 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. He is the younger brother of Vicente Romo, who also pitched in the majors. Kansas City went 20-30 in the season's first half and started the second half slowly, with Manager Jim Frey taking the heat. 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. PSA 6. 9 of the Most Valuable Baseball Cards in History - HISTORY Easily the most valuable gem mint in the set, this card from the Man of Steal garners between $600-900 on the secondary markets. Cards. Hold on to it. 1981 Topps Baseball 2nd Year Card Rickey Henderson. 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. 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. 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. 1981 Topps Baseball Card Checklist. Part of the explanation is that Yount was quietly consistent and playing in small-market Milwaukee certainly didn't help. Things weren't always rocky during Jackson's time in New York, though, as they did win back-to-back World Series titles in 1977 and 1978. 1981 Topps Basketball Cards - PSA Price Guide 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. Struggling through back issues and other accumulated aches and pains, Yastrzemski had the worst offensive season of his 21-year career thus far. During the 1977 season, Andre Dawson batted .282 with 19 home runs and 65 RBI, which earned him NL Rookie of the Year honors. 1981 Topps Traded Tim Raines Rookie Baseball Card #816 NM-MT FREE SHIPPING. Just look at that awesome retro Astros jersey in all its striped glory! George Riley Autographed 1981 Topps Rookie Card, 14. 1981 Topps Bob Owchinko Baseball Card, 11. Schmidt was, arguably, the game's best player for the second-straight season. Rating: 7.5 (174 votes) Click here to Rate. 1981 Topps Football Cards - 12 Most Valuable - Wax Pack Gods The card from 1981 features three outstanding baseball players who were kings in their lanes. Its nice design and classic pose have helped make it one of the most recognizable cards in the hobby, not just from the 1980s. Before the season, Steinbrenner went to Jackson for his thoughts on the team's pursuit of free-agent slugger Dave Winfield. But what Bench lacks in cardboard variations, he more than makes up for in NL MVP awards, Big Red Machine savvy, and greatest-catcher-ever swagger. 1981 Fleer Rickey Henderson #351, #574. "I had hit .300 before, but I couldn't hold it," he said. 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 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. Philadelphia fell in five games to the Montreal Expos in an entertaining National League Division Series. 721 Toby Harrah. We are user supported. They were the fourteenth and fifteenth players to achieve the incredible milestone. In 21 starts, Ryan finished 11-5 with an MLB-best 1.69 ERA. Still, as one of the game's greatest leadoff hitters and baserunners, he was overdue to get in anyway. Steven Thomas Avery is an American left-handed former pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). Rose collected 140 hits in 1981, slashing .325/.391/.390 in his third year with the Philadelphia Phillies. Are you selling sports cards that were produced from 1868 - 1975? 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 Expensive, 1952 Topps Willie Mays RC #261. Ryan dazzled on that fall afternoon in Houston, striking out eleven and walking just three. 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. Like Roger Clemens, Kirby Puckett has a 1984 Fleer Update XRC. That means the card needs to be flawless. He also holds the schools record for most strikeouts in both a single season and total career strikeouts with 309 in 305 innings pitched. At 41 years of age, it seemed time had finally caught up to Boston Red Sox designated hitter/first baseman Carl Yastrzemski in 1981. He also loves to write about the hobby and has written for Beckett, Topps, SABR and of course, this website. 1981 Fleer card list & price guide. 50 Most Valuable Baseball Cards of All Time | Stadium Talk 205 Pete Rose Record Breaker - Phillies. (Updated for 2022) SUBSCRIBE NOW! In 1981, Donruss and Fleer gave Topps some much-needed competition. 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 spent eleven seasons with four teams in Major League Baseball the majority of it spent with the Detroit Tigers. But rather than hanging them up after the season, Yastrzemski got to work. Top 15 Most Expensive Nolan Ryan Cards - Thrillpack Cards Most Valuable Baseball Cards of All Time . That season set the tone for a reputation that Dawson would carve out as a player with an incredible mix of speed and power as he was seemingly always a lock for 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases throughout his time in Montreal. Valenzuela won both the Rookie of the Year and Cy Young Awards, and the Dodgers made it all the way to the World Series. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. Henderson posted a brilliant 1.144 OPS against New York, but the rest of the Oakland lineup went dead silent. 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. Tim Raines & Ramos Autographed 1981 Topps Rookie Card, 12. Get my weekly newsletter with the latest hobby updates delivered straight to your inbox! 1982 Donruss Baseball Cards - PSA Price Guide 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. Although his best days were clearly behind him, he still played well enough to earn a trip to the 1982 All-Star game. Estimated PSA 9 Value: $1,800. He also loves to write about the hobby and has written for Beckett, Topps, SABR and of course, this website. 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. Despite the ups and downs, there isplentyto enjoy about this set. Boggs reached 3,000 hits during his career and became the 23rd player to do so. That just shows you what kind of effect being a Hall of Famer can have on baseball card prices. On the right side were four rows of six . Rookie Cards. Donovan Mitchell was one of the standouts in a loaded 2017-18 NBA rookie class. Need help buying or selling cards or have a general question about the hobby? Ken Griffey Jr. However, when do you do it? 390 during the 1980 season. 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. Things weren't all rosy for Smith, however, as his relationship with Padres owner Ray Kroc and his wife Joan became publicly sour. 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. 8. Owchinko played baseball for Eastern Michigan University. 1985 Fleer Kirby Puckett RC #286. Pate] #479. In 1981, Schmidt became the eighth player in MLB history to do just that. Although this one isn't worth as much as it might . 2022 Topps Heritage Baseball Most Valuable Cards and Checklist; These 10 GOATS . Contact him at [emailprotected]. 1981 Donruss. Canadian baseball cards printed in the French language are uncommon, which shows on this baseball card as it is bi-lingual. PSA 9 examples have sold for upwards of $6,000. Raw: $20 PSA 9: $100 PSA 10: $900 One of the most popular players of his era, Vladimir Guerrero was the No. List; Gallery; Gallery - 6 Cards per Page; Gallery - 8 Cards per Page; Gallery - 9 Cards per Page; 1981 Pete Rose Baseball Card. Despite the poor production, Jackson still earned a spot on the All-Star team for the eleventh time in his career. 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. 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. 1. 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. He earned four varsity letters, two for college and two for the major leagues. 1981 Topps Baseball Cards - 15 Most Valuable - Wax Pack Gods This is the rookie card for Bronco's QB great John Elway. Need help buying or selling cards or have a general question about the hobby? Murray was one of the greatest first basemen to ever play the game but his cards seem to be a bit overlooked at times. 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. That means the card needs to be flawless. The 1981 season was the seventh and final time. For his regular-season efforts, Rose earned the only Silver Slugger Award of his career, his 15th All-Star selection, and a tenth-place finish on the NL MVP ballot. He won the World Series with the Yankees in 1996. At that point, Murphy looked like he was on a surefire trajectory to Cooperstown. 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. 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. 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. Grade: PSA 10. 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. 1955 Topps Sandy Koufax #123. The three-time MVP would smash 548 home runs over his career as he led the league in that category an amazing 8 times. Boston missed the playoffs by 1.5 games in the second-half AL East race. 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. Unfortunately, his production fizzled out in the 1990s, so he didn't quite finish off a career worthy of Cooperstown. 5 Most Valuable Baseball Cards 1980s - Nerdable.com 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. , Dodgers Future Star [Perconte, Scioscia, Valenzuela] #302, Expos Future Stars [T. Raines, R. Ramos, B. Get my weekly newsletter with the latest hobby updates delivered straight to your inbox! The 10 Most Valuable 1983 Topps Baseball Cards Carew's career batting average ended up at .328, while his best single-season average was .388 in 1977. 1981 Topps Baseball Cards - DeansCards.com 1981 Topps Traded 816 Tim Raines Montreal Expos Rookie Card. Bench was also known for the long ball as he led the league in home runs twice and finished his career with 389. Placing Mark McGwire's 1985 Topps card in this category may seem a little unfair considering its current $650 price tag. 50. The Reds finished a half-game behind the Dodgers in the NL West in the first half. He also led the National League in runs scored (78) and walks (73). And, in this guide, we look at the 25 most valuable. Card Number: #595. 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. There are no scratches, bends, or folds. When graded gem mint 10 by PSA, the value has gone as high as $180,000. Like the 1981 Fleer and Topps sets, large print runs saturated the market with these cards, driving down their values. The 10 Most Valuable Basketball Cards from the 1980s. 5 Underrated 1981 Donruss Baseball Cards. Brett's performance at the plate put him well above Milwaukee's Cecil Cooper and his own impressive .352 average to earn his second of three career batting titles. Who doesnt enjoy looking through their packs of cards whenever they find themselves in a fabled card shop.