try { Having won the 1985 Heisman Trophy Award while at Auburn, he was then selected No. So when time came to include the 1962 NL MVP in its Kmart MVP box set, Topps did the only thing they could – they produced a card that never was. The Wizard’s first Cardinals card helped drive Topps’ second “Traded” box set. This card of the 1980 AL Rookie of the Year is credited with making the “Rookie Card” a thing in the industry. } // Automatically reload the page if a deprecation caused an automatic downgrade, ensure visitors get the best possible experience. 'live', 4.0 out of 5 stars 242. If the 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. is the most iconic baseball rookie card of the 1980s, the 1993 SP Derek Jeter holds a similar spot in for the 1990s. An underappreciated card for much of Robbie’s career, it did gain some momentum as fans and followers began looking at his career as a whole and how good he was at second base. Yes, it was corrected but by then it had made industry headlines and the “C Nettles” was all anyone wanted. All rights reserved. Mickey Mantle is one of the most famous names in baseball history, and the price of his collectible cards matches the man’s fame. Rod Carew and George Brett never looked better. We feel the below players have the best short term ROI combined with a very strong likelihood of a good season for the player in question… these players are not yet a household name but have a strong potential to become one… Best Baseball Rookie Cards. On August 17 in the 1980 baseball season, George Brett doubled to reach the .400 mark – an amazing feat made even more spectacular considering he was batting just .259 after the first month of the season. Baseball card collecting has changed dramatically from the late 1980s and early 1990s. A few months later, the Kansas City Royals took Bo in the fourth round of the 1986 MLB Draft. Nostalgia Boosts Baseball Cards of the ’80s and ’90s Ken Griffey Jr. has been retired for a decade but his 1989 rookie Upper Deck card has doubled in value since March Top 80s Baseball Card Sets You can check out our rundown of the best specific cards of the 80s 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 featured. And so they parted with a 20-year-old Michigan native named Smoltz, trading him to the Braves for 36-year-old veteran Doyle Alexander. Not only did Fleer overcompensate with multiple “fixes” for the 1989 Fleer Bill Ripken card, they did the same with Randy Johnson’s card #381 from the same set. This was one of the most popular Bonds RCs pulled from packs in ’87. I became fascinated with the sport, due in large part to … Of those 130 steals, he was caught just 17 times. if ( jQueryMigrateHelperHasSentDowngrade ) { Unopened Baseball Cards Collection in 50 Factory Sealed Packs From the Mid 1980s and Early 1990s. The Littlefield can still be found, but its value hasn’t changed much in the last 35 years. reload = response.data.reload; And, he was a 2B at that, so not like they grouped the outfield together, etc. Because he DH’d for much of the second half of his 22-year career, people tend to forget what a great player Baines was through much of the ’80s. 2. That one’s found in the main 1989 Donruss set. One of the pack-pulled Rookie Cards during Junior’s rookie season, but it comes with a tough blend of purple and black border. black box covering the bottom of the bat, and another one with “white out. But, as we know, things turned out okay for Gibby, both in Detroit and L.A. Although he fell short of the .400 mark at the end of the season, he still finished at an eye-popping .390, to win his second batting title. This Topps RC may have been slightly overlooked upon its release, but took center stage as Hershiser pitched the Dodgers to the 1988 World Series title. Even so … let’s just say the Braves won the trade. 'andSelf', Owner of one of the most famous World Series home runs ever hit, and one of the nicest guys to ever grace the front of a baseball card. And it did. That’s okay. Just two years after the release of his first minor league card and shortly after his trade from Detroit to Atlanta, future Hall of Famer Smoltz made his major league card debut in Fleer’s 1988 Update Set. The cards were designed and produced by Classic with a full license, and were well received, perhaps none more than this auburn shot of Bo with the baseball/football theme. We got our first look at Barry Bonds when the 1986 Traded/Update/Rookie sets were released. When I first heard Tony was also an excellent basketball player at San Diego State, I thought, “no way.” But after seeing shots like this, you can get a glimpse of him running up and down the hardwood. Read our. Basketball cards date back to 1910 and football cards date back to 1894. There were other significant cards when 1986 Topps Traded sets dropped – Bo Jackson, Will Clark and Wally Joyner to name just a few – but the company’s first Canseco card did move the needle in the secondary market, even though Donruss and Fleer had included the youngster in their regular sets that year. 1985 Topps Baseball Cards In Review. A ho-hum image, maybe, but still a key card of one of the most popular players of the decade. It made this card settle into an affordable range so that even when he was on top of the baseball world, kids could still afford this Barry Bonds Topps RC. They did eventually fix things in their factory set and in the Leaf printing. Four straight Cy Youngs. And, a gentle reminder that the guy could swing it long before the question of steroids came into play. As you read before, Jeter is one of the greatest to ever live and this card fetched a price that showed it. Rated Rookie? .mh-tab-post-item { border-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.3); } This, however, is a piece of art worthy of this list. The colors, the hair, the stirrups, that logo—just a great card, and a rookie card of one of the greatest hitters of all time. 'swap', all of Rickey’s early 80s cards were just awesome. .slicknav_menu, .slicknav_nav ul, #mh-mobile .mh-footer-widget .mh-posts-stacked-overlay { border-color: #2d5980; } Puckett cracks the Top Ten! My only wish is that a clearer example of the Randy Johnson Marlboro card was shown in #29. Kirby Puckett wasted no time in making his mark in Minnesota, batting .296 as a 24-year-old rookie in 1984. If you do not receive the verification code within 60 Seconds, we will send you the activation link again. So they made sure they cleared that up with several variations ranging from black scribble, to red and green-tinted cover to complete blackout of the sign. Baseball Card Starter Set 500 Cards Incl. ]; The same thing that propelled the show Stranger Things to the top of the charts and straight to the hearts of millions across the country. When he entered the 1984 All-Star Game in San Francisco to open up the fifth inning, Gooden was 19-years old, just two years out of Hillsborough High School in Tampa. You see why people got tired of the drab borders and card images of this set. So, with this being his only 1984 card, you can imagine its value, which has withstood the test of time even as we trudge through the fallout from the alleged steroid era. But, with all of that said, there are still some cards from those sets you need to have in your collection. return true; A popular card upon its release, this provided collectors with a great look at the young slugger fresh off of winning the 1983 NL Rookie of the Year Award. Of the players shown here, only one went on to set the major league record for consecutive games played, collect 3,184 hits, win two league MVP awards, play in 19 All-Star Games and earn a plaque in Cooperstown. Thank you! is not a function/; Baseball cards were big business back in the 70s and 80s, but most people stopped caring about the hobby sometime around the infamous 1994-95 baseball strike. The original release of this card is still one to be had, though. Current Finest Possible Set Rating. Oh, there were some highlights such as Steve Carlton looking uncomfortable in a Cleveland Indians uniform. Nice touch making Pete the leadoff hitter in the DK lineup. But he flourished as a second baseman and was one of the better contact hitters of his era. In 1987, the Detroit Tigers were making one last attempt at a World Series appearance with the band that had gotten them a World Championship just three years before. var nonce = '2dcaabac2e'; } Fleer was the only company that included a Kittle RC in its regular set, as Donruss and Topps passed. A big-shot hitter for USA Baseball and at Mississippi State, Clark was a highly anticipated rookie coming into the 1986 season. Top 5 Baseball Cards From the 80s (Exceptional Investments) # goldcardauctions # rookiecards Check out the best baseball cards of the 80s and boost your card investing portfolio. One of the more anticipated Rookie Cards heading into the 1984 season, as Straw had slugged 26 HR and stolen 19 bases en route to earning the 1983 NL Rookie of the Year Award. There’s no Roberto Ramos or Bobby Pate to have to share on the front of this Raines card. Produce an Opening Day box set, they said. Well, while you’d probably smile at most cards from this set, given it’s one of a few that has an action shot accompanied with a nice close up, I think it’s displays the epitome of 80s baseball. His name is consistently at the top of the list of most desired cards in any set in which he appeared right from his rookie card debut in 1963 through the 1980s. Sure you had a little bit of that the beautiful pennant design of 1965 Topps (disclosure: eBay affiliate link), and then a little bit more with the hat on their 1981 cards (disclosure: eBay affiliate link) but not much more than that. Top Ten Baseball Cards Of The 80’s The baseball card industry had a sea change in the 1980’s as the Topps Company no longer had exclusivity with regard to MLB licensing. Many still are. The hottest baseball card in the Summer of ’83 wasn’t Sandberg, Gwynn or Boggs. But this, the only RC of future Hall of Famer Raines pictured alone, is about as close as it gets. And it’s not just because I’m an A’s homer, but the timely action shot, the combination of green and yellow that just pops of the card; not to mention the signature scrawled beautifully above the team name. Bonds’ second Fleer card appeared the year after his inclusion in the 1986 Fleer Update Set, but this was the first pack-inserted card of the Pirates youngster and was highlighted as a key card from the first day of release. jQueryMigrateHelperHasSentDowngrade = true; The card captures a nice shot of Correa within the brand’s popular design. If you owned a ’84 Donruss Mattingly, you owned the neighborhood. if ( reload ) { What makes it great: Definitely one of the weirder entries on the list. Team USA uniforms; fire. Here are the … The weather looked great in Winter Haven, and young Roger Clemens was smiling. Let that sink in for a moment. It includes the O-Pee-Chee logo in the upper right in place of the Topps logo. Yeah, we know. Bonus points for this one as it also features former Dodgers World Series champion and longtime Angels manager Mike Scioscia. Let’s be honest. But the key card of the set would be of a 20-year-old guy who posted a 2-4 mark and 5.56 ERA in 31 innings the year before. All-Time Finest. reload = false; Nobody knew it at the time, but the presses ran day and night for ’87 Topps Baseball. So, here we go—10 very good, and quite possibly the best cards of the decade (or, check out the best baseball card sets of the 80s, if you wish). It was the be-spectacled Ron Kittle, who slugged home runs a very, very far distance and at a rate that caught fans’ and collectors’ attention. Likewise, and above all else, this card is one of the greatest the 80s has to offer because it would be a travesty for a Topps RC of one of the greatest to ever to be shared with two others (sorry, Mike Schmidt, and to a lesser extent, Nolan Ryan). There was a time when the world came together for one thing: finding Wade Boggs Topps RCs. It’s not necessarily the most valuable cards of the decade. This RC was on fire when pulled from 1988 Donruss packs. top 80 cards of the ’80s ranked from #1 through #80, here are the top 80 cards of the decade of the ’80s. At least Ripken is featured in the center (no offense Bob Bonner and Jeff Schneider). The rule of thumb is that rookie cards rule when it comes to value. Not to be confused with: When you’re seeking out the Johnny Ray version, you’ll come across the original run Bonds, along with the corrected Opening Day version. But it took some time to develop his power. We love the '80s (and '90s) baseball cards: The top 15 sets of the era. The same thing that propelled the show Stranger Things to the top of the charts and straight to the hearts of millions across the country. Whenever there is a conversation about baseball cards, you’ll eventually have the non-collector, non-sports lover pipe up about their “collection.” Without even looking, you know it’s chock full of 1988-1991 Topps and 1992 Fleer; just a given. And you get a Griffey Jr. RC!“ which would have made fun viewing. 'support.boxModel', Ryan any chance you can do other decades? To this day, the set remains popular with collectors of that era who are looking to build the set in top grade and those who collect some of the big names of the 80s. Jerome Walton 89 Upper Deck should’ve cracked the top 100. That’s the F-word. Like its competitors, Topps waited until its late-season Traded release to issue the company’s first card of the 17-game winner and 1984 Rookie of the Year, who also finished second in the Cy Young Award voting. So, that’s it for now. The third of Donnie Baseball’s three 1984 Rookie Cards from the major manufacturers of the time. But Fleer did have a moment of lapsed competency when it spelled Graig Nettles name as “Craig” (with a C) on the card back. And you get to learn that in French, you would refer to Outfield as Voltigeur. The card has it all, and should be a part of the conversation for best card ever, let alone only those from the 1980s. Yeah, about that. 1989 Fleer Bill Ripken, #616 (eBay affiliate link). His actual rookie card from 1951 is now worth 750,000 dollars. var xhr = new XMLHttpRequest(); A Ripken Jr. Completely missed him, while Upper Deck, Fleer and Donruss did include the game’s top prospect. FernandoMania was on full display in the summer of ’81, and until Topps added him in its late-season Traded Set, the only card picturing the lefty alone and not paired with other prospects came via the good folks at Fleer. He stayed true to his word and did not sign with the team. And while running in the opposite direction of the card might seem like an obvious idea, it's done here in a … .mh-widget-layout4 .mh-widget-title { background: #82d543; background: rgba(130, 213, 67, 0.6); } What makes it great: Again, sadly, gone too soon. So, while these cards may never scale the heights of the priciest baseball cards, they are still plenty desirable to collectors. The third Clemens RC (and fourth card overall) hails from 1985 Donruss, a solid set that was met with a great deal of interest from buyers figuring that if 1984 Donruss was good, 1985 would be even better. He would win another ten years later, collecting three in three different decades. The same thing that had people rushing to see Ready Player One, or even, for some reason, wanting to relive the horror of It. Baseball cards helped me become obsessed with baseball. xhr.send( encodeURI( 'action=jquery-migrate-downgrade-version&_wpnonce=' + nonce ) ); Not many 1981 Donruss cards can be called “classic” or “important.” None maybe. But there’s a freakin’ snake in this picture . Lifetime .312 hitter, two American League batting titles, lifetime .933 OPS, more career walks (1,283) than strikeouts (1,202) and the guy you wanted to see at the plate when the game was on the line. View Set Checklist Shop Set Start Set. He finished his career with 2,866 hits, 384 HR and an OPS of .820. Only Lou Gehrig, at 37, was younger. 'boxModel', Or will McGriff just be collateral damage from the misdoings around him? As for the card specifics, there are a few different things at play here. Future Star, indeed. 00. You might not consider these the most valuable cards of the 80s, but above all else, they are considered the cards that defined the era. But … how do you mistake a Hall of Fame righthander with a merely decent lefthander named Floyd Bannister? This is probably a team-issued shot, and considering Jackson only played in 25 games that first season, there would have not been a lot of options at the print deadline. This second-year card of Gwynn may be the best looking of any of his other releases over the years. $32.00 $ 32. Gwynn is a player from the old school of ball updated to the 80's, hence the dated-looking earth tones of the card. At the time, who could have known the highs and lows that would mark an amazing career on the field? I am a child of 1980s baseball cards. He played for seven teams, but is best remembered as the glue of the back-to-back World Champion Toronto Blue Jays in 1992 and ’93 when he batted a combined .347 over both Series. var match_pattern = /\)\.(.+?) It’s actually a 1988 Upper Deck promo, released to stoke interest in the company’s inaugural baseball release. While Ruben had several 1986 rookie cards, I always viewed this as his true rookie...reinforced for years by the "Rookie Card" baseball sticker that came on the top loader it was given to me in (one of the few birthday presents in my life that I remember being specifically from "Dad"...rather than "Mom and Dad"). Topps Tiffany baseball cards are by far some of the most valuable baseball cards from both the ’80s and the ’90s. He won 10 Gold Glove awards, batted an even .300 over 17 years and finished less than 300 hits shy of 3,000. 1983 Topps Tony Gwynn, #482 (eBay affiliate link). It used to be Billy Ripken was best known for being Cal’s younger brother. He stole 80 bases in 1986, and followed that up the next season with 50 steals. .mh-extra-nav-bg { background: rgba(45, 89, 128, 0.2); } .mh-copyright, .mh-copyright a { color: #fff; } One of three mainstream Puckett Rookie Cards in 1985, this is actually the Hall of Famer’s second Fleer release. And you get a Griffey Jr. RC! Of course, and as is the case for other cards on this list, the Topps Tiffany variation is going to be way more valuable; like not even close. As the kids of the era would say, Doc could “bring it.”. He signed, became an All-Star and marketing gold. Joyner and pitcher DeWayne Buice were integral in helping UD get off the ground and they both have promo cards that were huge during the 1988 National Sports Collectors Convention. His 1984 Fleer Update XRC is by far his greatest card released during the 1984-85 era. . There were no flashy refractors, countless parallels, or rare inserts. 100. The Tiffany version ranks high on our list due to a modest print run of 6,000 sets, but this regular non-Tiffany RC still ranks here because it’s Griffey. response = JSON.parse( xhr.response ); Contains over 550 MLB Baseball Cards. 9 Satchel Paige - 1948 Leaf 11.000. Awesome article, definitely captured the essence of the 1980s. Donruss sold a lot of ’86 Donruss packs for this Canseco card alone. Well done. img#wpstats{display:none} Unfortunately, that subtle reminder isn’t enough to maintain value, as the price of this card has decreased dramatically over the last few years (you can get a nice ungraded one for around $6; (disclosure: eBay affiliate link)) A graded Mint 9 will bump that price up a little, and the Tiffany version of course serves as a nice little multiplier. Production seemed to multiply from 1984 numbers, and who could blame Donruss for not wanting to leave money on the table? Rookie of the Year Mark McGwire. It had a couple things going for it: The iconic Rated Rookie logo and Canseco pictured by himself. Here you have the first edition of Upper Deck baseball cards, and the first card in their set is none other than the rookie card of one of the most talented, electric players to ever take the field. Not to be confused with: As you can see, the original print featured Randy with his first team, the Montreal Expos, while this Topps Traded Update captures Johnson with the team he blossomed with in the Seattle Mariners. In 20 years, how will history remember The Crime Dog? Whoever was on the numbering team apt UD during that time and prognosticated Junior Griffey’s Hall of Fame better have gotten a raise. return true; Here is the story, as reported by FanGraphs. Barry appeared in several 1986 year-end releases that are considered XRCs. This Topps RC was, and is, Ryno’s card of choice as he played a near-flawless second base throughout his Hall of Fame career on the North Side. What happened? And they state “It was estimated at the time that only about 2% of the Bonds cards actually showed Ray, and that number is nearly born out by the PSA population report, which pegs Ray between 3% and 4%.” Good stuff. Like, almost anything else. Also, this seems to be available in fewer quantities than Topps’ and Donruss’ Clemens efforts in 1985. He made one All-Star appearance and never sniffed more than 136 hits in a single season. (Disclosure: The text and image links in this section are eBay affiliate links, and I will receive commission if you follow those links and make a purchase. Happy collecting! You just wish he had embraced it more. This is solely due to the fact that they had a less distribution than regular issue Topps cards. And everybody paid good money for it two years later when McGwire was slugging his way to 49 home runs as a rookie. By navigating the site, you agree to the use of cookies to collect information. .mh-dropcap, .mh-carousel-layout1 .flex-direction-nav a, .mh-carousel-layout2 .mh-carousel-caption, .mh-posts-digest-small-category, .mh-posts-lineup-more, .bypostauthor .fn:after, .mh-comment-list .comment-reply-link:before, #respond #cancel-comment-reply-link:before { color: #82d543; } Great article. And while these '90s cards were released while interest in the hobby was rapidly dwindling, they are still valuable to collectors and baseball enthusiasts. Fleer corrected it quickly, but the error fire had already been stoked. Carter was class. If you ever needed confirmation that the 1980s were a simpler time, this is certainly it. Despite it’s recency, it’s already demanding hundreds of dollars at auction. var jQueryMigrateHelperHasSentDowngrade = false; return true; } 1980 Topps Rickey Henderson Rookie Card (#482) This Rickey Henderson rookie card wasn’t always the most valuable swath of cardboard from the hobby boom decade of the 1980s. Perfect form; bat angle and placement, impeccable. Great job on this!!! As with other decades, the most valuable baseball cards of the 1970s are generally the rookie cards of Hall of Famers. 1982 Topps Traded Cal Ripken Jr., #98T (eBay affiliate link). It’s one of just two cards available from packs the year he won the NL Cy Young Award and the NL Rookie of the Year award. Indeed, in the early years of his career, many fans and collectors still regarded Henderson as something of a curiosity — lightning fast, yes, but also a strange sort who would just as soon take a walk as get a hit. xhr.setRequestHeader( 'Content-Type', 'application/x-www-form-urlencoded' ); Your Account has been confirmed and activated successfully. This was the card, more so than any other in the first half of the 1980s, that promoted perceived scarcity and status. The 2015 Hall of Fame inductee, the Big Unit, proudly representing America’s colors while on a team from another country; and a team that doesn’t even exist any more at that is just a site to be seen. 100. I think we can all agree Topps could have found a more flattering photo for Gwynn’s Rookie Card. But this isn’t a Rookie Card. Coming out of Seton Hall, Biggio was a catcher. } I’m tempted to put Roy Smalley on this list just because his card too features that awesome logo. We use cookies to help personalize content, tailor and measure ads, and provide a safer experience. Top 100 Cards of the 80s by Mike Payne Current Finest. @Joe – The price guide can be accessed here (subscription required): https://www.beckett.com/opg, Who do i contact someone about old baseball cards and i also have old football cards. Larkin hit .353 in his hometown Reds’ four-game sweep of Oakland in the 1990 World Series. Top 100 cards of the decade of 80’s and not one of the king, Nolan Ryan? The 1980s had an unusually high number of those. Sports cards are like graduation for kids who were flipping sneakers. Wally World took the league by storm by hitting .290 with 22 HR and 100 RBI as a 24-year-old getting his first taste of big-league pitching. 'clean', Look closer. Nobody wants to look goofy while trying to make the all-important first impression and all. 'size', Plus, that old Twins logo doesn’t get enough credit as it should have. Donruss knew something good when they saw it, and made Wally card #1 in the inaugural The Rookies box set. The 70s offer late-career cards of greats like Willie Mays and Roberto Clemente, and the prime seasons of Johnny Bench, Nolan Ryan and Pete Rose, and those are generally the most valuable cards in sets that didn’t offer any big-name rookies. Wax Pack Gods has a nice post explaining the gaffe. Aside from the card numbers being different, you’ll notice the Opening Day issue has a maroon border versus the classic black. The Canadian version of Gwynn’s Topps RC. What makes it great: When you look at the designs of Topps’ 1980s entries, especially from 1983 and on, you’ll see a lot of “hard” shapes; rectangles, circles, squares, and then with 1987, which resembled the wood paneling you’d find in your grandparents car. 5 Surging Panini Prizm Basketball Cards – ... 1980 Albuquerque Dukes TCMA Checklist and Details, 1980 Braves 1914 TCMA Checklist and Details, 1980 Elmira Pioneer Red Sox TCMA Checklist and Details, 1980 Knoxville Blue Jays TCMA Baseball Checklist and Details, 15 of the Most Memorable Airbrushed Baseball Cards, 7 Best Hockey Card Insert Sets of the 1970s, Topps Project70 Checklist, Artists and Details, 2021 Topps Throwback Thursday Baseball Checklist, Variations and Details, 2021 Topps Garbage Pail Kids Food Fight Checklist and Details, 2021 Topps Star Wars Signature Series Checklist and Details, 2020-21 Leaf In the Game Used Hockey Checklist and Details, 2020 Leaf Flash Baseball Checklist and Details, 2020 Topps Formula 1 Dynasty Checklist and Details. Your top 100 list more than anything else is what brought me back into the hobby last year — after a 30 year hiatus. 1981 Donruss wasn’t littered with a lot of visually appealing cards. But three years after this RC was released, the lefthander won the first of his two Cy Young awards and went on to earn a plaque in Cooperstown. With only 21 Grade 10’s in circulation, this Derek Jeter rookie card is the most valuable baseball card of the 80’s and 90’s. Related content: Check out how these cards compare to the most valuable baseball cards from the 1980s and 1990s! So, when the 1989 Upper Deck infield grass and baseline was revealed, card designers were put on notice. A fantastic example of how a card could rise and fall. It even graced the cover of Beckett Baseball Card Monthly in June, ... Top 13 Michael Jordan Baseball Cards. Among the most anticipated cards of the late-1986 releases were the first MLB-licensed cards of rookie sensation Wally Joyner. It’s a snapshot in time, obviously, but just imagine this is Mr. Padre running down the line after knocking one of his 3,141 hits. What began as a baseball card hobby back in the mid to late 19th century, has turned into a hobby for all sports. But for now, let’s stick with the pros, and focus on those that were the first cards of some of the best to have ever played the game (Henderson, Ripken, Gwynn, Griffey Jr., and more) while also highlighting those cards that are valuable more so thanks to their production (or flubs in production) versus the actual players themselves.
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