Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Ultimately, Winfield decided to play baseball for the San Diego Padres beginning in 1973. Schmidt was, arguably, the game's best player for the second-straight season. Despite not being a Hall of Famer, Rose's legacy as one of the game's greatest hitters of all time keeps his cards in high demand throughout the hobby. 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. Tim Haines finished second in Rookie of the Year voting, 19th in MVP, and earned his first All-Star selection. 1982 Donruss. And in this guide, I'll run through the ten most valuable. Mattingly's Donruss rookie was produced in smaller quantities than his Topps rookie, so it's worth more. No More Secrets Puzzle Game, Ungraded Premium: 4. Houston went just 28-29 in the first half but won the NL West's second half at 33-20. The first standalone Topps Traded set may belong to 1981, but the first card to really make the series a hobby burner belongs to 1982 and to Cal Ripken, Jr. . It has full gloss and is slightly askew. 726 Rick Monday. Instead, he was more of a craftsman on the mound and outsmarted hitters to allow a career-low 6.5 hits per nine innings. Ross is the founder of Old Sports Cards and has been collecting sports cards for over 30 years. Like Roger Clemens, Kirby Puckett has a 1984 Fleer Update XRC. 1982 Topps Card Prices | PSA & Ungraded Values - SportsCardsPro $195. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. His standard base card (#574) is first and the card honoring his breaking of Ty Cobb's American League stolen base record (#351) follows. 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. Donovan Mitchell was one of the standouts in a loaded 2017-18 NBA rookie class. Tags 1981 Topps Baseball. The Atlanta Braves had used Dale Murphy at first base and catcher during his early years in the 1970s, but in 1980 they moved him to the outfield. 1952 Topps #1 Andy Pafko. You can almost feel the tension in this card as he's poised and just waiting for the perfect moment to break for second. During this era, the Montreal Expos had yet to move south to become . While this is considered one of his rookie cards, it doesn't command quite the price premium as his 1982 Topps Tradedrookie card which can sell for north of $5,000 in top condition. 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. 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. Contact him at [emailprotected]. However, once he was in San Diego, Templeton's hitting declined drastically and he'd never bat over .300 again. The card features Pete Rose. 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. There's no questioning the significance of 1980 Topps baseball cards in hobby history. PSA Price Guide for 1982 Donruss Baseball Card Values - Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) & PSA/DNA Authentication Services Services Set Links - Overview - Checklist - Teams - Errors / Variations - Hall of Famers - Rookies . The 1981 season was the seventh and final time. The current worth of this card is $195. He played most of his career with the St Louis Cardinals and New York Mets. Unfortunately, the Kansas City Royals would slam the door on any hopes that Jackson and the Yankees had for a World Series ring when they swept them in the 1980 ALCS. However, when do you do it? 1981 Topps Coke Team Sets Aurelio Lopez Autographed, 9. Who doesnt enjoy looking through their packs of cards whenever they find themselves in a fabled card shop. He won the World Series with the Yankees in 1996. The 1981 Topps baseball card set consist of 726 standard size cards that measure 2" by 3". We are user supported. It has been certified authentic by Beckett Authentication (BAS) and comes encapsulated in their tamper-proof holder. Price. PriceIt Game | Although Riley wasnt very popular, he was a Major League Baseball pitcher. After tallying 138 wins and 2,416 strikeouts over eight seasons with the California Angles, Nolan Ryan signed a $4.5 million four-year deal with the Houston Astros during the 1979 offseason. 1981 Fleer Card Prices | PSA & Ungraded Values - SportsCardsPro 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. 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. Get my weekly newsletter with the latest hobby updates delivered straight to your inbox! The reverse of this card is just one of the many quirks found inside Donruss's debut set. 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. Each 1-13/16" by 3-1/4" card featured a small full-color portrait of the player with his name printed below his image on the left side of the card. 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. 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. 25 Most Valuable 1983 Topps Baseball Cards - Old Sports Cards 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. 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. He helped to redefine the value of relievers within baseball and ushered in the modern closer role. He was nicknamed Mex because his name suggested that he was of Mexican descent. 1981 Reggie Jackson Topps Project 70 Card, 10. | Compare vs. 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. Carew's career batting average ended up at .328, while his best single-season average was .388 in 1977. Its $300 PSA 10 price tag is no mistake. This on-card autograph card is much rarer than the typically signed cards of this all-time great as it has been likely inscribed with an 81 HRC inscription commemorating this player being tied as the 1981 American League home run champion! Henderson was also top-notch on defense as he brought home his first-and-only Gold Glove. 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. 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. 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. 390 during the 1980 season. 1981 Topps Expos Future Card Tim Haines Auto, 6. Despite this seemingly unjustified absence from more "Midsummer Classics," Yount is considered to be the greatest Milwaukee Brewer in the franchise's history. In total, Henderson led the league in stolen bases . 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. 1981 Topps card list & price guide. 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. 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. Rose collected 140 hits in 1981, slashing .325/.391/.390 in his third year with the Philadelphia Phillies. Let's be honest, it didn't matter what jersey Ryan wore or what style it was, he was going throw major heat regardless. Like his base card, his All-Star card is just as tough to find in PSA 10 condition and also carries a large price tag. He also finished fourth in the NL with a .316 batting average, narrowly missing out on a Triple Crown. During the 1977 season, Andre Dawson batted .282 with 19 home runs and 65 RBI, which earned him NL Rookie of the Year honors. However, on December 9, 2018 he and Harold Baines were voted in by the Today's Game Era Committe. 25 Most Valuable 1981 Topps Baseball Cards - Old Sports Cards In the process, Schmidt led the league and set career highs in home runs (48), RBI (121) and total bases (342). Cards like this tend to have more value than regular ones. 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. 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. buy stuff after clicking links on our site Even more impressive, his 1982 Topps issue wasn't his last card as he also made it into the 1983 Topps set. 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. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. 1981 Topps Card Prices | PSA & Ungraded Values - SportsCardsPro But, I'm a big fan of this set regardless. From the 1983 season on, he was selected to the All-Star game every year until he retired after the 2001 season. 6. You are looking at a 1981 Topps Rookie Card hand-signed by George Riley. 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. Prices are updated daily based upon 1981 Fleer listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. Ryan dazzled on that fall afternoon in Houston, striking out eleven and walking just three. #10. Our hunt for the 80s most valuable baseball cards includes Don Mattingly, Cal Ripken Jr., Nolan Ryan, Ricky Henderson. 10 Bo Jackson #600. 25 Most Valuable 1980 Topps Baseball Cards - Old Sports Cards Ross is the founder of Old Sports Cards and has been collecting sports cards for over 30 years. During the offseason, the Padres and Cardinals worked a multi-player deal headlined by sending Smith to St. Louis and Garry Templeton to San Diego. 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. 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. 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. The player who played the most games at first base in major league history was Eddie Murray, who amassed 2,413-lifetime games at the position along with nearly 600 more as a designated hitter. Raw: $20 PSA 9: $100 PSA 10: $900 One of the most popular players of his era, Vladimir Guerrero was the No. Card Number: #418. 25 Most Valuable 1982 Topps Baseball Cards - Old Sports Cards document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2022 by Old Sports Cards, LLC. 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. 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. Given how consistently great Murray was for so many years, it just seems unimaginable that he didn't lead in one of those two categories at least one other time. Aurelio Alejandro Lpez Rios was a Mexican professional baseball player. 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Over his long and storied career, Henderson broke many records and helped transform the lead-off position. Rookies - 1981 Topps Baseball | Trading Card Database Contact him at [emailprotected]. 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. 3. Steven Thomas Avery is an American left-handed former pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). 1982 Donruss Baseball Cards - PSA Price Guide Canadian baseball cards printed in the French language are uncommon, which shows on this baseball card as it is bi-lingual. For the longest time it seemed like Smith would not quite garner enough votes to earn a trip to the Hall of Fame. Mike Schmidt was arguably the best third baseman in baseball history and will always be remembered for both his power and his glove. Back to the point at hand. Let's be clear:most of the cards from this set do not have any value these days. From there you can also add a Card to your collection or wishlist. 10 Most Valuable 1981 Donruss Baseball Cards - Sports Card Investor The 10 Most Valuable Basketball Cards from the 1980s. Bench was also known for the long ball as he led the league in home runs twice and finished his career with 389. It was a fitting punctuation mark for one of Ryan's best seasons on the . He also had a flair for the big hit and helped Philadelphia to a 34-21 record in the first half to secure a playoff spot for the Phillies halfway through the season. Need help buying or selling cards or have a general question about the hobby? 1981 Fleer Rickey Henderson #351, #574. That means the card needs to be flawless. List; Gallery; Gallery - 6 Cards per Page; Gallery - 8 Cards per Page; Gallery - 9 Cards per Page; 1985 Fleer Kirby Puckett RC #286. 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. He struggled in 1980 (by his terms) with a career-worst 3.64 ERA and a career-low ten wins. 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. Unfortunately, his production fizzled out in the 1990s, so he didn't quite finish off a career worthy of Cooperstown. 1981 Topps Baseball Cards - 15 Most Valuable - Wax Pack Gods 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. 2. 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. 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. To top it all off, he earned his sixth All-Star selection, sixth Gold Glove, and second Silver Slugger award. Card Number: #595. There were tons of errors, collation inside boxes was hit and miss (mostly miss) and the . And the reason it's worth so much in PSA 10 condition? And, yes, it would've been nice to see rookie cards of Fernando Valenzuela, Harold Baines and Kirk Gibson as well. Ranking Every 1980-81 Topps Magic Johnson and Larry Bird Card 1981 Topps card list & price guide. Yet, Bench's lousy injury luck was the real story. Placing Mark McGwire's 1985 Topps card in this category may seem a little unfair considering its current $650 price tag. Heres an amazing baseball card that in my opinion should be worth more than it currently is. Interestingly, Ryan's highest single-season strikeout total in nine years with the Houston Astros was only 270 in 1987, a year in which he also led the NL with a 2.76 ERA. Not only is it fun, but its good quality material for a future family reunion. 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. And unlike Brett, Schmidt followed up his 1980 MVP campaign with another one during the 1981 season. Ryan's stellar age-34 campaign earned him his sixth All-Star selection, a fourth-place finish in the National League's Cy Young race, and a 16th-place finish in the NL's MVP balloting. 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. Local card shops, department stores and gas stations-- to say boxes of these cards were everywhere might be the understatement of the decade. Although his best days were clearly behind him, he still played well enough to earn a trip to the 1982 All-Star game. #5. This is a rare Topps card from 1981 containing his signature. 10 Most Valuable Basketball Cards from the 1980s - Gold Card Auctions Rose hit .300 (6-for-20) with two RBI and a run scored in the losing effort. Kansas City went 20-30 in the season's first half and started the second half slowly, with Manager Jim Frey taking the heat. 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. The last sale's most valuable Topps Nolan Ryan baseball card is the 1974 Topps Nolan Ryan baseball card number #20. 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. And incredibly, hed come back with a vengeance. 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. During his career, Rose was known for his all-around ability and enthusiasm. Every collector knows that theres some serious money to be made off certain cards. 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. 1989 Donruss The Rookies Ken Griffey Jr. #3. Boggs was a perennial contender for American League batting titles during the 1980s and 1990s. Recently, the price of a PSA 9 has continued to steadily fall to around $2,000 or less. And while Rose hit no home runs in 1981 and drove in just 33, he was a fantastic table-setter for the Phillies. Pate] #479. We may earn an affiliate commission if you Download Price List, SportsCardsPro 2019-2023 Read our methodology. 1982 Topps #30 Tom Seaver. Rookie Cards: Options . 1981 Topps Traded Expos Tim Raines Card. 1. 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. Pictured as a member of the New York Yankees, Jackson was actually traded to the California Angels for the 1982 season where he'd play for five seasons before heading back to Oakland for one final season. Most Valuable Baseball Cards of All Time . 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. 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.