He also loves to write about the hobby and has written for Beckett, Topps, SABR and of course, this website. The 1981 season was the St. Louis Cardinals 100th season in St. Louis, Missouri, and their 90th year in the National League (NL). Smith felt more welcomed by the Cardinals ownership and management and settled in quite nicely to be one of the franchise's most beloved players in team history. 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. And while his offensive numbers dropped in 1981, Brett's star was still quite bright. 1981 Topps Bob Owchinko Baseball Card, 11. In 379 plate appearances (347 at-bats), Brett slashed .314/.364/.484 with 24 home runs and 118 RBI to make his sixth-straight All-Star Game and finish 27th in the AL MVP race. | Compare vs. 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. 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. It was also the first Topps set to feature a monster 792-card checklist. 1981 Topps Traded Baseball Cards - The Cardboard Connection Card Number: #595. 1981 Topps Baseball Cards - The Cardboard Connection . 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. 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. 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 Ozzie Smith's 1979 Topps rookie card is also one of the last great rookie cards of the vintage era, but his second-year card isn't a bad consolation prize either. Fans and media began to take note of his incredible defensive talent, giving him the nickname "The Wizard.". Baseballs hit king, Pete Rose, led all of baseball in total hits on seven different occasions. 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. The 1981 season was the seventh and final time. 50 Most Valuable Baseball Cards of All Time | Stadium Talk We don't know how big a role nostalgia plays with this one, but it still regularly sells north of $40. Philadelphia fell in five games to the Montreal Expos in an entertaining National League Division Series. 1981 Donruss. Even more impressive, his 1982 Topps issue wasn't his last card as he also made it into the 1983 Topps set. 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. When it comes to Rookie Cards, 1981 Topps is one . Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. In a similar theme, Larry Bird is featured in a card from the 1981 Topps set. 1961 Topps Baseball Cards - 16 Most Valuable - Wax Pack Gods Donruss Baseball Card Prices | PSA, BGS & Ungraded Prices - SportsCardsPro Before the season, Steinbrenner went to Jackson for his thoughts on the team's pursuit of free-agent slugger Dave Winfield. And, in this guide, we look at the 25 most valuable. Most Valuable Baseball Cards of All Time . Prices are updated daily based upon 1981 Topps listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. Somehow during all that success with college basketball, he also found the time to play for the Blue Jays from 1979 to 1981. JB's 1981 Fleer card is a $5 (or so) buy in PSA 9 condition. Like Roger Clemens, Kirby Puckett has a 1984 Fleer Update XRC. As their everyday first baseman, that put Rose on the opposite corner of the field as Phillies icon Mike Schmidt at third. 50. Although his best days were clearly behind him, he still played well enough to earn a trip to the 1982 All-Star game. Its $300 PSA 10 price tag is no mistake. 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. The previous record which he broke was 601 assists by a shortstop was done by Glenn Wright of the pirates. 1981 Topps card list & price guide. . 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. There's a shot of the player in Celtics training gear, staring off-camera with his hands hidden behind the green border. Baseball Cards - 1981 Topps Scratch-Offs | PSA CardFacts 1981 Topps Card Prices | PSA & Ungraded Values - SportsCardsPro During Dawson's first year with the Cubs in 1987, he would lead the league in home runs (49) and RBI (137) to win MVP honors, and the fans at Wrigley instantly fell in love with "the Hawk.". 1981 Topps Enrique Romo Signed Pittsburgh Pirates, 15. Set Links - Overview - Checklist - Teams - Errors / Variations - Hall of Famers - Rookies . $68.95. There were tons of errors, collation inside boxes was hit and miss (mostly miss) and the . Like the 1982 Donruss and Fleer sets, large print runs saturated the market with these cards, driving down their values. He also paced the Majors in ERA+ (195) and hits per 9 innings (6.0). Not bad for an 11th round pick (#250 overall) in the 1975 MLB Draft. While eligible for induction, Murphy peaked at 23% of the vote in 2000, falling well short of the 75% needed for entry. George Riley Autographed 1981 Topps Rookie Card, 14. Here is a quick rundown of those most valuable 1982 Topps baseball cards, based on recent sales for copies graded PSA 9 and presented in numerical order. Despite the poor production, Jackson still earned a spot on the All-Star team for the eleventh time in his career. Inc. The 2-time MVP, 19-time All-Star and record holder for most consecutive games played easily goes down in history as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, shortstops to play the game. For the longest time it seemed like Smith would not quite garner enough votes to earn a trip to the Hall of Fame. Value: $300-325. 1 1980 Batting Leaders - George Brett / Bill Buckner 2 1980 Home Run Leaders - Reggie Jackson / Ben Oglivie / Mike Schmidt . Year-by-year ranking of the most valuable Topps Baseball Rookie Cards from 1952 to 2020. This card has been signed by him and is currently worth $49. Rookie Cards. Ungraded & graded values for all '82 Topps Baseball Cards. Top 20 Sports Cards of 2018 - Beckett News In his first full season in the big leagues in 1981, Tim Haines batted .304 with 71 stolen bases in a strike-shortened seasonmaking an instant impression on fans with his ability to make players look foolish on the base paths. Need help buying or selling cards or have a general question about the hobby? Unlike Smith, Cal Ripken's chances at the Hall of Fame were never in doubt. Sports Cards: 10 Most Valuable Baseball Rookie Cards of the 1990s In 665 at-bats for Toronto, Ainge batted .220, hit two home runs, scored 57 runs, drove in another 37 and stole 12 bases. Top 10 Rickey Henderson Baseball Cards - The Cardboard Connection In total, Henderson led the league in stolen bases . It has been certified authentic by Beckett Authentication (BAS) and comes encapsulated in their tamper-proof holder. The 1984 Topps Football set is THE landmark football card set of the 1980s. However, his production was never quite the same from 1988 until he finished his career with the Colorado Rockies in 1993. The current value of this baseball card is $199.99, it has the signature of Tim Raines. He helped to redefine the value of relievers within baseball and ushered in the modern closer role. 723 Bruce Bochte. Most Expensive 1981 Topps card list & price guide. That season was the first time batted .300 or better, crossed the 30 home run mark, scored 100 runs or more and drove in 100 or more RBI. Despite the ups and downs, there isplentyto enjoy about this set. In fact, between June 2021 and May 2022, this Ripken collectible in a PSA 10 sold for under $4,000 just once. 1981 Topps Kellen Winslow Rookie Card (#150) Winslow took the big-bodied, good-hands tight end model that Newsome brought to the fore and ran with it (after the catch!). 1981 Topps Traded Expos Tim Raines Card, 4. After sixteen seasons and two World Series titles with the Cincinnati Reds, Pete Rose left the "Big Red Machine" behind and signed as a free agent with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1979. #9. 726 Rick Monday. Rose collected 140 hits in 1981, slashing .325/.391/.390 in his third year with the Philadelphia Phillies. Most Expensive of All-Time. And ever since his induction into the Hall of Fame, his 1981 Donruss rookie card has enjoyed a nice bump in value. 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. Cincinnati finished the year with the best composite record in all of baseball but the nature of the strike-shortened season's playoff format bit them in the backside. 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. Murray was one of the greatest first basemen to ever play the game but his cards seem to be a bit overlooked at times. 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. And, like Clemens, that might cut into the value and prestige of his 1985 Fleer Rookie Card to a . 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. 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). 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. He did his best, hitting .333 with a 1.095 in the final three games, but New York dropped all three and the series. Or, feel free to call/text me at 305-684-6680! Tom Seaver came within a handful of votes of winning his fourth Cy Young on the 1981 season with an incredible pitching display that saw him lead the Majors in wins (14) and winning percentage (.875). 202 Steve Carlton Record Breaker - Phillies. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. To make things even stranger, you could even say that Rose appeared on fourcards in this set because this one comes in two variations. Pate] #479. 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. . - http://bit.ly/W. On the right side were four rows of six . PSA 9 examples have sold for upwards of $6,000. Ozzie Smith was given the name Wizard of Oz After an amazing record for the most assists at shortstop thus establishing a new record in that era. 1981 Topps Baseball 2nd Year Card Rickey Henderson. 1981 Topps Traded Expos Tim Raines Card. Ungraded & graded values for all '81 Topps Baseball Cards. Let's be clear:most of the cards from this set do not have any value these days. 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. He struggled in 1980 (by his terms) with a career-worst 3.64 ERA and a career-low ten wins. Who doesnt enjoy looking through their packs of cards whenever they find themselves in a fabled card shop. Mike Schmidt was arguably the best third baseman in baseball history and will always be remembered for both his power and his glove. He also loves to write about the hobby and has written for Beckett, Topps, SABR and of course, this website. Carew's career batting average ended up at .328, while his best single-season average was .388 in 1977. SportsCardsPro Index: 1982 Topps. And he didn't lose any steam in the postseason, either, as he would end up leading the Phillies to the World Series title while batting .381, belting two home runs, driving in seven RBI, and scoring six runs. 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. 1955 Topps #164 Roberto Clemente RC. Cheapest, Cincinnati finished second in both halves of the 1981 split-season but ended the year with the best overall record in the National League. I absolutely love this card as it captures Rickey about to do what he did best: steal a base. Total Cards: 726. Though it may be light on key rookie cards, this set is certainly not light on stars and Hall of Famers. 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. *TIM RAINES* 1981 Topps Traded #816 *CGS 9* RC Rookie Card. And while Rose hit no home runs in 1981 and drove in just 33, he was a fantastic table-setter for the Phillies. 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. Bench was also known for the long ball as he led the league in home runs twice and finished his career with 389. The cards featured in this list represent the most coveted and desired of all 1981 Topps Baseball cards. 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. No More Secrets Puzzle Game, Ungraded 1981 Fleer Rickey Henderson #351, #574. Featured here is a rare rookie card from 1989 with an authenticated signature of Steve Avery. #10. 25 Most Valuable 1987 Topps Baseball Cards In The World Contact him at [emailprotected]. Contact him at [emailprotected]. 1980 Topps #482 Rickey Henderson Rookie Card. You love collecting baseball cards, right? document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2022 by Old Sports Cards, LLC. List by Card #, You own: 0 / 865 items Click on a Card detail page to see historic prices and values for all different grades. They were the fourteenth and fifteenth players to achieve the incredible milestone. 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. Cards. 1 Rickey Henderson #119. Most Valuable Baseball Cards from the 1980s Price Guide & Values 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. 1. He also led the National League in runs scored (78) and walks (73). Rookie Cards were so valuable to collectors in 1989, that if Oprah had been involved in baseball cards, she would have been saying . 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. Now that we got that out of the way, let's take a look at the list: Lee Smith was one of the greatest relief pitchers to ever step on the mound and is currently a distant number three on the all-time saves list with 478 behind Mariano Rivera (652) and Trevor Hoffman (601). Average . That means the card needs to be flawless. There are no scratches, bends, or folds. 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. 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. For the 1980 season, Henderson raised eyebrows with his extraordinary speed as he led the league in stolen bases (100) for the first of twelve times in his legendary career. 1981 Topps Expos Future Card Tim Haines Auto, 6. 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. The last sale's most valuable Topps Nolan Ryan baseball card is the 1974 Topps Nolan Ryan baseball card number #20. We are user supported. 25 Most Valuable 1982 Topps Baseball Cards - Old Sports Cards #7. On the other hand, Ozzie's bat did nothing but improve and combined with the amazing glove he already had, he'd deliver Hall of Fame-caliber play for years in St. Louis. Over his long and storied career, Henderson broke many records and helped transform the lead-off position. 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. And they delivered a great set with many stars and Hall of Famersand one of the biggest rookie cards of the 1980s. The 1980 Topps Rickey Henderson is such a beautiful card. This is the rookie card for Bronco's QB great John Elway. Rose hit .300 (6-for-20) with two RBI and a run scored in the losing effort. Aurelio Alejandro Lpez Rios was a Mexican professional baseball player. Most Watched 2022 Baseball Rookie Cards on eBay; Bowman Chrome Cards; Wander Franco Cards; . Plus Bonus Listings! 1982 Donruss Baseball Cards - PSA Price Guide 724 Lou Piniella. . Read our methodology. Struggling through back issues and other accumulated aches and pains, Yastrzemski had the worst offensive season of his 21-year career thus far. 1982 Topps Card Prices | PSA & Ungraded Values - SportsCardsPro 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. He also led all of baseball with 89 runs scored and led the American League in stolen bases (56) and hits (135). 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. 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. If so, then please fill out the form below and I'll be in touch right away. Today only a graded high-condition example gets that kind of money. 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. . 6. 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. At that point, Murphy looked like he was on a surefire trajectory to Cooperstown. For 15 seasons from 1982 to 1996, Smith was a key cog in the Cardinals lineup as he went on to win 11 more Gold Gloves and appear in 14 more All-Star Games. Most Expensive 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. PSA 6. It was the only time in his career where he batted .300, and he also led the league in home runs with 41 round-trippers. But he is more famous for the accusations of gambling that led Major League Baseball to ban him from the sport in 1989. Heres a rare rainbow foil card in mint condition by Risk Foil. 10 Greatest Topps Baseball Cards To Buy Now In 2023 - Gold Card Auctions 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. He was named Player of the Decade by The Sporting News at the end of his career. At Eastern Michigan he had a 29-9 career win-loss record with a 2.15 ERA. This is a rare Topps card from 1981 containing his signature. In 1981, the Boston Red Sox played 108 games during the regular season and won 59 of those games, losing 49. . 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. 10 Most Valuable 1980s Fleer Baseball Rookie Cards - Beckett News You can almost feel the tension in this card as he's poised and just waiting for the perfect moment to break for second. 21 Most Valuable 1981 Donruss Baseball Cards They didn't call him "Steady Eddie" for nothing. 29 Most Valuable 1989 Topps Baseball Cards In the World 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. It has full gloss and is slightly askew. For its 1980-81 basketball set, Topps mixed things up by releasing an entire set in which each card had three panels, each . Card Number: #418. 2 prospect in baseball at the start of the 1997 season after hitting . 1981 Topps Baseball Card Checklist. 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. 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. 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