Get my weekly newsletter with the latest hobby updates delivered straight to your inbox! 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. 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 offense stagnated, and the Astros fell 4-0. Need help buying or selling cards or have a general question about the hobby? 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. 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. Now that we got that out of the way, let's take a look at the list: The 1981 American League MVP race came down to two men, Oakland Athletics left fielder Rickey Henderson and former As closer Rollie Fingers. Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $2,000. PriceIt Game | 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. Henderson has two cards in the 1981 Fleer which feature photographs that appear to be taken just seconds apart. 2. If you look closely, though, you'll notice the images are just slightly different as you can see two of his teammates in the background on his MVP card versus one (plus the arm of another) on his base card. This card features the professional baseball player Danny Ainge. The reverse of the card mentions that over the last nine seasons dating back to 1972, Brett (2) and Carew (6) had combined to win eight batting titles. The Reds put him at first base for the first time as he dealt with nagging injuries. 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. 2022 Topps Heritage Baseball Most Valuable Cards and Checklist; These 10 GOATS . 9 Roger Clemens #530. Prices are updated daily based upon 1981 Topps listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. It didn't happen and Jackson played the 1981 campaign as a free agent. Still, his popularity continues today, and his cards remain in high demand by kids now turned adults who grew up idolizing him. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2022 by Old Sports Cards, LLC. List; Gallery; Gallery - 6 Cards per Page; Gallery - 8 Cards per Page; Gallery - 9 Cards per Page; Tags 1981 Topps Baseball. So, for the cards on this list to be worth much, they'll have to be graded by PSA to be in perfect, gem mint condition. | Compare vs. Featured here is a rare rookie card from 1989 with an authenticated signature of Steve Avery. It was a fitting punctuation mark for one of Ryan's best seasons on the mound. But, I'm a big fan of this set regardless. In 21 starts, Ryan finished 11-5 with an MLB-best 1.69 ERA. In 196 plate appearances (178 at-bats), he slashed .309/.369/.489 with eight home runs and 25 RBI. In 1981, the 6'5 monster recorded his second straight 1000-yard season and led all of football with 88 catches. This card is super tough to find in high grade, hence the huge price tag that might shock you. George Riley Autographed 1981 Topps Rookie Card, 14. In those 108 games, they played at Fenway Park where they had a record of 56-52. However, once they got there, the Oakland Athletics promptly swept them in the ALDS as Brett went just 2-for-12 (.167) in the three games. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. It was a fitting punctuation mark for one of Ryan's best seasons on the . Read our methodology. $29. 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. Sure, the 1981 Topps set has the Montana rookie card, . Raines showed the world that Rickey Henderson wasn't the only guy who could light up the basepaths as he led the Majors with 71 stolen bases while slashing .304/.391.438. The last sale's most valuable Topps Nolan Ryan baseball card is the 1974 Topps Nolan Ryan baseball card number #20. In 1980, Kansas City Royals third baseman George Brett graduated from All-Star to crossover superstar. And ever since his induction into the Hall of Fame, his 1981 Donruss rookie card has enjoyed a nice bump in value. Ross is the founder of Old Sports Cards and has been collecting sports cards for over 30 years. 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. At the time, two Major League Baseball clubs, the Montreal Expos, and the Toronto Blue Jays played in Canada, where . And, like Clemens, that might cut into the value and prestige of his 1985 Fleer Rookie Card to a . Track your collection for free. For example, in November, 2018 you could find one in PSA 10 grade for around $100 but after he was voted into the Hall they started selling for north of $600 and continue to climb today. 5 Underrated 1981 Donruss Baseball Cards. And while his offensive numbers dropped in 1981, Brett's star was still quite bright. 1981 Topps Traded Expos Tim Raines Card. As you can see, some of the game's biggest legends of all time can be found within the 726-card checklist. The previous record which he broke was 601 assists by a shortstop was done by Glenn Wright of the pirates. Rickey Henderson, an American retired professional baseball player who played his entire 24-year career in Major League Baseball, helped break the sports color barrier. 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. The defending AL champions were a mess early, though. Most Valuable Baseball Cards of All Time . 6 Rickey Henderson #180. PSA Price Guide for 1982 Donruss Baseball Card Values - Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) & PSA/DNA Authentication Services Services 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. 1981 Topps Expos Future Card Tim Haines Auto, 6. Reggie Jackson played five seasons as a member of the New York Yankees from 1977 to 1981, and the 1980 season turned out to be his best in pinstripes. Things weren't all rosy for Smith, however, as his relationship with Padres owner Ray Kroc and his wife Joan became publicly sour. To top it all off, he earned his sixth All-Star selection, sixth Gold Glove, and second Silver Slugger award. So, for the cards on this list to be worth much, they'll have to be graded by PSA to be in perfect, gem mint condition. 1981 Topps #347 Harold Baines Rookie Card. The card has been authenticated by the famous Beckett grading service. 724 Lou Piniella. The continued adoption of Sabermetrics no doubt helped push him across the finish line and into Cooperstown. . Bench is somewhat of an anomaly on this list, showing up with only one 1981 Fleer card, and all. Along with those of Wade Boggs and Ryne Sandberg, the 1983 Topps Tony Gwynn rookie card is one of the most important and iconic baseball cards of the 1980's.. Sure, Gwynn was one of the greatest hitters who ever played with 8 batting titles to his name, but why are collectors willing to pay so much for this card . Total Cards: 726. Yastrzemski played two more seasons in Boston before retiring, making All-Star appearances at the age of 42 and 43 during the 1982 and 1983 seasons, respectively. 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. Wade Boggs is an American former baseball player who retired as a third baseman after 18 seasons of Major League Baseball. Murphy was often heralded as a five-tool superstar, but unfortunately, many felt his dominant play didn't last long enough to give him the type of resume worthy of Hall of Fame recognition. Cal Ripken Jr. . 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. After the 1981 season, however, Ainge decided to call it quits with baseball. However, Schmidt led baseball in multiple offensive categories, including home runs (31), RBI (91), OBP (.435), slugging percentage (.644), OPS (1.080), OPS+ (198), and total bases (228). The Reds finished a half-game behind the Dodgers in the NL West in the first half. The course of Seaver's career would take a significant turn at the trading deadline in 1977, though, when he was involved in "the Midnight Massacre" that sent him to the Reds. The 10 Most Valuable Basketball Cards from the 1980s. 2 prospect in baseball at the start of the 1997 season after hitting . Smith earned the first of those Gold Gloves during the 1980 season when he also set the single-season record for most assists by a shortstop with an astronomical total of 621. 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. And while its value pales in comparison to other big-name vintage rookies like Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, and Roberto Clemente, to name a few, its price soared dramatically during the recent sports card boom. Wilson was incredibly speedy and was the Mets' career stolen base leader before Jose Reyes eventually broke his record many years later. 1981 Topps Kirk Gibson RC #315. . He also led the National League in runs scored (78) and walks (73). $9.99. 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. This bad boy sold for $18,500 on eBay auctions in May 2021. The 1981 season was the St. Louis Cardinals 100th season in St. Louis, Missouri, and their 90th year in the National League (NL). $195. Who doesnt enjoy looking through their packs of cards whenever they find themselves in a fabled card shop. Jackie Robinson | Card Sold For: $392,400. 1985 Fleer Kirby Puckett RC #286. Mookie came up big for the Mets again in Game 7, going 1 for 3 with a run scored to help the Mets beat the Red Sox 8-5 to win the title. The three-time MVP would smash 548 home runs over his career as he led the league in that category an amazing 8 times. 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. There's a shot of the player in Celtics training gear, staring off-camera with his hands hidden behind the green border. 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. 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. Rookie Cards: Options . 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. 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. 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. 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). The card is currently worth $189.99. This card features Tim Maines, Roberto Ramos and Bobby Pate, all the players listed were stars in their prime. Price: $299.99. Had Fred Lynn (.333) not barely edged out Brett (.329) for the title in 1979, then they would've had all nine of them. He was named Player of the Decade by The Sporting News at the end of his career. 1981 Topps Bob Owchinko Baseball Card, 11. However, during early 2021, PSA 9 examples of this card frequently sold for $4,000 - $5,000 or more. February 20, 2023; Super Bowl Delivers . #9. These are the result of decades of collecting and dealing for many companies, dealers, and collectors across America.