For decades, O-Pee-Chee played the role of Topps' counterpart in the Canadian market. For example, the 1989 Topps Heads Up set turned out to be a test issue that the company released to expand its reach into the hot market. Three years ahead of Ccores famous 1990 Bo Jackson baseball/football shot, this card was part of classic Games introduction of a box set game with baseball card content. You'll also notice the numbering of the sets was different as Clemens is card #99 in the Leaf set versus #273 in the Donruss set. He hit four the next year, then exploded with 83 round-trippers from 1986-88. Lets look at the population report and see just how rare the Frank Thomas cards are. . And many of those weren't even licensed by Major League Baseball. Topps manufactured a striking Pete Rose card in 1980, featuring an intense close-up shot of the player's face. Bo warned the Bucs not to select him, but they did anyway. He also picked up his only Silver Slugger award and was named to his fifteenth All-Star game, seemingly on a surefire trajectory to the Hall of Fame at that point in his career. This Dick Perez-produced art was card #1 of the very first offering of his famous Diamond Kings cards that populated so many Donruss sets. Like Roger Clemens, Kirby Puckett has a 1984 Fleer Update XRC. PRICES POP APR FACTS REGISTRY SHOP WITH AFFILIATES. They did eventually fix things in their factory set and in the Leaf printing. With only 56 found in gem mint condition, they are challenging to find. Sandberg's status as a Hall of Famer and one of the most beloved Cubs of all-time keeps demand for high grade specimens of his rookie card at lofty price levels. Two Mattingly RCs in the first 11 cards on this list? With only 371 found in gem mint condition, they are relatively rare and expensive. And, speaking of classics, this 1980 Topps Schmidt qualifies, forever tied to the start of a dominant decade that left no doubt he was among the all-time greats. PSA graded 1,600 of them, with 48 grading gem mint 10. If it looking for someone specifically. But despite the image, this is a really important card of one of the games greatest pure hitters. Puckett cracks the Top Ten! 1 overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1986 NFL Draft. This card of the 1980 AL Rookie of the Year is credited with making the Rookie Card a thing in the industry. 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. The weather looked great in Winter Haven, and young Roger Clemens was smiling. Most Valuable 1980's Baseball Cards - BaseballLoveClub.com How rare are the Johnny Ray/Barry Bonds error cards? But, value aside, I wanted to highlight it as it's impossible to talk about 1980s baseball cards without mentioning this card. Regardless of its market value at any given point in time, the significance of this rookie card cannot be overstated as, again, the 1980 Topps set signaled the end of the vintage era. BASEBALL CARD COLLECTOR INVESTOR DEALER (in that order)w/ Chris SewallCounting down the 25 most expensive baseball cards from the 1980s, using PSA 9 values.=. 1986 Donruss Highlights cards have two versions printed. And, like Clemens, that might cut into the value and prestige of his 1985 Fleer Rookie Card to a . Easily one of the most iconic baseball cards of the 1980s, theDon Mattingly rookie card is the clear headliner of the 1984 Topps set. However, the Bo Jackson football cards have reached prices upwards of $1,500. Before playing for the Baltimore Orioles, Cal Ripken Jr. played for the Charlotte Os. An underappreciated card for much of Robbies 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. The dual-photo fronts remain a favorite with many collectors. For that reason, finding a 1987 O-Pee-Chee Barry Bonds rookie in pristine condition is quite challenging, but if you do, you'll see them sell for around $12,000 or so. And you get a Griffey Jr. RC! which would have made fun viewing. The USA Baseball subset in 1985 Topps introduced the program to the masses, and brought this slugging first basemans first licensed trading card to the forefront of the collectibles industry. If it werent for his 1989 RCs, most probably wouldnt even remember The Big Unit pitched for the Montreal Expos. Like Topps Tiffany cards, O-Pee-Chee cards are relatively difficult to come across. This can be attributed to several things. 25 Most Valuable 1980s Baseball Cards - Old Sports Cards With 29,032 cards in the PSA pop report, the 1982 Topps Ripken rookie card has one of the highest population reports of all 1980s baseball cards. Price: $925,000 . Topps produced their Tiffany collectors edition cards in their regular Topps issue sets, Topps Traded sets, and Bowman sets in 1989. So, it's well over twenty times more difficult to find this card in a PSA 10 holder than it is his Topps rookie. You bet. 1980-1989 Baseball Cards Checklists, Set Info, Reviews, Guide The whited-out variation has 105 in population while the scribbled-out in white only has 67, which takes 1st place for the rarest variation. With the bright orange curved borders and team and player names, the design of the card pairs up nicely with the Orioles team colors. Of the two sets, his Bowman Tiffany is more valuable, by a long shot, selling for over $2,500 in PSA 10 condition. PSA has graded just 610 of the Griffey Bowman Tiffany rookie cards. And you thought Lex Luthor had a lot of brain power . Because of its rarity, this version is one of the most valuable baseball cards from the 1980s. Donnie Baseball is pictured wearing a Yankees cap, which is the team he would go on to spend his whole 13-year pro career at. There is a lot of speculation about how it hit the market with no definitive answers. Larkin hit .353 in his hometown Reds four-game sweep of Oakland in the 1990 World Series. I considered picking up a mint 9 copy for less than $350. Most know that during the hobby craze of that era, rampant overproduction led to a bubble that eventually burst. As a result of the legal process, Rose accepted his placement on baseball's permanently ineligible list, which would ban him from the game and Cooperstown for life. Of all his rookie cards, the 1986 Topps Traded is the most desirable and expensive card you can find. The photographer and the entire Fleer printing team did not miss this. However, the baseball world was stunned years later in 1989 when allegations surfaced that Rose gambled on baseball while a player and manager for the Reds from 1985-1987. Adjusting from the American League to the National League may have been the root cause for the drop-off. Jerome Walton 89 Upper Deck shouldve cracked the top 100. 1951 Mickey Mantle Bowman RC. The third key Hall of Fame rookie card in the iconic 1983 Topps set belongs to Chicago Cubs legend, Ryne Sandberg. Hendersons debut cardboard is unquestionably the key to the 1980 Topps edition, submitted for PSA evaluation over 17,000 times. But, it's not always the case. But, as we know, things turned out okay for Gibby, both in Detroit and L.A. But 509 home runs and a National League batting title later, Sheffield stood on his own name. 1989 Topps Traded #57T Randy Johnson. This is one of Cal Ripkens most valuable baseball cards and of the most valuable from the 80s. The white lettering with pink Two For the Title came from factory sets. It took less than a month for Mattingly to convince Berra otherwise. 25 Baseball Cards Worth Money - MoneyWise Fleer was ahead of the curve for this one, as well as card #10 on this very list. Need help buying or selling cards or have a general question about the hobby? One of Cal Ripken Jrs most valuable baseball cards from the 1980s is his 1982 Topps Traded rookie card. Nolan Ryan cards, especially in high grade, remain incredibly popular among hobbyists. 1989 Topps #380 Rickey Henderson. Yeah, we know. This is more than likely because the population is much smaller for the Bowman rookie. In 1962, Topps had opted not to sign Wills to a trading card deal, apparently believing he was not major league material. In 2007, he was elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility and currently has the fifth-highest voting percentage (98.53%). With just over 1,500 graded by PSA and only 35 declared gem mint 10, they are scarce in near conditions. Not many 1981 Donruss cards can be called classic or important. None maybe. Baltimore News Babe Ruth Pre Rookie Card with yellow background. Donruss and Fleer would join the market in 1981 and that competition would help light the spark for the hobby craze of the 1980s. Make no mistake, the thrill of finding this card in a regular or cello pack was huge. It's not necessarily the most valuable cards of the decade. Like the Bowman Tiffany product line mentioned above, the O-Pee-Chee cards were typically produced in far fewer quantities. Not only are the Tiffany cards rare, but theyre also somewhat challenging to find in high grades.