There is plenty of room for all the game's top stars. Its too bad that Topps unrelenting printer press prevents the majority of the 792-card collection from ever having much value. primarily baseball with complete sets for 1948-59. Topps did a great job with its All-Star card design for its 1991 set. Indeed, Topps did unearth many of the old cards for the promotion in its Brooklyn headquarters but it also bought cards from fellow collectors for the contest. The set was also special as Topps celebrated its 40th year of issuing baseball cards. To put things into perspective, Mattingly led the Majors in 1986 with a .573 slugging percentage and .967 OPS. The top card in the set is easily the rookie card of Hall of Famer Chipper Jones. Baseball Cards. 1991 Ken Griffey Jr. Flawless Card 2. I have this box set too. Then, theres the Chipper Jones card, with graded examples usually running close to $1,000 or more. Like so many kids of my generation, I was pretty hooked on cards by late 1990, said Dylan Charles, a collector on the West Coast. 1987 Donruss Open. Towering well over 7 feet from the hill, Johnson was quite the imposing figure during his big-league career. In that year Uribe won the Millie Mac Award for his spirit and leadership efforts with his team. Originally, Topps listed his slugging percentage for the 1987 as618(missing the decimal point) on the back of the card. There were only around 6,500 of the Desert Shield versions produced for each player making them very limited and on top of that, you can imagine how few survived war-time conditions in top condition. Almost every PSA 10 the man has ever been on baseball, football, whatever is considered a collectible. I have a small printing plate of the of the Ken Griffey Jr. card,have no idea if is real.Please send comment.Sincere Thanks,Mary B. I dont specifically remember hearing of any 1991 printing plates that made it into the hobby, but its possible, given the Topps Archives sales several years back. His iconic status help keep his baseball cards among the most desirable in any set in which he appeared. A Baseball Card Database by Baseball Almanac. 1992 Leaf card list & price guide. Collectors could also enter the grand prize drawing by filling out the back of the game card for the opportunity to win every flagship set that Topps had created in the previous 40 years. Read our methodology . Need help buying or selling cards or have a general question about the hobby? If you do not receive the verification code within 60 Seconds, we will send you the activation link again. I have most of them which is crazy I need help getting them graded I actually have the chipper Jones randy Johnson rookie cards an more all great condition. Super rare and up to $5k graded mint. The main cards in the set essentially parallel those found in the main 1991 Topps baseball card set. Things were a bit more manageable for Sanders since he was at least playing for two teams in the same city, but the two-sport conflict reared its ugly head right when the Braves needed him the most. Whiten played 11 years in the Big Leagues but was never a star. Other subsets include All-Stars and Record Breakers. At the time of its release, more than a few viewed 1991 Topps Baseball as a dowdy, stuck-in-its ways, all-too-traditional release. By season's end, he added his ninth-straight All-Star appearance, second MVP Award, his sixth Silver Slugger, and his first Gold Glove. History All-Star Game; A.L.C.S. 1 (152 . Incredibly, his play during the first half of the season was far better than the second: As you can see, his production during the second half "tanked" compared to the first half. Henderson's legacy as a Hall of Famer, the game's greatest lead-off hitter, and the all-time leader in runs scored and stolen bases make this card roughly a $50 purchase in a PSA 10 holder. Other superstars like Nolan Ryan, Ken Griffey Jr., Cal Ripken, Frank Thomas, and Greg Maddux can be yours for peanuts or less most of the time. 1994 Collector's Choice Baseball Michael Jordan RC #661 One of the biggest stories in sports in 1994 was Michael Jordan switching to play baseball. It will be blast checking the cards out now for favorites, rookies, errors and all the memories. . My brother and I must have gotten tired of opening them, and moved on to something new. And since complete sets of the Desert Shield cards were never issued, finding those today is very difficult because they were required to be hand-collated. Nothing against the Boston Red Sox, but despite being one of baseball's most storied franchises, they're also known for a couple of bonehead deals. Ryan was 43 years, 4 months and 11 days old when he threw that record-breaking no-hitter (his sixth) against Oakland on June 11, 1990. As regal as 1991 Topps Baseball is in retrospect, why would kids collect something that looked like their fathers set when so many younger products were calling to them? There are faked versions of this card, so this is one worth buying authenticated. What is the value of that card? Upper Deck had proved with its $1 packs that there was a market for premium brands. Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress, 1955 Bowman Baseball Cards 12 Most Valuable, Emmitt Smith Rookie Cards: Values and Details. Now that we got that out of the way, let's take a look at the list: 1991 Bowman #183 Jeff Bagwell Rookie Card Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $225 When the Boston Red Sox traded Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees for cash on January 5, 1920, they completed the worst trade in baseball history. I began buying in 1967 and in 1972 I got lazy and just bought complete sets, that I did mail order not at the corner store. I have those 1991 Topps cards how can I get them graded and sell fo.the best price. Plus Bonus Listings! Let's take a look at the top 45 most valuable junk wax-era baseball cards below. The Red Sox won the AL East but were destroyed by the Oakland A's in the ALCS and Andersen never pitched for Boston again. You do see sets for sale on occasion (more on that in a bit), but it doesnt happen all that often and usually requires not only a collector with some patience, but one with a little bit of money to spend. And in this guide, we'll take a look at the 15 most valuable. Total Cards: 792. By the time the 91 season began, Smith had already earned 11 Gold Gloves. I do believe that Topps upped the production on this set, being a big anniversary issue with a massive promotion behind it. 1991 Topps Baseball saw the company celebrate its 40th anniversary. Among those collecting avenues referenced by Charles are the 40th Anniversary logos found underneath the players statistics on the back of the card. Raw commons in the set typically start in the $2-$4 range and many minor stars can be purchased for under $10. Topps may have missed an opportunity to create a more exciting Barry Bonds card, but they definitely didn't miss with Mark McGwire's card. Heading into the 1991 season, Griffey had already notched his first All-Star selection and Gold Glove, and by season's end, he'd add one more of each as well as his first Silver Slugger. Especially, given that this was supposed to be their first premium product, it is just odd that they featured Bonds in such a boring image. Ungraded & graded values for all '91 Topps Archives 1953 Reprint Baseball Cards. I always loved how Topps displayed Ryan on this card. Nolan Ryan broke out the tuxedo to pose for this card and that fashion statement helped it quickly become one of the most popular cards in the hobby that year. Baseball Almanac. Through 1989, when they produced 25,000 Tiffany sets, Topps actually released print run numbers publicly. Read our methodology. One Million Dollars, the pack advertisement continued. In terms of singles, the Chipper Jones #1 Draft Pick rookie card (#333) leads the way, with the PSA Sports Market Report (SMR) citing prices of $10, $25, and $90 in PSA 8-10, respectively. 2. The top card in the set is easily the rookie card of Hall of Famer Chipper Jones. Some of the game's greats had more than one season that could be considered the greatest of their careers. Who knew that the young man stoically staring at you in this picture would become a 468-homer-hitting, MVP-winning Hall of Famer? It was recently sold on eBay for $150.50, thus making it worthy of being on our list of most valuable Bo Jackson baseball cards. The 1991 O-Pee-Chee Baseball set consists of 792 cards, each measuring 2-1/2" by 3-1/2". I was so pumped up and dreamed of pulling a vintage Mickey Mantle or any vintage star for that matter. In 1990, those numbers fell to .335 and .643, respectively. Those sets that followed just dont seem like trading cards to them. This PSA article, in part, details several types of counterfeit Desert Shield cards with fake foil stamps. Those "618" error cards are much more rare and valuable than the other. But there were still all those randomly inserted cards. It requires a lot of work, especially if you want to collect the more nuanced and questionable varieties.. To pay homage to that longevity, they added a 40th Anniversary logo on the cards and that is found in addition to the Desert Shield stamp. The base card design is very clean and highlights the stellar photography. The variety of Topps photography in the set stands out to this day. Topps issued their typical 132-card of traded players and rookie cards in the fall of 1991. Because of his NFL contract, Sanders missed all of the Braves' games in August and most of September and couldn't play for them during their playoff run that year. So which of the 1991 Topps baseball cards are most valuable? I was the winner of the 1959 complete set from mailing in the insert cards. The cards were originally intended for soldiers in Operation Desert Shield, a mission to prevent Iraq from invading Saudi Arabia. 1991 Rare Vintage Error Nolan Ryan Donruss "Highlights" Prices are updated daily based upon 1991 Topps Archives 1953 Reprint listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. 1991 Topps Emmitt SmithRookie Card (#360) Is Smith the greatest running back of all time? But somehow, this relic of the past remains relevant, 30 years later. Ungraded & graded values for all '92 Leaf Baseball Cards. Win Complete Vintage Sets. Awards; Ballparks; College Baseball; Division Series; . His 368 total bases were actually tops in MLB that year. 1991 Donruss Original Ken Griffey Jr Error Card 3. Though McGwire had built a reputation as a power hitter capable of sending the ball to the moon heading into the 1991 season, he did not live up to it that year. Sensing they had a good thing, TCG issued a few extras and parallels that have stood up to time and hobby fluctuations better than the original. Given the amount of excitement Bonds was clearly bringing to the game, why did Topps choose to showcase such an explosive player in this manner? #1. Prices for 1991 Topps Baseball Cards 1991 Topps card list & price guide. It may be shocking but it's trueonly 31 examples of this card have been graded in PSA 10 condition as of this writing so collectors are willing to pay up big-time to own one. Most of the prized rookies from 1991, including Jeff Bagwell and Ivan Rodriguez, were not issued until the Topps Traded set was released later in the year. Wax Pack Gods, 100 Most Expensive Magic The Gathering Cards Sold on eBay in the Last 30 Days, 1989 Upper Deck Baseball Cards 28 Most Valuable Wax Pack Gods. The card featured above is a 1987 Topps Future Stars baseball card featuring Bo Jackson. Total Prize Value. 2. Anniversary Sweepstakes. You mention that you plate is small so I wonder if it could be related to the Topps Micro issue that year. Read our methodology . Prices are updated daily based upon 1991 Topps Traded listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. Keep in mind, most cards from this set have no value--there were millions of each card printed. Other memorable portraits are packaged vertically, such as the overhead Benny Santiago shot and the striking from-the-ground-up Wade Boggs photo. 1989 Matt Williams S.F. Card Number: #302. He also loves to write about the hobby and has written for Beckett, Topps, SABR and of course, this website. Sanders made sure to rework his contract in the offseason to be available for MLB playoff games in the future and the move certainly paid off in a big way for the Braves. When 1991 Topps Stadium Club baseball cards first hit the market, it was clear what Topps was attempting to do: offer a premium set to compete with Upper Deck. Mark McGwire was one of the game's hottest players in the early '90s because of his constant display of amazing power. Albert Pujols Cardinals Signed 2000 Multi Peoria Minor Rookie Card 5. I was told graded its 10k. Now that we got that out of the way, let's take a look at the list: Upper Deck could not have chosen a better player than Ken Griffey Jr. to lead off the checklist as card #1 of their debut set in 1989. To some veteran collectors, it remains the last true baseball card set and has been elevated in their minds through year after year of glossy fronts and backs. The 91 design offers an element never before seen on Topps cards, instead of merely listing the team name, it utilizes word marks for each club, mimicking the script on the uniform. KEY: RB=Record Breakers, MGR=Manager, AS=All-Star. At the time, most relied upon local card shops, shows, or mail orders. https://www.cardboardconnection.com/1991-topps-traded-baseball-cards. Cards have a white border. What a joy it was to read. By navigating the site, you agree to the use of cookies to collect information. The only box set I ever purchased. Even more impressive was the fact that he led all of MLB in walks (138), OBP (.453), OPS (1.006), and OPS + (180). Copyright 2023 SportsCollectorsDaily.com | Web Design by Wickam Groupopens in a new window, Most Watched 2022 Baseball Rookie Cards on eBay, Top 100 Most Watched Basketball Rookie Cards, David Cyclebacks Identification and Authentication Advice, 1991 Michael Jordan Upper Deck Baseball Card Surges at 30-Year Anniversary. Remember, he was pitching in hisfourth decadein 1991 which speaks to his longevity on the mound. All rights reserved. This was a big motivating factor behind starting Junk Wax Gems. Unfortunately, it wouldn't be the last time he was snubbed, either, as his five All-Star appearances are far lower than they should have been. In the end, Jack Glenn, a 43-year-old collector from New York City, won the grand prize of every Topps set. 1991 Topps Jason Giambi Team USA Rookie Baseball Card. The 1991 MLB season will probably be best remembered for the epic Minnesota Twins-Atlanta Braves World Series, but the release of this Topps baseball set likely ranks pretty high on collectors list. Each wax and cello pack contained an Instant Win Game card that provided the opportunity for the collector to win a complete set from Topps past 40 years. And in this guide, we take a look at the 10 most valuable 1991 Topps cards. But those kids are adults 30 years later and many now appreciate a clean design that may have been too subtle for younger collectors. Compared to the ugly 1990 Topps design this was leap years ahead. What Is the Most Valuable 1991 Topps Baseball Card? Its a different kind of chase that extends to present-day collecting as a seemingly endless number of errors and variations have captured the fascination of collectors across collecting blogs and chat rooms for decades. Check out eBay, and youll find complete sets for $10 or less, often under $5. The 91 look in comparison appeared staid and heres a word companies never want to hear when marketing to kids boring. Its the retro-appreciation for a set overlooked in its time. The set also offers several tiers for variation or master set collectors. The card of Jones, an eight-time All-Sar and former Most Valuable Player, has become of one of the more sought after cards in the junk wax era particularly in . The Best Topps Baseball Rookie Card from Each Year - 1952-2020 The following list includes a year-by-year breakdown of the most valuable card for each flagship Topps baseball set. So far, just 2 examples have been found and graded to be in PSA 10, gem mint condition. You can easily distinguish them from the base cards by the Desert Shield logo on the front of the cards. Even the population reports are not terribly helpful since a large number of these cards remain ungraded. Pretty neat find. The cards are virtually identical to Topps regular cards from that year. What wasnt known at the time was that only vintage cards valued at $50 or less were randomly inserted into packs. 9 Roger Clemens #530 One of the most memorable cards in the '91 Topps set, this horizontal stunner shows Clemens posing in front of Fenway Park's famed scoreboard. I read it a while ago and because of it, finally picked up a factory sealed set for ~$20 tonight. This has a produced a legion of 91 variation collectors who have been unearthing differences in the set for the past decade, years after it was issued. In 1988 he was playing with the San Francisco Giants. He'd appear in just 23 games for the White Sox in 1991 before missing the entire 1992 season due to hip replacement surgery. This 91 Topps sold for $47 around Thanksgiving 2021 and moved again for roughly $60 near Valentines Day 2022. Sadly, this was the last set in which Topps inserted gum into wax packs. When it comes to the most valuable baseball cards of the 1990s, only the Frank Thomas error exceeds it. We don't know how big a role nostalgia plays with this one, but it still regularly sells north of $40. He had incredible range and could get rid of the ball with lighting speed making him one of the best defensive shortstops the game has ever seen. How many exist today, really, is anybodys guess. Was he originally slated to be the first card in the set but Topps decided to go with Dave Stewart at some point instead? However, while some of them made their way overseas, there are reports of others remaining here in the states. Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $250 Upper Deck could not have chosen a better player than Ken Griffey Jr. to lead off the checklist as card #1 of their debut set in 1989. Among the more popular ones are Ken Griffey, Jr., Nolan Ryan, Cal Ripken, Mark McGwire, Frank Thomas, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa, and others. Guessing the Braves did, seeing as how they chose the Florida native with the first overall pick in the 1990 MLB Draft. 28 Most Valuable 1991 Donruss Baseball Cards In The World: Price List 1. The error was corrected and most versions of this card are seen with the.618slugging percentage instead. By 1991, Mattingly boosted his slugging percentage to .394 and in the following seasons above .400, although barely. The 2000 Playoff Contenders Tom Brady will probably go down as the most iconic football card of all time. The Trading Card Database website lists 81 different variations or errors for the set, from the more famous such as Keith Comstocks card (#337) appearing with either a Cubs or Mariners word mark on the front, or the Dodgers Jose Gonzalez (#279) appearing with team-mate Billy Beans image to the more obscure sheet print code variations found in tiny letters on the back bottom right corner of each card. On the other hand, Bagwell began his career with the Astros the following season in 1991 by capturing the NL Rookie of the Year Award. Sources vary on the exact distribution but that is the figure most commonly cited. Card fronts display a vivid color photo surrounded by colored piping and an outer white border. For 1991, PSA has graded about 16,000 base cards and about a third that number of their Tiffany counterparts. My years of habitual buying were 87-91. Counting down the most valuable baseball card sets from the late 1990s using the highest recent sale in any grade 9 or below from any grading company (PSA, B. I have hundreds of these cards in good to perfect condition. Cal Ripken Jr. also has a "Record Breaker" card in this set which acknowledges his achievement of setting the record for most consecutive games by a shortstop without an error at 95 games in a row. buy stuff after clicking links on our site I dont know what to do with them all . 1985 Topps Tiffany Nolan Ryan baseball card #760 PSA 10 Value: $1,079 1985 Topps Tiffany Nolan Ryan baseball card #760 graded PSA 10 Check prices on eBay I have a brand new box still wrapped up are they wourth anything. Now that we got that out of the way, let's take a look at the list: 1991 Stadium Club #270 Ken Griffey Jr. 1 set on the PSA registry with an amazing 759 of 792 cards graded a PSA 10 sold at auction for over $106,000. Instead, he attributes it to the volume of cards that Topps was producing that year, possible multiple print runs and creating them at more than one printing facility. Well, it depends on where youre standing and what youre holding. Back in 1991, Topps issued them as a parallel to their regular baseball cards. This set is especially interesting to me because a master set contains more variations than any other Topps set, before or since (excluding intentional parallels and variations), Charles said. The dominant design element was the player photo, big and clear (for the most part). The 1991 Topps set debuted just as America was engaging in the first Gulf War. Budget: 2017 Ronald Acuna Jr Bowman Chrome Prospects RC #BCP127 SHOP EBAY NOW. Incredibly, that was one of his lowest batting averages of his Hall of Fame career. 2020 Jose Canseco Stadium Club Bash & Burn Auto Orange /5 #BBAJC. Couple that with the wartime conditions under which most of these cards first saw the light of day and that they had to make a long trip home to find their way into American collections, and its little wonder these cards are hard to come by in top condition. I really have no clue, said Charles on how much 91 Topps hes opened over the years. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. Many of the rarer cards sell for very little since they havent had the right publicity or the legitimization of an entry in the big guides, he said. 10 Bo Jackson #600 - http://bit.ly/W. 1991 Bowman Baseball has a 704-card checklist. I had them in their original boxes placed in shoeboxes in my closet, in fact in 2019 I offered the entire package to a friend in NY for $1000 plus shipping, fortunately his kid isnt into sports so he said no. Once blinded by the bells and whistles of the new early 90s premium sets, collectors returned to 1991 Topps to find some of the most dynamic and interesting photos in a flagship set.