most valuable 1954 topps baseball cards

Before he became a Hall of Fame manager, Tom Lasorda a.k.a., Tommy was a journeyman minor league pitcher. #1 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle (figured value of $254,196) By entering your email address you agree to receive email versions of the Baseball Card Market Report. (This baby is also the most important among all Hank Aaron baseball cards.). List by Card #, You own: 0 / 301 items . Senator (Kentucky), and you have the perfect recipe for keeping this card in the limelight. But if you have it because you want it, then it does not matter what dollar figure is attached to the item. 1959 Topps #561 Hank Aaron All-Star Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $650 1959 Topps #202 Roger Maris Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $600 1959 Topps #330 Gus Triandos Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $600 1959 Topps #445 Cal McLish Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $600 1959 Topps #500 Vic Wertz Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $600 1959 Topps #515 Harmon Killebrew Consider the topic at hand as an example. 1952 Topps Eddie Mathews RC #407 The biggest Rookie Card in the landmark 1952 Topps Baseball set isn't Mickey Mantle. 1954 Topps Baseball card checklist, values and prices. Entering 1954, then, he was on the cusp of his 23rd birthday and, though he had all the talent in the world, he was still largely unproven. (Note: The following sections contain affiliate links to eBay and Amazon listings for the cards being discussed.). 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth: $4.212 million. It is a very nice set. 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There are several cards which would qualify based on their price guide listings, but they are cards that were not broadly available when they were released, and even more restricted in their availability today. While neither had very notable careers, the card maintains solid value. Ungraded & graded values for all '54 Topps Baseball Cards. Finally, as I try to convince the young ones, the value of things is determined by what people are willing to pay, and so the modern phenomenon of sports cards auctions also has information to add to this discussion. The 1954 Bowman Baseball set contains 224 cards. Pete Rose, 1963 Topps - $717,000. In 1954, Hank Aaron was still pretty much the fresh-faced kid who had only recently mended his cross-handed swing and who first made his professional mark with the Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro Leagues in 1951. Add in Bunnings long run as a U.S. Sports collecting news - Sports cards and sports memorabilia industry news. Value. From the #1 card in the 1957 Topps set, we now jump to the very end of the run. Right. Topps was so proud of this they made After snagging National League Rookie of the Year honors in 1951, Mays played in only 34 games in 1952 before losing all of 1953 to military service. Bunning appeared in 15 games for the Tigers in each of 1955 and 1956, compiling an 8-6 record with a hefty 5.00 ERA across 104.1 innings of mostly relief work. #8 1955 Topps #164 Roberto Clemente RC (figured value of $30,536) When listingthe 15 most valuable baseball cards of the 50s it might be easy for a person to just go to a price guide (after all, there are really only a couple that are used broadly) and list out the 15 cards with the highest dollar value ascribed to them. While Jackie Robinson made his legendary debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers on opening day on April 15, 1947, Larry Doby made history himself a bit later as he became the first black player to integrate the American League on July 5, 1947. The official price guide for PSA-certified collectibles. Once this step was complete we trimmed what we had to a a list of 25 cards with the highest total of raw and graded prices, added the most recent sale information that was available, and then averaged out the raw, graded and realized dollar values of the cards on the list. In that vein, then, here are the most valuable 1954 Topps baseball cards, as determined for PSA 7 copies by the PSA Sports Market Report Price Guide. Except for Mickey Mantle, Stan Musial, Roy Campanella, Whitey Ford, and Bob Feller for various reasons, mainly contract issues Other than that, this set has all of the legends of the day and three key vintage rookie cards in Clemente, Koufax and Killebrew. Read our methodology. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 by Old Sports Cards, LLC, their positions on the printing sheets meant they were exposed to increased wear as the sheets were shuffled around, they bore the brunt of damage from the rubber bands that kids used to organize card stacks chronologically. Despite Mickey Mantle being noticeably absent, the 1954 Topps baseball card set is one of the most iconic of the vintage era. Fittingly, his 1955 Topps rookie card has become a hobby icon making it one of the most valuable baseball cards there are. Larry Pauley began collecting in the 1960's, opened his first card shop in the KC area during the late 1980's, and today, when not combing flea markets for the next find, he runs Baseballia, a website at baseballia.com. It was a momentous year for the team, and especially for Robinson himself. After issuing both color and black-and-white sets in 1953, Bowman fell back to a single (color) product for 1954. Sign up for the latest news, exclusive promos, events, and much more! Remember, kids used to stack these cards and secure them with rubber bands. 1954 Topps Hank Aaron RC #128. When Ernie Banks took the field for ten games at shortstop for the Chicago Cubs in 1953, there were probably plenty of folks who rubbed their eyes hard. . Without further ado, behold the top 10 most expensive baseball cards of all time. In other words, we listed the cards that carried the equivalent of a PSA 9. List by Card #, You own: 0 / 301 items To be glad to have an item simply because you want to have it in the collection you are building. Shortcuts: Prices are updated daily based upon 1954 Topps listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. However, Thompson spent the majority of his career with the New York Giants from 1949 to his retirement in 1956. Cheapest, The Topps baseball card set was released in 1954. By entering your email address you agree to receive email versions of the Baseball Card Market Report. We may earn an affiliate commission if you 1954 Topps Baseball Card Checklist. My passion is for these new collectors (and old collectors as well) to enjoy the hobby for its own sake. Today, the Mays card that greeted collectors during that magical summer sells for close to $2000 in PSA 7 condition. HOBIE LANDRITH 1954 BOWMAN BASEBALL #220 VG-EX PSA 4. Enough folks still love the Duke to make this a $200+ card these days. But knowing that value does not always come as an easy answer. Average ungraded base card value (excludes parallels) for 1954 Topps At the same time, TCG lost out on Mickey Mantle, who appeared in only the Bowman set. Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress, 1967 Topps Baseball Cards 17 Most Valuable. If you continue to use this site, we'll assume you're OK with that. As long-time collectors know, the top card was often subject to rubber band marks and other wear from sitting atop a childhood stack of cards. As a Dodger fan and collector of Sandy Koufax baseball cards, I must say I am a bit partial to this card. This is one of my favoriteHank Aaron baseball cardsand you could argue it's one of the best-looking cards in this set. #3 1952 Topps #1 Andy Pafko (figured value of $69,442)* Key rookie cards of Roberto Clemente, Sandy Koufax, and Harmon Killebrew help headline a set packed with legends like Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Jackie Robinson and Ted Williams to name a few. . #10 1951 Bowman #1 Whitey Ford RC (figured value of $28,919) Not everyone will care that the graded cards were included in the figured value, but those sales do drive value and eventually affect the raw cards. There are several variations, too, with PSA listing the following: Prices for PSA 7 copies range from $500+ to nearly $4000, with later series falling nearer the upper end of that spectrum. Roberto Clemente's importance to the sport of baseball cannot be understated. When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. by . Leading things off is the rookie card of the great "Hammerin' Hank" Aaron which is one of the most desirable cards in the entire hobby. Since many collectors are trying to complete this set in high grade, they are willing to pay huge prices for this card in PSA 8 holders. It was yet another example of how he was one of the anchors to those great Yankees teams of the late 40s, the entire 1950s and early 1960s. Well, maybe it would have, but they offset the loss of the Mick by adding Ted Williams to their fold for the first time ever. From then on he bounced around from team to team and from the Minors to the Majors until he became a coach for the Indians in 1946. The 14-time All-Star and Chicago Cubs legend would easily be the star of this set had it not been for Hank Aaron. From the innovative 3-3/4" by 2-5/8" horizontal design to the incredible artwork and strong group of legendary Hall of Famers, this set has just about everything you could want. It just so happens, though, that one of those championships he won was in 1955 with the Brooklyn Dodgers. The 4 most expensive cards from this set were Mays and the rookie cards of Aaron, Banks, and Kaline. That limited appeal makes the designation of most valuable questionable at the least. (Actually, based on the original article. Mickey Mantle and teammate, Yankees catcher Yogi Berra, were a threat to go deep every time they stepped to the plate. . After teaming up with the young slugger to produce two of the most iconic baseball cards of all time in 1952 and 1953, Topps missed out on Mickey Mantle in 1954. 6. Book-ending the productwith card #1 and #250, these cards are often found with the same defects that plague most vintage cards tofall first orlast in the set. Jack Eugene Jensen (March 9, 1927 - July 14, 1982) was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1984 as the 'Golden Boy" from the University of California at Berkeley. Because, even though, 26-year-old Lasorda didnt make his Major League debut until August 5 of 1954, he somehow landed a rookie card in that years Topps issue. Shortly after Doby's debut with the Indians, Hank Thompson became the third black black player to integrate baseball and first to integrate the St. Louis Browns on July 17, 1947. It was the first salvo in his assault on a Hall of Fame campaign that would ultimately prove successful. Baseball-Cards.com Vintage Baseball Cards/Auctions. It was not a particularly difficult set to complete. $20.00. After missing most of the 1952 and all of the 1953 seasons due to his service in the Korean War, you'd think Mays would have been a bit rusty upon returning in 1954. Against a dark Yankee Stadium background, Mantle stands out like a ghost in a spotlight as he follows through on a left-handed swing in his Yanks Pinstripes here on this 1957 Topps card. Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, Jackie Robinson and tons more !!! The 1952 Topps set is arguably the most coveted set of cards in baseball card collecting history, with commons going for as much as $100 dollars in decent condition. That was good enough for his fifth batting title. 1954 Topps #250 Ted Williams Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $9,000 1954 Topps #10 Jackie Robinson Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $8,000 One of the most impactful people in all of baseball and American history, Jackie Robinson's cards are always a key to any set in which he appears. As a collector, dealer and card shop owner I have long hated the question, Whats it worth? This is especially an onerous question when it comes from a ten-year old. Our articles may contain affiliate links. A 24-time All-Star, Willie Mays won two NL MVP awards and was a World Series champion in 1954. Without the idea of perceived value, this hobby would not have exploded in the 1980s, busted in the late 90s, and slowly built its way back up over the last decade or so. What Is Defensive Indifference in Baseball? most valuable topps baseball cards. | Compare vs. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2008-2023 The Cardboard Connection. While the 1955 Topps baseball card set may not be the biggest in terms of its checklist few sets pack the star power that this set did. #14 1952 Topps #261 Willie Mays (figured value of $18,117) Premium: What a great look at Williams' beautiful and legendary swing. Even though Topps used the same head shot as was on his 1954 rookie card, they made up for it with a great overall design. At least they changed up the action shot so not everything was duplicated. Shortcuts: Most Expensive , Cheapest , List by Card # Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra made the cut with their duo card up above. Centering and print defects in the yellow background are common challenges that keep many from reaching those lofty heights, however. Read our methodology . #5 1953 Topps #82 Mickey Mantle (figured value of $59,423) But, within such an iconic set, which are the most valuable? The 1955 season saw Mays score 123 runs while racking up 51 home runs and 127 RBI. His smiling RC, here in the 1957 Topps set, is a hobby favorite all these years later. So it stands to reason that (probably) the greatest catcher of the 1950s makes the list on his own merits or the merits of his solo card too, right? This was because the tops of the cards were lined up against those of the next row on the printing sheet. Shortcuts: The top card from 1954 . How much are YOUR cards worth? Ross is the founder of Old Sports Cards and has been collecting sports cards for over 30 years. A graded card with a 9 carries a priced worth of $55,000, but the most recently sold item went for $34,409. Thus, I certainly know the value of knowing what may be the value of something collected. Worth. ), Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress, Baseball Humor: Jokes, Puns, and Funny Stories. Although there are not any known short prints, gray backs were issued in Canada for the first series, in addition to the standard white background cards that were available in the United States. Mickey Mantle 1952 Topps - $2.8 Million. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The headshot and action shot that Topps chose for this card really make it stand out from a design standpoint. Anyway, Aaron may have been the best of the lot when all was said and done, and this card reflects that status. ROOKIE cards of future Hall of Famers Hank Aaron, Al Kaline & Ernie Banks Three successful teams in New York, a bubble-gum war between two companies vying for the allowance money of kids, players who would define baseball immortality, and other factors all combine to provide this era with the well-earned title. Though he eventually switched to first base, Mr. Cub and his Lets play two! enthusiasm made him a fan favorite wherever he lined up. Thus, those three values were averaged and the value of the card was determined at $30,536. I am building the set, picking up about any grade I can find and then upgrading when I can. '54 Topps card backs can be found with either white, black, red, green, or flesh-tone color schemes. The cards also display the player's name, position, team logo and facsimile signature. I believe his 1950 Bowman issue is his only other mainstream card where he's shown posing as a catcher. (1951), an NL MVP award (1954), and a 50-homer season (1955) under his belt . Willie Mays, on the other hand, was a bona fide superstar as 1957 dawned. Oh, to be sure, some give me dirty looks because they think it is all about investment, but the vast majority understand and agree regarding what collecting is about at its core. Unfortunately, it appears that the press operator forgot to orient the card backs accordingly. And if you were collecting Topps cards in 1954, your choices were down to Willie and the Duke. After all, an item is only worth what someone is willing to pay to obtain it, right? 1954 Topps. It was Killebrew--he belted an astounding 393 home runs that decade. It's limited to only 44 copies. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. With bright, clear photos and minimal design elements, there is nothing to distract collectors from the grandeur of the game and its denizens. All of that, of course, is assuming you can even find one. I think Killebrew is often overlooked compared to some of the players who played during his era. So if you go to a card show today and thumb through a box of 1954 Topps, you'll likely find that one-half of the cards have the card number at the top, and the remainder have it at the bottom. Doby hit 24 home runs with 102 RBI in 1956, his first season with the White Sox after making history for the Indians as the first African American player in the American League. Like Banks, Kaline was one of the few players in history to earn his team's moniker as he went on to become known as "Mr. Tiger". After all, over Wade's brief five-year career as a Major League pitcher, he bounced around between the Cubs, Dodgers, Cardinals and Pirates. A Triple Crown, MVP, and World Series MVP later, and it was clear F. Robby was headed to Cooperstown. Mays was a 24-time All-Star selection, a 12-time Gold Glove winner, the 1951 National League Rookie of the Year, a two-time NL Most Valuable Player (1954, 1965) and a member of the 1954 World Series champion New York . $25.00. #9 1954 Bowman #65 Mickey Mantle (figured value of $29,147) The career leader in RBI with an incredible 2,297, Aaron is perhaps most notable for snapping Babe Ruth's career home run mark when he sent his 715th ball over the fence in 1974. Though he was "just" an All-Star in 1954, Ford would soon enough become a 20-game winner, Cy Young nabber, postseason legend. 1975 Topps. By the time he became a legend for the Los Angeles Dodgers, this classic must have twinged some painful memories for the faithful back home, owing to its Brooklyn team designation. ARTICLES. Card fronts come with a variety of colorful backgrounds, including white, yellow, light blue, green, red, orange and dark orange. When Banks came back for a full season in 1954, though, and smacked 19 home runs and then followed it up with 44 dingers in 1955 he proved he was for real. As a member of the Cleveland Indians, Doby was 7-time All-Star from 1949 to 1955. Mills' first appearance in Major League Baseball came as a player with a brief stint with the 1934 "Gashouse Gang" Cardinals. Mickey Mantle topped this list with his own single card. Like others on this list, Clemente was still a few years away from superstardom when his smiling 1957 Topps card first found its way into collectors hands. Then, after the Boston Braves purchased his rights for $10,000, he spent a couple years working up their minor league ranks. What resulted is that half of the cards were printed upside down. 1952 Topps #311 Estimated PSA 8 Value: $400,000 The 1952 Topps #311 is by far Mantle's most popular baseball card and one of the most recognizable in the entire hobby. Nobody likes checklist cards, and if they didnt get thrown away, they got used as, you know, checklist cards marked up, banged up, washed up. Of course, much of that eventual success could be laid at the feet of Aaron himself, who quickly developed into an all-tool superstar, and then into the slugging veteran who took down Babe Ruths career home run record. For example, the 1955 Topps card of Roberto Clemente (#164) has a raw price guide value of $2,200. a tougher mid-series (#51-75), and finally (#76-250). So, you can see that there are multiple factors at play here that contribute to the high value of this card. All Rights Reserved. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network. Ross is the founder of Old Sports Cards and has been collecting sports cards for over 30 years. Filed Under: Popular Stories, Sports Card News, Vintage Sports Card News Tagged With: 1950s, 1950s baseball cards, 1950s baseball rookie cards, baseball cards, baseball rookie cards, Bowman, Mickey Mantle, Roberto Clemente, Topps, vintage baseball cards, vintage baseball rookie cards, Willie Mays. Its all part of the glory of Teddy Ballgame and part of the reason his striking 1957 Topps card the first in the set sells for big bucks today.. As a new season dawned, Topps and rival Bowman were jockeying for position among collectors, and each was scrambling to find the right formula. 1909 T-206 Honus Wagner: $7.25 million. He's in 1951 Bowman so it's actually a second-year card. Here are the top deals currently listed on eBay. Pitchers with 300 Wins and Their Baseball Cards! Some would argue it has even overtaken the T206 Honus Wagner as the face of the baseball card world. Whether you realize it or not, 1954 Topps baseball cards represent a turning of the tide for the hobby. The sexiness of busting open a pack of cards for $5, $10, $30 or more and pulling a card that is worth a couple hundred is a strong allure, indeed. This striking card is a $400+ buy in graded NM condition. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Making 30 starts among his 45 appearances that summer, Bunning led the N.L. The value of his card skyrockets in high grade since relatively so few of them exist. Contact him at [emailprotected]. Are you selling sports cards that were produced from 1868 - 1975? 1952 Bowman Baseball is also an attractive set, but it doesn't have nearly the prestige. 1954 Topps Baseball was distributed in three different series, including Series 1 (#1-50), Series 2 (#51-75), and Series 3 (#76-250). Though it took him a few years to really settle in as a superstar, Big D eventually won enough games and garnered enough of the spotlight to put together a Hall of Fame career. Why, you get the 1957 Topps Brooks Robinson rookie card, of course! 1909-1911 T206 Sweet Caporal Honus Wagner. One amazing catch, a World Series title with the New York Giants, 41 home runs, and an NL batting title later, though, and Mays was undeniably one of the best players in the game. The decades have been kind to this Bucs legend, and Clemente has never been more popular than he is today. Because of these features, this set will always be among the most desirable of any set in the hobby. IF the item has some perceived value, then that is an extra benefit. Production of 1954 Bowman Baseball Cards. Posted by Adam Hughes | Baseball Card Values, Baseball Cards, Topps Baseball Cards | 0 |. We are user supported. Consider this one both a wild card and an honorable mention. From a design standpoint, the 1954 Topps Baseball cards are slightly oversized, measuring 2-5/8" by 3-3/4". Download Price List, SportsCardsPro 2019-2023 1954 Topps Baseball was distributed in three different series, including Series 1 (#1-50), Series 2 (#51-75), and Series 3 (#76-250). With its orange background and fantastic imagery of the young slugger, this card packs amazing eye appeal. In 1947, Jensen out-pitched NFL Hall of Famer Bobby Layne to win Cal's first ever NCAA baseball tournament championship. This site contains links to affiliate websites, and we may receive an affiliate commission for any purchases made on the affiliate website using such links. * In a few instances the best graded card sold was an 8. However, the placement of the card on the list would not have changed even factoring in a doubling of the cards value by taking it to a 9, and so the list remained intact. So Snider's card often found its place at the bottom of the stack and would be much more susceptible to wear and tear from the rubber band. It was quite the performance and for his efforts, Mays collected his only batting title and first of two MVP awards of his career. The third key rookie card in this set, Harmon Killebrew comes in just behind Snider for fourth place on the list. Find out for yourself with our FREE checklist to guide you step-by-step. Considering there are three monster rookie cards included, it's not hard to understand why Oh, and Ted Williams made his Topps debut by bookending the set with both the first and last cards to his name so that helps, too. Like the Aaron card from this set, Topps used the same head shot on Mays' 1955 Topps issue as they did the year before. You may be surprised to find Ben Wade ahead of guys on this list like Warren Spahn, Yogi Berra and Duke Snider. buy stuff after clicking links on our site That's why he holds the honor of being the player with the most World Series rings in history with 10, enough for one on each finger. Below we explore the top 10 most expensive baseball cards of all time. 1999 - 2023 Collectors Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved. Setting career marks in home runs (32) and RBI (126), Doby finished second in MVP voting to Yogi Berra for his performance during the 1954 season. You can reach him at [emailprotected]. Even some nationally issued, post war baseball issues were never easy to obtain even in their day. The 1951 Topps Major League All-Stars card of Robin Roberts was a short print, and its price guide listing of $15,000 would certainly place it high on a list of valuable cards. Not only did he help the team win, he was named MVP of the series. And you also get one of the most valuable cards in the whole set, a status this card has held for decades. Either way, the demand for this card remains sky high. Using that list of 30 cards, we then checked what these cards had sold for at auction in recent history. Pretty must the same story here for Aaron as above for Mays, except Henry wouldnt win his only MVP award until that summer of 1957, and he never did top 50 home runs in a season. The full color image of Aaron swinging the bat and facsimile signature are nice complements. It's incredible to think that Aaron would eventually be selected to 25 straight All-Star games, with the 1955 season marking the first year he'd receive that honor. By 1954, Ford was already the ace of the Yanks staff, and the battery of Whitey-to-Yogi is one of the most legendary of all-time. Nonetheless, this card is still highly sought after and can be worth thousands of dollars in top condition. Young Ernie Banks with sunlight squeezing through, casting stadium-structure shadows on his seldom-seen arching-red-underlined-Chicago jersey and his blue Cubs cap? Of course, his card is card #1 in the iconic 1952 Topps setand high grade examples are rare. That would be the last time hed top 15 homers or 80 RBI, and he wouldnt see the 1960s as an active player. 1954 Topps card list & price guide. Today, Banks 1954 Topps rookie card sells for $6000+ in graded NM condition. Amidst all the rivalry between Bowman and Topps to sign players to exclusive contracts, Topps landed its biggest coup when they secured the rights to produce cards of returning veteran Ted Williams.

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