The 1997 Topps Finest Baseball card set is considered one of the premium and high-end releases of the 1990s. Produced annually starting in 1991 through 2005, Finest was Topps’ attempt to capture the attention of more serious collectors with its slick photography, glossy cards stock, and higher print runs. The 1997 edition contains 272 cards and feature players from both the American and National Leagues. While it does not gain as much notoriety as some of the other 1990s Finest sets, it still contains many valuable rookie and star cards 25 years later. Let’s take a closer look at some of the top cards from the 1997 Topps Finest set and what they may be worth to collectors today.
One of the biggest names and most valuable cards from the 1997 Topps Finest set is that of Cubs’ shortstop Nomar Garciaparra’s rookie card. Widely considered one of the premier rookie cards of the 1990s, Garciaparra’s Finest card #57 fetched high prices shortly after its release. Today, in near mint to mint condition, examples often sell on auction sites like eBay for $150-$250. In pristine gem mint 10 condition, which is extremely difficult to obtain for any 1990s card, a PSA 10 Garciaparra rookie could bring over $500. Another extremely sought-after rookie is that of Dodgers pitcher Hideo Nomo #72. Like Garciaparra, Nomo made quite an impact winning both the Rookie of the Year award and pitching a no-hitter in 1995. High grade Nomo rookies in PSA 9-10 condition easily sell for $100-200 with the occasional gem mint an even rarer find.
Beyond rookies, the 1997 Finest set also features many stars cards that hold value. For instance, a Ken Griffey Jr. card #8, one of the most popular players of the 1990s, typically sells in the $15-30 range. However, Griffey aficionados are always on the hunt for pristine examples of his cards which pushes gem mint 10 prices closer to $100-150. Similarly, Cards’ 1st baseman Mark McGwire’s #110, coming off a then single season home run record season in 1998, brings $10-20 but jumps over $50 in a PSA 10 case. Other star performers like Yankees’ shortstop Derek Jeter #87, Braves’ pitcher Greg Maddux #231, and Indians’ pitcher Charles Nagy #114 can usually be acquired for $5-15 but climb higher in top grades.
Some lesser known but surprisingly expensive cards from the 1997 Topps Finest set include Pirates pitcher Francisco Cordova #242 and Twins pitcher Jim Buchanan #131. Both recorded no-hitters during the 1997 season which makes their cards quite scarce in high grades. PSA 9 examples of Cordova and Buchanan have sold for $60-100 in recent years. Another under the radar gem is Expos’ outfielder Vladimir Guerrero’s #102 rookie card. Even though he was still a bit raw in his debut year of 1996, top graded examples of his rookie Fine reflect his future Hall of Fame caliber career selling between $50-100.
While stars and rookies receive the most buzz, complete set collectors also drive demand and prices for some of the more common player cards from the 1997 Topps Finest release. Teams like the Rangers, Rockies, Marlins and Diamondbacks were still relatively new franchises in 1997 which makes locating pristine high graded common cards more difficult. Examples like Iván Rodríguez’s #213, Larry Walker’s #136, Craig Counsell’s #71 and Jay Bell’s #181 are regularly sought after and traded amongst registry set collectors in Gem Mint 10 condition for $15-30 a pop.
While it lacks the iconic rookie cards of some other 1990s Finest releases, the 1997 edition still provides value to baseball card investors twenty-five years later. Key names like Nomar Garciaparra, Hideo Nomo, Ken Griffey Jr. and a few others consistently sell higher than typical population averages. Lesser known star and rookie performers as well as complete registry set collectors continue to fuel demand for many of the common cardboard. The 1997 Topps Finest set remains a premier high-end vintage release that diehard collectors continue adding to their portfolios at affordable price points. Whether chasing rookie phenoms or completing sets, 1997 Finest still delivers opportunities for long term baseball card appreciation.
