The 1991 Topps Traded baseball card set is considered one of the most iconic and valuable traded sets ever produced. Issued midway through the 1991 MLB season, Topps Traded was the second annual traded set released by the card manufacturer and featured current star players who had been traded to new teams since the initial 1991 Topps base set was released in March.
While not quite as scarce as the debut 1990 Topps Traded set, 1991 Topps Traded still contained several short printed cards and rookie cards of future Hall of Famers that have made many of the cards quite valuable today. The set contains 192 total cards with team logos and uniform designs updated to reflect each player’s new club at the time of printing in July 1991. Several stars are featured like Nolan Ryan, Cal Ripken Jr., Kirby Puckett, and Roberto Alomar.
One of the most valuable cards in the entire 1991 Topps lineup is the rookie card of future 500 home run club member Ken Griffey Jr. Card #42 depicts Griffey as a member of the Seattle Mariners, the team he would spend the bulk of his career with. Due to his rookie status, iconic swing, and “The Kid” persona, Griffey Jr.’s 1991 Topps Traded RC consistently fetches over $1000 in near mint condition and has sold for upwards of $3000 in gem mint 10 grade.
Another hugely sought after rookie in the set is Chipper Jones’ 1991 Topps Traded card showing him as an Atlanta Brave. card #165 features the future Hall of Famer in his true rookie season, although he had also appeared in a few 1990 Braves games at the end of that season. High grade examples of Chipper’s Traded rookie have sold for over $2000. Jones would go on to have a 19 year career solely with the Braves and cement his legacy as one of the best third basemen in MLB history.
Traded cards of superstars Frank Thomas, Barry Bonds, Tom Glavine, and Greg Maddux in their early seasons with the White Sox, Pirates, Braves and Cubs respectively are also very valuable, often fetching hundreds of dollars for high grade copies. These players were all established major leaguers by 1991 but their Traded cards captured them at the start of their tenures with new franchises.
Two of the most expensive cards from the set belong to pitchers David Cone and Dennis Eckersley. Card #165 shows Cone as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays, where he was traded from the Mets midway through the 1991 season. Cone’s Jays card is one of the major short prints in the set, with experts estimating less than 10 copies graded mint remain. As a result, even well-worn copies sell for $1000+ while a PSA 10 can demand over $10,000.
Card #191 features Hall of Fame closer Eckersley as an Oakland A’s months after being acquired from the Red Sox. Like Cone’s card, Eckersley’s Traded issue is also one of the rarest in the set, making it a tremendously valuable card for vintage baseball card investors. High grade Eckersley’s have sold for as much as $15,000 in recent years, recognizigng its legendary rarity status among 1991-92 traded card enthusiasts and vintage sports memorabilia collectors.
Other scarce short prints in the 1991 Topps Traded set that can be worth $500+ in mint condition include Kirby Puckett as a member of the Twins on card #57, Bret Saberhagen with the Red Sox on card #110, and Lenny Dykstra with the Phillies on card #174. This rarity has maintained the set’s popularity over 30 years since its release amid growing nostalgia for early ’90s baseball cards from investors and collectors alike.
In terms of condition, most of the highest priced 1991 Topps Traded cards require a PSA or BGS graded mint grade of 8, 9 or 10 to realize their full valuable potential. With only a tiny number produced in flawless condition originally, well-centered mint examples with sharp corners and no whitening are quite rare to find today. But for patient collectors, the 1991 Topps Traded checklists still offers a chance to own rookie cards or early images of all-time MLB greats for reasonable cost compared to their earlier base cards. The set is undoubtedly one of the best and most valuable annually produced by Topps during their decades long run as the sports card industry pioneer.
