The 2021 Topps baseball card release marked another highly anticipated set from the longest running baseball card company. As with every new Topps card year, collectors were eager to see what rookies, parallels, autographs and short prints would emerge as valuable chase cards. While it’s still relatively early, here’s an overview of some of the Topps 21 cards that are showing strong values based on recent sales data:
Wander Franco RCs (Rookie Cards) – As expected, the prized RCs of Tampa Bay Rays young superstar Wander Franco have been commanding top dollar. His standard base RC can be found selling in the $50-100 range depending on condition. Low-numbered parallels like /499, /75 and 1/1 variations have easily brought thousands. A recent PSA 10 grade example of his /75 parallel sold for nearly $9,000 on eBay. Franco looks poised to be one of the faces of the sport for years, making his 21 RCs a blue chip collection piece.
Albert Pujols Base RC – The nostalgia factor has pushed sales of the longtime Angels slugger’s very first 2001 Topps RC back over $1,000 consistently for high-end copies. While not quite as valuable in the early 2000s, Pujols nears the end of his Hall of Fame career with collectors eager to own a piece of his rookie legacy. Graded examples in PSA 9-10 shape will run $700-1500+.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Rainbow Foil RC – One of the more sought-after parallels from Series 1, Guerrero’s rainbow foil /2021 RC has maintained a strong $150-300 value range depending on condition. His bat continues to develop and this parallel stands out with its colorful design, making it a coveted PC card for Blue Jays collectors.
Fernando Tatis Jr. & Juan Soto SPs (Short Prints) – Tatis Jr. and Soto have quickly become two of the faces of MLB, so it’s no surprise collectors love hunting down the tougher to find short print variations of their RCs. Tatis’ SP has sold in the $150-250 range while Soto’s commands $100-200 depending on grade/condition factors. Both deserve spots in any young stars collection.
Mookie Betts & Cody Bellinger SSPs (Super Short Prints) – For the true high-end parallels, Betts and Bellinger’s extremely limited super short prints /10 and /5 respectively have seen big six figure sales. Slabs grades examples in PSA/BGS 10 have crossed $120,000 and $160,000 depending on the player over the last year according to PWCC Marketplace data.
Mike Trout SPs – Trout remains one of the most universally desired players on cardboard. Low-numbered SPs and 1/1s of his 2009 Bowman Chrome RC can reach five figures and higher even today. Recent PSA 10 copies of his various /10, /5 and 1/1 parallels have brought $12,000-25,000 at auction.
Shohei Ohtani RCs – As one of the most electric two-way talents in decades, Ohtani’s 2018 Topps RCs saw renewed hype and demand in 2021 as he continued dazzling on the mound and at the plate. PSA/BGS 10 graded examples have sold over $1,000 recently with lower pop report parallels reaching $2,500+.
1991 Topps Traded Ken Griffey Jr. RC – While not a new issue, this parallel RC has maintained strong seven figure auction prices through the years. Seen by many as the key vintage RC, a recent PSA 9 sold for a staggering $358,622 on Goldin Auctions, showcasing Junior’s enduring icon status in the hobby.
2021 Heritage High Numbers Ronald Acuna Jr. – Acuna missed much of 2021 with injury but remains a top young star. His scarcer Heritage High Number parallel from this year’s retro set has reached $150-300 for high graded copies indicating strong long term PC demand.
Of course there are also numerous top rookies and parallels from 2021 that are primed to appreciate over the coming years as well, such as RCs of Shane Bieber, Lucas Giolito, Juan Soto rainbow foil and more. There’s no question Topps 21 will continue producing many valuable cards for collectors and investors to chase. With flagship RCs of current phenoms like Guerrero, Tatis, Acuna and others, it offers a chance to get in early on potential future hobby icons.
