The 2016 Topps baseball card set saw some truly extraordinary cards exchange hands at elevated prices, with several rookie cards and autograph cards eclipsing the $10,000 mark. The 2016 season marked notable debuts from prospects who would go on to stardom like Corey Seager of the Dodgers and Michael Fulmer of the Tigers. It also featured the final Topps cards of legends like Ichiro Suzuki before retirement. All of these factors contributed to several highly coveted rookie and star cards emerging from the 2016 Topps set as heavy hitters in the vintage baseball card resale market.
Perhaps the most expensive 2016 Topps card is the Gold Label parallel of rookie phenom Corey Seager’s base card. Seager won 2016 NL Rookie of the Year honors with the Dodgers and has become a perennial All-Star. The extreme scarcity of the parallel 1-of-1 Gold Label variant skyrocketed its value. In January 2021, one of these ultra-rare Seager rookies sold for a staggering $29,995 via Goldin Auctions. It remains one of the costliest cards ever printed from any modern set due to Seager’s elite status and the parallel’s shocking rarity.
Another rookie who has become a superstar, Michael Fulmer, also has a highly valuable 2016 Topps card. Fulmer won AL Rookie of the Year in 2016 with a breakout season for the Detroit Tigers. His Topps rookie autograph card, serial numbered to only 99 copies, has sold for amounts approaching $10,000. Similarly, rookie cards of established young stars Corey Kluber, Trevor Story, and Gary Sanchez command $1,000-5,000 based on their early career success and likelihood to become Hall of Fame candidates someday.
Veteran superstars with nearing end-of-career status also saw inflated 2016 Topps card values. For example, one of the last Topps cards featuring Ichiro Suzuki in a Mariners uniform before retiring sold on eBay for nearly $10,000 in 2020, showing the Japanese legend’s enduring collectible appeal. Meanwhile, David Ortiz cards from his final season with the Boston Red Sox routinely sell for $2,000-5,000 each. The fact that 2016 would prove to be Big Papi’s swan song added immense value to any of his flagship rookie or star Topps cards from that year.
Two other very expensive 2016 Topps cards come from Los Angeles Dodgers superstars. A pink parallel version of Clayton Kershaw’s base card is among the rarest in the entire set, with an edition numbering around only 100 copies. It has sold above the $4,000 mark. Meanwhile, rookie cards of future NL MVP Cody Bellinger have approached $1,000 due to his stardom for the storied Dodgers franchise and early Cooperstown potential. Bellinger and Kershaw are amongst the most popular collectibles for Dodger fans worldwide.
The 2016 Topps baseball card set showcased emerging young stars and legendary veterans alike. Rookie cards of players like Seager, Fulmer, and Bellinger who would achieve instant MLB fame drove the set’s values extremely high. Meanwhile, Ichiro, Ortiz, and Kershaw cards gained collectible prominence as some of the last of their iconic careers. This perfect storm of debuting talent and established names nearing retirement made the 2016 Topps series a veritable gold mine for savvy vintage collectors and dealers in subsequent years. The rookies have only continued their stellar careers to further boost demand, while appreciation for the legends is eternal.
