Mark McGwire had one of the most legendary careers in Major League Baseball history, propelling himself to stardom and smashing records with his mammoth home runs during his prime years with the Oakland Athletics and St. Louis Cardinals in the late 1980s through the late 1990s. Along with his legendary on-field accomplishments that still stand today, McGwire’s baseball card collection from his playing days is highly valued by collectors. Let’s take a closer look at Mark McGwire’s baseball card history and what his cards are currently worth on the collectibles market.
McGwire made his MLB debut in 1986 with the A’s at age 22. That season marked his first baseball cards released for production. Some of his notable rookie and early career cards include his 1986 Topps rookie card, 1987 Topps Traded, 1988 Topps, and 1989 Bowman. These early McGwire cards are key items for any baseball card collection focused on some of the game’s great power hitters from that era. Graded high in mint condition, McGwire’s 1986 rookie card in a PSA 10 Gem Mint grade has recently sold for over $30,000. Even in lower graded condition, it still retains value in the $100-500 range depending on condition.
It was during McGwire’s MVP seasons of 1987 and 1988 with Oakland that collectors first started to take notice of his burgeoning talent. The 1987 Topps Traded paper card featuring McGwire in an A’s uniform is a highly sought after piece, often selling for $500-1,000 in top condition. His 1988 Topps card remains one of the more iconic from his playing days, with a PSA 10 example selling for around $3,000-4,000 currently. Even raw, non-graded 1988 Topps McGwire cards in near mint to mint condition can be obtained for $100-200.
Arguably the most financially valuable of all McGwire cards come from his record-shattering 1998 home run chase season with the St. Louis Cardinals alongside Sammy Sosa. It was during this time that McGwire captivated the nation by hitting a then single-season record 70 home runs. Naturally, each of the major baseball card producers in 1998 such as Upper Deck, Score, and Topps inserted extra McGwire cards into their sets to capitalize on the star popularity. A PSA 10 graded 1998 Upper Deck McGwire card with the MLB home run leader logo insignia on the front can sell for over $5,000. Even ungraded copies in flawless condition might pull in $500-1,000.
When it comes to McGwire’s 1998 Topps cards from that incredible year, it’s the basic regular issue rookie reprint card and parallel variants that hold the highest values. The standard Topps 1998 McGwire in a pristine PSA 10 is worth around $2,000-3,000 today. His hugely popular “Gold Foil” parallel from 1998 Topps in the same grade can reach $7,500 at auction. Some rare promotional parallels like the Walmart Blue Foil parallel carry estimates over $15,000 in gem condition. Overall, McGwire’s 1998 issue cards remain the most collectible and hard-earned to obtain in top preservation.
From 1999-2001, McGwire’s career was winding down back with the Cardinals, but producers still released unique parallel and insert cards capitalizing on his legendary home run power. His 1999 Fleer Ultra Autographics Signature Series autograph card signed on-card has previously sold for around $3,000 graded. Even ungraded, it can obtain $500-1,000 raw. Other popular late career McGwire inserts were found in 2000 Topps Chrome like the Refractors (#250) and Parallels that remain steady around the $100-300 range depending on condition for raw copies.
His final baseball card came in 2001 Upper Deck, which features McGwire on the Cardinals with a vertical photo and home run summary on the back. Even today, 20 years later, this final McGwire card holds value and demand in top shape graded at $100-200. Collectors enjoy owning the full bookend of McGwire’s rookie and final card appearances to display his complete baseball card history footprint. Raw near mint 2001 UD McGwire final cards change hands for $20-50 in the market.
In summary, Mark McGwire’s most prized and valuable baseball cards are understandably those which capture the apex and records of his Hall of Fame caliber playing career – centered around his rookie and late 1980s/1998 home run chase issues. While plenty of other desirable McGwire cards exist from the 1990s and 2000s, it’s consistently the examples from his record setting 1987-88 Athletics tenure and memorable 1998 70 home run season with St. Louis that achieve the highest prices based on their iconic and historically significant nature. With proper preservation and grading, McGwire’s top rookie and chase year cards can still return thousands of dollars of value for savvy collectors today.
